Restaurant Review: The Q Shack

I received an email from a reader about their recent experience at The Q Shack. I have eaten there before my diagnosis and thought the food was pretty good. I have not had the chance to go back recently though. Below is an email from Tom Meyer, the owner of The Q Shack.

From: Thomas Meyer
Date: Wed, Nov 5, 2008 at 4:24 PM
Subject: Fwd: gluten allergy

I have had a complete nutritional analysis done on my food and a binder of info is in our office- so if while you are here you have a question, my management staff can get the binder and review any menu item with you.

In general, you can eat here just fine, I think.

Meats: Ribs, Turkey, Pork Loin and Beef Brisket are all just dry rubbed with spices and then smoked. No sauce on any kind. The spice rub has chili powder in it (which is a generic term for a spice blend) and I'm not 100% sure that it doesn't contain wheat flour, but it shouldn't.

Sauces: My tomato based bbq sauce used in my chicken and found on the tables has wheat flour from the adobo sauce that is in with the chipotles I buy. Therefore- stay away from that sauce and from the Chipotle-Blue Cheese dressing I have for salads. My cole slaw dressing has mayo, cider vinegar and spices- so that should be OK.

Sides: Avoid Pasta Salad, Mac and Cheese, BBQ Beans, Hushpuppies, Fries, Okra and Onion Rings. The Black-eyed Peas, Collards, Sweet Potatoes, Potato Salad, Cole Slaw and Side Salad should all be OK. Some have soy ingredients, so if you are allergic to soy, please let us know.

Again- when in doubt, please ask us and we'll do our best to make a determination with you while you are here.

Thanks for the email and we look forward to seeing you soon.

Tom Meyer
Owner

I see a lot of "I think" and "should be" and "not 100%" in the email so that makes me a bit nervous. I would advise anyone planning to eat there to ask for the binder and review the ingredients with the staff before ordering. You will also want to discuss how your food is being prepared if you find something you are willing to order. I would also encourage you to ask Tom about creating a Gluten Free version of his menu (I do this everywhere I go!).