2Fifty Texas BBQ Reflects Fernando González’s Roots
Growing up in El Salvador during the civil war, Fernando González learned to cook over fire out of necessity.
“Many times we had no access to electricity or gas, so we would rely on other sources of fuel” such as charcoal, he told the Hyattsville Wire. “Cooking on the fire, grilling, it’s what has accompanied me throughout my life to this point. So it is very natural for me to cook with smoke and fire.”
Those skills have paid off for González, who won Restaurateur of the Year at the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington’s recent RAMMY Awards ceremony.
It wasn’t his first award. Along with his wife, Debby Portillo, he runs Riverdale Park’s 2Fifty Texas BBQ, which won the 2025 RAMMY for Casual Restaurant of the Year and has regularly been named a top barbecue joint by publications as varied as the Washington Post, Yelp, the Washingtonian and the New York Times.
The restaurant traces its roots back to the Riverdale Park Farmer’s Market, where the Gonzálezes sold their barbecue every week for over a year before opening their first storefront in 2020 just down the street at 4700 Riverdale Rd.
As a testament to those roots, 2Fifty follows a mission to support local and sustainable businesses throughout its work. All baked goods are bought from local vendors, such as Manifest Bread. Produce is collected in partnership with urban non-profit Eco City Farms. Meat products are sourced from farms with a commitment to ethical practices and land stewardship, such as Roseda Farms.
“What we do is fire management 24/6, all hands on deck – handcrafted, artisanal BBQ without the intervention of all those automated elements,” González told the Wire.
For González, who immigrated to the United States eight years ago, “fire management” is not just a cooking technique, but a lifestyle that has followed him from his childhood in El Salvador.
The Latin American roots of the pit-master are reflected throughout the 2Fifty menu. You can order a side of mac and cheese, but you can also accompany your smoked brisket with fried plantains, Caribbean-inspired rice and beans, or a charred corn salad called esquites. The mix-and- match of very traditional American barbecue flavors with Latin American ingredients and recipes reflects a truth that González carries throughout his craft: “barbecue is universal.”
If you get the chance to visit the Riverdale Park location, make sure to call ahead of time or reach out on the 2Fifty Instagram to request a tour of the on-site smokehouse.
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I appreciate the part of this article that focuses on supporting local and sustainable businesses, but I’m curious why I keep seeing a Sysco truck unloading supplies into 2Fifty early in the mornings. My fear is this restaurant has become so popular that the owners are cutting corners and using big food distributors to supply them now.
Kendal, fair question, and thank you for asking.
Yes, Sysco delivers to 2Fifty. We use them for some pantry staples, commodity ingredients, packaging, cleaning products, and other day-to-day restaurant supplies. They are not the source of the core proteins, produce, and vegetables that define our food.
Our Prime brisket comes from Creekstone Farms, our American Wagyu from Snake River Farms, our pork program from Niman Ranch, and our beef ribs from Roseda Farms. Produce and vegetables are just as important to our sourcing. We work with Eco City Farms, source through the Riverdale Park Farmers Market, including Fajardo’s Produce, and maintain relationships with local growers and producers whenever season and availability allow.
At our volume, we need a broadline distributor for many of the basic products required to operate a restaurant every day. That is very different from replacing the farmers, ranchers, growers, and producers at the center of our supply chain.
Growing has made our supply chain larger, but it has not meant lowering our sourcing standards. If anything, maintaining traceability and strong relationships with the people producing our food becomes even more important as we grow.
I appreciate you noticing the truck and giving us the opportunity to explain the distinction.
The 2fifty team.