Smoque BBQ Review

Great food, large portions! We took one st.Luise full - for three of us and 2 extra on sides. Their beans and macaronicheese were amazing! Meat is delicious. A+++++ place!

Great ribs, baby back and St. Louis, and brisket in an unassumingly cool spot. Deep, subtle smoky flavor and sides that are great in their own right. Even though we BBQ beans were great.

This is my favorite BBQ spot in Chicago. I like to bring friends here from out of town for an "authentic" Chicago restaurant experience. The waiting in line part just adds to the anticipation. I have been here many times. I usually like to get the ribs or the pulled pork sandwich, the mac & cheese (creamy), the baked beans (best I've ever had in life), the cornbread (sweet and fresh), and the fries (freaking amazing- nice and crispy).

Smoque needs to open another location- quickly.

My words of advice:
Don't get the peach cobbler - it is more like a peach crisp. There is not any crust or dough inside. For me, that's key.

Go during off hours- before or after a typical dinner rush. I usually like going during the week around 8pm or on a Sunday at 3 in the afternoon. Its much easier to get a table during off hours.

Enjoy!

Good BBQ but a little over-rated and over-priced. I've eaten a lot BBQ all over the country and this is not the best or even in my top tier. They cook with a little more spice and the sides are somewhat unique. But the meat is overcooked and dry and that's a big no no for BBQ. I wanted to like it but I'm sorry to say it's not that great.

Great beef brisket (sliced or chopped) & pulled pork, Memphis & Carolina BBQ sauce, really good sides (chili, baked beans, mac & cheese), plus BYOB - can't go wrong!

Very good food, I recommend the ribs, they do not fail, just a little girls

Best BBQ in the city. Have tried the ribs, brisket, and pulled pork. All were amazing.

Some of the best BBQ I have had outside of Texas. The line to get food is usually crowded but the staff does a good job of keeping it moving. I think it's worth the wait and dealing with the crowd if you want some great food. Or, they take to go orders if you want to skip the lines and eat at home.

Soooo good totally recommend the best smoke house in chgo! Try the pulled pork brisket or ribs so gooood!

Amazing pork!!
I love there pulled pork sandwiches! There sauce is amazing. There little busy but worth picking up!

The go-to BBQ in the area. Get the brisket and a mundet green apple soda and your belly with thank you!

Best BBQ ever had. Also servic was really great too.

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.

Excellent BBQ, great service. ..We will be back for sure ..... We have visited many BBQ restaurants true out US but this is so far nr 1

Excellent, delicious, plentiful portions. Easy street parking.

Awesome food.... make sure you set aside time to wait for a table... and your party must be together to order... (can't get a table for 5 if just 3 of the party have arrived)

I had the St. Louis ribs, chopped brisket, cornbread, macaroni & cheese and coleslaw.
Ribs: Chewy, but flavorful
Brisket: Succulent and delicious, some of the best I've ever had
Cornbread: A little dry
Macaroni & Cheese: Amazing. The crumbly top was unreal.
Coleslaw: It was less coleslaw and more a coleslaw salad. And I loved it. Drippy, overly wet coleslaw gets real old. This didn't.
Service was excellent and the food was great. I recommend it for good bbq

Best value for great BBQ in Chicago. You can get a whole ton of delicious food for the low low.

My favorite BBQ spot in Chicago. Love the St Louis ribs, and the sides are awesome. There's often a long line, but it moves quickly.

The food is always great here. Customer service is wonderful, but sometimes there is an extremely long line that can go out the door and down the block. If you catch them at a slow time there could be no wait.

This place clearly knows how to satisfy their customers. Regularly with a super friendly demeanor. The food is conveniently priced, regularly fresh and clean.

As a native Texan, I can say that this is by far the best Texas style brisket and sausage I've found in Chicago. It's been my #1 spot for BBQ since moving to Chicago in 2012. Between my friends, family, and me we have tried almost everything on the menu multiple times, and it is all top notch.

My go to for BBQ in the city! Always a great experience

Food is gr8, the service is professional, very practiced and personable. Very busy when we got there, line out the door. Moved along very quickly. Their system works well for them. We sat in the restaurant this time (we usually carry out). The place was jammin, but you could still hear your partner talk. The kitchen equipment was amazingly clean considering how busy they were. From the convection ovens to the fry station to the bake ovens, from the exhaust system to the prep station, it was impressive how clean even the corners were clean.
The dining area, although old and used, seemed sealed and clean. The staff made their best efforts at accommodating.
I got the baby backs, and my wife got the chicken. Both were excellent and juicy...
This is a must visit for any BBQ fanatic.

Wow!! Just had some really good BBQ. If your ever in Chicago I suggest you stop here. Was very pleased with the service and food quality.

So after years of hearing nothing but good things about this place my friend and I made the 20 min drive to get some bbq. It was a little more expensive then average but was worth every penny. The staff was excellent as well. Will deffinetly come back!

This place is top notch. So good! Best BBQ in the city!

This is definitely my favorite place! Great BBQ! In my opinion briskets are the best, but baby back ribs are awesome, too. The sides are also good. I would recommend beans and mac n cheese. The portions are huge, so 1/2 of the portion is absolutely enough for one person who likes to eat a lot!

My food was decent and the customer service was great. However, I feel it's a little bit to pricey. I spent about $16 for a pulled pork sandwich, fries and a drink. I feel that its worth about $10. Also, the atmosphere was very crowded. However, my dining experience was not worst than other places I went to.

Ribs are the best I've had in Chicago yet. Kinda pricey but is worth it. Crew is nice, but unorganized at times. Down sides: They let people cut the line all the time, is not fair make people wait outside and then let random people in and done say anything. Coleslaw is not good, is more like a onion salad. The place Is small but cool.

Best BBQ in Chicago. Enough said. Oh, they have outside seating in the summer time now.

Although parking at 3:30 if there is no space on Pulaski is a challenge, there is usually free parking on Avondale. Food is fantastic. Special today was brisket gumbo. 3.25 a cup. The best of New Orleans and Memphis in one bowl. Wow! The staff is friendly, cheerful and engaging. Great bbq and sides.

Delicious!!! I finally know what all the hype is about. I'll be back soon :)

Loved it. Great food . Great prices.
Could use larger portions.
But Awesome stuff

If you have not had BBQ here you haven't eaten great BBQ! I come here as often as I can. This is by far the best brisket I've ever had, and I'm a texan. Guy got it right on this one.

Love this place! Have tried everything on the menu and never been disappointed! My go-tos are the St Louis ribs and sliced brisket. This is BBQ that you can forego the sauce and still know you had BBQ! Only thing missing larger sides and rib tips.
Bye, bye, Lems! No more long drive to satisfy my rib craving.

Have been trying to beat the crowd and finally got a table today, well worth the wait.

The food was really good. Great BBQ place. My kids liked it. They are really picky eaters

A must try!!! One meal is big enough for two!!!!! The BEST

The food is always delicious! The staff are friendly and polite. I've never had a bad experience here!

Very good, was not timely, however made up with complimentary ribs and drink

Very nice St. Louis ribs, and the fatty sides of the sliced brisket is to die for. Service and staff is very friendly. Hard to say it's the best BBQ in Chicago. Smoked meats on Green Street in Fulton Market is delicious as well.

The food was very good, but the main portion was a bit on the smallish side. The cole slaw is some of the best I have ever had.

Brisket and pulled pork are good, but the ribs are heavenly. They use 11 spices in their rub to form the most amazing outer crust. Side bbq sauce is on point with champion bbq. If you like chili, the brisket chili will not dissapoint. Prices are pretty darn good (sandwiches $7, includes delicious slaw). A full slab of ribs is $17 (you'd pay $20 at famous daves). It does get crowded, but usually in spurts (not constant), but they have a very efficient system (one cashier, bunch of guys cooking, and they line the orders up on the counter). Even though seating can feel a little cramped, it's not bad considering the size of the building.

If your still not convinced, watch the "diners drive-ins and dives" episode on youtube, the owner did his homework (traveled through austin and memphis to learn from the pros). If your anywhere near chicago, I can't recommend this restaurant enough.

The best BBQ I've had in chicago. The brisqet is tender and the sauce selection makes for a great pairing. They also have other items like ribs, pulled pork, and other items you'd expect out of a BBQ joint.

Came here mid-afternoon on a weekend. For dine-in, you order at the counter before being given a table. A no-frills restaurant with simple decorations and furniture. Had a chopped brisket platter with slaw, chili, and baked beans. While tender, the amount of fat in the cuts of brisket was variable with some slices very fatty and others lean. The fatty slices are so delicious! When hot, it practically melts in your mouth, coating all the surfaces with savory deliciousness. The sides were solid. I liked the chili more than the baked beans. Both had a surprising amount of meat but the smokiness of the baked beans was a little too much for me. The slaw was solid with crunchy veggies flavored with a mustard sauce to balance out the more greasy meats.

Food is delicious and the atmosphere lends to the experience here dining. Staff is professionally courteous as well as friendly. This is a excellent place I truly recommend to tourist as well as residents of our city!

The restaurant flooded with smoke during our meal. Real on fire stuff. I thought they were trying to add flavor to their already delicious flavor. The restaurant could have been on fire and I wouldn't have stopped eating.

Go to this place. Even if it's on fire you'll finish your meal.

Sliced brisket was amazing! On par with many of the best BBQ joints in Texas.

Excellent BBQ! The BEST ribs in town. I could eat here on a regular basis with no problem at all. Really enjoyed the food and the atmosphere.

Wait was too long I would have waited but staff was kinda rude so I went elsewhere