Standard BBQ Delivers on Promise of Good, Cheap Eats

 

From Alejandra Owens. You can find her on Twitter at @frijolita or on her own food and cooking blog One Bite At A Time.

Check out the photos on Flickr.

I am a sucker for Mexican corn on the cob. So when I got to Standard, plopped down on the aluminum stools by a shallow bar overlooking the umbrella’d patio and saw grilled Mexican corn on the cob I figured the place couldn’t be bad.

My friend, an enthusiastic eater whose appetite surpasses even mine, and I dove right in, ordering a bratwurst, pulled pork sandwich, hush puppies, Mexican corn on the cob, a hot pretzel, birch beer and ginger ale (my favorite brand by the way, Blenheim). Not 20 minutes later our aluminum tray was a scattered graveyard of empty red and white checkered paper picnic baskets littered with hush puppy crumbs and stray bits of coleslaw and sauerkraut.  Um. I think we liked the food.

Perhaps what I enjoyed most about Standard (enjoyed observing mostly, since we sat inside) was the jovial, community feeling the patio took on as the evening progressed. On their “About” page they say they want to be a neighborhood gathering spot where people can relax outside but still be in the heart of the city, and they clearly have become just that.

I spotted several children, in and out of strollers, which I found interesting. The neighborhood, oh how it’s a-changin’! And another good friend of mine has been telling me stories of how he and his friends will spend hours on the patio over beers and multiple rounds of BBQ and snacks. I can’t think of a better way to spend a lazy, dazy Saturday afternoon with a group of friends now!

While I’m not exactly a BBQ connoisseur, and not quite the kind of person who wakes up on a Saturday thinking, “Hmm! I’d like some succulent pulled pork on a sesame bun with crisp coleslaw on top,” I might be now.

Standard

• Where Am I Going? 1801 14th Street NW (corner of 14th and S Streets).
• When Am I Going? During spring and summer they are open Tuesday-Friday at 5 pm, Saturday and Sunday at noon. They close early for bad weather and when they run out of BBQ.
• Paycheck Pain? Sandwiches peaked at $8 while sides were hovering around $3. This is definitely what I would classify as cheap eats.
• Say What? What does a crowded patio in the middle of a warm summer day sound like? It sounds like people having fun. A smidge loud for an intimate conversation, but for a group of friends looking for a relaxing, but fun meal… this is your spot.
• What You’ll Be Eating: BBQ. And all the traditional sides with a few non-traditional items thrown in for good measure.