SouthernQ BBQ and Catering — Restaurant in Spring

It was the 4th of July and I was stuck hanging out at a truck stop in houston texas. I looked around on Google Maps to see what was open. Because I did not want to spend the 4th of July eating truck stop food. That's where I discovered southern q barbecue and catering. Southern Q is located about a quarter of a mile from where my truck was parked. I figured it wouldn't be no big deal to walk down the street. But this Texas heat is no joke. I think it was 97° when I set out walking to southern Q. By the time I got there, I was drenched in sweat. It looked like I just climbed out of a swimming pool. I walked in the doors and saw that there was a line at least 25 to 30 people long. It stretched from the counter all the way to the far corner of the building. It seemed to me like their air conditioning was turned on low. Because I continued to sweat profusely, for the 55 minutes I stood in line waiting to order. I ordered the 3 meat plate. Pork ribs, sliced brisket and sausage. I also ordered beans, mac and cheese and green beans. From the time I walked through the front doors to the time. I walked out with my food 1 hour and 48 minutes. Maybe it was crowded because it was the 4th of July. Or maybe it's because they have some damn good barbecue! When I got back to my truck, I put my food in the refrigerator. Then I went to go take a shower. It's hard for me to decide if the brisket. Or the sausage was my favorite item on this plate. The pork ribs were very good. And I feel like the portion size was a good value for the money that I spent. But the 2 standout items, in my opinion were the Boudin sausage and the beef brisket. The beef brisket was super tender. Perfectly seasoned and absolutely delicious. And so was the sausage. They both had an excellent smoky flavor. And the seasonings couldn't have been better. Of the 3 meats on my plate, the ribs came in last place. Now, that's not to say, the ribs were not good. They tasted excellent. But they could not compete with the brisket and the sausage. I got two pork ribs that were cooked and seasoned very well. The mac and cheese and the green beans were also very good. I don't like Mac and cheese that tastes like Velveeta, plastic cheese crap. And this mac and cheese did not disappoint. It was creamy delicious and it had a home made flavor to it. There were pieces of pork visible in my green beans, which add it to their flavor. The baked beans had what looked and tasted like ground beef in them. They were okay. I did not specify if I wanted spicy or regular barbecue sauce. I don't even know if that was an option. But the barbecue sauce that I received with my meal was basic. The price for my meal before tax and temp was $35. A little bit spendy, but I feel like it was worth it. There was enough food on my plate so that I had leftovers the next morning. On the fourth of july, online, ordering was not available at this restaurant. The staff were very courteous and helpful. And the...

I was initially shocked when I read so many positive reviews, after I had such a terrible experience (1292 reviews & 4.5 stars). Hmmm. But then I sorted the reviews from low to high, and the truth revealed itself.

A few months back I visited family out-of-state, and we had some amazing BBQ. I promised them that when they came to Houston, I would treat them. When they finally came to Houston, and it was my turn to treat them to BBQ, SouthernQ had decided to close a few hours early, because they were doing a party or something, rather than stay open for their ADVERTISED business hours. I was stunned and disappointed, but what could I do. So I promised my guest that I would make up for it the next time.

When the next time rolled around, I called first to avoid a repeat. We arrived at a time where they were not real busy.

The first red flag popped up when I requested to have my pulled pork chopped. I discovered that I like it better that way, but the cashier insisted that it's pulled pork, and she didn't see the logic in having it chopped. I was taken aback at how much resistance I was getting, over a simple request that would literally take an extra 10 seconds for the person who was making all the orders... who also had the chopping knife in his hand.

So she goes over to the guy in charge, and tells him that I wanted my pulled pork chopped, even though she was telling me it was already loose. So he looks over at me, then looks back at her, and he tells her to tell me no. The order was already over-priced, at $78 to feed two people, but I did not want to disappoint my guest, so I let it slide.

The order was to-go, so I had no idea what I had until I got home, and it was a TOTAL disgrace.

The ribs were so dry that I could not even finish them. Their BBQ sauce had a strange twang to it, and the only thing that was not terrible was the pulled pork. The service was terrible, and half of the food was terrible.

Obviously, I will never go back again, but I think it would be wrong for me to just disappear, and not provide a warning to others. Consider yourself WARNED!

When you read the reviews, use the filter, and read from low to high. That is how you will find the truth. Maybe they are a hit-or-miss BBQ joint, where each visit is a roll of the dice. But after two bad experiences, I will follow Maya Angelou's sage advice:

"When people show you who they are... believe them the...

If You’re Gonna Brag About Flavor, You Better Bring It.

So listen… we rolled up to Southern Q BBQ with high hopes and hungry bellies, fueled by glowing reviews and dreams of meat so flavorful it didn’t even need sauce. My boyfriend, aka the BBQ whisperer who has actually won competitions, was ready to be wowed.

What we got felt more like a participation trophy BBQ experience. We ordered the 3-meat plate to give it a fair shake: turkey, brisket, and ribs, with baked beans and mac & cheese on the side. His son had a plate too, and we all kind of looked at each other like, “Did we miss a seasoning memo?”

To be fair, nothing was bad. Everything was edible, but let’s just say we wouldn’t describe it as flavor-forward unless “bland with a side of smoke” counts. The turkey actually pulled through as the flavor MVP (did not see that coming), and the baked beans had personality. The brisket and ribs? Meh. Not terrible, but they needed a pep talk, and a lot of that delicious BBQ sauce (seriously, that stuff slapped).

The mac and cheese was… there. It didn’t offend us, but it also didn’t inspire a fan club.

The real winner? The atmosphere. Cozy, friendly, the kind of place where you want to hang out and pretend your food tastes better than it does. Sadly, good vibes can’t save dry brisket.

Would we go back? Probably not. But hey, if you’re in it for the sauce and a nice setting, it might be your jam. Just don’t forget to BYOS—Bring Your...