Memphis BBQ

Memphis Jack's is a great Memphis BBQ joint in Hillside. On Route 56 just west of Wolf. It is off the beaten path but worth it. The chef/owner is friendly and the food is good. They only have a couple of seats and do primarily take-out. But worth the drive!

HI,

What specifically did you eat there and what were the highlights?

Address?

Thanks!

Regards,

We had a beef brisket sandwich, a pulled pork sandwich, baked beans, mac and cheese and pecan pie. Everything was great. From the tender meat to the sauce. The beans had shredded meat in them as well. They also have fried okra and fried pickles (I haven't them yet but will next time). Their lunch special was $6.75 for a huge sandwich (w/slaw of course), a side and a soda. It was truly a value.

Is Q's Pizza still near there, too? Do you have an address? I searched the web and while I found one or two references to the place, none of them had a phone number or address.

I am curious.

I'll have to check this place out. Q's is still there - I was there in November before heading to Fitzgeralds - and nothing about it has really changed from when I was there 15 years ago or so, except maybe the prices. We had pizzas and they were great - one had a spicy giardinera on it that rocked! Thin, crispy crusts. One of my favorite dishes there used to be Chicken ala Q's and I have been totally jonesing for it. It's on special on Wednesday nights - just have to get it on the list and go there!

dicksond wrote:Is Q's Pizza still near there, too? Do you have an address? I searched the web and while I found one or two references to the place, none of them had a phone number or address.

I am curious.

This may sound a little snarky, but I don't mean it that way: Did you try searching for Memphis Jack's in quotes? First google hit. And, the website is simply memphisjacks.com.

Memphis Jack's
4848 Butterfield Road
Hillside, IL
(708) 202-1227

Binko wrote:

dicksond wrote:Is Q's Pizza still near there, too? Do you have an address? I searched the web and while I found one or two references to the place, none of them had a phone number or address.

I am curious.

This may sound a little snarky, but I don't mean it that way: Did you try searching for Memphis Jack's in quotes? First google hit. And, the website is simply memphisjacks.com.

Memphis Jack's
4848 Butterfield Road
Hillside, IL
(708) 202-1227

Actually I did. But I was put off by the description which refers to Denver, so I did not think it was a place in Hillside. Go figure. Thanks for the clarification.

Just a little background on Jack. He had a place in Denver, but closed up shop to be near his wife's family in Chicago.

chefdeab wrote:Just a little background on Jack. He had a place in Denver, but closed up shop to be near his wife's family in Chicago.

It sounds as if you may have an affiliation with the restaurant.

johnny wrote:

chefdeab wrote:Just a little background on Jack. He had a place in Denver, but closed up shop to be near his wife's family in Chicago.

It sounds as if you may have an affiliation with the restaurant.

I was going to say the obvious as well!

Interesting..the last couple of posts clear things up a little bit...I think.

Ok, someone fill me in...how long has been Memphis Jacks been around in Hillside? THeir website is VERY confusing...all the talk is about Colorado yet it lists the Hillside, IL adddess.

This really seems like a nice find...and it would only add to some other great options in the nearby area, including Carm's and Priscilla's Ultimate Soulfood

I just found out about this restaurant and background thru a local newspaper. And being a lover of BBQ had to try it.

It is a small place and Jack greets and waits on all the customers personally, so you get to know him and the restaurant rather quickly. Jack said they have been around 6 months. They seem to be doing ok, but I would love to see them thrive. Losing great food, especially BBQ, is a crime.

Found myself doing some job training in Hillside this weekend and I remembered this thread. I convinvced some fellow classmates to forgo Wendy's and to try something a little different. We were all happy that we did.

The first thing I noticed at Memphis Jack's was the rich aroma of smoke as soon as I walked in the door; followed closely behind by scores of Tennessee license plates lining the walls. It's a small joint in a quasi-strip mall setting. There's one table in the middle and a few stools around the perimeter.

The gentleman at the counter recommended the pulled pork sandwich, so I went with that. He said the ribs wouldn't be ready for a few hours. He assured me that the meats were cooked over hickory.

Despite the strong smoke aroma and the counterman's assertion, the prevailing appeal of the pulled pork was its tenderness. The sandwich is served with cole slaw and BBQ sauce. The pork was piled high on a grilled hamburger bun. I would defintely order this sandwich again--good pork flavor, nice textures and I liked the sauce as well.

My classmates enjoyed their lunches too--smoked chicken and brisket sandwiches and a "loaded potato." Sides included beans with healthy chunks of pulled pork and a mac and cheese that looked great. The fried pickles were also a big hit at our table.

I don't know yet if Memphis Jack's will compete with the elite BBQ joints in town (just for reference, Uncle John's is my personal favorite), but I think it is definitely a place worth driving to and checking out. IIRC, they are open for lunch at 11 most days, Sundays at noon. I'd like to get back there to try the ribs and taste some of that wonderful smokiness that hit me when I first walked in.

Recently ate at Memphis Jacks BBQ in Hillside. Great Pork sandwich...love the cole slaw on the sandwich. Outstanding peach cobbler! Will definately return.

Paid my first visit to Memphis Jacks today for lunch. Not much to the place--a few tables and acouple of barstools. The welcome was very friendly from Jack, with a brief description of the menu and sides. I had the brisket sandwich, with both the slaw and the sauce on the side. For sides, I took beans and the mac and cheese. Good meaty sandwich with a mild smokey taste to the meat. The slaw was a Memphis style with some mustard. The sauce is excellent. There is a good spiciness to it that I enjoyed. Mac and cheese was also good, with plenty of moisture in the dish. I am not a fan of dry m and c. The sammie, two sides and a coke were eight bucks and change. I'm glad I visited today. I will be back.

Went back to Memphis Jacks BBQ for the second time today. Had the Pulled Pork Sandwich, fried okra, and peach cobbler...this meal was even better than my first visit! My friend had the Beef brisket sandwich with fried pickles and was equally pleased.

Looking forward to trying the ribs next time. Has anyone else had them from Memphis Jacks?

I happened to be near Jack's again today, so I stopped in. This time I had the pork sandwich and potato salad. I prefer the slaw and sauce on the side of the sandwich. A large cup of the warm sauce, which I really like, came with the meal. A very good portion (1/3 #) of moist, smokey pork. Very good creamy potato salad and a pop for 6.75. Nice lunch. Nice people. Next time, I'll come later so I can try the ribs. Oh, and for my dinner at work tonight, I just had another of Jack's beef sandwiches. Tasty.

Just an FYI. Memphis Jacks has shut their doors. Went yesterday and the sign in the window said this location was closed but they can still do catering gigs. It will be missed .

I'm not too surprised that this place closed down. I had it 3 times and was underwhelmed.

The first time we went, I wanted to try the rib tips. They were out. Ended up with a decent pulled pork sandwich. I can understand being out of rib tibs, maybe they had a run on them.

The second time we went, I wanted to try the ribs. They were not ready yet, and wouldn't be for another "2 or 3" hours. Ended up with the decent pulled pork sandwich. Shouldn't you have ribs availabe pretty much at all times during open business hours? This was dinnertime too, not some odd hour.

The last time I went there, they did indeed have ribs. Very dry and not too tasty. Almost like they were reheated a couple times. Thankfully, I only ordered a half slab and a pulled pork sandwich. At least I had the sandwich to fall back on.

All that being said, I still would have gone back for the pulled pork. My wife thought the brisket was good also.

It's sad really, because that end of Elmhurst and Hillside only has a few quality places. I really wanted this place to make it. Q's is great and has been for a long time. Bambu Thai on York and Butterfield is pretty good too. But the rest is blah!

memphis jack is a good man
his place is now closed
jack learned his bbq from mr nealy of innerstate bbq in memphis
jack he is not one of the big bbq maven's
but he is a good guy and was doing the best he could do
it is very hard to be a one man band and make it in the business world
too much competiton and too great of a learning curve
and too much money required

at the end of the day the monumental amount of details and distractions in the restaurant business is amazing to me
much more difficult than the sauce business

wishing memphis jack and his family the best as they move forward