I won't tell you that Capital Q is an excellent, or even good, restaurant. There's no A/C, so you broil yourself during DC's summer, although they do offer free refills on the sweet tea and lemonade. There's very little seating - what is available has you crammed against your neighbor. It's a bit pricy, but then, what isn't downtown? The line for the counter stretches out the door at lunchtime, and this is the first clue.

People come here in such large numbers every day for some of the best smoked meat in the entire metro area. The brisket is the house specialty, so tender that the carver just waves the knife at a stack of slices to cut them in half. If you have the nerve, be sure to ask the nice man with the knife for slices from the lean end and maybe throw in some of the burnt ends. The sausage is a bit peppery, but also good, as is the chicken. I'd avoid the pulled and chopped meats, except for the pork, which is decent. I have been disappointed on several occasions by the ribs, which came out dry and overcooked. You get your choice of a mild or hot sauce, both of which are tomato/vinegar-based, and compliment the meat perfectly.

The sides are definitely southern, with the Texas caviar and baked beans taking top honors. You can order either a sandwich or a plate, but they also offer the taco and my favorite, the Chinese Cowboy plate, which is served with rice. If you're taking a sandwich to go, don't forget to ask for it separated, they'll wrap the bun in plastic and put the meat in a separate container so you don't have a soggy mess.

It's an easy place to get to, right on top of the Chinatown metro. We'd come down from Dupont at couple times a month to get takeout for our office.

Horrible food, The BQ sauce tasted like hot sauce and catsup. The pork ribs tasted like beef jerky. JUST HORRIBLE, STAY AWAY FROM THIS PLACE, GOD!