Twisted Q BBQ in Homewood

As a long-time south suburban resident, I am always on the lookout for new places to try on my home turf. Several months ago I read in the local paper that a new barbeque place would be opening in the former home of Nielsen's bakery. The owner has been serving barbeque out of the Dari-Whip in Steger, Illinois for a couple of years, and his wife, Kelly, is the pastry chef at Glenwood Oaks restaurant. While we could have gone to the Dari-Whip to try the barbeque, our family patiently waited until everything was in place at the new location. They opened their doors Monday.

A friend of mine told me on Friday that she would be working the early morning commuter shift selling coffee and baked goods, so my husband and I stopped by Monday morning to say hello. I grabbed a cinnamon stick to enjoy on my train ride. It was delicious -- not too sweet, and the drizzle of icing over the top was just sweet enough. I look forward to ordering this again. Some of the baked goods (the breads, the muffins and the donuts) come from LaBriola Baking Co., and some are made by Kelly. My husband enjoyed a pastry with hazelnut and fresh blueberries. He also had some pie, but that came later in the day.

The husband and older daughter decided to go back and try the barbeque at lunch time. They both opted for the brisket sandwich. I got a phone call as soon as they got home, telling me the food was terrific and they were anxious to try other things on the menu. I do have one daughter who is vegetarian, and there is not much for her to choose from, but my husband raved about the corn pudding and felt sure she would enjoy their mac and cheese.

When I got off the train, I was told that he was determined to try the ribs -- so we went back for his THIRD meal at Twisted Q. Both of us ordered the St. Louis ribs. Sauce was served on the side. The place was a madhouse -- lots of phone orders, people standing in line for takeout and people waiting for tables. I don't think they were prepared for the massive amount of customers that showed up on the first day. All in all, I think this is going to be a great addition to the neighborhood. Food is good, the owner is listening to his customers about what they like and don't like, and we are happy to have barbeque walking distance from the house.

Suzy

Twisted Q BBQ & Bakery
2053 Ridge Road
Homewood, IL 60430
http://www.twistedqbbq.com
(708) 957-8899

has anyone else tried this place yet?
what kinda of smoker are they cooking on ??

I asked the owner about the smokers -- they are using 2 Southern Prides.

Suzy

Sorry for the late reply... Will most likely try this place again (if only out of frustration over lack of decent dining options in close proximity), but after trying it the first week they were open, I was only impressed by the turnout.

The sides were all major disappointments. Chicken and ribs were both very light on flavor although nicely cooked. Brisket was waterlogged. Sauce was trying to be too much of everything at once, if you ask me. Hopefully by now they have ironed out the kinks, at least if they see them that way...

thanks suzy for checking. on smokers.
how is the food?

Food -- I liked the St. Louis ribs. I liked the brisket, although I think it is being held in a steam table. I like the corn pudding and the fries. I was not crazy about the chicken -- I was expecting more of a smoked flavor, and it seemed to be grilled rather than smoked, even though it was juicy and tender. I also liked the shrimps, which are cooked on the grill in cedar paper to give them a smokey flavor. I have not tried the baby back ribs yet. I do know that they have already discontinued the early morning bakery shift because business was slow and are now opening at 10:30 in the morning.

I think this place has a lot of potential, and I really want them to be a success. There are several other things I want to try on the menu and I'll report back when I get to them.

Suzy

My experience at Twisted Q as to what was good is virtually identical to Suzy's. Of course, when I dined there I was with Suzy.

The St Louis ribs were the best of the meats, they do have promise. I really liked the fries and corn pudding, and the oreo pie was fabulous. However, there do seem to be a lot of items on the menu that needed shoring up, especially on the Bbq side. I think they get a little too happy with the steam table, and there isn't enough smoke in the meats, but I really would like to see the place succeed.

Friday evening brought us back to Twisted Q for dinner. My husband really wanted the St. Louis ribs, and I wasn't that hungry when we left the house. I thought originally I would just have a couple of appetizers, and a cup of the Hughes white chili, but changed my mind as I went through the specials list. They have a smoked, stuffed trout on the menu and I ordered that instead. I enjoyed it so much, I thought it was worth posting about.

The fish was smoked rather delicately -- if you are expecting flavor like a smoked chub from the deli, this is not what you are going to get. Stuffed with carrots, herbs and onions, the flavor was outstanding. I would be happy to go back and order this again. The owner told me he is getting the trout from a small, family-run trout farm in Wisconsin.

In addition to the barbeque on the menu, the dessert case has been filled recently with all kinds of delicious treats -- we brought home some bread pudding to enjoy and a slice of pie for my daughter. Specials are not necessarily barbeque. I see that they are having corned beef, cabbage and Guinness all this week, and Tim had grilled salmon on the menu Friday in addition to the trout. We will definitely be back again soon.

Suzy

I had the pulled pork sandwich and my partner the brisket sandwich. We both enjoyed our meals and thought the quantity was acceptable for the price.