many people like Twin Anchors, for a differing view see post #42

Tried Rib Tips this evening from both Barbara Ann's and Lem's.

Lem's tips were terrific. The best. not that I wouldn't enjoy the tips from Barbara Ann's. :)

100s: As one poster eloquently put it, it is a series of numbered streets starting with 10000 south. The city's southernost boundary is around 138th/139th St and it's on the far Southeast Side (Stone's throw from IN border).

See, I don't think of that neighborhood as the 100s - I always heard those referred to as the Avenues (for the street names Avenue A through Avenue M).

Fat Willy's Rib Shack
 

A client recommended I try Fat Willy’s Rib Shack, what he actually meant was that WE try Fat Willy’s Rib Shack by bringing take out to his office. No problem as this is a good client and it is a chance to try some BBQ on the company dime. I set the ground rules that ALL dishes are to be shared so we can all taste them.

The six items I purchased:

Smoked Chicken Sandwich
Beef Brisket Sandwich
Hot Links
Rib Tips
Smoked Portobello Sandwich
Pulled Pork Sandwich

I’ll start with the terrific. The Smoked Chicken sandwich was one of the best sandwiches I’ve had in quite awhile. The chicken was done just perfectly, very moist with lots of smoke flavor. Served on a hoagie bun w/swiss cheese and a mayo/mustard sauce. Just great.

The Smoked Portobello was very good although it had no smoke flavor; it is a grilled marinated Portobello, served on the hoagie with grilled onions, swiss cheese, and a small amount of greens. A very good sandwich.

The links were ok, a little rubbery, very fine ground sausage, no real q flavor, slightly spicy, skip these.

Rip Tips, perhaps need to named rib chunks, huge chunks of rib that the chef had put on the gas grill to sear up for the order. This caused that black nasty tasting natural gas soot on the rib chunks, tried a piece of meat that did not look like it had the black soot on it and there was virtually no smoke flavor. Thumbs down on the rib chunks.

Beef Brisket, I am starting to wonder why I even bother with trying beef brisket in the Chicago area; the cooks here just don’t get it. Stay away from the beef brisket.

Parking is not readily available but for a cashier validated ticket you can park in the movie theater parking lot across the street for $1.

Fat Willy’s Rib Shack
2416 W Schubert Avenue
Chicago, IL
773.782.1800
Hours: Sun-Thur 11:30am-10pm, Fri-Sat 11:30am-11pm

Smokin’ Woody’s
 

BEWARE of any BBQ place that dumps a ton of sauce on the que so that you can’t even see the meat, is exactly what was screaming through my head as the waitress at Smokin’ Woody’s set my three meat combo platter down in front of me.

I had tried the beef brisket, pulled pork and rib tips combo, what I was served looked like BBQ sauce soup w/three lumps I assumed were my three meats.

Beef Brisket, again, why do I even bother!!??, The brisket here was almost like it had been steamed, sliced and BBQ sauce dumped on it, there was no smoked flavor to it whatsoever. I’m an eternal optimist that believes some chef in Chicago is going to have been to Texas, tried beef brisket down there and cook it here. The sauce is a far second though to the actual smoked piece of meat, after many many BBQ places, I’ve come to the conclusion that the chefs in Chicago don’t get it, but that stupid eternal optimist in me will search on.

Pulled pork. It was ok, but again, they have this smoker. USE IT!!!! The pork had a slightly smoked flavor. I would not get it again.

Rib Tips turned out to be ribs, which were actually quite tasty. I wouldn’t go out of my way for them, but they were sure decent for north side BBQ.

Smokin’ Woody’s
4160 N Lincoln Ave
Chicago
773.880.1100
Hours: M-W 11:30-9, Thurs 11:30-10, Fri-Sat 11:30-11, Sun 12-9

Hecky's in Evanston/Carson's in Deerfield
 

Hecky's if it's still open, excellent food, carryout only. Good southern BBQ. A favorite of the "Refigerator" Perry in his days with the Bears.

Always did well with Carson's in Deerfield as well. Nice dry rub ribs.

It saddens me that probably the best brisket I've had in the area is at (gulp) Smokey Bones.

Sweet Willie,
A long time ago, someone mentioned Ribs N Bibs in Hyde Park--did you ever make it there to try it? About once a month, we make a trip to Hyde Park solely to eat at Noodles or Ribs N Bibs. The person a long time ago referred to a bullet-proof glass you have to pass your money through, and that hasn't been the case at least in the last 5 years I've been going there. In the last year, they've also added tables outside where you can sit and eat when it's warm. The ribs prices are reasonable, but the frontier fish dinner and the BBQ sandwiches are just plain cheap.

no, not yet.
Thanks for mentioning the outdoor seating. Will be nice to try when it warms a little.

ya know i am not the biggest brisket fan...but then again, i haven't had texas brisket.

willie: thanks for the outing. i'll have to make bbq in chicago in the summer one of my lists of to-dos when i get a chance.

Ok, so I tried Horseshoe

The good news, Horseshoe serves the best BBQ beef brisket in Chicago.

The bad news, Chicago doesn’t make a good BBQ beef brisket

I did get excited when the waitress first set my dinner on the bar in front of me, there they were, THICK slices of brisket. Woo-hoo, could this be it?!!?

Nope.

As usual for Chicago brisket, there is virtually no smoke flavor and no rub. It was passable but only because all other BBQ beef in Chicago is so terrible. Horseshoe would not make it down South.

If you've never had BBQ beef brisket, I think you'll believe this is ok, but if you've been to Texas, stay away from the brisket here.

Pulled pork was some of the better in town.

Hecky's Barbeque Sauce
 

Chicago or should I say Evanston AKA E-
Town has the best BBQ SAuce at Hecky's BBQ. Try the rib tips or Hecky's Wings.

Chicago Barbeque
 

Chicago Barbeque

Went to Carsons last night for the first time in about ten years. Decent but not inspired. Prices, considering its "downtown" Chicago, are good. A full rack of baby backs with potato and cole slaw is $16.95 (add $2 for a caesar).

There certainly is not much BBQ to choose from if you want to walk from the Magnificent Mile area :( .