Owner Of Levittown Eatery Is Working To Change The Game

The first week Big Q BBQ in Levittown opened its doors in late July, the restaurant was so busy that owner Drew Abruzzese slept in his car in the parking lot! Between hour-long naps, he put meat in the smoker and prepared fresh food for the day ahead.

Many customers came – beating even Abruzzese’s wildest expectations – and business has remained strong ever since. Big Q BBQ has worked hard to improve customers’ experiences to ensure they keep coming back.

Abruzzese listened to feedback from customers and worked to improve the cooking process and the menu, which covers breakfast, lunch and dinner. The 32-year-old restaurateur worked with his cooks to vary the cheeses in the mac n’ cheese and helped his staff (to find) create a new biscuit that would better satisfy the flocks of customers who descended to the quick-service BBQ restaurant that features a drive-thru window. Another improvement that came from interactions with customers: perfecting the fried chicken that has become a staple.

From working directly with Hatfield Hatfield Quality Meats® meats in Montgomery County, to developing new ribs and pork menu items, to personally greeting customers who walk through the doors of Big Q BBQ, Abruzzese says his passion for his newest eatery runs deep.

Recently, Abruzzese, who also operates the nationally recognized historic Pineville Tavern in Wrightstown, utilized feedback from Big Q BBQ diners in his decision to  offer free delivery service to customers, as well as introduce new cost-conscious menu items for families.

“When my dad took over the Pineville Tavern, he wanted a family to be able to eat there for $10 a person,” Abruzzese explained. “I believe that still. I have two kids, and I know how money can be tight after the holidays.”

Starting last week, Big Q BBQ began offering a $20 meal bucket that will comfortably feed a family of four. The bucket deals offer combinations of ribs, ribs and fried chicken or just fried chicken. Each order comes with four free biscuits and two family-sized side dishes.

The dinner usually would cost upwards of $30, but Abruzzese wants to make it easier for families to enjoy a fresh meal that will cost no more than $5 per person.

The free delivery service operates for both lunch and dinner, catering to customers in Bristol, Levittown and Langhorne. The service is expected to be popular with local medical offices, car dealerships and business complexes, where employees may only have a limited time for lunch.

“Some of our customers spend 10 minutes driving here, only 10 minutes eating and then they have to be back at the office in 10 minutes,” Abruzzese said. “I wanted to make it easier for them.”

Early reviews of Abruzzese’s delivery service and $20 family buckets have been positive. Two customers who stopped in for lunch last week were amazed by the amount of food included in the family bucket.

Abruzzese, who has many family members scattered throughout the Levittown area, knew his local customers were going to be loyal, but also very honest.

His experience as Executive Chef at the Pineville Tavern along with stints at restaurants in New York City have taught Abruzzese many things, including how to barbecue. He rekindled his passion for barbecue a few years ago when he purchased a smoker at Home Depot. In a short period of time, he moved up to a smoker trailer he purchased from down south. In recent years, he was cooking barbecue that was selling out every week at the Wrightstown Farmers’ Market.

When he opened Big Q BBQ at the corner of Bristol-Oxford Valley and Woodbourne roads, Abruzzese said there was still a “steep learning curve.” He went from making barbecue at the farmers’ market to cooking hundreds of pounds of meat and up to 250 pounds of fresh mac n’ cheese.

“It was brand new and we couldn’t keep up with demand. I worried about the product suffering, and I knew some customers were unhappy and unsatisfied,” Abruzzese said. “It took 15 to 16 hour days to fix things and weeks of trial and error to get the menu to how our customers wanted it.”

The friendly and attentive staff knows the menu like the back of their hand and greet customers like they’ve know them for years.

Abruzzese said he is thrilled to be in the Levittown community and hopes to continue to make customers satisfied.

“We’re changing the game here, and I hope everyone will check us out.”

215-547-4130 | 1140 Bristol Oxford Valley Rd, Levittown, PA 19057 | ‘Like’ Big Q BBQ on Facebook