I keep coming back to rewrite my thoughts on this place! Here's the thing- they aren't perfect. The staff sometimes is super friendly and at other times make you feel like a total inconvenience. Some times the place is packed out of the door, other times there's not a soul there. Sometimes they are out of that one thing you went for. Sometimes they have something new on the menu to surprise you. The ONE thing that is ALWAYS true- the food slap yo momma good. Every single time. I would say that one of my very favorite reasons of living close by to this place, is, this place. So. Effing. Good. read more

I decided after receiving a Yelp message from Qfanatic's business owner that I should give Qfanatic another shot. I read through my original review and was surprised at how harshly written it was, sometimes it is easy to hide behind a virtual curtain. I figured if a business owner took much time and care in the reviews written about their business that the least I could do was give them a second chance. So I did. Today at around 12:30pm. My perspective has not changed in regard to the menu. I still found it confusing, with too many items, and in a hard-to-read font. I stared at the menu for just short of five minutes before coming to a conclusion on what I wanted to order. Next, it was time to place my order which is another slightly confusing process because there are two counters. One counter is for phone pick-up orders. The other is for placing an order. The counters are clearly marked once you know their individual purposes. I ordered the pulled chicken dinner with coleslaw and asked to substitute the bread roll for a small portion of mashed potatoes. The cashier was not sure if this was possible so ran back to the kitchen to inquire. The kitchen told her that if I omitted the bread roll, I could purchase a regular side of mashed potatoes for only $1 (normal price is $2.50). I said OK. The cashier asked me if subbing the bread roll for potatoes was due to a gluten allergy or preference and I answered, "preference." The final two elements to my order were a fountain drink and mild BBQ sauce which is called "honey BBQ." I then went to the dining room and waited for my food to be packaged for takeaway. A short while later, my food was ready and the cashier reviewed the contents and we both noticed that a bread roll had been included even though I had elected to sub it out. I couldn't help but wonder if possibly Qfanatic's business owner was in the kitchen and saw my name on the to go order and included the bread roll as a nice gesture (as per my conversation with the cashier, I was not allergic to gluten). Note to self: Order under an alias when returning to a restaurant in a scenario like this. The food this time around was leaps and bounds better than it was during my original visit. Here's the breakdown. *Pulled chicken - moist and wonderfully flavored *Mashed potatoes - creamy skin on red potatoes that needed a little salt which I added and they were really good. *Bread roll - I could have done without the roll. It was doused in garlic and butter and a bit soggy though this could have been due to it sitting in a styrofoam container for 10 minutes while I drove home. *Honey BBQ sauce - still not quite to my liking but better than I remember. If I return, I'd try the "hot/spicy" BBQ sauce. *Coleslaw - as I remember it, having the look of a mayo-based coleslaw but having a vinegary taste. I think the base of it may be half mayo and half vinegar but I'm not sure. My taste buds simply did not enjoy its flavor. I guess the long and short of it is that consistency may be a slight issue with Qfanatic or perhaps my husband and I just caught Qfanatic on an off day. Both of my visits were during a weekday around the same time of day, so that eliminates most factors such as dinner rush or food not being as fresh as it could be. I'm glad Qfanatic's business owner messaged me and I'm glad I revisited Qfanatic as my second visit has changed my opinion of the food tremendously. I'd be happy to return to Qfanatic in the future. read more

I was originally going to go with 3 stars but that's "a-ok" and my real feeling is more "meh, i've had better". I drove up from Chanhassen because i'm always trying to find good barbeque. Their food was ok, not awesome. the rest of the deal, service, atmosphere etc would get 1 star. It's dirty, disorganized and clearly they didn't spend a dime to open the place. It's a poor set up for what they are trying to do, bad choice of a location (facility, not geography). Anyway, about the food. I had both the back ribs and the pulled pork. The ribs were a tad tough, not fall off the bone but tasted fine. I'm personally a dry rib guy but these ribs are below average if you don't sauce 'em. And since when is a half a slab 4 bones?? The pulled pork was ok but kind of watery/mushy which is not what I expect. I have lived in both Memphis and Dallas and am from St. Louis so yeah, I do know a thing or two about 'Q. This isn't even close to the best in the twin cities. Besides, who ever heard of not being able to have a beer with your barbecue. Not worth driving back for. I can get better at both FD's and Dickey's, let alone some of the better stand alone joints like Baker's. Pricing was fair and reasonable. read more

Hands down, the best pulled pork around. My husband is a huge fan so we've been many times, to the dining room and for takeout. He loves the food so much that he suggests it on a weekly basis despite the laundry list of things he dislikes about the place. First and foremost, it's slow. Doesn't matter if you eat in or take out. The last time my husband got takeout, he arrived in 45 minutes as instructed but then another 30 minutes in the dining room until his order was ready. For a pound of pulled pork, mind you. He stood by the counter while he waited wishing he could reach the tongs to box it himself. As other comments have mentioned, it can be challenging to get ahold of the place to order takeout. We've had mixed experiences, although the last time was fairly quick so maybe they've added lines in response to the comments. Food is worth more than 5 stars and the staff is always friendly but laundry list of annoyances evens things out at 4. So, please go because the food is good. But don't go if you're in a hurry. Call for takeout at an off time about 1.5 hours before you're hungry. read more

Thought I'd give this place another try since my last experience was not great! Well they got all their Takeout problems fixed I give this a big thumbs up! I got the 1 pound of pulled pork I got five rolls with it and also coleslaw excellent! Added a pound of spareribs for 895! Those were good too nice bark! Got the mild sweet sauce good! I had issues in the past with them taking phone orders! This guy just got too big too fast after showing on the cable TV series diners drive-ins and dives! With Guy Fierro.! read more

Q Fanatic - Nice bark on the ribs - Barbeque Near Me - Champlin, Minnesota

Based on the reviews I convinced the roommate to come with and try the place out tonight. It was pretty good. I can't really cop to some folks claims that it's the 'best in the midwest' (by the way, isn't Kansas City considered midwestern? If so, they'd be hard to beat) Anyways... As usual I couldn't decide on once specific thing, so I went with the 1/3 pd beef brisket with an add on of St. Louis style ribs, then got the side of mashed potatoes. The brisket was outstanding. Shockingly tender, juicy & flavorful before even being dipped in the two sauces I was given. The ribs were decent. Not quite as great as I'd hoped for. I got them 'dry'. Good flavor and they were tender, but honestly almost too much so as you couldn't even pick up a bone without the meat falling off completely. I think next time I'll likely try the baby backs as they're generally a little less tender. The mashed were good and there was plenty of them for a side. As far as sauces, I got the chipotle bbq and the lady at the counter randomly offered up another for me another to try. I think it was the espresso? But not completely sure. They were both decent, not amazing but decent. But, I think next time I'll try something a little more traditional. The roommate tried one of the sandwiches and raved about it. Definitely will be going back. While I can't go 5*'s, I can go a very solid 4 without a doubt. When I head back, if the baby backs are as good as I've heard, I'll kick the rating up. read more

Have never had a complaint about the food.. but the take out ordering process is something I don't understand. Why when I call in to order 3 sandwiches do they give me a pickup time of an hour? Then when I get there, I have to stand in line with everyone else who is ordering to eat there.. which can easily add another 30 minutes during a busy time. I've ordered from there 2-3 times in the last few months but will find other BBQ places instead of going back. Its just too complicated to order. read more

I've been going to Q fanatic for the last year or so, I've mainly stayed to the sandwich meals, just because they're wonderful every time. Sides are amazing and taste like they're made each morning. Meat is dripping with juice and moist and delicious every time, more than plenty of other things to top your meat with(honey/bbq sauce/maple syrup). Prices are spot on, i'd actually pay more for this kind of quality. Friday night is a hit or miss depending on how many people order/wait time, which is understandable, but saturday/sunday are good times if you can't get your Q in on friday. 11/10, would eat here every day if possible. read more

Meat so good you don't need sauce (but plenty of good ones are available if you choose). Sides that you think about for days afterward. Friendly staff and option to sit in or take out. Awesome catering options. Truly as good as it gets! read more

Not a good BBQ place at all...virtually zero smoke flavor, no smoke ring, sauces are terrible.

What can I say about Q that haven't been said already? I've been coming here for many years so the one thing I'll stress is their consistency. We usually get take out and every time we get home and unwrap our food it's the same high quality time after time. It's awesome watching them grow and expand. They deserve it! Keep it up Q. read more

Went here on a sunny Sunday around 4pm, no line and no wait, the food was delivered to us in only about 5 minutes. The brisket and mac and cheese were both great, the pork, rolls and sauces were also very good. The only part I didn't love were the spicy potato wedges and those were still fine they just weren't as wonderful as the others. I would for sure go here again and would consider using them for take out/catering as well. read more

Best ribs ever. I went here all the time when I was younger and I always liked the food. They are very family friendly so you can bring kids. The food never gets old. I love it read more

We were watching WCCO and they were highlighting Q Fanatic as the best bbq in Minnesota. Of course we had to try it. We drove- got there around 8 pm and were able to get a table. They told us it would be 50 minutes for our food but it was more like 30. We ordered enough for four even though there were only 3 in our party. Favorites were the ribs, fries (not the spicy ones) and the bacon. Least favorite was the pulled chicken. The spicy fries are very spicy. Next time and trust me there will be next time- i want the sausage and the corn fritters. They ran out of dessert which was very disappointing. read more

SWEET TEA IS NEEDED! As a Texan, whenever I go to any BBQ joint, I love a sweet tea with my brisket. And a cobbler would be AMAZING after a meal, if that ever becomes available. The brisket was good, and my husband liked his bacon slabs. I was surprised by the garlic bread roll...interesting... the menu was straight forward. read more

This my favorite Cue place ever - and that includes Jack's Stack in KC! Their pepper vodka barbecue sauce outshines any other cue sauce I've ever had! These guys are suffering right now with 6 or more months of road construction ongoing blocking a lot of access to their place. Help 'em get thru that and shine like they used to ( and even a little better, perhaps) snd order out or come in for the magnificent views of the road construction! Either way the food doesn't disappoint and the staff are friendly, courteous and very helpful! WTG!!! read more

I would say I go here at least 4 times a year. There is a reason I will drive out to Champlin for this food and it's because it is the best BBQ in the Twin Cities, hands down. I will go the mat on that one. The food is phenomenal and definitely for those who want some great, smokey BBQ. I bring a large group of friends and we get the party platter because it is the best deal. As far as the sides, get the beans and mac 'n cheese. Two of the best. The brisket is so tender and meaty. There is a list of sauces, but the two best are the Pepper Vodka sauce (worth the extra 95 cents) and the Espresso BBQ. Yum yum yum. The decor is nothing to write home about...quite frankly, it can be pretty gross. We sat in the back room and I was seated next to the big garbage can on wheels. That's pretty gross, but I was elbow deep in ribs by the time it was getting to me, so I ignored it. The other confusing thing is that I attempted to call the restaurant from 4:30 to 6:30 and there was an automated message the entire time. I was told when I arrived that I should have called the other number provided...which was provided with the message, please do not call this message to place an order. Which is what I wanted to do in order to avoid the 40 minute wait. Confused? I still am. Anyway, I'm willing to put up with the rest to get to the food, which is clearly the star of this dive-y restaurant. read more

Our experience was very good. We tried the ribs and aside from the dry rub being quite delicious, it was a quality piece of meat. Meaty (not fatty), good slice of bbq yummyness. Definitely would try again if back in the area. read more

Food was good, not the best by far, but good. It'd be great if the food was as good as the place smelled. Smells like a great bbq joint. A friend of mine told me that is was the best ham he had ever had. My friend has excellent taste. It was good but it tasted as though it had been drowned in maple syrup. The pulled pork had good flavor, nothing spectacular, the brisket had good flavor but wasn't cooked long enough and was poorly trimmed with too much fat remaining. The ribs were excellent, great rub and a wonderful pepper bite. We had wonderful sides. Great Mac n cheese, Parmesan potatoes, veggies and some of the best baked beans I've had in a restaurant. Overall it was good, but not excellent. read more

Outstanding!! We had the deluxe platter and all four meats were fantastic. Smoky baked beans and tasty Q Mac on the side. Pity we're moving soon. read more

Food/Drink: Wow, the BBQ was good. We ended up with a combo including ribs and beef brisket and I'm not sure how it happened but it was good. The ribs were some of the biggest and meatiest I've had in MN. It came with a dry rub, but there were sauces available that you can ruin it with if you want. The brisket was hands down the best in MN, big luscious and awesome. The sides we had were OK at best and I made sure to try as many sauces on the side as possible. Kudos for popcorn while I waited. Ambiance: All right, let's cover the elephant in the room here. It's in strip mall in Champlain. For those readers that don't know MN, this is the boonies+ (sorry to offend people in the neighborhood). It's a solid 10-15 minutes north of Minneapolis. Other then that, right when you enter, you're confronted with a large unfriendly menu. Lots of words all over the place with different combo, add on options and even statements by the owner about why the menu is the way it is. I can understand a small business having small business problems, but after reading through some statements I started not feeling like a customer any more. Service: Besides the menu and other signage by the owner which really sets the tone the service is confusing. We find out that you're supposed to bus your own dishes early (which I'm totally fine with, go multiple years in the service industry), but something about service at the table. Basically it equates to the following; Know what you want to order, step up and order (don't screw up otherwise you'll hold up the rest of the line), number given to you, grab popcorn and sitdown, serve yourself fountain drinks, grab your own plates and silverware, napkins, etc from the pickup station, then wait for the food, eat, bus your dishes, but don't throw your tray out. Overall: This place was so close to perfect, it was scary and if was just the food it would be there. The location is a killer for me getting out here every day or week which is really kind of depressing. Then add in the ambiance and service which makes me feel really sad either A) for the business owner or B) that as a customer I felt guilty enjoying this so much while the owner's having a rough time. Either way, if you're in the neighborhood, make sure to put this place on your list, just think happy happy joy joy thoughts. read more

Everyone who lives in Champlin thinks we have a closely-guarded secret in qfanatic but no longer. After DD & D profiled this place we are on the map!! There are no words. The food is simply to die for. Don't bother dining in....you'll be waiting for ever. Call ahead, get it to go and live happily ever after. Qfanatic is our families go-to place for all things celebratory. Just do it!! read more

I've almost had everything on the menu , I love it all , especially there homemade teriyaki bbq sauce that only this store carries !

5 stars for the food! It was so good I HAD TO write my first ever Yelp review! I had the pulled chicken sandwich and potato salad. The chicken was SO moist, flavorful and QUALITY! The potato salad is absolutely the best I've ever had at any restaurant, it taste exactly like my grandmas good old fashioned recipe :-) My husband got the ribs and baked beans. He said, "this is by far the best BBQ I've had so far at any restaurant!" The ribs were very tender, full of flavor, smoky, & juicy! We also ordered a side of corn fritters. They were okay, not bad by any means, however- There is not a lot of flavor to them, but enough that we ate some and even brought the leftovers home. We definitely recommend this place over any other BBQ place in the metro area that we've tried. And an FYI that we didn't know until we walked in- they were featured on Diners, Drive Ins, & Dives- so if you still aren't convinced by my review- watch the episode featuring them! That should do the trick! read more

Q Fanatic - Ribs with Peppered Vodka Sauce, potato salad, and baked beans. ALL were VERY DELICIOUS!! - Barbeque Near Me - Champlin, Minnesota

Really good bbq. Smokey goodness. This is an order at the counter, then find a seat and wait for your food or takeout kinda place. I prefer to go the takeout route. I have dined in a couple times and felt the place needed a little music or background noise. But other than that, the place is clean and staff is friendly. read more

Awesome place to get bbq, The fritters are the best, they have a good variety of sauces to compliment the spare ribs and baby back ribs, brisket, shredded ham, shredded pork, love the food and the atmosphere is not to bad.. read more

I love BBQ and was really looking forward to this place because of the rave reviews. Unfortunately it did not meet my expectations. I thought the meat was a bit greasy/salty, but worse was the BBQ sauce. It was very vinegary. I ordered the pulled pork with a side of baked beans. The baked beans were good. The atmosphere wasn't great either- I thought it was oddly dark inside. Won't be returning. Firebox deli has my vote for best BBQ in the area. read more

I think this place is good, but not as good as people hype it up to be. And maybe that's why I was disappointed was because so many reviews were raving about his place and it was featured on DDD. However, to me it was like any other BBQ place. Don't get me wrong, it was tasty and the staff were nice and quick. But I was kind of expecting fall-off-the-bone, mouth watering, best damn food I've ever had. What I got instead was just "fine." I would go back, but it's nothing amazing. read more

This seems to be about the best barbeque in the Twin Cities. The meat is good, the sides are edible, and the service is not very good. Since a BBQ place is pretty much all about the meat, the somewhat indifferent service doesn't really matter that much. Given my choice, I'd rather just pick up a big old to-go order and take it home. Like most BBQ places, it isn't cheap, either. One problem from my viewpoint: a bunch of cutesy sauces that I didn't care for much vs. a couple of nice traditional ones in various heat levels. But, that's a matter of taste, and the meat was good enough I didn't really feel the need for sauce anyway (at least on the ribs and brisket, which are my favorites). To calibrate things, I'd give Famous Dave's two (or maybe three if they paid me) stars. I wish I could give an example of why I found the service so "meh," but I don't recall the details enough to do it fairly. And on that subject, a friend of mine got an enormous amount of stuff from them for his son's graduation party. There was some kind of mix-up and the order wasn't ready to go when he arrived. They got it together and threw in a bunch of free stuff, so they clearly are not indifferent to customer satisfaction. Maybe I just look like a troublemaker.... read more

BEST BBQ. PERIOD. First time I went was with the boss during work. I have fallen in love since, especially since I discovered brisket! The brisket sandwich is to die for. Double meat of course. And the caesar salad....mmm...Ranch dressing tastes awesome. The expresso sauce and pepper vodka sauce are what I usually get. My mouth is watering just writing this. Seriously great bbq joint for brisket. Haven't had a chance to try anything else because the brisket is that good. Did I mention they were on Diners, Dives, and Drive ins with Guy Fieri!!! read more

They NEVER offer enough BBQ sauce with their meat! 4lbs of chicken and brisket, and all we get is a bag of small dipping cups? At least Famous Dave's lets the customer help themselves to the sauce. Good grief, when I'm spending that much on food you'd think you'd accommodate? read more

Got the 4 person picnic which is a variety of meats but not really much of each. Meats were not dry but not really flavorful. Coleslaw was just cabbage in mayo sauce, nothing else. Potato salad plain as well. Almost like it was all bought at a grocery store rather than a barbeque takeout. read more

The food is amazing! Haven't had a bad experience yet, and the portions are huge. Very well priced for what you get. The wait time can be a bit long if they're busy, so I suggest either getting take out (call ahead) or snack on the free popcorn while you wait! read more

This place has, hands down, the best barbeque I have had the pleasure of eating. (I should add that I lived in Nc for15+ years.....I 've had my share.) My husband and I have gotten takeout from the Q the past two nights...we're getting close to an addiction, I fear. What did we order? Beef brisket: tender, smoky goodness! Seriously, 10 outta 10 stars. You have to try it! Pulled pork: They hit this one out of the park too... Baked beans: not overly sweet, tons of burnt ends in it...I couldve had them as meal. The hubby also gushed about the corn fritters. We both prefer the mustard sauce. I should also add that I have celiac disease, and the meats that they serve are Gluten Free. The ONLY items that we werent over the top impressed with was the sausage, which we found to be overly dense and a touch too spicy. Keep up the good work, guys. xo read more

Ordered to go. At this point, I don't care how good the food is, because the service sucks. On a Sun afternoon, called ahead for two sandwiches, and when we went in to pick them up, they hadn't even started to get the order ready. Others were standing around wondering what was taking so long, as there was no one seated. I was told it would be another 15 min for the coleslaw ordered. The best food on the planet couldn't make up for the shitty experience. read more

My family and I have been long time customers here and the state of the place has really deteriorated. The girl working at the counter was unpleasant. They have also hiked their prices up significantly. When we went to sit down all of the tables were dirty, we had to sit down at a dirty table and they came to wash the tables off 10 minutes later the tables were left sopping wet and they didn't bother to clean all of the food and spills off of the floors under the booths. When you come in here at an off time that's not as busy the food is often times cold and leftover meat. I usually order the Q-ban and spicy potato wedges. I got very little sauce for my spicy potato wedges and I asked for more and they charged me for it. I'm very disappointed in how this place has turned out over the years. read more

The Q has been our go-to BBQ joint for around 5 years now. Unfortunately due to the last two recent visits that has completely changed. The Q has somewhat recently switched to more of a quick service model, think Chipotle-like setup, when you walk in. Although they are no doubt quicker in providing food, the food quality has deteriorated significantly. On our most recent visit we did 1/3lbs each of pork, chicken and brisket. We had coleslaw and baked beans for sides and wanted to try "grandma's recipe" corn fritters. All three meats tasted like they had been sitting in a crock pot of meat juices for a very long time and I don't mean that in a positive way. The meat was very soggy, no texture what-so-ever, lacked any real smoke flavor and basically tasted like beef/pork/chicken broth. We took one bite of the coleslaw and threw it away. The baked beans were easily the best part of the meal. The corn fritters were absolutely awful. They were basically rolled balls of corn-mill/corn bread batter that were then fried. Unfortunately they were not fried nearly long enough because they were cold, soggy and tasted like an undercooked corn-mill donut. Again, one bite and threw away. As I said, this is now the second time in a row of not even close to even "average" food. I'm no big Famous Dave's guy but they at least have a formula that produces consistently hot and correctly cooked/smoked food, although it's very salty and formulaic. Losing the only BBQ placed we liked in the north metro sucks. read more

THIS PLACE IS OFF THE CHART! The selection is varied, all the meat is juicy and even though I love the brisket, the rib tips are my new favorite. Try the grilled veggies. Sometimes the waits can get long (that's what happens when it is good) so call ahead if you are in a hurry. read more

Last review not so great...just finished takeout for dinner this eve. Rack of baby back and Pound of chicken. True BBQ and extremely good. Probably best in town (mpls and st.paul) when they are performing at this level. Great job! read more

Q Fanatic - Left overs - Barbeque Near Me - Champlin, Minnesota

We've been here several times but the wait was pretty painful, 45 minutes after you order your food. It's not like it's not already done. We're talking BBQ, it's all been cooked and smoked long before you get there. I heard he was trying to make some changes so we'll try it again and see. read more