Due For Some ‘Que

It’s about that time! You know we couldn’t go TOO long without trying a new BBQ place. What, has it been about 2 or 3 posts, give or take a few, since we blogged about BBQ? For those of you sick of reading about my extreme, insatiable love and passion of all things smoked low ‘n slow, you’ll be happy to know that we’re coming dangerously close to exhausting all of our BBQ options within reasonable driving distance. Once that happens we’ll do what any normal people would do in such a situation…pick up and move somewhere new obviously. Bobby-Q isn’t the closest restaurant to us, it’s northwest of us in a part of Phoenix we rarely frequent, if ever, and it kinda went under our radar for some time. Once we found about it though, it was only a matter of time, a very small period of time, before we made our way out there…but was it worth the drive??????

Normally i like my BBQ in small, questionable, hole-in-the-wall joints with grit and character. Upon pulling up to Bobby-Q it was immediately apparent this was no small hole-in-the-wall. It’s pretty large as far BBQ places go. It’s kinda got the look of a roadhouse shack you’d find along some highway somewhere in the south. Handpainted weathered wooden signs, classic cars and trucks parked outside the entrance, rustic wood siding and floors, corrugated steel, lots of vegetation growing over mismatched kinda dilapidated looking brick walls…you get the point.  Once inside it was clear this definitely not like any other BBQ places we’ve been to. Bobby-Q looks like some hip, sleek lounge that just happens to serve BBQ. Beautiful wood, big oversized booths and chairs, tall ceilings with exposed duct work, dim ambient lighting. Looks like they sunk a few bucks into the place, and we were rather impressed. Apparently it does turn into some sorta club on certain evenings with live music and dancing, VIP rooms with bottle service. In a BBQ restaurant? Really? We really liked the interior, cool vibe. So that was rather unexpected. The service was great, but seeing as the place was almost empty the afternoon we went there it better be good. No complaints there. My sweet tea was topped off often enough to keep me happy. Being the health conscious, figure watching lady that she is, julie went with the avocado club salad. We go to a BBQ place, and she orders a salad. At least she ordered a salad with meat on it. It comes with your choice of bbq brisket, fried or grilled BBQ chicken. i will say, it looked like a good salad, and it was certainly large enough to fill up anyone with a normal appetite. She enjoyed it. I, of course, ordered a brisket sandwich with a side of mac and cheese. The bun wasn’t may favorite, wish it was a little more substantial, but the meat itself was rather good. I like my brisket sandwiches chopped, with a decent amount of sauce which is exactly how this was served. There wasn’t TOO much sauce though to overpower the actual taste of the meat which was tender and smoky. The mac and cheese was no joke, thick, rich and creamy. Baking it in the oven created a nice slightly burnt crust over the top which was delicious. We were stuffed, as we normally are after any good BBQ meal so we passed on any dessert. Along with the check though, they bring you a brown bag with a couple freshly baked, warm, moist, sugar covered mini donuts sweet enough to satisfy anyone’s sweet tooth, but small enough that you’re sure to find juuuuust enough room to fit one.

Would i go back? The simple answer is yes. We definitely enjoyed the restaurant itself and the upscale feel. Service was good. The food was great. The negatives though, it’s rather out of the way for us, like i said in an area we never go to. We’re never going to just happen to be in that neighborhood unless we specifically decide to go out there to eat at Bobby-Q. Also, like i said, they spent some money putting this place together, so someone’s gotta pay for that. Therefore it’s not the cheapest as far as BBQ places go. It’s certainly not going to break the bank, but i’ve had just as good, and better BBQ, for less money. Otherwise, no complaints…

Exterior Shot of Bobby-Q

Interior Shot

Avocado Club Salad - Grilled BBQ chicken topped with tomatoes, cheese, onions & croutons.

BBQ Beef Brisket Sandwich - 18 hour smoked brisket on a bun with BBQ sauce

Donuts (mmmm greasy)