Ballston Buzz - January 2010

Walking down any American city street, one is barraged by signs screaming their "authentic" dishes. See a New York pizza joint in Tampa Bay, Florida? A Philadelphia Cheesesteaks hut in Cleveland, Ohio?

A friendly word of advice: don't get too excited. Nothing scares me more than a restaurant claiming to have regional food that tastes the same as the original.

In all my eating over the years (and there has been a lot), there has not been one time when the restaurant attempting to replicate a regional classic has come even relatively close. The United States itself is a melting pot of styles and flavors, with Americanized versions of many international dishes being propagated across the land. In these cases, the original is oftentimes so different (and so inconvenient to obtain because of distance) that the dishes take on a life of their own, satisfying the masses. In attempts to replicate regionalized American foods, however, this is simply not the case.

Regardless of where you reside, there will be hungry people ready to try out the latest attempt, and believe me, they will be quick to judge. Tell a New Yorker that you've found a good bagel place down the street in the District and they'll look at you like you just told them you've been to Mars ... and rightfully so. So you can't blame me for feeling an impending sense of doom as I walked towards Rocklands Barbecue and Grilling Company, a successful "Authentic North Carolina BBQ" joint on Washington Blvd. As a four year North Carolina resident, I felt I had some idea of what made good BBQ, but just for good measure, I brought along a lifetime North Carolina dweller, who, needless to say, was extremely hesitant and close minded to Rocklands' chances.

The atmosphere immediately impresses, with retro cigarette ads and simple chalkboard menus covering the walls. The staff seems hospitable enough (although not quite embodying true "southern hospitality,") but we don't spend long admiring all this, as most of the best BBQ I've had resides in inconspicuous shack-like buildings in the heart of North Carolina. The menu offers an excellent sampling of the best of Southern cuisine: pulled pork, chicken, and brisket are all available, as are baked beans, macaroni and cheese, and best of all, fried okra, a side or appetizer unrightfully seldom seen in the north. Most importantly, two large sweet tea vats sit to the side, as well as drums full of "Rocklands BBQ sauce," made in-house daily, another staple of southern eateries. As we dive into our food suspiciously, surprisingly it's good.

The meat is juicy and tender, while the sauce provides a both sweet and spicy flavor. The fried okra is pitch perfect, in dice-sized cubes covered in ranch, while the baked beans and macaroni and cheese contain a smoky, rich flavor. The manager saunters over nervously to check my North Carolinian friend's thoughts, and seems genuinely ecstatic to hear his approval ("It's not as good as down there, but this is the best I've had outside of N.C").

For a restaurant attempting to replicate a regional classic, that's really the best they can hope for. A cheesesteak eaten outside of Philadelphia or pizza outside of New York will simply never be as good as it is there. At best, these attempts can act to hold over transplants, hungry for a taste of where they came from; at worst, they can serve to make paying customers yearn for the real thing even more.

Rockville is thankfully part of the former category, leaving myself and my North Carolinian friend thankful that this worthy attempt resides in the Ballston area. My advice still stands to contain your excitement and proceed with extreme caution when a restaurant claims to offer a regional favorite as good as the original, but Rocklands has convinced me that sometimes, it's worth the risk.