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Baby Back Blues
Category: Restaurants Barbeque Barbeque [Edit]
16200 S Lincoln HwySte 114
Plainfield, IL 60586
(815) 254-6939
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 11 am - 8 pm
Fri-Sat 11 am - 9 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
53 reviews for Baby Back Blues
Review Highlights
"Delicious pulled pork by the way."
(in 29 reviews)
"By far the best BBQ place in plainfield."
(in 6 reviews)
"...cucumbers, mashed potatoes, green beans and mac n' cheese."
(in 5 reviews)
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53 reviews in English
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Review from William L.
Chicago, IL
8/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
Who stops to get his BBQ fix on the way to a friend's BBQ? I do. I have a very unhealthy obsession with BBQ and I don't care. My ride recommended we stop at Blues to pick up some pork to bring with and we just happened to have a sammich while there. I had the "small" pork sammich with green beans and mac & cheese, you know, a light lunch. The sandwich was anything but small and most definitely frickin' delicious.
The pork had that thick, smoke taste and was tender like Elvis. The beans were decent, mac & cheese was ok but seems like it came from a box. Honestly, if the sides were better here it'd be an easy 5-stars. But I'll have to go back and try the other choices. They also have unlimited pickles, in fact I haven't left Blues yet because I haven't stopped eating them. Their hot BBQ sauce was easily the best, the right blend of vinegar, smoke flavor, peppers, and a touch of sugar.Listed in: BBQ Heaven
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Review from Sue T.
12/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
Both the pulled pork and brisket were very good. Moist, smoky and tender, served on good plain white buns. Could have used a bit more salt, but that was easily remedied. Both mild and hot sauces were provided at the table. I tried the mild - tangy, vinegary, not too sweet.
Coleslaw was milky, runny and too sweet. At first bite it was ok, but then got weirder with more. There was some sort of fruity-sweet aftertaste, almost like there was marshmallow creme in the dressing. I'd skip this next time.
Pinto beans were amazing, closer to frijoles charros, made with chile seasoning, not sweet, and with lumps of skin-on potatoes, all in a savory broth. They are a definite repeat order.
Liked the ambiance too - blues music, plain, simple tables, small and cozy. More to try. Will definitely be back. -
Review from Rainbow P.
Romeoville, IL
11/15/2011
I stopped here recently to try it out. Friendly staff, clean restaurant. The meat was smoked, prepared well, and generous. I ordered fries as a side and watched the staff fry the freshly sliced potatoes to order. Very nice. The price wasn't bad either -- a meal consisting of meat choice, 2 sides, and a drink ran about $9.
Avoid the mac and cheese; they really need to revise the recipe as it's definitely "out of the box." Their barbecue sauces come in mild and hot, and they taste unique (i.e. they're house made!).
This establishment is the best non-chain barbecue you'll find in the area, as well as the most reasonable. Go try it out! -
Review from Eppie E.
Plainfield, IL
11/11/2011
So, I'm from Memphis which is arguably one of the Mecca's of BBQ, and I have been dying for someone that can cook some good BBQ. My wife found this place and was so excited for me to try it. Her excitement built my excitement and I have to say walking into the building; it sure looked the part.
I thought I'd better to a complete sampling so I got a pulled pork sandwich and a slab of ribs.
That is were my excitement ended. Just like other places in the North, they cook the hell out of their meat. It like eating dry almost jerky. The ribs looked like they came off a wild hog because there was almost no meat on them.
The only reason I gave them one extra star is because they do have a pretty good BBQ sauce. It's a little spicy for North folks, so beware.
To the owners of Baby Back Blues... I don't know if you are boiling them first (a HUGE no no) or if you are just cooking them too long or not basting them as you go, but please work on the moisture content of your ribs. I'll check back from time to time in hopes that they will fix this issue. -
Review from Michelle G.
Lisle, IL
11/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
Great BBQ pork and sauces. Friendly staff, clean restaurant. Have I mentioned that I love the local, family-owned places? Conveniently located down the street from Midwest Sporting Goods.
Only negative was that my last sandwich was a little greasy - maybe because it was the end of the day? Not to worry, it was still good and we'll be back. -
Review from Juan D.
Harlingen, TX
1/9/2012
Great place!!!, a mean pull pork and chicken sandwich. Have to try if youre in the area.
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Review from Kathryn G.
Plainfield, IL
Updated - 12/17/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Totally awesome BBQ.
1 Previous Review:
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10/21/2011
Best BBQ in Plainfield. The pulled chicken sandwich is the best...
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Review from Margie C.
Pawnee, IL
9/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
I want to give them 4 stars but I can't because their sauce is average and the AC either didn't work or they enjoy tropical climates. And because they don't serve brewed iced tea - just stuff out if a fountain.
We had the pulled pork with fries, cole slaw and pinto beans. Fries were ok reminded me of fries from a food truck. But the oil needed to be changed - they had an old flavor despite being right out of the fryer. The pork was smokey and tender. The slaw was good but my husband didn't think it was home made. The pintos had potatoes and onions. It was ok not great. Really kind of flavorless except bean flavor.
Their BBQ sauce was merely average. There were 2 flavors, mild or hot. The hot isn't super spicy but the sauce was better when I mixed the two. Adding them to the sandwich only made the it wetter - it didn't add much flavor.
We expected better but really it's a below average BBQ joint. I think the high ratings are from those who are comparing to maybe Applebees or something like that. If you have had BBQ anywhere in the south, this will disappoint. -
Review from Paul B.
Burr Ridge, IL
8/9/2011
I really enjoyed it! Is it the best I've ever had? No, but it's damn good, closer than going to Texas (or Smoque, Lillies, Whole Foods Lincoln Pk, others) at least for me... and I know I'll go back.
I've read a few reviews here that gigged it for not being clean. Well, I wouldn't do any open surgery in there, but it was certainly clean by restaurant standards. The food was really enjoyable. I just had a brisket sandwich, which was huge. The beef was moist, good char crust to it, moist, and didn't need sauce at all. I also had some mac and cheese and a small pinto bean dish. Were they worthy of stars and big orgasmic reviews? No, but they were really good--and good enough. I don't get people who come on here expecting everthing to be the ne plus ultra of whatever they're writing about--or it's dreck. C'mon. It's food. It's like sex! Never bad, just some better than others :)
Wanna go back for some pulled pork and try the ribs. I'll keep you posted. -
Review from Eric B.
Plainfield, IL
7/5/2011
With Ribfest in full swing mere feet from our doorstep, you may wonder why we checked out a rib joint in Plainfield during the pork-born shenanigans. To start, we have a kid. They tend to melt in hot weather. Also, for six ribs, stale bread, and mosquitoes, we would've spent around 3 times what we spent for a huge rib dinner from Baby Back Blues.
Having suffered at chain rib places around Chicagoland for a while, this was an awesome find. Delicious pulled pork served quick, with healthy sides of beans and macaroni-and-cheese made our night. Their rib portions are massive, with BBQ sauce (hot or mild) that was good on everything. Heck, we saved it to put on sandwiches for the next day.
Best BBQ in Chicagoland, hands-down, and will become a regular trip for us. -
Review from Chris C.
Wheaton, IL
7/28/2011
Best of the best is an understatement. This place has barbecue the way it's supposed to be, and in the suburbs! Seriously, Baby Back Blues is one of those places that people come out from the city to enjoy.
I've been there a few times since finding out about it from friends, and we all swear by it. I usually get the pulled pork sandwich with mac n cheese, and fries. It's great because they serve you the meat dry, allowing you to choose which sauce you'd like to put on it. And the homemade sauces are amazing.
The inside is a no thrills kinda' deal, you go up, order, and eat. Plain and simple really. Also, the location is a little hard to find because it's tucked in the corner of a small strip mall. If you're not looking for it, you might very well pass it up. Make sure to get directions.
One a final, you can always tell a place is doing well when their policy is "once it's gone, we're closed." Thankfully I always get there midday before all the good stuff is gone! -
Review from Michelle H.
Bolingbrook, IL
11/24/2010
I'm not sure what the big deal about this place is. Yes, it was featured on the Food Network. Yes, they have decent barbecue. Not the best, but decent. Yet, people come from miles around to rave about it. As if God itself came down and blessed this barbecue. No, it's not that good.
I say this after trying the place twice. The first time, I had the rib tips. They have a great flavor, well smoked, with a hint of sweet. Sadly, they were a bit overcooked and rather crispy. The coleslaw I had as a side was very white. No carrots, just chopped cabbage in a creamy sauce. Very industrial looking. The second time around, I had a slab of ribs. A much better choice than the rib tips. Same flavor, but cooked perfectly. But this time, the coleslaw was just plain disgusting. I don't know what happened, but it was so sugary sweet, I couldn't stand it!
Will I go here again? Yeah, if someone from work is picking it up, but I wouldn't make a special trip. Their prices are pretty reasonable, though, and they have different specials each day of the week. -
Review from Joe M.
Plainfield, IL
11/2/2010
You know you're in for a treat when the menu is basically this: Pork, Beef, or Chicken.
As in most BBQ places you live and die by the sauce. If I didn't think it would send me to an early grave I would drink a glass of their Hot sauce for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This is honestly the BEST SAUCE I've ever had.
Before going to Baby Back Blues you must ask yourself: Am I here to eat, or am I looking for a cleanly, attractive, organized place to dine? If you answered the later, go home. However, if you came to eat, then this is the place!
I recommend the small family pac for 2 people (they say it serves 3-4, maybe if they're children). A pound of meat, 2 pounds of sides, 4 buns, and your choice of sauce for under $20. TA-DOW!Listed in: Plainfield Eats, So good it'll make you wanna…
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Review from Tom C.
Rockford, IL
8/15/2011
Well worth the break from traffic. Less than a mile west of I-55 this little hole in the wall serves up a wonderful pulled pork sandwich and tasty sauces. I also like the marinated cucumbers. You will see the sign on the "food anemmities" higway sign near the exit.
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Review from leo t.
Woodburn, OR
8/1/2011
This place is cool. They have pictures of old school blues musicians on the walls. It's a small place that is half kitchen, half dinning area. I got the full rack of baby back ribs with two sides and a soda(No I did not finish everything, save the fat jokes). Very good ribs, they were smoked without any sauce and were left plain for you to add any sauce you wanted. The mash potatoes were not that good. The cucumbers were different, they were marinated in red wine and served with slices of red onion. Overall the place is great. I will go back as soon as I get hungry again, maybe in a year.
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Review from roberto a.
IL
10/24/2010
Ever since one of my college friends moved to the area, I've been to this place a couple of times. Located in the corner of strip mall, they have a straightforward ambience that allows you concentrate on your food. Huge bottles of BBQ sauce and industrial sized rolls of paper towels on each table- check. A kitchen/service line that would make a high school cafeteria proud- check. Good food and reasonable prices that keep one coming back- check. Blues, slow jazz, and folk rock on the radio- check.
The ribs- huge slabs of nicely smoked who's tenderness borders on chewy and fall-off-the-bone, depending on how the cut is made. However it is a rib that needs sauce to go beyond the initial taste. There are some ribs that need sauce and some ribs you can eat without. You will need the sauce, and there are two to choose from, mild and hot. I like the hot. It is not a hot-for-hot's sake type of sauce, but rather one that slowly warms up the mouth with tease of spiciness. Lightly slathered on a rib, the subtle spiciness goes with the smoke flavor. Have I tasted better ribs?- yes. But this is one of the better rib-sauce pairing I've found and I will continue to pour it on as long as there is sauce in the bottle.
Pulled pork sandwich- Probably my favorite aspect of this place. Huge portions and it is not dry. I definitely have to have one on each visit and with pulled pork spilling out of the bread, I usually start out eating this with a fork. The hot bbq sauce goes well with this if you mix it in. And you don't need much, as the moisture of the meat draws the sauce inside the sandwich.
Beef brisket sandwich- Unfortunately, I've had better. I was disappointed in the sense that the beef was too dry, and not flavorful. Each bite I took, I felt like something was missing. I tried both sauces and the taste did not improve. Maybe it was just me, but my other friends mentioned this too. I will stick to the pulled pork instead.
Fries- A bit on the soggy side, but nothing some sauce and salt can't save. Despite their sogginess, they do taste good hot.
Mac-n-Cheese- Skip it, I've had better.
Pros: Good food for a decent price, portions are huge. The hot sauce and pulled pork sandwich.
Cons: The beef brisket, menu combinations are a bit limited, location is a bit out of the way.
To sum it up: When you're in Plainfield, you take what you can get. -
Review from Sandi P.
5/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
Killer beef brisket and pulled pork sandwiches with very generous portions. Be sure to get plenty of boyhood the hot and mild BBQ sauces if you are doing takeout. I like to mix the two for just the right heat level. Good skin on fries and cucumbers for sides. So happy this place is close by.
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Review from Andrew T.
7/11/2010 1 Check-in Here
After our trip to Memphis, and it's huge letdown ending at Marlowe's, I had to try this place on my way home from picking up my car at nearby Rod Baker Ford. It had been recommended to me by a friend, and I couldn't see how it would be worse than Marlowe's.
Given that it was just me, and not 5 people total, I had to omit some of our standard order, in the interest of not having a huge bill and too much food, but I did splurge on a half rack of ribs and a side of cole slaw. More than I would have bought for myself normally, but I wanted to at least get a halfway decent comparison.
The ribs amazingly stayed hot as I drove from the restaurant back to my place, and I tucked in to what are some very respectable ribs. They're pink, although without a ton of smoke flavor, and they have sauce basted on during cooking, which imparts a nice tangy sweetness. I would prefer dry rub, but this is the wrong kind of the country for dry rub, I think. Meat was moist and tender, came right off the bone - very respectable. And this on a Sunday afternoon, when I wouldn't expect traffic to be too high, and I might be getting some warmed over food. But no hint of the old pork flavor from Marlowe's. They came with a side of standard yet good hot (and yes, it actually had some heat) BBQ sauce. Which I did use - again, I didn't feel the need to do this at BBQ Shop or Rib Shack. So these aren't as good. But they are good.
The coleslaw side was good - creamy slaw, but a bit tangy, although interestingly without any cabbage or color (just white and green from the cabbage) but also with little or no onion. So this is very decent, maybe a step below that of the Rib Shop.
I will be back - I want to try what looked like very good rib tips, and the other sides as well - they had marinated cucumbers which sounded like a nice refreshing change from the ordinary. -
Review from Matt P.
Chicago, IL
10/4/2010
In relation to all BBQ I've had, this place is a solid 3. Given that it's in Plainfield, it's a relative 4, because let's face it, options are limited.
Anyways, I had the briscit. Not bad. Really tender, and opt for the hot BBQ. The future father in law had the rib tip sandwich, which looked like it was made from Flintstones ribs.
Fries were a little soggy, but sevicable. The mac and cheese was so so ... but what looked killer was the slaw. You get pretty good portion sizes for your price ... so it's definitely worth the money.
Finally, I think the restaurant would benefit from hot links. You can never go wrong with pork, of any kind. -
Review from Howard L.
5/26/2010 5 photos
Yeah, this place is good. Great tender and moist pulled pork sandwich, and the slab had a nice, smoky but not overbearing flavor and fall-off-the-bone tenderness. They have 3 sauces - mild, hot, and Carolina (light and vinegary), and I really liked the mild sauce. Their meats are served sans the sauce, so you add on more or less at your preference, and mine was with a fair amount of the mild sauce. The mac n cheese was ok, but not as rich as you might find at other good rib places. The only real draw back, besides the kinda out of the way location, is that as the nice BBQ smell pervades the place, you also leave with all your clothes smelling the same way unless you choose to eat outside of this corner shop and staring at the parking lot.
This is a very casual and laid back place. The patrons we saw reminded me of those I see in a KFC - when there, they are amongst the happiest people in the world because they know what they like, and they're not caring what you think. Same here - the customers know there's good BBQ here and they're seriously enjoying it. So, despite a few of the little negatives, I've got to go with 5 stars for what matters here and that's the BBQ. -
Review from Chris W.
Burr Ridge, IL
8/6/2010
Saw this place on Chicago's Best and had to try it.
I went for lunch. First off, the location is not great. It's in a little strip mall in a kind of different area. Not somewhere I frequent. I just tried it because of the show.
The menu was not very extensive. There were ribs and then a few sandwich options. I ordered a brisket sandwich. The brisket was very smokey and quite good. The sides were average, but good enough. The meat came without any sauce and they had two types of sauce on the table (mild and hot), which were both pretty good.
The employees were nice and helpful. The restaurant itself is pretty small and not fancy by any stretch of the imagination. The smells are pretty nice when you walk in, but I noticed that I smelled like a smoke house late into the night.
Overall, the food is good and the prices are pretty reasonable. I'd recommend checking this place out. -
Review from Jeremy M.
Minooka, IL
7/3/2011 3 Check-ins Here
This place simply has the best BBQ I've ever found anywhere in the South or West suburbs. I usually go for the pulled pork or the brisket and have never been disappointed. I've been going here for years and never left thinking anything other than "wow, that was good!" They have nice variety of sides, and great chocolate cake for dessert. The portions are generous, there is a nice variety of sauces, and the prices are good. Keep in mind this is a very casual place. You order at the counter, can watch them prep your meal, pulls stuff out of the smoker, and you pick up your food at the other end. The servers are always polite and friendly, but it's not a fancy place at all. Definitely recommended!
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Review from Rafael J.
Riverside, IL
6/30/2011
This place is not too bad for the burbs....
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Review from S. M.
Naperville, IL
3/5/2010
This place is not fancy, tucked away in the corner of an older strip mall, but they serve one mean pulled pork sandwich. (I also really liked that I could see the guy behind the counter actually hand-pulling pork as I placed my order.) The guys behind the counter were friendly and energetic, a nice change of pace from so many crabby waitstaff everywhere.
As stated, my sandwich was good: the pork might have been pulled a bit fine for my taste, but the flavor was all there, and the bun was packed with meat. Big jugs of sauce near the napkins let you choose whether you want mild, hot etc. The regular sauce was a bit vinegary to my mind but still a good choice.
Side dishes were good, especially, the creamy macaroni and cheese; fries were varnish-brown and perhaps a little too crispy for me but better than soggy, I say.
Blues music rounds out the ambiance of this place (whose logo is a Blues-Brothers-looking pig). Definitely the place to go if you're hankering for BBQ in the Plainfield area. -
Review from Soo Jin M.
Scottsdale, AZ
3/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
Tried all the meaty wares they have to offer. Will say its a solid bbq spot that offers tasty meal options with equally crafted sides in a very timely manner which makes this place an excellent pick for a quick and filling meal. The prices are comparable to other bbq establishments, but portions do seem bigger.
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Review from Jay n.
Plainfield, IL
5/26/2010
Great BBQ - Pulled Pork, Pulled Chicken, Rib Tips and Beef Briskit were all great. We ordered 2lbs of the chicken and pork and brisket and bought a higher quality sandwich roll from the grocery store. Each person can then all their own favorite BBQ sauce and make great sandwiches.
Only disappointment was they didn't put any sauce in the bag.
Next time will try the ribs. Smelled great.
If you like BBQ, this is as close to Texas as you can find in thisarea. -
Review from Jennifer S.
Chicago, IL
1/8/2009
My favorite BBQ place, EVER!!!!! (so far LOL) I've tried many a pulled pork sandwich, even Alice Cooper's in Phoenix, AZ, and this is by far the best!
The pulled pork is perfectly tender and smoked, and their BBQ sauce in mild is absolutely one of my ultimate favorites! I cannot rave enough about this! LOL It IS all about the sauce, but this meat is fluckin' the best too! :0P
My man loves their ribs, though they are a bit pricey---so they're worth it, but they're a once in awhile thing!
I normally get the smokin' deal meal with 1/3 pound pulled pork sandwich with 2 sides and I drink for about $8. The amount of pork is overflowing, so I can't leave it all on the bread, I have to eat some separate. Some people mix it with coleslaw, but I'm not a fan of that---I think that's a southern thing. I believe I forgot to mention they also have my favorite coleslaw and some of my favorite fries---the steak kind with the skin, nice and crispy and great with the BBQ sauce! The coleslaw does not have carrots, and isn't too creamy nor too watery---the flavor is wonderful! The sauce is in bottles for the tables, or in tubs to pump out in plastic cups for to-go orders. You apply your own sauce, and if you're me, that's always EXTRA EXTRA!
The place itself is kinda small, but nice Bluesy decor on the walls. The meat can sometimes have darker or "purpley" pieces in it, but that's completely normal and a part of the "smokin process".
During football season they tend to have specials for pulled pork packages for large groups----we buy it and freeze the rest for ourselves! -
Review from Paul S.
Plainfield, IL
10/29/2010
Ahhh, true barbecue. I love dry BBQ where I can taste the smoke flavor and can choose how much sauce I want to use. All the meat has always been very tender and juicy and from what I can tell, no cheating on the cooking style here. Also, in true authentic BBQ style restaurants that are good, this building isn't much to look at. There is limited seating and it has a simple food line for you to order your food from one end and pick it up from the other (think Subway or Fudruckers). My real negative to this place is the side dishes which aren't anything special and really seem to be what you could get in big buckets from the grocery store. However, I come here for the meat and that is all I care about.
Final say: Awesome BBQ. -
Review from Ramone B.
2/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
I finally got to check this place out!! After seeing them on the news, and my friends telling me about it- TODAY IS THE DAY PEOPLE! I was having a huge craving for bbq, and unfortunately in my hood there is not a decent place to go! Upon entering I thought to myself damn I'm about to be let down because I did not particularly like the pre-cooked ribs wrapped in plastic on the food line. That's never a good thing usually. Me and the boy were quite hungry, and not sure if just a full slab of ribs with sides would work. We also ordered a pound of pulled pork which came with sides as well. For desert we got the chocolate cake. (Which looked as if someone had been slicing the pieces with a chainsaw.) I could not believe the appearance of the cake, but I thought hey who am I to judge! Maybe it will be awesome! We picked green beans, mac -n- cheese, mashed potatoes, and marinated cucumbers.
We decided to take our food home because of the upcoming blizzard warnings on the news, and movies with dinner is the perfect combo. The slab of ribs looked as if it came off of a dinosaur! It was huge (size matters! Lol). The meat came right off of the bone which was a plus. The pulled pork did not have bbq sauce on it. I had to mix in the sauce they gave us, and we wound up with barely enough bbq sauce for the ribs . But Damn, that pulled pork was soooo good I wanted to slap my mama! I don't think I will ever get the hot bbq sauce again because it was loaded with way too much pepper! The mild was perfect. Thank goodness we mixed the mild in with the pulled pork! The mac -n- cheese was good. I was kind of shocked that it had a smoked taste to it. It was different, but not in a bad way because the flavors meshed well together. The green beans were awesome! I wasn't expecting too much out of the green beans, and they were so good! On to the mashed potatoes- yum! They need to do away with that gravy! It was too salty! Not a big deal because we whipped up some at home, and saved the dish! I forgot that we ordered a dish of marinated cucumbers. Nothing special about the cukes, and I will never order them again. They were not bad by any means. I just didn't like the taste with bbq. The chocolate cake was average, and the presentation didn't work for me. It was a chopped up pile of chocolate mess with a glaze on it. Baby back blues needs to rework this cake recipe or maybe not hand out out slices of cake that look like Jason Voorhies hacked it up........all in all imy food was good, and I shall be back!
Until next yelp friends........ -
Review from Ted C.
6/20/2009
I like BBQ and when I saw a sign for this place on the highway sign I figured it would be better than the usual roadside fare. It was a bit further out than say a Mickey D's or BK but when I got there it was worth the extra trouble. The pulled pork was pretty good, their hot barbecue sauce lacks a little kick but was still tasty.
The fries were okay, a little too soggy but otherwise pretty good. I always get slaw with BBQ, always but I wasn't too impressed. Pretty good, but didn't seem to go well with my sandwich. I would stop by this place again if I was passing by. -
Review from Raymond M.
Plainfield, IL
6/16/2010
I think my review is contrary to others I see about Baby Blues BBQ. The 2 stars mean, "I've had better".
I enjoy BBQ and travel to Georgia and Texas frequently for work so I've had some good BBQ. I guess this is how I measure BBQ.
This is the second time I've eaten at Baby Blues and like the first time I walked away somewhat disappointed. The beef brisket was somewhat dry and didn't have a enough rub on the BBQ. The sides were too commercial; especially the mac and cheese. It tasted too much like Kraft dinner. The french fries were tastesless. No conrbread on the menu. How can you not have good old-fashioned cornbread (moist and not purchased) with BBQ? I've also had the pulled pork and that too was somewhat dry.
It's not all bad. The good. Close to my house; I live in Plainfield. If I need a BBQ fix it's pretty close. It's cheap, under $20 for two people. Good size portions. The sanwiches come on 1/3 and 1/2 pound size. OK BBQ sauce. Although I wish the Carolina sauce would be thicker. The paper towels on the table is nice touch vs. napkins. The staff is quick, energetic and effecient. However, they should have someone clean the tables between patrons.
Bottom line; it's OK. If you want great BBQ go to SomkeQue in the city at 3800 N. Pulaski. ITS THE BEST and worth a 4 hour journey for me. -
Review from Dave B.
Joliet, IL
12/14/2009 1 Check-in Here
Best BBQ around, hands down. I've been going here since moving to the area in 2002. I've never had a bad experience. I've tried just about everything and my favorite is the pulled pork. The cole slaw is also the best I've ever had (sorry grandma!). I think there's even vanilla in it.
Bottom line- you go in hungry, you leave full of BBQ goodness. -
Review from George K.
Joliet, IL
5/1/2010
Definitely a place that everyone should check out. Pretty much everything is good there, and between the ribs, pulled pork, rib tips, etc, you will find something good for everyone in the family.
I love it that their fries are actual full cut fries and cooked in peanut oils, unlike a lot of other places around here that do not take this extra step.
I swear, I must have driven by this place a hundred times and did not stop and I am sad now that I waited so long! Go check this place out! -
Review from J H.
Mokena, IL
3/19/2011
Holy damn it is good in there! No wait in line, had the brisket. Wanted to cry. My wife had the pork...EPIC! Fries were screaming fresh! If you do go and eat in, make sure you wear clothes that you are going to wash immediately because you may get yummy sauce on them and I can guarantee that if you wear a jacket in there, it will smell like a smokehouse for at least 5 days! Other than that, JUST GO!!!!!!
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Review from Nicole A.
Naperville, IL
11/28/2010
There is no where in the area like this place. By far the best BBQ place in plainfield. I'm gettting so fat.
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Review from Chris F.
Ingalls Park, IL
1/6/2011
It's good BBQ, but I've had much better. If I'm by the mall and have a craving for some BBQ, I might stop by here for a brisket or pork sandwich. It's not a destination place though.
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Review from Jeff B.
8/8/2010 2 Check-ins Here
You gotta be in the mood for some great pulled pork to visit Baby Back Blues. You'll smell like smoke for the afternoon, but it is worth it. The lunch specials provide a good selection of choices and the food is packed with flavor. The inside seating is sparse but adequate, however folks tend to keep moving. I gotta give them five stars because of the pork. Mmmmmmmmm, pork.
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Review from Nicole R.
Joliet, IL
6/23/2010
Great place! You can't find BBQ like this around here! Wish they would open up more locations!
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Review from Jillian D.
Chicago, IL
5/16/2010
plainfield's best kept secret. seriously.
tucked within the back corner of a nondescript strip mall off route 30, baby back blues dishes up some of the tastiest bbq you ever will experience. the heavenly aroma of the hickory smoker lures you in from the street.
once within, the restaurant as is unassuming as it's exterior. you order off a menu board, pay at the register and wait for your styrofoam plate to be loaded up. choices range from pulled pork or chicken to rib tips and full slabs. (my mom and i went with the rib tips and pulled pork respectively.) and then you have to choose your sides from a myriad of delicious options like marinated cucumbers, mashed potatoes, green beans and mac n' cheese. (neither of us could resist the call of the mac n' cheese, and then i opted for corn on the cob, while my mom tried the baked beans.)
once your food is ready, it's up to you to dress it as you like. every table has a squeeze bottle of each housemade bbq sauce. they keep it simple - mild or hot.
i like it hot...and this did not disappoint! at times, it was actually TOO spicy! but my barq's rootbeer kept that in check :)
FYI, the price is right too. the two of us ate for under $18 total. not that's what i call a smokin' deal. -
Review from Ms. R.
Naperville, IL
8/8/2011
You know it's going to be good when you smell the smoke in the parking lot. And then when husband pulled open the door - bingo! We had a full slab of rib and 2 sides for 2 adults and 3 kids. No one left hungry. Ribs are fall-off-the-bone. A fantastic smokey char, but tender inside. Kids gobbled down the mac and cheese. Fries had a nice seasoning on them. Was in too big a hurry to get food for kids to really check out other sides. Smells like heaven inside. Definitely a low-key casual place. But the ribs were fantastic! A nice surprise of flavor so close to chain-restaraunt land.
