Restaurant Review
Bubba’s BBQ: Not Your
Ordinary American Rib Joint

 By Alex Prewitt (November 5, 2006)

Bubba’s Barbeque
7810-F Lee Highway
Falls Church, VA 22042
703-560-8570

Every Sunday, millions of Americans fire up the charcoal in their backyards and enjoy a tradition that is as old as Joan Rivers: Bar-B-Q’ing. Here in our small town of Falls Church, however, it is safe to say that arguably the best burger joint in the area hardly keeps with the image of American muscle that is the grill.

When you hear the word Bubba, you think of a Southern guy, maybe perhaps a “redneck” with a plaid shirt and perhaps a few teeth missing. Sure, the more stereotypes the better. Bubba, of Bubba’s Bar-B-Que in Falls Church, however, is a middle-aged Iranian named Hassan Khalili, aptly nicknamed in these parts as “Mo.” Who would’a thunk it?

Born in Iran, Bubba served for four years as a lieutenant in the Iranian Air Force, where he first earned the nickname Bubba from his fellow officers (the word for “father” is “baba” in Persian).

Honing his skills in the barbeque capital of the world, Tennessee, Khalili moved to Virginia and opened Bubba’s in 1996 with his business partner, Joyce Hoffman. These two are the main figures in the restaurant, cheerfully greeting customers with a smile and a “Hi, how are you? What can I get you today?”

By merely walking into the restaurant, the customer can clearly tell this isn’t like your average take-out joint. The walls are littered with hundreds of pigs. The bronze pigs, ceramic pigs, talking pigs, stuffed dancing pigs, and a big floating pig on top of the Oscar Meyer Wiener-Mobile are all mostly gifts of customers throughout the 12 years in which Bubba’s has been open.

Beyond the vast arrangement of pigs on the walls, one can turn to the menu where there’s a vast assortment of…well, more pigs. Order up some shredded pork with a side of ‘slaw to go, or sit down at one of the tables, and hone your intellectuality with the trivial pursuit cards stationed at each seat, before you satisfy the overwhelming growl in your stomach.

The menu boasts some of the most authentic barbeque items in the area, with meals ranging from luscious hickory smoked pork to half or full racks of mouthwatering BBQ boneless ribs. Also adding to the theme of “meats galore” on the menu are all-beef hot dogs, burgers, and steak and cheese subs.

Every single combo plate comes with a side of fries that quite possibly rivals the ever-so popular and probably better known Cajun-spiced taters of Five Guys. Hard to believe isn’t it? Well it’s true. Bubba’s not only has first-class ribs, but top-shelf fries.  

Watching your weight? No problem. Khalili has got you covered. Atkins friendly dishes as well as chicken salads on a bed of fresh greens keep those carb counters’ spirits high and their calorie count down.

Quite possibly the most impressive item on the menu is not a meat at all. Rather, it is the three different types of sauces Bubba’s offers, all succulent and tangy in their own special way. Tennessee barbeque, which is in my opinion the best, is made from a tomato base. Simply put, it’s the sauce you would expect to find in your grocery isle, only with that Southern kick that A1 cannot deliver. North Carolina is a liquid vinegar base with a few black pepper flakes sprinkled on top, while its counterpart, South Carolina, boasts a mustard sauce with red pepper, which can be considered more of a spice-lover’s dream.  

Any meal at Bubba’s would not be complete without dessert. Carrot and chocolate cakes, as well as freshly baked cookies and brownies are prepared on site for anyone looking to divulge in a little pie after the pig.