Anyone try Q Texas Smokehouse?

[schmoopie17]

Q was absolutely awful the one time we tried it. We'd never waste a SD credit on them ever again.

Fool me once...

[seemoreroyals]

6 minutes ago, schmoopie17 said:

Q was absolutely awful the one time we tried it. We'd never waste a SD credit on them ever again.

Fool me once...

 

Kinda how I feel about LeBistro.  Something about eating snails and duck livers that is not appealing to me.  And most recently Palomar.  Yuk...

[schmoopie17]

Just now, seemoreroyals said:

 

Kinda how I feel about LeBistro.  Something about eating snails and duck livers that is not appealing to me.  

We don't eat snails or any kind of liver, but we always end up going to Le Bistro for the awesome filet. We have it booked for our upcoming cruise and I better be able to waive the upcharge for the liver slop on top of the filet. 

[cruiseny4life]

1 hour ago, seemoreroyals said:

 

Kinda how I feel about LeBistro.  Something about eating snails and duck livers that is not appealing to me.  And most recently Palomar.  Yuk...

Every cruise, that's five now, I've said I would go try the snails. I never have tried them and guess never will as I've not yet stopped by Le Bistro to try them out. I did have some garlicky, buttery mushrooms in Hudson's. Those were great! I'm just not really into slimy snails.

 

I suppose my palate is more proletariat than bourgeoisie since I won't try @schmoopie17's liver slop either! 

[TheycallmeDrew]

I enjoyed Q when I went there and left stuffed. I have heard that you should save a dining credit and go a la carte especially if you are not a big eater as the prices are cheaper than other specialty restaurants. I can't say for sure as I used a platinum voucher when I went.

[yakcruiser]

I didn't find the Q that bad. Was it real Texas BBQ? No! But then I don't think anybody would associate Le Bistro with a real French restaurant either.

[vacation44]

3 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

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!

Thank you for reminding me about your thoughts and experience from when you went to Q.  I think based upon reading this months ago, my daughter and I decided to try it finally.    

 

My two children and their cousins are actually country fans now.   They became country fans when they went upstate to college.   They have also seen Jimmy Buffet many times when he played annually at the Jones Beach Theatre every summer and also have seen Zach Brown a few times.  I think my daughter decided this was a different choice and experience to the regular specialty restaurants/Haven dinners.  We are all eating at LaCucina and Ocean Blue also, plus one night my husband and I will be taking my sister and her husband to Cagneys while the young adults eat in Food Republic.    So even if it does end up being a bust, the other nights should still be good.   Plus all of the significant others are just thrilled to be included in our extended family trip.

[PATRLR]

1 hour ago, seemoreroyals said:

And most recently Palomar.  Yuk...

Agree on that one.  Very disappointed in Palomar.

[FLAHAM]

4 hours ago, seemoreroyals said:

@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.  

It’s not that bad.  It’s just not very good.

[seemoreroyals]

55 minutes ago, FLAHAM said:

It’s not that bad.  It’s just not very good.

Food is subjective.  Just not very good is better than terrible.

 

 

 

 

 

[ChiefMateJRK]

14 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)

There is no "version" of Siglo.  There is only Siglo.  Jun, Randy, Jamie and that other guy whose name I STILL can't remember. 🤔

[ChiefMateJRK]

6 hours ago, schmoopie17 said:

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.

Are you sure it was Siglo?  Yikes!!  I followed them around for two weeks on the Bliss last April and had a great time.  Did you check for Covid?

[PATRLR]

59 minutes ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

There is no "version" of Siglo.  There is only Siglo.  Jun, Randy, Jamie and that other guy whose name I STILL can't remember. 🤔

Yeah, I accept that.  I thought, but definitively wasn't sure, they might have been one of those house bands whose members rotated thorough, similar to the Beatles bands.   That would have also explained why the band I saw perform a few songs were not very good musicians and sang most of the songs I heard in the wrong key. 

Oh well, to each his own, I know I am in the minority of people who really didn't care for them.

[scar4711]

with free at sea plus aaaand my 2 platinum dinners, I do use one for Q.. Its passible enough... 

 

 

[seemoreroyals]

6 minutes ago, scar4711 said:

with free at sea plus aaaand my 2 platinum dinners, I do use one for Q.. Its passible enough... 

 

 

 

That's a good point.  If you are Platinum and get 4 SD's instead of 2 and you are on a ship that has Q its probably worth a shot to give Q a try.   If you only have the 2 from free at sea  maybe not.  

[stinkyharriet]

I was just on the Getaway and saw a YouTube video that said during her next dry dock they will be converting the Imaginarium into Q.  I wish they’d come up something new.

[FLAHAM]

I didn’t care for Q, having tried it twice.  Just my opinion.  I get 2 free at sea dinners, 2 Saphire Latitudes dinners, 2 dinners from the offered upgrade, and one dinner with an officer.  So the whole week is accounted for.  Q not in the plan.

[Biffire]

We tried Q on the Joy in May of 2023. I had the pitmaster platter plenty of food. I enjoyed it, however I am certainly not an expert in BBQ, your standards may be much higher. We also stopped by a few times just to listen to the music. 

[jcscv]

I thought Q was ok.  Nothing I had was bad, but it sure wasn't the best I've had.  I would rate it over the buffet for dinner, but wouldn't waste a specialty dining credit on it.  I've gone a few times with groups and usually just pay a la carte. 

 

 

[Bonobochick]

2 hours ago, stinkyharriet said:

I was just on the Getaway and saw a YouTube video that said during her next dry dock they will be converting the Imaginarium into Q.  I wish they’d come up something new.

I'd rather it be a Los Lobos