Q Grill

Jump into the Q

Camden Town - December 2014

It may seem bizarre to say it now, but there was once a time - not all that long ago in the UK - when pork went un-pulled, ribs were almost exclusively spare, and smoking was something you did to your salmons.

Now you can barely budge for brisket and the place is practically dripping with BBQ sauce. If Marks & Spencer are selling pulled pork, it’s fair to say that BBQ is here to stay. And with this cross-over from fad to bona-fide culinary phenomenon, it’s gone upmarket.

My judgement of barbeque restaurants uses the Bodeans BBQ Benchmark – London’s stalwart original providing a solid balance between portion-size, price and flavour. But, a new breed of restaurant has sprung up, where the weight of the plate and the load on the wallet is more finely balanced. It’s within this more rarefied sphere that Q Grill operates; they’ve got a pop up in Selfridges and branded plates, so this clearly ain’t your standard smoked meat slinger…

It was to their original place in Camden that we headed this past twixmas in search of a meaty  antidote to all that turkey. Thankfully closer to Chalk Farm than Camden Town, the levels of rage Camden Lock invoke in me were avoided and I could rate my meal in a relaxed and balanced way.

All the staples were on show in the restaurant – bare wood, leather booths, rock n roll soundtrack, at least 3 beards. It’s a bit clichéd, but it works to create the relaxed vibe you want when chowing on barbequed meats, particularly when the room is as big as this one; there’s no sitting on top of one another as encountered at other places.

The food is of high quality too. They have a Josper grill that has been a signal flare of smoked excellence, in my mind, since trying the much-missed Ribstock 2012-winning ‘Roxas Racks’ from Redhook. And it’s put to good use in our first starter; a sac magique of juicy, fall-apart tender hen’s wings. Sticky, but sans sauce, the sweet meat is the star here with smoky flavours an able supporting act. And bonus points for serving them in a bag. As theatre goes, it’s hardly Hamlet, but it is fun and I’m easily amused.

Elsewhere we have a ceviche that is light and fresh, but lacks chilli kick and citrus zing that you get with the best, so it’s not hitting the heights of our experience at Lima Floral. But then we’re in a barbeque joint and not a Peruvian restaurant run by a Michelin-starred chef, so perhaps that’s an unfair comparison.  The plantain chips are a great crispy addition.

We went for a rib-fest for out mains; pork and shortrib. No visible smoke ring to the pork, but a nice crisp char to the outside which adds crunch to the tender meat. The quality and the flavour of the pork is the main event and shine through. Unfortunately the BBQ sauce that accompanies it is a huge disappointment – watery & insipid, it adds nothing.

The beef rib is impressive, to behold and to eat; meaty, glossy and deeply satisfying. It (note a singular rib – but a hefty one) does all the good stuff you want your shortrib to: fall apart at the merest touch, melt in the mouth, add an inch to the waistline. It comes swimming in an unctuous, glossy gravy, with sweet potato mash and roasted garlic. The whole dish is pretty bloody delicious.

So, where does Q-Grill sit in relation to the B-BBQ-B? Well, the meat and cooking is of a higher quality. This also means higher costs for smaller portions. For example, you’re looking at £18 for the beef – roughly the same price as an entire Bodeans platter. But with the standard of the dish, it doesn’t represent poor value. And here’s the kicker – if you sign up for their Casual Diner’s club, they’ll take £20 off your bill the first time you visit. Which made our tasty meatfest rather reasonable. Score.

 

Q Grill
29-33 Chalk Farm Road
London
NW1 8AJ
http://q-grill.co.uk/