Q Grill

As far as London goes, this American BBQ themed spot has great ambiance, the music was perfect, as was the layout, décor and lighting. great chicken wings 9though not Buffalo style, and the cornbread waffles with maple butter was delectable, as was the signature buttermilk fried chicken with blue cheese sauce — yum! Good for groups too. Also live music Sundays. Owner is for CEO of Caprice group too which says a lot about the details here.

Q Grill offers a civilised dining experience in Camden, providing an alternative from on-​the-​go market stall eating and the recent influx of high street chains in the area. It’s a restaurant with proper table service, ample space, coherent décor and a culinary concept: grilled and smoked meats and fish (and just about anything else that can withstand the heat of their charcoal pit grill, oven and house smoker).
We ate at Q Grill on our anniversary and booked in advance, but it was relatively quiet on a Thursday night when we arrived. The floorplan is open and spacious and we were seated in view of the open kitchen, where flames licked about and the wafting aroma of barbecue filled our nostrils. The atmosphere is informal and, in the tradition of American-​style steakhouses, there’s a well-​stocked centrepiece bar, a classic rock soundtrack and frazzled servers hustling by with armloads of charred meats, burgers and beers.
The menu offers a wide selection of the usual suspects, including burgers and grilled meats on their Josper grill– an oven/​grill hybrid that locks in the natural moisture and flavour of the meat– and other standard mains and family sharing plates. Nearly all of the dishes are heavily meat-​forward and the sole vegetarian offering is macaroni and cheese. The burgers and buttermilk chicken were proving popular with other diners and were racing out of the kitchen.
The selection of starters is excellent and we were torn between several plates– after a bit of indecision, we decided upon the smoked beef fritters with chipotle sauce and the butterfish with chili jam. The fritters arrived, a soft and moreish salty beef centre crusted in a crispy shell. They were completed with the rich smokiness of the chipotle sauce. The butterfish was delicious: a flaky and meaty white fish that was reminiscent of tuna. The chili jam enhanced the charred skin with a sweet, mild heat.
Intent on experiencing the Josper grill specials, we opted for a half chicken and the whole pork baby back ribs for the main event. The half chicken was a generous portion that was enough for a big appetite and was accompanied by a slaw. There is standard creamy coleslaw and a ‘naked’ slaw offered, and the latter proved a good crunchy pairing with the plump chicken. I was given a mellow barbecue sauce on the side, but admittedly preferred the sauce that my boyfriend received with his ribs, which was much more robust and tangy. The chicken was excellent– the skin was rubbed with a blend of spices and crispy and the meat retained its moisture as promised. The ribs were a celebration of overindulgence, an enormous rack treated with a punchy dry rub and coleslaw on the side. The tender meat fell from the bone and the meat was superb.
We perhaps overestimated the size of our stomachs and had ordered chips and roast sweet potato sides– the sweet potato was absolutely delicious, where hunks of it had been introduced to the grill and their skins were gloriously charred while retaining a soft centre. We were literally unable to entertain the thought of desert at the end of the night, but the peanut butter cookie concoction caught my eye for next time.
After a friendly discussion with a server over the bill, I mentioned that I had heard acclaim for their honeycomb old fashioned. He offered to bring us over two on the house– we luckily obliged, as they were a delicious twist on the usual stiff drink, mellowed by the sweetness of the honeycomb garnish and beautifully aromatic with a heavy dash of bitters.
The food was excellent and we had a memorable night at Q Grill. We experienced only a few hiccups with our servers, as we were first given a half rack of ribs and our sides and drinks were forgotten when our main dishes arrived. Despite this, everyone was very polite and everything was quickly resolved.
I highly recommend Q Grill if you’re looking for a good barbecue joint in Camden, or just to find a relaxed, high quality meal in an area that is otherwise marred with crowds, chaos and characterised with rushed, unfriendly table service.

This is one of those places that every time I walk past, I kind of want to go in. From the carnivorous focus to the welcoming décor and jokey chalkboard outside, it ticks a lot of boxes for me. This could be the reason that I’ve now been there twice, even though the first time was underwhelming. The second time? Much the same.
The best part is the staff. Our waiter was funny and friendly and happy to make recommendations that sounded genuine and considered based on what we wanted. He also gave us tips on the best time to come for discounts with our loyalty card that we had received the first time round.
The food, though, is kind of mediocre. Between my boyfriend and I, we’ve had the buttermilk chicken, the rack of ribs and the short rib and none have been great. This most recent time, I had the rack of ribs and while the meat was ok (not committing the worst rib sins of dryness or toughness), it wasn’t spectacularly tender, and there was a real paucity of bbq sauce, so even though the meat wasn’t dry, the overall experience was. For some reason it came with a sauce that seemed to just be tomato paste — strong and unpleasant, I left it on the side.
Meanwhile, my boyfriend’s short rib was just effort to eat — again not tender, so just a huge hunk of meat that didn’t offer very much to appeal.
On the plus side, I thought my chips were good and he enjoyed the sweet potato mash.
I guess overall it was fine — average — but bear in mind that prices, while not exorbitant, are quite high. We went in with a £20 voucher that came as part of the loyalty scheme, but were still spending £20 each on one course and one drink. I think that’s kind of average, but only after the discount. Without it, it would have been way overpriced. If it was cheaper, I might have gone with 3 stars.
If you have the loyalty card, then it’s 50% off your bill on a Monday, which is pretty good. Still unlikely to go back, although it is close and maybe after a few months it’ll start calling to me again… but only on Mondays.

I’ve been here quite a few times, but I need to point out a recent experience and highlight a few staff members that really turned a bad evening around into a great night.
I’d had some issues with a restaurant that evening which ended up with my parents and I needing a restaurant on a Friday evening without a reservation.
I called Q Grill while we were on our way and looked to see if we could get a table at about 8pm. I was told no. But this wasn’t the end of the story. Shannon offered me an option. I could try their new Frontier Room (which I had heard about in passing but didn’t know what it was), have a drink there and then sit down at 8:45/9pm. We accepted. It was a birthday celebration so why not? Please note that we did not tell them it was for a birthday.
The Frontier room is a new bar space that they had set up and were still in their opening phase. It’s set up in the back of the restaurant in a raised area that is away from the main restaurant floor.
Arriving there, we were greeted by Shannon (who I hadn’t met before — or at least in such a passing way that I didn’t remember her) in such a friendly way the my mum asked if we were friends. She took us to the bar and then provided us with free drink vouchers — again, let me stress, we had not asked for ANY special treatment. Drinks were expertly made including something non-​alcoholic and off menu for my mum. The bartender was engaging and also welcoming that we left service behind when we went to the restaurant proper.
Our server (sorry, no name, but you are Spanish!) remembered us from a previous visit there and was quick to take our order and get us our food. My surf and turf special was well worth the higher price tag, chicken wings were smoky and tasty as ever, the ceviche not overpowered with lemon/​lime and with a wonderful dice, and the burger also cooked to a nice medium rare as requested (I didn’t get to taste this one!). We ordered desert as well on the recommendation of our server, the rhubarb crumble was warm with slowly melting ice cream (okay not so different from most places but I loved this and HATE rhubarb) and while the cookie stack held up our desserts for a bit, the reason is clear, they bake them to order! How can you dislike that…
Unfortunately Shannon finished her day before we were able to say goodbye and thank her and I’ve not yet had the opportunity to go back. But I definitely will! A great meal that helped make a birthday celebration with my parents special.

We went here yesterday after lack of inspiration for home cooking and a mild second day hangover.
the boyfriend wanted ribs so this was the place! It was quite busy considering it was a monday, but we had no problem getting a nice seat by the window to enjoy the last of the spring sun.
To start we had the wings (decent) I prefer mine a bit crispier but the flavor was really nice, also ordered the ceviche with plantain (loved the fresh chilli in this, super tasty will order this again).
Then the mains of course baby back ribs for the boyfriend, big portion with side of slaw and chips (they had a lovely coat of spice) and some extra sauce to dip the meat in. I ordered the chargrilled tiger prawns and I am so happy I did! they were super tasty definitely hit the spot. Will absolutely come back if its only to order them again, also had a market salad that had way to much dressing for my taste but will order the dressing on the side next time, nothing can stand in the way of me and another portion of those prawns.
Staff is super friendly and helpfull, cool atmosphere and crowd.

After checking out the website for Q Grill I was really looking forward to my visit but was left fairly underwhelmed by the whole experience.
I went for the Pit smoked beef hash with a fried duck egg and I also got to try a bit of the Q burger. Sadly the burger was a little on the small side and I found it a little bland which wasn’t a good start and to make matters worse I had some plastice stuck in my hash which put me off from the start. After complaining the waiter did offer to have it cooked again however I was in a bit of a rush so just carried on. This was actually a lot tastier than the burger but not enough to make me want to rush back.
There’s a fair amount of choice for different beers however nothing really to my taste and the wine was not too badly priced considering it’s London but this is not a reason to rush back. Sadly it was a miss for me.

Great food and buzz
Ordered the Josper ribs and hash beef, both of which were great
Service slightly erratic, multiple waiters asked me if I’m ready to order within 5 minutes
Overall, a pleasant night out

This place I like! When wandering down Camden high street with the mother of all hang overs. What do you want? Yep a cooked breakfast with ribs on it!
The food here is cooked on a flame grill so even the toasted bread tasted amazing. It is also fairly priced for food in London around £7 for a full English which comes complete with ribs!
The atmosphere is also great, the whole front of the restaurant opens up when its hot and you can grab a bar stool against one of the big open windows to look out onto the high street. Dress code is casual and the restaurant is strikingly clean and well maintained.

First off, nothing bad could be said about the service, the staff, or the general feel/​look of the place. Open, friendly, and cosy at the same time. But it’s really all about the food, isn’t it? And that was neither great nor terrible — just depressingly average.
Charred hot wings — the guys liked the wings and devoured them happily. The spices were subtle but flavorful and they were gone in minutes. I wasn’t a fan as I thought they were too charred, but majority rules!
Q Burger — just alright. I ordered mine medium well and it came out very well done :(. And strangely, not that hot. Topped with avocado and smoked cheddar, it came together after a few bites, but was overall too dry. Seasoned fries were nice but the ketchup on the table was strangely tangy.
Josper fry up — an egg, toast, sausage, ribs, ham, beans, mushrooms and a tomato. The guys report — underwhelming. Especially as the none of the individual elements were spectacular, just decent. The toast was hard — table-​shaking hard — as it was difficult to cut into. And the ribs must have been heated up/​prepared on or near the same grill where fish is cooked, because one rib literally tasted fishy. For the price, however, it was an impressive amount of food.
Banana pineapple and strawberry smoothie got the thumbs up, as did the waffle with maple syrup (bacon subbed out for veggie).
Overall, it was an average meal in what presents itself as an un-​average restaurant. As I often see this restaurant name-​checked in London bbq lists, I’m hoping our experience was a one-​off. I’d visit again but with tempered expectations.

Met a few friends here on a Saturday for lunch, we have had friends come here recently and they recommended it. The venue is nicely presented with a lot of wood going on and a decent size space. We were quickly seated as there wasn’t too many people there and water was immediately brought to the table.
The service was ok, they took orders well and bought the food in a timely manner but they just seemed a little nervous and unsure. Possibly they were new but it was evident they weren’t comfortable.
The two starters we shared were the squid with chickpeas and sword fish ceviche. Squid was ok, tasted a little fishy but the ceviche was really good. Mains on the table were, ribs, pit roasted chicken, burger and flat iron steak. All of them were very tasty, and in honesty there was little to be negative about. The half chicken is defo sufficient for one person… Possibly two if you want something less filling.
We ordered two «cocktails» a bourbon and malteaser milkshake and Bloody Mary. The bloody mark was ok, but I’ve had better (they did give me the option to make it myself, so I guess I partly blame myself) The milkshake although a weird concept works surprisingly well!!!
To compare this place against Pitt and cue or Porkys, it stands up well. Venue is better than Pitt and cue but food isn’t. I reckon it would be a good venue for a medium sized group.

Service was a bit slow, but I enjoyed the flatiron steak. The wings and cornbread were solid starters. The ribs looked very good as well.

Great new spot in Camden by Chalk Farm. Do it yourself Bloody Mary bar YUM! Not a very extensive brunch menu but everything we had was very good. Place is much larger than it appears from the outside with a very cool vibe with good music. Great service… Will be back for dinner to try the rest of the menu.

Venue:
Unique, comfortable and hipster-​robust design.
Food:
I expected more from the flat iron steak and they forgot to add the special butter on the steak and replaced it with garlic butter instead which I didn’t really enjoy.
Staff:
Very attentive, genuine and was most of the time nearby.
Overrated but I had a nice time with my friends in the venue.

Lovely venue … Although with a slightly curious choice of pictures in the toilets.
I am lead to believe there is a phrase «dance like your dad» to indicate poor quality shapes thrown on the dance floor Q grill suggests to me that there should also be the phrase «grill like an Englishman» to indicate the meat covered in charcoal that was served to us when we made the error of ordering the wings … Perhaps it was assumed that we would drink so much we would need to line our stomachs to filter the poison out?
Now the ribs were blissfully carbon free … They were also largely free of flavour. Much like the ceviche was completely free of lime and salt … Luckily the staff were helpfully willing to provide lime juice on request.
I am beginning to suspect that Camden is some kind of prison for chefs who hate BBQ as there are three venues here that are clearly staffed by people who have no love for US meat based cuisine who are clearly being forced to make it … Obviously when the chef enjoys the food they are cooking it shows in the eating … Unfortunately similarly when they view the cooking as some kind of punishment beating it shows.
Did I mention how nice a venue it is?

A new place in Camden /​Chalk Farm — it is a great new venue in NW corner.
The place offers a great, casual setting with a high quality friendly service — what more can I ask for… we had grilled asparagus and sea bass ceviche to start with followed by ribs with onion and creamed corn side.
I must say the bbq sauce and rib are one of the best I have ever tried in London (I have never been to Pitt Cue) and very good value. It has a very nice rub combined with nice smoky taste… and it is not a baby rib so it is not as greasy… really proper kick afterwards but not harsh at all. It is really one of the best BBQ I have tried (mind you that I am not a huge fan of sweet bbq sauce…)
Sides were quite small and creamed corn especially were not very typical American creamed corn although it was high quality.
Definitely a must try place…

Having read the recent Timeout review and having seen the «Quick Lunch Menu» posted out front, my colleagues and I decided to venture down for lunch. Unfortunately for us, the quick lunch menu did not deliver on its promise and it was an hour before we even received our starters.
I began with the «bag of chicken wings» which did indeed arrive in a paper bag to be ripped open. Having a rather high standard for wings, I was not overly impressed wit these lightly barbecued jointed wings which lacked a punch. My colleague’s roasted tomatoes and smoked mozzarella on toast looked far more inviting. For my main I had Kielbasa sausage which was impressive in length but was accompanied only by a small portion of picked diced cabbage. I would have appreciated it more if it had come dressed with proper fixings. The side salad was satisfyingly dressed with a creamy dressing and a nice variation of veggies. The chips were fine but not quite as crispy as I would have liked. The draught beer list is provided by Camden Town Brewery who are just up the road and they have a nice bottle beer selection, however 5.50 a bottle adds up quite quickly.
Overall, I was left with the impression that this restaurant cannot quite decide if it wants to be a down home bbq joint or a classier steakhouse affair, and is left somewhere in between with higher than average prices and food that lacks any real soul.

Nice atmosphere, decent food.
I read through every reviews here and some bad reviews from Trip Advisor.
So I decided not ordering any expensive meat menu or things with batter to prevent any disappointment.
We ordered wing in the bag and spicy corn bread as a starter.
Both were very yummy so that we ordered another round of wing in the bag.
These wings are a lot better than Nandos.
Hotdog was spicy and flavorful too.
Their beer was also tasty!
Our total came out under £30 for two bags of wings, spicy corn bread, hot dog and 2 half pint beer!
Waitress was super kind and attentive.
Definitely visiting again.

Q Grill is a new restaurant in Camden and I think it’s already one of my favourites. Inside is spacious and well decorated. It’s laid-​back but with a bit of flair and fancy.
For starters we ordered the charred octopus with kimchi, capers and blood orange, it was delicious and the kimchi worked ever so well with the octopus and orange. I would actually sacrifice not trying something new and order this again and again. It was really THAT good.
For mains, I ordered the grilled pigs collar. I’ve never eaten a pigs collar and was pleasantly surprised when a large medallion of meat was presented. The meat was beautifully cooked and arrived with squash and caramelized pecans. It all worked very well however the pigs collar was a little fatty for me around the edges (it was a large piece though so I ate my fair share of meat)
My friend had the beef short ribs which was a very large portion so of course I had a large bite to try, I thought it was sublime. The meat was barely clutching onto the bone and it only took a nudge from the fork to get the meat to glide off elegantly. The seasoning was sweet with a deep smoky BBQ flavour. Perfectly grilled too and perhaps on of the best ribs I’ve had in London in a long long time.
Being people with small appetites, that is all we could possibly manage but I am eager to try other things on the menu.
The service was excellent also, attentive, approachable and friendly. I

Oh Jing! At least he got a root beer float as by the end of the meal we were so full we couldn’t even fit one in. And for all ‘Jing’ fans out there I send my apology out in public to have left him in the wait.
Q Grill is the beginning of better dining options in Camden although it still has a lot to do to compete with the increasing Southern American restaurants in London.
We went during their soft launch and found the venue to be buzzing already. But it’s a stunning venue, incredibly spacious with an American feel to it with the red leather seating yet still keeping it cool with the exposed ceiling and the worn out wooden flooring. A great venue.
The menu was even better with a large range American cuts of meat you don’t usually find and a few seafood dishes, all fancily listed like the «Charred octopus, Kimchi, blood orange & capers». It got us mouthwatering and I would advise going in large groups to share as you are spoiled for choice.
And finally a restaurant who not just calling themselves an American diner by serving meat boiled down till soft, grilled and then drenched in sweet over powering sauces to give it some ‘taste’. No, we’re talking about meat properly grilled, still hugging the bone so you have to dig your teeth in and take it off yet still being tender. Q grill shows what real Southern cooking is like although it still needs some tweaking.
The hen wings for example were slightly overdone and burnt on the edges. It came in a smokey sticky barbeque glaze that got a bit too rich after my second wing but that could just be because it was mixed with the burnt edges. But the chicken was beautifully tender once you pass the burnt bits.
Moonshine shrimps were nothing special other than battered shrimp although came more to life after dipping in its chipotle sauce. But I would applaud them on how big and plump they came although for £9.50 they were quite deer for four.
The charred octopus was more successful, beautifully presented, smoky and really tender in a lovely citrusy orange sauce and salted nicely with capers. It had a nice subtle heat element to it too from the kimchi.
But we soon realised it was all about the main event. Short ribs became many favourite even for those who don’t usually eat beef. As beef is a lot richer in taste these had more depth of flavour than the pork josper ribs and meatier. The surrounding fat around it marbled the meat making it incredibly buttery and moist. The sauce was also perfect, savoury and sweet, enough to get you licking your lips. They came with some greens which added some bite and helped break down the heaviness.
But the Josper ribs were equally satisfying, less meaty. I very much enjoyed the texture, ones to get your teeth into and take off the meat that had soaked up the smokey barbecue sauce nicely. They were incredibly generous, nearly taking over the whole plate. These were leaner but still very succulent and tender. One of the best I’ve had.
Sadly our Southern fried chicken was slightly disappointing when it arrived with breadcrumb batter like a schnitzel when I was after buttermilk batter and preferably the thigh for the ultimate fleshy experience. These were definitely too ‘healthy’ tasting and needed more seasoning. For a schnitzel they were great though, a nice tender chicken breast, lightly seasoned with a good wedge of lemon (which I did use) to give it that kick of lemony zest. It just didn’t fit int the American scene.
Lamb chops were amazing too, bouncy and soft and very juicy. It was incredibly sweet tasting and buttery with all the fat marbling the meat. It became very morish and I couldn’t stop digging my teeth around the bone to scrap off every meat.
Some of the sides were better than others. Beans tasted homemade, sweet but not sickly. Onions rings were average and forgettable. Creamed corn could have been more generous but was nicely spiced and flavoured still a bit chunky for some texture.
Overall we did have an amazing feast at Q Grill although I’ll stick more to the mains and the grilled meats next time. They definitely serve one of the best short ribs I’ve had in London. The place was very well staff, all very friendly and bubbly making sure we got their full attention when coming over. Food doesn’t come cheap here but portions are big so something like a josper rib can easily feed two if you add some starters and sides.
Sadly we were too full to order dessert apart from Jing. Sometimes things happen for a reason and it seems he was better off that evening as he got dessert.

Q grill is a new restaurant in Camden. We were here on the soft launch and there was limited table cover. Whilst there the place looked about 80% full all the time and there were plenty of staff.
I mistakenly arrived here 30 minutes early without realising, however without batting an eyelid, the staff took me to my table without question. Nice. People don’t like to feel silly, as I rightly felt when nobody else arrived after 15 minutes and I checked the actual booking confirm :/​. But at least that was whilst I was seated on my own at the table.
During my wait I ordered a root beer float which was really nice. They use a brand of root beer called Dominion (apparently there is a range of varieties, though only the one served here). Cue the rest of the party, and we promptly ordered food.
Food wise, we ordered a smattering of the menu that included pork ribs, chicken wings, creamed corn, beans, coleslaw, onion rings and king prawns, squid and southern fried chicken. The premise is that the menu is split into items that are RAW.GRILL.FRIED. What I personally liked is that seasoning was very sparingly used, meaning it was probably healthier but also some things like the ribs were a little drier than some might be used to. For instance bodeans is known for absolutely smothering their… everything in their signature sauces. Here the meats particularly are left to fend on their own. There were some niggles about seasoning, e.g. the southern fried chicken tasting bland, but that was likely because of the lack of excess salt and and oil you normally associate with southern fried chicken. Additionally it couldn’t be called southern fried chicken in the purest sense. It was more like a tender schnitzel. The accompanying lemon juice was perfect. However the others didn’t believe in lemon juice on their chicken… their loss. I liked it. The slaw also tasted healther, with minimal mayo and lots of texture and delicate seasoning.
One highlight were the staff. They were super friendly and up for making small talk. Whether this was through design or personality, it was a nice touch in small doses as I was waiting 45 minutes for the rest of the party to arrive. One staff member even mentioned I’d be remembered as the guy who orders «root beer dessert for a drink» and pointed out she’d get me one on the next visit. Funny :)
In all, I liked this place exactly because the food unlike other BBQ/​grill places isn’t loaded with salt or smothered in heavy sauces. Flavour takes a small hit, but you get more natural flavours from the meats and vegetables. Five stars for staff and décor though. Everything down to the lightbulb housings made us feel like we were in either a bunker or submarine.
Also the toilets are something… :)