15 of the Best BBQ Restaurants in Chicago, Plus 1 That’s Worth a Drive
If you ask us, BBQ is best left to the professionals. Between the tenderness of the meat, the tangy flavor of the sauce and the layers of smokiness, there are a lot of elements to this genre that require serious skill (or at the very least, a good smoker). The best BBQ restaurants in Chicago will do all the hard work for you, so all you’ll have to do is show up and clean your plate (though, TBH, that might be quite a tall order in and of itself). We’ve rounded up 15 of the most impressive spots in the city, plus one in the Chicagoland area that’s well worth a short drive.
1. Offset BBQ
- Neighborhood: Humboldt Park
- Yelp Rating: 5 stars
773-360-7753, 1720 N. Califonia Ave., Chicago, IL, 60647, offsetbbq.com
2. Smoque BBQ
- Neighborhood: Irving Park
- Yelp Rating: 4.5 stars
773-545-7427, 3800 N. Pulaski, Chicago, IL, 60641; smoquebbq.com
3. Honky Tonk BBQ
- Neighborhood: Pilsen
- Yelp Rating: 3.5 stars
312-226-7427, 1213 W. 18th St., Chicago, IL, 60608; honkytonkbbq.com
4. Soul & Smoke
- Neighborhood: Fulton Market
- Yelp Rating: 4 stars
312-637-3888, Time Out Market Chicago, 916 W. Fulton Market, Chicago, IL, 60607; soulandsmoke.com’
5. Twin Anchors Restaurant & Tavern
- Neighborhood: Lincoln Park
- Yelp Rating: 4 stars
312-266-1616, 1655 N. Sedgewick St., Chicago, IL, 60614; twinanchorsribs.com
6. Lillie's Q
- Neighborhood: West Town
- Yelp Rating: 3.5 stars
773-295-1270, 417 N. Ashland Ave., Chicago, IL, 60622; lilliesq.com
7. Green Street Smoked Meats
- Neighborhood: West Loop
- Yelp Rating: 4.5 stars
312-754-0431, 112 N. Green St., Chicago, IL, 60607; greenstreetmeats.com
8. Lem’s Bar-B-Q
- Neighborhood: Greater Grand Crossing
- Yelp Rating: 4 stars
773-994-2428, 311 E. 75th St., Chicago, IL, 60619; lemsque.com
9. Earl's BBQ
- Neighborhood: Jefferson Park
- Yelp Rating: 3.5 stars
773-628-7870, 4835 N. Austin Ave., Chicago, IL, 60630; earlsbbqchicago.com
10. Lexington Betty Smoke House
- Neighborhood: Pullman
- Yelp Rating: 3 stars
773-309-8240, One Eleven Food Hall, 756 E. 111th St., Chicago, IL, 60628; lexingtonbettysmokehouse.com
11. Chicago Q
- Neighborhood: Gold Coast
- Yelp Rating: 4 stars
312-642-1160, 1160 N. Dearborn St., Chicago, IL, 60610, chicagoqrestaurant.com
12. Carson’s Ribs of Chicago
- Neighborhood: Streeterville
- Yelp Rating: 4 stars
312-280-9200, 465 E. Illinois St., Chicago, IL, 60611, ribs.com
13. Joker's Cajun Smokehouse
- Neighborhood: Logan Square
- Yelp Rating: 4 stars
312-818-1325, 2416 W. Schubert Ave., Chicago, IL, 60647, jokerssmokehouse.com
14. Ella's BBQ
- Neighborhood: Lincoln Park
- Yelp Rating: 4 stars
312.526-3271, 723 W. Armitage Ave., Chicago, IL, 60614, ellasbbq.com
15. Smoke Daddy
- Neighborhood: Wicker Park
- Yelp Rating: 3.5 stars
1804 W. Division St, Chicago, IL, thesmokedaddy.com
Worth the Drive: Big Ed's
- Neighborhood: Waukegan
- Yelp Rating: 4.5 stars
847-473-5333, 4030 Northpoint Blvd., Waukegan, IL, 60085; bigedsllc.com
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