Q Grill

American Restaurant in Camden
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7 / 10 from 1 review
Address
29-33 Chalk Farm Road
Camden
London
NW1 8AJ
Map
Telephone
020 7267 2678
Cuisine
American
Region
Camden
Nearest Station
Chalk Farm
0.25 miles
Opening Summary
Monday - Thursday: 12pm - 11.30pm
Friday: 12pm - midnight
Saturday: 10am - midnight
Sunday: 11am - 10.30pm

"Memphis, Tennessee meets farm to grill, meets Camden Town" restaurant from Des McDonald, previously manager of Le Caprice and now heading up the Fish and Chip Shop.

With a raw bar/salad counter, a charcoal pit grill, oven and house smoker, Q Grill offers grilled fish and meat with BBQ seasonings.

Head over to Q Grill every Sunday for their ‘Blues Brunch’ which includes delicious Q twists on the traditional brunch and live music from singer songwriter Mark Sullivan - it’s the perfect way to spend a lazy weekend.

Q Grill Picture Gallery

Q Grill Picture
Q Grill Picture
Q Grill Picture

All In London Review

Q Grill is a Camden journey worth making

Review Image
After opening in early 2014 Camden’s Q Grill has made Chalk Farm Road a bit of a destination with its combination of stateside classics. With a charcoal grill and an in-house smoker it serves charred meats with authentic style. But while that represents the attraction for lunchtime and evening visits, a bona fide brunch menu has been put in place to appeal to the hungry morning wanderers.

Located behind a rusted old façade Q Grill keeps the stylishly weathered look going on within. Stained wood, smooth plaster and metal fixtures creates the look of an industrial country lodge – if such a thing exists – and bright leather booths and bar stools punctuate the place with flashes of colour. Housed in a spacious room, chances are you should generally be able to find a table without booking in advance – although busy brunch and dinner times might be a risk.

The food from the main menu is all BBQ, grilled meats and raw fish, which doesn’t seem like any kind of theme to us. However, take mains like bass and smoked rib tips, seabass ceviche and St Louis ribs and we’re sold. In fact, it would be plain rude not to try the smoked, grilled and raw triple to get the big picture of Q Grill. But alas, we visit for brunch so we make do with eggs Benedict, Bloody Mary and a generous buffet bar.

Disappointingly, the large eggs Benedict is overpriced at £11.50. The miniature muffins, limited bacon and masterful Hollandaise are excellent but undersized. The Buffet of cured meats, croissants, pastries, muffins, granola and fruit is great - who doesn’t like a counter filled with breakfast food that you can help yourself to? - and we would happily see that trend catch on. The menu also includes the Josper fry-up, scrambled eggs, grilled broccoli and mushrooms with duck egg and cured hot salmon. Prices are around £6/£7 a dish which makes the majority of the menu good value in such a well thought-out interior.

Our favourite thing about the Q Grill brunch is the do-it-yourself Bloody Mary station. Once you are served your vodka it’s up to you to decide how you take it. Pickles, wasabi, horseradish, lemon, lime, Tabasco, capers, celery and salt are all part of the decision in creating your work of art.

Brunch, lunch or dinner, G Grill has the smoked, the grilled and the raw waiting for you, which makes a journey to the new Camden/Kentish Town foodie strip one worth making.

Reviewed by T.A.O
Published on Oct 10, 2014


American diners are ten a penny these days, but Q is exceptional

Review Image
This barbecue restaurant has a better pedigree than most of its ilk, as owner Des McDonald is the former head chef of the Ivy and manager of Caprice Holdings. He went solo last year with The Fish and Chip Shop, a posh chippy that’s become a popular Islington haunt. He followed this up with Holborn Dining Room, the restaurant of the new Rosewood Hotel, and now he’s opened Q, bang opposite Camden’s Stables Market.

Careful attention has been paid to branding with condiment bottles and napkins bearing the restaurant’s initial, which suggests there may be more Qs opening in the future.

The menu is divided into counter, salads, mains and grills. Assuming the counter items are starters, we order moonshine shrimps, which are coated in crispy tempura and come with a pot of mayonnaisey chipotle sauce. While these are good they’re no match for the charred octopus with kimchi – fleshy octopus chargrilled to perfection, with the creeping dry heat of fermented cabbage, along with segments of blood orange and capers as sweet and sour counterpoints.

It’s their soft opening week and there’s 50% off food, but if it wasn’t for the discount you wouldn’t know they’ve only been open four days, as service is slick and very friendly.

Southern fried chicken is presented as a breaded escalope, served with a garlicky green sauce. Josper ribs have been heavily marinated, leaving them succulent and full of flavour, with rudimentary coleslaw on the side. Pig’s collar is a cut not seen very often on a menu; it’s essentially a plump chunk of bacon with enough fat around it to keep it juicy. It comes with butternut squash that’s been grilled with the skin left on, pecans and raisins.

We also try the baked beans, flavoursome and with bits of beef. The cocktails are worth a mention too, if only because among the obligatory bourbon they’ve prioritised local booze like Camden Brewery’s Gentlemen’s Wit - the Wit Sour is a bit like a sophisticated shandy.

American diners are ten a penny these days, but Q is exceptional. If you only make it to one southern BBQ restaurant this year, make it this one.

Reviewed by Leila
Published on Mar 29, 2014


Best For

London's best American BBQ picture

London's best American BBQ

Well, slap my thigh and call me Gutsy...

Q Grill’s owner Des McDonald was CEO of Caprice Holdings before he opened <a href=”http://www.allinlondon.co.uk/restaurants/restaurant-17721.php”>The Fish & Chip Shop</a> in Islington. Here he turns his hand to American BBQ to great effect, adding a modern twist to with dishes such as charred octopus with kimchi and blood orange.The ribs and the barbecued hen wings in a bag are a must.

Where to get a meal before a gig in Camden picture

Where to get a meal before a gig in Camden

Big meal + jumping up and down = fun times!

Owned by the former head chef of the Ivy, this British take on the American diner is one of the very best BBQ joints in London. Feast on sticky pig’s cheeks with cheese grits, juicy Josper-grilled ribs, Southern fried chicken and grilled lamb neck. Then try your very best to stagger along to a gig.

The best Low-and-Slow-cooked food picture

The best Low-and-Slow-cooked food

Low + slow = delicious

The owner of this hip eatery opposite Chalk Farm's Stables Market used to be the head chef at celebrity favourite The Ivy. Now he's switched to charcoal-grilled and smoked meats. It's American-inspired but with a British twist. Check out the pepper-rubbed Louisiana short rib with bone marrow mash, and wash the food down with Brewdog lager.

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