(Updated at noon) It’s not even the highlight of the Arlington eatery’s menu, but the burger at Sloppy Mama’s has been named one of the best in the D.C. area.
That’s according to Washington Post food critic Tim Carman, who sampled 45 burgers around the region and compiled a list of the top 10. Many of the top burgers were at restaurants in the District which specialize in burgers.
But not Sloppy Mama’s, the barbecue joint at 5731 Langston Blvd.
The $6 cheeseburger is a recent addition to a menu that’s more focused on brisket than burgers. Nonetheless, it placed No. 3 on Carman’s list.
“The first time I tried the cheeseburger at Sloppy Mama’s, it was during the pandemic,” Carman wrote. “I had ordered a variety of smoked meats for takeaway — back when we were keeping the world at arm’s length — and owners Joe and Mandy Neuman tossed in a couple of burgers as a thank you. They had just put the burgers on the menu, one more hedge against an uncertain future for restaurants at the time. To be honest, I wasn’t sure I’d even try one.”
But the burger blew him away, perhaps due to the meat that’s used.
“[Joe Neuman’s] patties are made with the trimmings from prime briskets,” Carman noted, adding that the taste “probably boils down to animal fat, and lots of it. These burgers are not afraid to revel in the richness that can only come from good beef.”
Only one other Arlington restaurant was mentioned in the article, as an honorable mention: Bob and Edith’s Diner and its B&E burger.