Q-BBQ

Was it amatuer hour at Q tonight? They were out of cornbread and out of texas steak. Took 45 minutes to get our food, and it was cold?! Texas briscuit sandwich lacked the blue cheese and cole slaw as described. Horribly disappointed and won’t be going back any time soon, and i live on the block!

About 6 months ago my wife and I carried out from this location. A few minutes after my wife paid for the meal she was told that they were out of pulled chicken. You would think that they could have called to tell us in the 20 minutes since we placed the order. Anyways, they said they could give her a pulled pork sandwich in its place. The person told her to call the next day and ask for a refund when the manager is in. Well, that was a few phone calls and a couple months ago. We never received a refund. It was only about $ 12 but it is the principle.
We have not ordered form this place since. I hope that $ 12 was worth it.

Love it! Great meat — Sliced beef brisket is a favorite of ours. The BBQ sauces are also excellent. We’ve eaten in but usually carry out by the pound now. Attention to detail is evident. Also, really like the condiment, sauce, bar. It’s self serve, so you can get exactly what you want. If I had to say anything negative — I’d say the coleslaw is a bit bland. But, given the full flavored sauce options, it can be overlooked.

Q-​BBQ is one of the best barbeque restaurants in Chicago. Their food’s really good.

Another mediocre order from Q. Burnt ends were dry & tough, wings had very little dry rub. Refer to my previous review for my take on their lack of consistency. No more Q for me. Too many better options..

If you love bbq. I mean really love it… this is NOT the place for you.
I went with my brother, both of us are BBQ fans; he doesn’t eat any meat but poultry and I am all about ribs. To start it is sort of really expensive, BBQ in general seems to be expensive but we shelled out $ 50+ for 2 meals and drinks. I got the full rack and he picked 3 meats. He said the turkey was the best and the chicken was dry. His side was salad and green beans, both of which were basic. I got the mac and the fries, of which the fries were basic and the mac horrendous. Why would you think putting chez nips or chez-​its in mac would be tasty is beyond me, also it was very cold when I got it,
The ribs were weird, they come in like a sort of sweet rub and sauce, even though the table features 3 – 4 types of sauces to try. I found that none of the sauces worked, so I stuck with the rub/​sauce already on them. The portion of ribs is decent and the meat is pretty tender but like my sides, the ribs were cold. To be honest I don’t think anything was hot or even lukewarm when it arrived at our table.
The saving grace for this place is the hushpuppies… omg they are the best thing I put in my mouth from this place. I would go back here just for them alone.

Back in Chicago for a few nights, my sister, her boyfriend and I returned to Q. This time, I went with the Papa Q platter. That’s a sampling of every single meat they had, plus some sides. I’ve got to say, for $ 30, it’s an incredible deal. There’s no way I could finish it, but I loved every minute of it. Especially on a cold December night, this hit the spot.
Only reason I couldn’t go to five stars was the service. I don’t know if they were understaffed or swamped with delivery orders, but our sides were very late and incomplete. We had to ask a few times before they all showed up. Other than that, it would have been an awesome evening.

Great BBQ joint. The pulled chicken and chicken wings are great. The Texas hot BBQ is amazing. The Mac and cheese has cheese its in it and it’s the best thing ever.
Only bad thing is it’s a little expensive.

I never thought I would experience a BBQ place that tastes worse than Wrigley BBQ. My overall thought of Q-​BBQ is that I want my money back. Like most BBQ joints it’s a little bit pricer and they have a ton of signs around the room claiming to be the best BBQ place. Where do I begin… I guess I’ll start with the positives since that list is much smaller.
I like the way that Q-​BBQ is setup. I’m a huge fan of any place that has a ton of booth options around the room. The restaurant is extremely spacious so it would be great for big groups.
Now let’s get down to the reason I still want my money back after dining here. I think I made better drunk food in college than this restaurant serves on their best day. I’m a huge lover of mac-​n-​cheese so it was a definite must that I order it as my side. I wasn’t sure which meat to order so I ordered the trio sliders. This is a great idea because you can choose three different meats to taste out.
I was excited to get my food and enjoy the greatness to come. I wish I could travel back in time to the moment when my friend and I was searching through Unilocal to find a place to eat.
When our food arrived I was still very optimistic. I was slightly turned off by the mac-​n-​cheese because it looked like it came straight out of a kraft box with cheez-​its crushed on-​top. I moved past that because the sliders looked delicious and I was ready to chow down. I bit into the first one, which was the pulled chicken slider, and instantly felt dehydrated. It was so dry that I almost poured my beverage on it to relive it. To quote my friend, «it was so dry that I drank two glasses of water and still felt thirsty.» Unfortunately he got the regular sized pulled chicken sandwich so I watched him choke down as much as he could.
I had two more sliders left so I was still optimistic. The next one up was the burnt ends. I’ve had some great burnt ends before it’s hard to mess them up. The crispiness of the burnt ends is what makes them appealing to me. But Q-​BBQ managed to take the concept of burnt ends to another level. They burnt the ends way too much! The meat was dried out and it was so salty.
By the time I moved onto my last slider I was dang near praying that it would make the entire experience worthwhile. I was mistaken because it was the one sliders that I couldn’t even stomach, it was the pulled pork. I don’t think a bucket of sauce could’ve saved my poor sliders. I forgot to mention that I could’ve held open the door with the bun they provided with my slider based off how hard it was. I’m not sure how they got rated so high but I wouldn’t let me worst enemy eat here. I might have to revisit Wrigleyville BBQ now that I know there is a place that is far worst than them.
Please don’t waste your money dining here. Visit the Trader Joe’s up the street and buy your own BBQ if you are craving BBQ that badly.

I went with a buddy awhile back after DMK Burger a few blocks to the west was absolutely slammed. He recommended this place and we had dinner.
I was very disappointed, it was not good bbq. It was dry, and lacked flavor. The counter service gave off more of a ‘lunch’ vibe than ‘dinner’ vibe. This place was very forgettable as was the bbq.

Some slow and low smoked meat was from Q-​BBQ was on the menu for a Monday mid afternoon lunch. Some delicious barbecue was just what we needed. The naturally lit restaurant from the long windows in front was for the most part empty. Arriving before the rest of our party we got a couple extra minutes to review the full menu written on the chalkboard.
The brisket and brisket burnt ends were recommended by the young man at the counter, so I ordered the two meat plate with with the aforementioned premium meats ($ 16.99 + $ 1.99 for each premium meat) with creamy Q-​slaw and baked beans as my sides and a Fat Tire to wash everything down. If you’re undecided or you want to try one of the meats, you can order a «taste» portion. We also ordered a full slab of Memphis baby backs ($ 23.99) with mac-​Q-​roni and cornbread as sides and a pulled chicken sandwich with mashed potatoes with brisket gravy ($ 9.99).
All the meats were tender seasoned with a flavorful 13 spice rub. I noticed the black pepper in the rub was more pronounced with the burnt ends. My wife and daughter finished the slab of ribs with pretty much no help at all. There are plenty of sauces to enhance the flavor plus some pickles at the condiment station. Also, a nice convenience at the condiment station, is a sink to clean up before or after your meal.

Ordered a papa q platter that generously fed two ppl and a toddler! It was a sample of all the meats they offered! Our favorite was the sausage and burnt brisket ends.
Our least favorite was the pulled pork and ribs. Just a little too dry and hard.
The sauces are all amazing. Will go back!

I am a huge fan of Q-​BBQ. I’ve visited the LaGrange location and finally had my chance to visit this locale. Our group of 7 arrived for late lunch on Monday to find it empty save for a few patrons. Plenty of room for us!
You order at the counter, that is when you’ve made up your mind because there’s so much to choose from! Every major bbq type is represented here: pulled pork, ribs, brisket, sausage, chicken. Along with sides like cornbread, coleslaw, baked beans, green beans, hush puppies. The food is brought out to your table where you can enjoy it sans sauce (there is already some good flavor to the meat already) or with sauces like Texas Spicy, Memphis sweet, South Carolina Mustard and my favorite – North Carolina Vinegar which is flavorful and tangy (love it!). Soda and a small selection of craft beer round out the beverage list.
They offer single serving meals or plates where you can choose a few meats and sides, and what 3 of us decided to split – the Papa Q platter which had a sampling of all the meat, hush puppies and 2 regular sides. Enough for a good lunch and leftovers for dinner or lunch the next day! Just pack up some sample cups of sauce and you’re set!
My favorite are the baby back ribs, which are meaty and tender and the wings, although on the small side, do have a nice spicy rub. The hush puppies and coleslaw round out my favorite sides.

It’s not easy to shut up five women and a baby who meet once a month to eat and chat, but give us tin plates full of meat, and we were so busy stuffing our faces, all you could hear was happy little sighs, as we chewed through our selections. I opted for the pulled pork with sides of spicy brussel sprouts and green beans– you know, to keep it healthy. The green beans weren’t as flavorful as I’d hoped, but they seemed to stay on the lighter side of the caloric scale, so I appreciated that. The brussels sprouts were delicious, but of course, it was because they were doused in the oil they were roasted in. I enjoyed the flavor so much, however, especially the spicy kick coming from the jalapeño peppers, that I forgave the added fat.
The meat itself was both good and ok– depending on which piece I was chewing on at the time. I cleaned my plate so I definitely tried all of it– and I had some fairly dry and tough pieces mixed in with the more tender, delicious ones. I enjoyed their selection of BBQ sauces– especially when mixing the sweet and spicy (and spicy is really spicy so watch out!). I had a bite of the hush puppies and didn’t find them to be worth the deep friedness– thankfully, they’re small, so if you like them, your heart will probably be ok.
The service was nice at the counter, but a little confused getting our orders out to us. Still, everything worked out in the end and we had five full bellies catching up on our lives as soon as we could catch our breaths from our frantic eating. The meat sweats came later, and overall, they were worth it!

I came to Q-​BBQ while visiting Chicago. Very nice place. There’s no private parking so had to park on the street, which is very difficult in Chicago.
Me and my wife ordered the papa q platter. It’s a small mountain of meat, we couldn’t finish it between the both of us. Some of the meat was flavorful, others not so much. They have several sauces which really helps any bland meat. The cornbread was nothing special but not bad by any means. I don’t remember what was the other side we ordered.
I think I would come back next time I’m in Chicago and in the mood for bbq.

Mmmmm!
Let me get my bbqing on!
Great menu. Something for everyone.
Casual atmosphere.
Great meat and lots of sauces to please every q-​er. Spicy, vinegar, mustard, and sweet.
All served up on a huge ass meal tray… felt like a hog. Oink, oink.
The hush puppies weren’t that great but the sandwiches and ribs were delish!

Let me start off by saying that I’ve only ever eaten barbecue prepared by my family at various cookouts in small town, Alabama. So my bbq expectations stay high.
The way this restaurant works is that you go up to the counter, order and pay for your meal, then they bring your food out to you. Simple. I ordered a pulled pork sandwich, which comes with two hush puppies and your choice of side. There are specialty sides that you can purchase at extra cost, but I opted for the mac n cheese.
The Pros:
— There wasn’t too long of a wait for the food. That could vary on a far more crowded day.
— Very friendly waitstaff, but not that annoying, bother you every few minutes friendly.
— The music. Temptations, Four Tops, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles? YES. YESSSS!
— Price. For my food, along with a beer, I paid about $ 14.
— From what I could see, solid little beer selection.
The Eh’s:
— The pulled pork sandwich was decent, but I wasn’t in love with it. It wasn’t too dry, but it could stand a bit more flavor… though I will say that they do have an array of sauces on the tables, so I guess I could have made it more flavorful myself. My friend had some sort of sausage, now that was pretty tasty.
The Kind of Cons:
— The mac needed more flavor. It wasn’t bad, but bland. And there were crumbled up Cheez-​its on top… I like Cheez-​its as a late night snack, I do not understand them on top of my mac. I should have gone with my gut and sprung for the brussel sprouts.
This place is okay, but I’m glad that we have it in the neighborhood. I would come back, I just wouldn’t necessarily make the same order.

I’ve been here a few times and I am currently waiting for my pick up order and I just want to say that the cashiers here are super awesome. I’m pregnant and I have 2 weeks left til my due date. The girls offered me a free drink and got all the sauce and silver ware for me so I can just sit and relax.
The food here is great too. Probably the best BBQ in the North Side of Chicago, if not the entire city.
I hope this BBQ puts me in labor on Labor Day :)

I’m not a stranger to bbq places in this city or even this country. Typically they do good bbq and sub quality sides, or they do good sides and the bbq isn’t good. Q BBQ found a good blend of both.
We couldn’t decide what to get, so we decided to get it all. The guy behind the counter said it would probably be cheaper to order the platter, so we did that instead. It feeds 2 hungry people or maybe 3 folks who just want a taste. The platter comes with 2 ribs, pulled pork, chicken, and beef. It also comes with sausage, chicken wings, burnt ends, and brisket. Top that off with two sides of your choice and you have yourself a great time (and pants that no longer fit as well as they used to).
We chose the mac&cheese and cornbread for our sides. The cornbread was standard fare, but it was moist (why do so many women hate that word?) and on the sweeter side. The mac&cheese had a cheese-​it crust which made it even better (and likely more fattening).
The sauces are pretty standard fare. One was sweet, one was spicy (a bit of a nose runner but not without a great flavor), one was vinegar based, and the last one was South Carolina mustard (yuck).
Last but in my opinion the most important, the staff was helpful and friendly. The establishment was clean and bright. The music was pumping and with a country edge. We came for the food but we enjoyed every part of the experience. If you find something you like about a place, come back for that one thing. But if you like everything about an experience, write the hell out if it on Unilocal.The end…

I am from Texas and I approve of this barbecue!
I pass by Q-​BBQ all the time and always see crowds lining up. I finally decided to come here (after finding out the Kumas Too wait would be 1.5 hours…) and was not disappointed! There are so many things I wanted to try but my boyfriend and I settled on both getting the brisket with a side of macQroni and mashed potatoes.
First, all orders get hushpuppies and being from the south, I have encountered many a hushpuppy, but hands down, this is the best hushpuppy I’ve ever had! So crunchy, but so flavorful. This is the first hushpuppy that I haven’t found a waste of stomach space.
Second, brisket was on point. Juicy, finger licking good. Plain and simple.
Third, man those sides!!! They made this meal. The mac and cheese is topped with cheezits… I kid you not! What a game changer and yes, it’s as good as you’d think. Mashed potatoes and gravy were also killer.
Fourth, their variety of sauces. The vinegar based, spicy, sweet and mustard were all banging and I mixed a couple and just played around with the flavors. Or you can keep it simple. Whatever your heart wants!
I’m just used to cheap BBQ in Texas so found the prices a bit too pretentious, but I’m glad I got the chance to revisit my roots at Q-​BBQ with some hearty barbecue.