Monk’s BBQ

Damn! I figured out why BBQ costs more at Monks!!!
Went in to Monks this afternoon for lunch, ordered Pulled Pork, to go… OMFG! was it delicious. Probly the only genuine, actually PULT PORK I can remember having anywhere. Most «pulled» pork is actually cut, chunks, sliced, etc. Nobody actually pulls their pork anymore (okay, okay, don’t go there, dammit).
So, when I ordered, the guy axed if I wanted my order as a sammich or not. I said «Yesirreebob!»
I paid, sat down, didn’t even have time to text Ermaline back and tell her «yes» she could come spend the night tonite (her husband is out of town again), when my order order got delivered to my table in literally under a minute. Opened up my styrofoam carton, and there was a heaping pile of perfect pulled porky pieces, accompanied by one bun. Fine, perfect.
Tuck my order back to my orifice nearby, opened ‘er up, slathered on some of Dr. Gilliam’s secret BBQ sauce, built me up a nice sized pult pork sammich the way I like it, and guess what?
There was enough pork left for ANOTHER sammich. And then it hit me! THAT’s why all them whiners are complaining about Monk’s prices… It’s because they give you twice as much pork/​brisket as you need. Duh.
Sure enough, if you go to just about any other «ordinary» BBQ joint, even good ones, they pretty much all sell by the sammich. Said sammich’s selling typically for $ 5 – $ 7. So, Monks just puts mo poke on yer platter.
Which is pure trickery from Brian Jenkins – the head Monk. He’s sells me twice as much poke, so I won’t have to come back half an hour later and bother him for more. Sneaky… he KNOWS I’m gonna want more after the first one.

Monks BBQ is fantastic. The ribs are great, sausage is perfect and the brisket is fantastic. Nice selection of sides yet they are always sold out of the BBQ bacon appetizers, must be excellent ad we never seem to get any.

Great food, full bar. I like to go when they have live music. Good local musicians. Could be a little cleaner.

The brisket was fabulous and the pastrami was the best I’ve had in ages. Gotta have the Gouda Mac and cheese. Really good! :).

found this place on Unilocal.was hopeful because most of the bbq places in the leesburg area are a letdown. the best brisket that I have ever had and they also have pastrami which was excellent also. great sides and reasonable prices — not like smokehouse live.
a bit of a drive from leesburg but worth it.

Had an awesome lunch at Monk’s. The brisket was perfectly smoked, and we got a half pound of pulled pork to go along with it. You can’t go wrong with either meat, and our only regret was that we didn’t get a chance to try the Texas hot link.
The bar looks like a great place to spend an evening. Awesome beer and bourbon selections, and live music at least a couple nights a week.
Employees were nice and friendly, including the pit master.
Long story short:. Not all small town BBQ is created equal, particularly in VA. Monk’s is better than anything we’ve had in NoVA. Eat here.

Where the price is right AND the flavor is on point… That’s Monk’s. I had the brisket, mac n cheese, corn bread, and banana pudding. I still dream about that meal. I love that they put their own spin on everything. I’ve never had a corn bread, stuffed with custard, like theirs! I also learned from them that pastrami and brisket are the same cut of meat, but pastrami is cured. So bonus points to them for being educational too! ;P

Outstanding flavor! And plenty of good brews on tap to wash it down one of the better BBQ joints I’ve been too.
The baked beans were outstanding and the slabs of brisket were smokey and moist. Ribs were perfect and the pulled pork flavorful but ready for the added boost of a vinegary coleslaw.
Only drawbacks: 1. the sauce selections. Would have liked less fruit options and more regional options. 2. The cornbread had a corn pudding filling which just didn’t work texturally. Add a little cheese or extra egg to the recipe if don’t want it to dry out.
Well done!

The best wood smoke forward BBQ in the region. Great family atmosphere and a great bar for craft brew and bourbon. The pastrami is so awesome and something that most BBQ places do not have. Amazing smoked wings and the dry rub rack of ribs cannot be beat. Also impressed by the mac and cheese and the vinegar slaw sides. He does specials for Thanksgiving, Christmas and other holidays that can come in handy for large family gatherings.

Best bbq around. Ribs were moist and fall of the bone flavorful. Loved the baked beans and the mac n cheese. Pulled pork was delicious too. Bacon on a stick is very popular, though I could take it or leave it personally. I highly recommend this restaurant. Craft beers and distilled spirits sold here as well. Parking can be a problem at peak times.

This is a classic country bar and barbecue joint — with friendly people, live blue grass and a busy bar scene inside and calmer and quieter patio outside. We had brisket and pull pork that were outstanding — but remember to ask for or get the sauce. The corn bread was fine, the cole slaw light and crisp, and the baked beans — well the baked beans are worth a return trip.

This place is legit! This was our first time in the area and as we were having a drink nearby, the bartender there recommended couple of places and we decided on this. The weather was nice so we strolled around the area and walked over to Monk’s. As we walked over, you could see the smoke, smell and BBQ and feel the vibe.
We got the pulled pork sandwiches and pulled chicken sandwich. The pulled pork sandwich was very good, nice and tender with just the right amount of flavor. I would definitely get it again. I tried some of the chicken sandwich, which was alright, I would choose the pork sandwich over the chicken. Got the collard green, and mac and cheese for the side. Both tasted good. They also have few different types of sauces that you can try.
There is also a full bar area.
Their service was good, the staff were helpful and pleasant.

I wrote about this place in 2012 when it was just one guy and his smoker in a tent outside a brewery. So glad he built a brick and mortar business. Thankfully, the food quality did NOT decline with the expansion.
Drool… Slurp… Wipe… OOOOH Yah! «Honey, go get another plate cuz I’m not sharing anymore…»
–Brisket: The only brisket I’ve had that may have been better (marginally) was in Texas. Monk’s Brisket is so soft, so flavorful and moist. Get the fatty brisket which is so tender and juicy. The best brisket in the DMV area for sure.
–Baby Back Ribs: This was slightly less juicy and less seasoned than I had it the first time but still very good.
–Gouda mac and cheese: I really liked that the macaroni was NOT overcooked, NOT soggy — an amazing feat when you cook for large numbers.
–Vinegar Slaw: An interesting sour and crisp flavor with hints of apple in this cabbage. Paired well with the meats.
–BBQ sauces: They offered 4 – 5 different types of BBQ sauces but I like my BBQ dry.
–Service: good
Full bar in the restaurant and I saw live music offered at certain times.

We were in the area doing wedding venue visits and had some time in between appointments to grab some lunch on a Sunday. The inside is a no-​frills restaurant but actually is quite welcoming! You walk in and can either order your meal at the counter and take a seat or sit at their bar. The bartender is super friendly and the draft beers are local craft brews and the liquor skews whiskey.
On Sundays they offer burnt ends. We got an order of burnt ends, half a rack of ribs, and a side of beans and mac and cheese. I’ve never really had burnt ends but they were packed with flavor and had a pleasing crunch to the outside. Side note: they did run out by about 2:15pm. The ribs were top of the class bbq. They were dry rubbed and just falling off the bone. We were also given a caddy of 6 different bbq sauces. Theres a flavor and type for everyone. I loved the stout type. The mac and cheese was divine as others say. It is a generous portion and very rich though.
It’s been a long time since I’ve had bbq this good and really enjoyed every moment. Purcellville is so far away but I hope I’ll be in this area again soon to take advantage of Monk’s awesomeness! I’ve got my eye on the pastrami and brisket for next time! =P

I was hesitant to make the drive to Purcellville VA for BBQ, but I kept hearing about this hole-​in-​the-​wall place called Monk’s that was worth the trip. So we googled it, and took the trip.
They are closed on Tuesdays, and don’t open for lunch on Monday, so be sure to check before you schedule a work luncheon or a drop in visit. We almost had a bunch of unhappy co-​workers on our hands.
Went here for a luncheon, and the food was really, truly worth it.
What’s good? I usually get the pulled pork, but request no sandwich bread, with a substitution of their cornbread. I’ve tried the greens (spicy/​salty/​vinegar-​y, but so very good), and the smoked mac-​n-​cheese (also very gouda… er, good!) I’ve heard that people really enjoyed the brisket, but that the chicken was ok, nothing special.
Sauces — They come on the side, and the menu recommends certain types. I enjoy the Texan (spicy), but also have tried the others, and they are all pretty good. Blackberry Whiskey is a little sweet, if that’s your type, but not too «saucy».
The mac-​n-​cheese really stands out as amazing (even if you’re not a big mac-​n-​cheese person), because the smoked gouda makes it melt in your mouth, and the shells hold so much more sauce (ratio is really well planned).
The cornbread, as others have mentioned, has a custard-​y layer inside, yet has a crusty top. It is AMAZING, and you will definitely want to eat more than your share.
As many have mentioned, the smoke as you enter the establishment is also worth the price of admission. If you weren’t 100% hungry before you arrived, the aroma will convince you it’s time to eat.
Some people weren’t impressed by the portions (unless they get the whole rib rack). I don’t see what the issue is — you don’t really need to eat THAT MUCH FOOD, and the portions are reasonably priced. If you get served, and you don’t feel that it’s enough, maybe say something to the server at the counter? Or get a drink, a side of cornbread, whatever might make it more filling for you.
Meat is meat, and it’s marbled, so if you’re prone to overeating or heartburn, or getting alcohol along with your meal (they have a full bar), you may want to pre or post load with some antacid. I didn’t have a problem, but the guy that had a full meal, soda, and bacon on a stick (wait until you see it — so thick and he enjoyed it!) needed a little help later in the afternoon.
Real food, real folks, rustic atmosphere, busy enough to sell out of ribs on the weekend (plan or call ahead!) Monday nights they also serve SMOKED WINGS, and I hear they are pretty good. If you’re into whisky, try WHISKY WEDNESDAYS, as they seem to have a lot of variety.
Please let me know if my review helped, and thank you for reading — now go and get some BBQ!

Why, why did you have to be so good that I ate until I had horrific heartburn?!
Random roadtrip turned into a massive pig out at this restaurant. Once we pulled into the parking lot, we already started drooling. I’m pretty sure we ran into the building after inhaling the smoke by the smokers.
We were greeted by the staff, who waited patiently enough while we decided. We ordered a rack of ribs, mac and cheese, and greens. It never crossed my mind that we wouldn’t be able to finish this amount of food between two people UNTIL I took a bite of the mac and cheese.
The mac and cheese is made with gouda and I ate the entire thing. No I didn’t share and no I have no regrets. It was AMAZING. It is rich with flavor and cheesy. I never thought mac and cheese could taste that great until I went to Monk’s.
The greens were flavorful but a tad salty for me. I didn’t mind giving my husband the greens while I scarfed down the mac.
Now for the ribs. Where do I begin? The melting off the bone? The flavor? The sauce? Perfection. I couldn’t stop eating no matter how full I felt. The meat fell right off the bones making it very tender. There are a lot of sauces to choose from and we tried them all. Hands down my favorite was the stout. I wanted to take a bottle home with me but I didn’t.
Would I drive back? YES! I cannot wait for the weather get to better so I can drive back. I probably won’t order the full rack of ribs next time so I can try the brisket.
Service: A
Food: A
Environment: B

Good food and fun atmosphere. Very limited menu and no fries available, that was a deal breaker for the kids. BooHoo, cause we really liked the place.

When you pull into the parking lot of a BBQ joint and see a big cloud of smoke billowing up from several giant metal smokers next to a huge pile of split logs, it’s a good sign that you’ve come to the right place. Sure enough, when you get inside and see the slabs of meat they’re carving up and the rack of sauce bottles, you can rest assured that you’re in for a treat.
The menu has all the usual suspects in terms of meats and sides, and they offer you a choice of presentation as a sandwich on two slices of white bread or with a side of cornbread. I went with the sandwich, and my friends laughed mercilessly at me when they gave me a bite of their cornbread and I realized I had chosen wrong. That was the only mistake I made though. The brisket was juicy and smoky and just the right amount of fatty without feeling too greasy or heavy. The mac and cheese is easily the best I’ve ever had at a BBQ joint, rich and creamy. The sauces are all delicious, ranging from sweet to spicy, and you can try as many as you want. We were on our way over to Adroit Theory so we didn’t want to get ahead of ourselves by drinking, but their draft list shows that someone there clearly knows good beer when they see it.
I’m every bit a city boy, but every now and then even I need to get out into the countryside for high-​quality BBQ. Monk’s was everything I hoped it would be, and I’m already looking forward to making another trip out their way.

Your mouth is your main way of communicating, it serves as a way of breathing, and is exposed to some tough tastes at times. Show your mouth some appreciation for all the hard work it does and reward your tongue by going to Monk’s. The food here is incredible. Every dish is great. Pastrami is world class best of the meats, but the others are also highly excellent. Corn bread is the best I’ve ever had and the baked beans and banana pudding are great. Exceptional line up of craft brew to go with the finger licking good food. Stop reading and start eating, get your buns over to this place.

Had the smoked brisket sandwich, one of the best I’ve ever had. Brisket was perfectly seasoned and smoked and delivered in a huge pile upon Texas toast! Add one of the 5 house sauces and be prepared for smoked nirvana without having to worry about the pee test at work on Monday! Didn’t hit the bar but had a great selection of craft brews and mixed drink specials.

I can say that this place is worth the ride from DC, so much so, we’ve riden our bikes out from DC on multiple occasions just to get our hands on some of the brisket out here. And let me be clear, that’s 50 miles each way…
The brisket is my favorite, which is always smokey, charred, and just the right amount of greasy. I also always get the mac and cheese and the corn bread, which is more like cake then bread. The wife always gets the chicken with the collards, and both are amazing. I have to say, that I’ve had collards in a lot of places, but the vinegary sharpness to theirs put them in a league of their own.
As others have commented, I’m not sure why they try for so many sauces, I think they would be better off with just a couple, but who cares, let them try what they like, the basics are great!

This place is so good that I went 2 days in a row :) First day, had a brisket sandwich with baked beans. The sandwich was HUGE, the brisket is juicy yet smokey and the beans were very tasty, not too sweet and had chunks of brisket in them YUM! 2^nd day I tried the ribs– AMAZING! They were super tender, flavorful and just fell right off the bone. They put a layer of custard in the cornbread which gives it a delicious creamy (not soggy) center, the smoked Gouda Mac & cheese was good but I think the beans were my fave. The beer selection is AWESOME and the bartenders are very friendly.
I was convinced that Willard’s had the best BBQ in NoVA but Monk’s might have changed my mind!
Try this spot!

This restaurant is hidden in Purcellville, but has a very cute atmosphere. Love their Chicken BBQ and the potato salad is delicious! They offer an amazing variety of sauces here too! This is also a great place for kids. The food is a bit pricey for what you get, but it is what it is. Friendly staff and good service. Definitely check it out!

Oh how I want to love this place and give a five star review but I keep getting disappointed at every visit. This time I had the brisket and baked beans to go. I always get it to go because even though they have a great bar and selection of beer and whiskey the sauces are not what I am looking for. My brisket was soooooooo fatty that at least one third of the portion was so fatty that i had to toss it. The rest was sorta stringy and not what brisket is usually like. The beans were literally Campbells BBQ beans from the can with a few chunks of tasty ham tossed in. Maybe I need to stick with the pulled pork and potato salad? I’ll keep going back because like I said, I really do want to love this place.

This place not only has fantastic food but the staff is amazing, friendly and always willing to help! The food is outstanding and you can tell by the taste that it is smoked with time and care. My favorite side is the smoked collard greens with bacon in them and the pastrami is my favorite meat! Especially smothered in their Carolina mustard sauce. I’ve read a lot of reviews complaining about the sauces and there not being a basic sauce, they must not have made it through trying all the sauces to try the Stout sauce. That’s about as close to basic as you can get. One of the employees told me about how all of the sauces except two are made with local beer and wine. Very cool how they incorporate local products into their recipes.
The bar always has a great selection of local craft beers. They also carry a few domestic cans for those not into the craft beer scene. Their bourbon selection will blow your mind. Every time I go they’ve added a few new bottles to their selection. I also understand that on Whisky Wednesdays most of their bourbon is half price.
I know they strive for customer satisfaction. I saw a bartender ask a patron to stop eating the brisket they had just been served because it wasn’t to her liking. I’m not sure if she felt the portion was too small or if it looked dry. She went and got a new juicer portion for the customer. He was surprised and very grateful and the bartender explained that If he ever came in and was unhappy with what they received to bring it back. She said they always want the customer to love their meal. He said he would have gladly eaten the original portion and she joked with him about not suffering in silence and he should speak up. Now that’s great customer service! The place is has a great family feel and you can tell the people that work there love what they’re doing and really believe in the product.
Oh, they also have live music (Bryan Fox and Friends) every other Thursday and other bands every Friday and Saturday nights.

Wow! Such great BBQ! On top of that the owners and bar tenders are very personable and helpful! I also love being around their patrons. It he BBQ sauce Mac and cheese and beans are awesome! My husband loves their brisket and I love their
Pulled pork with the unique BBQ sauces

I have traveled twice to Monks… my first experience a few months back was solid. Young lady behind the bar had SUPERB knowledge of beers and breweries. The food was solid, meats stellar and sides acceptable.
2^nd trip was with my brother, a bbq devotee like I. We got a couple beers, my bro a nice porter recommended by the sweet bartender and a Shiner for me.
Then came the PASTRAMI! My brother and I have both had the best deli pastramies of NYC, as well as smaller cities (Zingermanns in Ann Arbor!). Well… MONK’S Pastrami was simply the most divine I could ever imagine. I owned a Smokerie and have smoked plenty of meats, this was probably the single best smoked meat I have ever had. Now I am led to believe we hit the magic moment as all briskets are not equal. 2 different briskets can be cooked EXACTLY the same and one is luscious and the other somewhat dry. But this Pastrami was sublime. Drive 100 miles for it… then hope it is Sunday when the serve BURNT PASTRAMI ENDS basted in their Carolina Mustard Sauce. F$@% me!
Sides were decent… potato salad was straightforward and well balanced, vinegar slaw was a miss for me, would have benefited from being salt cured and softened a bit – was a little difficult to eat with plastic forks. Collards were perfectly undercooked but needed some of that Carolina Vinegar Sauce to wake them up. Corn (puddin) Bread was ridiculous! Wondered whose grandma came up with that! It played as a great dessert for me.
Did I mention mucho great beer and so much Bourbon/​whiskey that it would take you months to try everything (maybe a weekend for me… but that’s another story). Great service, great and friendly smokemaster, and a smiling staff of youngens’.
My bro and I will be back with folks in tow.

I would like these guys to teach other BBQ places how it’s done. We’ve eaten here several times. We ordered ahead so we could pick up and end our day at the wineries at home. Everything was to die for… tender, perfectly flavored, perfect combination of it all:
Ribs
Brisket
Chicken
Gouda Mac
Beans
Red cabbage coleslaw!
And it’s awesome leftovers the next morning. Throw the BBQ in a pan with some oil, shred any meat and heat it up. You can throw it in a tortilla with some scrambled eggs and hot sauce. yum!!!

Me and the guys travel the world. We are bourbon enthusiasts while back home in the USA. Besides bacon on a stick, brisket, and pulled pork that rivals some of the best I’ve had, the bourbon/​whiskey is the best non-​private collection I’ve seen. We were extremely impressed with the collection and Ms. Becky aka Beck’lls– her amazing knowledge is awesome. Ms. April provided great service and epic laugher. This will be a new post deployment stop indeed

Soooo good! Soooo soooo good! You have to try their bacon on the stick! O~M~G!!! The basic corn bread is fantastic, too!!! — just go! Even just for the bacons! Worth the trip!!!

Finally! Finally I’ve found bbq in Northern VA worth eating!
Monk’s BBQ does it so right! Big smoker in the front of the building wafting that delicious meat filled smoke flavor into the air. Large bar with various drinks on tap. Massive quantities of food. Everything hit the right notes.
We got the ribs, nachos, and pulled pork, and devoured pretty much all of it with the various sauces that they had available to try. Yes, we broke the carnal law of BBQ, and used the wet stuff on the dry rub. We also got two sides — Baked beans and potato salad. All of this was nicely washed down with some really good hard cider that really played well with the smokey rich flavors of the meats.
Yes, I agree with the other reviews who stated that this place isn’t cheap. However, good BBQ never is. It takes hours upon hours to prep and smoke properly, and you better believe the cook wants to be compensated for all of his hard work and long hours of effort — Not to mention all the staff and rent associated with running the place. For me, it was worth the price ($ 50.00 before drinks if you must know).
If I had to nitpick, I’d say my problem with this place was that after trying all the various types of sauces, I simply wanted a traditional BBQ that didn’t have whiskey or various fruits mixed in. That’s not to say that the various sauces weren’t good. They just got overpowering after a bit. I didn’t see a traditional BBQ sauce, and to be honest — I didn’t ask for one either. So, I really don’t know if they have one or not. Perhaps providing only «funny» flavored sauces is the owners way of deterring people from putting anything on his coveted dry rub. Now I’m just throwing out guesses.
Also, someone needs to get that dang pool place out of there. It’s taking up prime real estate both in terms of parking, and potential seating areas. Monk’s deserves a building unto itself with its own parking lot. It certainly needs it for the crowd.
Monk’s is a bit of ways away from where we live, but we will be back despite the somewhat long drive. It’s worth it. With a good «regular» flavor BBQ sauce, this place would easily be a five star joint for me. Such as the case without it, I give it a four.
On a side note, I hope the owner of the restaurant got my note that I left at the bar with the bartenders.

LOVED it. Not too expensive, delicious bbq, craft beer on tap, TVs with sports, friendly staff. I had pulled pork and husband had the brisket — I squirted some blackberry bbq sauce on mine and also enjoyed the Texas sauce. The cornbread in particular was FANTASTIC. We were raving about it as were others at the bar. It is soft and almost custard-​y on the inside with a harder, sweeter shell. Seriously I would come back for that alone. They had a very nice patio and I like the big fat pig mascot.
Good local craft beers too and various whiskeys. They have live music on certain nights which seems fun. We are big fans!

I’ve been to this place a few times now and they never disappoint… Everything from the pulled pork to the ribs, brisket, chicken… Basically everything on the menu! The beer accompaniment is well matched! My kids (who are VERY picky eaters) LOVE the smoked Gouda Mac and cheese and can’t get enough of it! We usually have to order triple portions just for them! The nachos with pastrami is to die for… Again everything on the menu is phenomenal!
Come early as they run out of the good stuff fast!
Bands on Saturdays add to the country atmosphere… Just wish that they could open the windows so people sitting outside can enjoy it too!

wow. My daughter and I were out doing some errands for hiking/​camping trips and ran across Monk’s BBQ by accident. If it wasn’t over an hour away, we’d become regulars.
We had the Brisket and Pastrami, with potato salad and Smoked Gouda Mac & Cheese. The meats had excellent smoked flavors and just enough extra in the Pastrami, with both being fall apart tender. The Mac & Cheese gives new standards for flavor in a Mac & Cheese. When I ordered it, my daughter, who loves Mac & Cheese, said she didn’t want it because of the Gouda. Once she tried it, I had to fight to get it back.
Service was timely and very friendly. Very clean.
Do not miss trying the Stout sauce!

I don’t know what other places these people here have ever tried, but, the Pork BBQ here is really bad, terrible, not to mention over priced. we tried to «doctor» it with the Carolina style sauce (vinegar) to no avail. Needless to say I could not eat it. My fiancée could only eat part of his. The potato salad had no taste. we tried to add pepper but that did not help. If you want good bbq you need to go to Willards in the Dulles expo area. Hands down the best bbq in northern Va. we only went to monks because we were in the area, needed a quick lunch and stopped here. on and BTW you are served the bbq on a tray with paper put down for a plate. I did not get the bun for mine so you can only imagine seeing the bbq meat laying on such an appetizing (not) «plate»). Monks is really terrible bbq. do not go here.
I am only putting a star since the is forcing me to select one.

Been going to Monk’s for several months, and it is one of my favorite places to go. I bring my wife and my four year old daughter and we have a great time. The BBQ is some of the best I’ve had, and I’ve had my share. The brisket is beyond tender. It should be considered an illegal substance because it is so addictive. The only beef my daughter eats is Monk’s brisket. The pulled pork is really good, and any place that has bacon on a stick, should be looked upon as a monument to all that is good and decent in the world. The sides are few, but good. My daughter loves the beans. My wife and I are fans of the Mac N Cheese. The sauces are amazing. The service is warm and friendly. Go there, have a beer (or in my case, a soda), listen to some good live music, and enjoy some of the best BBQ in the Commonwealth of Virginia.