Burnt Ends at Brand BBQ Market

Brand BBQ Market is opening Halloween weekend! We have noticed that people are in search of Burnt Ends in Chicago...look no further. We are located at 2824 w. Armitage in Logan Square. Come on in for the Burnt Ends Mac & Cheese and the Burnt End Burger topped with Smoked Gouda...check us out at http://www.brandbbqmarket.com or on Facebook. We look forward to seeing you!!!

Brand BBQ Market
2824 W. Armitage Ave.
Chicago, IL 60647
773-687-8148

brandbbqmarket wrote:Brand BBQ Market is opening Halloween weekend! We have noticed that people are in search of Burnt Ends in Chicago...look no further. We are located at 2824 w. Armitage in Logan Square. Come on in for the Burnt Ends Mac & Cheese and the Burnt End Burger topped with Smoked Gouda...check us out at http://www.brandbbqmarket.com or on Facebook. We look forward to seeing you!!!

I'd love to know more about your barbecue background and the equipment and smoke times/temps you're using.

can you tell us the price points of various items and from the menu doesn't show you can order a platter or burnt ends?

polster wrote:can you tell us the price points of various items and from the menu doesn't show you can order a platter or burnt ends?

I would hope that their pulled pork has some burnt ends in it.

imsscott wrote:

polster wrote:can you tell us the price points of various items and from the menu doesn't show you can order a platter or burnt ends?

I would hope that their pulled pork has some burnt ends in it.

What? Why?

gleam wrote:

imsscott wrote:

polster wrote:can you tell us the price points of various items and from the menu doesn't show you can order a platter or burnt ends?

I would hope that their pulled pork has some burnt ends in it.

What? Why?

The resolution on their menu was so bad I didn't see that they had beef brisket, so I assumed they meant pork burnt ends and in the pulled pork would be the only logical place to put them if they didn't offer them on their own. I see that they do offer a burnt ends hamburger, so I guess that and maybe with beef brisket are the only way to get the burnt ends.

Who wants some burnt ends?!?!? If you're gonna get burnt ends, get ALL burnt ends.

AHHH, another new BBQ joint. Looks promising
I too would like the cooking info, and the menu info.

gleam wrote:

brandbbqmarket wrote:Brand BBQ Market is opening Halloween weekend! We have noticed that people are in search of Burnt Ends in Chicago...look no further. We are located at 2824 w. Armitage in Logan Square. Come on in for the Burnt Ends Mac & Cheese and the Burnt End Burger topped with Smoked Gouda...check us out at http://www.brandbbqmarket.com or on Facebook. We look forward to seeing you!!!

I'd love to know more about your barbecue background and the equipment and smoke times/temps you're using.

Shouldn't this be under the Professional Forum?

According to the metromix article on 'Brand BBQ Market' it says:
"burnt ends (that's double-smoked brisket fat that’s been deep fried)"

Question are true burnt ends supposed to be deep fried or just double smoked meat? Frying seems to defeat the purpose?

Referenced article:
http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/metromi ... arket.html
or
http://chicago.metromix.com/restaurants ... 23/content

burnt ends (that's double-smoked brisket fat that’s been deep fried)

Not on my planet it ain't.

Here's a good description of what they are and should be:

http://pelletenvy.blogspot.com/2008/02/burnt-ends.html

There is more from Metromix, it does say "all meats are slow smoked over wood"....but not any more detail than that. And they are offering pulled duck. Not sure if I love or hate that idea.
Anyhow, anyone been?


This upcoming Logan Square BYOB is not your run-of-the-mill barbecue joint. Sure, there are traditional choices such as pulled pork shoulder and baby back ribs. But the chalkboard menus hanging on the rusty orange-colored walls also will list fancier fare such as pulled duck and pork belly confit. All meats are slow smoked over woods such as applewood and hickory, then topped with your choice of seven sauces. Options include vinegar-based Carolina-style sauce, classic tomato, smoky-spicy (classic tomato with chipotle peppers), bourbon-mustard, Caribbean jerk, brandy cherry and sweet Southern peach made with peaches and Southern Comfort. Vegetarian options are a cut above too—they’re smoking tofu and portobello mushrooms. All proteins can be made into a sandwich and served with vinegar coleslaw or incorporated into a combo platter served with sides such a smoked gouda mac ’n’ cheese with burnt ends (that's double-smoked brisket fat that’s been deep fried); bourbon creamed corn; hand-cut fries and sweet potato fries; and grilled seasonal veggies.

OP/owner says they're opening this weekend.

interesting menu, I have had pulled duck before and it was pretty darn good, also the pork belly sounds interesting.

I am concerned to see no spares on the menu, and the smoked tofu is just odd imho.

I dont see myself rushing down to Chicago to try them, but if I am in the neighborhood I could see giving them a try.

I wish them good luck.

They have been open for the past few days. Haven't stopped in yet, but the room looks nice. It would be a good addition to the neighborhood.

I tried Brand BBQ Market today and was not impressed. I had the pulled duck, mac & cheese w/ burnt Ends and cream of corn. The pulled duck had no smoke smell or flavor. The mac & Cheese with burnt ends was nothing special... As the Burnt Ends is more of a gimmic than real burnt ends. There idea of Burnt Ends is fried fat... not what I would really call 'Burnt Ends'

I would not go back but curious on other people opinion of the ribs or brisket?

I am planning a visit to Brand BBQ next week. Being from Kansas and someone who has eaten Burnt Ends most of my life I am a little confused! A burnt end SHOULD never be fried!! It is Burnt from being cooked over some kind of Hardwood! Mostly Hickory in KC!!

Marmish wrote:Who wants some burnt ends?!?!? If you're gonna get burnt ends, get ALL burnt ends.

In general I agree with that sentiment, but after trying the approach at Brand recently, I cannot recommend it. You definitely do not want a whole plate of burnt ends at Brand BBQ. They have no such offering on the menu, and the server did try to talk us out of it. We insisted though, and got the full plate of carbonized fat crumbles. Not particularly edible, though perhaps a few of the crumbles do make a nice flavoring accent for a burger. Who knows? I do wonder why the OP emphasized burnt ends in the title of the thread. These are certainly nothing like the KC style burnt ends that were implied.

The rest of the food at Brand teetered between decent (tasty pulled duck that was very ducky, very little smoky, interesting smoked tofu with a pleasantly firm texture) and practically inedible (bland, undercooked chicken wings, choke-inducing dry pulled pork and brisket, and weirdly textured ribs lacking any remnant of pig flavor.)

kates wrote:Shouldn't this be under the Professional Forum?

Exactly. First post and in the wrong place.

Kennyz wrote:

Marmish wrote:Who wants some burnt ends?!?!? If you're gonna get burnt ends, get ALL burnt ends.

In general I agree with that sentiment, but after trying the approach at Brand recently, I cannot recommend it. You definitely do not want a whole plate of burnt ends at Brand BBQ. They have no such offering on the menu, and the server did try to talk us out of it. We insisted though, and got the full plate of carbonized fat crumbles. Not particularly edible, though perhaps a few of the crumbles do make a nice flavoring accent for a burger. Who knows? I do wonder why the OP emphasized burnt ends in the title of the thread. These are certainly nothing like the KC style burnt ends that were implied.

The rest of the food at Brand teetered between decent (tasty pulled duck that was very ducky, very little smoky, interesting smoked tofu with a pleasantly firm texture) and practically inedible (bland, undercooked chicken wings, choke-inducing dry pulled pork and brisket, and weirdly textured ribs lacking any remnant of pig flavor.)

mac&cheese with burnt end in it was good

LTH,

Almost put this in the Best thing you've eaten lately thread. Was on the specials board, may not be available past yesterday.

The BrandCheezie (venison Sausage stuffed w/gorgonzola, wrapped in bacon over fried onions w/brandy cherry BBQ sauce)


Brand BBQ Pit Mistress Sweet Charity Smith w/BrandCheezie



Enjoy,
Gary

Brand BBQ had a little stumble in its first few weeks here but after GWiv's report (if not the picture-- the sausage I was served was definitely prettier and more together than that one), when an initial plan fell through I was happy to try Brand BBQ as my plan B.

That bacon-gorgonzola-venison thing is crazy good. I'm suspicious of the add bacon and cheese to everything school of gastronomy, but this example really worked, it's the best Hot Doug's sausage I've had in a long time, a beautiful balance of bacon crispiness and blue cheese tartness and smoky meaty sausageness. I got the next to last one to be had tonight, as Gary says no telling how long it will be offered, you will regret missing it, now and for years to come.

I also had a brisket sandwich. Brisket is not bad, it's not great either, I missed a discernable smoke ring and it had an even flavor rather than a barbecuey variation in flavor, and was slightly on the dry side. But when I added the smoky chipotle sauce, it got way, way better. I know BBQheads speak dismissively of BBQ where sauce dances lead and meat follows, but as a sandwich at that point, I was pretty happy with it. The smoky chipotle sauce is very much like Smoque's brisket sauce, but with a little extra note of heat, first-rate stuff. I sampled a couple of the other sauces and was less wowed-- the brandied cherry or something was nice with the venison sausage, but way too delicate for the brisket, and the signature sauce, supposed to be a North Carolina vinegar sauce, was too fruity-vinegary to my taste. On the other hand, with all the different meats they're smoking, who's to say one of those might not work much better with something other than beef or pork, such as duck.

I sat at the bar and talked with one of the guys who started the place. They've done a nice transformation of the formerly biliously green Hot Spot, into something that looks like if Smoque and Urban Belly had a baby. They've taken some hits (and I just missed by minutes a certain food reporter who they thought was not terribly impressed) but I think it's crazy to pronounce final judgement on a barbecue joint, especially one doing as many different things as they are, this early. Smoque had a long learning curve too, and what I ate tonight certainly showed promise and was considerably more successful than reports above. I'm glad to have them as a family-accomodating choice not too far from my neighborhood and will be interested to see if that promise is fulfilled.

I was there last week and could not get enough of the venison sausage, but the duck sandwich and pork belly confit sandwhich were interchangeable. Not really any flavor. Not bad flavor, just no flavor which was shocking given the amazing venison sausage. One of the best sausages that I have had anywhere in a long time.

If they can get some actual BBQ to work for them, they could do really well in their location.

We live not too far from Brand, so were eager to try it out. Picked up an order to go about a week ago. It was devastatingly bad. A dry slab of ribs and a mushy pulled pork sandwich. They make a big deal out of their selection of sauces -- and then give you one of those itsy-bitsy plastic shot glasses worth of sauce for a full slab... The worst thing, however, were the sides. Sweet potato fries were listless and soggy. And we ordered a side of grilled veggies. There were exactly four thin slices of zuchini and a slice of yellow squash in a 4 oz. styrofoam cup -- for $2.50. The worst thing, was that when we called to ask if this was a standard portion (I just needed to know...), the woman who answered was annoyed and puzzled (she actually said, "So what do you want ME to do about it?"). I understand that they are working out kinks, but this place may be too kinked to be recovered....

They should call it Brand Tofu & Cheesy Venison Market

Kennyz wrote:They should call it Brand Tofu & Cheesy Venison Market

True, true.

Despite all my qualms about the smoked duck and pork belly confit (how you can make pork belly cooked in its own fat not delicious is beyond me), the cheesy venison will likely bring me back to Brand Market Cheesy Venison Market.

I went to Brand BBQ Market for dinner last night. My friend and I started with an order of the venison sausage. It was quite good. The combination of the venison, Gorgonzola, bacon, and dried onions really worked. Unfortunately, we didn't get a lot of the brandy cherry sauce. That was too bad because I think a bit more of that sauce would have enhanced an already good dish. We also ordered the brisket with a side of the burnt end mac and cheese and the smoked tofu with a side of spicy broccoli. The sides were both good. The mac and cheese alone may have been a bit bland, but the addition of the burnt ends really added a lot of good flavor. Individually, I don't know that I would have liked either the mac and cheese or the burnt ends, but taken together they work. So if you order the mac and cheese, make sure to get a bit of burnt end with every bite. I thought the brisket was good. It was not dry, and I got some smoke flavor. The brisket sandwich was enhanced by the addition of Brand's classic sauce and some coleslaw. The only item we ordered that was a real misstep was the smoked tofu. It was essentially a large square of tofu on a bun and nothing else. So it did not look particularly appetizing and biting into it I really got no smoke flavor. Pouring a generous amount of the smokey spicy sauce on it made it edible (the sauce is good), but it's not something I would recommend.

I enjoyed the room. It is an improvement over the Hot Spot space I think. It is more open. I like their BYO policy. (For those going to Brand's, Foodsmart a bit down the block has a surprisingly strong selection of craft beers for a convenience store. We picked up a 4-pack of Dogfish Head 90-Minute IPA from there prior to dinner.) Prices are reasonable. The food above cost us $27 before tip. I am not a fan of their sauce policy. As a person who enjoys trying things, I wanted to try all of their sauces and not just the one that came with each of the meals. Perhaps if I had asked they would have brought out other sauces to try, but I think the whole set up there is a bit awkward.

All in all, I like Brand BBQ. At this point it is not among the best BBQ in Chicago, and they have some issues to work out. But they've only been open a month, and I am interested to see them grow as a business. I live in the neighborhood, and Brand's is a nice addition.

They have some setups for sauce tastings-- a little wooden rack with places to hold six cups, similar to what I've seen at things like tequila tastings-- but they seem to be a little hesitant to hand them out; at one point I was promised the chance to taste them all, then in the hubbub of things it never happened and I finally had to ask for samples of the other two that I tried, but didn't really feel like begging for all five (besides the one that came with the sandwich). If the sauces are a big part of the appeal, they really ought to lead with that, give people plenty of chances to find one they love.

Mike G wrote:They have some setups for sauce tastings-- a little wooden rack with places to hold six cups,

Seven, but whose counting.

Sauce caddy seems a fairly recent addition.

Brand BBQ

food sec. in tribune has a nice review today by kevin pang