BBQ Mapping?

Has anyone on the board put together a Google map, or failing that a comprehensive (or near) list of barbecue joints in the Chicago area? I tried searching to no avail. I'm definitily thinking of putting this together myself but didn't want to duplicate anyone elses work! I'm thinking there are a lot more places that are smoking with real wood than I think there are.

The first pass. I'm sure there are very many and glaring ommissions but I'd like to solicit some peoples feed back and help me fill in the gaps! Am I just wasting my time here? lol

BBQ-Mapping v.01

That's pretty cool.

I like it.

The label 220 N. Randall should be Salt Creek Barbecue, I think

Thanks for tackling this task. I'll look through the rest tonight.

Was not aware of some of these places.

Thanks!

There's another I-57 Rib house on Western:

6514 S Western Ave
Chicago, IL

Last time I was there (maybe two years ago), a working smoker was in evidence.

You might also want to add Chuck's

Chuck's Southern Comfort Cafe
5557 W 79th St
Burbank, IL 60459

Nice work! Thank you.
Here's another to add to the map:

Smokin' Woody's
4160 N Lincoln Ave
Chicago, IL 60618
(773) 852-4810
http://www.originalsmokinwoodys.com/

I haven't been there, but I pass it a lot and have been meaning to try it. There are few threads on LTH Forum about it.

viewtopic.php?f=17&t=20929
viewtopic.php?f=14&t=4625&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

Thanks all! I'm sure this can become quite robust with the knowledge contained by the members of this forum!

version the 2

Wow...great list KSeecs. Thanks! If I didn't think it would cause a stampede, I'd post GWiv's address--not exactly a barbecue joint, but Ground Zero for some of the best barbecue I've eaten in Chicago.

Coleman's!
1008 S 17th Ave
Maywood, IL 60153
(708) 343-9667

Hillery And Cooks

Robinson's

Wonderful initiative and execution, KS - many thanks! I really have to try Fitzee's Serious Ribs when I'm in the appropriately thoughtful and sober mood.

Big Ed's BBQ

Decent 'cue, friendliest people in the world.

http://www.bigedsllc.com/location.html


Merle's

1727 Benson Ave.
Evanston, IL 60201
847.475.7766
Carryout and Delivery - 847.475.2229
http://www.merlesbbq.com/index

Keecs,

Very cool, I will take a close look this weekend and see what I can add.

ReneG has an almost, no check that, ReneG has an encyclopedic knowledge of Chicago BBQ joints.

I'm also interested in any wood burners I might not know, that would be fantastic. Are you going to differentiate between type of fuel used on the list?

Enjoy,
Gary

Keecs - just adding my thanks for this great work.

I'll second the addition of Big Eds at 2501 Martin Luther King Jr Dr North Chicago, Illinois, 60064

If I knew more about Google Maps I'd add it myself -

G Wiv wrote:Keecs,

Very cool, I will take a close look this weekend and see what I can add.

ReneG has an almost, no check that, ReneG has an encyclopedic knowledge of Chicago BBQ joints.

I'm also interested in any wood burners I might not know, that would be fantastic. Are you going to differentiate between type of fuel used on the list?

Enjoy,
Gary

Updated with new feedback v3

GWiv,

Well hopefully Rene G can open up the encyclopedia for us! I think being able to differentiate by fuel would be a great addition as it could help people target cue that is more to their taste. I think it would take research on my part but should be doable. I'd have to look in to the technical aspect of it as I'm just delving in to making Google Maps in this fashion. I'd like to have some sortability/ searchability but at this point have no idea if that is possible!

This is a great! project--thanks for taking it on.

Here's another near north add for you:

Fat Willy's Rib Shack
2416 W. Schubert Ave.
Chicago, IL 60647
773-782-1800

A little North Shore contribution:

The BBQ Pit and Rib House in Highland Park
589 Elm Place
Highland Park, IL 60035
847-432-6393
http://bbqpitribhouse.com/

and

Ravinia BBQ & Grill‎
592 Roger Williams Ave
Highland Park, IL 60035
(847) 433-1111
www.raviniabbq.com

Woodfire Chicken
360 Lake Cook Rd
Deerfield, IL 60015
(847) 940-9300

. Joe's Bar-B-Q & Fish. (708) 449-9999. 350 N Wolf Rd Hillside, IL 60162

AlexG wrote:A little North Shore contribution:

The BBQ Pit and Rib House in Highland Park
589 Elm Place
Highland Park, IL 60035
847-432-6393
http://bbqpitribhouse.com/

and

Ravinia BBQ & Grill‎
592 Roger Williams Ave
Highland Park, IL 60035
(847) 433-1111
http://www.raviniabbq.com

Woodfire Chicken
360 Lake Cook Rd
Deerfield, IL 60015
(847) 940-9300

While I've never been to these places, they didn't seem like real barbecue spots so I called to find out how the ribs were prepared.
The BBQ Pit broils their ribs-NOT BARBECUE
Ravinia BBQ bakes then broils their ribs- NOT BARBECUE
Woodfire cooks the ribs for 2 hours but the guy I talked to didn't know any more than that.

To clarify, for the purposes of this map it's not barbecue without smoke and low heat. In other words- it's not the sauce, it's the cooking method.

Please don't post locations unless you are sure they use wood smoke and low heat. Please note that wood doesn't have to be the only heat source, but the smoke has to be part of the process.

scottsol wrote:...they didn't seem like real barbecue spots...To clarify, for the purposes of this map it's not barbecue without smoke and low heat. In other words- it's not the sauce, it's the cooking method.

Is this your hope for the project, or some official edict I'm missing in a post above? Isn't whatever KSeecs generously devotes time to adding worthy of inclusion and review? I'm happy to see a broader list and weed things out myself, and Google Maps has plenty of space for annotations (personal or public) as to cooking methods.

Please read the last line of his original post.

KSeecs wrote:Has anyone on the board put together a Google map, or failing that a comprehensive (or near) list of barbecue joints in the Chicago area? I tried searching to no avail. I'm definitily thinking of putting this together myself but didn't want to duplicate anyone elses work! I'm thinking there are a lot more places that are smoking with real wood than I think there are.

Santander wrote:Is this your hope for the project, or some official edict I'm missing in a post above? Isn't whatever KSeecs generously devotes time to adding worthy of inclusion and review? I'm happy to see a broader list and weed things out myself, and Google Maps has plenty of space for annotations (personal or public) as to cooking methods.

For the BBQ Mapping list to be truly useful the tighter the focus the better.

Ravinia Grill, for example, does not serve BBQ. I like the place, massive chops and steaks, but no BBQ.

My bad, didn't see the wood note on the original post. Just trying to help.

scottsol wrote:Please don't post locations unless you are sure they use wood smoke and low heat. Please note that wood doesn't have to be the only heat source, but the smoke has to be part of the process.

Where does a place like George's in Harvey fit in? They only use charcoal, but it's still low & slow barbecue. A few months ago, I would have agreed with the above sentiment, but some of my favorite barbecue places in Memphis - Cozy Corner and Payne's - just use straight charcoal and no smoking wood, much to my surprise (Rendezvous, too). George's seems to be of this mold, how does it fit in the barbecue scheme of things?

Binko wrote:Where does a place like George's in Harvey fit in? They only use charcoal, but it's still low & slow barbecue.

Binko,

George's is a fairly eccentric place, even for a BBQ joint.

In '04 a number of us* were doing research for Slow Food Guide to Chicago BBQ section. By then I had gotten pretty good at wheedling my way behind the Plexiglas and had a first hand view, and conversation, as did some of the others, with George.

First let me say I kept notes on all the BBQ joints we hit so the following is not faded by time. In fact, I will simply quote my notes.

"George was gruff, but proud of his BBQ, he has been in business 43-years.
Let me in the pit area to take pictures of his aquarium style smoker, pit man's name is Bill.
Back was messy as hell, sauce spatted everywhere, but not dirty.
Used only lump charcoal. George has an odd theory that wood, real wood, is laden with worms and will, somehow, taint his BBQ.
George's could be damn good BBQ with the addition of splits of wood to the lump charcoal.
There were cardboard boxes on the top rack of his well used aquarium smoker. When I asked he said something about dripping moisture, maybe grease, getting on the BBQ, this made as much sense as his worm riff."

George's BBQ was, at least that evening, fair to middling at best, while we were eating Ala Trunko in the parking lot Mike Sula came up with the perfect description, "evocative of BBQ"

Far as George's being included in the round up, sure, lump charcoal is wood burned to coals, and he is using an Aquarium smoker, but as I mention above, a little straight wood would go a long way to improve George's BBQ. Then again, he was in business 43-years in 2004, closing in on 50-years in business is a real accomplishment.

Enjoy,
Gary

*That particular multi-joint BBQ outing consisted of myself, Joel Smith, RST, ReneG, Dickson, Steve Z, Mike Sula and Tony Chen

George's Rib House
168 W. 147th
Harvey, Il
708-331-9347

scottsol wrote:Woodfire cooks the ribs for 2 hours but the guy I talked to didn't know any more than that.

Woodfire does not cook with wood.

Rib B Ribs With Soul Food Sides Carryout
1761 River Oaks Dr, Calumet City, IL 60409-5003

River Oaks Dr is 159th St if you're coming off the Bishop Ford Xpressway.

Aquarium smoker. Rib tips I had there were acceptable. The weird thing is how they were perfectly cut into slices in order to fit perfectly into a plastic see thru container.

I suppose I should clarify, my original goal was to focus on places that are smoking with real wood and charcoal, or simply wood. I think if there is a unique enough place that really warrants attention that may be somewhat iffy or only partly adhering to these standards I would include them. But based on some recent posts I may need to go in and remove a few that are not really in the spirit of what we're going for. If I was to include all places that sold food which uses barbecue sauce the list would be unwieldly and not particularly useful.

Eventually I'd hope to be able to do some independent research myself on all of the restaurants on the list but so far I have gone with my initial research and with peoples feedback to get it where it is now. I really appreciate everyone's input and apologize for the any vagueness I created around the types of restaurants I'm looking for in this list.

So finally to clarify I think it would be best if the list focuses on places that offer low and slow barbecue cooked with indirect heat utilizing wood and/or charcoal as fuel.

KSeecs wrote:
So finally to clarify I think it would be best if the list focuses on places that offer low and slow barbecue cooked with indirect heat utilizing wood and/or charcoal as fuel.

I think you might want to modify the "fuel" part. My understanding is that anyone using a Southern Pride, for example, is using gas as the fuel and wood just to provide smoke, not heat. If you insisted on the the fuel part then Smoque , for example, would be eliminated.

Thanks for the map. Some missing aquarium/wood-burners: Best's, which is across the interstate from I-57, and the Rib Joint om 87th. I have not been to either in the longest time. BK's next to That's A Burger. Slab, very near BA, Lem's etc. Not saying I would choose any of these over others on the list, but they all fit the criteria (better than many places on the list).

BK's
2152 East 71st Street
Chicago, IL 60649

Rib Joint
432 E 87th Street
Chicago, IL 60619

The Slab
537 E 79th Street
Chicago, IL 60619

Best's
(West of I-57 adjacent to I-57 BBQ)
Gone???

scottsol wrote:I think you might want to modify the "fuel" part. My understanding is that anyone using a Southern Pride, for example, is using gas as the fuel and wood just to provide smoke, not heat. If you insisted on the the fuel part then Smoque , for example, would be eliminated.

If KSeecs wishes to produce a fuel specific BBQ Map I am all for it, there is nothing wrong with a narrow focus list, you are free to produce another more wide ranging list building on KSeecs list.

Personally, I would find such a list very interesting and will happily contribute and participate. One small point for KSeecs, the majority of wood/charcoal burning pits in the Chicagoland area are Aquarium smokers and, by design, cook direct. In other words, the fire is directly under the meat, typically around 28 plus or minus below. Strict adherence to indirect would preclude Honey 1, Uncle John's etc.

Enjoy,
Gary

Ah well, this little project of mine has seemed to spark a little bit of debate and makes me wish I know had some more time to dedicate to it this week. With the many variations of rigs, fuels, etc... out there I guess I'm leaning more towards having the list encompass BBQ restaurants whose food is cooked with the presence of wood smoke. This would include great places such as Smoque and obviously capture all Chicago's unique aquarium establishments.

To do this and make the list more useful to those who would like to target things more specifically I was thinking I could use an icon to denote BBQ establishments that utilize wood and charcoal exclusively. I have done so on a very limited basis just to solicit feedback in the linked update here.

This is not to imply superior product or anything else other than that I think that places that rely solely on natural wood and charcoal are of unique interest to me, and obviously some others based on the input here and elsewhere in these forums. I appreciate everyone's interest and feedback regarding this and look forward to the task of doing some research on these places to further improve and clarify this very much work in progress of a tool.