What to Eat

What to Eat at Chicago Q, Opening Saturday in the Gold Coast

Barbecue gets closer to the lake.
Barbecue gets closer to the lake. Photo: courtesy Urban Daddy

Chicago Q certainly isn’t the first barbecue restaurant to open this summer, but it just might be the most expensive. The concept is “urban barbecue,” and it has the prices to match its Gold Coast location. Luckily, there is also a proper pitmaster behind the scenes. Chef Lee Ann Whippen has incredible barbecue credentials, including fourteen years of competitive BBQ cooking experience and a successful restaurant and catering company in Virginia. She’s a Certified BBQ Judge with the Kansas City Barbecue Society, and also managed to beat Bobby Flay in a pulled pork Throwdown. The restaurant opens this weekend, and you can take a look at the menu below.

The menu features the usual suspects of pulled pork, ribs, and chicken. The biggest surprise may be the kobe brisket. I mean, we all knew that it would eventually happen, but to see it on the menu is still a surprise. Brisket has a nice fat cap on top of the meat, but is surprisingly lean overall. Using kobe, which is prized for its ample amount of fat, might help solve some of the problems people have with cooking it.

The biggest question with every barbecue restaurant is whether they’ll be able to translate the good luck at the barbecue competitions into a successful restaurant operation. Whippen already has experience with the restaurant business, but we don’t think she’s tried anything this high end before. I mean, this place even takes reservations. But all judgements must wait for a while. At the very least, we’ll have to wait a few months to see what Heather Shouse thinks.

Chicago q, 1160 N Dearborn St, Chicago, IL 60610; 312-642-1160

Right on Q [Urban Daddy]

Appetizers
BBq Flight - Kobe Brisket, Pulled Pork and Pulled Chicken 8.75
Smoked Dry-Rubbed Wings 7.75
House Bacon Cheddar Hush Puppies 6.75
Buttermilk-Battered Onion Rings 5.75
Pig Powder Chips 2.75

Salads
Baby Greens, Smoked Grape Tomatoes, Cornbread Croutons 5.75
Hominy, Smoked Corn, Black Beans 9.75
BBq Cobb with House Bacon and Pulled Chicken 11.50

BBq
Choose Cornbread, Coleslaw or Fries to accompany your BBq
All three house-made sauces accompany your BBq:
Original Mild, Spicy, and Eastern North Carolina Vinegar

Kobe Chopped Brisket Sandwich 11.25
Pulled Pork Sandwich 10.25
Pulled Chicken Sandwich 10.25
Kobe Sliced Brisket 19.75
Pulled Pork Shoulder 13.75
Smoked Half Chicken 14.50
Baby Back Half or Full Slab 16.25/26.75
St. Louis Half or Full Slab 14.25/24.75
“Competition” Baby Back Full Slab only (limited supply) 35.75
“Competition” St. Louis Full Slab only (limited supply) 33.75
q2 - One Pulled Meat + Half Chicken or Half Slab 24.25
q3 - Two Pulled Meats + Half Chicken or Half Slab 27.25
Whole Pork Shoulder, Coleslaw, Kobe Beans, Cornbread 305.00

Entrées
q Burger/Classic Burger 13.75/9.25
Pork Chop - Double-Cut/Single-Cut 34.75/17.25
18-ounce Prime Bone-In Rib-Eye 44.50
Smoked Salmon Steak 23.25

Sides
Braised Greens 4.50
Honey Butter Cornbread 3.50
Brûléed Macaroni and Cheese 5.75
House-Cut Fries 3.25
Coleslaw 3.25
Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes 4.50
Kobe Brisket Baked Beans 5.75
Seasonal Vegetable 4.25

Desserts
Pound Cake Club 7.75
Bourbon Caramel Bread Pudding 6.25
Seasonal Pie/Cobbler 6.25
Red Velvet Cake 6.25
Sweet Tea Granita 5.25
Milk & Cookies 5.25
What to Eat at Chicago Q, Opening Saturday in the Gold Coast