Q-BBQ, Diversey Version

There's a thread for Q-BBQ in La Grange, but not one for the branch on Diversey to my knowledge.

Anyway, not to get into any laborious detail, but five of us ordered delivery from them last night and shared a bunch of stuff--ribs, blackened brisket ends, pulled pork, various sides. We liked everything! The foodie-est among us (not me) pronounced it to his liking, which validated the opinion of the rest of us, who are more in the "I don't know anything about food, but I know what I like" camp.

Another bonus: The delivery time estimate was 45 minutes, which would have been perfectly satisfactory. In fact the order beat that, showing up in about a half hour. And even though it was a complicated order, they got it 100% right. So they've got their act together in that department.

Q-BBQ
714 W. Diversey
Chicago IL 60657
773 281 7800

I was extremely disappointed with their burnt ends. The fact that they call them burnt ends is somewhat misleading if you are expecting Kansas City style burnt ends with cubes of tender meat. What I received was mostly chopped up pieces that were burnt and stringy.

Han wrote:I was extremely disappointed with their burnt ends. The fact that they call them burnt ends is somewhat misleading if you are expecting Kansas City style burnt ends with cubes of tender meat. What I received was mostly chopped up pieces that were burnt and stringy.

Burnt ends vary widely in style and execution, even from place to place in Kansas City (where I had some a few weeks ago). See:

The Burnt Ends of Kansas City: A Guided Tour

nsxtasy wrote:

Han wrote:I was extremely disappointed with their burnt ends. The fact that they call them burnt ends is somewhat misleading if you are expecting Kansas City style burnt ends with cubes of tender meat. What I received was mostly chopped up pieces that were burnt and stringy.

Burnt ends vary widely in style and execution, even from place to place in Kansas City (where I had some a few weeks ago). See:

The Burnt Ends of Kansas City: A Guided Tour

Regardless of "style," if they're bad, they're bad. I think that's what Han is basically saying here.

=R=

On a related note, I just noticed that I missed out on G Wiv serving burnt ends twice within the last month at barn & co.

Han wrote:On a related note, I just noticed that I missed out on G Wiv serving burnt ends twice within the last month at barn & co.

They were great -- best I can remember having in Chicago. And I think he's added them as a special on Saturdays.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:Regardless of "style," if they're bad, they're bad. I think that's what Han is basically saying here.

I think you're right, this is what Han is saying. So he and I will have to agree to disagree.

riddlemay wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:Regardless of "style," if they're bad, they're bad. I think that's what Han is basically saying here.

I think you're right, this is what Han is saying. So he and I will have to agree to disagree.

LOL - it's probably the very first time any 2 people have disagreed about BBQ here in our forums.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:LOL - it's probably the very first time any 2 people have disagreed about BBQ here in our forums.

Indeed. The world of BBQ may be divided into two parts: those who hold certain truths to be self-evident concerning what BBQ is and ought to be, and those who are delighted to have something delicious in their mouths. I'm in the latter group, but I don't begrudge the opinions of those in the former group. (There are areas of culture, mostly not to do with food, in which principles matter just as much to me as BBQ matters to them.)

riddlemay wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:LOL - it's probably the very first time any 2 people have disagreed about BBQ here in our forums.

Indeed. The world of BBQ may be divided into two parts: those who hold certain truths to be self-evident concerning what BBQ is and ought to be, and those who are delighted to have something delicious in their mouths. I'm in the latter group, but I don't begrudge the opinions of those in the former group. (There are areas of culture, mostly not to do with food, in which principles matter just as much to me as BBQ matters to them.)

I think it's even more fundamental than that: not everyone agrees on what constitutes delicious. And beyond that, BBQ is a fickle beast. It is, by its nature, inconsistent. I've bbq'd in my backyard hundreds of times and it doesn't always come out the same. So it's pretty clear that 2 people can go to the same commercial operation, order identically -- even on the very same day -- and have wildly different experiences. Is every rib or brisket served in that joint from the same pig or cow, or even the same farm? Did it all sit equally as long waiting to be served after it was ready? Of course not. There are myriad variables.

Yes, I believe there's also something very important to be said about the experience level and knowledge of those doing the eating but one need not travel that far down the line to encounter legitimate differences of opinion. And so it goes . . .

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:

riddlemay wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:LOL - it's probably the very first time any 2 people have disagreed about BBQ here in our forums.

Indeed. The world of BBQ may be divided into two parts: those who hold certain truths to be self-evident concerning what BBQ is and ought to be, and those who are delighted to have something delicious in their mouths. I'm in the latter group, but I don't begrudge the opinions of those in the former group. (There are areas of culture, mostly not to do with food, in which principles matter just as much to me as BBQ matters to them.)

I think it's even more fundamental than that: not everyone agrees on what constitutes delicious. And beyond that, BBQ is a fickle beast. It is, by its nature, inconsistent. I've bbq'd in my backyard hundreds of times and it doesn't always come out the same. So it's pretty clear that 2 people can go to the same commercial operation, order identically -- even on the very same day -- and have wildly different experiences. Is every rib or brisket served in that joint from the same pig or cow, or even the same farm? Did it all sit equally as long waiting to be served after it was ready? Of course not. There are myriad variables.

Yes, I believe there's also something very important to be said about the experience level and knowledge of those doing the eating but one need not travel that far down the line to encounter legitimate differences of opinion. And so it goes . . .

All very wise and true. It prompts me to think, even though I demurred from descriptors in my original post, that I really ought to attempt a few to describe why I thought Q's burnt ends tasted so good on the night we had them. Han can then (if he wants) elaborate further on why he thought they didn't taste good.

Here are a few descriptors:

Tender...moist...not stringy...prominent beef flavor...fatty as they should be without being greasy...nice note (not overwhelming, but there) of burnt flavor around the edges...satisfying in that way only good beef can be.

Although someone could disagree with these descriptors, they at least move the question a few degrees from the totally subjective. (Or at a minimum provide useful support for my opinion, so that someone can know what "delicious" means to me in the world of brisket.)