No visit to Colonia Beach is complete without offering a visit to Willey's. Â Good homestyle bbq is few and far in between this far north, and after our first trip to Colonia Beach, we're ready to return (to Willey's, not Colonia Beach that is). Â It's not too often a meal under $10 takes the cake from a great daytrip.
The barbeque comes in gargantuan portions; we got to-go and thought they put a brick in our bag. Â The trays were overflowing with beans and slaw, and my NC-style pulled pork was as sweet and tender as I'd ever had. Â Time stopped years ago in this small side-of-the-road restaurant, and it doesn't seem they changed their recipe from what first put them on the map. Â Nor should they ever. Â They're my first call next time I have catering needs, or find an excuse for a nice drive for a great meal.
Had I written this review 9 years ago, it'd be 5 stars. I'm back in Dahlgren for school and used to love this place when I was here the first time. I could have sworn that they used to have half a chicken that you could order so I was disappointed when they only had shredded chicken. Now, the chicken was delicious and I still love their sauce the best. Maybe next time I'll get the ribs. I'd definitely recommend this place. If you haven't been, stop by...but only Thursday-Sunday.
Review Source:I reserve 5 stars for...actually, I've never given 5 stars before. This rating is based on both food, price, and comparative restaurants in the location (just as a disclaimer...).
Background: Apparently my family has come here for years - my dad would stop here after a day-trip to Colonial Beach and bring take-out home for dinner that night. I just drew a complete blank when I was looking for a good BBQ place last weekend and *thankfully* trusted the Yelp reviews!
I went here last weekend to pick up food for a picnic, and got a full rack of ribs with mild sauce on the side and a small order of coleslaw.
FOOD: It was hands down the best pork BBQ I have ever had. This had full meat, with no gristle or fat, and the box weighed a couple of pounds when we took it out. Tender meat, was almost fall-off-the-bone, that was just perfectly flavored and not overwhelmed by sauce or dry rub. A truly carnivorous and delicious feast.
PRICE: $26. For a few pounds of delicious meat, some very quality coleslaw that wasn't too full of celery and was neither runny nor dry, it was a very reasonable price. Also, I am BBQ deprived here in DC...
COMPARATIVE: You can't beat it. Southern MD and Colonial Beach have very few quality places that are clean (this place is!), have an established client base (read the reviews, people!), and is not a chain restaurant (unfortunately, the love people share for those establishments is lost on me..). Maybe it's not a "first date" place in terms of ambiance, but it is absolutely spot-on when it comes to food.
You will not be disappointed. Go out of your way for this place.
Very unique, I think the only BBQ joint within 30 miles of Dahlgren (if you're in the area for work, like I was).
I arranged a dinner for 17 people, and the staff handled it like champs. Â It was honestly impressive to see them take everyone's order, everyone's drinks, and deliver 17 seperate bills without even batting an eye.
I didn't give them four stars becuase they were out of ribs. Â They're only open Thursday through Sunday, and we went on Thursday. Â How does a BBQ place let themselves run out of ribs?
Regardless of our misfortune with the ribs, everyone ordered something else and was happy with it. Â It's a good, protein-centric meal at a local place in the middle of nowhere. Â You'll enjoy it!
Willey's BBQ is great! The pulled pork sandwich is one of the best I have ever had. The atmosphere is great, Southern Comfort at it's finest. I highly recommend Willey's for a sit down or take out BBQ meal. And it's great for family's too.
Be sure to drive 10 miles up the road and check out Colonial Beach, VA.... hey you could even get your sandwich to go and have it on the Beach overlooking the Potomac.
I happened on this place because I was hungry and this was the closest restaurant my GPS had... boy am I glad I went with the GPS suggestion! Â Great family "joint", good food, clean dining area and SUPER friendly waitstaff!
I had the BBQ chicken but would like to go back to try the BBQ pork, and maybe the ribs too!
Service was SUPER quick, and the prices are still very reasonable.
yum.
A very, very long day at work on a Saturday, so I decided to go back to Colonial Beach for dinner tonight before heading back to work. Â One of the perks of leaving NYC to come down to VA every week is that I can get good BBQ down here. Â Well Willey's certainly fits the bill. Â Down here I know the only Yankee hands touching my ribs are my own!
I ordered a half rack of ribs and a glass of sweet tea (sweetened iced tea if you are unfamiliar with the term). Â The ribs comes with steak fries, a side of baked beans, a plate of cole slaw, and 2 buns. Â The ribs were really well prepared, with the meat just ever so slightly holding onto the bone. Â There was a choice of 2 sauces on the table labeled mild and hot. Â I naturally chose the hot sauce, but I ended up being disappointed by this. Â The taste of Tabasco was very clear and inundated any of the other flavors of the sauce. Â Switching to mild worked out a lot better. Â I could now taste a complex sauce with a gratifying sweet taste. Â This made for a good plate of ribs. Â Also, the waitress was very friendly and helpful. Â Â
So for less than $20 you can get good BBQ here. Â Not great BBQ, but good BBQ. Â It just barely gets 4 stars for me.
I've eaten in and done take-out on a couple occasions. Â The small dining room is very homey with all the required wall decorations necessary for a BBQ joint. Â Service was attentive and friendly.
So far, I've only had the NC style minced pork Barbeque. Â It's quite good, and the NC vinegar-based sauce had just a hint of sweetness that went along nicely with the tangy and spicy.
It's only open Thursday-Sunday, so plan accordingly. Â They also do catering.
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