Rolling Rib, Part II, Upper Marlboro, Maryland

If you want know just how good the ribs at Rolling Rib’s are, just ask Ms. Lily Claire Boyd. Note her concentration —

And her reaction —

And that was after the ribs had been sitting around for hours, and Lily has a very refined palate for a two year old. These are some ribs — still, the very best in the Washington area!

We’d been to Rolling Rib Part II last year, see here, but they shut down every winter, much as I would like to do. They re-opened April 1 and Nancy and I stopped there on our next jaunt down to Calvert County.

Here’s a tip: Order before you go. Really. Demand for Rolling Rib’s food is high. I can’t say it operates at peak efficiency, but then neither do I. I waited my turn to order, placed my order, and then waited for the food. The whole process took about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, people who had called in earlier came and went. Nancy spent the interval well, sitting in the car and reading, and I spent it even better, chatting with the other people waiting for food. The two guys on the left have a landscaping business, and they have a brother in Birmingham who’s doing great — he just bought a house.

And there was a couple headed to North Carolina to do some lake fishing near Hendersonvlle, and another fellow, the father of a Marine, headed to meet his son’s family in Morehead City, near Camp Lejeune. I told him about the Captain’s Kitchen — I tell everyone about the Captain’s Kitchen — and we discussed where to eat on the way down. And there was an Air Force Sergeant who’d served near Montgomery, and we talked about Montgomery, including Brenda’s. You meet a lot of people when you wear an Alabama cap.

Here are the ribs when first opened — well, a few bites later — with excellent collards and truly great baked macaroni and cheese:

And here’s the chicken with double slaw:

The chicken also is very good, smoky and not dry.

The guiding genius behind Rolling Rib II is Ivory Davis. He cooks them over a mix of hickory, cherry, and oak, with no artificial gas or electric backup. I was delighted to present him with a window sticker on behalf of the Campaign for Real Barbecue. That takes a lot of extra time and effort, but at Rolling Rib II it produces ribs that are easily the best in the metro area. They’re big and meaty and full of pork and smoke flavor. The ribs were well worth the wait. But next time I’ll order ahead.

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