By Wendy Nilsen Pollitzer
The Lunch Bunch had the pleasure of dining at Q on Bay, located at 822 Bay Street at the former site of Kathleen’s Restaurant. Owned by Jason Bailey and Chris Johnson, Q on Bay offers fine barbeque, good old-fashioned Southern fixin’s and some of the tastiest wings in town.
Q on Bay is family friendly with some of the largest booths I’ve seen in all of Beaufort. Parties of eight can easily fit at these over-sized tables, perfect for the Marine Corps graduation gathering, the after-church lunch or the kickball wind down. The dining room in the front can accommodate large groups, while the back area caters to the sports-minded patron eager to watch the big game on one of four 50” big screen TVs, with more to come.
The large porch outside overlooks Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park. The breeze that comes off the river is enjoyable, even in June’s heat. We sat on the porch and commented on how perfect the experience was — good company, friendly staff and a gorgeous afternoon. And the food? Well, let’s just say I’ve been to Q on Bay almost three to four times per week since it opened in May. The food is just awesome!
We finally had the entire Lunch Bunch in attendance for our meal at Q. There’s always someone missing, so thankfully, we were all there. I guess no one wanted to miss out on the delicious food.
Emily Sacks was our server. She was professional and knowledgeable about the menu, not to mention super sweet! She brought us a sample of the Buffalo Chicken Dip and some crispy chips for our dipping pleasure. It was terrific! The table devoured it in no time at all.
April ordered the pulled pork sliders, and Pamela chose the pulled chicken platter. Each was presented with a choice of one or two sides. April asked for a salad, while Pamela opted for the mac n’ cheese and green beans. I also chose those sides with my half rack of ribs, sauced to perfection and falling off the bones.
Kim ordered the Brunswick Stew off the menu. I think Q on Bay is one of the only restaurant in Beaufort that offers this Southern favorite. Elizabeth chose the wings, which are, in my opinion, some of the best in town. The wings are not frozen, and they are smoked to precise temperature offering immense flavor.
Barry asked for the Doghouse, a signature dish at Q on Bay, which featured pulled pork and cole slaw on a hot dog. I must say, though huge and messy, it is a must-have.
We finished our meal with two incredible desserts, strawberry shortcake and peach cobbler. They were simply scrumptious and melted in our mouths.
The experience wasn’t over. If you’re at all familiar with this column, you know that we list names of those people who have been spotted by the Lunch Bunch (basically just people we know around town). You’ll notice this list was quite large this week. Anyway, we’ve yet to “spot” someone famous, until now,
Simons Hane told owner Jason Bailey that he recognized a gentleman who looked a lot like the actor in “Major Dad.” Jason told me, so I politely approached the casually dressed man sitting in the front dining room if he was, in fact, Gerald McRaney. He confirmed, and I quickly asked if I could take his picture with the two owners after explaining my column.
The actor, who also had roles in “Simon and Simon,” “Designing Women” and “The West Wing,” to name a few, obliged. He was visiting his daughter, who lives on Lady’s Island. He was extremely courteous, and even gave me some photography pointers. Turns out, he visited Q on Bay the following day as well. I guess Mr. McRaney knows good barbeque!
In addition to it’s affordable prices and fun atmosphere, Q on Bay has become a hit with the locals and, apparently, even celebrities.
Thank you Jason and Chris for inviting the Lunch Bunch to dine with you. See you sometime later this week!
Spotted by the Lunch Bunch: Brent Cooper, Adam Biery, Chuck Ferguson, Katherine and Brian Harrelson & Family, Amy Duncan, Jennifer Youmans-White, Shivhan Sims, Aaron Sarathy, Simons Hane, Martin Murphy, and the most famous person ever spotted by the Lunch Bunch, Gerald McRaney.
