real urban bbq vernon hills

Has anyone tried this place? Jeff Shapiro does it again! Place hasn't been open a week and already lines out the door!

I've been there. IMHO, It is the same as the Highland Park location so I'm not sure it deserves it's own thread. I did notice they had a salmon special the other day...I'm not sure if they have specials at HP.

I must be the only person on the North Shore not drinking the kool-aid on Real Urban. It was good but we didn't quite understand all the hoopla.

sujormik wrote:I must be the only person on the North Shore not drinking the kool-aid on Real Urban. It was good but we didn't quite understand all the hoopla.

No, I'm with you. I'm thrilled for their success but their bbq just doesn't do it for me. Does anyone know what kind of smoker they're using at the new location? Same as at HP?

=R=

The wife and I just finished a take-out order that was our first experience with Real Urban BBQ. As big fans of the now closed Big Ed’s in North Chicago and his aquarium smoker we had high hopes for this place since it is only about 10 minutes from us.

We shared a full slab of St. Louis ribs (dry and rubbed – sauce on the side), an order of burnt ends and sides of cranberry bread pudding and creamed spinach. We also got their regular sauce and the sweet and spicy.

The ribs were very soft, had little smoke flavor and very little tug off the bone. They were also not the meatiest ribs I’ve eaten and the rub, if there at all, did not add any flavor.

The burnt ends were tender and not fatty, but also lacked the smokiness we prefer. There was very little bark, which disappointed us, but this was our time eating burnt ends so our expectations may have been off. The sauces were good as were the sides.

The restaurant is set up cafeteria style. You go through a line for everything except drinks. They do not accept take-out orders over the phone. You have to go in and go through the line. There is valet parking which was a good thing since the lot was full when I got there at 6:15pm, but the restaurant was not too busy at that time. Traffic increased as I went through the line.

Overall, we were disappointed, but will probably try them once more and will eat at the restaurant in the event that the take-out wrappings, etc. may have affected the food. We miss Big Ed’s and hope his Waukegan location has the same quality Q as his shuttered North Chicago place. If not and our next try at Real Urban is a repeat, it looks like it’s back to the city for good Q.

Your experience generally matches what I've found at the original location, so I wouldn't expect a better result from a return visit.

ronnie_suburban wrote:

sujormik wrote:I must be the only person on the North Shore not drinking the kool-aid on Real Urban. It was good but we didn't quite understand all the hoopla.

No, I'm with you. I'm thrilled for their success but their bbq just doesn't do it for me. Does anyone know what kind of smoker they're using at the new location? Same as at HP?

=R=

Count me as another non-koolaider. I just don't get this place. No smoke flavor at all in their Que. we really miss Big Ed's up in North Chicago, and instead will drive past RUB to get Q at Smoque which seems to be the next closest joint.

Pursuit wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:

sujormik wrote:I must be the only person on the North Shore not drinking the kool-aid on Real Urban. It was good but we didn't quite understand all the hoopla.

No, I'm with you. I'm thrilled for their success but their bbq just doesn't do it for me. Does anyone know what kind of smoker they're using at the new location? Same as at HP?

=R=

Count me as another non-koolaider. I just don't get this place. No smoke flavor at all in their Que. we really miss Big Ed's up in North Chicago, and instead will drive past RUB to get Q at Smoque which seems to be the next closest joint.

I should clarify. My experience has been at the HP location only

I too was a fan of Big Ed’s. I haven’t tried RUB, but I have been to Smokin’T’s. While not everything they do is great, I think it is pretty good. And it is closer than driving to Chicago.

Does anybody have comments on Smokin’T’s?

Smokin’T’s
3976 Route 22
Long Grove, IL

D.

After I found out that Real Urban (Vernon Hills) was pretty close to my new office digs in Banockburn, I bee-lined it on Monday for lunch. I probably built it up too much, but I tried to temper my expectations. I was the guinea pig for the office (as is generally always the case) so I perused the online menu, and decided that the 3 meat combo meal which comes with 2 sides would give me the best value for tasting. After I found the joint, I walked in, and was immediately brought back to the Texas Que joint set up (well, really, a suburban mall attempt at it.) The SMELL is what made my synapses start firing off with memories of Texas q. The place smelled GREAT.

Cafeteria style lineup and the smell of real q had me thinking I was gonna be in for a treat. The first stop was meats. The gentleman before me asked for burnt ends, and got them, so I knew I was gettin some as well. My choices for 3 meats were brisket, burnt ends and pulled pork. The guy behind the counter grabbed a brisket out of a warmer, and started slicing it up for me and another memory synapse fired off. The brisket looked kinda jiggly, and juices leaked as he sliced - synapses again. Then he grabbed and handful of burnt ends chopped in pretty big one inch-ish cubes. Then a handful of pulled pork. It all went in a handy, dandy cardboard container. It looks small, but I made two decent meals out of it. The 18.49 price tag (tax included) was a little high for the portion, imo, but as I keep telling myself up in these fancy burbs, I ain't in Kansas anymore. It all looked good, and it just smelled like the real deal. The sides on the line looked like sides. The mac and cheese tho - looked like high school cafeteria fare. I opted for creamed spinach, and the corn bake which I saw someone gave a good nod to in one of these threads.

I wish everyone could just go there and smell the place.

Anyway:


Brisket:

The lean portions were a tad dry, but the fatty portions were cooked pretty darn well.
NO SMOKE FLAVOR.

Pulled Pork:

Cooked very nicely. Got a nice chunk of skin, too.
NO SMOKE FLAVOR

Burnt Ends:

The tallest midget. I liked these a lot. Juicy, fatty, good flavor.
NO SMOKE FLAVOR.

Creamed Spinach (it's creamed spinach, I'm not gonna rotate the picture, I'm in a hurry:)

If this came from Boston Market, I would not be surprised. Salty. Not BAD or anything, Just processed tasting.

Corn Bake:

This should be a dessert. It was like Jiffy corn muffin mix with twice as much sugar, and condensed milk as the binder, with fresh corn nibblets aded. It was good, but it was SWEET. REALLY SWEET. It reminded me of a drier than normal Malt O Meal with lots of sugar, and some kind of dairy richness. I liked it, but it was REALLY SWEET. I'm guessing if you don't have a sweet tooth, this will shock you. I like sweets, and this was REALLY SWEET.

All in all, the price tag does not merit me going there often at all. If there was some smoke flavor going on, I could justify going there, easily. But the prices they are charging make me think they should be smokin stuff with care. They are COOKING stuff with care, but not using enuff smoke for me at all. I'm very happy I went, and I'll probably pop in once in a while for burnt ends. But if I was in that area, I think I'd head to Roti before Real Urban. It's the kind of bbq that makes you want better bbq afterwards. I'd just cut out the middleman.

Got carry-out last night from the Vernon Hills Real Urban BBQ, a 1/2 chicken with sides of 'buttermilk' mashed potatoes & cole slaw, and a 3-meat combo of baby back ribs, brisket & burnt ends, with the mashed potatoes and baked beans.

I HATE to use this adjective, but it fits--'meh', especially on the sides. The burnt ends were far & away the best of the bunch, good flavor profile, decent meat/fat ratio, and they seemed to have more smoke & bark than anything else I was served. Then the baby backs would be next in order of desirability, then chicken and brisket. I mean, the quality of the meat is obviously good, it's texturally appealing, but it is almost bland, especially in comparison with what I've been used to at Big Ed's, which is big & bold & totally in your face on everything.

Even the best of the sides at Real Urban wouldn't make the grade at Big Ed's. The baked beans were way too tomatoe-y, not enough pork chunks, but then again how can you tell with the miniscule portions for the sides. Mashed potatoes were not 'right' from a consistency standpoint. Sauces were OK, sweet & spicy, but the only difference was the amount of cayenne it seemed.

Real Urban BBQ/Vernon Hills is very convenient for me compared to Big Ed's/Waukegan, and I will definitely go back for the burnt ends, and maybe the ribs and to try some of the other sides. I just wish the overall flavors weren't so 'suburbanized'---it's almost as if they don't want to think outside the box while catering to North Shore tastes. 'Real Urban' it ain't.

UPDATE--I had the leftover chicken & brisket for lunch today. Brisket is still only fair but the chicken breast, with a hint of tarragon, was quite good warmed up.

Check out the Events board. RUB will be at the Little Bear rib fest on 8/24 – 25.

Dodger

jnm123 wrote:I just wish the overall flavors weren't so 'suburbanized'---it's almost as if they don't want to think outside the box while catering to North Shore tastes. 'Real Urban' it ain't.

Could we someday please stop this kind of slamming of suburbanites? (I already know the answer; probably not.) People live where they need to live; it doesn't tell you anything about where they've been around the world or what their tastes are. Don't forget, the esteemed Ronnie Suburban lives in the suburbs, as does Cathy2, as does David Hammond. The people in my neighborhood are just as diverse as in any neighborhood in the city. As for "real urban," it's not as though the Loop is a world-renowned barbecue mecca.

I have eaten at the Vernon Hills location twice. I have to say the sides are great.
The BBQ on the other hand has just been okay. For a BBQ place I was surprised at the lack of smoke in the air, I also felt the BBQ didn't have enough smoke flavor.
The brisket, sausages, and turkey needed more smoke and were under seasoned.

Katie wrote:

jnm123 wrote:I just wish the overall flavors weren't so 'suburbanized'---it's almost as if they don't want to think outside the box while catering to North Shore tastes. 'Real Urban' it ain't.

Could we someday please stop this kind of slamming of suburbanites? (I already know the answer; probably not.) People live where they need to live; it doesn't tell you anything about where they've been around the world or what their tastes are. Don't forget, the esteemed Ronnie Suburban lives in the suburbs, as does Cathy2, as does David Hammond. The people in my neighborhood are just as diverse as in any neighborhood in the city. As for "real urban," it's not as though the Loop is a world-renowned barbecue mecca.

Ha! I suppose there are many food preparations one can justifiably bash by calling them suburban but I agree that barbecue hardly seems to be one of them. OTOH, there is something to be said for the "north shore" mindset, which seems to be its own separate thing all together. So, just because something is targeted toward a north shore audience, doesn't necessarily make it suburban. And, fwiw, Vernon Hills is not on the shore.

Neither Urban nor Suburban, my first choice of where to find great bbq would proably be Rural, if I had to choose one.

=R=

Missing my point completely. I was talking about 'urban/suburban' purely from a taste standpoint, and catering to the tastes of the clientele in those locales. Big Ed's (North Chicago, now Waukegan) & Hecky's (Evanston) are examples of the bold TASTES, and while they are located outside of Chicago, both are in urban-style neighborhoods. And I mentioned North Shore because the original Real Urban BBQ is in Highland Park, which most definitely is North Shore.

jnm123 wrote:Missing my point completely. I was talking about 'urban/suburban' purely from a taste standpoint, and catering to the tastes of the clientele in those locales. Big Ed's (North Chicago, now Waukegan) & Hecky's (Evanston) are examples of the bold TASTES, and while they are located outside of Chicago, both are in urban-style neighborhoods. And I mentioned North Shore because the original Real Urban BBQ is in Highland Park, which most definitely is North Shore.

Yeah, I was just being pedantic for my own amusement about the shore issue.

The overuse of 'suburban' as a pejorative . . . well, I'm over that. But in any event I'm glad you clarified your point because now I understand it.

=R=

Hecky's (Evanston) are examples of the bold TASTES

Hecky's? Really? That's a credibility-blowing statement. Hecky's is mediocre at best. When the best thing on the menu is the fried chicken, you KNOW you're in trouble.

Just had a couple of items today. The burnt end sandwich was thick pieces of brisket ends that were very juicy and I would recommend that everyone try this at some point. Also had half a chicken with had a mild smokey flavor and was moist. The skin was crispy and flavorful. I had a much less successful experience with the food at the Highland Park location, however that was just around the time they started their business, appears that time to learn and explore has been the difference.

Just caught that dig, sundevilpeg, thanks. Hecky's USED to be *it* for BBQ of the urban variety in that neck of the woods, and it USED to be pretty good. Haven't been there in 15 years, just was illustrating that type of taste.

I got carry-out from Real Urban/VH last night, got a pound of burnt ends, a pound of smoked turkey breast slices, and some mac & cheese. Decent, convenient for me, expensive (eleven bucks for a quart of mac & cheese?!), wish the burnt ends had more bark. I do like that sweet sauce, however.

ronnie_suburban wrote:Neither Urban nor Suburban, my first choice of where to find great bbq would proably be Rural, if I had to choose one.

Last month I was in St. Louis and had the best barbecue I have ever had, here. Its setting is decidedly urban, across the street from a public market whose history dates to 1841.





Bogart's is well-known in St. Louis, and it's extremely popular, so you will often encounter a wait. They open at 10:30 a.m. and the interior photo above was taken at 11:15 a.m.

Hey folks I know it's been awhile.

Anyway, saw a few comments on RUB and thought I might type a few words. First of all, to the earlier question about what kind of smokers are they using; answer is they have two FEC (Fast Eddie by Cookshack) commercial pellet smokers. Which is why they have a softer smoke than most other smokers you may see around town. According to Jeff Shapiro, they were were having some minor issues with the smokers ventilation systems, which were making the smoke evacuate the smoker too quickly. I'm not sure if thats all fixed by now or not, but they are working on it and it's the main reason the meat isn't as smokey as they want.

Secondly, Big Ed's has MOVED, and is not closed. He is now located in Downtown Waukegan:

Big Ed's Bar & Grill,
30 N. Genesee St,
Waukegan, IL 60085
http://www.bigedsllc.com/

True, Big Ed is not on an aquarium any more, but he is BBQ'ing on a large oil can smoker that's right on the side of the new building these days, most days you can see him cooking as you drive by. Stop by and say hello, and have a drink or three at the nice oak bar, its a good place to knock back a few drinks

Take care all-

abf005 wrote:...Secondly, Big Ed's has MOVED, and is not closed. He is now located in Downtown Waukegan:
I
Big Ed's Bar & Grill,
30 N. Genesee St,
Waukegan, IL 60085
http://www.bigedsllc.com/

True, Big Ed is not on an aquarium any more, but he is BBQ'ing on a large oil can smoker that's right on the side of the new building these days, most days you can see him cooking as you drive by. Stop by and say hello, and have a drink or three at the nice oak bar, its a good place to knock back a few drinks

Take care all-

It's a bit of a stretch to imply that Big Ed's BBQ moved. Big Ed's Bar and Grill was already there when the BBQ restaurant closed. The Bar and Grill only has pulled pork and brisket. They don't have any ribs, tips, links, chicken, greens, mac & cheese, beans, slaw, hoagie ...etc., that were so popular from the BBQ restaurant. That's a closing, not a move.

abf005 wrote: According to Jeff Shapiro, they were were having some minor issues with the smokers ventilation systems, which were making the smoke evacuate the smoker too quickly. I'm not sure if thats all fixed by now or not, but they are working on it and it's the main reason the meat isn't as smokey as they want.

I haven't eaten at the Vernon Hills location, but the HP location also uses a Cookshack pellet smoker and the food there has always been light on smoke, so I really don't hold any hope for Vernon Hills.

nsxtasy wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:Neither Urban nor Suburban, my first choice of where to find great bbq would proably be Rural, if I had to choose one.

Last month I was in St. Louis and had the best barbecue I have ever had, here. Its setting is decidedly urban, across the street from a public market whose history dates to 1841.

...

Bogart's is well-known in St. Louis, and it's extremely popular, so you will often encounter a wait. They open at 10:30 a.m. and the interior photo above was taken at 11:15 a.m.

Hi,

I was at Bogart's last month, I found it quite disappointing. I ordered their pastrami, which seemed barely smoked and did not have the characteristic peppercorn and coriander seed rub. While one does not always get a smoke ring, there was no smoke taste either. I paid for freshly made pastrami and received corned beef instead.

I also had their prime rib, nothing to write home about.

I remember when I knew less about BBQ, I enjoyed much BBQ variations than I do today. Maybe 10 years ago, I might have liked Bogart's more.

Regards,

I have to second Cathy2's thought. It seems the more I know about food flavors the more I expect from what I'm served. I am often disappointed now with my dining experiences.

Had this for the first time last night.

Major disappointment. The burnt ends were cold and dry, and the mac n cheese was incredibly bland.

Can someone please clarify a debate I've been having with my brother.

Does RUB use a smoker? I seem to remember reading here that they don't? Or maybe I was mistaken and they use a smoker, but they do something different than other BBQ places that use a smoker. Reading these posts there are lots of comments about a lack of smoke flavor, but then I noticed a post where they mentioned that they use a pellet smoker.

What is the difference between a pellet smoker and the type of smoker a good BBQ place like Big Ed's or Smoque uses?


I was also told that at RUB the way they make burnt ends is to just cube brisket, put sauce on it and then toss it in the oven/smoker. They don't actually use the ends or if they do, they are mixed in with the other pieces.

There is no question that RUB Vernon Hills uses the same Cookshack pellet smokers as at their original Highland Pork location.
The main difference between the Southern Pride smokers as used at Smoque and the Cookshack is the pit master. One can certainly argue about the merits of various designs, but the results can be great or awful regardless of the smoker.

RUB, regardless of what they may say, is perfectly content to draw lots of customers with their barely smoked product.

No place that serves burnt ends in quantity throughout the day is serving true burnt ends. By definition, a true burnt end can only be "harvested" from the very ends of the brisket, obviously resulting in a very limited supply. One could even say that true burnt ends aren't made, they're collected from whats left of the brisket after the "good pieces" are used up.

But the national trend is to have "burnt ends" a regular part of the menu, so the the meaning of term has changed to small cubes of brisket cut from the point, which is fattier than the flat. In other words, burnt ends now pretty much means brisket from the point cut in cubes instead of slices. For a purest, it is sad to see televised BBQ competitions where the competitors are asked to cook burnt ends. But that's the way things are, so you can criticize RUB for the quality of their offerings, but not their nomenclature.