Foodie Newz

Something Old, Something Blue – A New Taste for You at Old Blue BBQ!

You’ve had more pizza in the last few weeks than you had last week, same deal with tacos. Here’s a new choice to add to your rotation.

Arlington, VA natives Kelly Lloyd and Stephen DiCicco founded Old Blue BBQ in 2012 with a passion for exceptional southern barbecue with a unique, rustic chic presentation. Kelly and Stephen bring over three decades of experience in upscale catering management and competition barbecue to the table. (Photo: old Blue BBQ)

Alexandria, VA – I am sold and will be back to Old Blue BBQ at 4580 Eisenhower Ave. The popular VA, DC and MD full-service caterer has been successfully serving their pulled pork, ribs, pig candy, killer potato salad and squash casserole at weddings, family reunions, office parties and other special occasions since 2012, but like every other food-provider, they needed to change gears in the corona era.

Lucky for us, they are headquartered right here in Alexandria and have turned into one of the most reliable sources for good old-fashioned comfort food during the pandemic. And don’t worry about trying to find their location tucked away in a group of industrial buildings if you don’t want to go out, they deliver!  And they deliver incredible flavor too.

From Shrimp and Grits to Brisket and Delivery Too!

They provide meal delivery Friday through Sunday. You place your order on their website (or call) during the week. I tried the shrimp and grits first and polished off a plateful, hardly looking up as I shoveled the dish into my mouth. This is not a dainty pool of grits with shrimp delicately balanced on top. This is a jambalaya style of the dish with large chunks of shrimp taking up a post in a mix of grits and seasonings including bits of sausage and pepper. It was difficult to stop eating long enough to say how much I loved it.

Smoked brisket sandwich with slaw, house made pickles, potato salad, and a mixed greens salad. Photo by Debby Critchley

Once I finished the shrimp and grits, it was time to check out the smoked brisket. Imagine a sandwich layered with moist slices of tender brisket topped with a classic vinegary slaw  and house-made pickles held together by a gorgeous brioche bun. Accompanied by your choices of sides – make sure you pick the potato salad – half a sandwich is a meal in itself.

The brisket brought me back to my grandma’s table where she served a similar brisket without the smoke. This is rich meat that you can cut with a fork – it’s so flavorful you don’t even need the two excellent BBQ sauces that accompanied the sandwich.

Speaking of the sauces, the red sauce reflects Kansas City but has local heat. And the mustard BBQ sauce has converted me. It had a balance of heat and mustard that had me wanting more.

BBQ chicken pizza kit at Old Blue BBQ in Alexandria, VA.

Weekly Special Menu Changes

The menu changes every Sunday afternoon for the following week, but don’t worry, you can always depend on the brisket and shrimp and grits to be on the menu. And they have special fun things for the family looking for fun new meal options: meal kits you can put together at home.

Chef Stephen DiCicco and General Manager Kelly Lloyd designed the easy to prepare take home packages. Chef Stephen said “We do all the tedious prep so families can have fun making dinner.”

Kelly added, “Kids can really have fun with the pizza. We give them a ball of take-and-bake chilled dough ready to pat out. Kids and parents can make individual or big pizzas and add their own toppings.”

Each meal comes chilled and once cooked, will keep for about a week. Vegan and vegetarian options are coming. Consider the weekly lunch box, lasagna, a breakfast quiche, or some of their other weekly choices.  The lunch boxes are perfect for an essential business site.

Sliced brisket by the pound at Old Blue BBQ.

Giving Back

Old Blue BBQ supports veterans in need as their contribution during the pandemic. Per their website, “Buy a barbecue lunch for a veteran in need! Old Blue BBQ is partnering with the American Legion Bicentennial Post 1976 of Annandale, VA to provide box lunches for veterans in need during the COVID-19 crisis. Even better, Old Blue BBQ will match every box lunch purchased for donation by our clients, that’s two lunches.”

RELATED: New Facebook Group Has All the Scoop on Alexandria Takeouts

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2 Comments

  1. The food was absolutely delicious and was more than enough for leftovers. The food was delivered on time and by Ms Kelly Lloyd who is super friendly, polite and her passion for what she does is evident. This was our first time ordering and won’t be the last. I strongly recommend this business.

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