It was by sheer accident that we found Q BARBECUE. We were in Glen Allen, Virginia working on a film. After an exceptionally long day we were exhausted and hungry! The staff at the Marriott hotel had recommended a restaurant that was closed and as we headed back, thinking we were going to have to settle for a vending machine meal, my favorite guy made an abrupt turn into a parking lot to do a Google search and lo and behold, parked directly in front of the restaurant's door!
Q Barbecue was the brainchild of Tuffy Stone, a chef and caterer who perfected his barbecue techniques on the competition circuit, eventually becoming a judge on the hit show BBQ Pitmasters. There are three locations and the food is marvelous.
The moment we stepped through the door we were greeted by the most adorable young woman. Her bubbly personality was a breath of fresh air and she was simply engaging. She went through the menu, offered us tastes to help us make a decision, shared what on the menu were her favorites and she was positively a delight. She is a business goldmine and I hope they know what a true gem they have in this young lady!
The moment we stepped through the door we were greeted by the most adorable young woman. Her bubbly personality was a breath of fresh air and she was simply engaging. She went through the menu, offered us tastes to help us make a decision, shared what on the menu were her favorites and she was positively a delight. She is a business goldmine and I hope they know what a true gem they have in this young lady!
We both ordered the half rack of ribs with macaroni and cheese and collard greens. So let me start with the macaroni and cheese. I could eat this stuff all day long it was so good. It was creamy, cheesy goodness that just made us want more. We both agreed that the next time we're there we would order double mac and cheese. The greens were vinegar based and had a hint of sugar. I don't do sweet collards. Big Daddy didn't mind them. I still don't understand why people put sugar in greens! It completely baffles me. What I loved about the greens was that they had a nice bite and chew. They were cooked to perfection and would have been great if they hadn't been so sweet. Again, he liked them just as they were! It all came with a little corn muffin on the side. There was nothing special about the bread and we could have taken it or not and still been okay.
Now 'dem ribs was GOOD! Not quite a dry rub and not overly doused in sauce, they were melt in your mouth tender and quite tasty. There were three additional sauces at the table ranging from mild to find me water hose for those who needed more, but we both didn't think they needed anything else. We can't wait to go back, already planning to try the smoked wings and the brisket, both of which came highly recommended by other diners who were excited to share their opinions.
A delightful surprise that we got a taste of was something called Pineapple Hot Dish. I knew instantly that this was an old family recipe and the manager confirmed that it was Tuffy Stone's grandmother who perfected the dish. It reminded us both of warm bread pudding with pineapple. It had the right balance of crunch and sweeet and it was some sort of great!
We would definitely give Q Barbecue two thumbs up, double high-fives and roaring round of applause.
UPDATED 4/9/2018
Back in the area a few days ago, we went back to give the brisket and chicken a try. Big Daddy ordered the ribs, again. I ordered a Double Meat Tray with slices of brisket and chicken wings. Although I stand by my previous review, I would not, however, order the brisket again. The brisket was DRY. Not enough extra sauce in the world to save it DRY. The wings were good. Not great, but good. The ribs continued to be divine. Had we tried the brisket and chicken on our first visit we probably would not have given it as glowing a review. I believe there was a reason for us trying the ribs first! Will we go back? Yes, definitely. And we will only order the ribs!
Now 'dem ribs was GOOD! Not quite a dry rub and not overly doused in sauce, they were melt in your mouth tender and quite tasty. There were three additional sauces at the table ranging from mild to find me water hose for those who needed more, but we both didn't think they needed anything else. We can't wait to go back, already planning to try the smoked wings and the brisket, both of which came highly recommended by other diners who were excited to share their opinions.
A delightful surprise that we got a taste of was something called Pineapple Hot Dish. I knew instantly that this was an old family recipe and the manager confirmed that it was Tuffy Stone's grandmother who perfected the dish. It reminded us both of warm bread pudding with pineapple. It had the right balance of crunch and sweeet and it was some sort of great!
We would definitely give Q Barbecue two thumbs up, double high-fives and roaring round of applause.
UPDATED 4/9/2018
Back in the area a few days ago, we went back to give the brisket and chicken a try. Big Daddy ordered the ribs, again. I ordered a Double Meat Tray with slices of brisket and chicken wings. Although I stand by my previous review, I would not, however, order the brisket again. The brisket was DRY. Not enough extra sauce in the world to save it DRY. The wings were good. Not great, but good. The ribs continued to be divine. Had we tried the brisket and chicken on our first visit we probably would not have given it as glowing a review. I believe there was a reason for us trying the ribs first! Will we go back? Yes, definitely. And we will only order the ribs!
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