Kenny’s BBQ Smokehouse

Absolutely wonderful experience. Had the beef rib and chicken combo. More than enough for two! Meat was flavorful and tender. Homemade sweet tea will please even a Texan palate. Sell bottled beer and cider. Had sweet service and super friendly owner came to say hi. Plus president Obama had been here so since I haven’t met him yet, this will do, sigh!
We had the chicken and beef ribs with hickory BBQ sauce. The Mac n cheese was satisfying sauce based, rather than cheese baked. Greens had good flavor and tender, though more stems than my sister likes, not over cooked so that was a plus in my book. The corn bread had good taste but was more cakey than I am used to. Very clean restroom and locale. Really liked the shady patio. Overall 4 star mom n pop food, 5 star service. I’m curious to try the bulgogi, since owner cooks are Korean, its a nice touch. I feel like service wise, you get what you give here and I can respect that.

Let me put it this way, I live around the corner and I’ve only eaten there twice in 2 years. I am a big BBQ fan and this is just not up to par. The meat is better than the sides, but again average-​to-​bad. If you want BBQ there are other good places to try in DC.
I will say the staff was always friendly and welcoming.

DON’T go here… unless you like (just) ok food and very BAD SERVICE!
My co-​worker wanted barbecue so we agreed to try Kenny’s since it wasn’t far from the job. NEVER AGAIN! She picked up the food. I order a side of greens and sweet potatoes.
The greens were a little salty but not too bad. The sweet potatoes were the problem. I couldn’t put my finger on what exactly was missing but my taste buds did not agree. After two small bites I wasn’t impressed and was on my way back to Kenny’s to return them.
Here’s my biggest problem – their customer service sucks, BAD!
When I came in I kindly explained my situation and asked for a refund with the full container of sweet potatoes in hand. The cashier (who was nice) showed no sign that this transaction would be a problem. She actually took the container and headed to the back. Next an Asian woman comes out and basically starts yelling at me about how the business would lose money because they had already done me a favor by allowing me to use my card for $ 6 when the minimum for card purchases needed to be $ 10. At this point her tone was so rude that I didn’t care and offered to pay their merchant fee to do the return. She pulls out a sign from inside a drawer that reads «No returns or exchanges» but its NOT posted anywhere in the store (which she admitted to) so I tell her that she cant expect anyone to adhere to that. Then she goes on to giving me a lame example about how if I were at McDonalds they wouldn’t let me return, blah blah. She then goes on and makes the rudest remark «Well my customers don’t return!» (referring to the few folks dining in). I just looked at her and my receipt and wondered, «Am I not a customer? Did I not just make a purchase!?» Again, I had had enough of the lady and was adamant about this refund now because I don’t believe in supporting businesses that don’t care about customers. She eventually gave me my refund, while yelling «Don’t come back!» Fortunately, that was something that we both could agree on.
Sad thing is, this lady was so busy being rude that she never got around to asking me what was wrong with the food. She never KINDLY explained the policy or even offered to do an exchange for maybe a drink or something. Thats something I would go for but to be rude, ABSOLUTELY NOT. The money was never the issue. I don’t mind paying for good food and great service but unfortunately you wont get that here!
**Also, later my coworker told me that the cashier never explained or reinforced the $ 10 min card purchase rule. When in fact, there is a sign saying they WONT swipe for less than $ 10. Cashier swiped for $ 6 anyways. Weird, right? Looks like Kenny’s has a communication problem within their staff.

Ok, so this was one of the places that I had been wanting get to since the fall. I learned of it from an Express article on DC’s best BBQ spots. Out of the paper’s rankings, it was last on the list (hint #1). So, I went last night and honestly, it was meh (shrugs shoulders). It wasn’t bad. But, it wasn’t outstading either. I had the pork ribs w, Mac-​n-​Cheese and collard greens. The Mac wasn’t homemade. But they made up for it with the cheeses used to make it. Very tasy, even if it was boxed. The ribs themselves were nice and meaty. They were a little over done and unseasoned. They either add sauce on the side or to your platter. Just make sure you get more than 1 side sauce. 1 is only enough for their small platter. If, they seasoned their ribs and allowed them to marinate, I think it would help the flavoring a lot. But, it was good. The greens, were the best. Nice juicy firmness. They had the perfect blend of vinegar and spice. All in all, I could see myself stopping back in if I were up that way again.

I am looking forward to returning to this location. Their barbecue is delicious and home style. I ordered tilapia plus mac and cheese. Their cornbread is good and my friend ordered the pulled pork sandwich with coleslaw and French fries. President Obama has eaten here. The small dining room is just enough room for about ten or twelve people to dine comfortably. I am curious about their ribs and some of their other choices on the menu. This is truly North Carolina style BBQ. Check out some of the other reviews on Unilocal

My dinner partner and I shared the Smokehouse combo. We both love BBQ and love to eat, but finished only half of this. It just wasn’t appetizing. Finished the pulled pork but ate only two of the five bland ribs and half the brisquete. Main ingredient in the BBQ sauce seems to be sugar. The beans in the red beans and rice were under cooked. The corn bread was meh. The only reason I would come back is if I was with a tourist who wanted to see someplace President Obama has eaten. But Ray’s is a much better choice for that.

Great ribs and awesome cornbread! This is what BBQ is supposed to be. It’s not all bougie and pretentious, just a small little storefront serving bangin’ food!

Food not good at all mac n cheese from the box, greens to salty, and ribs was not done had blood still running out. When I called to tell them I was not satisfied they askèd the same ?? Over and over. Then insulted me by asking do i go to church. I was wondering where that came from i was not cursing or being disrespectful just voicing my option on my food. Then the owner said they will be sold out by end of day, i thought that was pointless also… bottom line they pass judgment and never rectified my problem which was bad food they did nothing about it and i paid $ 18 might i add so i was ready to tear it up but that was not the case. Bad service and food

I should have known something when the front counter lady told me that the President had only eaten there one time
still I continued and got the chicken wings
tell me how do you have a barbecue joint and you do not have whole chicken wings and
tell me how do you call yourself a barbecue joint and you don’t even barbecue the chicken wings their fried chicken wings with barbecue sauce on them
totally totally unacceptable
and inedible because of the fact that they were still bleeding when I bit into them
I called and I will be returning them tomorrow for a full refund and maybe a piece of corn bread
bottom line this place is nothing more than a typical glorified D.C. carryout

–Pulled pork was watered down
–collard greens lacked flavor and seasoning
–potato salad and cornbread were pretty ok
–bbq sauce tasted vinegar based and was very very watery and drippy like a faucet
*Overall disappointed and a waist of money!

The young lady at the counter was nice, pleasant and inviting. I am not a medical profession but using a microwave, out for all the customers to see, to re-​heat food is a NO NO! At least some businesses take extra measures to hide their microwave in the back, but not Kenny’s…wide open for all to see.
How long the meat products been sitting out for you to have to reheat?
Maybe some don’t care… you may not today but you will eventually.

I saw this place after I got detoured yesterday and decided to give it a try. I didn’t want to look at any reviews, I wanted to experience it myself, then write a review. Well, I was a bit let down. As I prepare BBQ ribs myself, I have high standards for establishments that offer it as their business. If you feel confident enough to open a spot based on your recipes, someone else must think it taste good as well.
Well, those people may not have had good BBQ ribs. I can understand that it takes a minute to prepare good ribs, but they don’t do well when they sit for hours on end. That’s the way my ribs tasted. The flavor was good, but the texture was a little tough, like it had been in a warmer for hours.
Then there is the sauce. I knew I was in trouble when I saw the sauce. I have never had any good sauce when the color was crayon red. It was a bit bland and way too runny. I like my sauce to cling to my ribs, not drip off of them. It was vinegar based and tasted a bit like that old sauce Open Pit from back in the day. Also, you don’t need to ladle the sauce on the ribs like they do. That was a red flag there as well.
You have to have coleslaw and potato salad with ribs so I ordered those. The potato salad was just OK, somewhat bland, but it didn’t taste store bought. The coleslaw however, awful! Bland, bitter, the taste of all the ingredients seem to cancel each other out. It tasted like it was store bought or a few days old or both. To me, good coleslaw has to include celery seed. It gives it a very nice flavor, of course theirs didn’t have any.
The cornbread was good, I had to eat that to get full because I was so disappointed with my meal. The portion size is decent, but if it is not good, it’s a waste of money. And that brings me to price. I ordered a large platter for myself with no drink and it was $ 16.00! Ouch! That’s a lot of scratch for sub par BBQ ribs. Needless to say, I won’t be back, they put that sauce on everything so I know I won’t like anything else.

Kenny’s BBQ gets 5 stars for the portions served.
But, Unilocal,how do you give negative 2 or 3 stars??? This was my Saturday dinner. And now I am kickin myself for not cooking. Do y’all see those bland photos??? That is EXACTLY how the food tastes. I just bought a large barbecue chicken platter with macaroni-​n-​cheese and baked beans (plus a side of greens). If the food were good, I might complain about the terrible stove-​top mac-​n-​cheese. Or the barbecue-​less baked beans. SOOO glad I didn’t buy a dessert. OMG! I want my $ 16.00 back. If Kenny’s is going for diabetic restaurant of the year, every last one of you needs to cast like 10 votes. AND they need to let me come handle the kitchen while they are away getting their award.
The ONLY thing that was remotely tasty… was the cornbread. Bad calories and cholesterol going to waste. DANG!

DC is not the place for barbecue, so anyone used to the marvels of the form in serious ‘cue cities like KC, Chicago, or Memphis is likely to be underwhelmed. That said, Kenny’s does a respectable job at a good value. If you hew to a select few platters and combos and are picky with sides, you’ll end up happy and well-​fed.
Here is the 20-​year customer perspective. Go with the fish platter or the rib combos. Always get the spicy bbq sauce. The best sides are the yams, the greens, and the green beans. Avoid the oily mac and cheese. The desserts are blah. The chicken is only ok, forget the brisket.
There are glimmers of an emerging barbecue scene in DC, but so far it is veering into the sucky frou-​frou artisanal ditch. I don’t need to know the name of the farmer who raised the pigs, nor their virtuous silage. I just want it good, smoky, spicy, and cheap. I want hot links that bring tears to the eyes of hard men. I want rib tips, dammit, with blues on the kitchen radio. Sadly, and despite its quintessentially Southern roots, DC is a million miles from an authentic home-​grown scene.
Until it gets one, places like Kenny’s will have to do. (Sob!)

I’ve heard great reviews about Kenny’s from a friend who lives in the Capitol Hill area, and I knew I had to come to this neighborhood classic as a new resident. This evening couldn’t have been more of a better day for barbecued goods on a chilly November evening.
But, one of the first things that turned me off was the smell of the restaurant; it smelled like a pot of grease has been stewing in the back of the kitchen and an unbathed man who reeked of urine. Initially, I thought the smell came from Kenny’s bathroom, but as I darted my eyes around the restaurant, I found a homeless man who was eating to his heart’s content. That’s when I rationalized to myself — if he looks like he’s enjoying his meal, I know I would, too.
I ordered a half of Kenny’s barbecued chicken with a side of red beans and rice, which cost over $ 9. Upon receiving my meal, I quickly dashed home and wanted to eat as messy as possible and to be wearing comfortable pajamas as well. When I started eating the barbecued chicken, I was really frustrated to find the leg to be so dry. I dumped Kenny’s mild barbecue hot sauce on it to give it more «juice.» And as I worked my way towards the thigh, I still could not find out what was so great about the chicken. Then, I reached towards the rice and beans and found it really dry as well. The only thing that made up the meal was the complimentary corn bread.
I wouldn’t come back to Kenny’s because the food is a bit too expensive for the lack of quantity and quality of food. For $ 9, I would rather trek over to Union Station and get heaping portions of Chipotle with a dollop of guacamole, which I know I will always feel satisfied after a meal there. And forget Kenny’s barbecued chicken, I should have known and gone to Giants to get a whole rotisserie chicken for $ 6.
Step up your game, Kenny!

So i just found this great little bbq smokehouse in SE Capitol Hill DC. Oh my oh my am I happy! The barbecue here is authentic and made with love. You can feel it in the food. Kenny’s Smokehouse has been around for years and has served as a staple to the community for good food and good people. President Obama visited and hung out at Kenny’s early last year. There are pics of POTUS’ visit posted in the dining area.
I really enjoyed the mild barbecue sauced pork ribs. They were a healthy portion of fall off the bone deliciousness. Oh and the Collard Greens and the Mac n Cheese were almost as good as grandmas. I felt like I was back in her kitchen just eating and being happy!
They also serve beef ribs, pulled pork, green beans, coleslaw a variety of other things as well as this yummy cornbread that accompanies every order.
They also cater!!! Winning!
Kenny’s Smokehouse
732 Maryland Ave NE
Washington DC 20 002
@kennysSmoke
#eatingwithchefsean | chef sean | cuisine 1017 |

Obama ate here and if it is good enough for the president, it should be good enough for me, right? Uhhhh… sure. Besides, walking around DC all day in my tourist form made me hungry.
I had the sliced beef sub with hot sauce. By the way, the «to go» bag was an extra $ 0.05. Weird.
Anyways, when I got home and opened the bag, I had a 12″ piece of bread full of sliced beef and the sauce was on the side. No frills. I didn’t really like that. I wanted the beef to be soaked in the sauce. This is BBQ damn it! Oh well, had to make it work the old fashioned way… put the sauce on myself. It was a vinegar based sauce. Very good and spicy.
If you are in the neighborhood, stop by.

Yay! It’s my 600^th Unilocal review!
First, I will say this: Their collard greens are TO DIE FOR. I love them so much that I have actually just gone to get a side of greens. I don’t have the patience or time to make my own, so I just go to Kenny’s for that. DELICIOUS.
This is a DC staple and a gives you a great idea of what DC BBQ is all about. I went here as it’s in walking distance from my house and it satisfies any craving that I have had for BBQ since moving to the area. With that said, this isn’t the best BBQ I’ve had. It is decent, but it’s not going to knock your socks off. Like I said, it will satisfy your craving for BBQ and you will experience a strong case of the itis once you tear up a plate of Kenny’s food.
I typically go for the BBQ chicken and always get the greens and I’ve tried several of their sides, including the potato salad, baked beans, cole slaw. All of their sides are actually quite delicious and well made. I even order the «small» plate and I have enough food for two meals. They give you A LOT of food. Don’t pay attention to the levels of hotness of their BBQ sauce either. They all taste mild to me. Not spicy at all, but yummy. It’s definitely essential to dip and slather all over the rest of your food though. Their corn bread is so-​so, however. I like it for texture, but it is, for the most party, quite bland. Nothing to write home to momma about.
The restaurant is basically plastered with photos of President Obama from his visit there. With his stamp of approval, you really can’t go wrong. They do not leave you hungry at Kenny’s and I also find the cashiers to be friendly and capable as well. I recommend Kenny’s to satisfy your BBQ needs in DC.
P. S. plan to take a nap after you finish eating!

Best BBQ in DC that I have encountered.
I used to work by this place and this was one of our favorite lunch places. We were going at least once a week for awhile.
The BBQ is North Carolina style, which to me means wet vinegary sauce vs a dry rub Texas style BBQ.
I usually get the ribs, and they are fall of the bone tender. I’ve had the chicken too and it’s decent. I always get the spicy sauce and I love it. As for sides, I usually get the collard greens and sweet potatoes, and you also get white bread and cornbread. They are all tasty.
I notice that there are a bunch of bad reviews — and I’m quite shocked. I think the food is phenomenal, but then again I’ve only ever had spicy sauce with their BBQ.
To give you an indication how good the food is, my friend used to give me the stink eye every time we went because I wouldn’t eat every morsel of meat on each rib. He would lick it clean. Like you could give a pork rib to a dog and to him, and the rib would be cleaner after he was done with it. Actually, he used to suck the marrow off these ribs, so he would have a pile of splinters.
This place is a hole in the wall, so expect zero ambience. They do have a patio, which would be nice during nice weather but the neighborhood used to be a little scary
Prices are cheap and the portions are big.
**update**
I hear this place is having some quality issues lately. I’m not changing my 4 stars though because I haven’t experienced the quality issues firsthand. But be warned.

To think a Korean man opened up this better than can be BBQ joint.
As I repeatedly say in my reviews when talking about BBQ places, I am from Memphis and know good BBQ. I’ve had Kansas City, North Carolina, and of course my homestead kind. I am no conessoir, but I can appreciate the good stuff for sure and Kenny’s Smokehouse nails it right on the head.
I came here with the little boy I nanny for. We split a pork BBQ sandwich and corn bread. Man oh man it was good. They offer chicken, beef, or pork BBQ which is nice since I know some people prefer other meats over pork. I took the little boy’s suggestion on the pork since him and his dad are regulars here. He knew what he was talking about.
As far as the corn bread goes it was only okay to me. I prefer a bit sweeter corn bread than what it was and to me it lacked flavor. That isn’t necessarily a deal breaker, but there is always next time to try the other side items they have available.
They proudly display pictures of Obama in the restaurant. Apparently he had stopped by and tried some of their grub too! I felt privileged to have stepped where our nation’s president has stood before. Kind of neat if you think about it.
I would most certainly come back and I look forward to the visit.