Chicago Q — Restaurant in Chicago

TL;DR version: Mediocre lukewarm BBQ that can't decide if it's going full-on hipster with the longboard skateboard or if it's going to stay close to traditional BBQ roots and not own a skateboard at all. Lousy sauce, great service staff.

The full monty:

Our server was fantastic; she reminded me very much of the best server I've ever known in terms of personality and attention to detail.

Unfortunately, service alone can't always carry a meal - and at q, it certainly did not.

The hush puppies were the star of the experience, but even though they were fabulous, they showed up warm. They need to show up really, really hot to be truly excellent. The comp chips and pickles are fine; the chips taste much like store-bought BBQ chips from Lays.

The "brulee" mac and cheese isn't anything special. A few different cheeses with large spiral noodles and some crumbled bacon on top. Slid into the salamander for a few minutes, or maybe actually fired with a torch, it still came to the table luke-warm and underwhelming.

Kobe brisket sandwich was decent, but it came on a plain, cheap bun instead of the nice pretzel bun my two dining compatriots received with their pulled pork. If you're going to hipsterize barbecue, go all the way and use an artisan roll. Otherwise, stick to BBQ roots and serve it open-face on Texas toast (and not artisan texas toast with truffle butter. Wonder Bread only)

Cole slaw was good, but it needed to be run through the salad shooter one last time. There were some serious pieces of cabbage that needed to be trimmed down quite a bit in order to eat, and as those who know me well will affirm: I have a really big mouth. (and that's not innuendo, either.)

The sauces were mediocre. I really liked the mustard sauce and their "spicy" sauce even though it wasn't spicy. The "regular" sauce was boring, and the vinegar sauce was probably good but I got tired of trying to spoon it out of the ramekin without splashing it all over. Again, either glitz it up and put it in some fancy dispenser or bring me a squeeze bottle of the stuff.

The jalapeno cornbread was not spicy, and as noted later by my out-of-town visitor, "the butter should not have remained solid on top the entire time it sat there". He's right; it was lukewarm. Cornbread quickly starts to taste like ass as it cools even though it's the iPhone of bread product. If my butter isn't melting on it and getting soaked up, it's not worth eating.

If I went back, and I would, I would opt for a piece of meat on a plate and a few ramekins of mustard sauce. Nothing more,...

My friends and I planned a weekend trip to hit the auto show, eat, imbibe and stay downtown for the night. My friends are not huge foodies, and the restaurant I really wanted to hit was Girl and the Goat, but they were booked up. Chicago Q was not on my radar for Saturday the 15th, but my indecision paid off.

We arrived a bit early. Exiting the cab, we smelled the pleasant smell of wood smoke. We and grabbed a drink at the bar while we waited for our table. It's not Mint Julep season, but Chicago Q's is awesome. "Cool" presentation, you'll see...

We were sat and complementary chips and bread and butter pickles made it to the table. They were delicious and I hate sweet pickles.

We ordered the appetizer special, basically a small sample of client favorite apps. They included fried green tomatoes, smoked shrimp and grits, smoked wings and hush puppies. The smoked wings were absolutely great and the sauce was tasty, as well. The tomatoes were well prepared as well.

I wanted to give the grilled Blue Point Oysters a go as well. Though I enjoyed the preparation, the dish seemed like it was more of a gratin than anything. Didn't get much smokey flavor from it... Still nice, though.

My buddy and I are whisky enthusiasts. We were given their "private" list and went with a trio of Angel's Envy Bourbon. The port finished, rye and cask bourbon's were monsters and well priced.

The entree's arrived. My friend's all ordered sandwiches. The brisket was fork tender, juicy and highly flavorful. I went with their special offering, a smoked veal chop with white and purple potatoes and charred greens. The chop was very flavorful and tasty but needed just a little bit more seasoning. The greens were conversely, super salty, so I combined the two and it was really enjoyable.

I had an awesome time here. You can eat really well at Chicago Q even if you're on a tight budget. Will be back for sure.

Have been back multiple times and have...

I reviewed Chicago Q a long time ago but I have decided to rewrite my review now since the place has changed a lot.

We have been coming to Chicago Q on and off since it was opened. I still rememeber our waiter told us on opening day that the chef won the throw down with Bobby Flay and the food definitely backed it up. We didn't go as often as we would like because service was always very slow. There was a time when we sat down and no one came for over 15 mins and we saw all of the wait staff walking pass us during this whole time. We just left.

It WAS quality BBQ, tender meats, perfect smoke and unforgetable sauces. You can enjoy the delicious pickled cucumbers and chips while you wait for your food. After all of these years, the flavor of the food has not changed but the quality has gone down hill for sure. We came on a Saturday night and there was no one here. I think partially because of the COVID protocol (vaccine card check, and yes get your shots), partially because of the same old boring menu and partially because of the food quality. The meats are definitely on the drier side, like others mentioned, reheated. My whole rack of St Louis ribs shrink down to 60% of its original size. I can understand COVID has caused a lot of issues for many people but cutting these corners will simply make things worse in my opinion. One thing I just found out, they started charging for the chips and the pickles that was given out for free, $3 each and no refills. Seriously, pretty soon they will start charging for toilet paper, nakins and take home boxes. The menu prices have already increased by 20-35%.

I used to pick Chicago Q over Bub City and definitely Carson's, so even though the service was slow I will still make the effort to come once in a while. But now it will be a very long time before I will come again or never. No wonder there is no one here on a...