Sweet Cheeks Q

Cuisine American
Price $$ (16-30)
Rating 5/10
Last Visit Jan. 13, 2020
Location Boston: West
General Notes

Sweet Cheeks Q is a new southern BBQ restaurant that popped up around Fenway, a very new and up-and-coming district in Boston that's seen a lot of new residences and restaurants. A solid option for southern BBQ - the meats are generally pretty good. As far as I can tell, the sides are meh, but I figure that's more or less what you'd expect from a southern restaurant. Certainly not the type of place that will blow your mind away, but I'd still recommend giving it a try if you're craving southern BBQ in Boston.

Positives

> The sauces (particularly the North Carolina vinaigrette and the standard BBQ sauce) were excellent. Perfect consistency (I thought I wouldn't like the North Carolina vinaigrette, which was really thin, but it actually worked surprisingly well) and excellent, bold flavor without overpowering the meat itself.

Dishes Tasted
  • ★★★☆ Pork Belly -- It's pretty unusual to see pork belly on a BBQ menu, but it worked wonderful! Savory, juicy, and tender; melt in your mouth. The smoky flavor paired excellently with the natural pork flavor.
  • ★★☆☆ Coleslaw -- Okay, but the cabbage was really strange - it was cut into relatively wide strips instead of thin strips, which made for some not so great textures.
  • ★★☆☆ Mac & Cheese -- Nice thick texture and well-cooked macaroni. However, I'm not a big fan of the cheese (it feels a bit too ... cheddar-y for my taste?) and the topping did not quite feel like the right texture.
  • ★☆☆☆ Pork Ribs -- These were meh. While it had a decent flavor, the exterior was really dry (not in a good way to provide textural contrast - just unpleasant). The dryness extended further in and gave the ribs a bit of an unpleasant texture.
  • ★★★☆ Prime Brisket -- Juicy and incredibly savory! Not the most flavorful brisket I've had, but still excellent.
Fat Cheeks Tray