Need to give a shout out to ZZQ Smokehouse in Eagan for an amazing lunch. I was oh so hesitate to try a smokehouse in a strip mall but they excited my expectations for sure! -Pull Pork Sandwich was huge, nice smoke lines and bark. - Potato Samar's was great had an amazing tingle on the back of the throat! - Back Beans were smoky and tangy! Sauces: - Spicy was a bit of a letdown but still good. It was MN spicy not like devils spit. - Carolina was a great tangy sauce. - Garlic was my favorite, not sure really what to use it in but it was sooo good! Can't wait to have a beer and dine in! Hands down best BBQ in Eagan! read more

ZZQ Smokehouse - Pulled pork - Barbeque Near Me - Eagan, Minnesota

Amazing BBQ! Zak knows what he is doing, and a great guy who took his time to talk with us. We were thoroughly impressed with the flavors, tenderness and sauce options. Love that the "traditional" sides were not so "traditional" tasting. The ribs did not need sauce just like he suggested, the brisket was tender and with the Smokey sauce melted in your mouth. Highly recommend checking this place out! read more

My go to BBQ when I'm in the area. Staff is great and friendly. BBQ and sides are delicious. Highly recommend them read more

I see a lot of people loving ZZQ but I'm not totally sure why..? My husband and I went and everything was SO salty, SO dry, SO...blah. Including the service. I'm kind of a believer in second chances, so, maybe we'll give them another try at some point (only because we live super close) but, there are so many solid BBQ places in the twin cities that, eh, we'll see. read more

The food was great here! I got pork, my husband got brisket and they were both delicious. The sides were really good too.

The woman behind the counter was very rude to me and my mother, my mother had come in with a can of mtn dew in a cup so she could use a straw and not spill since she is old and disabled. They then judged her and said that she could not bring liquor in, we said that it was not liquor and we proceeded to leave the store because of the constant ridicule and horrifying looks. Please do not go here if you are looking for good service and friendly staff. Only go if you want ten pounds of sugar added to your ribs and racism. read more

Had the brisket super tender and juicy! The jalapeno and cheddar sausage great flavor. Loved the friendly service like talking to old friends read more

ZZQ Smokehouse - Brisket was amazing and tender, jalapeno and cheddar sausage super yummy. Friendly service like seeing old friends great conversation - Barbeque Near Me - Eagan, Minnesota

ZZQ is a fast casual restaurant that serves awesome BBQ. The vibe of the restaurant is very relaxed. It was nice to see the employees be so enthusiastic about the food. That's usually a good sign! I tried the pulled pork sandwich and appreciated the flavorful meat embedded within the bun. They had a large assortment of sauces to choose from and that made it even more exciting to be able to test different ones. I thought the fries were pretty tasty as well. The other people that I was with really enjoyed their food and had a variety of items so we were able to get a decent feel of the restaurant's offerings. It's been a long time since I've had a go to BBQ place and I'm excited to have discovered this one. If you're searching for some really good BBQ, check this spot out. read more

ZZQ Smokehouse - Pulled pork sandwich - Barbeque Near Me - Eagan, Minnesota

We have always had good luck at ZZQ. The pulled pork and brisket are juicy and flavorful. They have a good variety of sauces that are tasty. You can get some quality beer at ZZQ also. read more

A clean and spicy BBQ joint located in an unassuming strip mall/gas station on Yankee Doodle in the heart of Eagan. My wife and I were running errands and in the mood for lunch and discovered this place while searching on Yelp. Even though it is in a gas station/strip mall, this place has a great feel - more like something you'd find in hipster uptown than the vanilla suburbs. The inside is bright and modern and you get a hint of rich smoky goodness as soon as you come in which tells you right away you are in for the good stuff. The menu features all the classics and I opted for the brisket sandwich & fries ($10.99) and my wife chose the pulled pork sandwich & fries & coleslaw ($12.99). The brisket sandwich was absolutely loaded with tender slices of very smoky and flavorful meat and the hand-cut fries were cooked perfectly. The pulled pork had a touch of sweetness and also was an ample serving - especially for lunch; (we probably should have shared a sandwich but it was just too good to stop eating - so I left there absolutely stuffed). You order at the counter and they will get your attention when the food is ready. They offer 5-6 different sauces from sweet and saucy to "spicy" (not too spicy, more like Minnesota spicy) which in my opinion lean toward the North Carolina BBQ traditions - vinegar based and on the thinner side. This is a nice touch as you can mix/match to your own tastes. Bottom line - tasty food, big portions, good value - weird location. Recommended read more

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That was some of the best brisket we've had. All of the sides were good but not standout great. Chicken tenders and Mac and cheese -felt like these were freezer tenders and not special. Love all the sauce options. read more

I found this place on a couple of weeks ago but just went back yesterday so I've had chicken pork and brisket. All of them were exceptional. I travel all over the country and try barbecue wherever I go and this is top-notch. They have great service, great portions with a clean and friendly atmosphere. read more

My wife and I were on our weekly Saturday lunch date and I have heard of this place on Yelp for awhile now. We were going to hit up the new Beef Jerky Outlet store by the Eagan outlet mall, and ZZQ is about a mile away. I had a coupon from the internet for a chicken or pulled pork sandwich, a side, and a drink. Solid deal! The smell of smoke permeated the place and the owner greeted us and took my order for a pulled pork sandwich, side of beans, and a Diet Coke. We sat down and my name was quickly called and he even offered to cut it in half. Nice! There are about 8 different BBQ sauces, I got the spicy hot, the spicy, the buffalo, and the garlic. I think the Buffalo was my favorite. Very "Frank'sy. The spicy hot did have a nice kick though. The beans were multi colored and a little sweet, but good. The pulled pork was super smokey and delicious! A basic bun, but it worked. The owner came by and asked me by name, how I liked the sandwich and which sauce was my favorite. He seemed to have genuine interest that I was pleased. On the way out he even said, Thanks and still mentioned my name. Super cool! read more

ZZQ Smokehouse - Pulled pork sandwich with side of beans. Diet Coke. - Barbeque Near Me - Eagan, Minnesota

Great, authentic, reasonably priced BBQ in this small strip mall BBQ joint. Ribs are huge with great rub, brisket is juicy and lean, and the pulled chicken is moist and tasty. Plus, they have a sauce station so you can try all the great sauces at your leisure. All meats and sauces are gluten free, as counter person said owner's wife has celiac, so it's safe for those with some allergies. A nice surprise and highly recommended. read more

ZZQ Smokehouse - Three meat platter. Huge portions. - Barbeque Near Me - Eagan, Minnesota

The service was very friendly, and the order was accurate. Unfortunately the food wasn't that great. The buns were dry, the potato salad was warm, the brisket was mediocre, shredded chicken was bland and kind of dry, the fries were hard and over cooked, and all of the sauces tasted like pure vinegar with mild hints of flavor. There was something off about the Mac and cheese, too (it wasn't rotten or anything, but something that I can't put my finger on was off). My mother-in-law liked her ribs. This was all at dinner time on a Saturday. The place could have used some better lighting and maybe some music playing? There was an awkward vibe to the place, the sound of people's mouths smacking cut through the silence, complete with hospital-style florescent lighting. read more

One of my favorite bbq spots in the Twin Cities. I used to eat here at least once a week when I lived nearby, and I miss having a place like this in my neighborhood. Zac is a true lover of bbq, and has been all over the country eating at some of the best bbq places there are. I always enjoyed talking bbq with him, and now that Covid restrictions are easing up a bit I look forward to stopping back there once in a while and enjoying a meal inside again. The food is always cooked well here. Spareribs are large, meaty, and juicy. Brisket is moist and tender. And the chicken wings are always well seasoned and crispy. He usually has one or two different kinds of smoked sausages in rotation, and they are always delicious. The he has several kinds of homemade sauces available, including multiple types of barbecue sauces, hot sauce, and garlic sauce which is my personal favorite of the sauces offered there. It goes great with the French fries which are always fresh and crispy. The coleslaw and baked beans are also good, but a little on the sweet side for my tastebuds sometimes. The thing I liked most about ZZQ was the weekly special on Tuesdays. It was a way for him to serve traditional smoked meats in a more non traditional way, and it was always a win. My personal favorite was the burnt end tacos. If this was served daily at any restaurant it would be a huge problem for me. They were so damn good!! Another favorite was the Pambazo? I think that's what it was called anyway. A sandwich with green chorizo and pulled pork. I had to have it for lunch and dinner they time they served it. I hope to see it on the menu again someday. I also look forward to seeing what other creations he comes up with in the future. read more

This is a fast casual type of spot but you can tell they take pride in their food. It was the first time going here for my parents and I. We were going to the outlet mall but needed something to eat beforehand so I went on yelp to see what was around and found this place. We ordered the 3 meat combo (ribs, brisket) we wanted the pulled pork but unfortunately they were out. Nonetheless we got 3 huge ribs, when I say huge they were about 10 inches each and BIG. Also, the brisket was a bit on the greasy side but I liked the seasoning that was on it and overall it was pretty tender. We also, got 10 wings because we were not sure if the combo would be enough for the 3 of us. The wings were dry rubbed and the skins were nice and crispy. I think the wings were my favorite thing. With the 3 meat combo you also get 2 sides, which my parents ordered beans and coleslaw. In the restaurant they have an area for sauces from different BBQ sauces and some hot sauces as well. Which is nice that you can pick and choose. The restaurant is within a little strip mall next to the gas station which was easy to find parking. Our food came out pretty quickly after we ordered and service was good. read more

ZZQ Smokehouse - Chicken wings - Barbeque Near Me - Eagan, Minnesota

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I would say the best part of this experience was the customer service. You can tell they love the product they are selling. This was our first time at this location. We came from Minneapolis to try out some new BBQ. We first pulled up and was unsure what to expect. Walking in the space was really nice. It would be a great place to sit and eat, have a drink and eat good food. Now to the food. The food was pretty good. We had brisket, ribs, sausage, and wings. The meat was tender and well seasoned. It had a good smoke to it and the bbq sauce was solid. I am not a huge fan of vinegar and waterish bbq sauce but it was okay over all. Overall good bbq. The sides were okay, I wish the baked beans had a bit more flavor though it had a smokey taste to it which was a plus but no distinctive flavor. Overall for Minnesota, it was a solid bbq place and wonderful people running it. If we need a good bbq place, and in Eagan again, we will swing by to sit and enjoy some tender bbq and good atmosphere. read more

Grabbed dinner with some friends before heading out to adult night at the zoo. Location can make one skeptical as it is right next to a gas station. When you walk in it is very clean smaller restaurant I would guess it could hold 50 people before hitting capacity. Fast food restaurant style order and they call you up when food is ready. They have 6-7 different bbq/ hot sauces for free that you can pour out yourself to try with your meal. They had run out of pulled pork and we arrived right at 5pm which is deduction of a star along with limited menu. I ordered the brisket sandwich- very tender and great Smokey flavor. Had a side of French fries ( would of preferred cornbread, greens, Mac and cheese, mashed potatoes- hint hint please add to the menu). My friends also has the pulled chicken and brisket with baked beans and potato salad all of which everyone rated food 4/5. read more

ZZQ Smokehouse - Brisket sandwich - Barbeque Near Me - Eagan, Minnesota

Best experience. And coming from the south- we have high standards of BBQ. This place exceeded our expectations and the customer service was one of the best we have ever experienced. Thank you. read more

ZZQ Smokehouse - Barbeque Near Me - Eagan, Minnesota

My son and I decided to make the trek from Woodbury over to Eagan to try ZZQ after reading the strong reviews on Yelp. It was 6:30pm on a Saturday, so didn't get there until 6:50pm. Anyway, immediately upon walking in the door, we knew we were in for some good BBQ, as it smelled incredible! After scanning the menu, ordering, and paying for a 1/2 rack of ribs and a pulled pork sandwich and fries, the cashier let us know they close at 7PM...it was 6:54. Um...that would have been good to know 2 minutes ago! We were planning on eating in, especially considering we didn't live just down the road. My fault for not knowing the hours, but they close at 7PM daily - keep that in-mind if you're considering going. Anyway, after receiving our order, we immediately packed it up in to-go boxes, then headed home to eat. The pulled pork sandwich was decent, but I would have loved to try some of their sauces. The ribs had great flavor too, but somewhat overpowered by the heavy rub applied. Due to travel containers, the fries were completely soggy by the time we got home, so they went straight to the trash. For a carry-out meal, the bill was $50, so certainly steeper than most carry-out meals. All-in-all, I'd potentially give ZZQ another try, but only if I can dine-in, meaning get there by 6PM. read more

Wonderful lunch! Will be back soon, the brisket was tasty and the pulled pork was delicious. read more

ZZQ Smokehouse - Barbeque Near Me - Eagan, Minnesota

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This is a top of the line barbecue joint. The meat carries a smoky flavor and is high quality. The sauces offer a variety of different tastes if you're picky but really burst with flavor on the tongue. The plate quantities are fairly large, I usually don't take home any of my meal but for this I only got half the meat down and took the rest for a tasty second meal. The only reason this place doesn't get a fifth star is because when it's busy here they can't keep up and you end up waiting over a half hour for your food to be ready. Other than that, I would recommend this place to anybody that loves good bbq! read more

ZZQ Smokehouse - Two meat plate with all 4 bbq sauces lined up - Barbeque Near Me - Eagan, Minnesota

The best! We ordered pulled pork for a graduation party and were asked many times where the food was from. Meat was tender and the choice of sauces allowed everyone to customize. We will be back, it was delicious! read more

Seriously wish I lived closer but my pocket book is happy I don't. This place is the real deal!! Moist, fall off the bone ribs, smokey chicken, plastic fork tender brisket. Can't go wrong with any choices. And for those who are extra sensitive to gluten or CC of it, you are fairly safe here as the only gluten in this place is the buns, which only touches a penne press. Fryer and grill top are dedicated GF! Awesome, awesome food! read more

ZZQ Smokehouse - DELISH ..... Rib and Chicken Combo with potato salad and beans. - Barbeque Near Me - Eagan, Minnesota

My step father was in town and ask me where is the beat BBQ in minnesota. He suggest famous Dave's... I said, "I thought you said the best." So I brought him to ZZQ's. I'm expecting that he's gonna want to go every time he's in town. The food is amazing. The employees clearly love their jobs, it shows in their attitudes. They are so sweet. I smoke my own meat, and anybody that does usually are judgmental and have high standards. This in my opinion is the best your gonna get in Minnesota. read more

I NEED TO RETURN!!! You've all heard about the hole-in-the-wall BBQ joints having the best BBQ. Well this is one of those places. It's a little bigger than a hole-in-the-wall, but it's almost lost in a small forgotten strip mall in Eagan. We both had the ribs, I did pulled pork and she had the brisket. The ribs are freaking awesome! They are HUGE ribs, not the little baby back things. Three ribs is enough for a meal for me, but I had more than those. The ribs were tender and near fall off the bone which is perfect. The brisket nearly melted in our mouths and the pulled pork was deeply smoked, tender, and flavor packed. Their sauces comer the BBQ range from Texas smokey, St. Louis sweet, North Carolina vinegar based, hot, and more. My favorite is the North Carolina vinegar sauce. If you've never tried this type of BBQ sauce then you are missing out. I need to get back here. read more

ZZQ Smokehouse - Barbeque Near Me - Eagan, Minnesota

The brisket is unreal. French fries are pretty good. The owner is always there and a good guy. He tries to remember everyone's names and hooks up good portions. Kinda spendy but worth it. Try their garlic sauce with absolutely anything on their menu. read more

ZZQos the best and I definitely think that if you want GREAT que in the south metro. Go there right away.

This is a nice place to get smoked meat. I had the two meat plate with brisket and chicken. Included were two sides, I chose potato salad and BBQ beans. The brisket by far was the best. It was smoked and juicy. The chicken was good as well. The beans were a mix of at least two types of beans in a smoked barbecue sauce without any meat. It was average. The potato salad was not a traditional potato salad. Me or my co-worker did not like the potato salad. My co-worker had chicken wings which he said were delicious. The sauces seemed to favor Carolina style sauces. There were Sweet, Smokey, Carolina, and Spicy. I had the Sweet sauce and the Smokey sauce. The Smokey Sauce was the better flavor to me. I would definitely return to this place for the brisket and chicken. If you are in the area and want delicious smoked food, this place is where you should go. read more

Great BBQ places, next to a gas station, so maybe hard to find. I had dry ribs, chicken wings and brisket. Did try some sauces but the dry flavor was the best. The seasoning may overpower the rib flavor, but were all good taste. the brisket is the best, then rib, wings were too dry not enough juice. Staff was Very welcoming and patient to explain all the option. They even have its own check in bonus, 7 time gets you a free sandwich, how good is that deal! read more

Very good barbeque and the employees are nice. I like the selection of local/MN beers on tap as well. Little bit pricey, so I took a star off. Maybe that's not fair in today's economy. If you're in Eagan, and want some tasty meats, give them a shot! read more

ZZQ Smokehouse definitely exceeded my expectations. Came here dragged by my husband, who was craving bbq and wanted to try this place. Not your most aesthetically pleasing place to eat, taking into consideration that is also located beside a gas station, but certainly has some very good food. I'm by no means a bbq expert but my pulled pork was tender and juicy, which I surely appreciated. Their soda machine, which dispenses tap water like most, had the most awful tasting water...I know this is something minor but I thought I'd mention it since a lot of people don't drink sodas like me. read more

ZZQ Smokehouse - Barbeque Near Me - Eagan, Minnesota

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Meat: brisket is decent, ribs are great, pulled pork is also good but i would get it on a bun. The pulled Chicken is an option i would avoid personally. What i like the most about this place is the side orders of wings and sausage. The sauces are pretty bad, so bring your own if possible or take it home. They all use too high of vinegar and its overpowering. Sides, only thing worth ordering is the fries. Others options are terrible so don't waste your money on anything else. Just double order the fries. Being limited on bbq options in the south metro this is my top pick only because the meat is actually decent aside from the pulled options. They really need to rethink their menu choices for sides and sauces. read more

Brisket and pulled pork was sooo good!! Lots of sauces to choose from too!! The hot one is very HOT!! Lol

Ok so had the two meat dinner pull pork way to salty and then I had the ribs no flavor to the ribs even with the seasoning on it any barbecue sauce 0 My God Way too vinegary so was the coleslaw and beans my God like no taste at all will not come back and what a Waste of money on my part and my time but the staff was friendly Will not recommend it read more

Our family loved the food! Great bbq and sides. We came here because our daughter has Celiac Disease and we had heard great things about the food from FB Celiac groups. We will definitely be back. Great food and Celiac safe! The owner was extremely knowledgeable about Celiac Disease and cross contamination. read more

ZZQ Smokehouse - Kid's meal. Pulled pork with gluten free bun and fries in a dedicated fryer. - Barbeque Near Me - Eagan, Minnesota

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I got brisket and chicken with fries and WOW, great flavor. I'm not a fan of their sauces as I don't like heavy cumin vinegar bases but honestly the meat doesn't need it. Has great smoke flavor and isn't dry. Could see.taking this home for sure. read more

ZZQ Smokehouse - Brisketand chicken - Barbeque Near Me - Eagan, Minnesota

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I grew up in North Carolina and barbecue was my favorite food. Then I moved to Minnesota and my world was cold, gray, and devoid of anything that could satisfy my desires for properly smoked meats. I wasn't interested in ZZQ at first. I had been burned so many times by other so called "barbecue" restaurants in MN that didn't live up to their claims. But when my wife and kids were diagnosed with Celiac Disease, ZZQ showed up as a safe place thanks to the owner's careful commitment to having a single bun grill and keeping the rest of the restaurant completely gluten free. I tried it with my in-laws one weekend and I was blown away. The ribs? Probably the best I've ever had. The pork and chicken are both smoked so well you don't even need to add sauce. In my book, that's the sign that barbecue is being done right. That said, they have about eight sauces to choose from on any given day and while they trend a bit thick and sweet for my taste, they are still made in house and done well. If I could ask for one more it would be a true, simple eastern North Carolina sauce - just apple cider vinegar, red chili flakes, and maybe a couple other seasonings. I waited to make a few more trips before writing this review, and amazingly, each has been just as good or better. The food is great and the people are friendly. Be sure to visit ZZQ! read more

Best barbecue ever. Knowledgeable owner who has been to and can speak to the best barbecue joints across the country. A true expert. My ribs were the phenomenal! read more