Muncie's Best BBQ: Q.L.'s Reviewed

Location: 800 N Wolfe St, Muncie, IN 47303-5029 (765) 282-8967

Hours: Thursdays 12 noon-1 am, Fridays and Saturdays 12 noon - 4 am

Situated in an out-of-the-way area of Muncie, the drive-through restaurant known as QL's is legendary for its BBQ. But to know QL's means you need to know someone who has lived here for a very long time or lived here for a very long time. It may just be Muncie's best kept restaurant secret.

Situated in a ratty looking shack/garage at the back of a house with an ancient drive-thru ordering area and a small sign advertising its presence, it is incredibly easy to drive right by without a second glance. The unassuming nature of QL's is what gives it its character that locals love so much.

Drive up to the beat-up, old intercom and you're greeted by a friendly, though chopped-up, voice welcoming you to QL's and asking, if you can understand it, for your order. Once you place your order you drive to a locked wood window with bars on it. Once there the door is opened, you hand over your money and, usually, have the door shut on you again. You'll wait for a very short period to get your food which comes in Styrofoam containers with utensils and their usual one slice of white bread. Once you get it, you are off to wherever you plan to indulge yourself. This first part of your dining experience is what really sets QL's apart from any and every other drive-thru/dive. And it is an important part of the dining experience at QL's.

Just as important is the food of course. When we went last time we ordered ribs, pulled pork, and brisket with extra BBQ sauce. All of the meat was as tender as it could be. The chicken and pork tips were smothered in sauce (there was no need for extra sauce as a result) and cooked to perfection. The ribs were two minutes away from being overdone and no longer sticking to the bones. In other words they were perfect. My wife proclaimed the chicken as the best she has ever had, while our local-in-the-know ate her pork tips with a gleam in her eye as she reminisced about her father taking her and her brother to QL's at least once a week during their summers through high school.

Aside from the strictly drive-thru style of ordering, what also sets QL's BBQ apart from the rest is their incredible sauce. The meat is lathered in it for good reason. The slight vinegar, general seasoning and heat from the sauce compliments all of the meat in a way that is rare for virtually all BBQ sauce. Many sauces are best on beef or pork or chicken, not on a variety of meets. The heat of the sauce is perfectly balanced for most palates too; the white bread helps with this too. One in our company is a light-weight when it comes to heat, but she scarfed down her ribs as the sauce burned down her throat and around her mouth. That is a testament to how excellent the food is at QL's.

I highly recommend QL's to everyone passing through Muncie, IN, but don't blink; you're likely to miss it if you do.