If you’re in the mood for some juicy, tender and authentic barbecue, the Lehigh Valley is the place to be. Indulge your inner carnivore with Texas-style and St. Louis-inspired dishes, and embrace the rich, smoky flavors that epitomize summertime.
More Than Q
You can find More Than Q’s fresh, seasonal ingredients and select cuts of meat at the Easton Public Market. More Than Q’s menu is as straightforward as its food. You’ll find only the freshest Texas-style barbecue that makes your mouth water.
Customers may order wood-smoked meats by the pound or enjoy them as a slider or sandwich. Choices include brisket, pulled pork, pulled beef, smoked sausage, barbecue ribs or a smoked meat platter. More Than Q’s seasonal sides are everything you could want from a southern summer picnic: burnt-end baked beans, cheddar cheese grits, five-cheese mac and cheese, house pickles and coleslaw.
Additional offerings include a cornmeal-encrusted fried chicken sandwich with sriracha mayo and sweet pickle relish, smoked chicken thighs with honey lime chili sauce, fried pickles with Cajun remoulade and delicious cornbread.
More than Q is open Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m.–7 p.m., and Sundays from 11 a.m.–5 p.m. 325 Northampton St., Easton, (610) 829-2777
Queen City BBQ
This barbecue establishment is one of the newest additions to Allentown. Choose to sit inside the restaurant in a cow-patterned booth or outside in the spacious patio area. Wherever you find seating, be prepared to get blown away by Queen City BBQ’s smoked-on-site creations.
Start off with a bowl of venison chili seasoned with smoked tomatillo, poblano peppers and an American cheese sauce or the brisket pierogi, which is stuffed with brisket and tater and topped with demi, onions and Wisconsin cheddar cheese curds.
Other options include a smoked chicken quesadilla, fried chicken and biscuits and spicy brisket tacos. Sandwiches are also available, such as the Country Cuban made with Carolina pork, Kentucky country ham, pickles, smoked white cheddar and mustard. And if you prefer simplicity, try the traditional sandwich made with your choice of meat on a brioche bun, or order a portion of brisket, pork, chicken or smoked sausage and let your taste buds cheer.
While you’re there, don’t forget to try some of the restaurant’s signature cocktails. The Sarsaparilla Float is quite the treat made with vanilla vodka, Fireball whiskey, A-Treat sarsaparilla and vanilla ice cream. The Berry Apple Crumble cocktail combines apple pie moonshine, blueberry-infused elderflower liqueur, lemon-lime soda and a splash of ginger ale.
If you’re (somehow) not full by the end of your meal, enjoy homemade ice cream, maple doughnuts or whipped key lime pie. Queen City BBQ is open every day for lunch and dinner. 27 N. 7th St., Allentown, (610) 351-4072
Sugar Hill Jazz House
Where can you find house-rubbed meats slow cooked for 12 hours in an apple and cherry wood pit? You can find it at Sugar Hill Jazz House, and you can enjoy your platter while watching live jazz performances.
For an appetizer, start with barbecue wings or rib tips battered and cooked in Sugar Hill’s country oven, with a side of its special Baby Got Que Sauce.
Once you’ve tempted your taste buds, order some items from the pit, such as the award-winning beef brisket and barbecue chicken—a smoked leg and thigh drenched in the house’s Baby Got Que Sauce. Still hungry? Order The Big “D,” a hefty combo that includes a half pound of brisket, pork spare ribs, smoked sausage, one barbecue chicken leg quarter and a choice of two sides.
All sides are made from scratch, such as baked macaroni and cheese, collard greens seasoned with smoked turkey, baked beans, potato salad, corn on the cob and many more.
Sugar Hill Jazz House also offers items that stray slightly from the barbecue style. Order a helping of shrimp and grits made with cheddar, smoked gouda and smoked sausage, or the blackened catfish garnished with Jamaican relish.
On Wednesday evenings, check out Beers, Buckets and Blues, an event that includes a two-pound bucket of spare ribs, live blues and cold beers. Or go for an all-you-can-eat Sunday brunch and enjoy fried chicken, brisket hash, a waffle station and more. Sugar Hill Jazz House is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m.–12 a.m.; Sundays, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. 39 S. 9th St., Allentown, (610) 841-5299
Chow Hall BBQ
Indulge in some housemade barbecue sauces at Chow Hall BBQ in Emmaus. This barbecue staple prides itself on meats that are dry rubbed and smoked low and slow with hickory and cherry wood.
Start with fried pickles, loaded nachos with barbecue-baked beans, cheddar cheese and meat, or the Spec-Ops Sliders with sausage, chicken, pork or brisket.
The Hall offers the basic meats such as smoked pork belly, beef brisket, smoked sausage, smoked chicken legs and thighs and pork rib, available by the pint or quart. Add a unique side dish to to enhance the meal, such as a crispy cornbread cake served with praline syrup, a pineapple soufflé or some Memphis greens.
If you’d rather try a sandwich, you can’t go wrong with the pulled honey barbecue chicken with melted cheddar, ranch dressing and crispy onion straw on a brioche roll.
Don’t leave without a slice of southern pecan pie or a salted caramel apple pie for dessert. Even if you’re full, take it to go, because you do not want to miss out on Chow Hall BBQ’s homemade desserts. Chow Hall BBQ is open Tuesday through Thursday,11:30 a.m.–8:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11:30 a.m.–10 p.m.; Sundays, 11:30 a.m.–5 p.m. (closed on Mondays). 620 State Ave., Emmaus, (610) 421-8620
Grumpy’s Bar-B-Que Roadhouse
One bite of the fare at Grumpy’s Bar-B-Que Roadhouse in Allentown can transport you to New Orleans, St. Louis and the Carolinas. Its meats are barbecued for 12 hours at low temperatures, rubbed with special seasoning and placed in a hickory wood cooker. The result is tender, moist barbecue that’s as authentic as it gets.
From spare ribs to pork butts to chicken wings, you’ll never leave hungry. Start with some gator bites: tenderized alligator meat that’s breaded and fried. If that’s too exotic, go for the smoked pork belly served on a bed of citrus slaw and drizzled with a sweet raspberry sauce.
Then, dive into the main courses. Go for a full rack of ribs, a pulled pork Carolina-style sandwich with creamy coleslaw or your choice of a slow-cooked chicken breast or thigh. Most dishes come with two sides, such as fire-roasted corn, garlic mashed potatoes or cucumber tomato salad.
If they’re not sold out, don’t miss the beef brisket burnt ends. Only a few are leftover from the brisket cooking process, and they go fast! Other menu options include burgers, pork chops and crawfish.
Enjoy a refreshing beer or wine with your meal and sit back and relax with live entertainment every weekend. Grumpy’s is open Tuesday through Thursday from 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m.–11 p.m.; Sundays, 11 a.m.–9 p.m. (closed on Mondays). 3000 Mauch Chunk Rd., Allentown, (610) 769-4600
- Sandwich and brisket photos: More Than Q
- Close up brisket photo: Chow Hall
