Just Que

We stopped into Just Que again last night (previously mentioned in the Fulton's Chicken thread). I think the business is now more reflective of its name (and deserving of its own thread). The old Fulton's menu boards were gone. The Gyros machines were turned off. True to the name, now everybody there was ordering "Just Que".

We ordered a half slab of spares, an order of hot links and a free order of tips (with coupon). Everything came fresh off the aquarium-style smoker. The Spares were OK, but could have used another 1/2 hour or so on the smoker. Nevertheless, they had a nice smoky flavor and were meaty and lean. I got the feeling that Just Que was a lot busier than they expected last night. That would explain the slightly undercooked ribs.

What were stellar, this time around, were the tips. I don't know if the BBQ gods were with us, or the place had mastered the art of tips since our last visit, but they had a nice smoky bark and plenty of tender meat. The tangy fruitiness of the "family secret" sauce complemented the smoky tips well. The last time I had the tips at Just Que, some were slightly underdone, but this time they were smoked perfectly. The hot links were good also. The skin had a good crispy texture and the filling a nice granularity. They were pretty darn hot too.

Anyhow, I think Just Que is coming into its own. Although there are still some apparent timing and inconsistency issues, they appear to be getting the hang of the business pretty quickly. I only expect them to get better. They are a long ways from Uncle John's good (with the exception of the sauce), but then again they are a lot closer to home.

One of the cool things about last night, was that while waiting for my order, I got to hang out with some older African-American women who were reminiscing about their favorite BBQ joints from the 50s and 60s. Screw anybody who says Chicago was never a BBQ town. According to these matronly experts, there used to be rib joints on every other corner on the west side , from "Cooley" to Austin (these women could name just about every one of them), and just about everybody used the aquarium style smokers. The ladies were really excited about having a real wood BBQ place in the neighborhood. Me too.

Just Que
7140 N. Clark
773 465-5544

Delivery from Foster to Main st and Pulaski (Dodge) to the Lake.

d4v3 wrote:
Delivery from Foster to Main st and Pulaski (Dodge) to the Lake.

Dodge is California in Chicago, not Pulaski.

stevez wrote:

d4v3 wrote:
Delivery from Foster to Main st and Pulaski (Dodge) to the Lake.

Dodge is California in Chicago, not Pulaski.

I know, but their Evanston delivery boundry is at Dodge. You would think they would go to at least McCormick which is the Evanston Border.