Killer Q

Charlotte Barbecue Joint Big Board – December 2015

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The Smoke Pit – Concord, NC
Tray from The Smoke Pit
Killer Q
Killer Q
Ballantyne location of Midwood Smokehouse

Since our last big board in January, a few new notable joints have popped up (particularly The Smoke Pit at #4 and the second location of Midwood Smokehouse at #2), a few have closed (including  longtime north Charlotte joint Old Hickory House, #9 on our list), and we even debuted our Austin version of the list. In terms of future 2016 reviews, the trend appears to be towards food trucks and upscale barbecue restaurant concepts, save for maybe something like Glenn’s Again in Kannapolis.

What other Charlotte area joints should we check out? Feel free to weigh in on your favorite in the comments and if you present a strong enough case we will try to head there next. I recently checked out The Smoke Pit based on reader feedback and loved it, so we do try to take feedback seriously when we can.

-Monk

  1. Boone’s Bar-B-Que Kitchen (food truck)
  2. Midwood Smokehouse (Ballantyne) new
  3. Midwood Smokehouse (original review)
  4. The Smoke Pit new
  5. Queen City Q
  6. Sauceman’s (original review)
  7. Bill Spoon’s Barbecue (original review)
  8. Kyle Fletcher’s Barbecue & Catering
  9. Old Hickory House CLOSED April 2015
  10. The Improper Pig
  11. Killer Q new
  12. Elwood’s Barbecue & Burger Bar CLOSED September 2015
  13. Bar-B-Q King
  14. 521 BBQ and Grill (Tega Cay)
  15. 521 BBQ and Grill (Indian Land)
  16. Mac’s Speed Shop (Steele Creek) new
  17. Jim ‘N Nick’s Bar-B-Q (Concord) 
  18. The Q Shack new
  19. Smoke & Go Bar-B-Que (food truck)
  20. Smoke Modern Barbeque (Huntersville) new
  21. Mac’s Speed Shop
  22. R&R Bar-B-Que (Concord)
  23. Lancaster’s BBQ (Huntersville)
  24. Lancasters’s BBQ (Mooresville)
  25. Rock Store Bar-B-Q (Stallings)
  26. Moe’s Original Bar-B-Que (food truck) new
  27. Moe’s Original Bar-B-Que (original review)
  28. McKoy’s Smokehouse and Saloon
  29. Brooks’ Sandwich House
  30. Rock Store Bar-B-Q (Mint Hill)
  31. Bobbee-O’s BBQ
  32. Farmer’s BBQ
  33. Bubba’s Barbecue 
  34. JJR’s BBQ Shack
  35. Ranucci’s Big Butt BBQ new
  36. The Dixie Pig (Rock Hill) new
  37. City Smoke
  38. OooWee BBQ (food truck)
  39. Carolina Ribs on the Run (Mooresville) CLOSED July 2014
  40. R.O.’s Bar-B-Que

Still to review: Dan the Pig Man (food truck), Q2U, Fort Mill BBQ Co, Bodrick’s BBQ, Glenn’s Again (Kannapolis), Slow Smokin’ BBQ (food truck), Smokey J’s BBQ (food truck), Treehouse Whiskey and Fork, Smoke Modern Barbeque (Stonecrest), Seoul Food Meat Market (coming soon), Unnamed Jim  Noble barbecue restaurant (coming soon), Midwood Shackhouse (coming soon), Unnamed Martin Sprock Mediterranean smokehouse (coming  soon)

Previous Big Boards: January 2015, May 2014, December 2013, July 2013

Killer Q (food truck)

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Name: Killer Q (food truck)
Date: 9/19/15
Order: Pork platter with beans and coleslaw
Price: $9

When it came to food options at the Southern Sauce BBQ Festival back in September I could have gone with a sure thing in Boone’s or safer options from Sauceman’s or Moe’s, but ultimately (potentially foolishly?) went with a truck I had never heard of.

I can’t find too much on Killer Q other than a Facebook page but it appears they are a very new food truck in Charlotte with the food truck only becoming operational in early September shortly before the festival. Since then, they’ve added a BQ smoker to their impressive mobile rig.

Whichever of their smokers they used that weekend, they produced some smokey pork with some decent bark. They also managed not to serve dried out pork, quite a feat during service for a day-long festival. If this was one of their first food truck services, they are off to a pretty damn good start. As for the sides, they  were standard and thankfully did not taste as if they came straight out of a can. They do a version of a barbecue sundae which combines all three and while I did not partake on that day, based on the individual foods I imagine it to be quite tasty.

When it comes to barbecue food trucks, all I ask for is quality smoked meat and sides that aren’t an afterthought. Killer Q manages to check both of those boxes, and can be added to the list of above average barbecue food trucks in Charlotte.

–Monk

Ratings:
Pork – 3 hogs
Sides – 2.5 hog
Overall – 3 hogs

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