Ashburn Reviews

Carolina Brothers Pit Barbeque
20702 Ashburn Road
Ashburn, Virginia 20147
703-729-7070

Location: You’ll find CBPB in the old Partlow’s General Store in Old Ashburn (near the trail).

Web Site: carolinabrothers.com

The old Partlows store has been replaced by Carolina Brothers Pit Barbeque, a bbq joint serving simple delicious smoked bbq.

My husband, a friend of mine, and myself, went to try out this new stop last night. What a charming surprise - good BBQ right here in Ashburn.

To begin our meal, we were greeted with yummy smells coming from the smokers outside.

Within the restaurant - which used to be an old store - the place looks old but it is clean. And there are a bunch of tables, with room to grow if they need to. Nothing is real cramped. And at this stage of their restaurant growth, it just feels like you are eating at a restaurant that has been there for many years. It is really no frills eating. But that is part of its charm.

The menu is small (chicken, pork, beef, ribs, hot dogs, with beans, potato salad and coleslaw as sides). Which means no mac and cheese. No collard greens. No mashed potatoes. No fryer - so no hush puppies or fries. Getting over the lack of options was a little hard - but I am happy to report that everything they do serve, they serve well.

Their barbecue is Carolina-style - which takes a bit of getting used to if you haven’t had it before. The meat is slow cooked for a long time at a low temperature, and when it is ready it is pulled from the bone and cut up into chunks. If done right, it is moist and juicy - thankfully for us Ashburnites, Carolina does it right. Their BBQ is served with a spicy clear vinegar sauce. The sauce doesn’t flavor the meat, as much as just wet it. Don’t expect to find a bottle of bbq sauce here. Don’t worry though, you won’t need it.

All three of us went for the pork bbq sandwich platters. For my 2 sides, I had potato salad and cole slaw. My husband and my friend both had baked beans and cole slaw. We loved our sandwiches and sides.

And if I recall, the price we very reasonable too. the 3 of us ate, with 3 drinks, for just about $25. It is hard to beat that. Particularly for dinner.

We’ll probably add Carolina Brothers to our regular rotation. It was that good. And for a casual non-stress meal, this is a good option.