An exciting new Barbecue and Sushi concept has started just off I-45 that has quite the buzz in the spring area. The fairly new business took over an abandoned Godfathers Pizza building next to the water park Wet and Wild. Q-Shi is here to stay, gaining its popularity from being televised on Food Network and has plans to expand soon.

It was a hustling and bustling Saturday evening with many hungry families ranging from all ages. Although the restaurant is rather on the small side and very busy, we were seated right away. The owner took us to our table and explained the menu, easing our group into a welcoming environment. Everything was pretty much up to date in the building, including several tvs on the walls that were playing sports. Servers were using iPads to take orders and as a way to pay with debit or credit cards.

This crazy combination started when owner Ray Aker grew up smoking briskets and learning all of the barbecue secrets with his father in Georgia. Soon he volunteered his services to the US Navy and was influenced with many different Asian meals as he served our country in the far east. His passion for both barbecue and sushi pushed to his experimentation. This lead him to what is now a successful and growing Q-Shi restaurant.

After being featured on the Food Network channel from the show Dinners, Drive-ins, Dives, hosted by Guy Fieri, we wanted to try what he ordered to get the full experience. Our server was very friendly and helpful, pointing out the mouthwatering food items Guy ate, which consisted of loaded Korean BBQ Kimchi fries for an appetizer, Q-Shi roll 3 for an entrée, and fried cheese cake dessert to top it off.  The assistant manager Ken, told our table that the “Barbecue sauce is so good that I would even eat my shoes with it.”

The warm, rich, fried cheesecake had a soft breaded layer with gooey creamy filling and was lightly dusted with powdered sugar, topped off with a strawberry jam on the side. You might want to order this mouthwatering dessert the same time as you order meal to make sure they don’t run out, we were told it happens all the time. The Kimchi fries had the most flavors, consisting of sauces that have a little kick to them, making it a perfect dish to snack on before your meal.

Over all, Q-Shi is a clean, family friendly, tasty restaurant worth visiting again. The pricing is decent considering the amount of food you receive with your order. It is the perfect combination of the two culturally different flavors, giving you a taste of Asia and a taste of the South. A true Texas treat.