Is DC any more different from middle America than any city is from distant rural areas? Take NYC vs Upstate or Chicagoland vs Southern Illinois. Or even Louisville-Frankfort-Lexington vs rural Kentucky.
Less so, arguably. Although DC is part of the Boston-New York-Washington corridor, it has a thriving culture that originated with the migration of black people out of the south. It is in no sense a rural culture, but it has roots and relatives in rural parts all over the south.
Sadly, it's not a great BBQ town. A buncha years ago the Washington Post ran a contest for a local food, and they best they could come up with was the half-smoke. Though I suppose you could put some mumbo sauce on it.