2Fifty Texas BBQ
In 2016 Fernando González came home to Santa Tecla, El Salvador, holding a brisket he had carried from Franklin Barbecue in Austin.
Why go
González had stood in line at Franklin that year without knowing what brisket was. I had no barbecue knowledge,
he told Daniel Vaughn of Texas Monthly. He and his wife, Debby Portillo, ran a small shipping company from home and struggled every day to keep clear of gang violence. I had no idea what this black thing that looked like a stone was doing in our kitchen,
Portillo said of that first brisket. By the end of 2018 they were selling brisket and ribs at a farmers market. They opened 2Fifty in Riverdale Park, northeast of D.C., in April 2020. Barbecue really saved our lives,
González told Vaughn in 2023 (Texas Monthly).
We're a Texas-style barbecue joint with a pinch of the tropics,
González said. When Vaughn ate there in 2023, the counter kept two menus of sides: a Traditional
one with slaw and potato salad, and a Heritage
one that shows off the couple's Salvadoran roots.
He loved the side's simplicity
in the red beans, grown in Central America and simmered with beef tallow and chopped brisket (Texas Monthly). In March 2026 Jonathan Smith of The Infatuation called the plantains some of the best plantains we've ever had, period.
They come cocooned inside a perfectly crystalized sugary shell,
with cotija to crumble on top (The Infatuation).
Order the wagyu brisket first. Smith wrote that the smoke manages to penetrate every millimeter of the supremely juicy meat,
under a bark he found peppery and thick
(The Infatuation). Vaughn ate both the prime and the wagyu brisket in October 2023, when they cost $32 and $45 a pound. He found both juicy and well-seasoned with just the right amount of white oak smoke, though I wish they hadn't been sliced so thick
(Texas Monthly). Get the smoked turkey too. Washingtonian's critics called it the turkey that puts all others to shame
in January 2026 (Washingtonian).
Vaughn reported that Tim Carman of the Washington Post ranked 2Fifty the area's best barbecue in 2020 and again in February 2023 (Texas Monthly). A second 2Fifty opened on K Street NW in January 2024 (Eater DC). Smith calls it perfectly serviceable
and still prefers Riverdale Park, where the building looks like it's been around since the Roosevelt administration.
The picnic tables inside and out fill with a mix of neighborhood locals and destination diners
(The Infatuation).
Order this / avoid
- Order: the wagyu brisket. Smith (2026):
This should be the first thing you order.
2 - Order: the smoked turkey with the house honey mustard. Smith (2026):
wonder why anyone eats turkey from anywhere else.
2 - Order: the plantains with cotija, as
a dessert or appetizer
(Smith, 2026).2 - Order: the pork ribs. Vaughn found them in 2023
rubbed with a bold mix of savory spices
witha great bark.
1 - Order: the poblano or spicy cheddar sausage, torched to order when Vaughn ate it in 2023. González told him:
I want to make sure that every casing is crisp and snappy.
1 - Drink: the house lager, or a skin-contact natural wine with
enough spine to stand up to the smokey meats
(Smith, 2026).2
What locals & experts say
- Tim Carman, Washington Post (2020), months after the opening:
2Fifty is American. It's Latin American. It is, hands-down, the best smokehouse in the area.
6 - Omnia Saed, The Infatuation (October 2024), at K Street:
massive wagyu beef ribs (which fall apart if you so much as look at them), smoky-sweet citrus pineapple slices, and beefy baked beans are poem-worthy.
3
Good to know
- When: open every day but Tuesday, until the meat sells out (house, September 2026).
- The line: Eater warned in July 2026 that lines get long, especially at weekends. You can preorder online for pickup.
- How it works: order at the counter and eat at the picnic tables. There are no reservations.
- Price: Washingtonian put a meal for two at $101 to $200 in January 2026.
- Downtown: the second 2Fifty is at 414 K St NW in Mount Vernon Triangle.
Verdict
should-visit — Go out to Riverdale Park for 2Fifty's wagyu brisket, then add the smoked turkey and the sugar-crusted plantains. It's a counter with picnic tables that shuts on Tuesdays and sells out, so expect a line at weekends.