Mission Statement
To use our passion for real barbeque to celebrate and support families, team members, and the greater community.
Vision Statement
To create fun and memorable dining experiences for our guests.
To serve exceptional food and offer stellar service in a clean, safe and inclusive atmosphere.
To ensure that our team members feel like family, that voices and ideas are heard and encouraged, and trust and respect is felt.
To have and commit to achieving our personal and professional goals.
To make a positive, impactful difference in the greater community and on the environment.
To continue to serve the DMV area for another 30 extraordinary years!

We’ve been serving our wood-only barbeque to loyal DC-area fans since 1990. The story starts before that, though: John Snedden started barbequeing whole pigs when he was in college. (Aren’t we all glad he changed his plans and did not become a doctor?) Check out our timeline to get more of the the story.
-
2024 Distinguished Corporate Service Award by Volunteer Arlington
The Distinguished Corporate Service Award is presented to a business that demonstrates dedication to volunteerism and community support, embodying the spirit of social responsibility.
-
2024 Green Restaurant Of The Year
This award recognizes Rocklands Barbeque and Grilling Company’s exceptional commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship within the restaurant industry. As a pioneer in eco-friendly practices, Rocklands has implemented numerous initiatives to reduce waste, conserve energy, and promote locally sourced ingredients.
-
2024 District Sustainability Award
Rocklands Barbeque & Grilling Co won the 2024 District Sustainability Award from the DC Government’s Department of Energy & Environment, a testament to Rocklands’ commitment to sustainability and our contributions to fostering a greener, more sustainable future. Read more about the District Sustainability Award
-
2023 Rockland’s became a member of DDC’s Sustainability District
Rockland’s became a member of DDC’s Sustainability District. We have satisfied the program requirements and are committed to the continuous improvement of to advance long term environmental protection, equity, and economic development.
-
2022 From Surviving to Thriving!
Rocklands wins the Sustainable Business of the Year Award from the Arlington Chamber of Commerce! Proud to have been able to have one of our sustainability goals come to fruition this year – installing a solar roof at our Rocklands Arlington! Solar energy production reduces our carbon footprint, saves resources, reduces greenhouse gas emissions and our utility bills!
-
2021 Survival Mode
We survived the changing mask mandates and everything that comes with that. No need to rehash. It reinforced that our team and our community are amazing!
-
2020 Cheers to 30 Years!
We’ve turned 30! Thank you to all our customers for your support over these past three decades. We couldn’t have come this far without you. Cheers!
-
2019 Rocklands Expands to Nats Park
ROCKLANDS continues to expand opening a Barbeque and Beer Pop Up across the street from Nationals Park center gate. Baseball fans can sit outside and enjoy their favorite barbeque and beer 90 minutes before most home games!
-
2019 New Spicy Mustard Barbeque Sauce
ROCKLANDS new house made sauces are bottled and sold on our Wall of Fire! Now producing and bottling two new additions to our family of sauces are the Spicy Mustard Barbeque Sauce and the Sweet and Smoky Barbeque Sauce.
-
2018 Capital One Arena Kiosk
Capital One Arena undergoes a multi-million dollar facelift and ROCKLANDS gets it’s very own service kiosk moving to section 103/104– and the sports fans continue to go wild!
-
2017 Start Serving at Capital One Arena
The Verizon Center becomes the Capital One Arena…and ROCKLANDS starts serving there at every home game. Caps and Wizards fans go crazy for the combination of ROCKLANDS barbeque and Devil’s Backbone beers, available at section 105/106.
-
2016 Four Food Trucks
FOUR food trucks? You bet. The streets of the DMV smell delicious as our trucks serve lunch curbside, or appear at local breweries. And a pop-up at National’s Park brings one of ROCKLANDS four food trucks to Nats fans for every home game.
-
2015 Rocklands Turns 25
This year, ROCKLANDS turns 25. A quarter-century since we opened our doors on Wisconsin Avenue in Glover Park (where we are still in our original location). Thank you to every person who has come through those doors. And thanks to our staff, who together have worked for ROCKLANDS for a total of 656 years.
-
2014 Wedding Bliss
We cater our largest party to date — 3,900 people — and help 38 couples celebrate their marriages with weddings catered by ROCKLANDS.
-
2013 Best of DC: BBQ
For the fifth year in a row, fans vote us “Best of DC: BBQ” in Washington City Paper’s well-known annual poll (thanks, all!).
-
2012 Two More Homemade Products
The launch of ROCKLANDS Malt Salt and Blackening Rub adds two more homemade products to our restaurants and to our retailing partners (like Whole Foods and Wegmans).
-
2011 We’re on Twitter
Our first tweets go out to the world. We now tweet blue-plate specials from each location every day.
-
2010 Thank You for 20 Amazing Years
ROCKLANDS thanks all its restaurant and catering customers for 20 amazing years. We’re happy to serve you barbeque!
-
2009 Barack Obama Hot Sauce
Marking the inauguration of the nation’s 44th president, ROCKLANDS introduces limited-edition Barack Obama Hot Sauce, a chipotle-rich condiment we can all support.
-
2007 Arlington Store
In December, ROCKLANDS Arlington opens its doors at 3471 Washington Boulevard. The mural is an instant hit.
-
2004 Alexandria Store
The next ROCKLANDS opens at 25 South Quaker Lane in Alexandria, VA, as both a restaurant and catering kitchen. There’s now more elbow room for the catering team to create great events!
-
2003 Good Neighbor Award
ROCKLANDS is awarded the “Good Neighbor Award” by the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington.
-
2000 The Millennium
ROCKLANDS celebrates the millennium and its tenth anniversary by saying “thank you” to the loyal customers who’ve been eating ROCKLANDS barbeque for a decade.
-
1998 That’s a Lot of Pork
With two locations and full-service catering and party planning, the ROCKLANDS staff now numbers 75 employees serving over 100,000 pounds of pork annually.
-
1997 Original Barbeque Sauce
Determined to bring a taste of ROCKLANDS to the nation, John bottles ROCKLANDS Original Barbeque Sauce and begins nationwide distribution.
-
1995 Rocklands at Carpool
ROCKLANDS at Carpool opens its doors in Ballston, Virginia. Now barbeque lovers can enjoy a game of billiards and a mug of beer with their favorite food. ROCKLANDS staff expands to 45 people and the company serves over 66,000 pounds of pork.
-
1994 Quality Catering
Overwhelmed by demands for quality catering services, ROCKLANDS staff increases to 20 people.
-
1993 White House Calling
John Snedden gets a call from the White House, asking for menu suggestions. His ideas are used in Bill and Hillary Clinton’s first State Dinner.
-
1991 One Year In
At the end of its first year of business, ROCKLANDS has served over 20,000 pounds of pork.
-
1990 ROCKLANDS Barbeque and Grilling Company opens its doors
John’s dream of owning his own real barbeque restaurant finally comes true. In December, ROCKLANDS Barbeque and Grilling Company opens its doors at 2418 Wisconsin Avenue in Washington DC, and John hires his first 7 employees.
-
1987 Catering from home
Flooded with requests, John begins catering full-time from his home. He’s cooking for everything from weddings and picnics to fund-raisers and company parties (and he still is!).
-
1983 Welcome to DC
John moves to Washington, DC, where he caters his first party. In the same year, he enters the International Barbeque Competition — and wins first place for ribs.