Curley’s Q BBQ

Curley’s Q has been around my work area for some time. I had tried them before and it was Ok… nothing to write home about. Today my workplace has allowed 5 food trucks on the premises. I asked for smoked chicken however they had pulled jerk chicken. The spicy Jerk was very good it was moist and flavorful and the hit was the Jerk Sauce you put on top of it. I must say that was very good. Nice amount of heat not too much at all but very good and not salty. I had their mac n cheese which was very creamy and pretty good. There are some BBQ trucks that take their time and do a good job. Curly Q does a good job… but I do reserve another BBQ truck who has their A game down tight but I wont mention here just read my post. I think Curly’s Q is worth a try at my building for lunch they sold out of the Beef Brisket they also had ribs, pulled pork, baked beans, Next time out please bring more food to our building.

I found Curley’s Q at an office park around the corner from me and was drawn to them since I smelled their BBQ the second I got out of my car. I will be honest, I am not a huge fan of vinegar, so keep that in mind when you read this… Both the pulled pork and the coleslaw have a vinegar taste that I just didn’t love. I did appreciate the fact that the pulled pork was all pork and no fat, as that is always a pleasant surprise. But it just wasn’t my favorite. However, I was very impressed with the mac and cheese-it’s actually the only thing I finished from the platter I got (I should not have ordered that much!). That said, the big stand out to me was the brisket. The brisket takes this from just an OK experience (again, mainly bc I don’t love vinegar) to a fantastic one! This brisket is better than I have had at most brick and mortar BBQ joints, especially in this area! It is juicy and perfectly smoked, just fall apart tender and needs no sauce whatsoever. It’s really good!
I would also probably go back to try the chicken and ribs –if it’s back in the area– as they both looked good.

I unexpectedly found myself at Truckeroo this past Friday night, and decided to take advantage of the situation by trying out something new. After the obligatory lap around to scope out all the trucks, I decided BBQ was what I was craving. There were a few BBQ trucks there, including Rockland’s and Sloppy Momma’s, and while I wanted to try Rockland’s for a while, I figured since they regularly park at Port City, I’ll try one of the others at Truckeroo. Curley’s Q was all the way in the back of the Fairgrounds. They had the shortest line of any of the trucks, which at first made me apprehensive since every other truck had a seemingly mile long line. After I got in line, it was about 5 minutes before I was sitting down to enjoy my meal.
I ordered the bbq brisket sandwich and my boyfriend ordered the bbq pork sandwich. Both came with vinegar coleslaw (which we requested be left off) and a pickled jalapeño. The bun was pillowy soft and the bread to meat ratio was on point; no excess bread that didn’t have some meat on it. While the brisket sandwich was close to $ 11, the portion of meat was generous and the flavor was excellent-​smoky and tender. My boyfriend enjoyed the pork, however, from the bite I had, I found it to be lacking flavor when compared to the brisket. The meat was quite tender though and also a very generous portion size, just like the brisket. There were at least four squirt bottles of various sauces-​jerk, sweet bbq, horseradish, and a spicier sauce that definitely creeped up on you, which made me highly appreciate the fact I had a cold beer to mellow that spice out. One of the workers, all of whom were very friendly and enthusiastic about their product, suggested mixing the horseradish and sweet bbq together as a sauce for the brisket. I followed her advice and loved the contrasting flavors, both of which paired well with the brisket. With my BBQ craving sufficiently satisfied, I’d absolutely return to Curley’s Q in the future!

Omg, I was in BBQ heaven last night when I tried the ribs with fries from the Curley’s Q BBQ truck. It stopped by Silver Spring so I decided to give it a try not really expecting much since I grew up on an island (that loves & truly knows how to marinate meat & BBQ to perfection).
From the friendly service to the quality of the BBQ, I really felt like I was eating back home! The ribs were so juicy, flavorful with the right seasoning, and the sauces (esp roasted garlic chili) added the best kick everrr. I can’t wait to try their diff BBQ meats like the brisket & the pulled pork!

Had Curley’s BBQ today when their truck came to my job. The food was absolutely delicious! I got the brisket– and it was pretty damn good. The meat was rich and tender and not dry at all. The slaw that came on the side was fresh and I loved the vinegar dressing! Was planning on saving some for my hubby but couldn’t resist :(

This food truck has awesome macaroni and cheese and the folks who work in the truck are very friendly. There’s not enough credit given to experiences where service comes with a smile! I am excited to try other food from this truck next time.

Excellent for catering needs in McLean and around DC! Great BBQ. If you really want to impress your staff/​clients get them Curleys. A very responsive staff and a huge menu means they can make anything work for you and your budget. The sauces are excellent and provide good variety. All-​in-​all very pleased with the final product. Happy to recommend.

My first time at the truck, ordered a pork plate and got a sandwich instead (to be fair I didn’t ask what the difference was between the sandwich and the plate, but my experience from other BBQ trucks was that the plate had more meat in a plate, not just a sandwich with a side), pork was smoky but really just ok, beans were not bad but not great, slaw tasted a bit rancid, so it ended in the trash. Found myself enjoying the doritos more than the cooked meal. For $ 15 (soda included), didn’t feel I got my money’s worth. Probably won’t return.
UPDATE:
Curley reached out and offered a refund — which I respectfully declined-​. I’m increasing my rating from 2 stars to 3 in recognition of their commitment to customer service.

We catered food for about 40 people from Curley’s Q for our bbq themed baby shower. Each and every dish was loved by our guests. The ribs stole the show though. They were fantastic. Jerk chicken, lemon thyme chicken, beef briscuit and veggie patties were all pretty darn good! Kids loved the garlic Mac and cheese side. The quantity of food was very generous too. They were very generous in adding complimentary kaiser rolls to the order. I had a great experience working with Alexandra through the order. She was very patient and kind in walking me through different options, arranging for a food tasting and helping me finalize a menu that fit our budget.
Overall, it’s been a great experience and I will highly recommend Curley’s bbq to anyone looking to cater bbq food at their party.

Ridiculously Delicious. The pulled Jerk and BBQ chicken will put grandma’s recipe to shame. That garlic mac and cheese is more than comfort food, it’s a sin!
By far the best pulled BBQ and Jerk chicken in the DMV. #SlapYoMamaGood

Best bbq ever!
Ribe, Pulled Pork and brisket all excellent.
Good sides and specialty sandwiches, I used to get the sandwiches off the truck in Tysons Corner.

I am vegetarian. I tried Curley’s mac & cheese, baked beans, and salad. They were okay. Edible, serviceable, but not especially flavorful or remarkable or unique. Meanwhile, the meat dishes smelled atrocious, clobbering the immediate area with aroma.

3.5 stars. I feel like I haven’t really had really good bbq around Moco, but this one was one of the better ones I’ve had thus far.
For ~ $ 11.50 I got the brisket solo, to which I was surprised at the size of it. It was a decently sized sandwich, came with a little slaw and a pickle.
The brisket decent. There were some nice juicy fatty pieces, but overall the meat was generally pretty moist and tender. For the gigantic size of the buns though, a little bit more meat would have been better proportions (though they do give an ok amount). Otherwise I prob wouldn’t eat like ¹⁄₃ of the bread. They had a few sauce options which was nice, and you could pack them in the little containers to try (which of course I did).
My friend got the pulled chicken, and to my surprise that also looked pretty juicy.
Since I only got the brisket, take this with a grain of salt, but their brisket was at least more moist than others around the area.

Thursday’s they have food trucks at the Mount Vernon Park Pool and this week it was Curly’s Q. Smelled a good level of smoke and figured I might as well give them a try. Food trucks can be hit or miss and decent barbecue is even harder to find, which is why I tend to make my own, but sometimes, you don’t have 14 hours to spare to smoke a whole brisket. I usually skip bbq chicken as it tends towards dried out breast meat that some idiots think is healthy. Ribs were sold out so they must have been the most popular item. Got the two meat plate for $ 15 (pork and brisket) and ended up with a big honking pile of food. I know making brisket is an art; most of the time, the flat end will be dry by the time the fattier end is cooked through. This stuff was moist, tender, and flavorful. Just smoke, salt, pepper, and fat. Pulled pork was nice and juicy as well, just a hint of a vinegar tang and plenty of smoke to back it up. Nicely hand chopped and shredded, not pureed to a paste like most chain bbq joints. Unlike most folks, I can’t stand milky, runny, mayonnaise-​ey cole slaw. This was a nice, minimalist slaw of thick shredded cabbage, vinegar, salt, and sugar. The perfect foil for the juicy pork. If you like to smother your bbq with milky mayo cabbage, I’m sure there’s a grocery store nearby where you can buy it by the tub while you dunk your McRib in it and hate America. Several sauces to try; I opted for a little sweet Memphis sauce and some spicy vinegar, but the meat really doesn’t need it. Came with a nice firm cornmeal dusted roll, not the usual bloated dough hamburger buns. All in all, better barbecue than anyone should expect in the DC suburbs at a more than reasonable price. Check these guys out when you have the chance. Five out of five shreiks on the Monkey Meter.

Curley’s was disappointing. It had all the merits of being awesome: singularly focused operation, one-​off locally owned & operated /​mom & pop style, lots of motorcycles and trucks sitting in the parking lot.
But, the BBQ just missed the mark completely. First off, it’s gas fired which leaves a slight aftertaste to the meat. The brisket was dry, and the pulled pork just couldn’t put forward that delicious southern BBQ flavor. BBQ should be able to stand on its own, no sauce needed, but a welcome compliment to already well cared for meat. And, while the sauces helped, we just couldn’t get past mediocre BBQ.
The slaw was pretty good though.

At the grand opening yesterday afternoon had a great time. Food was outstanding. I highly recommend stopping in and grabbing some excellent barbecue at Curley’s Q located at Hank Dietle’s in Rockville across from White Flint. He also has traveling food trucks. Enjoy!

Down home country food with great barbecue flavor is the way I would describe Curley’s Barbecue. Tonight was there grand opening and it was crowded. Good music and located next to Dietel’s Tavern on Rockville Pike. The brisket was fork tender and packed with a hearty barbecue taste. The pulled pork was full of smokey flavor. There was a whole roasted pig that melted in your mouth, served with a vinegar sauce that I can only dream about, until I return for more. Creamy macaroni and cheese that was rich and full of a variety of cheeses. The servers were generous with the servings and very helpful. If you are looking for great taste and a meal that won’t break the bank, head on over to Curley’s Barbecue and prepare to loosen that belt at least one notch.

We hosted a party for about 40 in our backyard, and hired Curley’s Q for the event. We had the food truck at the party for several hours, and everyone raved about the food! The girls running the truck did a good job and were lots of fun. A big shout out goes to Alexandra who was so professional and communicative during the planning/​booking process. Curley was also great to check in with me to make sure everything was going well. I would absolutely recommend Curley’s Q to anyone and everyone. I am from Texas and feel I know great BBQ, and this is the real deal!
We will use them again for future events for sure.
Everything was amazing!
Thank you, Curley and gang

So many times you have rubbery, crusty Mac and cheese but this is not one of those times. I’m also not a breadcrumb on top guy and these didn’t have them.
So many times you have dry brisket, ribs and you need the sauce but in this case the sauce acted as a compliment. I’m a mayonnaise cole slaw person but his was vinegar based which is fine as it’s probably what the local market demands.
All in all a phenomenal meal and the chef/​owner is a great guy

I had a House of Cards viewing party which I decided we needed to have ribs for. (In keeping with Frank’s habit of visiting a «hole in the wall» rib joint in DC during the first couple of seasons).
We picked up the ribs at the food truck while it was at an event at a high school, with the intention of reheating them the next day. They’d forgotten to give us barbecue sauce, but Curley brought it the next day. Note: Good customer service is when you respond quickly (in Curley’s case instantaneously) to an email citing a problem, and go out of your way to rectify it.
I highly recommend this truck for any and all catering events. The ribs alone are worth it, and the sides are also equally wonderful.

We had Curley’s for an event at a winery I work for and they were fabulous! On time, great service, and the BBQ was very well received. The staff was very friendly and accommodating and cheerful despite a cold and blustery day.
Everyone loved it and had a good time. I had the brisket, yum!