It’s brunch at at Liberty Barbecue and the shrimp and grits feature tiny tomatoes and sliced okra, and it’s easy to forget that the next bite is a brisket sandwich smothered with queso, Fresno chilies and horseradish mayo. Though focused on slabs of meat, barbecue restaurants haven’t escaped the wave of incorporating seasonally appropriate ingredients at all turns, and that’s the mantra of the new Liberty Barbecue.
From the same team as Arlington’s Northside Social (now also in Falls Church), Lyon Hall and Liberty Tavern, Liberty Barbecue takes its smoked meat—Chinese-influenced char siu pork belly is its most unique and best offering with an unavoidable trifecta of salty, spicy and sweet—as seriously as the rest of the menu. Pickle-brined fried chicken, smoked wings and navy beans enhanced with burnt ends, plus Brussels sprouts and tomato-corn succotash, expose Liberty as anything but just a barbecue restaurant.
Liberty Barbecue
Barbecue | $
370 W. Broad St., Falls Church
