Has anyone been to Fat Willy's?
Has anyone been to Fat Willy's?
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Has anyone been to Fat Willy's?
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Post #1 - March 13th, 2006, 11:45 amHi all!
I'm planning a trip to a fabric store in the North side and I thought I might get dinner too at the same time (Yes, I don't go out much coz my grad studenthood has had me chained to the laboratory bench most of the time *boohoo* Ok, TMI). Anyways, I found an interesting-looking restaurant near the store, called "Fat Willy's Rib Shack" at 2416 W. Schubert. I searched for it on Metromix.com and found mixed reviews. So has anyone been to Fat Willy's and what do you think of it?
Thanks!
"There is no love sincerer than the love of food." - George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) Irish writer.
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Post #2 - March 13th, 2006, 11:54 amTheir smoked chicken is excellent. Ribs are hit and miss at best. They serve a pulled pork sandwich that some love while others hate. The mac and cheese is really good. I'm a big fan of the chocolate pecan pie. Others have said they don't care for it.
Better ribs can be found at Honey 1 nearby at Western and Fullerton. Honey 1 is a pretty bare walled place with a good sized dining area.
That smoked chicken though. It's really good.
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Post #3 - March 13th, 2006, 11:55 amMaria,
If you do a search for Fat Willy's on LTHforum. there isn't a specific topic, though at least 21 posts where there are comments on Fat Willy's. I think this place was talked-out on CH long before we moved to LTH.
On March 2, 2003 I was researching locations for the Western-athon, when I first encountered Fat Willy's:
While doing research for the Westernathon, we came across:
Fat Willy’s Rib Shack
2416 W. Schubert Avenue
773/782-1800
Hours: Sun-Thurs: 12-9:30, Fri-Sat: 12-10:30
This MAY violate the Western Avenue only rule, however their sign IS on Western Avenue, then it is maybe 1/2 block in. This was our find of the day. We initially ran in to get the take out menu and stayed for lunch (it was after 2, no breakfast or lunch --- wall paper was beginning to look VERY good)
What attracted us to stay was Baked 4 Cheese Macaroni consisting of imported Gruyere, fontina, parmesan & Wisconsin cheddar baked with penne noodles for $4.95. We then ordered the large rib tips, which included steak fries and Texas toast for $8.95. The rib tips were meaty, obviouosly smoked and by my request not swimming in additional sauce. Though there was more sauce available at the table, we never needed any more. I normally pass on the Steak Fries because they are limp cousins of American Fries (temporarily avoiding references Francais), these steak fries were extra crisp and delicious. We used fries to scoop up the leftover cheese from the macaroni. Yummy! We also ordered the scallion corn bread, which was a more traditional unsweetened corn bread -- I was raised on the Jiffy variant -- which came late in our meal when I was full.
I rarely ordered dessert but I could tell the crust on the pecan pie was homemade. This pecan pie I only nibbled had chocolate chips on the bottom. They dolled up the presentation by dribbling caramel sauce, whipping cream and salted pecans. Unfortunately, this where they made one departure from everything seemingly made from scratch: it was aerosol whipped cream. Next time I will skip the cream.
Things of interest we did not have the capacity to sample: beef brisket, smoked chicken, Chili, Sausage Gumbo, Apple wood bacon.
They are expanding next door, though I'm not sure what that means exactly, they may be on Western Avenue shortly.
Regards,
Cathy2
We look forward to your report on Fat Willy's as you observe it on your visit.
Regards,Cathy2
"You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
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Post #4 - March 13th, 2006, 12:05 pmI lived very close to Fat Willy's for some time and I frequented it for their four-cheese macaroni and cheese. It has one of those addictive flavors that makes you want to keep eating it. I really enjoyed it cold, but it was a challenge to leave any leftovers.
I tried a lot of other things there to have something to go with my mac & cheese and I finally settled on the brisket (never tried the chicken). Their burgers and ribs were un-impressive. The brisket doesn't have a great BBQ flavor, but it's tender and juicy and it worked for me.
Fat Willy's is one of those places that obviously has someone who knows how to cook, but is missing the mark when it comes to BBQ. It was amusing that I didn't first smell BBQ smoke in the neighborhood until Honey 1 moved in a few blocks south, years after Fat Willy's opened their doors.
I haven't returned to Fat Willy's since I left the neighborhood. It has it's merits, but it's not a destination.
Best,
Michael
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Post #5 - March 13th, 2006, 1:35 pmI agree on the mac n cheese. It is very good, however my husband thought it was almost too busy. He prefers bare-bones mac n cheese. The pulled pork brisket and tips were not terrible but not good enough to go back. The sauce was nothing special as well. I haven't tried Honey 1 but this forum really seems to like it!The clown is down!
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Post #6 - March 13th, 2006, 6:14 pmMetromix is stupid as several other chicago publications are.Show me the menu!Most have websites!
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Post #7 - March 13th, 2006, 6:58 pmgrant wrote:Metromix is stupid as several other chicago publications are.Show me the menu!Most have websites!
?? You mean like this?Objects in mirror appear to be losing.
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Post #8 - March 14th, 2006, 3:19 amDon't overlook Fat Willy's hand-dipped corndogs!
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Post #9 - March 15th, 2006, 2:14 pmI have to agree. Fat Willy's isn't bad, it's just nothing worth going out of your way for, unless you're a mac and cheese fan. The people are nice and the place is cute, but small and when the place is packed and you are waiting in line or for your order you have no place to wait except outside unless you want to be hovering over people seated. Sucks if you're seated and you have peoples butts in your face while you eat!Moses supposes his toeses are roses, but Moses supposes erroneously. Moses, he knowses his toeses aren't roses, as Moses supposes his toeses to be.
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Post #10 - March 15th, 2006, 3:23 pmKitchen Monkey wrote: The people are nice and the place is cute, but small and when the place is packed and you are waiting in line or for your order you have no place to wait except outside unless you want to be hovering over people seated.
I think you must not have been there since they expanded.
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Post #11 - March 15th, 2006, 4:40 pmNo, I have not been in probably 2 yrs. I am glad to hear that they expanded, they really needed it back when I lived in the neighborhood. After eating there in cramped quarters a couple of times, we ended up ordering to go. I am dying to go back to the area to try Honey 1 though.
I humbly retract my comment on the size of their dining room.
Moses supposes his toeses are roses, but Moses supposes erroneously. Moses, he knowses his toeses aren't roses, as Moses supposes his toeses to be.
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Post #12 - March 17th, 2006, 2:54 pmI really like the burgers at fat willies. They are hand packed and tasty. I generally get mine with bacon, cheddar, grilled onions, and BBQ sauce.
Yum.
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Post #13 - July 6th, 2006, 9:18 amLTH,
In another thread
J. Ro wrote:The hot link was the coup de grace. A nice slow burn developing over the course of a minute in your mouth to the point where it proved too hot for Mrs. Ro (who is known to have a limited ability to tolerate heat spice). This was a blessing for me, as I just held out the piece of white bread, picked it up, and ate it like a hot dog.
beautifully describing my favorite way to eat a hot link, simply picked up on a piece of cheap white bread. It's been a few weeks since I've had a hot link, I smoked spare ribs over the 4th weekend, but no links, so off I went to Honey One for links. Even though it was Wednesday Honey One was closed, deservedly so as they were open both Monday, their usual day off, and Tuesday, the 4th of July.
I simply did not have the time to go to Uncle John's, Lem's or Barbara Ann's so, thinking how bad can a hot link be, went to Fat Willy's. As it turns out, pretty bad. Not that the large diameter wiener in and of itself was bad, grilled, natural casing, though there wasn't much in the way of flavor and the casing had toughened, but by no stretch of the imagination was this a BBQ style Hot Link, at least in my experience.
Fat Willy's Hot Link
Compounding the not-a-hot-link hot link dilemma was the fact it was served on a toasted brat style bun loaded, and I do mean loaded with butter, and this is coming from a Wisconsin guy who loves Solly's, poorly caramelized onions and the merest hint/whiff of horseradish.
Fat Willy's
I also had a "hand dipped" corn dog, not bad, though not in the same league as Wiener and Still Champion. Also, what's with serving the corn dog with 4 little packs of mustard, when they have bottles of the stuff on hand.
Fat Willy's Corn Dog
Fat Willy's outdoor eating area is pleasant, service good, though prices are a bit high, $7.95 for a just ok grilled sausage sandwich w/fries fries and $3.50 for a solo corn dog, but not out of line. Frankly, it will be a Willy Willy long time before I'm back at Fat Willy's.
Enjoy,
Gary
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Post #14 - July 17th, 2006, 4:03 pmWent to FW today and had the pulled pork, It was great!
I mean for $9.95 it was three times the size of honey-1's and three times as tasty. The bread was amazing as was the crispy cole slaw.
Had to have them bring a fresh batch of fries, but other than that, it was a great sandwhich.
If you dont have a huge appetite, beware the sandwhich is huge!
Next up, the brisket...
J
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Post #15 - July 17th, 2006, 5:12 pm"it was three times the size of honey-1's and three times as tasty"
Come on. Really?
I can see the criticism that H1's pulled pork is relatively (relative to other items on the menu) expensive. But I think H1's pulled pork is one of the best examples I've tasted in a town not known for pulled pork. That's no knock against FW, but to my taste, they are not really trying to do the same thing.
It's nice to have two BBQ places that different folks enjoy, for different reasons, right down the street from each other.
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Post #16 - July 17th, 2006, 8:01 pm"The bread was amazing"
I guess as far as toasted a Gonella roll goes, it is pretty amazing.
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Post #17 - July 17th, 2006, 8:14 pmJstevens75 wrote:I mean for $9.95 it was three times the size of honey-1's and three times as tasty.
So, let's do the math. If the flavor of H1's sandwich is represented as Xf, and the size of H1's sandwich is represented as Xs, and the taste value (TV) of a sandwich equals flavor times size, THEN:
TVh1 = Xf x Xs
TVfw = 3Xf x 3Xs = 9(Xf x Xs) = 9TVh1
So, one Fat Willie's pulled pork sandwich is equivalent to nine of Honey 1's (TVfw=9TVh1). Or at least that's the math.
That means that for H1 to compete on a mathematical basis with FW, they would have to charge $1.11 for their sandwich to compete with FW's. We know they don't do that. So, we have now proved with mathematical precision and certainty that Honey1 is an extreme rip-off. Thanks, everybody!JiLS
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Post #18 - July 18th, 2006, 7:20 amI dont want to start a debate or a war about H1. I was so excited to go there...then I got this tiny sandwhich with okay tasting meat and a pathetic bun.
While saying this, their ribs are in my top two ever....(honey 1's)...it is just that their pulled pork I believe seems like an after thought to me. I wanted to love it, and maybe I would have loved two...
Nonetheless, one did not cut it for me...While FW's wasnt the best I ever had, it was very good, do comparisons for yourself....and come back and report your findings....everyone has different taste.....maybe you'll find you dont like FW as much but you still found something new that you did like somewhat...
J
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Post #19 - July 18th, 2006, 8:47 amComparisons among places selling the same or similar things are fair and meaningful. On the other hand, this board (less so than others) recently tends toward superiorism, as if there can be only one place serving any particular kind of food that is worth visiting. Obviously, Jstevens did not mean that FW is so great as to exclude H1; thanks for the clarification.
Regarding buns, I've come to associate great BBQ (and great fried chicken) with bad bread. I am not happy if my pulled pork comes on anything but a squishy burger bun or if my tips and links combo does not rest on a soggy slice of Wonderbread-inspired white. But especially so for pulled pork. When I'm eating Carolina BBQ, I want the bread to get the hell out of the way.
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Post #20 - July 18th, 2006, 8:53 amJeffB wrote:Regarding buns, I've come to associate great BBQ (and great fried chicken) with bad bread.
I generally agree with that sentiment, with one minor exception. As I discovered at the 3J's truck, Jamaican jerk (if that is, technically, BBQ) is better with dough bread than spongier stuff. As to the sturdiness of the bun for pulled pork, I'm willing to treat this as knife-and-fork food, if necessary, but am also willing to get my hands a little dirty when eating any type of barbecue. That really is a matter of taste, though, and I can completely understand the preference for a sturdier sandwich roll.JiLS
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Post #21 - July 18th, 2006, 8:59 amI can understand anyone's frustration with Honey 1's pulled pork sandwich. The pork is very tasty with a great smoked flavor . . . in my opinion much more flavorful than Fat Willy's. But the portion of pork on the bun is just way too small, and this has nothing to do with the price. I'd probably be willing to pay an extra buck or two for more pork on the sandwich. I've ordered it twice and both times it came with the same amount of pork. On another occasion when I ordered tips, my friend ordered the sandwich and again, short on pork. Luckily, I warned my friend in advance so he could not blame it on me.
So I'll keep ordering their ribs and tips, but I'll skip the pulled pork, unless of course, they increase the portion size.
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Post #22 - July 18th, 2006, 9:02 amBR wrote:I can understand anyone's frustration with Honey 1's pulled pork sandwich. The pork is very tasty with a great smoked flavor . . . in my opinion much more flavorful than Fat Willy's. But the portion of pork on the bun is just way too small, and this has nothing to do with the price. I'd probably be willing to pay an extra buck or two for more pork on the sandwich. I've ordered it twice and both times it came with the same amount of pork. On another occasion when I ordered tips, my friend ordered the sandwich and again, short on pork. Luckily, I warned my friend in advance so he could not blame it on me.
So I'll keep ordering their ribs and tips, but I'll skip the pulled pork, unless of course, they increase the portion size.
That's funny, because I've ordered the H1 pulled pork twice, and both times found it to be pretty well stuffed with pork. But that was right after they added it to the menu, and maybe since then they've adjusted portions downward?JiLS
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Post #23 - July 18th, 2006, 9:26 amJimInLoganSquare wrote:BR wrote:I can understand anyone's frustration with Honey 1's pulled pork sandwich. The pork is very tasty with a great smoked flavor . . . in my opinion much more flavorful than Fat Willy's. But the portion of pork on the bun is just way too small, and this has nothing to do with the price. I'd probably be willing to pay an extra buck or two for more pork on the sandwich. I've ordered it twice and both times it came with the same amount of pork. On another occasion when I ordered tips, my friend ordered the sandwich and again, short on pork. Luckily, I warned my friend in advance so he could not blame it on me.
So I'll keep ordering their ribs and tips, but I'll skip the pulled pork, unless of course, they increase the portion size.
That's funny, because I've ordered the H1 pulled pork twice, and both times found it to be pretty well stuffed with pork. But that was right after they added it to the menu, and maybe since then they've adjusted portions downward?
Damn! Now you're going to make me try it again this week. I'll have to do it for lunch when the price is lower (if that's still the case . . . I'm not sure).
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Post #24 - August 6th, 2006, 2:03 pmdamn that picture looks tasty..
i thought fat willy's ribs were good. not my favorite from chicago, but very good and very well done. does anyone else think its overpriced? it's $22 for a full rack of ribs with NOTHING else... or $25 for ribs with a side or two.
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Post #25 - August 7th, 2006, 11:08 amOpinions wanted (sorry if this is a little off topic):
Compared to places like Smoke Daddy on Division and Fat Wily's off Western, is the pulled pork at Horseshoe on Lincoln REALLY REALLY smokey? I've always thought so, but some friends of mine say that they can't taste much of a difference.
I'd love to know other people's opinions on this subject.~ The username is a long story
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Post #26 - August 7th, 2006, 12:45 pmdddane wrote:damn that picture looks tasty..
i thought fat willy's ribs were good. not my favorite from chicago, but very good and very well done. does anyone else think its overpriced? it's $22 for a full rack of ribs with NOTHING else... or $25 for ribs with a side or two.
Yes, a bit expensive, but not really out of line for sit-down restaurants. I had to go to some place in the suburbs this weekend called "Claim Jumpers" and their half-rack was $21.95 (full-rack $25.95). But that did come with sides. But, no, I did not order them.
As for Fat Willy's ribs, as far as baby backs in Chicago go, I think they're pretty good. Fat Willy's is where I had my first real slow-cooked-over-wood ribs, and they made me see the light, so I'll always have a soft spot for them. Before them, I didn't much like ribs at all.
Of all the sit-down restaurants where you can take a date without hesitation, I think Fat Willy's is the best for ribs.
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Post #27 - August 7th, 2006, 12:53 pmBinko wrote:Yes, a bit expensive, but not really out of line for sit-down restaurants.
Of all the sit-down restaurants where you can take a date without hesitation, I think Fat Willy's is the best for ribs.
ahh, i was getting it take out... but good point about the best place with ribs to take a date. most of the better places a pretty dumpy. though if i were dating i'm not sure i'd want to eat ribs in front of a date anyway?
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Post #28 - August 7th, 2006, 12:55 pmdddane wrote:Binko wrote:Yes, a bit expensive, but not really out of line for sit-down restaurants.
Of all the sit-down restaurants where you can take a date without hesitation, I think Fat Willy's is the best for ribs.
ahh, i was getting it take out... but good point about the best place with ribs to take a date. most of the better places a pretty dumpy. though if i were dating i'm not sure i'd want to eat ribs in front of a date anyway?
The secret is to find a girl who, although not a foodie, at least humors your whims and doesn't complain when you take her out to 75th & Cottage Grove for dinner, like I have.
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Post #29 - August 7th, 2006, 1:12 pmBinko wrote:dddane wrote:damn that picture looks tasty..
i thought fat willy's ribs were good. not my favorite from chicago, but very good and very well done. does anyone else think its overpriced? it's $22 for a full rack of ribs with NOTHING else... or $25 for ribs with a side or two.
Yes, a bit expensive, but not really out of line for sit-down restaurants. I had to go to some place in the suburbs this weekend called "Claim Jumpers" and their half-rack was $21.95 (full-rack $25.95). But that did come with sides. But, no, I did not order them.
As for Fat Willy's ribs, as far as baby backs in Chicago go, I think they're pretty good. Fat Willy's is where I had my first real slow-cooked-over-wood ribs, and they made me see the light, so I'll always have a soft spot for them. Before them, I didn't much like ribs at all.
Of all the sit-down restaurants where you can take a date without hesitation, I think Fat Willy's is the best for ribs.
Vettel in his roundup(git along li'l dogies!) of Western-"inspired" restaurants in this past Thursday's Trib made special note of Claim Jumper's 21.95 half-rack. He opined that it's to make the 25.95 full-rack more appetizing. I still think either price is ridiculous for ribs.Being gauche rocks, stun the bourgeoisie
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Post #30 - January 14th, 2007, 4:40 pmWe got delivery from Fat Willy's friday night. The brisket was tasty, but weirdly it got dried out as we ate it. It came moist and tender, but got hard. The chicken was good. We skipped their ribs. The Hot Link wasn't. It was a sausage, it wasn't a hot link
Leek
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