Review: Ace Biscuit & Barbecue

Ray Petree III, staff writer

The city of Charlottesville is a haven for locally owned and operated eateries — like Bodo’s Bagels or Jak n’ Jil — as opposed to the average community, dominated by large scale corporations. Ace Biscuit & Barbecue similarly encapsulates that mom-and-pop feel that is unique to Charlottesville, tackling a traditionally southern palate with a creative twist.

As the name implies, Ace’s aforementioned twist on barbecue comes with their reliance on biscuits, turning your run-of-the-mill barbecue sandwich into a breakfast delight, topped with egg and your choice of cheese.

Aside from their famous Rib Biscuit, the restaurant sells burgers, steak and cheese sandwiches, typical sausage or bacon breakfast biscuits, and chicken and waffles. However, their best selling item is the Ol’ Dirty Biscuit, a dish referencing one of the Wu-Tang Clan’s founding members, Ol’ Dirty Bastard. The meal includes a biscuit topped with fried chicken, sausage gravy, and dill pickles.

Alongside their array of entrees, there are a host of side items that are all vegetarian friendly, including macaroni and cheese, collard greens, fried green tomatoes, and hash browns.

What struck me most about Ace’s menu was not just the variety, but how the majority of it was all made in-house. The restaurant’s waitress, Becka, was happy to show me the restaurant’s barbecue smokers, which rest directly to the left of the establishment. The only items on the menu that are not made by Ace themselves are their hamburger buns, mayonnaise, bacon, and ham.

While it was a Monday afternoon, slightly after a restaurant’s general lunch rush, Becka attentively helped all of the first-time customers dissect the menu, and answer any questions that they had.

The restaurant is located on Henry Avenue, right in the heart of the Rose Hill neighborhood in Charlottesville. Rose Hill has traditionally been a predominantly black community, where soul food has been a staple for generations. A tradition that Ace Biscuit & Barbecue’s owner Brian Ashworth has happily championed, carrying on from where the restaurant that previously inhabited the building, Dotties Cafe, left off.

As far as the space itself is concerned, Ace definitely captures an intimate and communal feel with its bar that wraps around the dining room, surrounding a table that seats up to six customers. What immediately captured my attention though was the diverse selection of artwork along the walls, whether it be the countless small inkings of Ol’ Dirty Bastard himself, or the large paintings of Bill Murray and “The Dude” from the Big Lebowski that rest on either sides of the menu.