Restaurant Review: Lillie's Q in Brea - Award Winning BBQ and Kool-Aid Pickles?

Here is one more restaurant review for 2014! This is the new Lillie's Q in Brea that opened on December 6th, 2014! This is the fourth location of this barbecue concept and the first to be located in California. The original location is in Chicago. you will come here to experience award-winning barbecue, down at home Southern cuisine and moonshine cocktails!

Lillie's Q founder and owner Charlie McKenna partnered with TAP's owner Joe Manzella for this branch in Brea.

Check out this awesome variety of BBQ sauces! Trust me, the meats at Lillie's Q are so good that you don't need BBQ sauce! But if you want to try them and I think you should, let me break down what to expect from each one! Starting from left to right, the ivory is a southern Alabama vinegar, mayo and spices that is great for fries and chicken and fish. The Carolina Gold is from South Carolina has a mustard content that is perfect on the hot links. The ENC is the Easter Carolina that uses cider vinegar and spices with no tomato. The Carolina has Western Carolina influences. The Smoky and Hot Smoky are traditional Memphis sauces and the most popular.

The Catdaddy Cocktail using Catdaddy vanilla moonshine and your choice of either root beer or cream soda. I went with the cream soda. Smooth and refreshing! If you are looking for something on the sweeter side then this is the drink for you! I love that they are served in mason jars!

My friend with the apple hooch and ginger which combines apple pie moonshine, ginger ale and lime. An equally smooth and refreshing drink.

We ordered the pork rinds and Kool-Aid pickles! That's right Kool-Aid pickles! The pork rinds are awesome and I love the kettle it is served in but the must have item is the Kool-Aid pickles! Kosher dill pickles marinated in cherry Kool-Aid with secret spices is fantastic! The sweetness of the Kool-Aid balances with the saltiness of the pickles and the spices put this over the top! I am already craving my next order! Plus my friend who can't stand pickles loves these! If that's not saying something then nothing is!

My friend ordered the Taste of LQ, a choice of three meats! Pulled pork, a hot link and tri-tip were all selected and a side of Mac N Cheese was added. Bacon was added to the mac and cheese. The pulled pork was perfectly tasty and fatty. The fat just melted with the pork. This is what I would get the mac and cheese with the next time! The tri-tip is tender and flavorful. You can see that char line! Perfect! The hot link is actually a hot link! Most places offer a hot link but it's usually just a kielbasa and not even a spicy kielbasa at that.

I ordered the Taste of LQ as well. I got the hot link and the trip-tip but added the baby back ribs. The ribs have a fantastic dry rub and an apple glaze! The meat is fall off the bone and did not need one drop of BBQ sauce! I added the cornbread with honey butter! Perfect!

It should come as no surprise that Lillie's Q have TAPS brews. This Hog-Tied Ale is specifically brewed for Lillie's Q. It is perfect for BBQ offering subtle malt flavor and hop bitterness.

For dessert we got an adult root beer float that includes vanilla moonshine and a banana pudding! Both were exceptional! The adult root beer float didn't have any hint of the moonshine so this could be a very dangerous dessert! The banana pudding had great chunks of banana mixed in with nilla wafers, pudding and vanilla meringue!

Great service and even better food makes this my new favorite BBQ place!

I am waiting for them to begin offering their $325 whole hog dinner and currently looking for dining companions to join me in this feast!


Lillie's Q is located at 240 S Brea Blvd in Brea, (714) 482-2001 

www.lilliesq.com.