q fanatic bbq and grill

great food, terrible service. i have never eaten something at q fanatic that wasn't amazing, but the service leaves a lot to be desired. many times when i've called to place a to go order, i've been left on hold for 5-10 minutes. also, they seem to run out of the key items (ribs in particular) fairy often; they've been out of ribs the last two times i've placed an order. it seems that they are understaffed most of the time, and if thefoodwasn't so good, i wouldn't come back. i think they need to put as much focus into providing good service to their customers as they do in serving great food.

as soon as you entered the parking area, you could smell the great aroma of burning woods. it was definitely a legit barbecue place from the get go. no wonder they have been featured on tv. yes! this tiny place that's practically in my backyard has been on tv.

my first time there, it was a tad confusing inside as you need to order at one side, and thefoodwill came from the side closer to the line. it's those order first and sit type places, half fastfoodhalf sit down. good thing i was just usually getting take out. it took about 10 to 15 minutes to get the food. callingfirst and place the order ahead of time would be recommended. there's free popcorn while you wait

i had the special rib tip dinner for my first try. it was so cheap! my dinner was just a little over $6. i got a roll, cole slaw, a side of your choice, and the rib tip. i thought it was very good value. the meat was flavorful but being tip, it was a bit dry. i also am not sure if i was in love with the sauce. i chose the original. it was a tad watery for me. however, on next try, i did love the ribs a lot.

not bad! it's pretty cool to be able to get real barbecue anytime i want.

worst dinner i worst service ever. waited over 1 hour as i watched the staff move at a snails pace. the place was about half full and there were 7 other parties waiting as well.
finally got thefoodand it was over cooked and mushy bbq with extremely small portions.
total disappointment.

horrible restaurant. the person that waited on us didn't know anything about the menu and didn't even listen to me when i told her what i wanted. she looked miserable and acted like she didn't want to be there. she quoted us one price on a dish, had us pay, and came back asking for more money. thefoodwas mediocre and wasn't very warm. i'm very surprised that this restaurant publicized on tv, it is garbage.

ive had most everything onthe menu and loved all of it. its a small popular place so yes sometimes there will be a wait. if you walked into a busy barber shop would you give them a bad review because you had to wait your turn? apparently some of you would. the staff always seems friendly enough in my opinion. they are there to serve youfoodnot kiss your ass and wipe your chin. and to the people comparing the q to famous daves...really? you probably go to mcdonald's for a good hamburger!

absolutely horrible service inside. will never go back ever again. had to wait over an hour and a half for food, and when thefoodcame out it was poorly made, full of dripping grease, tasted dry, seasonless and tasteless. service seriously lacking along with customer service. when we confronted what seemed like the female owner was offended that we even questioned her about the length of time getting herfoodand that thefoodwas tasteless. she basically told me that i didn't know what i was talking about, and that's rude people that good. i told her that i'm from the south and i know barbecue because of my family and business down home and she basically told me that theirfoodwas better than that and she had been to the south and had theirfoodand also that you would have to wait over an hour and a half to get your food. i told her absolutely not. this lady must be delirious. just because you drive down i-75 and stop at a gas station does not make your barbecue expert.

goodfoodand service. 9/15/2012 my wife and i were traveling with friends to attend a birthday party for our friend in elk river and stop here for lunch. had the " q pinnic combo for four and it was great. ribs were very good, pork was a bit smoky tasting but the chicken, brisket were perfect. garlic buns were great as were all the sides we had. we had so muchfoodwe couldn't finish it all. the asian ginger teriyaki was great just wish they would bottle it to take home

great bbq, poorly managed. q fanatic makes the best pulled pork sandwich i've ever had. the good ends there: i live near the place and wished they would hire a manager to pair up the greatfoodwith good service and atmosphere. 80% of the times i've been there the staff has argued with each other or patrons. today i was there with my family and i was puzzled why my daughter didn't like the fries. i tried one and noticed an off taste, then one more bite... i tasted whiskey. i opened up the ketchup to get a strong smell of alcohol. so great... my 4 year old daughter and i had whiskey ketchup... we can't justify going back and that bums us out.

not going back.... the service was incredibly slow. we waited nearly 1.5 hours for our food. at the 1 hour 15 minute mark, i politely asked the waitress when our order would be up. she rudely informed us that "you have only been here an hour... it will take at least another 15-20 minutes."

once thefoodarrived, we were underwhelmed. the sausages and brisket were dry and tough, and the ribs and pulled chicken and pork were over smoked and salty. it seemed as though there was no seasoning- only smoke.

the sauces were quite good, but were served in such a small quantity that you were nearly afraid you would use it all on one bite.

the sides were of a quality you would expect in a high school cafeteria.

i am shocked this place is getting such good press. not worth the drive, not worth the wait. very disappointing.

worth the gamble. a little disorganized- the carryout order and dine in line is the same- and cramped for space. but thefoodis delicious. i've eaten at virtually every "rib joint" in the metro area and thefoodhere is in my top two. i would recommend the hickory ribs over the applewood smoked. the home made sauces are good, and the sides are unique- i really enjoyed the parmesan potatoes.
guess i would prefer a few small-scale idiosyncracies here to a corporate bland atmosphere where the atmosphere and service are perfect and thefooduniformly boring. i'll be back.

thefoodis good, but not worth putting up with the poor service. the place is very small and not the cleanest. it's is also old and pretty dumpy. the ordering system is very disorganized. i highly suggest take out instead if dining in.

still don't like it.... i tried q fanatic when they first opened and walked out because of poor service and the nasty attitude of the owner.

but one of my friends begged me to try it again. so this time, i actually tried their ribs and was very disappointed. they don't know what bbq is. i think it should be described as "slow roasted" and not bbq.

their sauces are very odd as well - tasted like coffee. and i hate coffee!

my friend was also disappointed for 2 reasons. first, they got her order wrong and then gave her an attitude when she asked that they correct their mistake. then when she did finally get her food, she said it tasted bad. i tried a little of her pulled pork sandwich and it tasted very bitter to me.

save your money, save your time, and go somewhere else!


-----26 feb, 2011-----

attitude problem!!!. i wanted ribs for lunch, so sue me!!! all they had was a big rib dinner for $14.95 and i didn't want that muchfoodfor lunch. when i asked why they didn't have a smaller sized rib plate for lunch, i thought the guy was going to go balistic! he really got an attitude told me to either orer the $14.95 rib dinner plate or i should go down the street to famous dave's. so i left!

waste of $$. saw the dd & dfoodnetwork program- love bbq, have had it in many states, particularly the south, so was excited to think there might be something compatible in the tc. unfortunately, the whole experience was not a positive one and i have no idea why it's rated this high on urban spoon, or elsewhere. the meat was extremely fatty- the brisket had great flavor but just poor quality. the pulled pork was mostly fat and had no flavor. the sauces aren't bad, but you have no idea what any of them taste like. so that doesn't help in the experience. most everything was bland, including corn fritters and steak fries. and the front counter staff were not particularly friendly- seemed to be an inconvenience for us to be ordering. sorry q, but we will not be back and not be recommending you.

foods great!!!!!!!!!!!!!. every1 says thefoodis great but the service is crap..... withfoodso great who cares about the service! you yanks expect a mcdonalds service with the ritz standard quality of food!! get a life ....im not even an american or live in america looking at series in the uk diners/dives i just wanna come for thefoodand big portions unlike the uk where everything u order is pussy cat sized portions hehe!!

back to basics - score 100%. 2/22/12: enlarged venue - they must be doing well. i can understand why. this bbq is just plain great. for a new twist try the espresso sauce. and the parmisan potatoes and new potato salad should both get awards.
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4/16/11: finally! a restaurant that demonstrates a real understanding of barbeque principals:
1. meat is number one. choice meat is necessary, the inherent flavor and texture do not depend on cooking technique or sauce.
2. smoke adds flavor and character, but does not cook the meat. rub is optional, depends on style.
3. slow low heat tenderizes and renders, giving fall off the bone tenderness and leanness.
4. hot grille and flame reheats and chars the meat, and will caramelize sauce.
5. sauce is last. it makes a barbeque unique, compliments and tempers the meat. spicy heat is optional.
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on these five principals q fanatic scores 100%!
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the meat is high quality and smoked every day in the smoker at the back of the parking lot, then prepared to order. they take the time to do it right. the 4 times i've eaten here in the last 3 months, the time from order to serve was about 20-25 minutes. i'll bet it's longer when they are busy. and the appearance on drive ins, diners, and dives adds to the demand.
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over the last 3 months i've had the pork spare ribs, pork back ribs, the pulled pork, and the sliced brisket. i'd call them st louis style (rather than texas, carolina, or southern). the price was good and the portion decent. in each meal the meat was lean and very tender, with nice smoke and a nice touch of char. there a 6 signature sauces to choose from, each obviously made with tlc, and each attracting its own fans.
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the sides are decent and in generous portions. though not typical barbeque fare, the parmesan potatoes are my favorite. the coleslaw is flavored right, but too loose. the corn fritters need something else, i'm not sure what, perhaps some salty bacon.
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service is at the counter, choose your own table. ambiance is a bit city for the bbq crowd, with a markus pierson coyote poster at each table. noise level is good. parking is easy. cleanliness is good. restrooms are clean.
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in previous reviews i see reports of service problems, but for me the service has always been good. this is not a fastfoodjoint, and preparing a meal to order takes time.