We got nominated. Here's how we got here.

Fernando González didn't set out to win awards.

He set out to cook. Wood only. Low and slow. The way he learned it, first in Texas, then under Aaron Franklin, then under Francis Mallmann, then in his own pit in Riverdale Park, Maryland, where he and Debby started 2fifty Texas BBQ at a local farmers market.

The idea was simple: Texas-style barbecue made with the ingredients and heritage they actually came from. Salvadoran roots, Central Texas technique, oak wood, patience. People started coming. Then coming back. Then bringing their friends.

Washington Post called it the best BBQ in the DC area. Southern Living put it in their Top 20 of the South's 50 best joints. Texas Monthly included it in their list of the finest Texas-style barbecue outside of Texas. The James Beard Foundation nominated Fernando. The RAMMYs named 2fifty Casual Restaurant of the Year in 2025. None of that was the goal.

The goal was always the same: keep the fire going, keep the quality honest, take care of the people who walk through the door.

Now 2fifty is nominated for Hottest Sandwich Spot at the 2026 RAMMYs, and public voting is open April 20 through May 17.

If you've been part of this from the beginning, or even just since last month, this one is as much yours as it is ours.

You can vote at nbcwashington.com/rammys. Takes about 30 seconds.

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