Enjoy barbecue in the heart of downtown Naperville at Q-BBQ. Since 2011, owner Michael LaPidus and his team have been delighting customers with smoked meat, homemade sauces and made-from-scratch sides that deserve top billing as well.
“Barbecue is America’s original comfort food,” said LaPidus, who is affectionately known as Papa Q.
“People basically smoke meat the same way they have been doing it for thousands of years; we do it authentically, but we are making it our own and taking the recipes up a notch.”
LaPidus opened his first Q-BBQ in La Grange in 2009, followed by Naperville, and Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood in 2014.
Here’s the dish on this local favorite.
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What’s on the menu? Q-BBQ offers a variety of meats rubbed with a homemade blend of 13 spices and then smoked “low and slow” for 10 to 22 hours over hickory and apple wood. One step through the front door and the enticing wafts confirm there’s something special going on. With pulled pork, brisket, chicken, turkey, sausage, wings or a slab of ribs, it’s a meat-lovers dream come true, but there are plenty of non-meat choices and hearty salads as well. Beer and wine is available.
About the owner: LaPidus grew up in Naperville and attended Highlands Elementary School before his family moved to Berwyn. Now a resident of LaGrange, “Papa Q” said while he’s not a trained chef, he’s a trained eater who has been inspired by sampling culinary cues from around the country.
He’s pleased to report his 20-month-old son’s first word was “Q.”
A mission statement or philosophy: Q-BBQ prides itself on being an authentic barbecue restaurant with regional inspirations from the backwoods of the Carolinas, the meat markets of Texas, and the holes-in-the-walls of Memphis.
“Our culinary distinction is that we are doing barbecue authentically, but we are making it our own and taking the recipes up a notch,” the owner said. As important as the food is how Q-BBQ staffers deliver it, making sure it’s consistent and accompanied by “legendary service.”
What’s the decor like? Upscale casual comes to mind when you enter Q-BBQ. Large chalkboards display the menu items above the counter where you order, and the friendly staff brings the food to you. There is a rustic-urban vibe, with distressed wood floors and plenty of table and booth seating. LaPidus calls it “fine casual dining.”
Food specialties: While you may think something called “burnt ends” is a culinary debacle, it’s just the opposite at Q-BBQ, where the specialty is described as “when filet mignon meets beef jerky.” It’s brisket, smoked for 22 hours then cubed, taken out and rubbed with special spices before returning to the smoker for another two hours. It’s served with a side and, of course, hush puppies to dip into all of Q-BBQ’s homemade sauces.
“Hush puppies are a southeast staple that I love; they are really a mechanism to try all of our sauces,” LaPidus said. The Q version of puppies includes fresh corn, garlic and paprika, and they are deep fried in peanut oil for a savory yet sweet combination.
We’re different because: LaPidus said it’s the authentic barbecue that makes Q-BBQ unique, and when coupled with their service and attention to detail, it’s a winning combination. He said they don’t sell barbecue, they sell reasons to come back.
Extras: Q-BBQ offers catering for parties from 10 to 1,000 people and a good kids’ menu, with items like ribs and sliders that aren’t your typical tot fare.
Price range: A pulled pork sandwich is $7.99, or mix and match three slider sandwiches for $9.99, which both come with a side and hush puppies. A plate, which includes your choice of a smoked meat, two sides and hush puppies is $11.99, and hearty salads start around $8. A half slab of Memphis baby back ribs is $14.99.
Logistics: Q-BBQ is located at 103 S. Main St. in downtown Naperville, across from the Main Street Promenade. They are open daily from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Call 630-637-6400 or visit q-bbq.com.
Jane Donahue is a freelance writer.