Address:

1250 Eighth St., West Des Moines, IA, 50265

Phone:

224-7440

Hours:

11 a.m.- 9 p.m. Monday – Thursday, 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday

When The Q opened last autumn, word of mouth didn’t have great things to say about it, and I must admit that I resisted reviewing it for a while.  But things have definitely changed since those early reports.

Ambiance: A harmonious scheme of black tables and caramel-color walls get splashed up with bold streaks of color thanks to broad-brushed prints of jazz greats. High- backed booths lend privacy, and there’s a good vibe here, thanks to a happening bar scene and jazz playing at an enjoyable level.

Menu: Barbecue (brisket, chicken, ribs, pulled pork), fried chicken, burgers and sandwiches, plus a handful of soups and salads.

Best bites: Pay attention to the weekly specials. On a Wednesday night visit we scored the most amazing thing: smoked meatloaf. This smoky-savory concoction, served with Grandma’s green bean casserole , and real mashed potatoes (though prefab-tasting gravy), could become dangerously habit-forming.

It’s been ages since I’ve had fried chicken that was this good — the crackly, flaky skin with its irresistible spicy-herby coating covered moist, tender plump meat. Don’t go ordering this thinking you’ll be all health-conscious and not eat the skin — that won’t be possible, because it’s just too good.

We also enjoyed a good brisket sandwich, with the meat served in lusciously marbled chunks (not slabs or shavings), sort of like a Philly cheesesteak sandwich.

On the side: Smoky-sweet baked beans, crisp sweet-potato fries, home-baked mac’n’cheese and a sweet-hot jalapeño corn bread muffin all tasted as passionately wrought as the meats.  
    
Very close: Just a hint of dried-out-ness prevented the otherwise expertly smoked ribs from being all-out rave-worthy — I’d definitely try them again. The coleslaw and potato salad were a bit over-mayonnaised, but their homemade appeal came through. Another gripe: The serving vessels — reminiscent of tin cake pans — which score high on the cute-o-meter, make it hard to maneuver knives and forks through them. Next time I’ll ask for a plate.  
    
Service: Just what you would want: upbeat, personal, professional.

Bottom line: This spot ranks right up there alongside some of our other high-quality, full-service, sit-down barbecue restaurants in town (Flying Mango and Jethro’s to name two).

original article located at: http://desmoines.metromix.com/restaurants/restaurant_review/datebook-diner-find-great/1881421/content

By Caitlin Thornton

Datebook Diner caps the list with Cactus Bob's

What it is: Right off the freeway on the 73rd/Eighth Street exit in West Des Moines, the spot where the Q Barbeque Restaurant & Bar just opened has housed at least a couple of previous restaurants, including an Italian eatery and a Mexican food joint. This go ‘round, the three owners of the Q have taken a new approach, hoping to win over the appetites of many with one of the city's most popular cuisine types.

The Q, however, stands out from Des Moines' sea of barbeque joints due to its sophisticated yet non-stuffy atmosphere. Although the Q prides itself in serving regional barbeque, there aren’t red-and-white-checkered napkins or football team paraphernalia shoving the “you’re at home” concept down your throat. Instead, the décor consists of caramel-colored walls with black accents, three flat TV screens featuring sports, and vibrant framed prints of famous jazz musicians strategically hung on the walls. The furnishings seem minimal, but the atmosphere gives you the sense that a lot of thought went into the Q. It has character, personality.

A few tables are located on the floor near a stone fireplace, but the Q’s seating is made up largely of booths with high walls that encourage a sense of privacy and intimacy. The bar balances out the space, smack-dab in the middle of the two main dining areas.

What we tried: It was cold and rainy outside when we went into the Q on a Thursday night. Some warm, hearty food was a must, so my guest and I chose from the features portion of the menu — skipping the several salads and traditional barbeque sandwiches. (Although I must admit, a black angus hot dog with chili sounded almost too good to pass up.) I ordered a half slab of loin back ribs and chose sweet potato fries and chili as my sides ($12.95). My guest went with a quarter order of white hickory smoked chicken with au gratin potatoes and beans ($8.95). To my delight, jalapeño corn bread came with each meal. (I get some serious cravings for the sweet stuff when someone mentions the word “barbeque.”)

Our food was served promptly in metal trays lined with wax paper. It was an intimidating amount of food, and it was good. Real good. My ribs fell off the bone but were still juicy. I tried all four barbeque sauces on our table (mustard, Carolina, original and spicy), ultimately opting for original as my sauce of choice. I don’t know if it was the yucky weather or its award-winning status, but the chili hit the spot.

My guest’s meal was equally tasty, maybe moreso. The Q gets its chickens from Iowa’s northern border and slow smokes them for a large part of the day. Its meticulous preparation was apparent in every bite. The cornbread was interesting — it was simultaneously sweet and spicy and went beautifully with butter (at this point, why not?). We washed our grub down with Sam Adams Oktoberfest, one of the nine beers on tap. It was beautiful.

Bob Conley, one of the Q’s owners, swung by each table mid-meal to hear people’s reactions and thank them for being there. There weren’t very many diners, and our waiter told us things had been a little slow since it opened about a month and a half ago. But we overheard one guest say, “It was great the first time, and it was great the second time.” Returning patronage is always a positive sign.

When he made it to our table, we asked Conley about the chili (it won the 1991 Illinois State Chili Cook Off) and a little about opening the restaurant.

“I’ve opened 45 restaurants in the past 35 years, and I think we got it right this time,” Conley said. We had to agree.

Why you should go: Delicious food, a chill atmosphere, all at a great price which most likely will result in leftovers galore. We see going to the Q on game days in our future; Sundays, get $3 Bloody Marys, $2.50 pints and $5 buckets of chili. The Q also offers a “quick meals” menu for some serious takeout.

What: The Q

Where: 1250 Eighth St., West Des Moines

Phone: (515) 224-7440

Hours: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Saturday; food service ends at 10 p.m.

Original article located at http://desmoines.metromix.com/restaurants/article/first-look-the-q/1542671/content

By Jim Duncan This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

"We announced our opening on Twitter and the first response we heard was 'Just what we need, another frigging barbecue,'" related The Q owner Bob Conley.

Barbecue is politically incorrect. In greater Des Moines, more new barbecues opened during the Bush administration than any other restaurant genre and, to many minds, they are associated with red state, red meat mentality. Some Obama era revisionists would like to quarantine them to Texas with the former president. Barbecue is now included in sin tax proposals, and the Environmental Protection Agency has proposed levying ozone endangerment taxes on cattle and burned wood. However, eating remains an act of politics, and barbecue is not going gently in any vegan good night.

In fact, The Q raises the bar for the genre in Des Moines. Tired of tentative tenants, landlord Conley decided to open his own restaurant in a venue that had briefly housed both Bordo's and Town Hall during the last year. He recruited a smoke master from Kansas City's Gates family, as in Gates & Sons BBQ and Gates College of Barbecue. Aaron "A-Train" Byrd says the Gates family patriarch is his godfather. He left Kansas City because he's involved with the Iowa Chapter of Bikers Against Child Abuse and because he wants to market his own line of barbecue sauces.

The restaurant looks like an urban archeological display. The hacienda style architecture has not changed since Cabo San Lucas was here. Indoor furniture hasn't changed since a previous tenant sanded down Sticks' designed tables and painted them black. Conley added outdoor furniture that includes heavy wrought iron tables and rocking chairs that I have previously only seen in five star resorts. The full bar remains unchanged from previous incarnations, except that bartenders now seem to treat strangers as well as their friends.

A well-dressed hostess greeted me with "Hi, how are you doing?" a Gates signature. She didn't take my order though — The Q is full service with a full bar. On my first visit, briskets were being removed from the smoker, and I could specify freshly sliced meat from the deckle — the staff knew what that meant, too. Byrd has the good sense to smoke his chickens in quarters, so his white meat need not be overcooked to safely cook his dark meat. Both chicken and brisket were as good as they get. Ribs, pork shoulders and burnt ends were all above average, showing smoke rings and smelling of hickory. Ribs had been grilled, drying out the surface areas — I'd prefer lukewarm ribs, if that's the trade off. That kept them from the status of the chickens and briskets.

Broasted chicken was panko breaded, fried crisp and tender to the bone. When I asked what award the "award-winning chili" won, I was introduced to a manager whose recipe garnered a blue ribbon in the Illinois Chili Cook-off. The chili was meatier than most. Of two kinds of slaw, vinegar-based excelled. Mac and cheese was heavy on cheese. Mashed potatoes had excellent stock-based gravy. Baked beans, fries and sweet potato fries were industry products. Potato salad and au gratin potatoes were both scratch made and creamy. House made bread pudding stood out over a pair of cobblers on the dessert menu.

On three subsequent visits, brisket that could be freshly sliced was available once and was just as good as the first time. Smoked chickens were consistently perfect. Four sauces were all sweetened yet distinctly different in flavor. All sandwiches and dinners came with two sides and were good bargains at $7 to $13.

Caption: The Q
1250 Eighth St., West Des Moines, 224-7440
Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Orginal Article Located at  http://www.dmcityview.com/2009/10/15/food/fooddude.html