Fernando González, a former civil engineer with a passion for the intricacies of Texas-style barbecue, immigrated with his family to the United States from El Salvador about eight years ago.
He just won the top prize at the biggest food awards in the D.C., Maryland and Virginia region.
“Never in my wildest dreams,” González, owner and pitmaster of Riverdale Park’s 2Fifty Texas BBQ, said of receiving the Restaurateur of the Year award at the 2026 RAMMYS Awards.
He added, “It’s a very strong message that the restaurant association is sending: that barbecue, handcrafted, made from scratch, also belongs to the highest culinary recognition.”
The RAMMYS, organized by the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington, celebrated the best of DMV dining and hospitality Monday night during an awards ceremony at D.C.’s Arena Stage. This year’s theme was “a seat for everyone,” a statement of unity amid a divisive year in the nation’s capital and a difficult year for the restaurant industry. In addition to rising food and rent prices, federal immigration crackdowns left kitchens in the area fearful for employees’ safety.
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“Hearing his story about how he came here with four suitcases and his family ... and turning it into a successful restaurant and being acknowledged by your peers, it’s huge and it’s so affirming,” said Carla Hall, a locally based celebrity chef who presented González with the award. “Restaurants are hard anyway, and sometimes the customers are the things that affirm that you are doing what you’re meant to be doing, but when the restaurateurs and the industry recognizes that, it’s so great.”
González thanked his wife, 2Fifty BBQ CEO Debby Portillo, who was a finalist for Manager of the Year. He also dedicated the achievement in part to the local farmers, including Roseda Farm in Baltimore County, from which 2Fifty BBQ sources beef and poultry.
“They’re going through a very hard time right now,” González said. “This award also belongs to them and to the challenges they face on the ground to feed us every day.”
Maryland pizza, beer and service honored at the RAMMYS
Maryland restaurants claimed three more awards Monday night: Fast Casual Restaurant of the Year (Andy’s Pizza), Beer Program of the Year (Pizzeria Paradiso) and Employee of the Year (Jose Luis Salgado of Zinnia).
Salgado has worked at Silver Spring-based cafe Zinnia and its predecessor, Mrs. K’s Tollhouse, for more than two decades. His goal, he said, is always to make guests and newer employees feel at home.
“I can’t believe it,” Salgado said. “I’m so happy.”
Staff at Pizzeria Paradiso, which has multiple locations in the area, including one in Hyattsville, celebrated its beer program award with — what else? — some local brews.
“We strive to be able to provide for everybody that comes through our door,” said Lauren Montana, a general manager at Pizzeria Paradiso. “We anticipate somebody coming in to have their first beer, or their favorite beer, or their regular beer. So we definitely are enjoying the fact that we’ve finally been recognized for that.”
Andy Brown, the Potomac-native founder of the local New York-style Andy’s Pizza chain, was met with hordes of well-wishers in the winners’ room.
“I love going back to Montgomery County and ... being a part of the local community there,” Brown said. “We’re at an award show where a lot of these restaurants see a guest one time a year. We become a part of a family’s weekly tradition, and so it feels really fun to be that close to home and to be a part of people’s lives.”
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