Texas Jack’s Barbecue

The bar is low for bbq in this area, and all they did was manage to move the bar lower and make me crave good bbq.
They tried to reinvent the wheel with service and it failed miserably. If the food was good I could overlook the service, but someone running the smoker should learn what a char is and how not to burn the meat (both the short rib and brisket was burnt, and it tasted burnt). The people giving this positive reviews haven’t had decent (wont even use the word good) bbq. Also, what bbq place, fancy or not, puts barbecue sauce in a little tin. Put a bottle on the table. Oh and that sucked too. Tasted like old ketchup loaded with sugar and was inedible.
Beyond that, it was outrageously expensive. If part of our meal hadn’t been comped, it would have been $ 80 before tax and tip, and two people shared food.

Modern yet rustic décor with lots of rough wood (no splinters though, relax). The staff is friendly and welcoming.
Let me just jump in. The bbq is bad. I had the pork. Too much fat and fatty weirdness, and the meat looks greasy, almost raw in places, and generally unappetizing. The pieces were crudely and poorly pulled into big chunks and little strips, some not even tender, others dry, and about a quarter to a third of it was just globs of fat. My friend had the brisket and it too had way too much fat. Both were also not satisfactorily flavorful.
This is a huge disappointment for both of us as we had been big fans of the chef’s previous bbq place in Brooklyn. Someone must have hit that dude on the head so hard he forgot how to make bbq. If only the DC area had as much of an explosion of boutique bbq joints as it did pizza and burger places, there would certainly be a few awesome bbq places, but nope.
We both agreed that there was no way in hell we were going back. My second star is for the friendly staff. The bbq is one star.

Ate here for late lunch today with a friend. I had the brisket sandwich w/​fried egg, corn on the side. What can I say… I spent the whole day thinking about how delicious that sandwich was and wishing I had another one. The meat was perfect, moist and flavorful, just the right balance.
We shared the pecan pie for dessert, but I should have ordered my own because it was off-​the-​charts AWESOME!
As to the service, we were there on the late side, 2ish. The place wasn’t very busy and were seated right away. Our waiter was totally friendly and helpful and the food came super fast.
So excited to have such a great place in Arlington. I can’t wait to go back to try more BBQ!

**Saturday lunch. Brunch menu only, which doesn’t include… Drumroll please… barbecue.
Anyway, here is the review:
The hostess attempted to seat us at the empty bar, I specified that we wanted a table.
After maybe 10 minutes, I had to signal the bus boy to get a waiter.
I settled for the huevos rancheros, which was delicious. It took a long time. The waitress was friendly and brought out our sides of bacon first so that we had something to eat as we waitied.
After the entrée and the additional side, I was not quite full.
I like the inside of the place, real wood tables and a good view of Washington avenue through the huge front glass windows. I

Meh. «Texas» «BBQ» — Saturday brunch contains nothing that resembles either of those two words except for the hash. Brisket in the hash was good, just disappointing that 99% of the menu was not BBQ.
And biscuits and gravy is total misleading. One biscuit and a small puddle of gravy.
Food was room temp. Wait staff inexperienced and lost.
Avoid.

Waited until my second visit to write a review.
Because the first time I went we were seated in the bar area… next to a table with loud and rambunctious toddlers. I get that the place is a neighborhood restaurant and wants to cater to families… but why seat (why ALLOW) families with children under a certain age in the BAR area when there is a massive (and when we were there mostly empty) dining room area? But the food was pretty good, especially the short ribs and the brussel sprouts.
But then on the second visit, sitting at the bar (while the dining room was again empty) a large group of 4 toddlers and 5 adults were seated at two of the bar tables directly behind me. It once again ruined not just the atmosphere but my meal.
Honestly, this could be an awesome joint, but since parents don’t seem to have the courtesy to keep their loud little ones out of an adult space, the restaurant needs to set some rules for the bar so that grown-​ups can have a nice BBQ bar experience by keeping those with little ones out of the bar and in the large dining room. It would also help the ambiance in the bar if the lights were a little lower.
Again, the food is great. Cocktails are excellent. But the brightly lit kid-​filled barroom robs my review of the joint of three stars..

A welcome addition to the Arlington food options, Texas Jack has a cool vibe and delicious menu of bbq-​ed meats. The trade-​off is price — we paid over 80 bucks for a sampler for four, a half pound of pulled pork, and a sausage link, which left us still hungry afterwards.
Of the meats, my favorite was the pulled pork, juicy, moist, and well flavored with the addition of bbq sauce. However the meat may have been inconsistent as my other friends insisted the pork was a bit dry and that the brisket was their preferred choice. The sausage was also very interesting — spicy, cheesy, delicious.
The sides are very diverse compared to most bbq places. We enjoyed crispy brussels sprouts, risotto with beans, and smashed cucumbers. All were tasty, though the first two were better accompaniments for bbq.
Conclusion: One of the better bbq establishments in the DMV area and worth a try!

My husband was excited to have a barbecue option in Arlington, so we checked this place out as soon as we got a chance. We were hesitant at first because of the middling reviews, and admittedly I was a tad biased by the fact that I’d just returned from Nashville and had greatly enjoyed barbecue while THERE.
The food wasn’t cheap, but it was on par with what we figured a new Arlington place would cost just outside of Clarendon. I had a pulled pork sandwich, which was quite tasty. The brussel sprout appetizer was really good, and I thought it was cute how it came in a cup. They don’t have many of your typical barbecue side staples, which was neat but maybe a tad disappointing (I love cornbread…). I think what really made it a good experience was the service. We had a great server who was pleasant to talk to.
They didn’t have a desert menu yet, but they seem like a place that will have something promising. They did say that they’d have a brunch menu coming soon, which I believe is now available. The place has room to grow, but unlike other new businesses in the area, I think there is a lot of promise for this place to get even better. We will definitely return in a couple months to see the progress.

The Fiancé LOVES BBQ so we have had our eye on this place since it opened. We came with a group of 5 on a Sunday and had no trouble getting a table. I love the rustic décor and the Bar area!
(+)
— Moist Beef Brisket was AMAZING! I would recommend ordering a ½ pound of this instead of the ¼ pound. The ¼ pound only came with 1.5 pieces and was not enough to fill you up
— Pulled Pork — it was not dry at all and had the perfect amount of wetness to it
— BBQ sauce — a little sweet which I LOVE, though I wish they had more than 1 type of sauce to choose from
— Our server was attentive and helpful with the menu
— French Fries were crispy and went perfectly with our meats
— Queso was good but fairly small and did not come with a lot of tortilla chips
(-)
— The meal platter for 2 excludes French Fries for some reason (even though it is the cheapest side item)
— The risotto resembled porridge and was definitely overcooked — would not recommend this side
— Cole slaw was a bit more on the vinegar side than the creamy side I am used to
— Corn was just OK
— We were bummed that they didn’t have Baked Beans or Macaroni and Cheese on their menu
We’ll be back for the Brisket and Fries!
*Tip* There is a parking lot but the entrance is a bit hidden

Me and a friend dined at the bar a week or so ago. The food is very good. The service is more 2 stars, the bartenders need to be more attentive, we had to keep asking for things from her and she didn’t check on us regularly.
Brisket — Yes… it is very good and is very mouthwatering and delicate. Get it
Pulled Pork BBQ — Yes, it is very good. Right amount of seasoning and moisture. Get it
Habanero Charro Sausage — Simply amazing. Seasoned very well and cooked just right. Get it if you like great sausage.
Sides we tried:
Esquites — The best side we tried. The corn and cheese are amazing.
Brussels — Very good and seasoned just right. If you like them crispy then get them.
Fried Potatoes — Nice and crispy, very good.
Not one thing was wrong with our meal, very good all around!
Love the 2 types of pickles you get on your plate. Very tastey!
The only thing I laughed at was the Full rack of ribs for $ 50. Come on guys… $ 50 for a rack of ribs? Seriously? Are these magic ribs? Do I get a car with them too? Sorry… never will pay $ 50 for a rack of ribs. Rocklands sells them for half your price and they are bigger.

What a pleasant surprise to have a place like this pop up in town. Fantastic ambience, delicious food, and very professional, warm staff.
Texas Jack’s claim to fame is the introduction of Duroc pork, but don’t let the prices on the menu scare you… Those prices at by the pound. One can order smaller portions of each of the selections of pork or beef along with delicious sides that rivaled my favorite dry-​BBQ haunts in Atlanta.
Everything is made on site… Only the bread and beer are shipped in. If you get yourself ¼−½ lb of meat with a side or two (and of course a beer), you can expect a $ 20-​$ 30 bill. Very reasonable for the quality and quantity.
Only addition I would recommend to the business is a centerpiece (like a candle) at each table.
All in all, I was very pleased. I hope the place sticks around and thrives. This restaurant is a business that deserves to succeed. I feel they earned it.

Superlatives all the way around !
Travel occasionally takes me to Austin; I have eaten at Rudy’s, The County Line, Salt Lick, and other great BBQ places… and TX Jack’s can hold their own against any of them.
«Select all your favorite barbecue items to build a sampler platter. Choose any combination, any amount, any way you like it!» is the throw-​down on Texas Jack’s’ menu. A friend and I decided to stay with the beef and pork, and had brisket, short ribs, and spare ribs. The beef was melt-​in-​your-​mouth tender, and held the smokey taste of the wood (oak? mesquite?). The rub truly enhanced the natural flavors of the meats.
The photo is the bone around which a pound of short ribs had clung, prior to coming to the table. Chewed pretty clean, I would say (!).
Two «alerts» ~
(1) Food was superb, but kind of expensive ~ that is, everything is sold by the piece or pound, and all sides are a la carte. A sausage link is $ 6; a single rib is $ 5.50. The bill for two people [which included two mixed drinks and two beers] was $ 135. Absolutely worth it ~ but don’t come here thinking of Famous Dave’s prices !
(2) Parking near the restaurant can be a challenge at prime time; the lot has only 16 — 20 spaces… but there *is* street parking on Washington Blvd. and Pershing Drive.
For Texas ex-​pats and other BBQ brisket lovers, this place is a must-​stop !

Went here on their 1^st 24 hours open, so I hope they work some things out.
Lets start with the basics. Texas Jacks is like every single restaurant in the DC area.
Take a theme, and apply it to the 5 – 10 cocktail menu, specialize in bourbon (a list that is not in any order, not region, not price, not alphabetical, not by producer, its just a random list), add five side options and five main course options and, poof!, restaurant. Then put it in a space that is mostly sterile with a touch of some theme and then charge ridiculous amounts for food.
Lets talk about the food. Its day 1 for them, so i am inclined to let little things slide. Service was confused. Nachos were tasty, but not worth the 8 dollars they would have been if not on happy hour.
Frankly, the BBQ was decent. The pork both ribs and pulled pork were cooked very nicely, pulled pork had some nice crunchy pieces and some really velvety porky flavor, and the smoke was perfect. The rub was subtle, very subtle.
The brisket, was oily, not fatty as such, but also looked shredded but when tucked into came up in slices. Again the smoke on it was good. No idea what the rub on this was.
The pork ribs, while cooked well, are insanely expensive.
We order ¼ of a pound of ribs, which was two ribs, and it was something like 12 bucks for the both. A SIX dollar pork rib. I know its Duroc, but that’s highway robbery.
The fried potato side, was homefries, not french fries, so that was weird.
Also, the point of whitebread in BBQ is not to sit next to the meat, it is to sit UNDER the meat to catch the juices and fat. NOT to sit next to it and look pretty.
The pickles were good. The BBQ sauce underwhelming. Vinegar, Pepper, Ketchup, and something else that was unrecognizable. But it certainly isn’t anything special.
At the end of the day, the drinks were a little undersized, the meat a bit too expensive, and the sides impossible to share or eat out of the camp cups they serve them in.
Conclusion: BBQ is generally not a fancy food, and whilst I see why someone would want to bring it into the standard DC theory of restaurants, I think this was a missed opportunity.
To eat really well here, you’re gonna spend 50 bucks a person, and that is not what BBQ is about in my book.
Also lets talk about Mac and Cheese, and beans, or some other recognizable BBQ side, the fancy stuff just doesn’t go.
This place is fancy, not BBQ as I want to know it. And that makes me sad, cause what DC needs is some good BBQ, but the ambiance of this place just ruins the good BBQ.

Let me preface this by saying I’ve never had Texas BBQ but I’ve been to similar BBQ places in NYC and Texas Jacks is DELICIOUS
You can create your own sampler by ordering smaller portions of meat and adding in sides where appropriate.
This place has their concept right. They are heavy on meat & veggies — the important food groups. The veggies are cooling and refreshing and used as a palate cleansing of sorts.
Those of you looking for collard greens and Mac and cheese and other heavy southern junk food — go elsewhere. Those of you looking for quality cuts of meat with wonderful veggie sides this is for you.
I came with a girlfriend and we ordered ¼ lb pulled pork, ¼lb sliced dry brisket, half rack spare ribs, small coleslaw and kale Caesar salad
Everything was delicious. We will be back with our men for sure!

Texas Jack’s is a new BBQ joint that opened less than two weeks ago. It’s located near the intersection of Pershing Dr and Washington Blvd. It’s too bad that it’s a half mile walk away from the Clarendon Metro station, but hopefully the word about this place will spread and people will come for their awesome food.
The food was really good, some of the best I’ve had and definitely the best I’ve had in the DMV area. Their brisket is so tender and well-​flavored, and it comes with a side of their BBQ sauce. The menu lists that a pound of brisket is $ 22 but you can order in different amounts; usually a half pound is a good amount to go along with a side. Our server was great, he said that next time we can get ¹⁄₃ pound each of the brisket, pulled pork, and ribs so that we can try all the meats that they have. And my roommate and I will definitely be back many times, especially since we live within a block of here.
The interior is really spacious; even when it’s full and bustling, you’ll have plenty of elbow room. The restaurant has a sit-​down section, or if you’d rather sit at a bar with TVs showing sports games, they’ve got that as well.
Happy hour is from 4 – 8 pm.
We also got to talk with one of the owners, Steve, and he’s a great guy, he’s traveled to many different places and met a lot of people, and I definitely see that he knows how to interact with and treat others well, and it’s really reflected in the quality of the food as well. Come out to the Clarendon area and take a short walk to Texas Jack’s, you won’t regret it.

This is a new restaurant and we came the third day it was open. I love the environment and the décor of the restaurant. It is very Fixer Upper-​esqe, almost as if Joanna Gaines designed this place herself. We got seated quickly but it took awhile for a waiter to come get our drink orders. Once he came, he was helpful and friendly. I ordered the pulled pork sandwich and got Cole slaw on the side. The Cole slaw was good but pretty plain. We came at 9pm and they were out of chicken and ribs. The sandwich came with Sriracha pickles and when my roommate asked for regular pickles and not Sriracha pickles they didn’t have any.
My boyfriend ordered the brisket sandwich and he seemed to like it a lot. Both sandwiches come with a side of tangy barbecue save that I thought was too sour.
We ordered a side of brussel sprouts and the esquites and both were delicious! I think these two were my favorite part of the meal. He brussel sprouts are roasted with lemon juice and Parmesan cheese.
They sell meat by the pound and offer small and large sides. There is a large selection of beer and whiskeys if you’re looking for a good bar!

Came in during its grand opening week and it didn’t disappoint.
There is complimentary valet parking as well as street parking. The ambiance is very nice.
There is a large drink menu with cocktails, bourbons, whiskeys, and beers. This place charges by the pound for its meats, but does have sandwiches.
I ordered the brisket sandwich and it was good. The bbq sauce is a bit tangy though. I ordered two small sides, corn and brussel sprouts, and both were delicious.
My gf ordered the pulled pork sandwich and it was decent. Cole slaw was good and had a kick to it.
Overall dining experience was great. Waiters are friendly and service is fairly quick. The price is in line with Rocklands.

3.75 Stars
I made it to Texas Jack’s on opening night and then a few times for the bar and quick eats.
The interior was redesigned after Tallula with a more rustic-​classy feel. The interior was quite aesthetically pleasing and there is a nice view into the kitchen.
The bar is bourbon and whiskey centric with what appears to me (not a whiskey/​bourbon person) a very broad selection. Mixed drinks all leaned to bourbon/​whiskey drinks. The menu was pretty simple and straight forward with prices for meats listed by the pound and a handful of side options.
We decided to try the ribs, short ribs, brisket, and sausage with slaw and brussels as side items. (HINT: The menu lists the meats by pound but you can order whatever weight you’d like. Make your own sampler with smaller portions if you are a smaller group) The ribs were on the dry side but had a lot of good smokey flavor. The short ribs were bursting with flavor and were very tender but were on the fatty side. The sausage was of the spicy type and reminiscent of chorizo rather than sausage. I felt the brisket was also on the dry side and lacked flavor. I had to add salt first and also requested a side of bbq sauce. The bbq sauce is vinegar based. It had a definite twang to it and wasn’t unpleasant but a few other options would have been nice. I missed trying the slaw but thought the brussels were nice and lemony. The portions for the sides were on the small side, so if you’re sharing with 3+ people, get the larger sizes.
The second time I returned, I found the burger to be EXCELLENT! It is almost shake shack worthy. It is a double stack, shake shack sized burger. It is juicy, cheesy, meaty fabulousness that leaves you wanting more. Since I like the ambiance and the burger is fairly priced, I will be back for my burger fix!!!
Our server was attentive and pleasantly friendly. Drinks and food all came out in a timely fashion for opening night and made the restaurant seem like they’ve been open for some time already.
Overall, the bbq was decent if not on the expensive side ($ 70 for two). It’s hard to find good bbq around here. I really enjoyed the bar area and burger here on my second visit. The ambiance is welcoming and laidback without any pretense. I think they make above average bbq for the area (far from the best) but serve it alongside a nice ambiance and attentive service to make this a nice addition to the Arlington area, especially if you have an affinity for bourbon or whiskey.

Since hubby and I now live in VA, we’re always on the hunt for great new restaurants, unfortunately Texas Jack’s does not fit the bill.
Let me start off with how they posted the following tweet today… @txjacksbarbecue The weight is over. We open at 4 pm today! We’re giving away free appetizers, entrees, sides and more! #TXJacksBBQ
Since hubby loves BBQ, we thought hey let’s check this place out, besides free food is always a plus. We arrived around 6pm it seemed like just an ordinary day, nothing that indicated today was their grand opening.
We grabbed a seat in the bar area and asked the waitress about the free food promotion for the opening. She had no idea what we were talking about so she went to ask someone. We were told they were only giving away free food to certain people. After looking on Twitter and seeing someone comment that the tweet they posted was too good to be true, the restaurant tweeted them back that it only applied to the 10^th, 20^th, 50^th and 100^th guests. False advertising much. Strike one.
Whatever, we went with it and decided to make the best of it and created our own bbq sampler platter. Since they sell their barbecue by the pound we ordered a ¼ lb of pulled pork, ¼ lb of brisket, a charred sausage link, and a few St. Louis style ribs. In addition, we ordered sides of crispy Brussels sprouts and Esquites (which is basically Mexican street corn taken off of the ear). I will say the sides and the pickles that came on the tray were the best part of the meal.
The brisket was fatty and not very flavorful, but was standard. They didn’t seem to use any rub on the ribs so they only flavor came from the vinegar-​based bbq sauce we poured on it. They only had one type of barbecue sauce. Let’s talk about the pulled pork. It arrived so cold I had to ask the waitress if they served it chilled. She went to the kitchen to confirm it was supposed to be hot. She then handed me a plate to pile it onto and told me another order would be right out.
Let’s rewind, who hands a patron a plate to remove food? Seriously, who does that? I just knew they were going to heat up the same food and bring it back to our table a few minutes later.
So 20+ minutes pass and we see our pulled pork being delivered to the table next to us. Mind you they weren’t seated until after we’d given our pulled pork back so the food should have come to us first since they’d just gotten there.
Mentioned this to our waitress and she insisted ours was still coming. The manager came by a few minutes later and asked us if everything was okay because we were just sitting there with an empty tray that hadn’t been cleared. We told him the pulled pork never came back and to just forget it. He said he would check into it but never came back to our table. Strike two.
Hubby ran to the restroom before we left. He came out with a disgusted look on his face saying he saw one of the wait staff come out without washing his hands, no soap, no water, nothing. He then proclaimed that we’d never come back. Strike three.
I know places have their opening day hiccups but from false advertising to your employees cleanliness, or lack thereof, is just unacceptable.
Guess they can only go up from here, too bad we will not be back to see for ourselves.

Great bbq, brisket and pulled pork. Their grand opening is Monday and I think they’ll have a grip on things once they experience the real crowd. We shall see how they do and hopefully will do better than Tallulah.