Well today we decided to ride straight up I-95 to visit Shawn’s Smokehouse BBQ in Fredericksburg, VA. I may have lost my mind traveling up 95 on July 3 along with every other holiday traveler. Well Southbound was worse than Northbound was. And no I didn’t take 95 home. We took the nice scenic route down Hwy. 301 then 30. Eventually we ended up going across the Jamestown Ferry to get back home. Now that was a nice Jeep Ride. So keep in mind that here in Virginia we are still at Phase 3 for reopening our economy from Covid19. I’m really not sure of the difference between Phase 2 and 3 but we went for a ride. I’ve been holding off on any new reviews until places open back up to full capacity but we are slipping in one here and

there. Plus we wanted to see our friend Shawn to see how they were doing.

The Restaurant and Staff at Shawn’s Smokehouse Fredericksburg:

Shawn’s Smokehouse Fredericksburg is on Harrison Rd. (Rt. 3). There not far off of I-95 for anyone traveling that direction. We got off of the interstate at Hwy. 1 and let GPS guide us in. They’re in a fairly new strip shopping center. Inside was very clean and set up casual like the Culpeper location. Yes, you may remember me writing about that one. Hard to believe that was over two years ago. Here’s a link to that one: https://www.patricksbbqtrail.com/shawns-smokehouse-bbq-culpeper-va/

Shawn’s Smokehouse Fredericksburg opened up in November, 2019. They were really looking forward to the spring when they would be able to really set their roots in the new location. Then came Covid19. Like so many other businesses they were knocked backwards quite a bit. They have survived the worst of this so far and are now looking forward to moving forward as new regulations come out. So with that in mind here’s what we found.

Everyone there was wonderful. Shawn wasn’t there yet so no one knew us. At first I wasn’t going to review any restaurants during this time we’re going through but I decided that these people are working hard to provide a service for us so I should tell others about them. They have limited seating right now per government regulations and they are running a limited menu. Business and meat prices have played a role in that decision. But they had everything we wanted, so why not? Let’s take a look.

Tammy’s Choices at Shawn’s Smokehouse Fredericksburg:

Tammy was in Brisket Heaven. They had Burnt Ends available so that’s what she went with. This came with a bun, which is wonderful, and a side of slaw. She ordered Mac & Cheese to go with it. The slaw at Shawn’s Smokehouse Fredericksburg is wonderful. I believe they use 3 different cabbages plus a touch of coconut. Whatever the combination is works very well. Then there’s the mac & cheese. So creamy and cheesy it’s just delicious.

I’ll have to say that I believe the burnt ends here are as good as anywhere. We have had a lot of them from other places and Tammy is a burnt end perfectionist. She loves them and these are among her favorites. To me they are pretty awesome. They are very lightly sauced so the sauce doesn’t overpower the taste of the meat. The brisket is prepared just right. I love the burnt ends here.

And My Choices:

With the limited menu at Shawn’s Smokehouse Fredericksburg, they don’t have the normal plates or platters. They do have a curbside platter but that was pretty large for my lunch. So I ordered ‘a la carte. I went with Pulled Pork and Lean Sliced Brisket. They also offer moist sliced brisket which is more juicy and tender but has more fat. I like both but wanted the lean today. Each of these came with a bun and a small side of slaw. I also ordered their BBQ Beans and Fresh Cut Fries. The fries are wonderful here. I just love fresh cut fries and can’t get enough of them. The BBQ beans are delicious. These beans are seasoned with meat and cooked in a BBQ sauce that is just wonderful. They are a must have with any meal here.

So next I’ll go with the sliced brisket. As I said, I went with the lean cut this time. The brisket is seasoned very well and the smoke brings everything together. It was wonderful.

Many times if you get the lean brisket it can be dried out at some places. That did not happen here.

Though it will never be as moist as the moist cut, this was not dry and had a great taste. And the pulled pork was fantastic as well. Nice

 

smoke ring and good seasoning makes this pork top notch. I loved both. And I may mention here that as far as I’m concerned, there is no need for sauce on either of these. Of course they are available if you want them, but you should try the meats without sauce first.

I also managed to sneak in a couple of ribs. I absolutely love the ribs at Shawn’s Smokehouse Fredericksburg. The seasoning is perfect and the smoke is great. They have just the right texture and most importantly, they taste incredible.

Desert Anyone:

So here’s a new twist since we first reviewed Shawn’s. His wife, Magda, is making cheesecakes at home to sell in their restaurants. That’s correct, homemade cheesecakes. So I tried a slice of Oreo Cheesecake. I loved it. I truly believed this was one of the best cheesecakes I had ever had. Then I tried Tammy’s. She had a Coffee Cheesecake and was quietly sitting there enjoying it. When I tried the coffee one, I realized I was wrong about the Oreo cheesecake. Make no mistake about it, the Oreo was awesome. And if you’re not a big coffee fan you may even like that one better. However, once I tried the coffee cheesecake I knew this one was the best I had ever had. I am so glad I don’t live too close to Shawn’s Smokehouse. I’d be broke and bigger than a barn. Just a little extra information on the Coffee Cheesecake. You see, Magda is originally from the Honduras. Her family there is in the coffee growing business. So they get fresh coffee shipped here then ground to make this cake. It’s just awesome.

Get a doggie box to take some of your meal home or get a slice of cheesecake to go. And they do have other flavors too. But however you choose to do it, you have to try a piece of Magda’s Cheesecake.

Final Thoughts:

Well this was a great trip. We did get to see Shawn while we were visiting and it was great to see him. That’s one of the hard parts of doing this blog. I don’t get to go back and see some of the friends we make nearly enough. Shawn and Magda are wonderful people. They constantly do for the community and strive to keep a family and business together. Every time we have visited Shawn’s Smokehouse the food has been wonderful. I’ve been teasing him that I would sneak up to Fredericksburg and review the new spot. We finally made it and I’m so glad we did. We also got to meet Jessie, the manager there. She was a fun and caring person. Her passion for her work was obvious. She wants the Fredericksburg location to be good as or better than the other two locations. She’s doing a great job and we loved meeting her.

So, if you live in or around Fredericksburg you need to get over here and check this place out. No they don’t have their full menu yet but there is plenty to choose from. And there are a couple of sampler platters if you’re feeding a group or family.

Folks that travel I-95, this is a fairly easy off and back on the interstate location. I would recommend everyone who reads this to take a trip there. For those like me that do not like I-95 there are other routes available. Just check them out and you’ll be glad you did.

Now For Your Thoughts:

You know how I feel about Shawn’s Smokehouse Fredericksburg. Now it’s time to let us know how you feel. I’m sure they were able to pull in some regulars before everything was shut down. How do you feel about your new restaurant? Tell us about your favorites. How do you like the staff?

This is your opportunity to put a plug in for your local restaurant. Let the people working there really know how you feel.

Just scroll down the page and drop your comments in the box. I’ll get them posted as soon as I can.

I look forward to hearing from you.

I encourage you to share this review on Facebook and other social media sites. Follow us on Facebook to see where else we go.

You can check out their website at:  https://shawnsbbq.com/

You can also find them on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/shawnsbbqfredericksburg/

Enjoy the ride, good eating and thanks for stopping by.