Calvin's BBQ

My car smells like a smokehouse, and I blame Terrence. And Calvin. Because it was Terrence's post that got me to drive tonight to Calvin's BBQ, which opened a day and a half ago on Armitage west of Western. I am not a barbecue expert, but I'll trust my taste and opine that Calvin's is a very good to excellent barbecue spot, and when Honey 1 opens up just a bit to the north, Terrence's and my neighborhood* will become something of a barbecue destination zone for the northside.

So anyway, I picked up a variety of meats and, as is my usual MO for an untested spot, I gave no special instructions, just to see how they would do it "their way." Unfortunately (and this is the only negative part of my Calvin's experience), that included a pretty heavy hand with the sauce; vide:




It may look like abdominal cavity surgery, but the meat stood up to all that sauce. The hickory smoke that wafted through Calvin's parking lot, into the restaurant (smartly appointed for on-site dining, by the way), and eventually permeated the interior of my Volkswagen, was the real spice on this meat, and next time I'll remember to order the sauce on the side. Not that the sauce is bad, because it was very tasty sauce, not very spicy but very flavorful.

My platter included brisket, tips and pulled pork, which I would rank in that same order of preference.


The Brisket



The Tips



The Pulled Pork



The brisket was a bit dry for my taste, and simply not as flavorful as the tips and pork. But that's not to say I didn't like it; it was good and would be better in a sandwich, I'd think, than alone.

The tips, which I ranked second among the meats sampled tonight, were very tender, not too fatty, filled with smoke and pork flavor in what I thought was a nice balance. The flatter, more "blackened" pieces were especially nice, providing an almost crunchy crust followed by an intermezzo of chewy skin, fat and then tender, toothsome meat underlying it all. Yum!

But the highlight for me was the pulled pork, possibly because that is my favorite barbecue dish to begin with; I even like it when it's bad. But Calvin's pulled pork was not bad, it was excellent. And the sauce went very well with the pork, even in the large quantities applied to my serving, because the meat had a strong pork and smoke flavor that stood up to the sauce (and also probably because, like all pulled pork, the fibrous nature of the product can hold a larger quantity of sauce among its fleshy interstices than can be plastered on the outside of a flat, relatively smooth surface like that of a rib tip or slice of brisket).

I know I will be back to Calvin's (although it may take a week to finish off the leftovers from tonight's feast). And I'll be tossing out that spray bottle of Febreeze in the glove compartment, too.

JiLS

Calvin's BBQ
2540 W. Armitage Ave.
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 342-5100


* See discussion in Smokin' Woody's thread.

Unfortunately pulled pork just might be the most un-photogenic food there is.

Fortunately I don't buy my food to look at it. It's my favorite BBQ dish too. I have a hunch I'll be making the trip soon.

midas wrote:Unfortunately pulled pork just might be the most un-photogenic food there is.

Oh, really?





And it's really funny, because I was most proud of that pulled pork picture; I thought it was the most appetizing of the bunch!

midas wrote:Unfortunately pulled pork just might be the most un-photogenic food there is.

Harrumph

Maybe it's like looking into the flames of a campfire or fireplace -- you see the secrets your subconscious is hiding from you.

I guess I have one of them unsophisticated palates. I understand, intellectually, why most of you object to having so much BBQ sauce slathered on your meat, but, me, if I like the sauce, I'm all for it.

Here's a picture of one such oversauced pork 'wich from Hog Wild in Midlothian.


Hog Wild
14933 Pulaski Rd Midlothian, IL
(708) 371-9005

Pulled pork unphotogenic? Nah. This, believe it or not, is a cake. Details on its construction here. Don't miss what happens when they cut it.

Very nice recommendation, guys. After reading the posts here and seeing the pictures, i stepped into Calvins on the way home tonight. My take?

A large order of really excellent rib tips

1/2 Barbeque chicken that pulled away from the bone easily while still holding together.

2 pounds of pulled pork with no sauce. I chose to get the pork naked and dress it with some really excellent South Carolina style mustard based sauce that Cathy2 gave me a few weeks ago. Gawd, if I only had some supersaturated sweet tea to go with it.

Calvin's is very heavy handed with its sauce. I'd recommending ordering it on the side and saucing this excellent smoky meat yourself.

I'll be eating barbeque for a few days to come.

Below is the mustard based pulled pork on a little wonder bread bun with a side of Calvins excellent southern style potato salad.

Amazing to see that neighborhood become a new bbq destination.

Has anyone had a chance to sample calvin's links? I'm a link addict, and I can make it to BA's easily from home, but not so much from work for lunch

This is getting interesting. I was never much impressed with Woody's, whether on Southport, Lincoln, or their place at the beach in Michigan. Of course, especially with BBQ, new management means everything (Country House, eg).

Upon checking Smokin' Woody's website, I surmised that my only visit (to the Southport location) was almost certainly during the reign of the previous owner.

The photos are mightily intriguing . . . .

I smoke my own brisket, ribs, and pork shoulders, but I'm always in the market for convenient (as in on the way home from work) sandwiches (and hot links!).

I likely would also wed the pulled pork to a mustard or vinegar Carolina BBQ sauce.

More, soon.

Cheers,
Wade

Wade, a while back I asked Gary for his mustard sauce recipe. here is what he gave me:

South Carolina Mustard Barbecue Sauce:
(G Wiv's version as of 5.31.05)

2/3 cup yellow prepared mustard
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 cup cider vinegar
1 tablespoon ancho powder*
1 tablespoon chipotle powder*
1 tablespoon guajullo powder*
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper**
1 tablespoon Louisiana style hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
2 tablespoon butter

Combine all ingredients except soy sauce and butter in saucepan and
simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in soy sauce and butter.
May be used as a basting sauce for barbecue meat or as a condiment.

* For maximum flavor toast and grind whole dry peppers
** For Cayenne I simply grind crushed red in a spice grinder, you get a much fresher flavor.

It really has a great depth of flavor

Much, much better than my last Smokin' Woody's experience (under the previous owner/cook). With Honey 1's relocation (I'm stopping there on Wednesday), my gripe about there being no decent bbq on the north side of Chicago has been, finally, defeated (as has been my complaint that Chicago was a bbq wasteland, outside of a few excellent rib/rib tip/hot link joints).

I had the brisket, pulled pork, hot links, and rib tips. I shudder involuntarily when I see pulled pork pulled from a pot and brisket and links reheated on a griddle, but this was very nice q (I'm used to freshly sliced/chopped). The brisket wasn't up to the best from TX, and the pulled pork paled to that found in NC, but, hell, I can't travel that far every day for lunch and dinner, so I will be back. Regularly.

The pulled pork had some great, crunchy burnt ends/skin mixed in with it.

The links were quite good, nicely spiced, cooked, and coarse-ground.

Um . . . a tip: Reiterate your request for sauce on the side. I asked for it, but I got sauce on everything, and there went my plans for mixing the pork with a mustard-style sauce.

I won't repeat the previous images, but here is the location and the hot link sandwich.





Cheers,
Wade

During the summer I tried this place. I actually went to the back to visibly see the pit before I ordered. Although I am certainly not a bar b que expert, I know what to look for. After visually checking that they indeed smoke food - I ordered the brisket. Unfortunately even my visual check did not make up for the fact that the brisket was unedible. It was like leather. The ribs were kind of dry.

I won't be back.

I've become a regular at Calvin's having eaten there around 4 times over the past month or so. I have sampled tips, ribs, pulled pork, barbeque chicken, the very unusual barbeque spaghetti and their excellent potato salad.

Everything has been acceptable to outstanding. My only beef with the place is that I think they put far too much sauce on their meat. So, i remedy that by ordering sauce on the side.

Personally, i'm with jonathanc: nice as calvin is, I was distinctly underwhelmed by the ribs, pork and brisket at his bbq shack. The fried catfish was good though. If I return again, I'll skip the smoked meat....

Science Boy and I stumbled onto Calvin's quite by accident shortly after it opened. Both of us hail from the South Side and were hankering for some good barbeque. We were *not* disappointed. Since that first visit, we've been back many times. We don't like the salad, but then you don't go ot a Barbeque joint for the salad! After tasting a number of items on the menu, Science Boy always orders the whole "Succulent Smoked Chicken," which lives up to the name. I often get barbeque wings, sometimes the mini rib sandwich. All of it is fabulous -- and we usually get at least one (sometimes two) more meals out of the chicken.

We're not big fans of Fat Willy's (though Science Boy does love the sauce). We were gonna splurge on some Calvin's tonight, but after reading all the raves of Honey 1, I think we'll give that a shot...

Peace,
Katharine

HI,

I went with friends to Calvin a few weeks ago. From reading this thread, I learned to ask for sauce on the side. This was useful hint for two reasons: 1) its allowed to taste the food as-is without the sauce overwhelming; 2) they provided such a generous quantity of sauce I took it home to use on chicken grilled at home.

Our big disappointment was the greens, which my friends rejected as too salty. The waitress advised the greens are always too salty. While otherwise well made with lots of chopped meat in them, the salt content was too much. Do you have the same opinion or like them as-is?

The mac and cheese was so-so, too. However the smoked chicken and rib tips hit the spot, which is really the most important element for a BBQ shack.

When you visit the restroom, there is an opportunity to check out their kitchen. I didn't see any smoker, though I could smell it. They advised the smoker is in the rear of the kitchen out my line of sight. While I would have loved to have seen it, they didn't offer and I didn't pursue it very strongly.

Regards,

I haven't tried the greens yet and, if they're as salty as you say, may take a pass on them next time, too.

I agree about the mac and cheese, but I figured that was because Science Boy's aunts make the best (and probably most artery clogging!) mac and cheese EVAH.

I also like the jalepeno corn bread, which can be a little bit dry, but is flavorful. Plus, there's always extra sauce to dip it in!

Haven't seen the smoker, either, but everyone seems friendly every time we go there, so I suspect they'd be to letcha have a peek. If I remember to grab my digital camera next time we go, I'll ask about it.

Peace,
Katharine

This sounds like a very good BBQ joynt. I'll have to drive up there from the far SW side to try it. Could anyone give me recommendations for Q on the south side? Since Baby Joe's closed in Burbank, I really haven't found a BBQ place that compares to Baby Joe's.

Chucks is ok but I didn't care for the brisket. It was slathered in watery sauce and it had little flavor. Pulled pork...kind of the same.

The Pit is absolutely horrible. Nice neon though. Gotta attract your customers somehow!! Very inconsistant and too much dough for little portions.

The Patio...been there twice for ribs. Can you say DRY! No more Patio. Gave them the benefit of the doubt going there twice.

Uncle Bub's in Westmont or Downers Grove has a cool look to it but that's about it. Very bland food.

If anyone's ever in Louisville, go to Pepper Shakers Chili and BBQ. Great BBQ and sauce, but I can't drive or fly there whenever I want good Q! Look for their website sometime this fall.

As Rod Serling used to say, "For your perusal ..."

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

Lem's Bar-B-Q House
311 East 75th Street
Chicago, IL 60619
773-994-2428

Report back what you think!

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:I didn't see any smoker, though I could smell it. They advised the smoker is in the rear of the kitchen out my line of sight. While I would have loved to have seen it, they didn't offer and I didn't pursue it very strongly.

It’s been about a year so I hope I’m remembering correctly that Calvin’s uses a Southern Pride. Whatever it is, it’s not a wood-burning pit. That reminds me, I ought to try Calvin’s again. My one visit was toward the end of the day and the smoker had long been shut down so my pork was pretty dry.

EvilUs wrote:Could anyone give me recommendations for Q on the south side?

Not sure where you’re located but on the southwest side, I-57 Rib House (1524 W 115th) isn’t too bad. I’d order the tips and links. For better barbecue, though farther north and east, Cathy2’s suggestions of Barbara Ann’s or Lem’s are good. All three are takeout only.

Thanks to both of you. My Bro-in-Law's a cop in that area. I'll have to meet him for lunch.

ReneG,

You're probably right about a Southern Pride at Calvin's. I just checked my post on Calvin's other establishment, Smokin's Woody's. At the Lincoln Avenue location, I commented his smoker was an enclosed cabinet like Chuck's.

Chuck uses hickory wood in his Southern Pride-type smoker, though I know there were other fuels involved like gas or electric. At Kendall College I saw a similar cabinet smoker where they had a setting for liquid smoke!

Regards,

Definitely a southern pride - a big one too, the size of of couple of refrigerators, with a massive gooey rotary meat rack and a side chamber for logs to add the smokesque accents to the food. I got a guided tour when I visited the place for a Reader review.

Seth Zurer wrote:I got a guided tour when I visited the place for a Reader review.

Seth,

I'd ask how you liked the Calvin's, but I just read your Reader review and I'd guess your answer would be not-so-much.

Enjoy,
Gary

Hmm... I read the Reader Review and was wondering when it was written. Recently? Of course, everyone has an opinion on barbeque, but after trying Honey 1 last night, both Science Boy and myself agree that we prefer Calvin's. The rib tips at Honey 1 were okay -- kind of a mixed bunch. Some were super tender and tasy, but some very kind of tough and not so good. the sauce was good, but even purchasing an extra "large" portion of sauce on the side, there wasn't much. (I know that's another debate -- how much sauce is appropriate? -- but we like the option of making the 'cue saucy if the sauce is good.) The whole chicken didn't hold a candle to Calvin's, in our humble opinions.... We might try Honey 1 again, if for no other reason than that we can walk there (and I want to try a turkey leg sometime), but Calvin's remains our favorite barbecue on in Logan Square. (So far. )

Peace,
Katharine

bluroses wrote:I want to try a turkey leg sometime

I believe Honey 1 has given up on the turkey legs, which is unfortunate. They were fantastic. But the pulled pork sandwich they just added to the menu is great, and I think much better than Calvin's version (which as indicated in my original post in this thread, I thought was a pretty good example). Why do I prefer Honey 1's pulled pork? Their meat has more burned bits, more real smoke flavor, and is automatically served with coleslaw on top, which is my own personal favorite mode of pulled-pork presentation. (I was imprinted as a young college student eating the prototypical Virginia-style pulled-pork with tomato-based sauce and coleslaw, as served at Pierce's Pitt Barbecue.)

So sad about the turkey leg. It's still on the menu, but I'll ask when I go again. I'll definitely try the pulled pork. I did like Calvin's, but I'd be up to see if there's something at Honey 1 I will like better!

Peace,
Katharine

Hi Bluroses - I wrote that Reader review in August of last year. Haven't been back since that time. Could've been an off-night, it's true. Glad you've liked your meals at Calvins.