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Categories: American (Traditional), Barbeque [Edit]
Neighborhood: PilsenTue-Sat. 4:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
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I tried the St. Louis style ribs and the BBQ chicken. Both were very good. We also had some macaroni & cheese. At the end of our meal, a staff member (maybe the owner) came by and suggested we try the banana pudding for dessert. He offered to pay for it if we didn't like it. Needless to say it was as good as promised. Service was great as well.
FYI, this is BYOB
Oops, review snafu - accidentally filed this review under Honey 1 BBQ. Sorry Honey 1. I'll try you soon.
About Honky Tonk BBQ...
Terrible dining experience.
The pork and beans were cold and flavorless.
The "chili" was a scalding bowl of shaved beef in terribly salty gravy, lacking any hint of tomato, sweet, smoke, pepper, or spice.
The "pulled" pork sandwich consisted of huge chunks of flayed meat on a lousy roll, and something was wrong with the flavor.
Of the three BBQ sauces, only the "spicy" was edible.
We did not finish any of it and quickly left.
The only positive note - good live music by a two piece band consisting of a hollow body guitar and upright bass.
I find myself again wishing I could go with half-stars on here. I'd give Honky Tonk a solid 3.5 if I could. The sauces are quite possibly the best i have had in the city. So, so good. The meat from the ribs pulled right off the bone, which was awesome. The mac and cheese is yummy, location is great and decor wonderful.
I do wish they offered beverages other than soda and water, but it IS BYOB, so I guess that's a mild complaint. Service is so-so and the chicken, while "okay" by my finace's standards, was a tad on the dry side. Overall, though--good stuff. Give em a try! Waaaay better than some other so-called BBQ joints in this town!
Came here with a group on a Sunday night to celebrate a friend's birthday. We got there pretty late, considering they close at 8pm. But you wouldn't have known it by the service at all. The servers were awesome, so nice, hung out and joked with us, and let us take our time. They didn't rush us at all, even though we stayed well past closing.
I wanted to really love the food, but unfortunately, I didn't. We ordered the Sampler Platter, 1/2 slab of baby back ribs, mac n' cheese, beans with pork, sweet potatoes, peach cobbler and pecan pie. I love dry rub ribs and will always compare them all to the ones I've had in Memphis. But I didn't think these had much flavor at all, neither did the chicken. The chicken actually looked a little unappetizing because of the light color of the skin. You definitely needed to use the sauces on the table on everything. The sauces were pretty good though. The sides and desserts were just okay. Nothing really stood out here, which is sad, considering I've heard so much hype on various TV shows.
HT BBQ is a cute, kitchy type place, but nothing really outstanding. I have gone a couple of times before the Check Please! episode and service was already kinda slow then. There sides, from what I remember weren't great at all and the BBQ was average for Chicago. Smoque has them beat hands down.
Well it's the closest place for BBQ in Bridgeport so I'll take what I can get. It's pretty cheap eats, and when you need a BBQ fix, this is it.
Believe it or not, Honky Tonk was my first BBQ experience.
**A small mob forms in the distance and a grizzly man approaches**
Grizzly Man: "Are you telling me you never had Southern BBQ?"
Me: "Yes, this was my first BBQ experience"
Grizzly Man: "Son, you couldn't spot a great BBQ place if it fell out of the sky, landed on your nose, and did a little boogie!"
**The crowd cheers it's approval**
Ok, before you get on my case about...well about "that"...I want to say 2 quick things. First, I fully anticipate visiting places like Memphis, Kansas City, North Carolina, and the like over my lifetime to experience great BBQ. And second, I still know the difference between great food and bland food since my mouth is a fully functioning mouth quite capable of all it's mouthy duties.
I loved Honky Tonk. The waitress we had was very upbeat and I felt she enjoyed working there. That's something you don't get very often these days. I also loved the 2 piece folk/blues music group that started playing at 7 PM the night we went. It definitely added that extra something to complete our experience.
I ordered the half slab of the St. Louis cut ribs and split the brisket sandwich with my brother. The ribs were good but the brisket was delicious - an amazing smoky flavor. Also, I believe the owner won 3rd place at Memphis in May for his pulled pork. Next time I will be ordering that along with the beef ribs. The mac and cheese was okay but everyone seemed to really enjoy the banana pudding dessert.
Give Honky Tonk a try. Even if you haven't been down South this place will provide a taste of something special a little North of BBQ country. Last note - cash only and BYOB!
Since the first time I went to Honky Tonk BBQ a couple of years ago, I realized that the bar on barbecue in the city had been raised. Their dry-rub, smoked meats are so rich in flavor that the excellent sauces that they provide at the table are barely necessary. Try all the combinations anyway to discover your favorite. I've been through the entire menu in my almost weekly visits and have yet to find something I didn't like.
The staff and entertainment make you feel as comfortable as if you were in your own dining room and this transfers to the clientele as I've made new friends there on numerous occasions.
Honky Tonk BBQ has become a 'must see/eat' destination for Chicago.
Honky Tonk is an interesting little place. Very neighborhood, regular customer feel. I got the distinct impression that when they didn't recognize us they assumed we came in because of Check Please. Which is true.
In my opinion, the meat was better cooked than most I've ever tried. Pulled pork, brisket and ribs were all uber tender and perfect. The flavor wasn't as strong as other places though, so that was a bummer. As for the sauces, I thought the only one that stood out was the garlic mustard one, which was tangy and fabulous. For side dishes we had mac n' cheese and pork and beans. Both were only ok compared to other BBQ places I've been.
Glad I went, and would go back if I lived close, but probably won't make the trek to Pilsen for it a second time.
We went here after seeing them on Check Please and we weren't the only ones! We went on Sat (they don't open until 4pm). We got there early so we waited outside for about 20 minutes and were the first ones to place our to-go order (we opted to eat at home).
Since this was our first time there we opted for the sampler (which has chicken, pulled pork, ribs, hot links (sausage) and beef brisket, plus corn muffin, slaw and beans. We also got an extra order of the brisket and pork on the ciabatta rolls (Dinky Dunkers).
We waited inside while they put our order together and even walked around the restaurant - including the soon to be bar area. The place is certainly eclectic (including the umm...interesting bathroom). The staff was very friendly and we had cups of water while we waited - the bus boy there was super nice. They have music there in the evenings (probably only on the weekend), but we didn't stick around - I'm sure its great.
My BF couldn't even wait until we got home and started rummaging through the bags right when we got in the car! We had a few bites and tore into the bags when we got home. The ribs, pork and brisket were great (in that order). The sauce that came with (the sweeter one) was really good, as was the coleslaw and corn muffin. We also had mashed potatoes and they were nice and creamy. The beans were by far the worst thing we got. The chicken was tasty and moist, and the hot links sausage was also pretty good but a bit on the spicy side.
My BF has been craving some more of this deliciousness and I'm sure we'll be back soon. This place was very good and I would rank it up there with Smoke.
Give em a try y'all! lol
Where do I begin???
It started with walking in and immediately being greeted by a friendly staff member. I felt at home right away. From the owner to the wait staff, every one was friendly and down to earth. It has been a long time since I have been in a restaurant that made me feel this relaxed and appreciated. They treated me as if they had known me for years.
Now for the food!!!! Awesome! We started with fried green tomatoes. We ordered the combination platter and were saddened when we saw it that we would never be able to finish it all.......we did......AND desert. I had peach cobbler...a weakness of mine and was not disappointed My friends had the Pecan Pie which they claimed was even better than my cobbler. My favorite was the brisket, but was surprised at how moist and flavorful the chicken was. We brought wine, but, duh! next time will bring beer. I noticed that they even bring you a tub of ice to keep it cold.
This has the food AND the atmosphere to make me want to come back again and again. Cudos to the owners and staff who know how to make you feel at home.
The reviews here that pan this place have GOT to be plants......or they have very strange standards.
I really wasn't too fond of HT BBQ. I was so excited to finally try it long after seeing it on Check Please! I lived in Pilsen at the time and this was the last place in Pilsen I got around to trying. Perhaps they have good and bad days or a few *off* slabs, but I was not impressed or even satisfied with it. Service was good, but my ribs were dry as hell. I thought 'maybe this is what southern bbq is all about and it's just me.' Then again, I AM from the south (kind of... So. Fla), but I came with a friend, and he's from Texas. So, if I don't count as being Southern, he for sure does. Neither of us was happy about our food. I got their beef ribs and I think he ordered the St Louis Ribs. We shared. Both our ribs were super dry (nothing falling off the bones), and the sauces were okay, but it just couldn't coat the ribs. They were too dry. It would basically slide right off and by the end, my plate had lots of sauce, and my ribs had very little sauce. The best thing about my experience was the cornbread, and in a BBQ joint, that just shouldn't be the case.
On top of all that, it's kind of pricey. I mean ribs are always kind of pricey, but they're also usually pretty good, and these were not good for the price. I don't think I'll be back.
Love the BBQ. It's very affordable for good food. I get here once a month and just started having the brisket after a long time on the pulled pork. Great garlic mashed potatoes, and my friend thought the banana pudding was fantastic last night. FWIW, I think it's low class to mention another business in a review. If you truly don't like the place, state you reasons and that's that.
If you're craving some smoked meat, this place will not disappoint. I stick with the pulled pork, which comes piled high on some nice ciabatta.
They do take out, but I recommend eating in so you can have your fill of the sauces on the table, all of which are tasty. I love sopping up the sauce with chunks of the bread.
The side items aren't a very good value because you get such a small portion. Don't worry, the entree is plenty of food so you don't need any sides.
They have some interesting artwork on the walls to check out while you're waiting for your food.
I'm glad we waited until the post-Check Please frenzy blew over. This is definitely a ma and pa establishment. Pa even made a visit to our table to ask us how our meal was.
We ordered the fried green tomatoes which were delicious. My hubby ordered the ribs and even though I haven't eaten pork in years, they were especially tempting! I had the beef brisket and loved it. Sometimes the beef options at BBQ joints are iffy, but Honky Tonk's brisket was outstanding.
I haven't been there on a weekend yet, but I hear it gets pretty crowded. I'd like to check out the live music sometime and fill my belly with their awesome bbq!
I was really looking forward to some great BBQ from all the hype on this place, but sadly I was dissapointed. The sauces were good but not outstanding. The babyback ribs lacked any distinct flavor. I am sure these ribs were not boiled first, but that is how they tasted. The pulled pork was much the same. I expected some big smoke flavor, but the pork was bland. The fried green tomatoes were mush and very greasy.
I am a big fan of Triple D and have been to many of the restaurants that are featured on the show and this was by far the biggest let down. In my opinion, if you are looking for great BBQ in Chicago head to Smoque on the north side.
Me "Would it be in poor form to take my bra off? Since I am so stuffed and my bra seems to be suffocating me?"
Fellow diners: "Yes"
Me: "Fine. Bra stays on. Dammit."
This review is some time in the making and I think I just recently recovered from the meat sweats I encountered. Carol J put together this bbqapalooza. Let's start with the entertainment. Yes, entertainment. A rockabilly guitar type singer. Fun.
With out going too much into the menu this is what stood out:
Starters:
Fried green tomatoes, mushrooms with roasted garlic and bread, candied yams, greens and beets
I LOVE yams. Especially since I typically have to wait until fall for them. And beets? I can eat them all day.
On to the good stuff:
Beef brisket, beef spare ribs and pulled BBQ pork, Pork baby back ribs and pork St. Louis ribs.
It was soo much food. And soo good. (See above bra/meat sweats comment.) I just kept eating it like I was trying to prove something.
Dessert: Sweet potato pie and peach cobbler. The peach cobbler being the stand out here.
The owner Willie Wagner was so nice and attentive to our group.
Summary: Get down to Pilsen.
The only thing with this place is the neighborhood seems a little dicey at night. Once you get off Halstead, the neighborhood isn't well lit and there is police cameras everywhere. Go while it's light out.
Otherwise, the food was delicious. Ribs were good if not too moist. The chicken was the tenderest I've ever had. I'm not a pulled pork man but it was great. I would come back everytime for the brisket though. It was fantastic! As good as you'll have in Texas. The brisket and mac chili was fantastic too. Just wished it was served a little hotter, it came out almost lukewarm. Corn bread was good, but I like mine sweet like at Famous Dave's (every chain has something good). They should serve it with honey. The banand pudding was fantastic and I was drooling over the peach cobbler at the table next to us. I don't mind the no booze because I love my barbeque with soda.
I was on the prowl for meat - specifically some BBQ. And the order of the day included beer with our BBQ. Honky Tonk has the former, is a BYOB and is easily accessible by the Ashland bus so all bases were covered. Grabbed a sixer from down the street (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) and headed over to meet my dining companion for some mid week meat.
I am a porkatarian but I love brisket so an order of the Dinky Dunkers, smaller sized sandwiches, with one of each of pulled pork and brisket seemed the logical choice. Were I to do it again I would just go with the pulled pork sandwich - hold the bread. Do not get me wrong the brisket was not bad, but damn was that pork spot on! I kind of went a little savage and just gave up on the whole sandwich thing and ate the meat with my fingers (the bread is a bit dense/heavy, even for a ciabatta). I would just want a big pile of that meat next time; and really it would be pile as it more like 'not quite pulled' pork, it is in these delectable chunks.
They have 3 sauces on the table: sweet BBQ which I found cloyingly sweet and reminded me of bottle sauces and all the reasons I hated BBQ for the first 29 years of my life; tangy BBQ which was just a touch vinegary; and the end all be all of sauces, the bottle I tried to slip into my bag, the mustard garlic. ::drool:: I want that for home to put on everything.
As for the sides I got the mac 'n cheese which I was sadly disappointed with; I found it to be bland with little flavour. After adding some salt and pepper it helped, a bit. But really, after the meat being the way it was I was looking forward to some crazy delish mac 'n cheese. I grabbed a couple of bites of the sweet potatoes and for being the type that I do not like, all sweetened up like my grandmother used to make, they were not bad. Sadly that night they did not have greens which I had been dreaming about eating all week when we planned on going to Honky Tonk. Next time I will call ahead to find out the greens schedule.
While there are tons of BBQ places in the city I have my eye on I def would return, and would like to return, as the food was great, the service was friendly and warm, and the place itself has a fun vibe/atmosphere with lots of great artwork around.
I love me some BBQ, but this place was not so great. Everything was very blah and bland without much flavor. The service also wasn't good. One plus was that the server forgot to put a few sides on the check so we got a few things for free. I would not recommend this place and don't ever plan to come back. It did however have a fun vibe to the place.
Saw this place on Check Please a while back and ordered carry out after a loooong day at work. Ordered the sampler platter, ribs were tender and moist, they use a dry rub and it has a REALLY smoky flavor (too smoky for some of us , perfect for the rest of us) the sausage (good! 2pcs) came mild and spicy, the platter included pulled pork and brisket sandwich bites, smoked chicken (moist and smoky) and sides. Mac and cheese is has a sharp cheese flavor, included beans and cornbread which was a hit with our group. This place is good if you like a lot of smoke and your BBQ sauce on the vinegar-y side!
Live country music = good.
BYOB = also good.
Pulled pork = slap my ass and call me Susan good.
My friend and I attempted to split the sampler platter with a fried green tomato app. We were unsuccessful. It was the greatest failure in my life. Everything was above average, with the ribs being the low spot but still very tasty, the brisket full of smoke and bold meaty flavor, and the pulled pork melted in my mouth like an M&M on a hot summer day. Upon my triumphant return I will be ordering the pulled pork along with another order of fried green tomatoes and as many of those corn muffins that I am able to fill into the remaining space in my fundus.
What a fun place to eat lots of meat! I would recommend this highly to any group outings. We tried the following:
Hot links-3 stars
St. Louis ribs-4 stars
pulled pork sandwich-4 stars
brisket sandwich-5 stars
short rib(Fri and Sat only)-2 stars
fried green tomatoes-5 stars
mac and cheese-2 stars
candied yams-5 stars
Overall, the meat has lots of flavor and the portions are generous. But if you want heat, you have to ask for the hot sauce. The hot link was not hot at all by my standard. My personal favorite was the brisket sandwich it was tender, full of texture, snuzzled in crispy ciabatta bread. So yummy!
I will definitely go back for the live music and the fun atmosphere, and will probably order a full slab of St. Louis ribs, fried green tomatoes to share with a brisket sandwich just for me!
Look, I'm just gonna say this: you can be too upscale for your own good. I mean, WHO really wants their pulled pork served on ciabatta? Gimme a cheap white hamburger bun any day of the week and keep your hard fancy-pants fight'cha-back bread to yourself.
And I can't help adding this: when I pay $5 for fried green tomatoes and get a whole 4 slices in my order, it awakens all the math skills I thought I had forgotten after fifth grade. How much did you have to pay for that tomato that just one slice of it should cost me $1.25? You were robbed. I think I was, too.
I love Honky Tonk BBQ! It's sad to read so many negative reviews, but on the other hand maybe it means there will be an open table for me to enjoy some great q and music as well.
I really wanted to love this place, especially after seeing it on TV, but this was perhaps one of the worse dining experience in my life. So bad that is prompted me to write my first Yelp review.
So, I started off the Friday night with a suggestion to my boyfriend that we check out the BBQ joint we saw on TV. Little did we know that would wind up being our entire evening. We waited for more than 2 hours after initially being told it would take only one hour to be seated. After being seated, the food did not come out for one hour. Shouldn't BBQ already be made and ready to be slapped on a plate when ordered? Apparently, not here. The management in this place is awful and clearly not equipped to deal with a heavy dinner crowd. Smoque handles large crowds far better and in a far friendlier manner. I felt sorry for people with takeout orders who waited more than one hour!
I would have been okay with the wait if the food was good, but it was, at best mediocre. I went specifically for the beef spare ribs and they were out (shocker). So, I went with the beef and chicken options. The chicken was dried out and flavorless, and the brisket was flavorless too and served on bread that was not right for BBQ. The black eyed peas were tasty, but the other sides just okay. The mashed potatoes needed major seasoning and someone clearly did not taste them before sending them out. Fried green tomatoes were unimpressive - sorta like a fried mushroom with that weird mystery bread crumb coating.
So, bottom line - I am headed to Smoque next time I get the crazy idea to go to a BBQ joint on a Friday night.
Me and Boyfriend were getting over a cold and wanted some comfort food. I wanted mashed potatoes and something BBQ'ed. So they were busy. We came in and there were 2 more people waiting for togo orders. Also 2 couples came in to sit inside.
We ordered pretty simple stuff - slab of ribs, chicken sandwich, side of mac and cheese and mashed potatoes.
So the first to go group got their food. Then the second group. So this is 30 min of waiting. Then another girl came in. And 10 min she got her food. And we were still waiting.
Then I came up and asked about our order. The lady at the counter looked confused for a second. Then looked back and started packing the two paper bags that were behind the counter for awhile now.
So we got kinda warmish bbq by the time we got home. Bf loves macaroni and cheese usually... didn't like that one.
Basically it was just kinda not that impressive. Really wish they didn't just ignore us.
I also looked into the dining room and saw that the couple that came in after us got their food too.
Probably not coming back. Looks like they have their fans. I am just confused as to how. Maybe it's hit or miss.
Mashed potatoes were good though. Chicken was pretty good just not super amazing. Ribs weren't just spectacular probably because they weren't hot anymore. (we live 5 min away)
I'm a total BBQ fan and, to be fair, a bit of a snob. I have strong opinions on the different styles of BBQ (Memphis, Texas, KC, Carolina) and even technique preferences within these styles.
So with all the attention Honky Tonk BBQ is getting in Pilsen, I had to go.
Full disclosure: Several jobs back, I worked for Honky Tonk BBQ's owner, Willie Wagner, at a printing company his family owned.
So when I saw that Willie had left the printing business and gone on the competition BBQ circuit, won some prizes and then opened a restaurant, I was both surprised and intrigued.
Gotta say, Willie and his wife Beth have a knack for great BBQ. It is probably the best in the city, outside of maybe a few tiny places on the far South Side from my youth that may or may not even be open any more.
Willie does Memphis-style BBQ (my favorite of the four styles) and offers two cuts of ribs, brisket, pulled pork, chicken and sausage. We tried the St. Louis style ribs and the brisket sandwiches as well as the fried green tomato appetizer and the mac and cheese.
The brisket was just perfect, lots of smoke and tender meat that still had enough chewiness. Whatever rub he is using works well - and this is where I think Memphis technique is just so much better than the spare Texas style. Put Honky Tonk's brisket against Smoque's (the critic's fave on the North Side which specializes in Texas style BBQ) and there is no comparison - Willie's is just a more interesting, complex take.
The ribs were quite good, although not in the class of the brisket. Smoke was perfect as well and I do like the rub quite a bit. But what I typically like about ordering and grilling the St. Louis cut is it gives you more meat to play with. And the cut we had at Honky Tonk were a bit more spare than I'm used to. The end result was a texture more like you get with baby back ribs. Again, nothing wrong with the technique - I just think a meatier slab would be much better.
The fried green tomatoes were crunchy and good and the mac and cheese solid - but the meat was clearly the star. We will for sure go back, this is a must stop if you love BBQ.
Important note: Honky Tonk only takes cash. Make sure you stop at an ATM on the way.
As a Texan in Chicago, I will tell you straight up that this is great bbq and deserving of the awards it has won. The meat comes sauceless, Memphis style, so you can add your own to your specifications. And the sauces, by the way, are made on the premesis - a bottle of sweet and a bottle of spicy is at your table. The pulled pork is without question my fav, with the brisket a close second. I also strongly recommend the mac n' cheese, garlic mashed potatoes, and the desserts. They also feature some great local country bands on the weekends, which adds to the down-home folk-art ambiance. Right now the place is cash only and BYOB. They've recently expanded into a second dining room/bar, and they are working on a liquor license. I'd say the prices are on-par with similar places in Chicago.
I was SO disappointed in this place, I was just starting to use Yelp when I ran across this place with "amazing authentic BBQ in Pilsen." I have lived here for a while and have to say almost any deviation from charbroiled chicken and Mexican fare is welcomed. But in this case, I was so disappointed. I could have driven to the south side and had some real BBQ and not this sub-par excuse for ribs. Here are the issues:
I. WTF, you don't trim the ribs? The membrane on the slab we ordered was still in tact--is this some delicacy where the chef was from?
II. Hot Links? YOU WISH! They tasted like frozen and thawed cheap Moo and Oink links.
III. The bread was harder than it was for me to believe this place won an award at a BBQ contest.
It's hard to screw up ribs, but if you are interested in a method, call or visit this place.
Mmmmm. MMMmmmm!
If I were on death row and had one meal left on Earth, I would come here and have the BBQ assortment platter. Then I would re-incarnate to do it all over again. It's that good.
I was originally avoiding the smoked sausage because I am a ribs and pulled pork kinda gal, but was persuaded to cede valuable stomach space to a few bits. DELISH!
They upgraded their cornbread at some point during the summer so it can hold its own with the yummy smoked meats. I also recommend the southern-style greens or portobellos when they have them on the menu. Their fresh greens salad is top notch, with walnuts, goat cheese, and berries sprinkled in with a spring mix of greens. But really, that's not why we are here!
I love the true "honky-tonk" sort of wild and freewheeling atmosphere. Many of the customers seem to either know the other customers or the staff, so it has a bit of a party-vibe later in the eve.
I have never actually made it to dessert here, on account of aformentioned assortment platter. And I am OK with that.
They probably have the friendliest staff and atmosphere anywhere.
I got to tour their soon-to-open expansion, where they will soon have a full bar and expanded seating and carousing areas. Can't wait.
Been to HT bbq twice. I really like the artwork on the walls although some of it does not mesh well w/ the rest of the dining room's motif. I also like the tables and chairs w/ a country feel to them. The front door even has a rickety screen door!! Totally country up in this joint. And lots of pig knick knacks everywhere.
The first time was on a weeknight and the service good. Next visit was on a Friday....it was pretty busy and our table was obviously overlooked.
The food here is mediocre....but that's coming from someone who doesn't like the memphis/dry rub style of bee-bee-cue. The sides are also just average at best.
I will come back bc my friends love the BYOB and the beef brisket. Also, props for the occassional live entertainment!
I enjoy good BBQ and I've been hearing about Honky Tonk BBQ for some time. I happened to be in the neighborhood today and decided to give Honky Tonk a try. I suggest you stay away.
The service was terrible. We waited over an hour for our food, which came out wrong, cold and tasteless. THe best part about the meal was the mac and cheese, which was fantastic. The brisket was horrible no matter how much BBQ sauce I dosed it with.
After we got the check (and waited for about 10 minutes for someone to work the register) we both started feeling sick to our stomachs on the ride home.
Not worth the trip, wait or cost.
My friends and I got Honky Tonk carry out: one brisket sandwich, two orders of dinky dunkers (one pork/one brisket), corn bread, mac&cheese, and coleslaw.
I liked it a lot. My co-eaters weren't quite as big of fans. The brisket and pork were both super tender and I really liked the sauce. The mac&cheese wasn't very cheesy and was sort of dry. The corn muffin was delicious, though I am a sucker for corn bread.
My one friend (who is from Oklahoma) did not finish her dinky dunkers saying "it just wasn't like in the south."
Good, solid bbq. But it didn't rock my world.
It has been a long time since I've had BBQ that comes close to the BBQ I grew up eating - very little if any sauce and just enjoying the flavors of the rub and DEE-LISH pork and beef - I LOVE the Beef Ribs! This is truly a meat-eater's heaven! The chicken is just as tasty too! I think I've had just about everything on the menu - and every time I go back, I'm never disappointed especially since they're generous servings! The sides are yummy too - my favorite is the fried green tomatoes. The only true disappointment I have is that I get into such a meat-eating frenzy that I forget about their awesome desserts, so don't forget to save some room. I now do a doggy bag just to have their peach cobbler later- mmmm good! I have already had several people from my work go there and they love it too - I think I should get a commission on just referrals. The staff is sooo friendly and accommodating - I always feel like I'm eating in someone's kitchen because it's such a warm and inviting atmosphere! I would totally bring out-of-town family and friends here! The entertainment is fun - and it's byob (for now). KUDOS to Honky Tonk BBQ - cool decor BTW!!!
Friends of ours went over the weekend and told us we could not miss HT BBQ--they could not have been more right! As soon as we entered we were greeted by friendly staff and the owner himself. Service was prompt, knowledgeable, and friendly. As it is BYOB, no sooner had I mentioned that I brought beer than they had a tub of ice ready for it to go in. The laid back atmosphere and the cool music make it a welcoming environment.
THE FOOD IS FANTASTIC! The fried green tomatoes have crunch and great flavor--the mustard BBQ sauce truly makes these the perfect appetizer. We had the sampler platter and all of the meats had great smoky flavor and was incredibly moist. You can tell that Willie puts a lot of TLC and passion into what he does as this is not par-boiled meat like at most Chicago BBQ joints. This meat is slow smoked and well spiced so that it is superb. His spicy BBQ sauce has just the right mix of vinegar flavor, heat, and smoke. Hands down this is the best BBQ I have had outside of Memphis, and is some of the best overall BBQ I have had. The hot link and the dinky dunker brisket and pulled pork were awesome. The chicken was smoky and moist and worked well with any of the sauces. We were completely full (in fact had left-overs to take home), but you cannot leave without trying the pecan pie--two words...delicious and caramel-like!
We cannot wait to go back!
Seriously BBQ??? I saw this place on diners, drive ins and dives and it sounded spectacular. How could Guy be wrong he did recommend Smoque BBQ which is spectacular BBQ. So my husband and son drove 1 hour last night to this joint and we walked in and the place reeked of mold that should have been my first clue to turn around and go somewhere else. We sat down and ordered off the menu that had a list of country BBQ items. We ordered smoked pork and chicken, fried green tomatoes and garlic bread. I was looking forward to ordering dessert too. We got our food the chicken was dry as can be, the pork had very little smoke flavor and the tomatoes were dripping with grease. I would give this restaurant at best 1 star. If you really want excellent BBQ go to Smoque BBQ. The flavor is out of this world so smoky and moist this place is an absolute dump. I would have been better off at McDonald's.
My magical BBQ food baby was conceived at Honky Tonk BBQ. He's got a preference for old-school country, lip smackin' good food, and cute blonde waitresses. He was happy last night.
I'm callin' HTBBQ: the "barbecure." For anything that ails you...
HOLY MOTHER OF BARBECUE:
A full slab of ribs. Dismantled effectively.
Pulled pork sandwich...great sauces at the table, bustin' with pork!
Sides: greens (soaked in pork juice!), mac 'n cheese, candied yams, and one delicious, moist, sinful corn muffin.
Dessert: ZOMG. Banana bread pudding, sweet potato pie & peach cobbler.
Unlike Simone's (down the street), Honky Tonk BBQ fills a niche...a need, without proving garish, or stepping on anyone's toes. It's authentic, the owners are genuine, the service is sweet, the food fantastic, the setting original, and the concept: traditional.
It works well into the Pilsen-fold, without disturbing the delicate mix of cultures, histories and values. Because, let's face it...ANYONE can value good damn BBQ in a non-stuffy setting.
A few things to note:
1. Cash ONLY.
2. BYOB.
3. They do not have straws. But, they do have great Diet Coke. I'll live.
4. They do not have take-out containers. So eat up!
5. Closed on Mondays.
6. They do not take reservations.
7. They are SUPER busy on the weekends.
I will certainly have Peach Cobbler finding me in my dreams, I am sure. I am planning a future return with my father and brothers in tow, because this is a "sure-as-shit" pleaser for any man in your life that LOVES to eat, LOVES meat, and LOVES to eat with their hands. Ain't no frou-frou food up in here...you can bet on it!
Endearing. It's a new favorite.
Wow, somehow this place lived up to my high expectations. That's rare. It wasn't quite perfect, but I'm rounding them up to five stars based on some intangibles such as the company and the experience: I simply had a hell of a great time.
BYO doesn't usually entice me because I tend not to drink with dinner, but barbecue is the perfect cuisine to accompany with beer, and since I was having a small gathering, two six-packs suited us just fine. They brought an ice container for us to chill the stuff. How cool is that!
I also liked the tag-team servicing; it helped contribute to the casual but welcoming vibe that was perfect for the occasion. I love the interior, although hard to describe. It's a little arty but very fun.
Of course we mostly came for the food, which was excellent. On the first bite of my brisket sandwich, I called out to deities in which I don't even believe; by the third bite, I was weeping and speaking in tongues. Honestly, I didn't know whether to devour this sandwich or make love to it. Best brisket on earth. No sauce needed, but try it with the garlic/mustard for a bite or two.
The brisket was the highlight, and the sandwich is plenty big for a full meal, but there was plenty o' gluttonizing left to do:
Baby back ribs: Not quite as tender and fall-off-the-bone as I like, but solid (B)
Pulled pork: They should call this "semi-pulled pork" because it is still in big chunks mostly. It works--I like the extra heft, and the meat is very, very good (A-)
Beef chili: A bowl of savory fucking amazingness (A)
Macaroni and cheese: A little boring; oddly, a light-contrasting option to all the meats, since they don't smother it in cheese as most places do (B)
Cole slaw: Good to have something cool and light-ish, but this could use more zing (B)
Corn muffin: Fluffy! (B+)
Garlic/mustard sauce: Excellent, and went PERFECTLY on the brisket (A)
Tangy bbq sauce: Very, very good, perhaps a bit more vinegary and less smoky than I like; went very well with the pork items (A-)
Sweet bbq sauce: The weak link of the sauce trio (C)
Banana pudding: I don't even have the words. I thought that I was full and could only eat a bite or two of dessert. Wrong! Nearly licked the bowl. (A)
Hell, I even loved the plain roll that came with my rib dinner (different from the ciabatta on which the sandwiches are served).
Hmm, anything else to say? Probably not. Awesome grub; fun, friendly place...a compelling, independent reason to trek down to Pilsen.
Brisket is out of this world - with their hot sauce - the best I've had outside of the obvious BBQ US cities like Austin, Kansas or East coast.
I was very happily surprised bumping into after going there for a birthday celebration and some music. The space is really cozy and casual - as it should be for a meat consuming joint.
Really nice and genuine addition to the Chicago's small and tight circle of proper BBQ joints.
Looking forward to trying other items on the menu very soon!
Had better. I have when they opened up in 2007 me and my girlfriend were there, the brick of cornbread came wrapped up looking like a bulls head with a slab of butter on top. The chicken was juicy and flavorful...sadly unlike most things according to my girlfriend who recently had went with family...it has not aged well. I'm leaving it at that. I'm gonna be nice.
Six Bucks Before Six
Neighborhood: South Loop
Free Aperitif On Arrival!
Neighborhood: Roscoe Village
Neighborhood: Bucktown
Category: Barbeque
Neighborhood: Greater Grand Crossing
Category: Barbeque
Neighborhood: Irving Park
Category: Barbeque
Neighborhood: Greater Grand Crossing
Category: Barbeque
Neighborhood: Wicker Park
Category: Barbeque
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