ZZQ Texas Craft BBQ - Richmond, VA
Summary
ZZQ Texas Craft BBQ in Richmond, VA is a Texas style BBQ spot featuring pork, brisket, and chicken with southern sides. They have a bright, open, indoor-outdoor picnic style dining experience. During my visit I tried the pulled pork sandwich with a side of jalapeno mac and cheese.
Food Overall
Service
Atmosphere
Location
Value for Money
Overall
What I Ordered
Pulled Pork Sandwich
$13
The pulled pork sandwich was topped with a mayo coleslaw on a standard hamburger bun. The serving was huge! I did find it was very wet and the bun got very soggy very quickly. Additionally, it is bland so you really have to explore the BBQ sauces provided at the tables. I think next time I would use more sauce.
Jalapeno Mac and Cheese
$4
The side mac and cheese was a fair, modest side serving size. First, I think it had good cheesy texture and the jalapenos added a very nice acidity and flavor to it. However, it was still a little bland in a way, maybe could have benefited in having one more cheese to add depth of flavor.
Overall Food
Overall, the food at ZZQ was very alright. You order everything separately, there are no combination meals. You select which meat you would like and how much or a sandwich style, then you can choose any sides or drinks. The serving sizes for meat were large and hearty but it was a bit wet and bland. Additionally, the sides are smaller serving sizes and mine was a bit bland.
Service
The service experience is pretty limited but good at ZZQ. You enter and order at the counter. The food is arranged for you, similar to chipotle or a cafeteria. Then, you pay at the cashier at the end of the counter. Fountain drinks are self-serve and there is a bar available for alcoholic beverages. The staff periodically walk around and ask to take away trash or get you a refill on a drink form the bar. I thought they were very friendly and professional.
Atmosphere
Size
There are about 10 tables inside and 10 tables outside.
Who Goes Here?
Mostly groups of family and friends.
Overall Atmosphere
ZZQ is very open, airy, and spacious with an abundance of natural light. The tables outside are large and picnic table style. The inside tables and décor have a lot of sturdy wood and metal. Also, everything looks very clean and new. Additionally, I enjoyed the seamless transition between the indoor and outdoor seating and the mural on the outer wall.
Location
ZZQ is in a prime location in Scott’s Addition of downtown Richmond, VA. Also, it is technically walkable but it is not the most clean and safe feeling spot for it. It is near a lot of popular shops, restaurants, and entertainment in one of the more popular parts of Richmond. It does have a small parking lot available, but it is limited.
Interested in finding places to eat around Richmond, VA?
Value for money
I think ZZQ is a fair value for your money. Though the meat portion sizes are good the sides are small and the overall food was very mediocre. Meanwhile, the prices are pretty high when you consider that everything is ordered a la carte. The atmosphere and service were pretty enjoyable but not worth paying extra.
Overall
Overall, I think my experience at ZZQ was pretty mediocre. The service and atmosphere were quite nice. However, I found the food was pretty bland. Additionally, the meat serving was generous but the texture and consistency was too wet. I would recommend trying out the brisket instead of the pulled pork.
