Community Q BBQ

The Cali friends came by to have one last lunch with me before dashing across country. The lunch hour rush was crazy around 1 PM on a Tuesday.
The meat combo sandwich with 1 choice of a side was filling and delish. I didn’t know how the 2 meats were going to be packed in, but it was surely packed atop the Texas toast. This meal was one of those messy ones where you need a napkin to be civilized.
The pulled pork was more tender imo even though it was less flavorful compared to the beef brisket. The beef was a little on the dry side, but good nonetheless. Both had its own unique flavor, but I always like the more juicy meat.
The side of mac n cheese was divine! This is the definition of a great Southern mac n cheese. The cheese was melty and flavorful. The sauciness of the cheese was prob due to it being cooked in butter. lol. Yummy in my tummy.
The sweet tea was yummy as well. My friend’s husband, a Cali native, couldn’t stand the sugar level, but both of us adored it so much.
We all shared the banana pudding, and it was surprisingly yummy. I’m not a fan of pudding and bananas in the same item, but this was fresh and had banana slices. Delectable. :) The vanilla wafers were a nice addition.
Parking was pretty plentiful as this was a pretty spacious strip of stores.

Great food and good service. Go early to beat the line and to get your favorite because they do tend to run out.
My suggestion is to stick to the basic sides but that’s as the same with most barbecue places.

Delicious and authentic southern cooking. There is usually a line on the weekends but it is worth the wait! Absolutely delicious experience. Will exercise very hard to eat this amazing food again and again!

Holy sweet saucy goodness is this place yummy. It’s my go to Q, with big wholesome sides that will leave you with a severe case of the Itis!

On a business trip to ATL, my VP decided to take us for lunch. He suggested this place and boy did Community Q deliver on the BBQ. I ordered the brisket with the rosemary black-​eyed peas. When I got the tray of food I was pleasantly surprised with the portion of brisket on the plate… I don’t know if they knew it but they gave me some of the burnt ends portion. YUM! The Q was good as is but I like mine wet so I added some of their house made sauce. It was a bit runny but tasty. Kudos.

I just had my 3^rd child and was brought food from Community Q by a sweet friend. It was delicious!!! Hands down the BEST MAC N CHEESE I’VE EVER HAD! The BBQ was delicious as well. We had pulled pork and chicken. Highly recommend eating here. I can’t say anything for service as I’ve never actually eaten at the resturant. However, I’ll be visiting very soon as it was seriously that delicious.

Wow. The brisket was amazing… and so tender! At first, I didn’t think I liked their BBQ sauce but now I miss it. May have to see if they bottle and sell it so I can use it here in Texas.

We had a lovely experience here tonight, while my best friend and his partner were visiting from Vegas, craving «authentic BBQ». We tried here after some googling, and we were not disappointed. For $ 90 we fed four hungry men a ton of BBQ, with some leftovers as well. The brisket was every bit as good as advertised, and the Mac and cheese was out of this world. Even the service was spectacular, especially given the fact that you order at the counter and your food is brought to you.
I’m ashamed to admit that I’ve been in Atlanta for eight years now, and only just discovered Community Q. I already can’t wait to return.

Excellent ribs. Really good ribs. Get the ribs.
Solid brisket.
Collards and slaw decent.
Nice place. I like the high table off to the side.
Parking lot is a zoo.

You can find Community Q BBQ at 1361 Clairmont Rd, Decatur, GA 30 033 in the no-man’s land between Emory and Decatur in a shopping center across the way from the Veteran’s Hospital. Nearby is the venerable Athen’s Pizza and the empty shell of Bojanic. Parking is a mixed bag — in general you park in the lot out front, but this center is very busy — at times I’ve pulled in then decided to go elsewhere as the lot is not only full, but difficult to manage.
I’ve eaten at Community Q BBQ a number of times — I’ve tried to eat there even more, but have turned away when they’ve run out of items (they post what’s out on the door). This BBQ joint is incredibly popular so except long lines during prime times. The interior is more of what I call a traditional BBQ joint — nothing pretentious and lots to remind you that you’re hear to eat delicious smoky pork. I notice there’s a lot of students and local families which is always a good sign — no douchey hipsters in this crowd.
The menu is posted on the wall as you order at the counter — while these days that’s called «fast casual» I think that most BBQ restaurants have managed ordering in this fashion for as long as I can remember. Maybe they invented that technique — who knows? It’s indeed effective. I ordered the ¼ slab with 1 meat (pulled pork) and 2 sides (collards and Brunswick stew — basically my go-​to). You grab a cup and fill up at a table while you wait for your name to be called. The place was busy so I sidled up to one of the long-​row tables towards the back-​left, sharing the space with a few couples. My companion was this carved wooden pig — not the prettiest date I’ve ever had but not the worst either.
The food took a while to get to me — about 10 minutes or so, but was worth the wait. The crusty ¼ slab was layered on top of the pulled pork with a piece of white bread as a «hat» — underneath was red-​and-​white checkered paper between the food and a tray. I’ve waxed on my opinions on BBQ before but as a reminder, I think there are two extremes: Heavy smoke with lots of rind (traditional southern style); and light smoke but juicy meats (more of a Memphis or Missouri style). The BBQ here was a bit center of the two with the emphasis on the smokiness, which is difficult to master. The too-​smoky style tends to cover up the taste of the meat. The juicy style has very little smokiness. At Community Q you get juicy meat with a nice bit of smokiness where you can taste the meat but still get the feel of the smoke and rind — superbly done! This is definitely in my top 10 for Atlanta.
The sides were above average — the collards were soupy but not slimy at all — basically cooked like I make them at home. The Brunswick had great smoky flavor but seemed a bit heavy on the corn (at least for me) and maybe a bit more acidic than I like. I’ll order it again as it’s good enough to grow on me. Overall the food here is excellent.
I thought the service a bit slow, but it was a busy night and I was by myself so I didn’t complain. Under other circumstances I may not have waited for it. My meal came up to $ 17.50 plus tax, tip and drink which may be a bit pricey for many but isn’t too bad for intown. Overall I give Community Q BBQ ⁴⁄₅ stars.
(also posted to my food blog)

I first had Community Q about a couple of years ago at a staff function and what really stood out to me was their macaroni & cheese. It is VERY GOOD and thankfully more unique than most restaurants whose seem quite typical. There were pulled meats and greens there too that I remember were pretty good.
I just ordered a mixed sandwich combo from here a couple of days ago and ended up with pulled pork and and ribs because they ran out of the beef brisket and pulled chicken I wanted. No complaint on that though because my meal basically ended up being upgraded at no extra cost to me. The ribs are really awesome and could be eaten without extra sauce; however, are even better with it. (They have a vinegar-​based sauce and sweet sauce.)
Reason for 4 instead of 5 stars?
I got the Brunswick stew and Mac n cheese as my sides. I’ve had better Brunswick stew, like Fox Bros and Pig n Chik for examples. Community Q needs to add a spicy kick using (more of) their vinegar-​based sauce, which is what I added to give it heat and enhanced flavor. The mac n cheese is of course still awesome :) however, their sides– period– are WAY too small, especially the Mac n cheese, being that the pasta is large. I think they get away with it because the sandwiches are quite sizeable. Overall, very good though, and I’d even go there for JUST the Mac n cheese lol.

This is the perfect place to come when you get a hankerin’ for some delicious BBQ. It’s quaint but full of personality. No one is a stranger. The staff is helpful and hospitable.
The food is so good. I had the brisket sandwich. It was flavorful, moist, and overall fantastic! It comes on buttery Texas toast. So good. My meal came with two sides. I had the greens and the Mac n cheese. The Mac n cheese was so cheesy and gooey to perfection. The greens were a little sweet for my taste.
My husband had the sausage and brisket. We shared a half order of ribs. Everything was perfectly seasoned, moist, and delicious.
The prices are reasonable. You get a lot and will not leave hungry.

Some of the best «Cue» Ive ever had and quite possibly the best MacNCheese ever. Lots of celery salt in the ribs with a gentle sweet bbq sauce. Simple humble homely friendly setting and friendly prices. Nice little out-​door seating. I couldn’t have been happier the staff are active and efficient and eager to please. True Southern hospitality and simple charm with real-​deal amazing ‘Cue.
Enjoy!

I’ve eaten here several times and everything I’ve had has been amazing. The pulled pork is perfectly cooked, and with the bread, tastes like heaven in meat form in your mouth.
I’m a mac and cheese fanatic and theirs is amazing. May not be the BEST I’ve ever had, but it’s still amazing.
French fries made to order with a unique mix of seasoning? Yes, please.
This place is a staple in the ATL area. Go.

The Q and I started off on the wrong foot, since the day I decided to try their BBQ for the first time ever was a day that they happened to be closed for renovations. Pfft. I eventually got to sample Community via leftovers from a catered event which was eventually followed up by a few trips to the restaurant for take-​out.
The bone-​in chicken, sliced beef brisket, and ribs aren’t bad, but the pulled pork wins for me. Awesome flavor and texture. The ribs skew slightly tough, and the taste has a hint of celery or something. At any rate, generous portion sizes, especially with the rib combo ($ 12.75) which includes another meat of your choosing. The nice folks at the register taking my order always offer to give you both or their sauces which is great since I don’t have to choose, though I’m more of a fan of the vinegar-​based one.
You can add one or two sides to a sandwich for a few bucks more. I dig that the sandwiches come with Texas toast. Mmm, buttery bread. Sides are okay. The mac n cheese starts off all well and good but then ends on an oily note. The baked beans are too sweet for my tongue. Black eyed peas with rosemary and bacon is ambitious but doesn’t quite hit the mark. Smoked sweet potato with braised kale is a another unique item that is worth checking out but the collards are presently my favorite, perfect for vinegar lovers. Delish!

Just solid, great, and consistent BBQ. I’d heard about this for years and finally decided to visit. I wasn’t disappointed at all.
I came here on a wet Sunday and just beat the line that formed 15 minutes later.
I did the Rib Combo, ribs with pulled pork. I loved the ribs with a great seasoning. The pulled pork was very good. The Brunswick stew is very tasty. And the Mac and Cheese is fantastic.
Overall, this is a great place and worth a visit.

Just like a good shot of tequila or two or the time I went out with this sorority girl for a couple months during college, the aroma inside of Community Q BBQ’s makes me feel all sorts of crazy. Meat perfume — I love it.
*****
I. FOOD
Whether it’s chicken, pork, or beef, they have it all. And like with any BBQ joint, they have sides for days. I asked their cashier for recommendations, and he suggested the Rib Combo ($ 12.75).
*Rib Combo: This item comes with a half slab of pork ribs, several slices of brisket, and two pieces of Texas toast. The pork ribs had the perfect balance of sweet, smoke, and savory, and I loved the toothsome, juicy brisket. Even the slices of Texas toast sucking up all the meaty juices were delicious!
My only suggestion is that the pork ribs could cook a little longer, so they could fall off the bones a bit more easily, but I haven’t had flavor like Community Q BBQ’s in Atlanta. So no big deal.
**Black Eyed Peas: Although I don’t think I would order it again, this side was great! With rosemary and bacon, it had a really pungent first-​taste. The texture tasted nice and clean, too.
***Pro-​Tip: Not that the ribs and brisket need it, but their BBQ — that’s on just about every table — is wonderful.
II. SERVICE
The cashier was so nice, and the food came out in about five minutes during lunchtime. Pretty awesome!
III. ATMOSPHERE/​DÉCOR
It’s a laid-​back place with booths and a large high-​top table. There’s seating outside, too. –I really like the Southern-​style ornaments hung about. They aren’t corny, either.
IV. PRICES
Everything, including the one side, came out to around $ 15. Not bad for a tasty lunch!
V. OVERALL
So far, Community Q BBQ is my favorite BBQ joint in The A!

This place is dangerously close to my apartment. It’s a miracle I’m not 500 lbs. The smoky aroma reaches all the way to N Decatur road sometimes and has been known to turn the most pious of vegans into bloodthirsty carnivores. Regardless of what kind of sandwich I’m partial to at any given time, I always get the same two sides: mac n cheese and baked beans. The macaroni is decadent and the beans are to die for. I’ve also tried the collard greens and blacked eyed peas and they’re good, but who wants veggies and those lesser legumes when you’re bringing your tummy out for a good time?
The barbecue sauces are so delicious you could actually drink them. I may have, but that info will not be disclosed publicly. You could «accidentally» eat a napkin drenched in either of their two sauces. The function of the bread in the so-​called sandwiches is just a more acceptable form of BBQ sauce sponge, cuz it would be weird if we started eating their napkins.
I recently discovered the smoked sausage sandwich. Everyone knows about the mouthwatering pulled pork and the unbelievable brisket sandwiches. Their sausage is at the same god-​tier level as those two BBQ staples. Give it a try if your other favorites happen to run out!

I wanted some ribs but I wanted to venture outside of Fat Matts and Community Q BBQ was the chosen one. Located in a small quaint plaza on Clairmont Road in Decatur, parking was not difficult because it was during the week. I can imagine parking being insane if it were really busy.
The restaurant itself is not huge inside but it seem to hold all patrons that were there that day and it was pretty packed. I was ordering to go for my husband. They have a small outdoors patio. I
I ordered ½ rack with a side (mac n cheese). The bag felt very light and everyone do not use the same ribs. Once home, I ate a little bit but I wasn’t a fan of the ribs. They were not nasty… just not to my liking. My husband enjoyed them. I would try them again for the beef brisket.

I finally gave Q a visit! Can I just say… Ah Maze Zing!!! Q is pretty legit. I ordered ribs, brisket, collards, & brunswick stew. My husband had the brisket. & my daughter had a ½ rack.
The dry rub on the ribs were on point! Not salty & not too sweet. Just the perfect balance. I usually like my ribs a bit wet, drenched almost. But these were so perfect that I didn’t need any sauce. That’s definitely a first!
The brunswick stew, collards, & mac & cheese were perfect. Nice pieces of meat in the stew, seasoning in the collards, & the cheesy mac n cheese. Yummmmm! No complaints on the sides.
Now, on to the brisket. this is the only reason why I had to knock off a star. Our brisket was pretty dry. There was a nice smoke ring on it but it was just too dry to enjoy. The sauce sure came in handy.
The service was just outstanding! From the moment we walked in, placed our order, until we left. Wonderful customer service! I honestly can’t say it enough, but great customer service, to me, is a huge plus!
Overall, Community Q BBQ definitely exceeded my expectations. If you haven’t given them a try yet, you’re missing out. You won’t be disappointed!

FYI: My review is based on a take out order and not for dining in.
I was in the mood to try a new BBQ place, so I found Community Q on Unilocal.The cashier was very friendly! I ordered the rib combo which comes with a quarter rack of ribs, an additional meat and two sides. I opted for the pulled chicken with mac and cheese and slaw.
Ribs– I am absolutely not a fan of sauce-​y ribs, so I loved these ribs. They’re smoked and very flavorful. The meat wasn’t quite fall-​off-​the-​bone, but flavors were spot on.
Pulled Chicken– The chicken was definitely very moist and well-​seasoned. I rarely like any sort of chicken dishes because of how dry it can be, but their pulled chicken was perfect!
Mac and cheese– They use huge noodles, maybe rigatoni pasta. It was cheesy and didn’t have a noodle-​y taste that some mac and cheese have. Loved it!
My order came out within 5 minutes. Also, there was no line around 2:30pm on a Wednesday since it was probably off-​peak hours.
Can’t wait to come back and try their St. Louis style ribs and banana pudding!

Ok, so maybe I have been living on the moon recently. Or, perhaps I’ve just been driving with blinders on down Clairmont Rd. Most likely, it’s just that I haven’t been on a quest for the best BBQ in Atlanta… until the other day. These are my reasons for why I had absolutely No Flippin’ Idea that this place existed Shame on me!
After recently seeing Community BBQ in Talk Threads, «Best Of» Lists and reading great reviews from Unilocalers whose opinions I trust… my husband and I decided to pick up a takeout BBQ order. The location is easy to find, but at the same time… I kind of understand how I never noticed this BBQ joint before. The restaurant blends into the background a bit. We lucked up with parking at the front door and a wonderful aroma hit us as we exited the car. Upon opening the restaurant door, I knew 2 things right away:
1) I’m going to leave smelling like BBQ (hey, no problem there LOL)
2) I’m really going to enjoy this food!
And, both were true!!! The space is small, simple and cozy on the inside, with outdoor seating too. Most tables were filled and folks seemed to be enjoying their food (they were eating, Not talking… that’s a good sign :-). I don’t eat pork, so unfortunately I cannot speak to the ribs or pulled pork, sorry. However, I am a lover of Beef Brisket, which is my gauge for good BBQ. On this trip, we ordered meats only:
*Chopped Beef Brisket: one word… Delicious! If you’ve ever had chopped Fat, masquerading as chopped Brisket, then you understand how wonderful it is to have actual juicy, flavorful, perfectly cooked meat!!! It was a winner
*Pulled Chicken: moist, nicely textured and smoky!
*Two sauce options: Sweet or Vinegar based
Since we didn’t try any sides, I will update the review next time. We still have a number of must try options on the menu, so we’ll be back!!! Until then, Happy Eating.

Parked in a spot near the entrance was a black SUV with a round bumper sticker on the back window reading, «(animal) Bros. Bar-​B-​Q.» I don’t like to mention competitor establishments in a restaurant review but the irony was too much. I took it as a sign that Community Q BBQ was legit before I even walked through the front doors.
A memo posted out front shared important FYIs with customers:
«We cook fresh every day! That means we have to guess how much we will need. Some days we under guess and some days we over guess. Some days are just right.»
«We only use leftovers in stew and baked beans! What we can’t use goes to the food bank. Please understand that we will run out of meat occasionally.»
The posting continued and was almost a full page. I wondered why a restaurant would need to make these disclaimers. Have they suffered riots or angry customers with pitchforks? I wanted someone to unpack a few of the statements but I didn’t want to hold up the line with curious questions.
After tasting my ½ BBQ Chicken with Mac & Cheese and Collard Greens, I understood why customers would be so passionate about their Community Q BBQ. Moist, smoky and sweetly sauced… I could totally envision someone getting heated when they had their mouth set on good BBQ only to find it sold out.
The lesson is go and make sure you get there early! It’s a popular intown pick!

Oh man, was this place good. I searched and searched for the best barbecue in Atlanta and found Community Q. Fortunately, I was in the neighborhood and was able to stop in for lunch. It was a little difficult to find tucked into a strip mall, but you can just follow your nose.
I had a half rack of St. Louis ribs with mac &cheese and beans. Unusually, I have to start describing the mac & cheese. Their mac & cheese is simply the best I have ever had. Super creamy, super cheesy, super mac’y. I am still experimenting on how to recreate this dish in my kitchen. The beans were also spectacular with a perfect balance or sweet and spice with their delicious brisket. And yes, the ribs were also perfect with rub, sauce, and tenderness in the upper echelon of barbecue heaven.
I really wish this place was not 2,500 miles away. Highly recommended and worth the trip!