Today, Tammy and I took a ride to Gainesville, VA so we could visit The Bone. They also have a location in Manassas. After reading some on their website I decided to visit their original restaurant in Gainesville. We rode up on I-95 to Fredricksburg and picked up Hwy. 17 North to 15 North in Warrenton. I let my GPS guide me into the Stonewall Shops Square. Nice little ride, but you should have seen our route going home. It amazes me sometimes where I’ll go to avoid an Interstate. Well never mind that, let’s get into it and see how it went.
The Restaurant and Staff:
Let me explain a little about their name in case you do some looking on line. The original restaurant was called Bad to the Bone Smokehouse. All of this information is on their website. They are a spinoff from
Snow Piles at The Bone.
Gainesville, VA.
their relatives place in California. Here in Gainesville they added smokehouse to the end just to separate themselves a little. More recently they were trying to simplify things to make marketing a little easier. The management had heard customers talking about being at “The Bone” and the idea stuck.
So now with two restaurants and a food truck they go by The Bone. I hope that sums it up correctly. Like I said, you can read it on their website.
When we walked into The Bone we were immediately welcomed by the young man that took our order. His name we didn’t get but he was very friendly and helpful with us being there for the first time. The restaurant was spotless. This was a feat in itself considering it was a little rainy and there were piles of melting snow in the parking lot. They did a great job at keeping everything clean. Later in our visit we talked to a manager, Matthew. He was really nice and seems to love his job there at The Bone.
Tammy’s Choices at The Bone:
Sliced Brisket and Sliced Smoked Turkey with Mac & Cheese and Slaw.
Tammy went with a Two Meat Combo Platter with Sliced Brisket and Smoked Turkey. For sides she chose Slaw and Mac & Cheese. Let me start with these fresh homemade sides. The slaw was excellent. It had a little sweet and a little vinegar taste to it. There was no mayo. The cabbage seemed to be freshly shredded and was nice and firm. There were no signs of it sitting around getting soft or mushy. The mac & cheese was great. The Bone uses shells instead of elbow macaroni. Matthew later told us that they make a cheese sauce, mix it in with the shells then sprinkle some more cheese on top before they bake it.
The brisket was wonderful. It had a really nice smoke ring and plenty of smoke flavor. Moist and tasty, it just melted in your mouth. Did I mention the “Burnt End” edges on this brisket? Oh yeah, it was there too. Now you know I’m not a big turkey or chicken fan, right? Well let me tell you that if you do like turkey you’ll love their smoked turkey. It has just the right amount of smoke flavor. The smoke blends with the meat and doesn’t overpower it. Tammy loved it.
My Choices at The Bone:
Today I went for a Three Meat Combo Platter. I had the Pulled Pork, Ribs and homemade IPA Andouille Sausage. For my sides I had Ranch Beans and Fresh Cut Fries.
Pulled Pork, Ribs & Smoked Andouille Sausage with Ranch Beans and Fresh Cut Fries.
Let me explain one thing. I read a review someone had written on line and they didn’t like that their baked beans tasted like chili. These are not baked beans folks, they are ranch beans. They have a chili powder / cayenne pepper mix to them. I loved the beans. Now for the fries, they were remarkable. These fries were so firm you’d almost think they were cut to order. I don’t think they do that but I do believe they were cut today and not allowed to sit for long periods of time before frying. I just want more of them, please.
Now let’s talk about the meats. The pulled pork at The Bone was delicious. It had a great smoke flavor, nice smoke ring and some awesome bark pilled in. The pork was nice and moist with just some great flavor. One taste of the ribs and I was in love. They were smoked and charred perfectly. They were just outstanding. I did offer Tammy a small, very small, taste. I didn’t want to give her too much, after all she said she likes baby backs and these were St. Louis style. Yes she loved them too.
I do want to tell you about the sausage though. If you go to the number of restaurants that we do, you have to know how hard it is to find some really good smoked sausage. Much less homemade sausage. This sausage was love at first bite. I even ordered some more to bring home with me. The sausage is made with a local beer, pork and roasted garlic. It has the perfect amount of heat to it. This is not one that will bring tears to your eyes from the heat but there’s enough there to taste and enhance the flavor. What else can I say?
One More Thing:
I need to tell you about the cornbread muffins at The Bone. Make sure you ask about them. I’m not sure if they come with the meal. Tammy asked Matthew about them and he brought a couple out for us. They may have forgotten to add them to our platters or they may not have been ready. I’m just not sure on that one. However, these little gems were wonderful as well. They have a slight crunch on the top. Golden brown with just a hint of sweet to them. They also have corn mixed in. Cut them open and add butter while they’re hot and you have a touch of paradise to go with your meal.
Final Thoughts:
I have to tell you. We visit a lot of really good restaurants all over the place. Then there are the few really over the top awesome ones that I can’t wait to get home and write about. Yes, The Bone fits that category. I wanted to get this written while everything was still an awesome fresh memory. I want to go back. I want you to visit and have the same experience we had. Talking to Matthew was wonderful also. He was just so refreshing and enthusiastic about his work. It was great to see someone so young interested in the art of smoking near perfect meats. He seemed to also be proud of all the work everyone there does to make this place so wonderful.
This was an awesome stop on the BBQ Trail. I would tell anyone who reads this to pay them a visit. We rode just over 3 hours to get here and I can’t wait to go back. And I’ll tell The Bone, the pressure is on. Keep serving these killer meals. I wish for you only the best. Thanks for a labor of love, well done.
Now For Your Thoughts:
So you can tell that I did like The Bone, just a little I guess. Let’s hear from others out there that have been here. How did your visit go? What can you add to the story?
We’d also love to hear from some of the locals there. Tell us about your favorites. Help make this an even better review. What keeps you going back to them? You’ve read what we enjoyed at The Bone, what else is on the menu that you love.
Scroll on down and drop your comments off in the comment box. I will post them just as soon as I can.
I look forward to hearing from you.
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You can check out their website at: http://thebonebbq.com/locations/gainesville/
You can also find them on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/TheBoneBBQ
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