The Q Rib Shack is a cute little barbecue hideaway about a half a mile away from Rosedale and Calloway. Immediately I realized that parking was kind of hard to find and the shack a little easy to pass up.

The smell of barbecue when I walked up brought me back to picnics with my family when I was little.

There were a couple of different grills outside and plenty of covered seating. The shack offers an “order yourself”-style menu, and the girl who took my order was very friendly and asked if we had been there before, and when we said “no,” she explained the menu to us. I ordered a half rack of beef ribs and a side of chili beans, and my roommate ordered a tri-tip sandwich and potato salad.

We found a spot to sit, but the seating itself was kind of awkward because it was like having a picnic right on a main highway. We didn’t wait more than five minutes before the food came out, and she explained where the silverware and condiment bar was.

The food was steaming hot, and the first bite was delicious. I loved the flavor of the barbecue sauce because it had a bit of a spice to it. The ribs themselves were OK. Some parts were soft and tender, but the majority of it was really tough, and I couldn’t get the meat off the bone. The chili lived up to about the same expectations. My roommate made a comment saying that they tasted like they were canned.

My roommate loved her tri-tip sandwich, though. She said it was “amazing.” She also liked her potato salad, which I agreed, was good.

While my roommate ate her whole meal, I ate three-fifths of my ribs and threw the others away; they weren’t worth taking home. I couldn’t have gotten that much meat off the bone.

While I might go back to try a sandwich or a hamburger since the barbecue itself was good, the service would definitely bring me back. The girl was very friendly and helpful; she was more than willing to help out the customers. Numerous people came and got food to go while we were eating there, but only one other couple sat down and ate.

The Q seemed kind of like average, typical food. It was pretty generic, and I was disappointed that there were no specialty foods or anything that made it unique from other barbecue places.

Also, it was not very vegetarian friendly unless they were particularly fond of potato or macaroni salad or coleslaw.