Green Street Smoked Meats

I didn't see this having its own thread, please move if appropriate.

Went on Saturday, arrived at 5:30 and there was already a line. Have someone get drinks while you are standing in line, it's a long wait.

I really enjoyed the food, it was very good - first time I have had smoked brisket in ages that was actually moist and tender! The ribs were good as well. Friends got the Frito Pie and said it was OK, but nothing special, and the hot links were OK but not great. I also thought the pickles and cole slaw were very good - it's not creamy, very snappy with cilantro. Beer selection on tap was reasonably diverse, and the soft serve ice cream (which I didn't try) is a fun touch.

They are NOT kid friendly, with no high chairs or boosters, and at 8:30 it becomes 18 and over (we went with friends who have a child, so noticed these things).

The music is very loud, and the space is huge with lots of metal for the sound to bounce off. So any kid noises would not be a distraction (our friend's kid and the one other we saw were well behaved, so we didn't get to hear how a meltdown would blend in).

I definitely would go back, food is worth it, and it's a fun environment.

Green Street Smoked Meats
112 N Green St, Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 754-0431

Thanks for the review. I went a few weeks ago and my experience was overall good. I am a big BBQ fan and while I'm not a big fan of more country type of "culture," I found the vibe in there quite enjoyable. The BBQ was good but not the best I've had in town. It was real tender of course but I thought the brisket could use more flavor to be honest. The place is good but perhaps a little too hyped up for the food. The atmosphere is pretty cool though. I'll try it again but I'm not sure the food is worth standing in line for 30+ minutes for. They did make me some good drinks luckily.

Typical Sodikoff form factor. By now it is clear he has a formula in space design and food. Well designed, creative, thoughtful and detail oriented aesthetic. Very American in a Texas Fourth of July party sense.

Go buck wild here drinking cheap beer and stuffing your face with delicious brisket. Some stuff runs out on busy nights. I enjoyed the hot link, the brisket, the pulled pork was kind of meh. The sides were tasty and filling too. I thought the coffee sauce was absolutely genius. I find the bar to be rather impossible, so I stick to water. Bonus for the spicy pickles (I love my pickles).

Will surely be a lot of fun come summertime. Not sure if it will rise to the level of Au Cheval hype, but definitely will be high enough so as to have some long lines. Folks who are not Chicago native and grew up near good BBQ will probably find this place to be rather at home.

Anybody else get really mushy brisket here? I loved everything else, but really hated the brisket.

Ive only eaten here once. Had the brisket. My wife and I both thought it was exceptionally delicious. It was cooked perfectly, was juicy, full of flavor. Didnt need sauce I mostly just ate it "plain". We both felt it was among the best Texas style briskets we've ever had. Comparable to Smoque locally and a little reminscent of Black's and Smitty's in Lockhart, TX.

The beef ribs were super tasty too but not really worth it to me for just a few bites of goodness. Our dog appreciated the huge bone. The cole slaw was good, more of an asian vinegar style than mayoish. The beans were really good, with hunks of meat and thick sauce.

The atmosphere was super cool. You enter down a brick paved alley. Large cavernous space ,distressed walls, peeling paint. Very rustic. Really interesting hanging light fixtures. Perfectly lit restaurant. Waited in a short line (Saturday 5:45) holding a can of Daisy Cutter. Fun interaction with the meat slicer pitmaster. All the meats are displayed on the cutting board, everything looks amazing. Easy to spend alot of money here on the priced by weight meat.

The tables are big picnic tables, if you are sharing food from the big serving platter they give you, its kind of hard to reach the food stacked in the center of the table. We decided to each use one of the paper boats to hold our portions in front of us.

We werent too keen on the classic rock records being played but Im sure the music mix varies depending on who is behind the bar.

We both felt the food was amazing. Plan to go back soon, at an early hour. Looking forward to trying the salmon. Can imagine that the huge outdoor patio will be a really fun place once the weather warms up.

champs2005 wrote:We werent too keen on the classic rock records being played but Im sure the music mix varies depending on who is behind the bar.

We both felt the food was amazing. Plan to go back soon, at an early hour. Looking forward to trying the salmon. Can imagine that the huge outdoor patio will be a really fun place once the weather warms up.

The thing I enjoyed most at Green Street Smoked Meat last night was the music, especially a whole side of Iggy Pop--won't get that in Lockhart.

That said, I was underwhelmed with the food. First let me say, that I've been very happy with Sodikof places in the past, and second, I am not a bbq snob in the least; hell I even like Carson's. So, I was prepared to like this a lot more than I did.

My observation or theory at least, is that the meats were just too made ahead of time. I mean we got there at like 6, way before the rush, and they were still taking meats out of steam warmers. To compensate, the stuff was just too--too. I mean the brisket had way too much bark, hard almost. The ribs had an aggressive rub. Heavy smoke in all. No finesse, no balance, not the magic of good Q.

I have weirdly mixed feelings on the sides we got, a bit of a variation of the old Catskill's joke, that is, they were very good but there was too much of them. We got a mix of the house pickles and an order of the cole slaw. Like I say, the portions are good for the price, but all of that was intense of vinegar. After a while I had no more need to eat. I think a better idea would be to comp a tiny bit of pickle on each plate.

First time I went to GSSM, I got there too late and the cashier was closed. My dining companion and I put on our sad puppy eyes and received a generous platter of brisket + pork belly + chicken + links + ribs + pickles + bread on the house. I now give them a standing ovation every time I'm on Randolph.

I found it merely good especially compared to the high quality of BBQ around the city. I was pretty disappointed in all of the sides we tried (most of the pickles and vegetables) which is an unfortunate weakpoint at most of the BBQ joints in Chicago. I found the meat portions a bit skimpy for the jacked up Randolph area prices. I used to be a huge Sodikoff fan, but something is off with his ventures lately.

bernard wrote:First time I went to GSSM, I got there too late and the cashier was closed. My dining companion and I put on our sad puppy eyes and received a generous platter of brisket + pork belly + chicken + links + ribs + pickles + bread on the house. I now give them a standing ovation every time I'm on Randolph.

I can't believe this is the first mention of the pork belly in this thread. For my money, that's the best thing they do here. The brisket's good, but there are other places for brisket in town; the pork belly, on the other hand, is pretty special. An order of that together with the broccoli salad is a great meal for two. Maybe throw in some pickles (1/2 hot + 1/2 sweet) if you want to live it up.

cilantro wrote:... pork belly ... For my money, that's the best thing they do here.

How could I have forgotten! It definitely came close to Hakka pork belly/pickled vegetable as one of my favorite pork belly dishes (as seen here).