Q’s: Seriously Laid-Back Atmosphere

Q’s is just the sort of seriously laid-back bar Old Pasadena has been sorely missing. Q’s is located above Barney’s Beanery, sharing the kitchen and a fraction of the extensive menu. Sandwiches, burgers, salads and appetizers are available in the bar upstairs. The full bar boasts a long list of domestic and imported brews, everything you’ve heard of and plenty you haven’t. Q’s is spacious enough to comfortably house 10 pool tables, a low lit lounge area, plenty of couches and chairs, lots of plasma screens for watching games, the bar, eating area and the outdoor patio. The mood is intensely relaxed; Q’s is the place you’ve been looking for to have a drink and shoot a round of pool. Tables are free from 6-9 p.m. all week. They’re $12 after 9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, $14 after 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and free on Sunday. Q’s is also available for private parties.

The food, in typical Barney’s fashion, receives belt-unbuckling satisfaction. We started with the Texas style chicken wings. They are a kick in the face. Two wings had me wishing it wouldn’t be frowned upon to drink the accompanying ranch dressing to dull the fire in my mouth. The breaded spicy Cajun shrimp…weren’t. The shrimp were crisply battered, lightly seasoned and highly recommended, but not spicy. The onion rings were thick, crisp and had a great deep-fried flavor. The Barney’s Sampler, which included fried zucchini, mozzarella sticks, mushrooms and a potato boat with chili, received a 50%. The mozzarella sticks and potato boat were good; the chili was meaty and spicy. The zucchini was on the bland side, and the mushrooms were more overwhelmingly greasy than anything else.

On the lighter side, the Italian Chop salad was a balanced mix of chopped salami, mortadella and provolone along with tomatoes, olives and a great red, green and yellow roasted bell pepper relish. It’s tossed with a barely-noticeable house Italian. I recommend digging up the bottom of the salad; a lot of the salami and cheese was buried. The Classic Cobb didn’t disappoint the tastebuds or the eyes with generous servings of oven-baked chicken, real bacon bits, savory bleu cheese crumbles, tomato, mushrooms and avocado on top of mixed greens. The same bell pepper relish from the Chop made a welcome reappearance on the Cobb. There was so much flavor going on in the Cobb that dressing wasn’t included or needed.

The turkey and avocado sandwich was generous on the thick-sliced turkey, and the rye on which it was served was mild. The sandwich itself was a bit on the dry side, and some mayo might help things along. The fries that accompanied it were the real star of the show. They were lightly seasoned hefty potato wedges, carefully cooked to retain a moist center while being a bit crispy on the outside, not at all greasy and all-around amazing. Barney’s Best Club was my favorite of the cold sandwiches. The ham and bacon were pleasantly salty and the crisp lettuce and tomato balanced it perfectly. It came dressed with a light and unobtrusive Thousand Island-type sauce. The Classic Club was perfectly satisfying and exactly what you’d expect, ordering a sandwich called the “classic club.” The turkey was flavorful, the bacon was crunchy, the bread was fresh and all the flavors worked together nicely. You won’t be startled with any culinary surprises or disappointed in any way if you order a Classic Club. The club was accompanied by a perfectly cooked medley of cauliflower, broccoli, red pepper, zucchini and summer squash. It was crisp and lightly buttered, and possibly the only vegetable side dish I’d ever consider ordering in a restaurant. It made eating my veggies a pleasure.

We tried two hot sandwiches. The Cajun Chicken, much like the Cajun Shrimp, was in no way noticeably Cajun. It included a generous and tender chicken breast fillet on hot, buttery toasted rye with barely-noticeable carmelized onions. It was good, not outstanding. The Pot Roast Italiano wasn’t like anything else I’ve seen before. A thick and tender slab of pot roast was served open-faced on a roll, smothered with marinara and mozzarella cheese. Like combining steak with pizza, it’s someone’s dream come true. The portion was gigantic, so order only if you’re ravenous or have a friend to split with.

We finished things out with a few beers and the house shot, the Pink Lemonade shot. Q’s serves (among others) Chimay beer, which is brewed in a Belgian trappist monastery. They come in 25.4 oz. bottles, so be ready to commit for the evening. Chimay Red was smooth and sweet and lingered longer than Blue. Chimay Blue was bright and had a light and slightly bitter taste. Once swallowed, you barely knew it’d been there. Neither tasted like any beer I’d had before; the flavor was overall lighter and fizzier than most other brews. The Pink Lemonade shot is a secret recipe, and definitely worth trying. Manager Keith Kerney explained that it’s the shot they recommend when someone doesn’t know what to drink. It’s been around almost as long as Barney’s itself has been. It’s sweet and light and tastes not surprisingly like pink lemonade.

Q’s is located at 99 E. Colorado Blvd. upstairs from Barney’s Beanery in Pasadena. They are open from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. everyday (during Pro-Football season they open at 10:00 a.m.) Happy Hour is from 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. Monday through Friday when half priced drinks and appetizers are featured. For more information call (626) 405-9777 or log onto www.qsbilliards.com/pasadena