SWEET CHEEKS Q: DRY RUBBED RIBS AND BISCUITS IN THE HEART OF BOSTON
The Cost -$55
The Atmosphere – Located minutes from Fenway Park, Sweet Cheeks Q looks more like a city bar than a rustic restaurant. The venue has plenty of indoor and outdoor seating, making it an excellent location for a group outing but know that the restaurant can get pretty loud inside. However, despite the ample seating, reservations are highly recommended as this place fills up quickly - especially on weekends.
Whether it’s North Carolina, Texas or St. Louis, BBQ is just better in the South. Hoping to bring great barbeque to the northeast, Top Chef winner Tiffani Faison opened Sweet Cheeks Q, a Texas-style BBQ restaurant in Boston’s Fenway Park neighborhood.
The Order – The Dollywood to drink. Two Buttermilk Biscuits and the Half Slab Dry-Rubbed Pork Ribs with Watermelon Salad and Coleslaw to eat.
The Fantastic – The Dry-Rubbed Pork Ribs, a BBQ staple, are sensational. The meat fell right off the bone and melted in my mouth. The rub used was exceptional and definitely took these ribs to the next level. When combined with the sides and the biscuits, the half slab was a perfect portion but if you were just going to eat meat, I would go with a full slab.
The Great – The “World-Famous Buttermilk Biscuits” were quite good. While you can get a “bucket of biscuits” which comes four to an order, I just ordered two individual biscuits since they are large. The biscuits are very fluffy and are great on their own but the honey butter that they come with is a slightly sweet delight. These would surely pass in any BBQ joint in the South. The Watermelon Salad was one of the two sides I chose to come with the tray of ribs. Made with watermelon, lime juice, queso fresco, cilantro, and chopped peanuts, it gave me all of the TexMex summer flavors I didn’t know I needed.
The Good – The Dollywood sounded incredible; made with Tito's vodka, limoncello, elderflower, lemon, and sparkling wine, it sounded light, crisp and refreshing. While it wasn’t bad, the combination of the elderflower and limoncello made the cocktail too sweet. The Coleslaw, made in a traditional Texas style with mayonnaise, was the other side I chose for the ribs. It was a nice, but there was a bit too much mayonnaise for my taste.
The Verdict – Next time you are in Boston and you find yourself craving some good southern-style barbeque, head to Sweet Cheeks Q and make sure to order the ribs. Just like it should be at a BBQ joint, the meat is the star of the show but the supporting cast sure ain’t bad.