Smoque BBQ Review

Amazing BBQ Here! Get the mac and cheese side it will not disappoint!

Favorite spot to grab good bbq, if I'm not cooking.

Food was AMAZING fast and efficient service . Awesome workers and Delicious Flavorful Food

Very impressed. I went there with a friend, and we shared our great memories when getting lunch. All were very good, and quite filling. The food was rich and flavorful, and something special which we were looking for. In one word i can say awesome.

Probably the best baby back ribs I've had. The Memphis sauce was aeesome too.

Saint Louis Ribs were okay. In my opinion they were overdone and I'm guessing this is normal for their style. Brisket was not smokey at all. Tasted like fatty roast beef the only thing that saves it is the sauce. Smoke ring was not thick enough. Sides were good, good slaw, Mac n cheese. I'm very picky about smoked meats because I do allot of smoking.

The and I say again the greatest brisket and bbq in Chicago. I would highly recommend. Platter with 2 sides is the go to!

Food is amazing! And did I mention it's a BYOB type of place. Makes it that much better

Favorite BBQ in Chicago! Delicious sliced brisket! Love the cole slaw and beans! A true institution. Try to order in advance... Lines can be crazy.

The brisket is amazing and was a big hit at our party!

burnt ends were a 5 - pretty fantastic. pulled pork, 3.5. cornbread, 4. sausage, 3.5/4 (too much black pepper for my taste, even if that's the way it's supposed to be). beans, 5. cole slaw, 4.

The Place
Fun southern/Texas style BBQ atmosphere. We were greeted upon arrival. The young lady at the counter was very helpful. Nice table seating area but limited in size. It gets very busy and parking can be slightly challenging.

The Menu
Smoque focuses on BBQ done right. There menu is small by some peoples standards but they are BBQ centric. They focus on sandwiches and platters with offerings of Brisket, pulled pork, chicken, and Texas Sausage. These are offered by the pound as well and they also have great ribs with various rubs and sauces. I've taken my daughter to many different southern BBQ's and she put Smoque's brisket up against them all with a dinner bet. I took the bet and must admit I lost the bet smiling. The brisket was very flavorful and deliciously juicy. The pulled pork was good as was the chicken. I also had the shredded brisket taco's as it was taco Tuesday. Overall the food was very good and the brisket EXCELLENT. If I have one criticism it was the side offerings. The cole slaw was very good but the mac n cheese just ok. Some Jalapeno grits or deep fried okra would have brought a little more excitement than fries. Just sayin...

The Service/Value/Experience
The service and atmosphere were very good. The people are friendly and welcoming. The value very fair for Chicago or any real BBQ spot. It was a great experience overall and I highly recommend it! A great BBQ spot for Chicago or anywhere.

Excellent food, excellent service. If you go there once, you will go there twice.

This place is amazing! Great food, awesome location and great customer service. I have been back several different times and each time it satisfies the bbq craving. Hands down the best bbq spot in all of Chicago!

Probably the best BBQ I've ever had, and I've had a lot of BBQ. The brisket was so tender it melts in your mouth like butter. The deserts were phenomenal. The prices were reasonable for 5 star BBQ. Highly recommended for any BBQ lover.

One of the best BBQ places in Chicago! If you love meat, then this is the spot for you! Great taste and ok prices. Highly recommended!

This place has one of the best bbq food in the city. It's a bit out there but totally worth the trip. The food is absolutely amazing and you might not know this but it's also BYOB.

Haven't been in a while and I sure am kicking myself as to why?! The St.Louis ribs are a must!!! Don't forget it's BYOB.

It has been one of the best BBQ in Chitwon. Go with pulled pork or briskets and make sure to get a peach cobbler.

great place for ribs and BBQ sauce. Burger and beers

I had the sliced brisket bun and it was INCREDIBLE. The staff is also lovely as they took the time to explain to us the different options available in the menu.

Awesome food...awesome staff. I wasn t big on the beans and they were happy to swap it with the Mac n cheese. P.s. get the Mac n cheese and St. Louis ribs it s the greatest ever

Great BBQ, pork ribs were amazing, pulled pork was great, fries and mac n cheese make it an incredible meal

Pulled up for lunch yesterday and had to wait about 20 minutes to order due to the line. I was able to secure a table with my small group. The pulled pork platter with mac n cheese was outstanding. It was woth the wait. I will try the ribs next time since they looked great.

I've had a fair share of BBQ in the past, and I have to say that Smoque BBQ just comes in somewhere above average. When you get there, you order at the counter, then the host will seat you. I'm generally not a fan of the Carolina style coleslaw, so I can't comment on theirs really. The ribs and pulled pork were pretty good and the sausage was probably my favorite thing from what we ate. Their Mac and cheese side is pretty good too but I didn't enjoy their bread pudding at all. The toppings were good but the texture of the bread pudding was dense and rubbery.

AND

They are the best in all illinoiss

Best Bbq in Chicago. Ribs are great, fall right off the bone and melt in your mouth and the brisket is cut thick. Made fresh, the food does not sit around and the pecan bread pudding is not one to miss.

Busy restaurant but worth the wait. The owner could smile more the last time I went there :)

Good food, great service. Have to try the pulled pork delicious.

Great BBQ place. Best ribs in the north Western Chicago.

Legit BBQ. Everything's good we've tried here: brisket, pulled pork and chicken. Fries are excellent too. Very attentive service. Great low-key casual atmosphere. Will be back

Food is great. Can be hard to find seating at busy times but well worth the wait.

For those who like simple but high-quality BBQ for a nice lunch, this is your place

I love this place. The pulled pork and brisket are to die for. Call in advance place gets packed

Moist tender and flavorful, this may be the best brisket I have ever had......

Fantastic brisket. Well organized and efficient for a very busy restaurant

Amazing BBQ. Everything is terrific. Especially the brisket. Long lines totally worth it wait... Have to try. No where like it in Chicago.

So so good! I get either the pulled pork or brisket sandwich. Always look forward to eating here. Pride of Avondale!

great BBQ !!!!! If you are in chicago, you should definitely stop by !!
simply the best !!

Looking for authentic smoked BBQ? This is definitely the place to go. The brisket was so amazing, it literally melted in your mouth. The sides were just as delicious; coleslaw and baked beans. The portions were huge and we had enough leftovers for a full lunch the next day. Great hidden gem in the city.

Terrible experience. The hype about this place makes no sense. I went here to try to food, I've lived in places where BBQ is a staple in daily life, so I know what it's supposed to taste like. I was excited because I thought this was going to bring back a lot of good memories, it didn't. The place was packed wall to wall with people, and the food I got was overcooked. This place is also overpriced as hell.

You just have to go to understand. Most suggest the brisket, I go pork with man and cheese.

Such good pulled pork! But still, I always get the half and half so I can have brisket too.

We've never ate at Smoque but just watched it on DDD and they mentioned traveling to KCMo & learning how kansas city does barbeque. I'm born and raised on KC BBQ. This place looks amazing! My husband and I are definitely gonna plan a road trip!

Ok.. This place is on point! Had Brisket with burnt ends and beans with the bread pudding.. You all have read about the meat.. So no need in reliving the obvious!
Lets talk about the bread pudding.. First of all I have eaten a lot of different bread pudding.. This is in the top 4 best! Its got great flavor along with the density of a good bread pudding.

BEST bbq around town. the BEST! eat there and get a bbq mustache. SO good

Delicious BBQ and fun environment. BYOB, which is another great plus. They try to seat you as soon as possible, but can be tricky for bigger parties.

I must not be into brisket or I'm confused as to how this place is good. I'm from NYC and I must say this is not as good as people say it is. I had the stripped brisket sandwich and it was very dry not enough natural juices, the bun was overly large and dry.

Smoque is a very casual divey type of place, so the atmosphere is definitely relaxed. Your food is served on a wax paper covered tray, styrofoam cups, and plastic utensils. It's in a bit of a remote part of Chicago, but it's not hard to get to nor was it hard to park. The food was good, but to me nothing too impressive. The cornbread, mac and cheese, and slaw was definitely good! My brisket came out a bit dry unfortunately. We ate there on a weeknight and there wasn't a line.

Had a brisket sandwich, it was really good. The extra sauce really hit the spot and it all went well with my side of beans. I will definitely go back.

You know it's good when the line is full of pregnant women. 1 they're willing to wait in line on their feet and 2 this food beat out pickles and peanut butter cravings.

Best bbq in Chicago! 1/2 chicken and brisket are my fav our ire choices. Very good fries and coleslaw. Must visit in Chicago!

One of the best barbecue spots in the city. Known for their brisket and ribs and they don't disappoint. Save room for the great bread pudding.

One of the only restaurants in the Chicagoland area that manages to understand and execute REAL barbecue. They don't just broil your food and soak it in bbq sauce. I've eaten everything on the menu and everything is more than edible. Real bbq aficionados will appreciate the smoke ring on the bark of the pork and beef. As aforementioned in other reviews the wait can get lengthy but for a barbecue starved city, it's worth it. I think that cretin with the bleach blonde tips is a chode so I'm not going to mention his stupid show. If you've ever been to his restaurants you'll know he's full of bs and you'd never take his word on food again. He has the dead palette of a 90 year old grandma.

I've never had an issue parking but I never go to Smoque during peak hours. I like the watery vinegar based sauce as it reminds me of a West North Carolina style sauce. They also have a sweeter sauce that is reminiscent of Memphis barbecue. Again, they don't slop it on your food, which is typical of restaurants masking bad bbq. They serve it on the side the way a good barbecue place should. The sauce should complement and enhance the meat, not cover it up entirely with a corn syrup based goo. I'm also fond of their sides. Beans and cornbread were on point. Cole slaw is good but I prefer cream based slaws. (simply a matter of opinion, theirs is vinegar based) I had some of their cobbler for dessert which was also good. With cobbler it's easy to screw up the cooking time. A few minutes one way or the other and you either have raw topping or over-caramelized sugar resulting in a taffy like consistency with unpleasant acrid flavors. They nailed it. While I agree that the hype isn't nearly reflective of the actual quality of the place, we don't have a lot of options here in Chicago and these guys are about as good as it gets here.

This place is far from where I live but I go at least twice a year with the woman who is practically my wife who happens to also be fond of Smoque. (Never hurts.)

Oh, one last thing. TIP THE KIDS WIPING YOUR TABLE. Living in Chicago is expensive. Even in the hood it's comparable to living in NY or LA. You just spent $40 on two meals, slip the kid a five you greedy b*stard. Not many people do.

Don't see what the hype is? I have eaten yet better places with worse reviews I would read it as just meh. When you order a platter and they can't even give you a couple of pieces of white bread and you have to order bread

The food is absolutely awesome.All the employees and nice and its a great family restaurant.

Best BBQ ever. Of all the BBQ places in the city and suburbs Smoque is,by orders of magnitude ,ahead of all others.

Best Barbeque in Chicago. You order at the counter, and they called your name when the food is ready (it just takes a few minutes). We ate in the small dinning room but many people order the food to go. They did a good job of getting everyone seated so even though it was crowded, it did not seem hectic. Do not miss a chance to eat at Smoke, you will be glad that you did.

The ribs and pulled pork are our favorites. We go out of our way to eat here when we're downtown.

You know it's great bbq when you never need to reach for the sauce- which is good also. Really good brisket too. Add it as a taste side to make room for it. And they make extra steps to accommodate for nut allergies.

The food is amazing! I love the service the workers are very friendly. I come here all the time. Although the line gets long often but it's worth the wait. I really love the French fries and chicken. This is the best barbarque restaurant in Chicago!

I love this place. I try to go as often as possible. I'm not one for sweet barbecue ribs, so this place is perfect for me with the dry rub ribs. They're coleslaw is unlike any other also not sweet but, very vinegary and I love it. My son and I always share a rack of ribs as well as a kids brisket sandwich. My husband loves the pulled pork sandwich. Honestly when you walk in to here you want one of each, which is why they have a small portion called a taste. The Mac and cheese is amazing. The fries are great. I'm not much of a fan of sitting at a table with other people I don't know, who are having loud conversations. I. Usually take my food to go and only make it to the car. I go as often as I can! Highly recommend this place!

Would surely recommend trying this spot. Fantastic mood, tasty dishes, great customer service. Keep up the good work.