Shantavia Craigg works in the Crystal City section of Arlington, Virginia, for an internationally known technology company and loves to take her lunch break at the National Landing Water Park close to her employer.
Routinely, she will purchase her lunch at the Queen Mother’s Kitchen restaurant at the park and, if the weather is good, happily wait for her food by sitting in the chairs in the open space.
She confessed she loves the restaurant’s signature chicken sandwiches, which keep her coming back for more.
“I come here a couple of times a week,” said Craigg, 27, on June 9. “I love the sandwiches that are made here, particularly the ‘Elijah Likes It Spicy’ because it has the chicken with a different type of seasoning from sandwiches made at other places and I like the special sauce. Plus, I can add pickles and onions to it. It is a pretty unique sandwich.”
Craigg is not alone in her love of Queen Mother’s Kitchen sandwiches because the cuisine has been nominated in the “Hottest Sandwich Spot of the Year” category for the RAMMYS, the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington’s (RAMW) annual awards.
The winner of that category and the others will be announced at The RAMMYS Awards & Gala that will take place on Aug. 3 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Northwest, D.C.
The owner of Queen Mother’s Kitchen is Chef Rahman “Rock” Harper, a nationally recognized entrepreneur, James Beard Award-nominee, author, and podcast host. Harper received national attention when he won the chef competition on the Gordon Ramsay television show, “Hell’s Kitchen” during its third season.
Harper’s reputation as a chef who makes great sandwiches has generated positive attention for Queen Mother’s Kitchen on such platforms as Yelp.
“D—, this is a good chicken sandwich!” said Maggie A., a District resident in a Yelp review on April 5. “Got the classic Queen Mother’s with their special sauce. Good size, crisp and juicy, soft brioche bun. Duck fat crinkle fries are extra with a variety of sauces to choose from. Took about 10 minutes or so for my order to be ready. Water Park is a great place to eat on a nice weather day. Queen Mother’s hits the spot if you’re craving fried chicken.”
The Queen Mother’s Kitchen Story
Queen Mother’s Kitchen was launched in 2020, with its first location in Glover Park in Northwest, D.C., moving to a location in Arlington before settling down at National Landing in 2023.
Harper, 48, said naming the restaurant “Queen Mother’s” was intentional.
“The position of Queen Mother for many African tribes is considered royalty,” he said. “I named the restaurant Queen Mother’s in a loving tribute to my mother, Carole Harper, and my grandmother. They are queen mothers. I named the restaurant after them and paid homage to Black women and food.”
Harper said the Queen Mother’s Classic Chicken Sandwich is a popular choice among customers. The Queen Mother’s sandwich consists of brined chicken breast cooked in duck fat and served with Mother Sauce and dill pickles on a toasted Lyon bakery brioche.
The Queen Mother’s is seasoned with such items as Sicilian Sea salt, Spanish paprika, French black pepper.
Ramon Singh, a 30-year-old resident of Arlington, said he comes specifically for the Queen Mother’s sandwich.
“This sandwich is a big deal because it is so popular,” he said. “It is a good quality sandwich. I’ve enjoyed it every time.”
Harper emphasized the chicken he serves customers are free of antibiotics, drugs, genetic modification, pesticides, growth hormones, artificial preservatives, flavorings, and colors.
“The chicken we serve is about six ounces,” he said. “We bake the buns we serve every day, and they are of the premium quality. As far as sauces are concerned, we have a wide range of those because people are fanatical about the sauces. We have mumbo and spicy mumbo sauce because this is D.C., and you must have that here.”
The duck fat cooked French fries, complemented with the restaurant’s special Queen’s Spice, is also a fan favorite.
“People in the D.C. area love the crinkles,” Harper said. “The seasoning that goes on the fries are paprika, garlic, onion, salt, with a touch of sugar and a little bit of tomato sauce, wine and vinegar.”
When asked his thoughts about the RAMMYS nomination, Harper said his sandwiches are hot “and that is cool.”
“We have great chicken sandwiches,” he said. “If we win our category, that is great. If we don’t, that is OK. We will continue serving great food.”