Built on family
& Passion.

Where It Started

A Backyard Smoker
and a Big Dream.

Curly Q's BBQ didn't start in a restaurant. It started in a backyard, with a second-hand smoker, a stack of pecan wood, and a stubborn belief that great smoked brisket shouldn't be hard to find in the Midwest.

Our founder spent years perfecting the craft. Hours before sunrise, stacking wood, managing fire, learning how smoke behaves. Getting it wrong. Getting it right. Getting obsessed. Every cut of meat became a lesson. Every rack of ribs and pulled pork got a little better than the last.

When we finally opened our doors, people drove from Elkhart, South Bend, Kalamazoo, and everywhere in between just to taste what the buzz was about. We became their local BBQ restaurant. Not because we marketed ourselves, but because the food spoke for itself.

“We don't take shortcuts.
Never have. Never will.”

Today, Curly Q's is a Midwest institution. A place where families come to celebrate. Where regulars show up every week for their fix. Where first-timers take one bite of the best BBQ near me and immediately start making plans to come back. We're proud of that.

We still start the smoker hours before anyone else is awake. We still use the same wood. We still believe that BBQ near me shouldn't mean settling for second best. Come find out for yourself.