Que Whiskey Kitchen: a specialized ‘bbque’ concept

Lindsay Bukowinski / Hartford Courant

A margarita and rack of baby back ribs from Que Whiskey Kitchen.

Lindsay Bukowinski / Hartford Courant

Que Whiskey Kitchen offers four house-made sauces.

Lindsay Bukowinski / Hartford Courant

Smoked wings at Que Whiskey Kitchen.

Leeanne Griffin / Hartford Courant

Burnt ends are popular when available at Que Whiskey Kitchen. (Click through for more photos.)

Lindsay Bukowinski / Hartford Courant

Smoked baby back ribs pictured with a vinegar-based coleslaw, left, and a mayo-dressed coleslaw, at Que.

Lindsay Bukowinski / Hartford Courant

A view of the interior of Que Whiskey Kitchen in Southington.

Lindsay Bukowinski / Hartford Courant

Que Whiskey Kitchen houses 350 different kinds of whiskey, bourbon and scotch.

Lindsay Bukowinski / Hartford Courant

Que Whiskey Kitchen cocktails.

Lindsay Bukowinski / Hartford Courant

Rustic decor and chalkboard art decorate the walls of Que Whiskey Kitchen.

Within two weeks of Que Whiskey Kitchen's early December opening, the staff at the Southington restaurant realized they needed a larger smoker.

The immediate response to Hartford Restaurant Group's new barbecue-and-brown liquor concept "met, and exceeded, expectations," says general manager Sean Brennan. Now, a bigger Southern Pride smoker is currently being built for the restaurant. "The big boy is coming."

The restaurant group, known for its nine Wood-n-Tap locations across the state, replaced its former TD Homer's sports bar on Queen Street with a menu of slow-smoked meats and other indulgent specialties, a bar with creative cocktails and 350 varieties of bourbons and whiskeys.

"We were trying to do something different within the market," Brennan says. "There's two really different, attractive sides to the brand. You have the beverage program, which, all the cocktails are super approachable, they’re very neat in the way that they’re crafted, you have 350 different, unique bottles … And then have great food to pair with that, they both complement each other and work in tandem."

THE ATMOSPHERE: The former sports bar now boasts modern rustic decor, with wooden tables and booths, whimsical wall hangings (a bicycle's wheels spelling out the "OO" between wooden ‘G’ and ‘D’ letters; a collage of old license plates in the shape of a pig) and floor to ceiling chalk murals doing double duty as art and education, displaying facts and figures about bourbon and whiskey, along with its chemical formulas. Seats are equipped for messy barbecue chowdowns, with squeeze bottles of sauces in wooden boxes and rolls of paper towels.

The restaurant currently seats 135, but its sizable patio will more than double its seating capacity in the warm months, Brennan says, and Que will station an outdoor bar there for summertime fun.

FEATURED/NOTEWORTHY DISHES: Que's menu is centered around its dry-rubbed and smoked meats: brisket, pulled pork, pulled chicken, kielbasa, baby back ribs and chicken wings ($17 for two meats; $21 for three, with two sides.) Burnt ends are also popular when available. Meats are also available as sandwiches ($11 to $15) including a brisket grilled cheese and a PB&K (pork, brisket and kielbasa all together.)

Meats are served dry, but Que offers four varieties of sauces: a standard, sweet "signature bbque," a "Memphis Mango" with a punch of fruit, a zingy Carolina mustard with vinegar and cayenne and a fiery Texas Heat, with pureed habanero peppers.

Plated dishes ($11 to $26) include mac and cheese (with your choice of meat for another $4.50), a half fried chicken, buttermilk chicken tenders and a half or full rack of ribs.

For sides, Que offers kettle chips, potato salad, baked beans (baked, then smoked, with bits of meat); two kinds of coleslaw in vinegar and mayonnaise preparations; sweet cornbread with cinnamon honey butter; mac and cheese; and beer-battered fries. Street corn, available as a side, is also a popular appetizer, served in a skillet with grilled corn kernels, special sauce, queso fresco and lime.

Other top starters ($5 to $12) include kettle chips, loaded with bacon, tomato, red onions, jalapeños and blue cheese, and thick-cut candied bacon served with sweet and spicy glaze.

Que is also looking to add weekend brunch, Brennan says, with potential dishes like pork belly Benedict on cornbread with hollandaise and slaw, and French toast with smoked berries.

THE BAR: The extensive whiskey selection focuses on American varieties, with a few Japanese, Irish and Scottish bottles, along with some single-barrel whiskeys chosen specifically for the restaurant. Brennan says the bar will soon add whiskey flights, allowing guests to explore new spirits, and Que also highlights a "whiskey of the week."

Que's cocktails range from classics (an old-fashioned and Manhattan, an "ultimate" mojito) to tropical (a guava sour with Rujero citrus brandy, a Beachcomber rum punch, a Heat of the Moment tequila sipper with spiced Cazadores, lime and passion fruit) to light and refreshing, like a rose sangria with grapefruit and Lillet rouge. The Uncommon Grounds take on an espresso martini also features banana and a garnish of young walnut, and the top-selling Blackberry Blaze, with Cleveland bourbon, house sour, peach, blackberry puree and lemon, gets a sprig of flamed rosemary.

"We wanted to allow anyone coming for something specific to be able to find their niche in the menu," Brennan says.

A happy hour launches this month, running Wednesday through Friday from 4 to 6 p.m. with specials on draft beers, house wines, Que margaritas, $7 Blackberry Blazes and $5 "Thirst Quenches" (7-ounce Miller High Life with a shot of Cleveland bourbon.)

LOCATION AND HOURS: Que Whiskey Kitchen is at 461 Queen St. in Southington. It's open Wednesday and Thursday from 4 to 11:30 p.m.; Friday, 4 p.m. to 1 a.m.; Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. and Sunday, 11:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Closed Monday and Tuesday. 860-783-6056, qwhiskeykitchen.com.

Leeanne Griffin can be reached at [email protected].

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