New Barbecue Joint

[Varmint]

I had lunch today at Scott Howell's "The Q Shack." Scott Howell is the owner/chef of Nana's, one of the region's top restaurants. He, much like Danny Meyer in New York with his "Blue Smoke", always wanted to open up a barbecue joint. When space became available just a couple of doors down from Nana's, he turned it into a barbecue joint. For those of you looking for traditional NC barbecue, you'll be disappointed. For those wanting to experience pretty damn good smoked meat, you'll want to try this place!

Four types of meat are served: Hickory Smoked Pork Butt, Chili Rubbed Beef Brisket (Mesquite smoked), Mesquite Smoked Turkey, and St. Louis Cut Pork Ribs. I had a plate consisting of half pork and half brisket. I chose mac & cheese and fried okra for my sides, along with a jalapeno deviled egg.

The brisket is incredibly tender and juicy, smokey, but not overpowerfully so. The brisket was coal black on the outside, but wasn't at all "charred" -- just lots of smoking action going on. I had "My Sauce" with that, which is a slightly sweet/sour tomato based sauce with a chipotle bite.

The pork was excellent pulled pork -- some of the best I've had in the state. It's not chopped as you often see in North Carolina -- much more of a Memphis style. I had this with "His Sauce", which is close to a Western North Carolina style: spicy, vinegar base with a touch of tomato.

All the sides were done extremely well. The mac and cheese had a solid cheddar flavor, with a touch of a mustard tang. The okra was very crisp. The jalapeno deviled egg was a nice little Carolina version of tapas!

I got to tour the kitchen and their smoking unit. It's a fairly standard commercial set up. Nothing is pit cooked here, unfortunately. When the counter lady opened the smoker, it was filled with fillets of salmon, which were to be used at Nana's that evening. Sounded like a good, symbiotic relationship to me.

The counter lady couldn't tell me where the Q Shack sourced its ingredients, unfortunately.

The Q Shack also serves burgers, brisket chili, a "Q Cobb Salad" that contains the smoked turkey and brisket with a chipotle blue cheese dressing, and for dessert, fried pies. Because this was lunch and I had to get some work done this afternoon, I passed up the fried pies.

I hear they have live bluegrass music on Friday evenings, too.

Scott Howell now has the upscale Nana's, the casual trattoria Pop's, the down home Q Shack, and will be soon opening a steak joint in downtown Raleigh. He's obviously doing well for himself.

The Q Shack

2510 University Dr.

Durham, NC 27707

919-402-4227

(edit to add address & phone)

Edited April 17, 2003 by Varmint (log)

[Zeb A]

Sounds good. Thx for the report!

Where will the steakhouse be located? Competition for Sullivan's is a good thing, and I think the downtown location can support two up-scale steak joints.

[Varmint]

Review of the Q Shack in today's Raleigh News & Observer: Clique for the Q Review

[ditsydine]

I might be wrong, but I think the steakhouse will be closer to 5 Star and that area.

I definitely think Raleigh needs more non-chain steak houses..

I'm so happy my city is growing up. sniff.

[Varmint]

A second location of the Q Shack is opening on Hillsborough St. in Raleigh. This is within walking distance to my house, so it's a very dangerous location! I doubt it'll be open by the time of the pig pickin', unfortunately, so those staying in the Brownstone Inn won't be able to partake.

The Q Shack Franchise

[Foodie_Penguin]

What's the Q Shack like for lunch? Is it popular and does this mean service is slow?

I'm considering taking a friend there for lunch on a weekday and I want to be confident that I can get in and out there in an hour without having to rush eating.

Foodie_Penguin

[Popcorn]

Depends on when you go. If you get there at noon, there'll be a really long line. I usually aim to get there either when they open at 11 (for a very hearty breakfast) or after 1.

Even with the line, it's not too bad. I wouldn't recommend the burger if you're in a hurry. They'll cook it from scratch and takes a little while.

[Varmint]

I heard that Scott Howell's steakhouse project was tubed, which was confirmed a couple of weeks ago in this article that I somehow missed.

The Raleigh QShack should open by month's end, which is about two months later than originally planned, making it right on time for typical restaurant openings.

[soupkitchen]

As of now the new Steakhouse "Chops" is on hold and will probably not happen. There was an article in the Triangle Business Journal about the deal falling apart. I wish Raleigh would get something like Brasserie Les Halles, but I think I am in the minority in the area.

[Varmint]

We certainly don't have a place to get steak frites, that's for darn sure. Soupkitchen, let's get one started!!

[Varmint]

Raleigh QShack is still on hold. The City of Raleigh has asked them to install a better hood system for their smoker. It appears that they haven't asked them to incorporate any high-end scrubbers, fortunately. However, the opening of this place remains on hold.

This is one of the many reasons that there are no legitimate barbecue restaurants within the Raleigh city limits.

[Varmint]

The Raleigh Q Shack will be opening on Friday, January 2. Sounds like my lunch plans are taken care of that day.

[Varmint]

I did indeed go to the Q Shack for lunch today, and I fear for my waistline. Seeing that this place is within walking distance to my house, they also serve beer, and they actually have a kids' menu that works (i.e., choice of meat, one side, hushpuppies, drink and a small ice cream cone for $3.95!), I'll be there way too often.

I had their chili rubbed beef brisket plate with macaroni & cheese and fried okra. The brisket was slowly cooked with mesquite, resulting in ultra-tender slices of very juicy beef. I could easily eat this several times a week.

In addition to the beef, the Q Shack offers hickory smoked pork butt, mesquite smoked chicken and turkey, St. Louis cut pork ribs, and mesquite smoked beef sausage. Sandwiches, salads, brisket chili, frito pie, and awesome sides round out the menu.

Hell, this place even makes their own fried pies!! Finally, Scott Howell was working the joint today, with a big ol' smile on his face. He knows he has something very good here, and he should be happy. The place was packed, even though they haven't done a bit of advertising.

The QShack

2430 Hillsborough Street

919-832-4BBQ (4227)

www.theqshack.com

[tanabutler]

Hey, Varmint, what's Texas toast? (It's mentioned in the first review posted.)

[Varmint]

Hey, Varmint, what's Texas toast? (It's mentioned in the first review posted.)

Texas toast is essentially a thick slice of Wonder-like bread, lightly toasted. It's a classic accompaniment to Texas barbecue. It's a waste of carbohydrates, IMHO.

[jbraynolds]

Mesquite? For chicken? For pretty much nothing, really, but chicken? Mesquite is the lowest-rent smoking wood around and is considered a complete joke in Texas for the acrid notes it gives. Oak with maybe Hickory and/or Pecan for beef, Hickory and maybe some fruit woods and/or Oak for birds...the mesquite? Send it to California. At least he did the pork right.

Edited January 2, 2004 by jbraynolds (log)

[jbraynolds]

Boy, how right you are about Texas Toast! Waste of carbs is one of the nicer things that it's been called.

For what it's worth, Texas Toast is pretty much only found at chain steakhouses like Ponderosa, Sizzlin' Sirloin or Sirloin Stockade. You WILL not find it at Kreuz, Louie or Johnny Mueller's, Taylor Cafe, and Mikeska place, any Cooper's, Sonny Bryan's, Drexler's, Southside Market, Crossroads, Luling City Market, Black's, Smitty's or Chisholm Trail or even at Goode Company. I don't think that they even serve it in the dreaded Dicky's or Luther's conglomerates. In short, not at any Texas bbq place that most people that frequent eGullet would want to visit.

Any place that aspires to replicate the Texas bbq experience faithfully would lose Texas Toast, pronto.

[tanabutler]

Oh, I have had that Texas Toast crud.

Gotcha.

[jbraynolds]

Having been to the first Q Shack, in Durham, I have no idea why anyone would go there when they could just go to Bullock's. Q Shack has too much of a Southern theme park aura to it. Anyone been to Brother Jimmy's in New York? Slap a bunch of Duke or UNC posters up, maybe a NASCAR trinket or two, some ACC games on the tv, serve Cheerwine and Sundrop, put up a screen door, load up the menu with stereotypical Southern jargon and there you are.

Edited January 2, 2004 by jbraynolds (log)

[Varmint]

Having been to the first Q Shack, in Durham, I have no idea why anyone would go there when they could just go to Bullock's. Q Shack has too much of a Southern theme park aura to it. Anyone been to Brother Jimmy's in New York? Slap a bunch of Duke or UNC posters up, maybe a NASCAR trinket or two, some ACC games on the tv, serve Cheerwine and Sundrop, put up a screen door, load up the menu with stereotypical Southern jargon and there you are.

I'll totally disagree with you on that one. First of all, Bullock's isn't even that good of barbecue -- the only wood in that place might be the toothpicks.

Second, I haven't been to the Durham Q Shack in a couple of months, but it certainly didn't have any of that type of touristy paraphenalia that I recall. The Raleigh version does not, I can assure you.

Moreover, regardless of your thoughts of mesquite, Texas Toast, or any other aspect of the Q Shack, the meat that I have had was quite good. The brisket is smokey, but not overly so. It tastes like beef first and foremost. The smoke flavor then comes through loud and clear. As far as the pork is concerned, it is not really North Carolina barbecue either, but it is good pulled pork. When I sample the other types of meat, I'll report back. Finally, the sides are excellent -- something that is often totally disregarded in barbecue restaurants.

I don't think the Q Shack is trying to be the best barbecue restaurant in the state. It is, however, trying to offer several different types of smoked meat using some quality control methods that are often ignored in more famous restaurants.

[woodburner]

Mesquite? For chicken? For pretty much nothing, really, but chicken? Mesquite is the lowest-rent smoking wood around and is considered a complete joke in Texas for the acrid notes it gives. Oak with maybe Hickory and/or Pecan for beef, Hickory and maybe some fruit woods and/or Oak for birds...the mesquite? Send it to California. At least he did the pork right.

I'm not willing to lock horns with Varmint regarding wood flavors. If he said it was good, I'm willing to bet it is.

That being said, mesquite when burned correctly is full of flavor. If the wood is too wet, and smolders, you may have to send your pit to the grave yard, because the stench may never come out. Properly seasoned mesquite or better yet, mesquite lump charcoal imparts a perfect marriage into poultry. Use it sparingly and correctly and you have a winner. Best to have a sample before sending a method into oblivion.

Speaking of Oblivion, where the hell is Brian Auger.

woodburner

[Varmint]

I appreciate the support, woodburner, but I haven't tried the mesquite-smoked poultry, so I can't offer my opinion. The mesquite used for the beef worked nicely, however, but beef can handle that flavor much better than milder meats, I'd say. I'll do my best to try some of the poultry in the next few days and report back here.

[jbraynolds]

I'll leave my personal opinion on Mesquite (the wood, not the town) out of it but can tell you that in Texas, where the stuff is basically a weed (read: free or dirt cheap) I can't name a single bbq place that uses it. Not a one. Some places way out in west Texas will burn it down to coals and use it for heat but it's a wood that's loaded with resin. "Might as well use pine" you'll hear people say. Having tasted the results many times as it's the one that sits on most grocery store shelves and gets picked up by unsuspecting friends who get ambitious with their Weber, I'm happy to leave it alone.

[Varmint]

Nah, keep your personal opinions here! Isn't that what eGullet is all about??? Anyhow, I'll question the owners about their wood choices next time I visit. I barely was able to talk to Scott Howell yesterday, as he the place was a bit busier than what they expected. On top of that, someone tried to refill the ice hopper in the soda machine without taking the lid off it first. Pretty funny to see a bucket of ice scattered across the joint.

[woodburner]

Mesquite? For chicken? For pretty much nothing, really, but chicken? Mesquite is the lowest-rent smoking wood around and is considered a complete joke in Texas for the acrid notes it gives. Oak with maybe Hickory and/or Pecan for beef, Hickory and maybe some fruit woods and/or Oak for birds...the mesquite? Send it to California. At least he did the pork right.

I know Cooper's uses mesquite, but don't just trust me, read what they say.

Cooper' Mesquite

Smoked Barbecue Beef Brisket:

Our barbecue brisket is cooked cowboy style: Directly over simmering mesquite coals for over 5 hours.

woodburner

Edited January 3, 2004 by woodburner (log)