Connecticut Digested

It’s a Saturday afternoon and I have a hankering, no, a craving for some good BBQ. Sadly, I live in Connecticut, an area of the country not well known for it’s high concentration of quality BBQ joints.

I make a proposition to my girlfriend.

“Honey, I have an awesome idea for this weekend. How about we get on a plane and go down to Austin, TX and do a BBQ run! Trust me it will be the tastiest $189 round trip ticket you will ever find west of the Mississippi.”

I think a simple no would have sufficed, but the response of “you’re joking right? That’s seriously the dumbest thing I’ve heard come out of your mouth” had a bite to it, a smokey type bite. I was obsessed at that point, I needed some good brisket or a pulled pork sandwich.

Even though my vision was clouded with 15ft long smokers filled with sausage, beef, and pork, I remembered a few months prior my good friend Tim had brought me out to a little slice of BBQ heaven.

SouthernQueBarBQ was going to be the place to satisfy my longing for the delicacy that is a perfect plate of Southern BBQ.

Located on a side street near downtown Meriden, driving up to SouthernQue the first time left me a bit, wary would be quite the perfect word. I fully trusted my friend Tim’s choice of restaurants as we have uncovered quite a few gems in our travels, but this one was pushing my limits of believability. The service area, cooking area and seating area are all located about 15 paces from the road in a quaint trailer remodeled into a shrine to the art of BBQ. The seating area is nothing more than a few old fashioned picnic tables and some blues music piped through a few outdoor speakers.

I shot my friend Tim an incredulous look. He shot me one back that tried to assuage my worry, to trust that while it may not look like a fine dining establishment, the food is second to none.

I settled up to the picnic table with a plate of baked beans and a pulled pork sandwich topped with coleslaw, a specialty of SouthernQue’s. On the outside, things were looking good, but my taste buds would be the final judge of the matter.

With the first bite into the pulled pork sandwich, all of my worries melted away with each tangy taste of BBQ sauce and each crunch of perfectly mixed coleslaw. I managed a few grunts of approval towards Tim whose mouth was too stuffed to give me anything but a head nod in return. With each bite, I was slowly realizing that all of the glitz and the glamor that many restaurants use to draw you in, masks the fact that their food is of sub-par quality to establishments that take care and pride in what they serve to their customers.

An unassuming trailer on a back road in Meriden, had just put before me a plate of some of the best BBQ I’ve had to date.

Back to the present, I had just taken the right hand turn onto Pomeroy Ave and I was already salivating like a well trained Pavlovian Dog. One of the best BBQ eateries in Connecticut was right around the bend.

Just to include a few more non-story details about SouthernQue BBQ to highlight a great BBQ joint in Connecticut. Although many people equate a BBQ spot with thick molasses like sauce dripping from ribs, SouthernQue uses a different style for their food. Most dishes are served with the “Eastern Carolina Style” BBQ, which is more of a vinegar based, thinner sauce. Hickory wood is also used to give the meat a distinct flavor during the slow roasting and smoking portion of the cooking. Some people not accustomed to this type of cooking process are in for a treat to say the least.

The best deal by far is the pulled pork sandwich with cole slaw and a small side dish. Coming in at under $8.00, it’s pretty unbeatable for a good lunch, early dinner combo. Go to a local grocery store and pick up one of the rotisserie chickens and you are looking at paying $5.99 and up for a small chicken. At SouthernQue you get a whole bird for $8.50 and it’s out of this world delicious. I’d take one of these home on a regular basis if given the chance. Overall the pricing is affordable and doesn’t stretch the wallet given the high quality and unique flavor offered.

One of the drawbacks to SouthernQue is the limited hours. Unfortunately they are only open Thursday – Saturday, but they do stay open from 11am till 8pm those days. This makes SouthernQue a fantastic weekend event, but leaves you craving during the week for something good to munch on.

I haven’t tasted all of the BBQ spots in Connecticut, but if SouthernQue is not in the top 3 in the state I’d be very surprised.

Finally what would a post about a restaurant be without a few pictures?

Enjoy the full size picture gallery featuring SouthernQue BBQ

Filed under: BBQ by admin