In a major win for the local food scene, Maryland’s 2Fifty Texas BBQ has taken home the prestigious “Casual Restaurant of the Year” award at the 2025 RAMMY Awards. The victory marks a significant achievement for the Riverdale Park-based restaurant (Prince George’s County), which has become a beloved destination for authentic, slow-smoked barbecue with a unique Latin American flair.
The RAMMY Awards, presented by the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW), are one of the most highly anticipated events in the D.C. area’s culinary calendar, recognizing excellence in a wide range of categories. For 2Fifty Texas BBQ to win in such a competitive category is a testament to the quality of their food and the dedication of their team.
On their website, the owners, Fernando and Debby Portillo González, expressed their gratitude and humility. They spoke of the rarity of “slow-smoked barbecue taking the spotlight at one of D.C.’s biggest culinary stages,” and how the award is a shared victory with their guests and team members. “Every plate that goes out is the result of someone’s early morning and someone else’s late night,” they noted.
2Fifty Texas BBQ’s approach is rooted in the “low and slow” method of traditional Texas barbecue, where meat is cooked for many hours over wood fire. However, the restaurant, founded by a couple originally from El Salvador, adds its own unique touch with a “pinch of the tropics,” blending their cultural heritage into their menu. This blend has garnered them widespread acclaim, including a recent Congressional Citation for Chef Fernando González and a nomination for a James Beard Foundation award.
With a location in Riverdale Park and a newer outpost in Washington, D.C.’s Mount Vernon Triangle, 2Fifty Texas BBQ has established itself as a must-visit spot for barbecue enthusiasts.