Silver & Son’s Barbeque opened their first brick-and-mortar store in Westbard Square, Jan. 24. The restaurant blends culturally Jewish and Mediterranean flavors with the soul of American barbeque. While it shares similarities with Texas BBQ style, Silver & Son’s Barbeque stands out, featuring lamb shoulder, beef ribs and an array of vibrant sides.
Jarrad Silver started Silver & Son’s as an at-home project during the pandemic. After barbecuing in the driveway of his home, Silver began catering for neighborhood gatherings, pools and larger events, eventually opening his first food truck in March 2022. Now, he finally has a physical location for his culinary creations.
Westbard Square has become a popular lunch or after-school spot for many Whitman students, and in 2024, a new Giant Food, Starbucks and Tatte all moved into the newly-built square. After discovering the newly-opened Silver & Son’s Barbeque, I was impressed to learn that Washingtonian ranked the restaurant in their “100 Very Best Restaurants” of 2023, making me even more eager to try their food.
Falafel ($16): 5/5
Despite having “barbeque” in their name, Silver & Son’s falafel blew me away. Falafel is often hit-or-miss. If it is too dry, it can leave an unpleasant sensation in your mouth, but this falafel was perfectly moist with a crispy exterior. The crispiness gave texture to the dish whilst the soft interior provided a remarkable contrast. Different from typical falafel, this one was a vibrant green on the inside. I was able to taste a balanced blend of spices, including cumin, coriander, garlic and other herbs. Additionally, I found the portion to be generous. I ordered it atop their Israeli salad, but they also serve it in one of their specialty sandwiches. Silver said he wanted to create a diverse menu so anyone in a group could find something to delight in. I wasn’t sure if a barbeque restaurant could accomplish this, but I was wrong. I will definitely be ordering this again.
Smoked Beets ($8): 5/5
Smoked beets, pickled red onion, parsley, mint, dill and pomegranate vinaigrette: a stellar combination. I had no strong expectations for these beets, but they turned out to be an immediate favorite. There was a satisfying sweetness coming from the earthy vegetable, which was enhanced by the lush pomegranate vinaigrette. The tang from the pickled red onions and dill also helped to balance out the dish’s sweetness. These flavors blended seamlessly with refreshing parsley and mint. Finally, the beets were topped with a brown sugar pumpkin seed crumble, which included rye bread and a spice blend called “ras el hanout.” The added texture of the crunch along with the ginger, turmeric and orange flavors from this crumble perfectly complemented the beets. They were very soft and easy to chew as well, which made each bite exquisite.
Prime Brisket Sandwich ($14): 4.5/5
This sandwich comes with a combination of fatty and lean brisket along with BBQ sauce on a challah bun. The brisket was juicy, salty, tender and delicious. The challah bun was extraordinarily buttery soft with a golden-brown crust. Combine these with their “sweet bulldog” BBQ sauce, and it’s the perfect bite. I recommend this to any barbeque or brisket lovers.
Turkey, Lamb Bacon, Avocado Sandwich ($16): 4.5/5
This specialty sandwich was something I immediately wanted to try because I had never seen this combination before. I found the addition of crispy and salty lamb bacon to be unique and clever, giving the sandwich a contrasting texture. This, along with the classic pairing of turkey and avocado all between sourdough rye, spread with a creamy, vividly orange paprika aioli, created a beautiful sandwich and presentation. It didn’t feel greasy or unhealthy while still satiating my appetite. Overall, this specialty sandwich consisted of succulent flavors and a subtle smokiness that I loved.
Baby Back Beef Ribs ($32): 4/5
Ribs are usually judged for their smoke ring, juiciness and tenderness of meat. With a firm black and charred outer shell, these salty baby back beef ribs were surprisingly soft and fatty on the inside. I strongly enjoyed the contrast between the crispiness and tender meat, but they weren’t quite as “fall off the bone” as I expected. The ribs had a strong smokey flavor and good rub, but lacked a significant amount of meat on the bone. The sweet bulldog and spiced vinegar sauces enhanced the taste of each bite, so I recommend trying it with these sauces. Overall, I thought it was good but not the most memorable.
Brisket Steak and Cheese Sandwich ($19): 4/5
This specialty sandwich, made with smoked brisket, gruyère, pimenton aioli, caramelized onions and chicken skin crunch on a challah hoagie, presented and tasted similar to a cheesesteak. The hot and nutty gruyère cheese melted over the salty smoked brisket, and the chicken skin crunch added a satisfying saltiness and crispiness to this soft sandwich. The pimenton aioli paired nicely with these ingredients; however I wish the caramelized onions were more flavorful. Again, this bread was soft, sweet and buttery, although I felt like it took up more of my bites than it should have. There were also red peppers that gave it a decent spicy flavor. For the most part, I was pleased with this sandwich, but I wished there was a more dominant flavor of brisket and caramelized onions.
Smoked Walnut Baklava ($6): 4/5
Made with smoked walnuts and almonds, flaky phyllo dough, butter and cinnamon sugar, the smoked walnut baklava was quite tasty. I’m used to the traditional Turkish baklava with pistachios, so I definitely had a different experience with the Silver & Son’s version. The layers weren’t as thin and flakey as typical baklava, making it a little more difficult to cut into. While there were visible sugar sprinkles on its top, I didn’t taste much of the cinnamon sugar. However, I liked how it wasn’t overwhelmingly sweet, and I found the walnuts and almonds to compliment each other well. I liked the original twist on the baklava, but I prefer the traditional Turkish version containing pistachios.
Harissa Smoked Carrots ($8): 3.5/5
At first taste, these harissa smoked carrots didn’t stand out to me. They came cooked and sliced, yet still crunched as I bit into them. Personally, I would have liked them better if they were softer or cooked longer. I thought they were pretty standard until I ate more of them with the cucumber yogurt tzatziki and pistachio dukkah they came paired with. The pistachio dukkah had a roasted and sweet taste, making the dish intriguing and surprisingly delectable. The finely chopped pistachio garnishing the creamy and tart cucumber yogurt tzatziki, blended with lemon and dill flavors, were what made this side dish. The carrots ended up being decently tasty, but relied heavily on their toppings.
Mac-and-Cheese ($6): 2.5/5
Made with sharp cheddar and garlic bread crumbs, this mac-and-cheese was basic. The cheese sauce lacked creaminess and any semblance of a cheese-pull, and the bread crumbs didn’t give me the satisfying salty texture they should have. As I took a bite, I thought I wouldn’t be able to set this apart from any other mac-and-cheese. It wasn’t bad, but I would skip this side and instead pair the meat with Silver & Son’s challah buns or beets.
