Bubba's Q

Bubba's Q is a local rib joint in Avon, OH created by a former Cleveland Brown football player, Al "Bubba" Baker. We didn't expect to see the restaurant sitting on a gravel lot in a metal building. It reminded me of the great rib places in Tennessee. Upon walking in, the restaurant appears smaller with around 20-25 tables.

Storefront

We were seated quickly; however, it took ~8 minutes to be acknowledged, followed by a ~5 minute wait for water service. A rough start, but the service was all right once the food order was placed. Our bread basket with dinner rolls and corn muffins arrived a few minutes later. I should have waited until after the food arrived to devour my warm, puffy corn muffin. Barbecue sauce and chili with corn muffins are like fried Spam slices with white rice, a cosmic food pairing.

Biscuits

We ordered a sampler ($14.99) of beef brisket, fries, barbecue sauce, pulled pork, ribs, and chili. The brisket was fattier and not as smoky as expected. Doused in tangy, sweet, and smoky barbecue sauce, the pulled pork and ribs were all right but tough. Bug was forced to eat most of the sampler, with the exception of the zesty chili.

Sampler

Since we ordered the sampler, I wanted to try something different so I ordered the TurQue dinner ($13.99) despite not being a big fan of turkey. It wasn't very smoky, so I doused a few bites with barbecue sauce. The salty green beans were my favorite. I'm not being sarcastic (I'm very sensitive to salt). There was something about it that was addictive.

TurQue dinner

As expected, Bug made a bee-line for their baby back ribs. Of course, since he's a guy, he ordered a full rack ($22.99). When the plate arrived, I laughed loudly. It was a ridiculous amount of ribs. He was only able to eat 4 pieces of ribs -- partly due to being full from the sampler and mostly from the tough and bony ribs. We left with a heap of leftovers. Bug ate my TurQue and gifted me with his ribs, so I ate a few bones.

Full rack of baby back ribs

The food at Bubba's Q was fine, just not our glass of sweet tea. While I prefer to support very small independent restaurants, etched into the flavor center of my brain are Famous Dave's tender Memphis style dry rub baby back ribs; smoky, lean, and very tender beef brisket; a variety of tasty sides; hot custard-like bread pudding with pecan praline sauce and vanilla ice cream; their very affordable prices; good service; and convenience. It's quite an insurmountable hurdle.

- Cassaendra

Bubba's Q
820 Center Rd
Avon, OH 44011
Tel: (440) 937-7859