ED MITCHELL'S QUE - DURHAM, NC

 

Always on the search for good food, we were delighted to discover Ed Mitchell’s Que located in downtown Durham, NC. There to celebrate a favorite uncle’s 80^th birthday, I have to say we could not have found a better place. The old guy wanted barbecue and Ed Mitchell is a master.

The location is a real estate dream come true. It borders the Durham Bulls ballpark and sits across from American Tobacco Campus. There’s generous parking in the parking deck and its right in the middle of a lot of downtown action. They've capitalized on the people-watching opportunity with several bright red outdoor tables. Inside, the decor is slightly dressed up but comfortable and casual, feeling really down to earth. The background music was funky R&B and jazz and the whole vibe was just feel, feel good. The space isn’t overly large and we went at the perfect hour between lunch and dinner. There was no crowd, we had our choice of tables, opting to sit by the window and had our server’s full attention.

I wanted to try all the appetizers because there was a really eclectic selection on the menu and they all had my mouth watering. Big Daddy, on the other hand was just ready for the entrees. I highly recommend the N.C. Charcuterie, an assortment of meats and cheeses from North Carolina.  There was a coffee-flavored sweetened goat’s milk caramel with pork rinds that was absolutely outrageous, plus an assortment of Brie, crackers, and other cheeses. Also tops on my list were Ryan’s Smoked Wings and the Tomato Pie. I could eat the tomato pie all day long! It was a delicate stewed tomato, mixed cheddar cheese in the flakiest crust.

We ordered rounds of full plates. Uncle ordered the Carolina Baby Back Ribs with French fries and the smoked vegetable medley. Big Daddy had Mother Mitchell’s Fried Chicken, fries and black-eyed peas, and I had the Beef Brisket with macaroni and cheese and collard greens.

For starters the portions were generous! We had no complaints about the amount of food we were served. The brisket was the highlight of my meal, fork-tender, succulent, melt-in-your-mouth perfection. All of the sides were okay, nothing spectacular. The collards had just enough bite and chew but was short on flavor. Nothing a good ham hock or smoked turkey neck and a pinch of salt wouldn’t help. The bread crumb topped macaroni and cheese was bland but edible. I make a killer macaroni and cheese and this didn’t come close to hitting the mark.

Big Daddy thoroughly enjoyed the fried chicken. The crust was crispy and flavorful, the meat moist and tender and they gave him two breasts and a wing. Again, healthy portions! Now, I thought the crust was a tad heavy. It had no flake but my guy had no complaints at all. He ended up bringing half of it home and it warmed up nicely later that night. Uncle’s ribs were on point as well. Moist, tender, and falling off the bone.

I’m not sure why but like many other barbecue restaurants, the meat was great but the sides left much to be desired. They weren’t bad but not a one left any kind of impression. But what did leave an impression was the dessert!

Big Daddy is a dessert aficionado. He loves anything sweet. Me? Not so much. Since it was Uncle’s birthday we let him take the lead on dessert and he selected the Pig-Pickin’ Cake which is whole-heartedly a Southern thing! The cake was slightly dense and exceptionally moist. It had the mildest orange and pineapple flavor and the icing was a sweet cream cheese confection. I could have eaten two slices! Loved, loved, loved dessert. I also wish I’d ordered the chocolate pecan pie or the homemade banana pudding but since I didn’t I’ll definitely have to make a second trip.

We thoroughly enjoy our meal. And kudos to Erin, our server. She was sugar sweet and just a sheer pleasure. I greatly appreciated her keeping my sweet tea glass filled since the sweet tea was some of the best I’ve had and their cute little mason jar glasses aren’t overly large. Erin went above and beyond to insure we had a pleasant experience and even made our birthday guy feel extra special. I can’t wait to do the QUE again and Big Daddy and I both highly recommend it. ALL THUMBS UP!