Q BBQ Public House

164 Beverly Street
Cambridge, ON

519-740-9860

In her opinion:
To be honest, I've been kind of avoiding Q BBQ Public House...not because I had heard bad things about the quality of the food or service but simply because it was the old Oliver's! I know...you should never judge a book by its cover and believe me this cover has changed considerably...call it foolishness or stupidity but I have now rectified the error!

After a long and emotional day, we decided to get take-out. We wanted something that we could blog about! So after a little ride around town we finally remembered Q BBQ. Once we looked over their take out menu we decided on the "4 Meat Family Platter". This allowed us to choose from ribs, brisket, pulled pork, pulled chicken, smoked meatloaf, smoked peameal and smoked wings. We opted for the ribs, brisket, pulled pork and pulled chicken. It also came with 3 small sides - we picked creamy mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese and cheesy red skinned potato gratin. Although we could have picked from fries, bbq baked beans, house made slaw, side caesar salad, side garden salad, baked potato, cinnamon whiskey apples and smokehouse chili.

This was actually a lot of food. We still have tonnes of pulled pork and chicken leftover. I was really really impressed with the ribs, brisket, creamy mash potatoes, mac and cheese and the cornbread. I will say that the pulled pork and chicken were also quite delicious. They had a very pleasant smokiness to them but I think for my taste, I would prefer more sauce on them. The cheesy red skinned potato gratin was also good but not my favourite of the sides we picked.

The brisket was melt in your mouth delicious. The ribs were smoked to perfection...not falling off the bone but I prefer them that way anyway. The creamy mash potatoes were seasoned to perfection and absolutely delicious. Comfort food at its best. The macaroni and cheese tasted homemade and not out of a box. Super creamy. But the best part of the meal was the cornbread. This was hands down the best cornbread I have ever eaten. The right amount of sweetness. I could easily eat these little beauties anytime. So incredibly good. Delicious.

I would definitely recommend Q BBQ to anyone who likes good bbq.

In his opinion:
This newly refurbished restaurant has been catching the eyes and taste buds of many people in Cambridge. Partly because there is a true lack of competition for this type of food in this town but mostly because it is quickly inheriting a cult following, much like its previous incarnation.

Lately, I have not had a food conversation without someone asking the question of "have you tried this place?" or "when are you going to blog about this place"? So, before I was trapped in another of those one sided conversations, it was time to try it and blog about it.

The outside seems to have just had a fresh coat of paint from its Oliver predecessor. On the inside, a totally different story, it is like a new re-incarnation and for the better I must add.

We decided to make it a take out night since we had a long and draining day,  mourning and celebrating the life of someone dear in the Cambridge food scene, George's Restaurant owner, Paul Seto. We picked up the extensive takeout menu and went straight to the family platter, which allows you to pick 4 types of meat, 3 sides and 3 corn breads.

We opted for the brisket (5*), ribs (4*) and pulled Pork and pulled chicken (3 1/2*). The brisket is absolutely the star on the plate. Soft, perfectly cooked and seasoned, melting in your mouth and making you want to beg for more. I wouldn't be surprised if someone gets this deal and get brisket for all meats...oh wait...you can only double up, and on 2 dishes, pulled pork and brisket.

The ribs were tender and perfectly BBQ'ed. The sweet and tangy bbq sauce is impeccable and works well with the brown sugar rub used to give it an amazing taste. Both the pulled pork and pulled chicken are very good, even though they relied on their respective sauces for much of the flavour.

For the sides we picked creamy mashed potatoes that were actually very creamy and tasty, something you don't usually get in take out food. We also ordered the macaroni and cheese which was very good and lastly, the cheesy red skin potato gratin, the only disappointing dish of the whole meal. Potatoes were too hard and not even the sauce could save them.
The cornbread on the other hand is truly out of this world, some of the best I have ever had. Glad it came with 3 large pieces...

The Good: Great BBQ place, well located, super tasty and well seasoned food.
The Bad: The potato gratin was a major disappointment, but the only thing that wasn't very good.
The Verdict: Surely a great addition to the Cambridge food scene, can't wait to go back and try more of their dishes.

I give it 3 1/2 out of 5 olives as rating