Here's the Early Word on the Kangaroo Boxing Club

It's been a little more than a week since Porc Mobile's brick-and-mortar BBQ joint Kangaroo Boxing Club opened in Columbia Heights. Now that the folks behind the food truck have a bit more room in which to maneuver, will their expanded, meat-centric menu with vegetarian options win over the neighborhood? And will diners ever get over their confusion about that name? Here are some of the early reports.

The Good News: This Chowhound poster thought pretty much everything on the menu was good (except the "awful" vegan sauce), and decided that the pork sandwiches beat out that other hipster place a few metro stops away: "The pulled pork was good, better than The Standard's (though not nearly as good as the chopped pork at the mobile BBQ truck at the Shell station inSterling on VA-7 - can't recall the name), and the ham and bacon just put it over the top in porkyness. The bun was a good complement not soft and doughy, and not hard - almost perfect for a pulled pork sandwich." [Chowhound]

The Foursquare News: Weighing in at 142 check-ins, the only customer tip posted was concise: "Awesome BBQ, and super service. Interesting drink menu too. Loved it." [Foursquare]

The Good Advice News: New Columbia Heights tried to visit opening night but took a raincheck, deeming the restaurant "extremely packed and hot" on Tuesday. Luckily, the commenters pitched in with their reviews, including this pulled pork tip: "Very good pulled pork. Taste it first, without the sauce, and you'll see. Ask for the vinegar (they've got it in back) instead of the tomato based sauces provided and you have pretty good east Carolina stuff." [New Columbia Heights]

The Johnny Cake News: The Post heartily recommends Kangaroo Boxing Club's johnny cakes, especially piled high with pulled pork, baked beans or brisket. For those wondering, the Post breaks down exactly what a johnny cake entails: "Somewhere between a flapjack and a potato latke on the pancake continuum sits the johnny cake. It's of sturdier construction than your mom's Bisquick recipe, yet the crispy, golden-brown exterior crackles apart at the touch of a fork." [WaPo]

More Johnny Cake News: Amanda McClements of Metrocurean is also fixated on the johnny cakes: "Swooned over Johnny cakes @KangarooBoxing. I'd tweet a picture but I already ate 'em." [Twitter]

The Rave: One Prince of Petworth commenter started off by saying "majorly awesome dinner tonight," and praised the thoughtful service: "So we ate our way through about 1/3 of the menu. Definitely a ton of keepers and we will come back to try more. We came early so the kids could eat as well and the guys were great to bring them a side of bacon to nosh on. [PoP]

The Local TV Celebrity Parent Endorsement News: NBC4 reporter Tom Sherwood tweeted: "Congrats to my son Peyton & his partners as casual Kangaroo Boxing Club formally opens at 4pm. Bar-b-q & booze. Columbia Heights" [Twitter]

The Head-Scratching Name News: Andrew Ackerman, SEC reporter for Dow Jones Newswires/The Wall Street Journal, tweeted: "Just met @tomsherwood at his son's great new bar/bbq place in DC, Kangaroo Boxing Club. Still dunno what the name means but loved Dream City." [Twitter]

The Kansas City BBQ Comparison News: A Yelper with BBQ roots gave Kangaroo Boxing Club's spin on pulled pork a thumbs up: "My problem thus far with BBQ in DC is mediocre flavor and overheated dining areas. Here, the air-conditioning is ON and the pulled pork is fantastic. This KC girl (BBQ cred) loved the BBQ, the seemingly out-of-place hummus platter, the striking balance of casual and elegant, and the ease of its neighborhood feel. [Yelp]

The Bad Layout News: One four-star Yelp review called out the confusing seating setup: "RKBC's food and drink is somewhat hampered due to the layout of the digs. It's a neat space with old church pews and matching churchy candles, vintage pix of DC and an old stained glass-looking June box with music piped throughout the place, but I was left uncertain if the emphasis was supposed to be on the restaurant or bar, as the seating is very limited in both areas." [Yelp]

The Not Spicy Enough News: Only one complaint from this Yelper: "The "Hot" sauce was not hot enough. *Please make a hotter sauce! Keep up the good work!" [Yelp]

—Adele Chapin