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Todd Richards’ culinary experience is as broad as is it lengthy. The four-time James Beard semi-finalist digs deep into soul food at his Krog Street Market stall Soul: Food & Culture. He demonstrated his command of Southern cooking while overseeing One Flew South and Ludacris’ Chicken + Beer at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. And he pairs technical precision with a natural flair for hospitality as executive chef of the Waldorf Astoria Atlanta Buckhead. Recently, Richards channeled those experiences to open Que-Riosity, an elevated grill room and barbecue restaurant in McDonough at 1931 Jonesboro Road.
The linen-napkins-on-the-table, reservations-recommended restaurant stands in contrast to most barbecue joints, known for picnic tables and smokehouse vibes. At Que-Riosity, marble tables and craft cocktails represent a new way to look at grilled and smoked fare.
“In McDonough, where I live, we have to drive farther than we’d like to get to a place like this,” Richards explains. “We have a lot of commercial chain restaurants. People want a place where you can have a high-brow cocktail and a wonderful steak in a small, intimate environment. Barbecue is not a monolith—there are a lot of different ways of doing it.”
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Que-Riosity is designed to offer just that. The 1,500-square-foot restaurant includes a 10-seat bar and 20-seat patio. It’s decorated in burnt orange and forest green with polished concrete floors and Richards’s own abstract paintings lining the walls.
The menu is small but mighty, featuring an oyster selection that changes weekly, as well as mix of seafood, meat, and poultry served as composed plates, rather than a typical barbecue choose-your-own meat and sides format. With it, Richards strives to honor Black pitmasters who shaped the South. Look for hot honey-glazed baby back ribs with Sea Island red peas, smoked half chicken and smoked chicken wings with a red velvet waffle, and a weekend-only coffee-rubbed, bone-in short rib made to share. Additional sides include sugar cane and soy sauce-glazed heirloom carrots and peas, along with baked macaroni and cheese. For dessert, there’s bananas foster cheesecake and green tea crème brulee. Sunday brunch service launches soon and will feature a lobster omelet, prime rib with eggs, and blueberry ricotta French toast.
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Created by beverage director Ramsey Kashlan, the cocktail menu is divided into Refreshing, Slightly Sweet, and Boozy, “so people understand the pretense of the cocktail,” Richards says. In addition to classics like martinis and negronis, Que-Riosity offers a drink called Death in the Afternoon featuring St. Georgia Absinthe and the You Said You Are a Baller? with Belvedere 10 and fresh Meyer lemon.
Most selections from the 20-varietal wine list are available by the glass. “The wine program is very eclectic. You won’t find any of our wines in the grocery store,” Richards says.
For those looking for a deal, Que-Riosity offers select half-priced cocktails and food specials like rib tips and duck from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Monday.
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