Capital Q Smokehouse
329 Ontario Street
Albany, NY 12208-3335
(518) 438-7675

We first ran into Capital Q Smokehouse at the 2010 Troy Pig Out – an annual BBQ fest & competition in downtown Troy, NY. They had the mega-Q-wagon shown above parked at the start of the food vending area. Unfortunately for us, we started eating at the end of the vending area. After some less than spectacular food & a long day in the sun, we were a bit too full & tired to wait in the Capital Q Smokehouse line. So we made note of the fact it was in Albany & planned a trip in the near future.

Capital Q Smokehouse is located on a side street off of Madison Ave. in the College of St. Rose area of Albany. You might initially think you’re gone the wrong way, but keep driving. It is in a rather unassuming house with a big Q hanging out front. Find some street parking & get ready for some serious good eatin’.

This is my idea of a perfect joint. A small lunch rail in the front window with a few stools & not much else. The majority of Capital Q Smokehouse is the kitchen & service area – just as it should be in a great Q joint!

Dan – the guy working the counter when we visited – started by asking if this was our first visit. We answered “yes” & so began our introduction to the three porks they serve. Capital Q Smokehouse takes a beautiful smokey hand pulled pork & gives it three treatments: Okie Pig, Capital Q & South Carolina. The Okie Pig is simmered in a Kansas City style red sauce. Capital Q uses a spicy North Carolina style vinegar wash. The South Carolina also uses a vinegar wash but spicier & with a mustard seed kick. Brisket is offered as sliced or as Okie Beef & Burnt End. Okie Beef & Burnt End is chopped brisket simmered in the Okie sauce. There are almost too many side choices to deal with or list.

Sandwiches come as regular or slider size. For lunch, you can get 2 sliders, a side & drink for $7. We decided that was too good to pass up & went for the lunch deal. I had the Capital Q Pulled Pork slider, Okie Beef & Burnt End slider, mashed sweet potatoes & a couple of croakers (more about this in a minute) as an extra side. Cherie went with a South Carolina slider, Okie Beef & Burnt End slider, jalapeno mac & cheese & BBQ mac & cheese as an extra side. We also got a 1/2 pound of sliced brisket because brisket is our obsession.

I know that may sound like an insane amount of food, but actually it was quite manageable. The sliders – something we’ve decided will be a staple at the Hut – are the perfect size for sandwich sampling. The sides were just enough to share without being overwhelming. The sides were ok but not as amazing as the meat. It’s something we often find in Q joints. All the effort is focused on creating great meat then it is served with passable (or worse) sides. I am quite glad Cherie is around to focus on the sides for the Hut.

One experiment in sides I found intriguing but ultimately a bit disappointing was the Croakers. These are fried mashed potato croquettes with cheddar cheese, scallions & bacon. at 50¢ each, I tried 2. I wanted more bacon (then again who doesn’t) & the cheddar really does not come through. Nice & moist with a great crunchy fried crust, they had so much undelivered potential. I hope perhaps they’ll take them up a few notches.

Then again – one does not go to a joint for sides. It’s the meat – & oh the meat at Capital Q! The pulled pork is a wonderful smokey delight with a great bark & spicy kick of vinegar. (I’m not a KC sauce fan though the KC sauced Okie pork here is pretty great.) When Dan started slicing the brisket, I called Cherie over & asked: “Does that look familiar?” Yes – for the first time since starting to make BBQ in upstate NY, I found another joint making brisket like mine. Beautiful smoke ring. Tender, moist & smokey. Beautiful spicy crust. It was quite reassuring to discover perhaps I actually do know what I’m doing & have not made a horrible career choice.

Both brisket & pork were brilliant. We left very little on or plates.

The one saving grace is – when talking to Dan about Capital Q expanding – they are looking north of Albany. I would not be keen to go up against them – though it might be fun. On the other hand – it is nice to know I can actually get good BBQ when I have to do the run to Albany for Q supplies.