Best BBQ

As I am addicted to BBQ ribs, I'm interested in getting input. For the record, my favorites in Chicago are: Ribs and Bibs; Fat Willie's; La Hacienda. What are yours?

To paraphrase something MikeG said about Speed Queen/Milwaukee, it's hard to accept ribs in Chicago these days, especially when what you can have at home is so much better. Honey1 on Division has produced some sublime ribs, but I have also had very not so sublime ribs there. I've never had a bad slab at Lem's, but others have also talked of some recent variations in quality there. There has been much discussion about timing and lack of demand for ribs and how it effects product. Basically, good ribs seem an iffy propisition in Chicago.

With Carson's, I go in not expecting a slab as perfect as a perfect slab at Honey 1, but I know from the free chop liver to the last nugget of au gratin potatoes that I will have had a great rib meal.

Rob

First,welcome to LTH. You'll find many lovers ofgreat Barbeque here. In my estimation, you'll find the best barabeque riobs and tips on the south side. Of the places that you list, i think that Fat Willies makes an outrageously good smoked chicken. However, if I'm rating ribs and tips cooked over smoke, I'd have to nominate the following top 5 in Chicago and vivinity:

1. Barbara Ann's on Cottage Grove and 79th. Great smoky flavor, tender meat, really good sauce (ask for mixed regular and hot). The star of the show at BA's are the tips.

2. Lem's on 75th mentioned by VI has had a few hit and miss experiences with me. When Lem's is on, its hands down the best rib slab in Chicago. The sauce is thin (hot is recommended) with both the consistency and flavor of hot sauce.

3. Ribs Unlimited on 79th near Ashland makes excellent tips and slabs. The sauce has a hint of mustard which is a real positive for this Carolina boy. It is one of my favorites in the area.

4. Honey 1 on West Division. Mr. Adam's cooked pork is a thing of beauty. I could eat it without sauce which is good because I'm not crazy about his sauce which seems to have too much going on to suit my tastes. From time to time, I order Honey One's ribs naked and dress them up with a simple eastern NC vinegar and pepper mixture.

5. Fift would have to be the smoky but distant ribs of Exsenator's way way south of Chicago.

First off, I would like to say that I think that the sauce is a very important component of any BBQ meal.

That said, Hecky's in Evanston has the best BBQ sauce, IMO. Average quality pork, but you can buy this sauce on its own.

Which leads me to...

Meryl's Ribs in Evanston has awesome DRY rub ribs... The ribs are very smoke-y and require a bit of work to pull off the bone - I personally don't like the fall-off-the-rib kind of meat like I've had at Carson's, but to each his own. Anyway, Meryl's dry rub ribs become utterly heavenly when paired with Hecky's BBQ sauce. Try it, it's a great combination if you are in the north shore area.

wlingjpera wrote:Meryl's Ribs in Evanston has awesome DRY rub ribs... The ribs are very smoke-y and require a bit of work to pull off the bone - I personally don't like the fall-off-the-rib kind of meat like I've had at Carson's

Is this a change? I have not been to Merle's in years -- but when I was last there, their ribs were much mushier than Carson's, so I'd written them off.

I like Carson's sauce when I can get them to apply it lightly instead of glopping it on (I enjoy a thin glaze, not a flood). Their ribs' texture is better than fall-off-the-bone, but they fall short of the chewy texture I prefer, and they lack smoke. I typically order a steak at Carson's -- that makes for a very fine meal.

Sigh. I miss Bone Daddy and American Smokehouse and, stretching back into the past, Uncle Mel's (awsome lamb ribs) and the late, great Bones. Why don't good ribhouses last on North Side?

Phil Simborg, please tell us more about the ribs at La Hacienda, and also where it is. I've had edible ribs at the Tex-Mex Uncle Julio's Hacienda. Is that what you refer to?

Merle's Smokehouse
1727 Benson Ave., Evanston
847/475-7766

Carson's, The Place for Ribs
Multiple locations

Uncle Julio's Hacienda
855 W. North Ave., Chicago
312/266-4222

wlingjpera wrote:First off, I would like to say that I think that the sauce is a very important component of any BBQ meal.

I disagree completely. Great BBQ should be able to stand on its own without any sauce. This is rarely if ever accomplished by a commercial BBQ joint. This includes pork, ribs, brisket, or chicken. A light glazing of sauce can add to the experience as a tweak but should not be "important" to the taste.

wlingjpera wrote:I personally don't like the fall-off-the-rib kind of meat

I have to agree with you here. Meat needs texture. When meat is as tender as baby food. Why eat it. Get a BBQ sauce milk shake instead.

Good to see we have gotten down to the texture versus taste debate so soon. I am sure most will agree that there is nothing wrong with the "fall-off-the-bone" style per se, but most often the means of getting there denatures the meat.

I have recently sampled both Lem's and Barbara Ann's, finally, for the first time. I have not yet tried any of Honey 1's food.

Lem's and Barbara Ann's seem to be so far above any other ribs I have tried in Chicago, that I cannot even compare them. Are they better than what I can make in my WSM? Certainly not. But they are tasty and worth eating.

There are a few others I have tried and enjoyed. The tips at I57 were pretty good. There is an old and semi-famous shack in Harvey, I think, that makes a charcoal-grilled rib (but no wood, and no smoke) that is tasty, though not barbecue in the proper sense. But I will go back and try them again. Was it George's? Someone help me out, as I do not have my notes at the moment.

LT's in Aurora also has decent tips, and a nice sauce, though his fish and links may be better.

Can't presume to rank them, but these are ones I remember and would at least sample if in the neighborhood.

I could also do a list of the places I do not like. Let's start with Famous Dave, and The Patio.

I'm no expert by any means, about once a year I get the craving. My very favorite is Lincoln Tavern on Wabansia in Bucktown. They're only open Wednesdays and Fridays for dinner (it's the back room of a bar), but if you can remember it on one of those days, I recommend a visit. A little resistence, not falling off the bone, but very tender. The sauce is mild and sweet, and overall I think they're lovely. In fact, I'm thinking that I need to make a trip there tomorrow.

I also very much enjoy Gale Street Inn up on Milwaukee near the Jefferson Park Blue Line stop. When I lived in Oak Park, it was always Robinson's for me.

dicksond wrote:There is an old and semi-famous shack in Harvey, I think, that makes a charcoal-grilled rib (but no wood, and no smoke) that is tasty, though not barbecue in the proper sense. But I will go back and try them again. Was it George's? Someone help me out, as I do not have my notes at the moment.

Yes, it's George's. George doesn't use wood because of the "bugs." (or was it the "worms"...I forget.) The ribs were tasty, though.

To avoid confusion, I think that we need to distinguish between BBQ and "North Side" or "tavern" ribs.

BBQ is pretty well defined by now, and it involves smoke. The Chicago rib houses, with the aquarium cookers and lump charcoal, while cooking a little hotter and faster than, say, a NC whole hog, are well within the BBQ tradition, I think. Ribs don't have 6 inches of meat and a layer of pigskin; they can handle the quicker treatment just fine. So, I take issue with those who call this "grilling," since the heat source is pretty far from the meat on the South and West Sides.

Apart from the cut of pork, the North Side, tavern rib places are entirely different. While it's not BBQ, I wholly enjoy, from time to time, a succulent slab from Biasettis or Gale Street or even some of the many, many pizza places that use their ovens for double duty. I guess I don't see how folks can enjoy slow-cooked, falling apart pot roast, short ribs, or ox tail, but eschew completely the taste of soft, succulent, long-braised pork ribs. Even Alton Brown devoted a whole show to oven ribs. Other good mushy ribs can be found at home in my red sauce or in the classic Italian dish with cooked-down, caramelized milk. Just don't call em BBQ.

PS, my sleeper for great sort-of BBQ ribs is Fogo de Chao. Long-cooked near smoldering hard wood. That's BBQ, right?

I've been pretty pleased with the ribs from Smoke Daddy the past few times I've gotten them there. It has been many years since I got down to Lems and my one experience was only so-so, but I certainly want to go back and try them again, but here on the North Side, I think Smoke Daddy makes a fine, smokey rib which is quite enjoyable (and not mushy).

I'll get over to Honey 1 someday as well - a bit easier for me than Lems but still tricky as it would involve a long bus ride to and from (or coinciding with someone giving me a ride)

I still think there should be an LTH organized "rib off" involving people picking up ribs (and tips) from many different spots around Chicago - and us all gathering someplace in the middle to taste them all side-by-side (some place in Greektown comes to mind as a possible central location, or perhaps the Loop itself though traffic might make that trickier).

Anyone have a suggestion for when and where?

Shannon

(see related post in the Events category to follow up on the event planning)

JeffB wrote:Apart from the cut of pork, the North Side, tavern rib places are entirely different. While it's not BBQ, I wholly enjoy, from time to time, a succulent slab from Biasettis or Gale Street or even some of the many, many pizza places that use their ovens for double duty.

I tend to agree with you. I see them as two different meals entirely. From time-to-time I do enjoy the "fall off the bone" style of ribs, when they taste good. I generally go for Gale Street for these style of ribs. There are many places indeed that try to go for "fall off the bone" and wind up ruining them. Twin Anchors comes to mind.

It is not true BBQ and I don't even try to make the comparison.

JeffB wrote:PS, my sleeper for great sort-of BBQ ribs is Fogo de Chao. Long-cooked near smoldering hard wood. That's BBQ, right?

I love Fogo's pork ribs too.

I keep on meaning to cook something similar on my grill: "Tuscan" ribs, no sauce but for a rub or garlic and a bit of rosemary. I do note that the recipe I have calls for a pretty quick cook.

Rob

I had Lem's tips while I was in Chicago. They were quite good. They're along the lines of Kansas City's ribs, I would say. Not as smoky, though. Not the best I've had, but still good. Lem's has a nice sauce, too, although I'm with Bruce on the sauce issue. I'm a Texas BBQ lover at heart, and I usually order sauce on the side.

Shannon, one thing we've done here in Portland is rent a large van, you know, those kind used by churches and volleyball teams. Big ass van. About $100 from Enterprise. But they fit about 12 people. Then you can just drive around as a group to each of the locations and split the ribs there. Dress well and they'll think you're Jehovah's Witnesses or Mormons and stay away. Maybe carry around a Bible or the Watchtower just to make sure.

btw, love the Plexiglas smoker at Lem's.

extramsg - in the past we have had events like the beefathon where we went from restaurant to restaurant tasting. Fun, but also limited in many respects.

My goal is to figure out how to organize an event where we get to sample Chicago's "best" ribs & rib tips - directly side by side, and sample the same exact product as they sell day and day out - not something specially made for a street fair etc.

To do this will require more coordination - but it also has the virtue of being an event that should not take all day, but could happen in the course of a long afternoon.

My personal schedule is a bit up in the air at the moment, when it settles down I'll try to pick a firm date - please PM me if you can offer to a driver to pick up ribs and rib tips from one of the places we'll be tasting. I do NOT personally have a car, hence the need to know that we have drivers who have volunteered with wohm I can check different dates before announcing it publically. Figure it will almost certainly be a Saturday afternoon as a few of the prime places are closed on Sundays. A smaller possibility would be an upcoming holiday that falls on Monday (but need to confirm that all prime places would be open on that holiday...)

Shannon

Shannon,

Extramsg is not a resident of the Chicagoland. He is from Portland, Oregon.

All you need to do is set a date. Those who can make it, will. Everyone understands stuff is to be brought. Amongst those who chose to come, they will cooperate like Ernie & Bert. No heavy planning is required, you just do it because this is simple take-out ribs in the park. Everyone brings a receipt, the amounts are totaled and an average cost per person is determined, then you collect money from those who brought nothing and partially reimburse those who brought. If I come, then I have an excess of paper goods from various occasions I would like to whittle down.

Note the weather is changing so it better be sooner than later.

Cathy,

I know who extramsg is - met him at a dinner at TAC Quick when he was in town. I agree that people will bring receipts etc, but since I personally can't likely pick up ribs from any of the major spots (very small chance that I could pick some up from Smoke Daddy and still make it to a place we select) - I have to have commitments from a few people with cars to make this work - and some coordination so that people with cars pick up from different locations and all around the same time.

Last time I tried to arrange for this only a few people with cars agreed, and then one backed close to last minute.

Shannon

Shannon,

I believe what Cathy said boils down to YOU need to set a date and time and THEN, AND ONLY THEN, seek volunteers.

Much like you do not wish to commit to a date, no volunteer/driver will commit to the event without a date selected.

A follow-up to the posts from wlingjpera and LAZ; if you're a beef rib eater (not a religious thing, we do eat pork, but grew up on beef ribs), Merle's in Evanston is a great choice. Flinstones-sized ribs, extreme chew factor, as good as the beef ribs were at the dearly departed Bones.
>>Brent

Do you use the same type of sauces with beef that you use with pork ribs?

pd

I'm not exactly sure where to ask this question. Does anyone know the hours of Barbara Ann's?

h37s3m wrote:I'm not exactly sure where to ask this question. Does anyone know the hours of Barbara Ann's?

Barbara Ann probably does. Why not call her?

Barbara Ann's BBQ (and Motel)
7617 S Cottage Grove Av
773-723-4780

hours of Barbara Ann's?

From a two-year old menu:
Tuesday-Thursday 12PM-12AM
Friday & Saturday 12PM - 3AM
Closed Sunday & Monday