Quaint, Quirky, and Quintessential
The Bar at Q on Bay
When you talk with Chris Johnson, co-owner of Q on Bay and Q’s Chicken Shack (along with native Beaufortonian Jason Bailey), common themes keep coming into the conversation, with words like “local” and “fresh” and “housemade.” And concepts like local(ish) owners, locally- owned and -operated, fresh food that’s mostly made from scratch, free-range, vegetarian-fed, and more made us want to dig deeper. And we loved what we found.
Q on Bay has been a fixture on Beaufort’s Bay Street since taking over the space that previously housed Kathleen’s Grille in 2010. Having grown up on a farm in Bladenboro, North Carolina (he moved to Beaufort when he was in high school more than 30 years ago, so, to us, he’s a local), Chris always had an affinity for the kitchen. He hooked up with local boy Jason, and the two spent three months updating the rustic space. Beaufort didn’t have a premiere barbecue joint at the time, and they correctly thought that it was high time to fix that.
With a menu focused on southern barbecue, Q on Bay is much more than a classic Carolina barbeque hotspot. Of course they
offer tasty barbecue standards, like ribs (a choice of loin or baby back that are dry-rubbed, smoked, and slow-cooked); slow-roasted pulled pork and pulled chicken (available in platters, sandwiches, sliders, and tacos); and sliced prime beef brisket (also available in all the ways). But they also feature: combo platters; chicken tenders; grilled-to-temp ribeye steaks; burgers; wings (we’re talking day long dry brined and smoked, and then fried to order in more than a half dozen flavors); and a who’s-who of tempting appetizers, ranging from Brunswick stew to brisket burnt ends and a lot more.
Not a meat eater? Not a problem. They also serve seafood, including: a fried flounder sandwich; oyster po’boy; fish and shrimp tacos; shrimp or the fresh catch of the day, prepared either fried, blackened, or grilled; and three different salads, with or without proteins. Plus, they offer all the traditional sides you’d expect from a BBQ joint, like mac ‘n cheese, hash ‘n rice, collard greens, green beans, baked beans and coleslaw (which are generally all made in-house).
Ribs at Q on Bay
Speaking of in-house… they smoke all their own meats in-house on their massive commercial-grade Southern Pride smoker using hickory wood. They dry-brine for days. They make all their sauces and sides in-house—nothing is premade. They use Black Angus and Wagyu for their burgers and select oysters for their po-boys. The bottom-line is that they take pride in their ingredients and make almost everything from scratch, so they know what is in their food—and we do too.
There are also daily specials that shouldn’t be missed, including creative culinary
Wings at Q on Bay
combinations like a brisket, pulled pork and mac ‘n cheese eggroll; a blackened salmon BLT; mahi fish tacos; and scallops and grits (a combo we love). Shoot, even their dessert menu is off the charts, with specialties like chocolate chip cookie dough cheesecake, peach cobbler and pecan pie, all made by Chris’s mom.
According to Chris, the most popular dishes are the pulled pork, smoked chicken wings, and brisket, with the Barnyard Platter being a big seller because it’s a combination of all the meats. Chris’s favorites, however, are the wings and the pork belly burnt ends (trust him).
Q on Bay has a convivial rustic vibe and is a perfect spot to watch Saturday football (they are closed on Sundays), with a ton of televisions sprinkled throughout both dining rooms and the bar (especially if the Gamecocks or Clemson are playing). The intimate bar is lively, with an impressive lineup of draft beers and ciders, along with bottled beers, wine, and a full cocktail menu.
The burger at Q on Bay
Q on Bay also has one of the most enviable patios along the waterfront. And if you prefer the ‘cue come to you, they do a massive catering business, from simple bulk orders to birthday parties, corporate events, rehearsal dinners, receptions, and pretty much any kind of celebration.
Things were moving along swimmingly at Q on Bay when Chris came across a location on Lady’s Island that he had always liked. A small spot just over the Woods Memorial bridge, the location had been home to LT’s Homecooked Meals before its closing in 2016. Not wanting to let a good possibility pass, Chris and Jason decided to open Q’s Chicken Shack later that year.
As the name would imply, their specialty is chicken. And not just any chicken. But organic, free-range, vegetarian-fed chicken. You can get it made-to-order fried (breast, thigh, leg, or wing by the piece or the bucket), in tenders, or in nuggets (we’re still waiting for someone to show us where the nugget is located on a chicken). You can get a great fried chicken sandwich—which is one of their most popular dishes—or a fried chicken slider, taco, or quesadilla.
Q’s Chicken Shack
If fried isn’t your thing, you can order your chicken sandwich, taco, or quesadilla grilled or blackened (both tasty options). All the chicken options come with your choice of sauces, ranging from traditional buffalo to tiger, white BBQ, white tiger, hot, honey mustard, or simply plain.
Other sandwiches on the menu include a ground chicken burger, a chicken Philly, or a pork chop. All the sandwiches come with available add-ons, like grilled onions, fried onions, bacon, lots of cheeses including cheddar, pepperjack, blue, and pimento, or a fried egg…all for an extra buck or two.
For non-chicken eaters (are there really any out there?) or for something different, Q’s Chicken Shack also features shrimp—available fried, grilled, or blackened—in a basket, po’boy, slider, or taco. They also feature a robust scratch-made sides menu, including hand-cut fries, onion rings, potato salad, mac salad, mac ‘n cheese, broccoli salad, jasmine rice, and sauteed veg. Thus, every order can be custom-made.
Q’s Chicken Shack Taco Salad Special
Q’s also features a rotating rice bowl and seasonal salad special every day. This might include a honey lemon sesame rice bowl, with a choice of chicken or shrimp (fried or grilled) and a stir fry of colorful vegetables and homemade honey lemon sesame sauce, on top of jasmine rice…or a taco salad with a choice of chicken or shrimp (fried or grilled), with chopped romaine, homemade guacamole, pico de gallo, red cabbage, roasted corn and queso fresco in a homemade flour tortilla bowl, with your choice of dressing.
They haven’t forgotten about the vegetarians out there, with a house salad, veggie rice bowl, and veggie quesadilla on the menu. And they welcome the kiddos, with a family-friendly kid’s menu. Finally, for the sweet tooths out there, Chris’s mother also makes their delectable desserts, including chocolate chip cookies, banana pudding, and strawberry coconut pecan cake, just to name a few.
The place is small—kind of like a shack. But a cool shack with a fun vibe and stellar customer service. It’s fast-casual, where you
Q’s Chicken Shack Fried Chicken Tacos
order at the counter and they bring it to your table. They also do a ton of pick-up and carryout. And, like Q on Bay, it’s a great spot to catch Saturday football (they are closed on Sunday), with a TV in the corner of the intimate dining room and a selection of bottled beers, a couple of draft beers, including their own Q’s lager, and a small selection of wine. There is also outdoor picnic table seating, with views of Factory Creek.
So, whether you’re craving ‘cue, fried chicken, wings, or just a place to kick back with some friends and catch some weekend pigskin, the quintessential Beaufort Q’s (Q on Bay or Q’s Chicken Shack) have everything to scratch that itch.
Q on Bay
822 Bay St.
Beaufort, SC 29902
Monday-Tuesday 11:30am-8:00pm
Wednesday-Thursday 11:30am-9:00pm
Friday-Saturday 11:30am-10:00pm
Closed Sunday
Q’s Chicken Shack
40 Sea Island Parkway, Beaufort, SC 29907
Port Royal, SC 29935
Monday-Saturday 11:00am-4:00pm
Closed Sunday
Beaufort-based travel journalists Lynn and Cele Seldon (www.seldonink.com) often cover culinary travel around the world and Lowcountry Weekly lured them to write a monthly feature covering the local food scene. This includes articles about restaurants, chefs, food-focused stores, farms, farmers, farmers markets, and more. Many of their past Lowcountry DISH entries are included in their new book, 100 Things to Do in the South Carolina Lowcountry Before You Die.
