Q Dogs BBQ

Nothing beats a nice summer day sitting in the seats at a baseball game, sipping on a cold brew and scarfing on a hot dog.

Cedar Rapids Kernels baseball has begun another year and I thought it would be nice to look at what they offer besides the fizzy yellow beer and a hot dog (although both tastes pretty damn good at a ballgame!).

I corresponded with Kernels’ Food and Beverage Manager Brett Heikkila and he listed quite a few options for craft beer lovers and also some local restaurants setting up stations at Vets.

CRAFT BEER
**Quite a few excellent craft options at Vets Memorial as they have the “Craft Cabin” which is located behind section 113 and rotates beers in throughout the season. The “Craft Cabin” is currently serving Cedar Rapid’s own Lion Bridge beer.

**Behind section 103 you will find the Millstream Brewery Shack. They feature 4 beers from Millstream Brewery in Amana;

Kernels Bases Loaded Pale Ale

Schild Brau

John’s White Ale

German Pilsner

**Behind section 114 you will find Johnson Brothers Beer Stand which offers beers from 3 different breweries; Bell’s, Deschutes, and Surly. Currently you will find these offerings:

Surly Hell

Surly Furious

Oberon

Fresh Squeezed

FOOD
It’s hard for me to pass up stopping at Klement’s Hot Dog stand on the 3rd base line and order my usual dog with grilled onions, sauerkraut, mushrooms and mustard but Vets does offer some fantastic alternatives and local alternatives as well!

In the middle of the concourse, between sections 109 and 112, you will find the local food vendors which, this year, includes Q-Dogs BBQ! Q-Dogs is offering their BBQ Sundae and their pulled pork sandwiches.

There is also Hacienda and La Cantina (owned by brothers). They share a food stand throughout the season offering nachos, burritos, etc.

Plenty of great eats and drinks at the ballpark in CR this summer. Get out and check out a Kernels game! Non-craft drinkers, don’t worry, still plenty of macro beer too! See you at the ballpark this summer!

A BBQ restaurant 15 minutes from my door? YES PLEASE! I crave BBQ very often, and yes, I dabble in it at home and most of the time I can kick out some pretty decent food. But when you get a place like Q Dogs (http://qdogsbbqcompany.com/) who put in the time to make consistent and fantastic BBQ, my choice to cook or go out is made much simpler. When you walk into a BBQ joint for the first time you aren’t sure if you are going to get the paper plate/picnic table style or like Q Dogs, a spotless, clean, a spacious restaurant.

You are greeted right away by a hostess who helped guide me through the menu. For my first trip I went with the basic pulled pork sandwich, brisket sandwich, and the kids got a pulled pork slider. The sides were fries dusted with their BBQ dry rub, smoked cheesy potatoes, and coleslaw. The brisket was thick and juicy with tons of flavor. The pork had just the right amount of smoke, not to overwhelming, just the perfect amount, and it was extra tasty with a bit of their homemade spicy BBQ sauce. A first trip that lead to a second:

For the second go ’round I came home with half rack of ribs, pulled pork with coleslaw (called the Q Dog), and some BBQ nachos for the kids. The ribs were meaty, smoked perfectly, and the dry rub and with just a tad bit of sauce made me craving these the next day as well. The Q Dog sandwich was terrific. Tons of pork piled on a bun with sauce and apple cider slaw. The BBQ nachos are piled with pulled pork, nacho cheese, BBQ sauce, and sliced pickled jalapeños. Another successful trip that will lead to a third soon.

Talking with the staff the meats are smoked for at least 20 hours at a low temp. Beer on tap had your basic swill but also some Lagunitas IPA, Great River Milk Stout, and Sam Adams line, and also Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ in bottles. Not bad , and it seems like they are open to having more craft as well.

Overall, a must try for BBQ fans looking to scratch that savory, smoky, itch. Check out their website for their menu here: http://qdogsbbqcompany.com/menu.html

Tag: Q Dogs BBQ

Take Me Out to the Ballgame! (Craft Beer and Local Food Offerings at Vets Memorial Stadium, Cedar Rapids)

Restaurant Review: QDogs BBQ Company; Marion, IA