Money Muscle BBQ Participating in DMV Black Restaurant Week

Money Muscle BBQ, from the owners of All Set Restaurant & Bar in downtown Silver Spring, is participating in the third annual DMV Black Restaurant Week, which started Sunday, November 8th, and is running through Sunday, November 15th.

The promotion aims to highlight black-owned restaurants in the DC Metropolitan Area:

Local restaurants are the custodian of our community’s culture. When these restaurants thrive, the neighborhoods and cities prosper and the community’s overall culture flourishes. Leading to 2018, a series of events put this idea to the test. From the black tax story at a hotel to the profiling of two young entrepreneurs at a national coffee chain, it became necessary to recreate what was once a haven for communal growth.

While the events fueled an already heated discourse, one question was on the mind of Dr. Erinn Tucker, “Where are our black-owned food businesses that cater to the needs of their community?” Black Restaurant Week has proved to be a model that many cities across the country utilized to promote and support black-owned businesses and to keep the black food culture alive. Upon further research, Dr. Erinn realized that such a platform is also needed in Washington DC. Once the idea came to her, she reached out to Furard Tate and later Andra Johnson and the DMV Black Restaurant Week (DMVbrw) was born.

All Set Restaurant & Bar owners Ed Reavis and Jennifer Meltzer debuted their Money Muscle BBQ food truck in September. According to Eater DC, they invested $5,000 in a smoker and had been preparing for the launch over the last few months, but the COVID-19 pandemic made them pivot to offering takeout and delivery:

Investing more than $5,000 in a smoker shows that Reavis and Jennifer Meltzer, the managing partner and the chef’s wife, are serious about barbecue as a business. The COVID-19 pandemic made them realize the importance of takeout and delivery. That meant reconfiguring a restaurant known for oysters on the half shell and lobster rolls. Reavis was drawn to the power of pulled pork shoulder. He grew up in Emporia, Virginia, just across the state line from North Carolina. He remembers attending the annual Virginia Pork Festival, how visitors would pour in from all over the country to tuck into barbecue on some of the hottest days of the year.

Texas-style brisket, bone-in beef ribs, and smoked turkey legs dominate the menu, but they also offer “weekend packages” that are available for pickup from All Set. Sides vary from traditional BBQ beans and mac & cheese to three different varieties of coleslaw, as well as some gluten-free and vegetarian options.

A list of participating restaurants can be found on the 2020 DMV Black Restaurant Week website.

Photo courtesy Money Muscle BBQ

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