Ollie's Trolley, Washington, D.C.

We've been on a quest for good barbecue in D.C., and while we're at it, we've been trying out the soul food, too (soul food places are often great sources for barbecue!).

Not long ago, I found a little South Carolina barbecue in an unlikely place. Ollie's Trolley is a sort of old burger joint in a tourist hotel downtown near the FBI. One of their regular specials is a South Carolina barbecue pulled pork sandwich, topped with cole slaw, and served with a little order of seasoned French fries. I got mine with a styrofoam cup of iced tea. The pork had a good flavor, though the cole slaw was oddly bland. My main reaction, though, was that for nearly $8, they should at least use the large hamburger buns instead of standard sized. They could even get by with using the same quantity of pork and slaw, just flatten it out more, and the larger bun would make for a more satisfying customer experience. It didn't help my impression of the restaurant when I asked for a refill on my unsweetened iced tea, and, using the same cup and ice, they asked me to pay 50¢ for the refill.