Our Honest Review of Q Texas Smokehouse on Norwegian Joy With Menu
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If you like your meat barbecued with a smoky flavor, you need to try Norwegian’s Q Texas Smokehouse restaurant. It’s a Southern treat!
Norwegian Cruise Line has several premium restaurant options, and one of the newest is Q Texas Smokehouse, featured on three Norwegian ships: Bliss, Encore, and Joy. On the Joy, the restaurant is located on Deck 6 forward, just before the Joy Theater.
We recently dined at Q, and here’s our review.
Q is one of the restaurants on the Joy that my husband was most looking forward to trying on our cruise to the Mexican Riviera. He’s a huge meat lover, especially smoked meats, so he was definitely in his element here with a menu specializing in various meats freshly smoked over oak, hickory, and pecan. The sleek, urban Western-themed decor and country music made it a familiar space for this Southern girl.
The Q Texas Smokehouse Menu
The Pitmaster Platter and other meat entrees include sides, but only small portions. Other sides are offered à la carte, as well as appetizers.
What We Ordered
My husband and I are both meat lovers, so we ordered a Pitmaster Platter for each of us, which included 1/4 pound each of Brisket, Pork Spare Rib, Smoked Chicken, and Jalapeno and Cheese Sausage. Sides included Cole Slaw, Chunky Potato Salad, Pinto or Barbecue Beans, Pickles, and Jalapeno Cheese Cornbread.
We also ordered appetizers, the Deviled Eggs for me and the Texas Crab Cakes for my husband. I couldn’t finish everything on my plate, but my husband scarfed up all of his, plus the sausages from my platter.
I’d heard about the Smoked Peach Margarita, so I tried one of those while we waited for our dinner, and my husband tried a Rye Thai. We liked them both and would order them again.
The Music
Q has a stage that features a country band in the evenings, and the music is LOUD. After having that margarita, I was singing along, so the loudness of the music was appreciated by everyone around me, I’m sure.
Value for the Money
We had the beverage package, so our drinks were free, but we had to pay for the meal since we’d already used all our premium dining credits. Including 20% automatic tip, the total was $79.20.
My husband eats more barbecue than I do, so he’s a better judge of the value of our dinners. In his opinion, we definitely got our money’s worth, a good deal compared to what you’d pay for similar sampler platters at a barbecue restaurant on land.
Comparison to Other Premium Restaurants
Q is such a down-home, low-key, comfort-food kind of restaurant, it’s hard to compare to other premium restaurants. My advice would be to try Q for lunch, order a smaller entree, and save your premium dining credits for one of the fancier premium restaurants. My husband agrees, preferring to use a premium dining credit on Cagney’s or Le Bistro, but he wouldn’t be averse to paying for a meal at Q again.
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What Could Have Been Better
The portion sizes of the sides with the Pitmaster Platter were small, only a couple of bites, but there’s a reason for that. Additional yummy sides such as mac and cheese, wavy fries, onion rings, and jalapeno cheese grits are offered for a price. For me, I’d rather have the cornbread and a choice of two sides, and be given a larger portion.
Next Time
Next time we eat at Q Texas Smokehouse—and I’m sure there will be a next time—I’ll branch out and try something other than the Pitmaster Platter, and I’m definitely getting dessert. Their Pecan Pie with Whiskey Sauce looked absolutely amazing.
Our Gift For You
Download your free copy of our Norwegian Joy Restaurants Guide.
Enjoy!
Joy Restaurant Guide
Would you like a restaurant handout you could print out and take with you on the Joy? Our exclusive handout gives you the location, dress code, and hours of all the restaurants on the ship. Of course, the hours are subject to change.
Final Thoughts On Q Texas Smokehouse
Q Texas Smokehouse is a unique restaurant that will give you a taste of something different on your cruise. Although it’s a specialty restaurant, the prices are affordable, so why not give it a try? If you’re interested in other restaurants on Norwegian Joy, be sure to check out our quick guide with menus.
After dinner, why not go to the spa and be pampered with a treatment? Check out what the spa is like on Norwegian Joy.
Happy cruising!
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