Anyone try Q Texas Smokehouse?

[rbalfour]

My bride and I will be going on the Bliss in February for a trip to Mexico (she REALLY wants to see the whales). I was curious if anyone has tried the BBQ in Q Texas Smokehouse before. I haven't seen a lot posted on it so figured I'd just ask. As reference, we love BBQ (brisket, pulled pork, chicken, ribs). I even own several smokers and grills, so I do know how it's supposed to taste. I was nervous in trying it because I don't see how you turn out decent BBQ on a ship, but want to keep an open mind. So let's here it. Thanks in advance.

[Panhandle Couple]

We tried it last month for the first time.

I give it a B-.

It does have what is advertised.  The sampler platter can feed both of you.

As you can imagine, getting the true smoke taste in a kitchen that can't produce much smoke is a limiting factor.  I don't recall white sauce being available either.

The country band that was there had a very good guitar player (Frank?).  The other two (guy and gal) were just ok.  They played bluegrass when we went to eat, but we stopped in earlier in the cruise to hear a few songs, and they were std country tunes.  You can go and listen anytime, just tell the hostess.  There is an area around the bar that they use for that.

It is generally not crowded, so you can plan for last minute reservations.

 

They use that seating for other things in the day, trivia, private functions, etc.

[seemoreroyals]

We had it on the Bliss several years ago.  Considering you are getting it on a cruise ship and not able to smoke it yourself in your back yard we thought it was pretty good.   We each got a platter that had a little bit of everything.  This is also the place if I remember correctly had the banana pudding in a jar that was very good.  

 

As long as you are not expecting it to be as good as you can do yourself or as good as the best BBQ place where you live I think you will enjoy Q Texas Smokehouse.

[IAcruising]

As with any restaurant, you'll get differing opinions. I have avoided it, mostly because I also know what BBQ is supposed to be, and I find it quite unlikely it will meet even a lowered expectation. Besides that, there are so many other specialty dining venues that I don't get often, and are very, very good.

 

[ChiefMateJRK]

We tried it once.  It will remain just that one time....💩

[candygirl27540]

We were told that all of the food is brought onboard completely cooked. We know good BBQ and this isn't it. Don't waste a food credit on it.

[FLAHAM]

Unfortunately, I have been disappointed the two times I tried it.  Better options elsewhere on the ships.

[Candy Apple 12]

We tried it on the Bliss last month. All five of us agreed that we’d never go there again. The ribs were dry. The pulled pork was mostly the burnt ends. I like some burnt ends, but I also want to enjoy moist pulled pork. The regular corn bread was dry. I eat gluten-free and the GF corn bread was actually moist and not too bad. The banana pudding was a very weird texture—almost too thick. The bread pudding was the strangest we’ve ever seen; it looked like a mashup of bread pudding and flan. The person who got it said it was terrible. 
 

The music was fine, but once it started it was too loud for any conversation at the table. 

[ChiefMateJRK]

1 hour ago, candygirl27540 said:

We were told that all of the food is brought onboard completely cooked.

Even the sushi??

[wally4ever]

The food was pretty good.  You'll get better barbecue on shore, but I wasn't disappointed. I also went on my first night on board, and my previous two meals had been overpriced slop from the airport, so my judgement could definitely be cloudy. My favorite part was the music.  I'm not really a country music fan, but I'm a total mark for live music in general.

[ChiefMateJRK]

6 minutes ago, wally4ever said:

The food was pretty good.  You'll get better barbecue on shore, but I wasn't disappointed. I also went on my first night on board, and my previous two meals had been overpriced slop from the airport, so my judgement could definitely be cloudy. My favorite part was the music.  I'm not really a country music fan, but I'm a total mark for live music in general.

On my Bliss cruise last April, they made Siglo perform at Q.  Ouch (for Siglo).

[oregonian123]

3 hours ago, Candy Apple 12 said:

We tried it on the Bliss last month. All five of us agreed that we’d never go there again. The ribs were dry. The pulled pork was mostly the burnt ends. I like some burnt ends, but I also want to enjoy moist pulled pork. The regular corn bread was dry. I eat gluten-free and the GF corn bread was actually moist and not too bad. The banana pudding was a very weird texture—almost too thick. The bread pudding was the strangest we’ve ever seen; it looked like a mashup of bread pudding and flan. The person who got it said it was terrible. 
 

The music was fine, but once it started it was too loud for any conversation at the table. 

You stated my thoughts exactly.

 

[Bonobochick]

The strawberry margaritas I had at Q were good. Otherwise, I thought everything else I ordered was terrible. 

[UKstages]

8 hours ago, rbalfour said:

I don't see how you turn out decent BBQ on a ship...

 

well, if you're willing to settle for decent BBQ, it is decent. it's acceptable. as others have said, you can't smoke meats on the ship... so all the meat products are cooked in a central kitchen on shore (presumably in miami) and brought on board in vacuum sealed bags. they are either removed and warmed or they go through a sous vide process. 

 

it's not real barbecue, but it's not terrible.

 

the banana pudding dessert is very good, as is the spicy margarita.

 

what many people do is order the huge platter (that has a little of everything) to share and pay for it outright without using a meal credit.

Edited January 17 by UKstages

[PATRLR]

5 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

On my Bliss cruise last April, they made Siglo perform at Q.  Ouch (for Siglo).

I'd say "ouch" for the audience.  😉

(I know I am in the minority but I thought the version of Siglo on my cruise was awful)

[PATRLR]

My comment on Q is that anyone that knows and enjoys good BBQ is going to be disappointed.  

[vacation44]

We will be trying it for the first time this June on the Joy.  We, in our opinion,  do not have good bbq out in Eastern Long Island so I am hoping it will be decent for us.   

[BirdTravels]

10 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Even the sushi??

Actually sushi has to come onboard completely frozen to kill parasites. 

[BirdTravels]

13 hours ago, rbalfour said:

My bride and I will be going on the Bliss in February for a trip to Mexico (she REALLY wants to see the whales). I was curious if anyone has tried the BBQ in Q Texas Smokehouse before. I haven't seen a lot posted on it so figured I'd just ask. As reference, we love BBQ (brisket, pulled pork, chicken, ribs). I even own several smokers and grills, so I do know how it's supposed to taste. I was nervous in trying it because I don't see how you turn out decent BBQ on a ship, but want to keep an open mind. So let's here it. Thanks in advance.

Avoid Q

 

Think about it. You’re not going to get any decent BBQ from a kitchen which does not have an open flame. Everything is cooked in an oven. The only BBQ you get is the cheap, mass produced sauce. 
 

On the newest ships, they can’t sell BBQ, so Q is a complimentary restaurant. 

[rbalfour]

• Thanks everyone for the input. Pretty much confirmed what I was thinking. 

[UKstages]

2 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

On the newest ships, they can’t sell BBQ, so Q is a complimentary restaurant. 

on the newest ships, they have an innovative dining concept featuring a large number of “action stations” offering different types of complimentary cuisine in one location. the guest orders off a tablet; the food is delivered quickly in tapas-sized portions.  NCL has chosen to add a version of Q to this concept, in part because they lack space elsewhere on the smaller ship to put a full sized version of the restaurant. guests have responded well to the concept overall and have largely enjoyed Q’s offerings, with many in particular praising the BBQ salmon and pulled pork sandwiches.
 

there. I fixed it for you. you’re welcome.

[cruiseny4life]

Here's my review of Q when we were onboard Joy back in March. Might be more appropriate for @vacation44, though I think the restaurant experience is probably quite similar on Bliss and Joy. 

 

Q Texas Smokehouse

I was a tad bit worried about this one. How good can BBQ be without smoke and flame?

 

 

We had a 5:45 PM reservation. When we entered we discovered "The Wanted" were slated to start playing at 6:30. We thought about eating quick and getting out of there, but then some friends of ours came in and sat with us. We just dealt with the music. It was tough! Lots of Jimmy Buffet, Beach Boys, Zac Brown Band, Billy Currington, and some much older songs I haven't heard.

 

I loved it! The music was great! Funny thing. I grew up in rural, central New York. About twenty minutes from where I live now. My mom loved country music and music from the 70's and 80's. I was the kind of child that hated what his mom enjoyed. Welp...after five years in Montana, I've learned to appreciate country. Not the twangy Reba country, but the proud strokes of Zac Brown Band, the lovely pipes of Caroline Jones, and a few others. The country in the middle of nowhere Gulf of Mexico was quite grand, with an added bonus of them not playing it too loudly. Just don't try to make me like music from the 70's and 80's.

 

 

FOOD!! That's why we're here. Not music.

 

First, I did try the Smoked Peach Margarita. A couple of them. So, I guess my mention above that I didn't try other bars onboard was wrong. I did try the bar here. It was a good margarita, though I was a little scared of it. Most nights that start with tequila, end with me not remembering most of the evening. I stopped myself after two, plus a cosmopolitan. Thankfully, I do remember the evening!

 

Oh, right. Food. Here we go!

 

He tried the loaded fries. I'd rate these as better than those at Food Republic, but the actual meat portion was still just...well a couple bites. Oh NCL.

 

Maple bacon deviled eggs. Yum! Very good. The filling of the eggs is better than the filling of the eggs offered as an appetizer in the Haven Restaurant. Probably more normal person, than elite out of touch Havener ingredients. Have I ever mentioned how much I hate loving the Haven?

 

We both got the Pitmaster Platter which supposedly comes with a 1/4 pound each of brisket, pork spare ribs, smoked chicken, and sausage. I'm glad I wasn't paying $32 for this. Look at those two ounce, not four ounce side cups. The portion of cornbread was ok, but it was dry and sweet. We all know real, southern cornbread ain't sweet! It's a very northern version of cornbread. Not quite Texas, here. I'd normally say not-Texas is good, but not in this case.

 

The sausages were tasty. I'd have preferred them not cut down the middle to retain the juices as they were cooked, but I'm sure they aren't as efficient to cook in that manner. The chicken was...well, it was juicy and cooked well. It had virtually no taste though. I had to load up on the sauce. The best part of BBQ is the sauces are always readily available for items that need it. Unfortunately, the pork spareribs and brisket needed a lot of sauce too.

 

Don't get me wrong. The food was good. It's about what I expected. I'm glad we tried it out. I'd probably go again, with a dining package. Not a la carte.

 

We ordered one side each. These were included. Onion rings and macaroni and cheese. They were both mediocre. Better than the buffet. Unfortunately I love mac and cheese. Give me some creamy, oven baked goodness with lots of extra sharp cheddar and noodles. I'd be in heaven. Let's just say, I was in purgatory. Not hell. Not heaven. But, it was good.

 

Take home banana pudding.

 

 

After I removed the meringue, the pudding was excellent. I wish it had some soaked in the puddin' Nilla wafers and a few more bananas, but it was good. I was surprised by how good it was. Not too sweet. Just right. Yum!

[seemoreroyals]

@cruiseny4life Nice review.  I think everyone should try Q at least once.  It is really not that bad.  We also got the Pitmaster Platter.  I had forgotten what it was called.  

[dobiemom]

If I have enough dining credits, I will go to the Q Smokehouse. 😋

I get the deviled eggs for an appetizer, and the Pitmaster Platter for my main course. For dessert I have a hard time choosing between banana pudding and peach cobbler. Of course I have the Smokey Peach margarita (or 2! 😁).

[schmoopie17]

8 hours ago, PATRLR said:

I'd say "ouch" for the audience.  😉

(I know I am in the minority but I thought the version of Siglo on my cruise was awful)

I've never understood the Siglo love. The few times we heard them was in passing through the atrium when they were playing. They were so bad...as Randy Jackson used to say on "American Idol"..."pitchy, dawg". They butchered a couple of songs so badly, we made a point of avoiding them the rest of the cruise.