Unlike my brother, I’m not the type to smother almost everything I eat in hot sauce. But, I do respect his ability to withstand most of his food with an extra kick.

I discovered Uncle Brutha’s hot sauce at Eastern Market. A few years back they sold it outside the market at a table. I bought my brother their two signature sauces:

Fire Sauce No. 10 – Four Chiles and Garlic
Fire Sauce No. 9 – Chile Verde Garlic and Ginger

SAG quickly became obsessed and every time I came home to visit he’d request new bottles. Luckily, the man behind the Uncle opened a store right near the Eastern Market. It was wall to wall hot sauces and spices. I would look around at the millions of brands featuring millions of chilies, but I would always walk out with the Uncle Brutha’s brand.

Unfortunately, when EM burnt down, a lot of local businesses went down with it. Via Metrocurean I read in the Wash City Paper that Uncle Brutha’s was closing at the end of June. 80P and I stopped by for one last visit and to buy SAG some hot sauce. I finally bought myself bottles of the sauce, although we will be able to find it at Whole Foods. (I highly encourage you to stop by one last time!)

But this brings me to a completely different story. While 80 and I were waiting for a table at Granville Moore’s, we walked next door to drink a beer at The Pug. I glanced at the menu and noticed an absolute steal – a dog and chips for just a few bucks. Basically an unheard of cheap eats. And while I scanned the bar for toppings, I was especially pleased to see a hometown hot sauce on the bar: Uncle Brutha’s.

This weekend, while UB’s fans were stocking up, I ran into The Pug owner.

Boxers and Hot Dogs: The Pug [Express]

Bison Country: A Four-Footed Spring Treat [Express]