BBQ in Chicago
 

While our city can do baby back ribs and rib tips very well, we fall far short of a good brisket or pulled pork BBQ!!

Some of my recent BBQ eats:

Hillery's in North Chicago. Hillary's specialty is a smoked pork shoulder. Very good for Chicago, but not in the same league as a Texas brisket.

There are other BBQ joints in the Chicago Area that I will add as I get to them.

Anybody have any BBQ places they like. I would prefer non-rib joints.

[This message has been edited by Sweet Willie (edited Dec 11, 2003).]

Just ate at Famous Dave's BBQ in Addison, IL.
Dave's is located on Lake Street (rt.20) about 1/2 mile east of 355.

I did not realize that FD was a chain restaurant, but they have about 50 locations w/half those in MN and IL.

Tried the ribs, brisket and chopped pork.

The ribs were pork spareribs, not babybacks.
The meat fell off the bone and the sauce added was very little. All in all a very enjoyable rib.

The "Texas" beef brisket was smoked very well, but was not sliced properly (slightly forgivable as a brisket is not an easy thing to slice). The slices were thick and tender but were missing a certain something I could not put my tastebuds on. Still a good brisket.

The "Georgia" Chopped pork was very mediocre and the sauce that was applied was not good.
I would recommend sauce off and apply one of the 4 sauces provided at your table.

I like sauces of any kind and at your table are four: a sweet/spicy, a "Georgia" mustard (mustard/vinegary), a devil's (too much spice taste), and a house sauce (OK). My favorites were the sweet/spicy (on the brisket) and the "Georgia" mustard on the pork. The ribs I did not add any sauce to.

My two usual sides w/BBQ is coleslaw and potato salad. The slaw was fine, but the potato salad had celery added to it, which ruins it for me.

Overall, Famous Dave's was good. Best brisket so far in Chicagoland I've had.

Salt Creek BBQ in Elk Grove. SC is located at 522 Devon.

Shredded pork had too much sauce and not enough flavor. Cajun Link was good. Brisket had a good smoke flavor but was not tender, so they sliced it ultra thin to make up for it. The brisket was good in a pinch.

Potato salad and coleslaw were fine.

Wife and I ate at the Weber Grill Restaurant, 920 N. Milwaukee (just north of Lake-Cook rd.), Wheeling phone: 847.215.0996

Yes it is THE weber grill maker who has opened this restaurant, they also have a location in Lombard at 2331 Fountain Square Drive, phone: 630.953.8880

Real charcoal on a real grill? I'm thinking great eats. Disappointment.

I tried the BBQ Sampler which has ribs (baby back), sausage link, pulled pork and 1/4 chicken.

The ribs were so-so, most people do better at home easily. The sausage link was something you'd buy in the grocery store (fine if I'm cooking, but not when I'm paying some decent $$). Pulled pork had ZERO flavor. The 1/4 chicken was good and very moist, cooked perfect, but then again most can cook chicken on the grill at home.

Wife had the BBQ shrimp/chicken platter. Shrimp were done right (not always easy to do) and again so was the chicken.

We each had one draft beer apiece, the meals and an ok fried calamari appetizer. Bill was $58!! Which was WAY TOO MUCH for food that I can cook better at home.

The manager stated that Weber was going to open other restaurants, but did not say where.

No question on this one...Robinson's Ribs!!! Thankfully, they bottle their sauce and happen to seel it here in Dubuque, so I can make my own ribs at home. but, nothing compares to a slab at one of their Chicagoland locations!!!

Another good one, if you are around Northwestern (Evanston area) is Hecky's. It's only a takeout joint, but you will NOT be dissapointed.

Go get 'em!!! http://www.flyertalk.com/dining/ftdining_forum/wink.gif

Thanks E,

I used to do biz w/Mr. Robinson and have dined w/him and his ribs. Very good.

Hecky's is good, but I feel they have gone downhill slightly since the years ago, so I don't make the trip to Evanston much, but being a Q lover, I stop if in the area.

Have you had any non rib BBQ in the Chicago area that you like?

What do you mean non-rib...are you asking about pulled pork and the like, or something else?

I'm pretty much a "rib man" myself...get 'em wherever I go! I'm a BBQ fanatic, and will always try for Hot Wing places as well when I travel.

Sorry I can't help you on the non-rib side of things. Any place else around the US you travel that you want to know about? I've been to a number of places and can possibly offer some suggestions.

[This message has been edited by E (edited 02-13-2002).]

you got it. A buddy has a smoker and I have some awesome(IMO) rib recipies, so in my book, I do as good as ribs (and chicken) as anyone.

What I can not do is come close to the pulled pork sandwiches of the Carolinas.

I can do brisket well, but not like they do in Texas.

That's why I ask.

If you've got any BBQ restaurants for the south, I started a thread on the best BBQ in the South in the FT dining South US section.

[This message has been edited by Sweet Willie (edited 02-13-2002).]

Thanks SW! I'll check that thread out sometime soon.

Ate at Uncle Bub's BBQ today, 132 South Cass Avenue, Westmont, IL.
Phone: 630.493.9000 open Mon-Sat 11am-9pm, Sun 12noon-9pm.

Had the usual(for me) holy BBQ trio of sliced Beef, hot link, and pulled pork.

The link was the best I have had ANYWHERE. The menu states it is homemade.
The texture was firm; it was very lean w/o much fat and with a good spice kick.
VERY GOOD!!!

Pulled pork was more of a shredded pork. Decent smoke flavor (would have like to taste
More), but it would make a great sandwich.

The sliced beef was not brisket, I believe it was a roast (horrors!!!) and sliced very very thin, almost shaved. It had no flavor and was very disappointing.

While the meat items came w/sauce on them. I would recommend asking for no sauce added to your plate. There are two BBQ sauces to choose from at your table. A regular and spicy. These sauces have a lot of molasses taste to them. I preferred the spicy.

My usual sides of coleslaw and potato salad were fine; I give the nod to the potato salad.

Uncle Bub's serves ribs as well. It is the only BBQ joint I know of that serves them by market price (like most lobster dishes I see).

Ms. Rose BBQ, 5426 South State, Chicago,
Phone: 773.268.3401/02 Open Mon-Thur 11am-9pm, Fri/Sat 11am-Midnight, Closed Sun.

Had the Rib tips, Ribs and Hot Links.

Rib tips and ribs were not falling off the bone, but were tender enough with deep smoked taste. They were also quite moist.

Mild BBQ sauce was the best, Spicy tasted not quite right.

The Link (as most s. side links) was not good.

Attempted to stop by Curt's Hometown BBQ, 8210 S. Cottage Grove, Chicago, but it looked like it has closed down.

That's OK as I'm on the s. side which has multiple BBQ spots.

Ended up at Barbara Ann's BBQ, 7617 S. Cottage Grove, Chicago about 5pm. Ordered the ribs and ribtips. Barbara Ann's sauce is a sweet one, but went very well with her ribs/tips. She also provides homemade sweet potato pie (WOW, Terrific!). Thumbs up for Barbara Ann's.

I got so excited when I found out that Chuck's BBQ (5557 W.79th, Burbank, IL 708.229.8700) served brisket that I cancelled some afternoon appointments to make my journey from DesPlaines to Burbank for lunch at Chuck's. While I'm glad I made the trip, was able to cancel another BBQ "need to visit" off my list, I was disappointed.

I had the "Super Sampler" which one can choose three meats, two sides. I sampled the brisket, pulled pork and a hot link.

If one has enjoyed a Texas Brisket, the brisket at Chuck's will be a HUGE disappointment. Chuck's brisket is sliced thin like corned beef, is not super tender and does not have a heavy smoke flavor. While it may make a good sandwich as posted elsewhere, it will not satisfy someone who has had "true" brisket as I was fortunate to have three weeks ago outside Dallas and San Antonio.

I was able to speak with the chef who inquired if I liked the meal. I stated it was OK and asked if he had ever been to Texas and why can't anyone around here do a Texas style brisket. He mentioned that they do not do enough volume in brisket to serve the Texas style brisket and that his is very tender when pulled out of the smoker. I don't quite buy that explanation as if the brisket was tender; he could slice it much thicker than was served to me. Also, the brisket I bring home from various parts of the US always reheats very well due to the natural fat content of the meat. So I don't buy the "volume" argument either.

I then tasted the pulled pork. Again, if one has had pulled pork in the Carolinas, Chuck's pulled pork does not come close. However, the "hot" BBQ sauce has a good molasses flavor to it and was good with the pulled pork. It would make a better sandwich than straight up on a plate like I had.

The hot link was 7 out of 10 for me. Nice kick, not too finely ground meat.

The sides I had were the potato salad and coleslaw. Potato salad was very good, but the slaw was almost a soup. I finished fishing the slaw out of the cup and was left with a ½ cup filled w/the dressing.

So I'm back to my search for good pulled pork and brisket in the North. I've been searching high and low and am beginning to think I'm not going to find it. Oh well, thank God for road trips!

[This message has been edited by Sweet Willie (edited 04-25-2002).]

I saw an advertisement for a place in Chicago that served North Carolina-style BBQ; does anybody have info on which restaurant this is? It's next to impossible to find that kind of BBQ this far north.

While I'm here I gotta put in my plug for the Ribfest in Naperville over July 4th. It will not disappoint, and offers many non-Rib alternatives if that is your thing. You can find more details at http://www.ribfest.net/.

Any idea? possible hints?