Liberty BBQ in Falls Church Virginia

Who doesn’t like BBQ?  I can think of a few I know of, but those are special people.  I’ve grown up on BBQ, from Cuban pork in Little Havana, to the great state of Texas and their Mesquite wood BBQ.  Right now, I reside in the Northern Virginia area, and I’m always on the look out for great BBQ, and I have found a few great spots.  One such spot is one I went to a few days ago in Falls Church, Virginia.  It’s Liberty BBQ and I must say I was not disappointed.  I was with a few friends, isn’t BBQ always better with people you enjoy being around, I digress.  We ordered a mess of BBQ and one fried chicken; I’ll get to that later.  I left more than satisfied, and with enough leftovers for dinner the next day, I have an entire talk about the difference between “supper” and “dinner”.  Enough of me talking away, let’s get to the important stuff you folks came here for, the food.

First thing I set my eyes on were the Deviled Eggs.  There were 4 of us so I ordered a plate of 8.  Now these eggs had candied bacon on them, and I must confess, I could have used a little more bacon in my eggs.  Other than that, I enjoyed the eggs and the silky-smooth egg yolk mixture that was piped in the egg white.  The smoked paprika dressing added a little extra zing.  Next came a hearty bowl of brisket chili.  Full of lean brisket and beans, then seasoned with several spices, the was a winner of a chili.  After the chili it was on to the main course.  I think we all chose some form of the platter, for me it was the double.  On my double I chose Char Siu Pork Belly, and Brisket.  My sides were Crispy Cauliflower, and 3 cheese Mac & Cheese.

The mac & cheese was very tasty and coated with a very flavorful cheese sauce.  Can you really go wrong with mac & cheese though?  Yeah, you can, and I’ve had really bad mac & cheese.  I’m happy to report that Liberty BBQ does the mac & cheese tradition proudly.  The Crispy Cauliflower had a middle eastern flair to them with mint yogurt and Za’tar.  It could have been a little crispier for me, but none the less it was very enjoyable.  Now, I want to spend a little time talking about the pork belly and the brisket, because it was palette pleasing.

The brisket was what you expected from a place that knows how to make it.  It was, dare I say, moist and had a beautiful smoke ring and flavor to it.  Some brisket you get can have a thick fat cap to it and seems to be too rich to eat.  Liberty gives you the right amount and for that I appreciate them.  Now for the star of the show in my opinion.  The Char Siu style pork belly just blows my mind every time.  There is this deep Chinese 5 spice flavor to the pork, and it is not overpowering as some know Chinese 5 spice can be.  It was a delicate balance between the spice and the smoke of the pork. Again, just the right amount of pork fat to make you enjoy eating the pork belly.  For me, it is the pork belly that keeps me coming back.

To end the evening, I went with Butterscotch Banana Pudding.  Not in the wheelhouse of being traditional banana pudding, but I loved the none the less.  I think I enjoyed it so much, is because I really love the taste of butterscotch, so I knew immediately I was going to get this.  It was my first-time trying butterscotch in a banana pudding, but I was pleasantly please with the flavor profile of butterscotch and banana.  I thought for sure the butterscotch would overpower the banana, but it was still recognizable as banana. 

Now, I want to spend a few moments on the fried chicken.  It was not my intention to order a fried chicken, but curiosity got the better part of me.  Okay, I’ll admit I am weak, I mean weak when it comes to fried chicken.  So, I ordered an entire chicken for us to eat.  I want to give you the description from the menu then you decide if you could resist the temptation, “24-hour Pickle Brined Fried Chicken served with hot honey, lemon thyme, and house-made buttermilk biscuit.”  Right?  I mean look at that description.  You’d cave also.  A good brine will go to the bone of the chicken with flavor, and this brine did it.  Another thing brine does, it keeps the chicken juicy when cooking.  Nothing worse in this world than dried out chicken.  Take some of that hot honey and pour just a little over the chicken, and now I’m in paradise. 

Overall, it was a fun night with good friends and BBQ, the only way to eat any meal really.  If you are ever in the area and want a good meal of BBQ head on over to Liberty BBQ where you won’t be disappointed.  It’s a place with friendly people and great food.  Don’t forget the Char Siu Pork Belly, and if you have room get some of their fried chicken.  Thanks, Liberty, for your excellent service and sharing your BBQ with us.