Virginia > Richmond: Q Barbecue

Tuffy Stone's restaurant is good. I really enjoyed the service and the que was definitely above average. The woman working there was very nice and offered me a sampler plate when I said that I watched BBQ Pitmasters and shared some of my bbq insights. The meat was well smoked. The sauces were decent, but I was more impressed with the quality of the smoked foods. Probably one of the best joints I've been to outside of the K.C. area.

http://www.qbarbeque.com/home.html

I checked out Tuffy's place last month and I have to say I was a little disappointed given that he's one of the best competitors out there now. The pork and brisket were dry and not much taste. The ribs were nice and tender though with a mild rub. Maybe I just happened to get them on an off night. The mgr was quite friendly though and gave us the nickel tour and got to see their pits in action. Probably the cleanest BBQ joint I've ever seen though.

Q has in my opinion moved into the "we dream of being a national chain so let's explore the lowest common denominator so potential franchisees can duplicate it" mode. The 'cue is..... fine. The sides are..... fine. It's just nothing very special.

I am certain that there is something in common between Tuffy's competition recipes and the stuff that is served here, but from what I can taste, not very much. It is an okay meal, but there are better places in the Richmond area to get 'cue.

How does it compare to Buz and Ned's Real Barbecue?