Lillie’s Q

Dallas and I recently met up with Todd for an early lunch at Lillie’s Q, a barbecue place on North Avenue that we’ve been meaning to try. Dallas and I arrived early, so we ordered boiled peanuts for an appetizer. We are both boiled peanut lovers, as they’re a local specialty in both Hawaii, where Dallas grew up, and in the South, where my dad’s family is from.

For drinks, Dallas ordered a Lillie Palmer, which is basically a boozed up Arnold Palmer. Don’t ask me what kind of booze was in it, the menu said “moonshine” and you could pick the potency! I got my first Bell’s Oberon of the season. Tasty. All drinks, including water, are served in Ball jars.

Lillie’s Q makes five of their own sauces, which are bottled and available on every table. You can pick and choose whichever sauces you want. Here are the choices:

  • Smoky: A unique blend of ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, vinegar, apple concentrate, liquid smoke, and a few other spices known only to Charlie.
  • Hot Smoky: A unique blend of ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, vinegar, apple concentrate, liquid smoke, and a few other spices known only to Charlie.
  • Carolina: A unique blend of ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, vinegar, apple concentrate, Worcestershire, and a few other spices known only to Charlie.
  • Carolina Gold: A unique blend of mustard, brown sugar, ketchup, vinegar, apple concentrate, Worcestershire, and a few other spices known only to Charlie.
  • Ivory: A unique blend of mayonnaise, apple cider, vinegar, lime juice, and a few other spices known only to Charlie.

You can also buy the sauces for barbecuing at home. We all definitely liked the Carolina sauces the best. Dallas loved the mustard-based Carolina Gold. My favorite was the Carolina.

For lunch I had the pulled chicken sandwich on brioche, southern style (with coleslaw on top) and the baked beans. Always the baked beans. The chicken was flavorful and so tender. And I loved the beans. Not too smoky, not too sweet.

Dallas got the pulled pork with sweet potato fries as a side.

Dallas and Todd split the tri-tip. Todd didn’t love it and though it should have had a better sear or char on the outside, but Dallas thought it was great.

Todd got the baby back ribs with the stone ground grits with bacon as a side. He gave a rib to Dallas and I to try and I really liked them, but I’m not a huge rib connoisseur. Well, a few days after this lunch I saw that Lillie’s Q was recognized by Food and Wine as one of the top six new barbecue restaurants in United States. And the magazine specifically recommended the baby back ribs. I guess it’s not just me who thinks the ribs were good!

So yeh, we liked Lillie’s Q. When we arrived at 11:30 the place was empty but by the time we left it was full. Not sure how busy they are at night. I think my dad would like this place. Maybe I will take him next time he is in town!

Bubby’s is Hard to Resist

Rachelle: “I want to get something light for lunch, since I had a muffin and a Krispy Kreme doughnut for breakfast. Oh, and cheap (like less than $5)”
Jeannette: “Let’s go to Bubby’s!”
Rachelle & Allen: “OK!”

Bubby’s is a favorite, but it’s neither light nor cheap. We had $11 pulled pork sandwiches.. but man, they were good! The chef comes up to our table and asks Jeannette how she likes the vinegar based barbecue sauce. She says she doesn’t like it so much.. that it’s runny and gets all over her hands. The chef looks hurt even though he promises we could never hurt his feelings.