FireWater BBQ

FireWater BBQ. Just discovered this new BBQ place in my Neighborhood that seems pretty good, pretty authentic.

I am not a BBQ expert, but it seems to have all the trappings of a real quality BBQ place. To me, if the sides are good, which they are here (Baked Beans, Cole Slaw, Potato Salad, Corn Muffins) and they have that range of bottles of sauce, the white and the red, I am already pretty well sold. The evaluation of meat quality I will leave to the experts in these matters.

http://www.firewaterbbq.com/menus/

440 E. Roosevelt Rd.
Lombard, IL
630-317-7978

1847 Knapp Rd.
Crest Hill, IL 60403
815-729-9755

My simple rule - when you walk in, does the place have a wonderful smoky smell or nothing? Second, forget about sauces. If the meat is smoked properly, it shouldn't need sauce, or just a little to complement it.

Another rule of thumb for BBQ joints is "The better the sides the worse the Q" Not always true, of course, but better than a coin flip.

As there are more and more top notch places that use gas fired smokers like Southern Pride, the absence of the ambient smell of smoke in no longer a reliable warning sign.

I've noticed this place as I have driven down Roosevelt. It had another name previously which escapes me. Didn't try that place either as I had negative reports from a BBQ loving friend. Wonder if this is new owners or rebranding?

They are new owners. I ordered a togo large brisket sandwich, which was overflowing with some of the best brisket I have had in ages. The sides of onion rings and bacon potato salad were really good too. They have some things to iron out-lack of napkins, pre packaged sauces, forgetting plastic ware, etc., but all in all a really good choice for BBQ. Next visit I'll just make sure everything I need is in the bag. There will be a next visit, soon.

A co-worker lives very close to Firewater and just delivered some rib tips to my job and they were the best rib tips I have had. Extremely meaty, just the right amount of fat, little gristle, and moist. Subtle, but great smoke flavor. The co-woker said he had the chicken a few days ago and he said that was very good. The tips came with a container of a sweet sauce that was a good complement to the tips. A more spicy sauce is available if you choose. I will be trying out other menu items in the near future, for sure.

interesting to see on their FB page them touting: grass fed, farm raised, antibiotic free bbq. A little curious about the details.

https://www.facebook.com/firewaterbbqcresthill

Sometimes Jupiter is said to align with Mars. Today Jupiter, Mars, Pluto and the whole gang got in line.

I make a roughly quarterly pilgimage to the Restaurant Depot to stock up dry spices etc. for our Pub, and I'm partial to their Lombard location. On today's trip my lovely wife rode along as we had a meeting this evening and she, the great thrifter announced there was to be a side trip to the Goodwill on Roosevelt on the way back "down".

Me, not a great thrifter, took my usual post in the parking lot where my love and considerate nature was rewarded with the spying of a sign across the way for Firewater BBQ! Only this week I'd reread this thread not having bothered checking locations.
As she shopped, successfully thank you, I shopped as well. Mine tasted better.

It was early evening, maybe around 5PM, the place was vacant save a handful of staff. I ordered their "heavy" tips, with a link tossed in for good measure. I was rewarded with a skirt of tips taken directly from the smoker and as we conversed while my order was prepped a teaser tip was placed in front of me. All I can say is...I've tried Honey 1 and will not review on one trip, I have enjoyed my Uncle John's (finally) and agree their rep is solid and well deserved...but man, this was my quasi-religious rib tip experience.

I don't take photos of my food, mostly because I don't have a resident 7 year old to show me how to post them, but LTH must drop by and love these folks. Meaty, more meaty juiciness than any I've enjoyed in the past. Smoke was real, and not over-powering the meat. Sauce was thoroughly enjoyable, a bit of apple juice with that nice amount of "glad to meet you" on the finish.

My usual MO is to take my carry-out with me home, 130 miles or so home and usually I have to factor in the reheating in the microwave and what it may have done with my prize. The teaser sampled at the counter was enough to keep me hopeful all the way home, and now some 7 hours later...I still tip my deliciously smoke-tinted hat to Firewater BBQ.

Tickled to read there is another store in Crest Hill which will be ever so much more difficult to ignore as I am in that area for meetings from time to time.

The link, well links don't usually make the microwave trip as successfully I know, this was tasty, not mind-blowing. But I can't wait to find an excuse for a return trip. The fellow at the counter knows how to fish, as I left he dropped "if you like my tips...wait till you taste our brisket". Challenge.

I have become a regular customer as this place has the best BBQ I have ever eaten. The prices are reasonable as well. I have only one complaint. I really wish they would stop greeting customers the minute they walk through the door. The behind the counter employees scream their greeting across the restaurant, which kinda irks me. Just wait until the customer makes it to the counter. They scream goodbye too. I guess that's not such a bad complaint-could be worse. Check this place out, it will not disappoint.

I've been to the Crest Hill location a handful of times over the past few months, as it's less than 15 min from the house. It's become my go-to BBQ place out in the Western burbs.

The 'que is rather good. Not mind-blowing good, maybe not even as good as my former favorite (Austin BBQ in Wheaton) before they closed. But it's consistently good.

The menu is a bit cryptic; not exactly sure what the "regular" and "heavy" refers too (plates, servings, sandwiches?). I've tried the signature sandwiches a few times; enough times to know that sandwiches might not been their strong suit (i.e.. too many flavors, poorly executed).

But the meat by the pound is solid and a good value. Brisket at $13.99/lb is a very good value; the next closest place to me (Sharko's in Naperville) is $21/lb. I had a serving of burnt ends a month or so ago (maybe a sandwich, can't quite remember) that was a really good value. Wings are good. Had the pulled pork once. Good, but would have liked to see some bark mixed in. Smoke flavor is moderate for everything I've tried; little to no smoke ring, although that doesn't mean much. I've not had the ribs yet.

Sides? Beans are decent. Cornbread OK, but I struggle paying $2 for what at many quality BBQ places is free. Mac & Cheese is par-boiled pasta being held, dumped into hot water to warm through and then a basic cheese sauce dumped over the pasta. Oh well.

As I said, it's not extraordinary but it's pretty good BBQ for a suburban Chicago strip mall.

JMO,
Dave

Stopped by here (Lombard location) and got a brisket sandwich today, and it was pretty good. Not the best ever, but very good nonetheless. I asked about the "heavy" versus "regular" and it refers to amount of meat on the sandwiches. I got a regular, and its about as much brisket as you'd get on a sandwich at Smoque (for comparison's sake), maybe a little more. Plenty enough for me. The sides (beans and cornbread) were decent but not much to write home about.