I-57 Rib House?

Any thoughts on I-57 Rib House located on 115th just off I-57?
Have always noticed the smell of hickory smoke when on 57 heading to Frankfort to visit the gf's mother and for some reason today I was able to catch sight of a smokestack attached to what looked to be a BBQ place. Was a bit hungry on the way home and decided to make a quick detour. Ordered a tip & link combo ($14) to get a sample of each. The place has a pile of hickory out back and uses the typical aquarium smoker, which from the glimpse I caught seemed to be pretty full. Noticed several orders being picked up that were full trays of tips so seemed pretty sure what I was getting had not been sitting around too long drying out (like what I had at Calvin's earlier in the week).
I arrived home some 40+ minutes later, and dug in. The combo included what seemed to be a little less than 1 full tip section and there were two foot long links. Links were my least favorite. Loaded with red pepper flake but perhaps it was too much sage for my palate, seemed reminiscent of breakfast sausage. The tips were outstanding. Very tender with that really nice pork fat char on them, which remanded crunchy even after the 40+ minutes sealed in a plastic bag on the floor of the Jeep. I had gone with "hot" sauce which was mildly spicy and very sweet. Unlike most sauces I am used to but I did like it, and it made the fries included in the box that had been soaking in it quite a treat.
Noticed another smoke stack across 57 on 115th that I'll have to give a shot some other time.
Jamie

I go to I57 and/or Bests (the other place) fairly often. They are both solid by Chicago BBQ standards. The tips at Bests are very good, almost as good as BA's. The links are abysmal, and seem to lean on some kind of filler (soy protein). It is possible they are made with turkey, based on an add for Cajun turkey links in the store. Sauces are poor. Bests has a very large menu for a takeout S Side BBQ, including BBQ'd whole chickens -- that's something I want to try soon. [PS, Bests seems to be more popular at lunch with local diners].

I-57 has better links, but fairly surly service in my experience. Also a hard no-dry meat sauce on the side rule.

I-57 has been mentioned here and/or on Chowhound a few times.

The experience of driving between the two smokestacks is fairly awesome. They are both the real deal, but neither is up to the places further north, IMO. Very much worth the stop, however.

Edited for clarification.

Jamieson22 wrote:Any thoughts on I-57 Rib House located on 115th just off I-57? . . . Noticed another smoke stack across 57 on 115th that I'll have to give a shot some other time.

I’ve been to I-57 Rib House several times and think it’s well above average. Here are links to an old review and to a minireview from the first of our BBQ marathons of a year and a half ago. They include mentions of Best BBQ, the place just west of I-57 Rib House. Based on JeffB’s comments, I ought to give Best another try. I think you got the best things at I-57, tips and links. I rather like their links but can understand someone saying they’re overseasoned.

Not long ago I noticed I-57 Rib House #3 on Halsted (east side of street) in the 90s, a little north of Baylor’s Melon Market. Courtesy of Google, I just learned that #2 is at 14510 S Indiana in Riverdale.

If you’re in the vicinity of I-57 #1 again, keep in mind Old Fashioned Doughnuts isn’t too far away (11248 S Michigan; see Gary’s pics in the Baylor’s thread).

Rene G wrote:I’ve been to I-57 Rib House several times and think it’s well above average. Here are links to an old review and to a minireview from the first of our BBQ marathons of a year and a half ago.

I posted rather lengthily in the Eight Hours of Barbecue on the South Side about Best and I-57, count me in the I-57 for tips and links, especially tips, category.

Anyone interested in Chicago BBQ should really read the complete thread, starting with ReneG's post . I just reread it myself and found it interesting in the extreme.

Enjoy,
Gary

GWiv wrote: Anyone interested in Chicago BBQ should really read the complete thread, starting with ReneG's post . I just reread it myself and found it interesting in the extreme.

I was just about to edit my post to make this very same point. When I gave the link I had forgotten about all the responses (I hadn’t scrolled down to see the long list). I, too, reread it for the first time in a while and was impressed how much information is there. Pour yourself a drink and get comfortable, there’s a lot of reading to do.

Ah, well all the posts regarding I-57 being on the other site would explain why my search here turned up blank...
Guess it renews my belief that there isn't any BBQ place yet undiscovered around here

Jamieson22.......next time your on your way to Frankfort try Exsenator's. I have eaten there many times when I worked in Blue Island. The tips are very good as well as the ribs. I never have had the hot links. The sauces come in two varieties....mild and hot. I always get the hot. Also, Exsenator's is just acouple of minutes east of I-57 on 159th.

I have a client I do regular work for down in Beverly and I've been enjoying various places down that way on a regular basis. I went off my regular path and found I57 Rib House on Halsted yesterday at about straight up 12 noon. I only had $8.90 in cash in my pocket.

I just googled the place for LTH and found this thread. So here it is nine years later and this place is still open.



For $7.25 plus tax I ordered the tip lunch special. Nice amount of tips (most of them buried under the fries in the photos). Comes with a cheap soda too. I parked across the street and opened the order up and ate it from the passenger seat standing up on the street.







Tips had nice smoke ring, bit of a chew which I like, perfect smoky flavor, and a bit or bark. I ordered sauce on the side, the hot. It's no where near blazing hot. It has that southside/westside tone to it. A bit of love is I guess what it is. Not a bottled sauce. Cole slaw side seems in house made. Fries were perfect too.

On the menu I saw "turkey tips" which will be my next choice in a few weeks. Never had one.

Thought you guys would enjoy to know the place is still kicking it and busy.

Sign on the plexiglass says they do take debit/credit cards ($10 buck minimum). They also had real cool T-shirts and I asked to buy one and didn't even get a smile., just a no. Oh well.

I57 Rib House
9709 S. Halsted

Weird I can't find any Yelp review for this location nor a website.

*Edit: just noticed on the image of the facade I didn't leave the entire smokestack in at the top of the frame. It's gotta be 16 feet tall.

I know nothing of the Halsted location Kenji reported on above. I went to the 115th Street location on Saturday and we were thoroughly unimpressed. Tried the ribs and the hot links. Neither of them tasted of smoke. The hot links were one-note red pepper seasoned links with a nice snappy casing but unpleasant mushy interior. The ribs had some good chew but the lack of smoke flavor and the peculiar rub that none of us could identify wasn't doing it any favors.

Food was slow for reasons that were entirely unclear. But there's a large table (seats about and it was a perfectly pleasant place to sit and eat.

Some pics:









I-57 Rib House
1524 W 115th St
Chicago, IL 60643
(773) 429-1111

I have only been to the 115th street location once, about 10 years ago when this thread started. It was nothing special, so I have not been back. I did drive by the Halsted Street location last weekend, which caused me to wonder whether it had the same owners (hard to imagine two places with the same name in the same general area do not share ownership, but stranger things happen) and whether or not the old place was still there.

Thanks for the update. I guess I will try the Halsted location one of these days, but probably after I visit Uncle J's on 47th, since it sounds a bit more promising.

No plexiglass window to transact through, free wifi, and a flat screen on the ceiling? Those are the first clues!

Maybe hipsters have taken over?

Was down that way again, 97th and Halsted. Stopped back in. Went with hotlink tip combo. WOW! Spot-on.

I'm thinking they aren't using any rub at all on their tips. Just perfect though. I've practiced on my ugly drum all Summer long, probably 50 lbs of tips and I can't replicate what they are doing. Hotlink was the best I think I've ever had.

my album of what I've had: http://imgur.com/a/GZ8ay#0