A local couple treated us to their favorite rib establishment in Venice. We were received warmly by the host on a very busy Saturday evening, and assured the wait was minimal. The place was full and the waiting line moved along at a good pace. When seated the waiter quickly appeared, offered us drinks and took our orders. The kitchen staff delivered the meals and before you could unroll the napkin enclosed dinner ware the waiter was there to ask if everything was OK. It looked great, we let him know, and began eating. That’s when we found one of the dinners was cold. Not just the ribs but the sides too. By the time the waiter noticed us and found his way back the others at the table had finished dinning. He apologized and offered to bring it back to the kitchen ‘to make it right’ but by then the appetite was lost. We paid the bill, and the person with the cold meal left only a 10% tip. We were stopped in the parking lot by the waiter who was insulted by the tip, arguing it wasn’t the service that was bad, it was the kitchen. He was right. But we didn’t go back in and speak to the kitchen or the manager, maybe the waiter did.

We stopped at the friendly Gold Rush BBQ during our vacation because of the sign out front that said "Pork Tenderloin Sandwich". Being a transplant from Illinois, where pork tenderloins are as common as burgers to D.C. where they are practically unheard of, I was excited.

And I was not disappointed. The tenderloin was freshly made, pounded down, batter dipped twice, and fried perfectly. It was also more than twice the size of the large bun it sat on. What a treat!

Others in my group had both the pork and beef bbq sandwiches, wings, cole slaw and bbq beans. The sandwiches were delicious and shredded into very small pieces for easy eating with a fork which was necessary for the all the extra meat that didn't fit on the bun. Both of the sides tasted homemade and were equally tasty.

We found the prices to be rather cheap based on our usual prices here in the D.C. area.

To top that all off, the owner/manager who took our order was very friendly and helpful, even recommending a terrific place for fish and chips when asked.

We have highly recommended Gold Rush to our friends who plan on moving to Venice and we will definitely be back there whenever we visit.

Rockin' hot sauce and tasty, sweet cornbread. Mmmmm! My grandpa approves.

We spend several months in Venice each Winter and enjoy various dishes from Gold Rush. I say "from" there because we don't eat at the restaurant often. Gold Rush is a big, noisy, rustic room, and the noise is our reason for ordering takeout. That said, everything we've tried on their extensive menu is excellent and fairly-priced. If you do dine at the restaurant, you'll find their service staff efficient and friendly. Some of our favorite dishes are the baby back ribs, pulled pork sandwich, barbecued chicken, hamburgers, breaded pork tenderloin, and grouper sandwich.