Country roads…

After logging a new half marathon PR on the treadmill last night, it was really nice to relax and sleep in this morning, without a care in the world. In fact, it was especially nice to have nothing on the agenda, which prompted me to dig into my Yelp bookmark list for a local-ish favorite that we had never experienced, the Barbecue Exchange.

I had heard about this place a while back – but at about 40 minutes away, it never really fit into our schedule or plans…but sunny skies and no big plans, today was definitely the day to try it out!

Menu Board.

The menu options included a variety of BBQ favorites…pulled pork, chicken, ribs, chicken wings – they even cater to vegetarian tastes with barbecued tofu! On top of those choices, there are combos with a multitude of sides and bread options like rolls, cornbread or pumpkin muffins.

The serving area.

The BBQ Exchange also caters to its carry-out customers with options for entrees only, as well as homemade pickles, sauces and…my favorite: desserts!!

Cupcake Display.

I definitely honed in on those big, beautiful cupcakes – but before I could choose between key lime, ‘faux-stess’ chocolate or carrot cake, my breath was taken away by this beauty:

Bacon donut!

That’s right, a glazed cake donut – topped with chocolate…and BACON. And for 99 cents, I couldn’t NOT order it!

Fear not, we didn’t drive 50 miles roundtrip just to experience that weird sugary sweetness – the food was quite good:

Pulled pork combination plate.

Surprisingly, I wasn’t the biggest fan of the mac and cheese or the pumpkin muffin (bummer) but the pulled pork and baked beans were excellent! The smoky flavor was definitely yummy, and it was fun to try the variety of sauces on the table…my favorite was called Hog Fire (just spicy enough)!

Rustic decor.

The restaurant was still dressed up for the holidays and featured simple decor – with wooden tables and white butcher paper ‘tablecloths’ along with crayons on the table for kids of all ages. But if you ask me, nothing was better than this:

Bacon donut love <3

Heck yes, that donut was MONEY. As a mega fan of sweet/savory combos, this morsel definitely fit the bill! So, if you’re ever in the Central Virginia area, why not stop on by Barbecue Exchange – if for nothing else, but for that tasty, tasty donut

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What’s your favorite weird food combo?