ok. my bias has turned bullish on this place. I'm going to give it a chance.

third coast foodie wrote:About 7:30 business seemed pretty slow and the cooker looked full. I hope this place is getting more patrons than the ones posting here.

!

they get a good business form the mail center across the street I was told..steady stream of customers when I was there

Fairly complementary write up in today's Trib At Play on Smokin M's. Reviewer liked the tips and links, so-so on the sammies and "take a pass" on the ribs. The complaint on the sammies was the chopped or almost minced consistancy. Otherwise, liked the fries, sauces and the super friendly people. I'm glad for the review. I enjoy having lunch here every week.

Let's hope that bulk mail center keeps you in a steady flow of peeps that can't tell good BBQ from the undercooked/overcooked pork covered in non tasty sauce you serve. Thank Famous Liquors for the flow because that's where most get their lunch before getting your dinners.

I thought the rib tips were delicious. Nice smoky taste, good portions. Wonderful service.

Not crazy about their bbq sauce, but that's less important.

Will definitely return! It's a good place.

I tried the half chicken tonight. No complaints. Good smoky flavor but not overpowering. I found the white meat a little dry but I alway find chicken white meat a little dry. The dark was fine. And the fries still hit it out of the ballpark.

Data point from Saturday night:

Light traffic.

Sampled a bunch of stuff. Some kind of smoker misfire ruined a batch of chicken, which kept me waiting --- they exchanged for chicken wings (not a fan, didn't carry on the way back to Oak Park) --- but I still got in and out much faster than I would at Honey 1.

Tips good, totally credible, will save me a drive to Bucktown, and for that I root for M's success.

Links OK, overcooked, split (as noted earlier) by overcooking, but mostly overspiced and one-note. I'd order them again, but would never go back just for them.

Fries excellent, clearly the best of all the Chicago barbeque places, and regardless of what the purists in Lockhart will say about "RC and a hunk of cheese" being all you need, the fries are important.

Sauce OK. Not particularly sweet, a plus.

My only genuinely negative comment: the (I assume) proprietor, managing the malfunctioning smoker, *totally* mismanaged the front of the house. Another customer who'd clearly been kept waiting politely asked about the delay, found out only then about the chicken debacle, and got yelled at (!) by the proprietor, even after accepting a substitution without complaint. I felt bad for both parties, but mostly for the house, because they're dead in the water if they're going to chase customers like that away.

Overall, agree with V.I.: credible, but not destination food.

I have found the proprietor to be friendly - had a nice chat with him about how he does the fries.

Have, however, had a problem with the ribs. The last four times I have had them they have been excellent once, pretty good once, way undercooked once and stone cold once. So it is clear that than can cook a good hunk of meat but it is not clear why they don't do it more often.

The pork sandwich with fries is a pretty good lunch for about $5. I still think the meat is too finely chopped but the fries are enough to offset that shortcoming.

I have been to Smokin M's three times in the last month or so. The first visit, I met up with some friends there who had just finished eating a full slab of ribs (which they split). They were unimpressed with the ribs. Using Smoque as a comparison, they said there was no comparison. I, on the otherhand, ordered 2 pork sandwiches to go. I requested for the sauce on the side (which they happily provided), because I wanted my first taste of the sandwich to be just the naked pork. I wanted to be able to taste the smoky flavor without it being drowned in sauce. I thought it was respectable. I then added a small amount of the sauce to the sandwich, which contributed nicely. My hubby thought the sandwich was tasty, as well...and this was his virgin taste of a BBQ pulled pork sandwich. However, unlike the majority of folks here...the fries were not a big hit with us. Perhaps it was because our order was take out, and the fries got soggy on the drive home. They ended up being stuck together in a big, soggy, greasy, ball. We tend to favor fries with a nice crispy texture...and these definitely weren't it.

The second visit, we ordered the same thing - 2 pulled pork with sauce on the side, to go. I was hoping the fries would be better this time...nope. Our last visit, I intently watched as the fries were prepared this time. Fresh out of the oil, I watched as he placed a heap of fries into the paper basket. They sure looked crispy enough, so I thought for sure the fries would be great this time. Unfortunately, it was the same outcome. By the time we get home (and it's a fairly short distance, too)...the fries became a soggy, greasy ball. I think the next time we go, we will make a point of eating our food right there in the shop. I think that is the key to getting the fries when they are at their crispiest.

Has anyone tried the beef yet? I realize it's not brisket, which disappoints me. Makes me wonder how it would stake up to a good brisket.

True, the fries do not travel well but that is the case for all good fries. I think the way to make travel fries is to boil them first, then fry just before serving. Trouble with that is that you get something that lacks the flavor and texture of a fry.

I have had the beef sandwich once. Since then, I have been getting the pork.

Stopped by Smokin M's last Sat for a late afternoon snack as I was going out to dinner later that evening. Ordered the Tips and Links special along with Fries.
I felt the fries were way over cooked and and i didn't care for them at all. T o keep this in conext, my favorite Fries are Gene & Jude's, and Parky's with Mr D's topping my list.
The tips were just OK, swimming in sauce which I didn't care for( I guess I should have asked for sauce on the side).

The Links were so over cooked that they turned to mush when trying to cut them. And then the only flavor was heat.

Wanted to like this place as I live close by, but I do not plan to return.

LTH,

Tips, links, spare ribs and fries at Smoking M's with the BBQ centric Steve Z was a pleasant surprise. High hopes and low expectations were the order of the day and, with one exception, Smoking M's made a nice showing. Spare ribs and tips were the BBQ high points, fat in the fire flavor from the wood stoked Chicago style Aquarium smoker, moist, chew that required teeth, but was by no means tough and noticeable, but not overpowering, smoke flavor.

Smoking M's Spare Ribs


Smoking M's Tips, Links on bottom


Fries were good, skin on, solid potato flavor with just a hint of sweet and points of crisp I found appealing.

Smoking M's Fries


Links were dry, which seems to be a recurring problem. Not to the point of being inedible, but verging on. I liked the flavor which leaned toward the breakfast sausage side of the Chicago Hot Link equation, and would like to taste the hot links when they did not require sauce to make them palatable. Sauce was tasty, on the thin side and not overly sweet.

Smoking M's Hot Links


Counter girl was helpful, seating comfortable, prices reasonable, a solid BBQ option in the near West suburbs.

Thanks Santander for the original post, good eye.

Enjoy,
Gary

Smokin' M's
7507 W. Roosevelt Road
Forest Park, IL 60130
708488-0123

A group of 4 of us headed over there for lunch from work, but none of us has mentioned returning.

I had the beef sandwich. As mentioned, it is not brisket. It was more like a cross between shredded beef and sloppy joe. I ended up eating the sandwich more out of hunger than desire.

The chicken wings were average. Nothing special.

The fries were very good. Perfect combination of crispiness with soft give on the inside. salty with a hint of sweetness. I almost ordered another bag to go.

I beleive they use chuck ..not brisket.. .

Definitely not brisket, though believe me, I've tried to talk Burt into it. It's usually top round:

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Gary, thanks for visiting and reporting. Your fries, tips, and ribs report is consistent with my experiences right after they opened. Since then, I think they had slid a little, cooking too much fish at the same time as other meat, really letting the links overcook (even more than those pictured above), and not trimming the chopped beef and pork the way they should. It sounds like they may be coming back a little bit. I find Smokin' M's decent in a pinch, but have really enjoyed giving my business to UJ, Barbara Ann's, and Honky Tonk more lately.

Found myself cruising the old stomping grounds, and decided to swing into M's for some BBQ. Ordered a tip and link combo. Rib Tips were on point, just the right amount of bark covering excellent moist smoky meat... Sauce was a great accent. The fries were also incredible. As soon as I touched the link I knew I was in trouble... it was pretty much room temperature if not colder. One bite and i knew I would be in even more trouble if I continued eating them, they were horrible dry. I had expected them to be on dry side based on what I read, but they were inedible and cold. I ate the rest of my tips and fries with bittersweet regret that I hadn't heeded the warnings on this site and only ordered a Large Tips.

That said, I will be back for the tips and fries when in the area.. and I can only hope that the service on my next visit will be a little better.

Another trip to Smokin M's and everything seemed to be working.



Tips
No complaints. In fact these were as good as any I have had recently. Nice amount of smoke and char on a gratuitous pile of meaty tips.


Wings
The wings were large and cooked well. Nice and crispy, juicy meat. All in all I am not a wing fan but relative to other BBQ joints I thought these were a superior product.


Fries as always were outstanding.

Sorry to have to reply to myself on this thread but after eating many meals with varying degrees of success and even posting favorably a few times I had some Smokin M's this week which makes me understand every compliant I ever heard.

Tips and Links
The tips were odd bits and pieces as if the meat was smashed apart rather than chopped. It was still very tasty with a little heavier smokiness than usual and a little more skin than I was expecting. While the tips were obviously a little overcooked which seems reasonable for a very late lunch, they were lacking the nice chunks of thick meat I was looking for and they were a little greasy or my tastes. I would have to ask a veteran of the q to explain what changed with the meat but I certainly believe something did change. Again, they yummy but not the tips I am used to getting from M''s

The link
Ah yes, the link - the link. Why do I even order that damn link? It is usually disappointing but this time it was terrible, not edible even. Not edible even wrapped in white bread with extra sauce. An overly spicey, mealy, dimensionless, turd of a hot link.

And for me the most disturbing thing was the fries. I have always been a stalwart fan of their fries but these things were not right. Some were cooked ok but salted past the point of consumption while others were probably not fried at a high enough temperature. They were greasy in a bad way with no crisp or flavor.

I will try Smokin M's again soon and even get some explanation as to what changed with the meat but I thought I should post since I have heard so many opinions on this place but never understood why people had issues. Sadly, I know see clearly just what those issues are.

Their only consistency is being inconsistent. I was just discussing the same about Ribs and Bibs with Gentle Bear, er, G Wiv. I still stand by the handful of meals I've had at Smokin' M's that were just as good as some South Side faves, but other times, the love just isn't there. I chalk it up to rushing through prep because of high order volume, or alternately, Burt setting everything up great in the pit early in the day, then leaving the re-heating and/or trimming to his less careful comrades.

Still, some good 'cue can be had here, you just have to be patient, and ask what's hot and fresh. Then, get a few uncooked links to go and grill to moist perfection on your own.

Santander wrote:Still, some good 'cue can be had here, you just have to be patient, and ask what's hot and fresh. Then, get a few uncooked links to go and grill to moist perfection on your own.

With all due respect Santander you continue to make excuses for the poor quality of the Q at smokin M's. If it is offered on the menu and available they should be able to deliver. I can fully appreciate running out of Q as I have spent a god deal of time in Texas, but being patient and asking what is hot and fresh at a Q joint does not register with me. Do they sell the Links at a reduced price if you want them uncooked ? On second thought based on the few times I have tried them, I would pay a priemium to get them uncooked. Just my opinion.

With all due respect Santander you continue to make excuses for the poor quality of the Q at smokin M's. If it is offered on the menu and available they should be able to deliver.

I don't think challenging them openly equals making excuses - if you read my comments, you'll find them increasingly critical (I used the word "slid" above) from the first few weeks when the pitmaster was there all the time paying very close attention to everything. And from my first review, I noted that his take on links is very much drier than I appreciate. The staff reads and has participated in this thread, and even after getting some unexpected praise from G Wiv, they likely realize there is room for improvement.

As for "if it is offered on the menu and available they should be able to deliver," this is pure idealism. Even the best restaurants in the city can't execute every plate every time.

Santander wrote:

With all due respect Santander you continue to make excuses for the poor quality of the Q at smokin M's. If it is offered on the menu and available they should be able to deliver.

I don't think challenging them openly equals making excuses - if you read my comments, you'll find them increasingly critical (I used the word "slid" above) from the first few weeks when the pitmaster was there all the time paying very close attention to everything. And from my first review, I noted that his take on links is very much drier than I appreciate. The staff reads and has participated in this thread, and even after getting some unexpected praise from G Wiv, they likely realize there is room for improvement.

As for "if it is offered on the menu and available they should be able to deliver," this is pure idealism. Even the best restaurants in the city can't execute every plate every time.

OK
The Links are a regularly featured special and a menu staple "they are homemade links. family secret" with the exception of you and the Panther I have not found any positive comments about the links. More often dry, horrible, inedible or all of the above can be found. If believing that they should be able to get the Links right is "pure idealism", (I could have sworn there was also something about being pollyanish) so be it.

Lured in by the smells as I came out of the grocery store across the street, I returned to Smokin' M's last night for the first time in a year or more. The fries were good--not extraordinary but I did get them to go so I can't really judge. The tips, which I've previously enjoyed, were awful. Horribly overcooked, dry, too tough to eat. I ate 15%, gave another 15% to the dog, and threw the rest out. Maybe an off night or an off batch, but I won't be rushing back.

Ann Fisher wrote:Lured in by the smells as I came out of the grocery store across the street, I returned to Smokin' M's last night for the first time in a year or more. The fries were good--not extraordinary but I did get them to go so I can't really judge. The tips, which I've previously enjoyed, were awful. Horribly overcooked, dry, too tough to eat. I ate 15%, gave another 15% to the dog, and threw the rest out. Maybe an off night or an off batch, but I won't be rushing back.

Unfortunately doesn't sound like an offnight these days. They have all of the right elements to produce good barbecue, but in my opinion haven't been able to compensate for the widely varying demands of the neighborhood, so they're out of food (and sometimes patience) on weekend nights and late hours, and have too much of it which sits and overcooks the rest of the time. I don't begrudge their task, and still try to throw them a bone (or have them throw me one) once every two months, but in terms of reliability my order is down to fries, drink, and a side of dry but tasty links with sauce on the side.

I hate to say this, but my patience gave out on this place. Never, ever again. It's just too big of a letdown, and I'll inevitably have to drive down to Uncle John's for therapy (or smoke my own) so I have eliminated the middle man. It's simply a bad business decision in my book. I wish them all the luck in the world, but they simply have no idea how to make (or as suggested by Santander, how too "keep") good Chicago Aquarium Smoker bbq. I've given them four or five chances now. Never again. Uncle John's worst day has never been as bad as the stuff I've gotten from Smokin M's each time I've gone. Again, I hope they do well, but it's just not a place I'll be frequenting anymore. It makes no sense to do so, IMO.

In my early visits I was getting some bony tips but after that they were quite good. Nice and meaty and juicy! The last batch was half and half.

The links were always on the dry side.

But the main reason I will return, growing up on the faux barbecue at the nearby Russell's on North Ave, is for the pork and beef sandwiches. Similar style (chopped fine) and juicy but, as opposed to Russell's, with a touch of smoke flavor. I might even still get the tips if I feel like rolling the dice.

Russell's Barbecue
1621 N Thatcher Ave, Elmwood Park

I'm not an expert on BBQ and with that caveat I thought my meal here was poor to average. I got the rib tips and links combo. I thought the links were awful. Are they supposed to be this dry? I ate half of one and threw the rest out. To me they seemed about a day old. If I was the restaurant owner I wouldn't have served them.
The fries were good and the slaw was ok but a little dry for my taste.
The tips were mixed. My first bite was not quite cold. Other bites were all ok temperature- wise, certainly not hot though. Some dry, some moist.
I thought the sauce was oily and really didn't add anything to the meat.
The white bread and Coke were perfect.
All in all, a waste of $13.46.
Won't return.

It's hit or miss, but enough so that the last time it missed I decided not to give it another shot. Horrible dry tips that day, soggy fries. That was at least a year ago.

After swearing this joint off, I returned for a large pick up order out of necessity and proximity. Ribs, tips, links, chicken were all totally credible. Spares were actually decent. After three or four past visits of inedible leather on fries with sauce, yesterday's product seemed like someone actually cared about the product they were selling. I know that retail bbq is a fickle, fickle thing, but I can hope for the best here, and am wondering if they've figured it out finally. I won't hesitate to give them another try next time I need a fix.

Opening another location on North Ave...

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