by Ellen Kirkness ‘12

For as long as I can remember, the businesses in the building on Route 108 across from the French Confection in downtown Sandy Spring have come and gone with the seasons. Can anyone recall the name of the specialty grocery market or the piano bar? Due to the lack of a paved parking lot and the inconvenience of a left-hand turn, the location is less than ideal. Any business short of perfection was likely to be another failure on its way to closing in no time. This endless cycle had repeated itself year after year, as business after business was overcome by the challenges posed by what seemed to be a cursed building.

Well, it turns out that the location does not automatically condemn all institutions which dare open shop on its grounds; the location was merely waiting on the perfect business. Urban BBQ, a local chain which also has branches in Rockville and Silver Spring, opened up almost one year ago and is so successful that it now occupies the entire building originally intended for three separate businesses. This feat is attributed almost entirely to the warm, Southern atmosphere which Olney, despite the masses of restaurants in the area, previously was missing.

Entering Urban BBQ, one is comforted by the sweet scent of fresh cornbread and the sound of juicy meat sizzling in the kitchen. Barbecue is a uniquely American tradition which has become a proud icon of the South. Stepping into this restaurant, no one is going to mistake it for a French bistro or English Pub. On the walls hang American flags, posters advertising beer and a massive star of Texas. Every surface of the counter and bar is covered in comical bumper stickers which effectively occupy the customer while he is waiting for his food. The sports bar, which is open to teens, makes for a place to socialize and eat a burger while watching football. It doesn’t get much more American than that.

The Olney area has flourished with an assortment of dining options with cuisines from Italy, Southern America, China, Japan and so on, yet it has struggled to provide even one all-American restaurant. Urban BBQ feeds that craving for a taste of home-style meat with its mean rack of ribs, smoked to perfection. The juicy Angus burger is offered in five different styles, each unique and delicious in its own way, (my personal favorite being the savannah style with bacon, provolone, and “yella” sauce). Aside from the meat, the best item on the menu, by far, is the corn on the cob. Not once have I ordered a corn on the cob from Urban BQQ and not been completely satisfied with its grilled, buttery crunch. With each bite from the cob, I embrace the American within me a little more.