RESTAURANT REVIEW – Q-BBQ

Located at 103 S. Main Street in Naperville, Q-BBQ is not to be missed. They also have locations at 124 N. Marion Street in Oak Park, 70 S. LaGrange Road in LaGrange, and 79 US Highway 41 in Shererville, Indiana. Each location has a slightly different look and feel but the best part is their food.

The restaurant I visited was in Naperville. It’s set up where you place your order at the counter and then the food is brought to your table. It’s a very basic interior with the smell of hickory smoke that is classic to any authentic BBQ restaurant. The inspiration for founder and owner, Michael LaPidus, was from a road trip he took in 2008.

In the story from their website, he says, “I drove across the country, eating BBQ along the way. I wasn’t the first to do this and certainly won’t be the last. It’s a classic American road trip that I highly recommend. Seek out the places that look like abandoned houses with lines of hungry people waiting for meals of smoked meats, mac & cheese, cornbread and sweet tea. In these places, everyone is family. In these places, legends begin.”

Q-BBQ has won awards from Michelin Guide to Chicago’s Ribfest. The reason is not lost on anyone who eats there. They have some amazing food to choose from. You can go for the brisket burnt ends or the pulled pork or simply get a Papa Q which has a sampling of all 10 meats with two dies and hush puppies. According to them it feeds 2 people but I’d venture it could feed a group of 3-4 people easily. Oh, and did I mention the hush puppies. They are worthy of a second helping! And of course honorable mention goes to the different sauces, Vinegar (N. Carolina), Spicy (Texas), Sweet (Memphis) and Mustard.

Some folks think the cost for a dish is too high but I have to admit you get a value for what you’re spending because the portions are so large. And in case you stop in unexpectedly, there is a hand washing station for before and after your meal. One thing I noticed that might not have been on purpose is that families with kids were seated on one side of the restaurant and those without kids were on the other.

CATHY MALLERS & DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO