Low & Slow Turkey BBQ - Bellwood / Melrose Park

I'm not one to post an "anyone been here yet?" thread topic, but right off the bat, I will say that I have not been here yet. I simply drove past this joint yesterday afternoon, and put it on my shortlist as it's name implies that further investigation is definitely in order. The signage on the outside had the words "bbq," and "low and slow" prominently displayed, but not until I got home and webbed it up did I discover that this place might just only be slingin bbq turkey(?) The menu lists turkey links, turkey polish, turkey tips, turkey ribs (????)

Like a moth to a flame...
I will be going here soon.

Also, it was the first time I had been in this area in quite some time (Lake St and 25th ish.) WTF happened here? All kinds of new townhomes have gone up - looks like a PJ Mcfuntimes sports bar / pub / grill has gone up. I hardly recognized the area!!!

http://lowandslowturkeybbq.com/
I'm not sure when, but I'm going here soon. For some reason, it just looks like a trainwreck to me, and once in a while, who doesn't like a good trainwreck?

I will have to check this place out.

I've always wanted to try true barbecued turkey ever since I saw it prepared at Smoking Guns Barbecue on "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives". Paulina Meat Market offered overnight-smoked turkey during the holiday season, but I don't know whether they still sell it.

seebee wrote:Like a moth to a flame...
I will be going here soon.

Well, I was feeling kinda mothy today...


I popped in right around noon thirty. The place smells good. There is wood burning. What I saw was grilling over wood chunks. I don't think any smoking is going on over here. The menu is on-line, and I asked as soon as I stepped up to the counter - "What is a turkey tip, and what is a turkey rib?" The answer: both come from the ribby part of the bird. The tips are boneless, and the rib is part rib with some thigh attached. I asked for a "tip / link combo" and asked if I could try a rib for an extra charge, or if they would sub one rib for a few of the tips. The very friendly lady at the counter offered to sub a rib for the fries the combo would normally come with for no charge, since they were out of fries. They have a hot and a mild sauce, asked for both on the side. The place is definitely a joint. A few tables here and there, a few signs here and there. A few piks of the owners with some famous ppl including Barak O. A few clever chops, and the order was up.

This is the small tip / link combo I got for $12.15:


I thought it a tad overpriced for what I got. I have no regrets saying that. I might not know how much the product costs, they might have an extremely slim profit margin, but I thought it was a little overpriced for what I got.

The link:

The link was not as dry as it looked, but the flavor was a little out of balance for my taste. I was hoping for the moo and oink turkey link, but the counter lady said theirs were from Calumet Meats. Fine grind, heavy sage, decent punch. I much prefer Moo and Oink's version, but that's personal preference. These weren't BAD, and I'm sure there are ppl who wouold prefer these over the M&O product.

The rib:

This was obviously brined. I'm not a big fan of brined turkey. Whtever part of the bird it was, it had one curved bone, and the rest was white meat. Too salty from the brine, and it had that soft-ish texture that brined bird gets.

The tips:


Easily my favorite part of the meal. These grew on me more and more as I ate. Some more barky, some more meaty and juicy. The rub wasn't overly salty, so a touch of sauce didn't make the tips a salty mess. The rub had a very pronounced flavor of black pepper, and nothing else really popped out. The smoke flavor was light, but this stuff seems to be grilled over hardwood, not smoked.

The mild sauce was not an Open Pit like flavor, but more of a flavor like kraft, bullseye, et al. The hot sauce was similar to what you'd expect if ordering hot at one of Chicagoland's aquarium smoker joints - vinegarry, and hot.


All in all, I kinda really liked the tips, and I would return for them, hoping perhaps a bigger portion would be the norm.

Stopped by for a late lunch. Got a taste of a "turkey tip" or somesuch. Tasted like a piece of boneless breast in sauce. Not bad. But I opted for the simple turkey and bacon sammy. Sliced, smoked breast, grilled with bacon, lettuce and tomato. Not bad, but anyone could make one. The fries were the highlight of the meal. Fresh cut and cooked as you want them. I will go back, sometime, to try ribs, links, chili and the other parts of the menu, if, for no other reason, because of the terrific people working the place.

Nice write up and photos seebee, those turkey tips sound and look interesting.

Cbot wrote:Nice write up and photos seebee, those turkey tips sound and look interesting.

Interesting for sure, tasty, not so sure. Guess I will have to go see for myself, thanks for writing it up.

I stopped in on a Saturday with a Groupon and caught the owner behind the counter waiting for his cooks to make it in.

Juan is a civil engineer during the week, living with his family in Oak Park, who wanted his own business and thought there might be a niche for people who avoid pork but want barbeque. Couldn't have been a nicer guy. Says they go through 30-40 30 pound turkeys a day.

My assessment is basically in line with those above except that our fries weren't cooked well enough (maybe because those cooks weren't in yet!). Avoid the hot link. Enjoy the "tips," which are basically pieces of roasted turkey in BBQ sauce but that's not a bad thing. But what I really want to recommend is the chili. Meaty, tasty, perfect on a cold day. And the house-made lemonade. Best I've had in years.

I would definitely return for the chili and the lemonade alone. The tips are a bonus.

might have to try soon

The logo and the menu of this place closely resembles this of the Just Turkey chain.

Low and Slow is closed.