American Q Review

 

The newest resort to hit the Downtown Disney area is the B Resort & Spa.  This resort has an eclectic, fun yet sophisticated design & it’s restaurant, American Q, fits right in! Presenting a modern twist on traditional barbeque, American Q is unique & delicious.  We recently had the opportunity to check out all the gem has to offer!

The restaurant itself is cozy with multiple seating options.  There is a large bar area, large high-top tables, booths, low-top tables, & a really great seating area with denim swivel chairs & leather sofas.  I caught onto the western feel right away but what had my attention was the salad & appetizer bar….. a very red 1950s Ford flatbed truck!  The flat bed portion of the truck served as the bar which included salad items, soups, chili, peel & eat shrimp, a baked potato bar with all the trimmings, & hot & cold vegetable items.  Being a fan of the classic cars & trucks, I wanted to see inside the cab.  I was told to feel free to climb inside!  Above the rearview mirror is a camera which guests are encourage to use & upload their shots immediately to Twitter & Facebook via the onboard screen.  Of course, Jason had to try it out!

Finally having made it to our table, our waiter came over to explain how the restaurant works.  There is a very wonderful menu from which guests can order with options for any appetite.  We chose to order the Flatbed buffet, an all you care to eat option which includes all items on the buffet as well as carvings of 8 different types of meat.  But first, we had the opportunity to try some items from the bar snacks & cocktails menu.

The bar has an extensive selection of beer & Jason chose 1 recommend by our server.  He loved his choice!  I chose to have the Moscow Mule which is Russian Standard vodka with pickled ginger juice & ginger beer.  It was very tasty & went well with all the meats we would soon be having.  Give it a try when you go!  The bar snacks are small portions & included such items as tater tots, deviled crab stuffed eggs, & rib sliders to name a few.  We chose buffalo shrimp & swine candy.  I am not a fan of buffalo sauce so I was a little hesitant about the shrimp.  Wow, I was wrong!  These shrimp were so delicious & I loved the sauce!  I definitely will order them again if given the opportunity!  We also had the swine candy which is smoked bacon roasted with molasses & spice till crunchy. Who doesn’t love bacon?! And this doesn’t disappoint!  It was yummy!

Now it was time for the main course! The idea is similar to a Brazilian steakhouse.  We were given a flag to place up & down when we were ready for meats or not then we helped ourselves to the Flatbed Buffet.  It is filled with wonderful options which were all very tasty!!  I had black bean chili which was very wonderful with just the right amount of spices.  I also had potato salad & a couple of other choices.  Each item had a little twist to make it unique, which I loved!  We decided it was time to get down to business & raised our flag.  The cowboy carvers soon appeared with many choices- slow smoked turkey drum with mahogany glaze; bacon wrapped boneless chicken thighs; house made sausages;  smoked pork shoulder with spiced onions; cold smoked & grilled turkey thigh with turkey chorizo stuffing; Carolina style flank steak; brisket of beef with Texas bark; & Picanha of beef!!  Wow is all I can say! All of the meat was seasoned & cooked perfectly.  The bacon wrapped chicken thighs were delightful & the Picanha of beef was divine.  Jason really enjoyed the brisket, his favorite type of meat.  We were also served multiple sides and a huge pan of cornbread!

We somehow managed to save a very small amount of room for dessert so we ordered Key lime pie & croissant bread pudding.  Jason is a bread pudding connoisseur & was so happy to see it on the menu.  Their version is served with a warm apple compote which Jason told me gave it just the right touch!  The Key lime pie had a great tart flavor & was wonderful!

After dinner, we spent some time talking to Executive Chef, Justin Leo. Chef Leo has a passion for two things in the culinary world; grilled meats and experimenting with food combinations. Leo stated that he has been perfecting his food at American Q long before opening and that he is continuing to tweak some of the recipes. He told us some of the items on the menu happened by accident such as some of the desserts.  However, the brisket was great from the first go! Leo stated that they tried to modify the rub for some of the meats but nothing has been as good as the first (and current) recipe!

 

Overall, American Q is a new and upcoming restaurant that has a ton to offer! From the time you walk in the restaurant you feel at home and the staff does a great job taking care of you! The food selection is huge and there is a ton of it!!! If you love meat as much as we do, then you will love American Q and what they offer on a daily basis! Make sure to check out the B Resort and stop in and see Chef Leo at American Q! Try the food and let us know how you liked it! I know we will be back very soon!

Have you dined at American Q before? If so tell us what you think! If not, will you be trying it on your next trip???