Amazing service and food. Great vibes and plenty of space. Worth your time and money
Gena H.
I've eaten here 3x by suggesting and surprise food not great any of those 3x's. With that said I did try the charred brussel sprouts which were the saving grace to my meal. Service is mediocre and atmosphere is decent.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Brussels Sprouts
Michael W
Excellent food and service on every visit we make here. Platter for two!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Alane Swain
What a neat spot, and with great food to boot! As a party of 4, we did 2 platters which allowed us to sample 8 meats (2 such being duck and rabbit!) and 6 sides! Though we are not bbq connoisseurs by any stretch, we found that to be a unique opportunity. There was great taste to the meat by itself, but there were also 4 great sauces to choose from (1 really hot, 1 sweet, 1 mustard, and 1 kind of in between). The Mac and cheese was excellent! This is usually a standard by which I rate bbq spots, and they passed the test! We also really enjoyed the caramel sweet potatoes, greens, and Brussels sprouts! And to top everything off, we had the Reese’s Krispie kreme bread pudding, how incredible! Great service and hospitality, we would definitely return!
We had a very nice time! The space itself was open and bright, and it had a really neat design! We had great service; from the host to the waitress, and even the manager. We had a group of 4 so we ordered two platters, which allowed us to sample 8 meats (including duck and rabbit) and 6 sides. This was more than enough food, and also gave us a chance to try everything we wanted. We particularly enjoyed the burnt ends, Mac and cheese, greens, and caramel sweet potatoes. The final piece was the Reese's Krispie kreme bread pudding, which was to die for! We will happily go back!
Kendall Carpenter
My colleagues and I visited Initial Q on Wednesday evening, February 21st, 2024. We had a unique dining experience. The blackened salmon was spot on. I would have preferred the skin to be left on but that doesn't change the fact that it was delicious. My coworkers were pleased as well. The staff are suprisingly very friendly.Our server, Gracie, is the best. She took care of everything very professionally.Be prepared for a short walk as there is no parking onsite. It is a lovely stroll, however.If I am ever back in Spartanburg, I will definitely visit Initial Q again and hopefully Gracie will wait on me again.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Amber L
Still love the smokehouse. Bar stools in the dining room are badly in need of cleaning. Loved the food. Service was a bit slow. I still eat here but far less often.Knocking off two stars. Called for take out and was placed on hold for over 16 mins before I hung up and now I get a message that the voicemail hasn't been set up. So I drove down because I wanted burnt ends and they were out. Please fix the phones.Great barbeque. Even better service. I hope it stays that way.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 2
MatthewP
We went for Valentine's Day so we expected a madhouse, but it wasn't overly crowded and things ran smoothly. We had a reservation and we're seated immediately. Everything came out quickly and was excellent. The brisket and Brussel sprouts were especially tasty. We tried all of the sauces and enjoyed them as well. We will definitely be back!
JG33
I have eaten at Initial Q many times. This time around it just seemed off. Pulled pork was very fatty, very unusual. Service was just ok. I really think that can be said for the whole meal, just ok.
Tarik Williams
As many times that I went to the bowling alley downstairs had no I was bypassing BBQ
Came in on a Saturday afternoon and had to wait maybe 8 minutes before someone came to the front to seat us. The food came out in a timely manner after ordering it. Most everything we got was pretty good. I feel like the food was good, but nothing to make me want to come back. Still it's worth a try.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Faded
If you have taste buds don’t eat here.This is honestly the worst food I have eaten at a public establishment. Barbecue was dry and flavorless. It tasted freshly microwaved. I would have rather had a $1 McDonald’s burger.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Christine Daae
I’ve never written a review before but I had to for this. From out of town and went in here after a conference because it had good reviews and a nice atmosphere and we wanted an upscale dining experience, but the food was probably the worst BBQ I’ve ever tasted - and I’ve eaten quite a bit of BBQ growing up in the rural South. To be 100% honest, I’ve had better BBQ in the to-go buffet section of Ingles. I had the pork, brisket, and chicken, and they were all dry almost like they had been reheated. The classic BBQ sauce takes like ketchup, the slaw was dry, the collard greens had the weirdest spiciest flavor ever and tasted canned, and the only redeeming quality was the pepper jack grits which were quite yummy. Plus, the staff is very grumpy. Our waitress was not attentive and she barely spoke to us and answered in yes or no when we had questions. Overall, I would not recommend and I wish I’d gone down the road to a different place. So overpriced for the quality of food.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 1
J Holmes
I loved the shrimp and grits! This dish was very tasteful, The shrimp were very delicious, the salsa was tasty and the grits were the perfect consistency.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Anna Johnson
Always a fun and delicious experience. The ambiance is elegant and fun. I have been probably 10 times and the food is always delicious. The staff is very friendly and welcoming. It's my favorite place to bring friends in downtown
Amazing service and food. Great vibes and plenty of space. Worth your time and money
I've eaten here 3x by suggesting and surprise food not great any of those 3x's. With that said I did try the charred brussel sprouts which were the saving grace to my meal. Service is mediocre and atmosphere is decent.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Brussels Sprouts
Excellent food and service on every visit we make here. Platter for two!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
What a neat spot, and with great food to boot! As a party of 4, we did 2 platters which allowed us to sample 8 meats (2 such being duck and rabbit!) and 6 sides! Though we are not bbq connoisseurs by any stretch, we found that to be a unique opportunity. There was great taste to the meat by itself, but there were also 4 great sauces to choose from (1 really hot, 1 sweet, 1 mustard, and 1 kind of in between). The Mac and cheese was excellent! This is usually a standard by which I rate bbq spots, and they passed the test! We also really enjoyed the caramel sweet potatoes, greens, and Brussels sprouts! And to top everything off, we had the Reese’s Krispie kreme bread pudding, how incredible! Great service and hospitality, we would definitely return!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pork Rinds, Beef Brisket, Brussels Sprouts, Mac & Cheese
We had a very nice time! The space itself was open and bright, and it had a really neat design! We had great service; from the host to the waitress, and even the manager. We had a group of 4 so we ordered two platters, which allowed us to sample 8 meats (including duck and rabbit) and 6 sides. This was more than enough food, and also gave us a chance to try everything we wanted. We particularly enjoyed the burnt ends, Mac and cheese, greens, and caramel sweet potatoes. The final piece was the Reese's Krispie kreme bread pudding, which was to die for! We will happily go back!
My colleagues and I visited Initial Q on Wednesday evening, February 21st, 2024. We had a unique dining experience. The blackened salmon was spot on. I would have preferred the skin to be left on but that doesn't change the fact that it was delicious. My coworkers were pleased as well. The staff are suprisingly very friendly.Our server, Gracie, is the best. She took care of everything very professionally.Be prepared for a short walk as there is no parking onsite. It is a lovely stroll, however.If I am ever back in Spartanburg, I will definitely visit Initial Q again and hopefully Gracie will wait on me again.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Still love the smokehouse. Bar stools in the dining room are badly in need of cleaning. Loved the food. Service was a bit slow. I still eat here but far less often.Knocking off two stars. Called for take out and was placed on hold for over 16 mins before I hung up and now I get a message that the voicemail hasn't been set up. So I drove down because I wanted burnt ends and they were out. Please fix the phones.Great barbeque. Even better service. I hope it stays that way.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 2
We went for Valentine's Day so we expected a madhouse, but it wasn't overly crowded and things ran smoothly. We had a reservation and we're seated immediately. Everything came out quickly and was excellent. The brisket and Brussel sprouts were especially tasty. We tried all of the sauces and enjoyed them as well. We will definitely be back!
I have eaten at Initial Q many times. This time around it just seemed off. Pulled pork was very fatty, very unusual. Service was just ok. I really think that can be said for the whole meal, just ok.
As many times that I went to the bowling alley downstairs had no I was bypassing BBQ
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Creamed Corn, Beef Brisket, BBQ Sauces, Mac & Cheese, Duck Duck Grits, Beef Brisket Plate
Restaurantji Recommends
Came in on a Saturday afternoon and had to wait maybe 8 minutes before someone came to the front to seat us. The food came out in a timely manner after ordering it. Most everything we got was pretty good. I feel like the food was good, but nothing to make me want to come back. Still it's worth a try.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
If you have taste buds don’t eat here.This is honestly the worst food I have eaten at a public establishment. Barbecue was dry and flavorless. It tasted freshly microwaved. I would have rather had a $1 McDonald’s burger.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
I’ve never written a review before but I had to for this. From out of town and went in here after a conference because it had good reviews and a nice atmosphere and we wanted an upscale dining experience, but the food was probably the worst BBQ I’ve ever tasted - and I’ve eaten quite a bit of BBQ growing up in the rural South. To be 100% honest, I’ve had better BBQ in the to-go buffet section of Ingles. I had the pork, brisket, and chicken, and they were all dry almost like they had been reheated. The classic BBQ sauce takes like ketchup, the slaw was dry, the collard greens had the weirdest spiciest flavor ever and tasted canned, and the only redeeming quality was the pepper jack grits which were quite yummy. Plus, the staff is very grumpy. Our waitress was not attentive and she barely spoke to us and answered in yes or no when we had questions. Overall, I would not recommend and I wish I’d gone down the road to a different place. So overpriced for the quality of food.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 1
I loved the shrimp and grits! This dish was very tasteful, The shrimp were very delicious, the salsa was tasty and the grits were the perfect consistency.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Always a fun and delicious experience. The ambiance is elegant and fun. I have been probably 10 times and the food is always delicious. The staff is very friendly and welcoming. It's my favorite place to bring friends in downtown
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5