One person pointed me to The Blind Pig, but upon sitting down and opening the menu, the only thing that resembled BBQ on the menu was a pulled pork sandwich. I declined to order and went out in search of a more authentic stop.
I found QDogs, and gave them a shot. I'm very thankful I did.
This is an authentic BBQ joint. Upon sitting down, I noticed a KCBS sign hanging on the wall, but didn't observe any trophies (I don't think they compete). The beer selection was outstanding, with several top-notch Iowa breweries represented (Several Toppling Goliath on tap, Exile, Backpocket and Great River just to name a few). Unfortunately, I had to continue a road trip later, so I couldn't indulge.
Anyhow, the menu is typical BBQ scaffolding with all the expectations of a BBQ joint. Of course, I had to have the BBQ sampler, which consisted of three meats, some garlic bread and one side. I chose the brisket, pulled pork and ribs. The waitress returned from the kitchen and said that they don't have any sampler-sized ribs during the afternoon, but gave me several other choices, from which I switched to bacon-wrapped sausage.
5 minute wait. Food arrived.
Overall: You could definitely tell that this was really smoked stuff, although the smoke permeation wasn't as high as I personally would have liked. There was definitely bark and ring on it though, so I know it was real. In fact, in both my brisket and pulled pork servings, the bark was appropriately proportioned to the meat (I hate paying for bark-less portions!!!!)
Brisket: Excellent. My slices appear to have come from the flat, but it was still moist. Great flavor. One of the better briskets I've had in Iowa.
Pulled pork: Okay. Like I said, the bark was represented well, but there really wasn't a lot of flavor to it; pork, rub or otherwise.
Bacon-wrapped Sausage: This was a surprise winner on my plate, as I'm normally a brisket/rib/pulled pork guy. I'm not crazy about sausage, but this took me to a whole different level. Very happy with this.
Side: I chose the cheesy potatoes. Nothing to really write home about here (sorry QDogs!). Tastes like cheesy hashbrowns my wife makes in the crock pot at home -- which is great, by the way. But, if I'm out at a BBQ restaurant, give me something to raise my eyebrows at, will ya? Maybe smoke it heavy for a couple hours? Make it special. Maybe mix in some diced leftover brisket or sausage? Take it to the next level.
Sauces available table-side: House, Hot, Vinegar, Mustard. I tried all four, and with all my meats. I tried all four on all three meats, and decided that they really didn't enhance the meal -- which is a great sign of good food. I'm a glutten for BBQ mustard, and really liked it in combination with the sausage, but I have to say that all three of these meats stand much better on their own naked. That's a compliment right there.
Funny story: As I'm looking over the menu, a family is seated a couple tables away. I hear the mother ask the waitress if they could heat up some of the kid's food because it had gotten cold. "Could you throw this in the microwave for a little bit to heat it up?" The waitress then apologized genuinely and said that the restaurant doesn't have a microwave. I FRIGGIN LOVE IT!!!!!!!! Bravo to the owners on that one.
I'd definitely recommend this restaurant in Cedar Rapids if you're looking for Que.