SMOKE QUEEN Barbecue in Garden Grove (John Borack photo).

By John M. Borack/Special to The Tribune

As someone who visits Texas at least once a year and is a card-carrying carnivore, saying I am a fan of good barbecue may be the understatement of the year. I have fond memories of several pounds of brisket, sausage, and ribs being devoured at joints such as Pecan Lodge (Dallas), Hurtado (Arlington), and Heim (Fort Worth). 

But here in Orange County, finding consistently tasty barbecue has been something of a challenge until the past few years, when top-drawer ‘cue began being served up at The SmoKING Ribs (Garden Grove), Beale’s (Huntington Beach), and Heritage (San Juan Capistrano).

Another contender has recently popped up in Garden Grove: Smoke Queen Barbecue opened its doors just last month, in a newly developed area not far from Garden Grove City Hall.  It’s the first business to open in the Cottage Industries project repurposing classic homes into eateries, stores and more.

“Pitmadam” Winnie Yee’s “East meets West” brand of barbecue—which melds traditional, Texas-style smoking with Asian-inspired flavors—has garnered rave reviews thus far.

It’s not unusual for there to be a line snaking out the door at any time of day at Smoke Queen: indeed, when I showed up about 15 minutes before they opened at 11 a.m. on a recent Friday morning, there were already 10 people waiting in line, with several more joining the queue after us. The line moved quickly, though, and those waiting were treated to the intoxicating smell of smoked meats wafting through the air.

THE SMOKED BRISKET.

Smoke Queen’s menu is nothing if not eclectic: along with barbecue staples such as smoked brisket, pulled pork, smoked chicken, and house BBQ pork ribs, there are more adventurous selections such as pork belly siu yuk (rubbed with a Chinese 8-spice blend and glazed with a savory, sweet Chinese BBQ sauce) and a panang curry bowl, which pairs Southeast Asian coconut curry with chicken rice and smoked brisket.

I opted for the smoked brisket ($15) and two of the scratch-made sides: dirty rice (Thai jasmine rice cooked with chicken seasonings, sesame oil, and Chinese sausage) and Granny’s potato salad (which included chunks of Granny Smith apples, raisins, and almond slivers). The brisket knocked it out of the park: tender, smoky, and bursting with flavor, even before I added dollops of the house BBQ sauce. (It was so tender I cut several pieces of it just using a fork.) It’s rubbed with a blend of cumin, paprika, garlic, black pepper and slow smoked with white oak for up to 14 hours.

The sides range from $5 to $7 each, but there is more than enough for two people. That didn’t deter me from eating the entire batch of dirty rice, however, with the addition of some more BBQ sauce on top making a good thing even better. (There is also a second house BBQ sauce, which is Asian-inflected and a lot spicier.)

Service was friendly, and the overall vibe at Smoke Queen was nice and relaxing. They currently offer outdoor eating only, and their hours are Thursday—Sunday from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. (or until they run out). 

They’re located at 12941 9th Street in Garden Grove (near Garden Grove Boulevard), and their website is http://www.smokequeenbbq.com.