Primal Cue

outstanding food. thursdays dino-rib is fantastic. all sauces are super-tasty. excellent service. super friendly staff. best cue in town.

Food, service and atmosphere is really good. Many bbq items to select from - ribs, tri-tip chicken, hot links (my favorite) and pulledPork. Has many sauces from mild to hot. Tried most and all are flavorful. You can order one meat or combination Two sides are included. Standard selection of Mac & cheese, baked beans, cheesy potatoes but a unique item - bourbon apples. Order drinks at the bar and food at the kitchen area. Select a table and your order is delivered shortly.

I saw Primal Cue did a brunch and it had good google reviews. So I figured I'd give it a second try. The first time I was there was last spring and I didn't have a good experience (staff members talking very negatively about people who didn't support the same teams as them, and just rude in general). The service this time was decent at least. I wanted the biscuits and gravy so I got a half order of that and was sold on the lobster scramble. Sounded really good and unique. It was inedible. I took maybe 3 tiny bites it wasn't cooked or flavored and it was an omelet actually. Tasted like eating rubber with bits of plastic. The biscuits were hard and the gravy itself was fine, but had chunks of unflavored sausage crumbles and a lot of them. The bloody mary mix was made in house and that was ok. I wasn't disappointed with it, but wouldn't order it again. This is not a place I'm interested in trying a third time.

I have long had a thing for biscuits and gravy. If I'm at a diner and they're on the menu, nine times out of ten, I'm probably getting them. It's honest food. It's simple, but when it's done well, it transcends simplicity.I bring this up because I went out to Primal 'Cue for their biscuits and gravy special this morning, and it was absolutely righteous. The gravy had a perfect consistency and just enough spicy heat to make it interesting, but not overwhelming. The biscuits were great, too. No complaints.These guys have been teeing up good food since day one, and I think they're on the verge of breaking big, sorta like how Patrick DePula started Salvatore's as a simple little pizza restaurant (in the same spot where Meze now resides) and then exploded into multiple locations and awards.Brandon and Andrew are cooking up absolutely wonderful stuff at Primal 'Cue. There's nothing complex about good barbecue, but when it's done right, like great biscuits and gravy, it can transcend simplicity.The meats they're smoking, the side dishes, the weekly specials (Taco Tuesday, brisket burgers, etc...), the brunch specials on the weekend (their pancakes are amazing, and the French toast is decadent)--these guys are crushing it daily. I have not had a single thing I wouldn't order again, and in fact, most of their stuff I'd order seven days a week without complaint.People from a Facebook-based foodie group are starting to talk about it, so if you were planning on heading over some evening to partake in some fine smoked meats and sides (I recommend the mac 'n' cheese and the bourbon apples), you might want to get there early. Like traditional barbecue, this stuff is cooked low and slow. You can't rush greatness. And when it's gone, it's gone; they're closed for the day. That's how you know it's real. Just throwing it out there as a warning: I honestly believe this place is about to get crowded.

This restaurant is attached to the Sun Prairie ice rink. They've updated the inside so it's very inviting, and when I stopped in to order food to-go on a Thursday night, there was plenty of help available. There's indoor and patio seating (which I believe is heated). along with a bar. You order at the counter.They offer rotating meat options depending on the day, so while I really wanted brisket, it wasn't offered on a Thursday, so we got the tri-tip instead, which was tasty. We decided to order a pound of meat and one pound of Mac n cheese and one pound of beans. It was all good, and very different from what I expected. The Mac n cheese is super rich with a spice I couldn't quite put my finger on - maybe cumin? Then the baked beans, which were slightly sweet, contained at least three different types of beans, which I had never had before. Overall, I think this is a nice addition to Sun Prairie. It's pricey, but I would imagine raw products, rent, and paying your help isn't cheap. I love that they're giving it a shot and wish them nothing but success. They'll have the opportunity to earn another star when they're busy enough to offer brisket and burnt ends every day ;)

Stopped in yesterday for some takeout lunch. Half rack of ribs--excellent. Very meaty and tender with a delicious smoke flavor. My sides were mac & cheese, which was wonderfully creamy and I also tried their bourbon apples, which is definitely one of my new favorites! Its mellow sweetness is a perfect complement to the smoky ribs. I've been supporting this place since they did pop-ups in the parking lot of St. Vinny's back in 2021 and I'll continue to do so. Friendly staff, good vibes, and GREAT food! Can't ask for more than that.

I LOVED THE PATIO!!! It was like being outside in the winter! It was extremely comfortable and quiet even though they were extremely busy. We ordered the brisket, beans, cornbread, the chips with the amazing mustard dipping sauce, of course! The chicken thighs, ribs, great Mac n cheese and slaw! EVERYTHING WAS EPIC!!We invited some friends who had never been there and (duh) they loved it! They said it was the best barbecue they've had! Everyone was full and had a great time! I am originally from Alabama and I know great barbecue... I've been in Wisconsin for 25 years and have tried MANY, MANY barbecue places and have not found one place that nailed it...until I tried Primal Cue! THIS IS IT!! The last stop. I will never have to look for great barbecue again! They got it! They are located next to the Sun Prairie East High School and in the same building as the hockey rink. If you don't try it... you are missing some amazing barbecue! The sauces are so prime!! Also one thing I love is that they have coleslaw that you can add the slaw mixture to your own liking! There is a twofold reason: 1. So you can have a dryer slaw or a wetter slaw, whichever like, and 2. There's no food waste!! You can't keep leftover slaw bc the vinegar breaks down the cabbage and makes it soupy. There's way too much food waste these days and a I love that they are concerned about this! Last thing: owned and operated by the nicest Veterans I have ever met!!!

Primal'Cue in Sun Prarie, WisconsinI know many praise this place, but I found nothing special about it. I've had barbeque in Austin, Kansas City, and throughout the south and the food here doesn't compare. Both the chicken and brisket I had were throat choking dry, the corn bread was so dry that it crumbled with the soft butter I tried to spread on it, the beans were drowned in vinegar and barely edible the cole slaw was so sour I couldn't consume it at all. The portions were way too small for the expense we were given. I'll take Famous Dave's over this anytime. Zero stars.

I really really really wanted to like Primal Cue. It's within walking distance to our house and I was so excited that a restaurant, especially barbecue, was opening to close to us. We went last night and I'm sad to say it wasn't a great experience from start to finish. We walked into a a fairly empty dining room with no greeting whatsoever. You'd think as a newer restaurant, the staff would want to make new customers feel welcome? I went to order some drinks and the bartender had to be signaled by staff to get off her phone and take the order. I was also offered a glass of ice with my beer which was new to me, I declined. And then the food. Again, I really really wanted to like this place. I was excited to get delicious smoked bone in skin on chicken thigh like I had seen in there photos. Unfortunately what came out more closely resembled a smoked hockey puck from the ice rink next door. There was no seasoning on the chicken and it was very dry. Like I needed to take sips of my drink during a bite to get it down. The sauce did help but unfortunately my sauce was gelatinous which weirded me out a bit but the flavor was pretty good. I also had the brisket which also didn't have any flavor besides smoke without the sauce. I'm used to there being at least some salt, pepper and maybe garlic or a dry rub at a bbq place but it was just unseasoned meat. Again, with the sauce it was much better and pretty moist with the exception of some of the bark. The mac and cheese was pretty good. I think I enjoyed that the most. It wasn't super cheesy but the sauce had a good flavor and with the addition of a little salt and the brisket with the sauce it was even better. The service was decent. The person that took he order seemed as though we were inconveniencing them by being there but I had a better experience when trying to get a soda and either one of the owners or a manager grabbed a cup for me and had me check out at the bar to avoid the line. Not once did someone come to our table and ask how things were going/tasting which if it was slammed, I would totally understand but on a Friday night, it didn't seem that busy. Lastly the price. If the food is outstanding I don't mind paying for quality. If the food is ok, but the service is great, I don't mind as much either. In our case, the food was disappointing and the customer service lacked quite a bit for the prices they charged (around 100.00 for myself my wife and our 3yr old son with drinks and tip)I'm really hoping the newness of the restaurant is what led to this experience and that the feedback is taken not as just a complaint, but from a customer's point of view. A little seasoning and some smiles could go a really long way to make this place somewhere people are excited to visit again.

Everything here is amazing. The smoked meatballs, chicken wings, and burnt ends. Coming back for breakfast Sunday morning and a smoked Bloody Mary.