I had a taste for BBQ during a recent trip to Kearney and chose S.A.M. Que since it was close to my hotel, and a good spot to meet up with a friend. The BBQ aroma meets you at the door as soon as you walk in. There's plenty of seating, and the restaurant is bright, and clean. I ordered the two-meat plate since I wasn't super hungry, and it was just enough to satisfy my taste for BBQ. The smoked sausage wasn't greasy and had a nice snap to it. The sliced brisket was moist with good smoky flavor, and not fatty at all. The Cole slaw was good, but I wouldn't mind a slightly larger portion. The toasted slice of Texas toast filled up the little last bit of space I had in my stomach. The meats were flavorful, and just what you'd want if you have a taste for BBQ. Service was quick, and friendly at the time of my visit which was on a Saturday afternoon. A good place for BBQ if you're not too picky, and hungry for some smoked meats. read more

S.A.M. Que - Two meat plate with sausage, brisket, Cole slaw, and Texas toast. - Barbeque Near Me - Kearney, Nebraska

In Kearney for conferences often, and kicking myself for not trying this place sooner. Solid as a bbq joint can get, and the service is very friendly. Ordered the three meat plate with beans and fries and had to stop myself from finishing the entire plate.....they give you a lot of food. The brisket and turkey were equally tender and smoked to perfection. The beans were a highlight. You can tell they go all in on them. The ribs were great, too, and though it didn't need them, the sauces were all very flavor-forward and delicious. Great spot and I am looking forward to coming back again and again. read more

S.A.M. Que - Barbeque Near Me - Kearney, Nebraska

In town for work. Stopped by for some BBQ after a long days travel. Had the two meat plate of brisket and sausage. Come with toast, and a side of coleslaw. Service was very good and friendly. Small but great ambiance. The sausage was good, brisket very tasty. Wishing a larger portion, but that's just me. read more

See all

We have eaten barbecue throughout the states and a not to mention multitude places you can get barbecue in Southern California. Barbecue can be a unique and exciting experience when you hit a place where it's really well done. Today, I rate S.A.M. Q an overall 2. We purchased 2 of the three meat specials so we could try the different meats and sides , plus an extra order of the tater tots. First, The tater tots we received were about a buck a tot and not very interesting, deep-fried potatoes, but no flavor. The small macaroni & cheese side was dull and simplistic. The small coleslaw side was drenched more in sauce than cabbage. The quantity/quality of meat was not bad, the burnt tips were the best. The other meats we tried did not bring out a full rich smoky flavor, fall off the bone experience that I come to expect from other restaurants. Overall, we thought most Que's fair was just run of the mill and uninspired. Unfortunately, we're only in town for one day and not able to try other BBQ places. read more

If you are passing by looking for a quick bite, we were in and out pretty quickly after enjoying some absolutely delish BBQ. I had the burnt ends and brisket with potato salad on the side and was left very satisfied. The potatoes were cut into tiny pieces made enjoying it even better. read more

Being a native SE Texan, I was very skeptical trying to find good BBQ in Nebraska. This place was very good and I will certainly be back. Don't miss out on some great BBQ! read more

Stopped in Kearney for the night and was looking for a local business to support. Came across this amazing place on Yelp and couldn't resist. If you are anywhere in the area of this restaurant, stop and get food. Even if you're not hungry, you will be eventually and you will thank yourself. My son had the hangover burger and fries and couldn't stop raving about it. I had the pulled pork with the medium BBQ sauce, hash brown casserole, and baked beans. We also got an order of the Dictater Tots. I cannot say enough good things about this food. This is my first experience stopping at a BBQ restaurant and I will not forget it. I would drive 9 hours to eat here again (we are passing through en route to RMNP). The staff is friendly, great layout for seating, and it's immaculate. Highly recommend! read more

S.A.M. Que - Pulled pork, medium BBQ sauce, beans, hash brown casseroles - Barbeque Near Me - Kearney, Nebraska

See all

Brisket is so hard to get right but SAMs was on point!! The sausage was incredible as well. They didn't have my perfect match for sauce but that's an easy solution for me. read more

Absolutely would return here. I loved the hand painted map mural. Quality food was excellent and the perfect amount.

I was driving thru Nebraska and had a taste for barbecue and thought I would give the place a try. I tried calling to make sure they were open and got a voice recording that they are open until 8pm Tuesday thru Saturday. Attempted to stop by at 2:45pm on Saturday 31 Aug. Unfortunately the door was locked and there weren't any notes on the door as to why. Definitely disappointed. I would recommend to people passing thru to keep going to either Lincoln or Cheyenne. read more

Traveling through Kearney on a Saturday evening, and BBQ sounded good. The service was excellent, and the food came out quickly. Drinks were fairly priced, but water cups are $1.00. The French fries, Texas toast, and beans (sides) were hot and flavorful. The Mac n cheese (kids meal) was warm and saucy. Our daughter had the chicken strips and they were fine, a premade frozen kind that had been cooked at our order. We tried two sampler plates with brisket, ribs, turkey, and sausage. The sausage was perfectly cooked, crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. The brisket, ribs, and turkey all had great flavor but did not have the juicy succulent taste that we expect with bbq. It was a little bit dry. We all got full, but for the price of bbq, we were hoping to be wowed. read more

Best bbq sandwich in the state. Employees are very nice and place is really clean. Fries are amazing.

Stopped here on our way through Nebraska. This is a gem of a place in all regards! Excellent, delicious BBQ, wonderfully friendly service, super clean!! Highly recommend! read more

Our very first time here for testing! I'm doing burnet ends and beans. B having a burger. My portion of burnt ends was small and just browned a little. Certainly not the burnt black, crusty ones which are quite wonderful. Baked beans real good and also real small portion. Burger was really good example we agreed. And fries were real good also. Everything, everywhere is high and climbs a bit every day. I thought $32 was a lot for what we had. read more

S.A.M. Que - front order and menu - Barbeque Near Me - Kearney, Nebraska

See all

I am a bit of a snob when it comes to Q. They know how to smoke meats here !!!! I had the brisket and burnt ends, both delicious and full of smoke/flavor. My wife had the pulled pork and it was good. I was surprised by how good the sides were. Baked beans off the charts good! They top my wife's and that is a tall order. Fries were crispy and good seasoning. We both used the Carolina mustard but sparingly as the meats stood on their own. read more

S.A.M. Que - Sauce options and menus - Barbeque Near Me - Kearney, Nebraska

See all

Second time in the area. Very good food for a very good price. You really can't go wrong with it

Solid food and really nice people. It's easy to get to from the freeway. Not sure if we would come back, but only bc we aren't huge fans of bbq. We had the ribs and brisket ends. read more

Service was very friendly and the restaurant was impeccably clean even with a large number of diners. And the food was great.

On a cross country road trip from California, Kearney was to be our stop for lunch. We couldn't make up our minds among the many choices until we saw this barbecue place, S.A.M. Que. Even though Kearney isn't in Texas, or adjacent to Memphis, St. Louis, or Kansas City, we thought, "let's try it." So we ordered the three meat plate with the hash brown casserole as our side. (Enough to share.) The 3-meat plate included the brisket, St. Louis Ribs, and burnt ends. Wow! This barbecue definitely lived up to the restaurant's name: Sean's Awesome Meats. Indeed, it was so good, that after finishing our plate, we decided to place an order to feed 8 to take with us for a family dinner in Glenwood, Iowa. What is Sean's secret? It surly must be a combination of good quality meats along with his barbecuing techniques honed over the years, starting out first with a food truck. And of course it has to be in the seasonings or lack of them. The burnt ends were not sauced while barbecuing, and they stand on their own as sublimely tender and delicious. But I must say the raspberry chipotle barbecue sauce is to die for. We can get a lot of Texas barbecue in Southern California. I haven't had anything as good as what you can have at S.A.M. Q. Go for it. read more

The brisket is to die for! And my boys love the mac and cheese! No matter what you order from their many menu options you can count on it being delicious though. read more

Very good food, super friendly and fast! I've had food from their food truck in the past, this was the first time at the restaurant, cute place! read more

Baked beans were excellent. Pulled pork sandwich was also very good. I would order both again.

Great food great service will be back again. Food was delicious. Will definitely tell my friends about s.a.m. Que.

We were hungry and searching for a BBQ meal along I-80. This place has a reputation that precedes it and it is richly deserved. The ribs, pulled pork, and hash brown casserole were exquisite! Only one suggestion: the hottest sauce was not particularly hot, which was the only complaint of my companion whose mouth and insides are lined with asbestos. read more

Stopped this afternoon for some lunch. Great food, knowledgeable staff. Highly recommend their pulled pork sandwich. They have a large indoor dining and serve cold bottled beer. read more

Came here after seeing all the good Yelp reviews. Oops. We got two 3-meat plates to try all of the meats. The food was decent, but the portion sizes of meat were tiny for the price. This was especially true of the kid's meal we got our 8 year old, who received a minuscule burger on a slider bun, a handful of fries, and a 6 oz cup. Service was prompt, and the workers were very friendly (hence 3-stars instead of 2). read more

Yummy burnt ends, great dictator tots and friendly service. You can't go wrong here.

Great food and very friendly service! We had the pulled pork, brisket and burnt ends. Highly recommend the brisket and pulled pork. Burnt ends good too, just not quite as good as the others. Hash brown casserole was a perfect side. We will be back! read more

My first time there but not my last. Having lived in KC and Texas I'm a bit of a BBQ snob. Brisket had good flavor but a bit dry. Coleslaw was good. Service was very good. I'll visit again soon. read more

Excellent food! Very good service. Highly recommend the sliders!! will definitely go back.

Owner puts his likeness on everything including the floor mat (fitting) BBQs okay sides are the size of a condiment container and are BAD for $4.00 outlandish! do not eat here except alamode, this place will be gone soon. read more

I enjoy the pulled pork nachos. Their homemade sauces are a nice touch. Definitely worth a try

We have ordered twice from here this past week. Everything has been delicious! We've had the ribs, pulled pork and brisket sandwiches. Very generous portions. The buns are toasted perfectly. They have several BBQ sauce options ranging from mild to a very spicy. The sides we've had of french fries, baked beans and cole slaw were all very good. We have done the phone in order and picked up at pick up window. Definitely will be going back! read more

The meats are amazing. We had the ribs and brisket. Great smokey flavor with a nice burnt layer. The sides are good. We have the hash brown casserole and were not disappointed. Definitely going back! read more