Let’s take a ride to the beautiful foothills of Virginia so we can check out Uncle Elder’s BBQ. They’re located in Historic Culpeper, VA. Pressed for time we were originally going to stay on the Interstate to make the trip. However, when the GPS informed us that I-95 was blocked due to an accident we took the opportunity to side step to the back roads. Take the back roads, it’s just an awesome area of the state to take your time and enjoy the ride. We were on I-295 when we got the notice and they detoured us to Highway 33 North then on to Highway 522 which took us into Culpeper. At times it seemed like a long ride since we were already hungry but it was very enjoyable.
Here’s another interesting fact about Uncle Elder’s BBQ’s location. The restaurant is in what was once an old stable. Their actual full name is Uncle Elder’s Family Restaurant at the Stable. The Stable was built in the early 1830’s. If you know anything about Culpeper’s location during the Civil War you’ll find some interesting history here. Here’s a link found on Uncle Elder’s website about the history of the stable you can check out. http://www.uncleeldersbbq.com/page2/index.html
Dining Room Décor at Uncle Elder’s BBQ.
The Restaurant and Staff:
So you’re going to have a meal in a stable. Well not exactly. You will not find any live animals walking around trying to share your food. Inside the restaurant is really decorated nicely and keeps with the history of the place. They have some old stable items on the walls along with the other decorations. The walls are a combination of old brick and wood. The dining room has about 10 tables. One of them is quite long and has church pews on each side of it. They also have more seating outside. That area has wood a plank floor and tables that have boards on tree logs for seats. Looks like an awesome place to eat when the weather is right.
Outdoor Dining at Uncle Elder’s BBQ.
We received a warm friendly welcome when we walked in the door. We picked a table and Kelly came to wait on us. Kelly was wonderful. She helped us with our choices, talked with us some, and just helped us to feel really welcomed. And she brought us a nice little basket with 4 incredible hushpuppies served with apple butter. The apple butter was a nice touch and tasted really good but I went straight up with my puppies, no spread for me. Tammy loved it. It was something we’ve never seen done before. So after that long ride, Kelly was my hero.
Tammy’s Choices at Uncle Elder’s BBQ:
Two Meat Combo Plate with Pulled Pork and Sliced Brisket.
Today Tammy went with a Two Meat Combo Plate with Pulled Pork and Sliced Brisket. She chose Collards and Mac & Cheese for her sides. And the plate came with some more of those wonderful hushpuppies. The pork was awesome, nice smoke ring and a little bark mixed in. It had a good smoke flavor with just a touch of sauce. Really moist and all the flavors blended just right to make some great bbq. The brisket at Uncle Elder’s BBQ was smoked just right, tender, moist, bark on the outside with a nice smoke ring. It had excellent flavor. Tammy loved it.
Her collards were good. They had a unique seasoning. Kelly told us it was cumin. Not a seasoning I’d use but they were good and different than the norm. The mac & cheese was fantastic. Kelly actually said it was too cheesy for her. Oh no, this mac & cheese was wonderful.
And My Choices at Uncle Elder’s BBQ:
Two Meat Combo Plate with Ribs and Smoked Sausage.
Today I went with Ribs and Smoked Sausage on a Two Meat Plate. My sides were Fried Okra and Fried Potatoes and Onions. The ribs were to die for, great smoke flavor and a nice smoke ring. They were lightly sauced and caramelized for serving. Simply awesome is the best way to explain it. The smoked sausage at Uncle Elder’s BBQ is the sausage I’ve been searching for. It was great! Smoked just right and a slight touch of heat. I’ll go out on a limb here and say this was some of the best sausage I have eaten in many years.
The fried okra complimented my ribs and sausage just right. It tasted like a homemade breading and was fried perfectly. Oh but wait, then came the fried potatoes and onions. Though my doctor would disagree, I will make the 3 hour trip back for more of them. Both were sliced thin and fried to perfection. Just go for a long walk downtown after eating them.
Desserts:
Coconut Crème Cake and Chocolate Cake at Uncle Elder’s BBQ.
After all of this came dessert. I had the wonderful coconut crème cake and Tammy went chocolate all the way. These cakes are homemade and just great. The cakes were so moist and the frosting so smooth and tasty they just melt in your mouth. These are the kind that make you want to look to be sure no one is looking so you can run your finger around the plate for left over frosting then lick your finger clean. Kind of like when you get into some good ribs. Y’all know what I’m talking about.
Final Thoughts:
After eating we met Uncle Elder. He was a very nice and humble man. He loves his work and his restaurant. It was a real pleasure talking with him and his passion for serving the best shows. He told us he’s been there for 4 years. I hope they are there for many more. This is a fantastic stop on Patrick’s BBQ Trail. I would encourage anyone to make a trip to Culpeper, VA and pay a visit to Uncle Elder’s BBQ. Enjoy some great food, wonderful people, and beautiful scenery all together. How much more could you want? Spring is on us, go ahead and plan a day trip. You’ll be glad you did.
Now For Your Thoughts:
Now you’ve heard my thoughts it’s time to ask you for your input. Have you been to Uncle Elder’s BBQ? How did your visit go? Drop me some comments and I’ll post them with this review.
What do you regulars think?
I’d love to hear from some regulars. You fortunate people living in such a beautiful area with this awesome restaurant. Tell us more about the place and the people. Tell us about the rest of the menu or what your favorites are. Get those comments in so I can get them posted.
I look forward to hearing from you.
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You can check out their website at: http://www.uncleeldersbbq.com/index.html
You can also find them on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/Uncle-Elders-BBQ-Restaurant-1505460339718680/
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