Excited about Eating by Ernie Hiers

This edition of Excited about Eating takes us to Queen City Q in downtown Charlotte, a short walk from the Time Warner Cable Arena, home of the Charlotte Hornets. 

Across-the-street view

Dora here. My first Hornets game ever! Too bad they lost that night. :) 

Time Warner Cable Arena

This BBQ joint/sports bar serves all of our BBQ favorites, burgers, tacos and more. During our visit, most visitors were sporting their Hornets gear while filling up before the game. 

We opted to try a few menu items and share: Brunswick stew, hush puppies and honey butter, and Carolina Classic Nachos.

Hush Puppies and Honey Butter Appetizer

I never pass up Brunswick stew when it's on the menu, and I am glad I did not pass on this one. This stew was outstanding, with just the right mix of meat and vegetables and a flavor that kept me going back for more. I think next time we visit I could make my whole meal on this Brunswick stew. 

Brunswick Stew

Dora here. Hmm. I hear you, but I'm quite sure on our next visit, you won't be able to resist the lure of the Que. :)

The Carolina Classic Nachos was loaded with three types of meat (pulled pork, smoked chicken and brisket), lettuce, tomato and chips. 

Carolina Classic Nachos

I have nachos at many places, but these nachos have to rank in the top two or three. What separated these nachos from the others had to be the white queso, with just the right amount of kick and mixed well with the different meat combination. In addition, the serving portion is huge. Both of us ate on it, and still weren't able to finish. 

Dora here. Huge and delish! I love chili nachos, but the chili version tends to be heavy, so I appreciated the lighter variation. The chips didn't taste overly salty while I ate them, but I could've downed a gallon of iced tea after dinner. 

Service was quick and friendly, even jammed with people. 

We rate this restaurant 5 forks out of 5 for a friendly restaurant serving outstanding food.

Any Hornets fans out there? Make some noise!

Excited about Eating by Ernie Hiers

This edition of Excited about Eating takes us to McKoy's Smokehouse & Saloon located right off of I-77 and Old Pineville Rd in south Charlotte. 

This smokehouse, with both indoor and outdoor seating, reminds me of what a local BBQ joint should look like with wood interior, BBQ paraphernalia on the wall, and loads of TV’s.

We chose to share the Living the Dream (LTD) platter, a combination of ribs, pork, pot roast, and smoked BBQ chicken with sides of mac n’ cheese and fried okra. The St. Louis style ribs were great, not fall off the bone as most BBQ restaurants serve, but with a little pull after the bite like KCBS competition ribs. The smoked pot roast was different, something I've never eaten. 

Living the Dream platter

Dora here. While we were contemplating the menu, I remember commenting that I wished they offered a combo minus the pot roast. But, no matter. I gobbled the pot roast down first! :) And look at that crusty bark on the mac & cheese! Yummy! I'm really not a fan of okra, but their crispy vegies won me over. (Sorry, no pic.) Even with two of us eating off this plate, we still brought home a leftover container with enough meat to make a pot of chili. Sa-weet!

Have you tried smoked pot roast? 

What did you think?

What's the most unusual smoked meat you've eaten?

We rate this restaurant 4 forks out of 5 for a family friendly restaurant serving great food.