How is Q Texas smokehouse and food republic?

[bmlovell]

Getting some fantastic tips from you pros out there !thank you all even a few good tips on other restaurants. Did not expect la cucina to rate so high with good reviews for of all things steak , also ocean blue for steak . We really enjoyed blue with the seafood dishes .so far we have le bistro &ocean blue reserved for our Oct 22-29joy sailing we have one more to choose , going to be a tough call try something new or do another of our favorites .

[FLcruisergrl]

1 hour ago, The Traveling Man said:

The best steak I've ever had on NCL, and one of the best I've ever had anywhere, was in La Cucina on the Epic this past May.  The second best, at least on NCL, was in Le Bistro a few years ago.  I've never been favorably impressed with the steaks in Cagney's, so I usually order fish or lamb when we dine there.

Completely agree about the steak at La Cucina. So good! The blue cheese ravioli and the peppercorn sauce are nice accompaniments.

[EllieinNJ]

We ate at Q last monh.  They only gave my husband 3 ribs and they were raw so he sent them back and got the Cajun shrimp skewers which I ordered and they were delish.

[wildcats40]

We plan to try the Texas Smokehouse one evening and wondered if the music is at a certain time or goes throughout the open hours.  We've heard mixed reviews on the food but enjoy country music and would like to eat there one evening.  Trying to decide on the time.  Thanks.

 

[hallux]

I think the music starts around 7.

[BirdTravels]

On the newest NCL ship, the Prima, they have demoted Q to be a complimentary restaurant. Yup, reduced the menu and probably use cheaper cuts of meat, but the cruise line has made a decision that they were not making money keeping it as a specialty restaurant and will likely repurpose that space during a major dry dock in the future. 

[MotownVoice]

On 10/6/2022 at 11:47 AM, cruiseny4life said:

With enough decent sauce, which hopefully is the case on NCL, you can make any bbq edible. 

 

With enough decent sauce, you can make any shoe edible.   I thought the purpose for cruise dining was eating the best.  Why would anyone celebrate the presence of a venue where you have to make accommodations for its inadequacies, on a luxury cruise liner?  

[Sailing12Away]

We've figured out what we consider to be a 'smart' way to eat at both Q & Food Republic that makes it 'worth it' for us. Q offers a sampler platter which includes more than enough food for one person, especially when you add in the included sides. Last trip hubby ordered 2 of those to use up both of our credits and fed the full table of 4 people on just 2 credits. If we were by ourselves it would just be one credit to feed both of us.

 

For Food Republic, we each tried it for the first time during lunch. On sea days it's open for both lunch & dinner - so we each got 4 items. Way too much food. Going forward, we'll plan on stopping there for lunch again, but just using a single credit each time and splitting the 4 items.

 

So if you think of each of those restaurants as more of a half credit value and share 1 meal, they're both good options.

[jebhoward3]

Does "Q" have sugar free BBQ sauce?

[PATRLR]

2 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

On the newest NCL ship, the Prima, they have demoted Q to be a complimentary restaurant. Yup, reduced the menu and probably use cheaper cuts of meat, but the cruise line has made a decision that they were not making money keeping it as a specialty restaurant and will likely repurpose that space during a major dry dock in the future. 

Smaller ship and fewer specialty restaurants, right?  Have you seen anything from NCL saying Q is going away?  

I'd think Q is right smack in the heart of NCL's largest target demographic.  The Prima was supposed to be "upscale" so I can see where Q wouldn't fit that narrative.  Not surprised Q didn't make the cut on Prima but I don't see that as a harbinger of things to come for that restaurant.  But that's all conjecture on my part as I assume your statement about Q going away is?

Edited October 22, 2022 by PATRLR

[debenson0723]

Prima is a smaller ship but same number of specialty restaurants.  I have been on ships 5 times where Q was a specialty restaurant and it was always empty.  After the first time, I go now and buy the few things I like a la carte and save my voucher/FAS. It's too much food and just so-so (for me). Do the same thing with Food Republic, though we have started doing like @Sailing12Awayand splitting a voucher on 4 items to share. 

I think with Prima that Q is right where it should be in the Food Hall.  Smaller portions and not so much waste. As far as it changing it on the Joy, Bliss and Encore, only time will tell.

[Monty24]

Loved Food Republic when I was on Bliss pre-covid and I'm very disappointed it's not on Getaway for my upcoming trip.

Had Q but I remember the music not the food!

[davencl]

On 10/22/2022 at 8:28 AM, PATRLR said:

Smaller ship and fewer specialty restaurants, right?  Have you seen anything from NCL saying Q is going away?  

I'd think Q is right smack in the heart of NCL's largest target demographic.  The Prima was supposed to be "upscale" so I can see where Q wouldn't fit that narrative.  Not surprised Q didn't make the cut on Prima but I don't see that as a harbinger of things to come for that restaurant.  But that's all conjecture on my part as I assume your statement about Q going away is?

I agree and fit that demographic but didn't like Q.  Will not eat there again.   Would be great if they could do actual BBQ.  I

[Holly g]

Just off the Joy yesterday(10/22). We had dinner in Q and I had the sampler. Didn’t think it was very good at all. They gave me ONE rib!  Two sausages which I told them I didn’t want. A tiny cup of potato salad and chicken leg. I also ordered a baked potato which was good but then again it’s pretty hard to ruin a baked potato lol. Would not go back. On the bright side the band and lead singer were quite good. Do not recommend. 
 

[cruiseny4life]

13 hours ago, Holly g said:

Just off the Joy yesterday(10/22). We had dinner in Q and I had the sampler. Didn’t think it was very good at all. They gave me ONE rib!  Two sausages which I told them I didn’t want. A tiny cup of potato salad and chicken leg. I also ordered a baked potato which was good but then again it’s pretty hard to ruin a baked potato lol. Would not go back. On the bright side the band and lead singer were quite good. Do not recommend. 
 

I've seen some photos of Q's portions and they are definitely made for small appetites. I've always been stunned by the small sides that NCL (and fancy restaurants) serve. Give me a big honking serving of that tater salad please!!! 

 

I believe the item that is my least favorite on NCL are the baked potatoes. To have a proper baked potato, you have to have gobs of butter and sour cream. When the person with the toppings comes around, I'm a wee bit too embarrassed to ask for the entire tray (which is what is necessary to really enjoy the potato). Mmmm carbs! This diabetic approves haha

[ysolde]

We tried Q on Encore and it was the least favorite of the specialty restaurants we dined at on that cruise.  In fact, we preferred dinner at the MDR to dinner at Q.  It's not bad.  As others have said, it's tasty enough, and portions are enormous.  But it is simply not on par with Onda and Le Bistro (or even Cagney's).  As the  cruise went on, and we sampled more of the specialty dining options, we realized Q was just not special enough to hold our interest, and we never returned.

[luckyinpa]

waiter at Q said order all the sides to try because they were small. he was right

[Sailing12Away]

10 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

I believe the item that is my least favorite on NCL are the baked potatoes. To have a proper baked potato, you have to have gobs of butter and sour cream. When the person with the toppings comes around, I'm a wee bit too embarrassed to ask for the entire tray (which is what is necessary to really enjoy the potato). Mmmm carbs! This diabetic approves haha

No shame here... we put the glob of butter in first so it starts to get melty, then literally dump the cup of bacon bits on top. Can't let that bacon go to waste...

[cruiseny4life]

13 hours ago, Sailing12Away said:

No shame here... we put the glob of butter in first so it starts to get melty, then literally dump the cup of bacon bits on top. Can't let that bacon go to waste...

I've already had my requisite morning bagel, but oh your description....I need a potato! 

[kylenyc]

On 10/22/2022 at 10:04 AM, Sailing12Away said:

For Food Republic, we each tried it for the first time during lunch. On sea days it's open for both lunch & dinner - so we each got 4 items. Way too much food. Going forward, we'll plan on stopping there for lunch again, but just using a single credit each time and splitting the 4 items.

Did something similar. Used one UDP and then ordered two more dishes for a party of three for dinner. It was plenty especially after a heavier meal the night before at Cagney's.

[trivimp]

Another KCBS judge here; I don't have super-high expectations for the 'cue here (since they obviously don't have a traditional pit on board the ship) but I have found Q to be a bit uneven.  Sometimes it's decent, sometimes it's lackluster.  The main reason I like to go there is for the peach margaritas & the band.  

[BirdTravels]

On 10/22/2022 at 8:59 AM, wildcats40 said:

We plan to try the Texas Smokehouse one evening and wondered if the music is at a certain time or goes throughout the open hours.  We've heard mixed reviews on the food but enjoy country music and would like to eat there one evening.  Trying to decide on the time.  Thanks.

 

 

On 10/22/2022 at 8:59 AM, wildcats40 said:

We plan to try the Texas Smokehouse one evening and wondered if the music is at a certain time or goes throughout the open hours.  We've heard mixed reviews on the food but enjoy country music and would like to eat there one evening.  Trying to decide on the time.  Thanks.

 

So,,, watch your program because it is not always country music.

 

 

[KKB]

On 10/6/2022 at 4:09 PM, BirdTravels said:

Personally, we don't care for Q. Without an open flame, it is hard to "smoke" the BBQ. Food republic is great! We use one Specialty Dining Credit for a sea day lunch, which is more than enough for 2. We use our second SDP credit for a second sea day lunch. 

They allow you to do this??!! If so, sounds like a great plan!

[Sailing12Away]

1 hour ago, KKB said:

They allow you to do this??!! If so, sounds like a great plan!

Yes, we did it on the Joy. My hubby went solo to Q and used 1 credit for the combo platter thing to share with him and my folks, and I used 1 credit to dine by myself at Food Republic for lunch one day.

[weltek]

I'm laughing at the difference in the comments for Q:
"Too much food"

"Not big enough servings"

🤣

 

This thread is the first time I heard the small serving comments. Every review I've read up until this thread pretty much said "left miserably full." Guess we'll find out for ourselves next month!