By Molly Snyder Senior Writer Published Aug 04, 2004 at 5:40 AM

Kinnickinnic Avenue will smell like summer all year 'round when Chef Scott McGlinchy, owner of Heaven City in Mukwonago, opens his newest restaurant, Q Real American Food, on Friday, Aug. 13.

The casual-dining restaurant is located in Bay View at 2258 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., in the old Salvation Army space across from Cafe Lulu and next door to Stone Creek Coffee.

"We are bringing the same kind of quality and enthusiasm we brought to Heaven City," says McGlinchy.

Q's menu features pit-smoked barbecue and a variety of side dishes. McGlinchy developed Q's sauce using Sprecher Brewery's root beer and also helped craft a beer -- Sprecher Q Brew -- that will only be available at Q.

The restaurant also will serve another exclusive item on its menu, the Texas Hot Link sausage, produced for Q by Klement's. Side dishes include cornbread with honey butter, barbecue beans, coleslaw, potato salad, fries and Cheesehead Cheese Corn.

McGlinchy plans to eventually open two more chains. According to McGlinchy & Associates' Laura Monagle, the firm handling Q's marketing and of no relation to Scott, a lease was recently signed in West Allis.

Q's menu includes chicken, ribs, pork shoulder, beef brisket and Texas Hot Link sausage. All meats are dry-rubbed with seasonings and then pit-smoked using Q's wood-burning barbecue smoker. The restaurant is the first in the nation to operate this type of wood pellet pit-smoker.

A gourmet barbecue team help McGlinchy test all the recipes in competition. The award-winning recipes are then used at the restaurant..

"The team is made up of people with regular day jobs and a passion for barbecue," says Monagle. "They were new to the scene this year and surprised a lot of competitors by placing pretty high in many competitions."

Diners will have the option of counter service or, possibly, road-side service. McGlinchy was unable to build a drive-through but hopes to offer drive-up service for ultimate convenience.

Q Real -- not to be confused with the Mexican chain Q Doba -- joins a cluster of new bars and restaurants in the area, including Xel-ha, Bella's Fat Cat and Bar Lulu attached to Cafe Lulu. A dry cleaner will move into the Q Real building this fall, providing the ideal outlet for messy BBQ eatin'.

"It's a perfect fit. After dining at Q you can drop off your clothing at the dry cleaner," jokes Monagle.


Molly Snyder started writing and publishing her work at the age 10, when her community newspaper printed her poem, "The Unicorn.” Since then, she's expanded beyond the subject of mythical creatures and written in many different mediums but, nearest and dearest to her heart, thousands of articles for OnMilwaukee.

Molly is a regular contributor to FOX6 News and numerous radio stations as well as the co-host of "Dandelions: A Podcast For Women.” She's received five Milwaukee Press Club Awards, served as the Pfister Narrator and is the Wisconsin State Fair’s Celebrity Cream Puff Eating Champion of 2019.