I think we had a thread about this place a while back, but I'm not looking for it.


Unfortunately I was subjected to this place last night as my brother brought it in for our family hannukah party at my parent's house. I'm not overstating things when I say this is without a doubt the worst BBQ restaurant in the Chicago area. Its insulting to even call it BBQ. THey don't even smoke with wood! They use an electric pellet smoker. That may be fine in your backyard, but its inexcusable for a restaurant.

Had the brisket. Dry, but edible. No fat anywhere which might explain the dryness and lack of flavor. Virtually no smoke flavor. Felt like I was eating grandma's brisket, not a BBQ brisket. Sauces are terrible, the sweet sauce is way too sweet. Mac n cheese is worse than Kraft dinner. Beans were awful as well. Wife had the peach cobbler which was inedible, tasted like they forgot to add sugar to the recipe.

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The Search function is your friend Shakes.

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2018
#ExtendLafleur
10 More Wins

I really have yet to find great BBQ in this area. Dr. Ken's is about as good looking as it gets but he doesn't invite me over.

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

Smoque on Pulaski is a decent BBQ for the area.

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Team Cutler.

Smoque is much better than "decent". Best brisket in Chicago as far as I'm concerned. Great sauces and sides. I haven't had better BBQ in Chicago than Smoque, but I haven't tried them all.

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This is the place David Schuster is a part-owner of, right?

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Schuster and 400 other fools...

I think the one in Vernon Hills is one investor and the owner. THE HP location sucked in all the money.

3 reasons to invest in a food/bar

1. A real chance they have something different and can be franchised.
2. They bought the RE and that can be the saving grace when the place shuts down and it will.
3. You are looking to get laid and you bought in for the fun. Yippy Kah Yay

BBQ cant be duplicated, franchised, etc. You need embers, you need a pit, you need a flame for the ambers. Think there was one place left in the city (outside of weber grill) that allowed actual wood/charcoal fire.

When the BBQ is ready, you need to eat. We expect the food ready when we are ready. No go for that plan.

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

I agree with everything Shakes says here. This place was disappointing at best. The "Real Urban" in the name makes it even worse.

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Sub Urban BBQ is better.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

Honey1 was definitely using wood in their old location on Western.

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I stopped at their Oak Brook location last night and picked up some burnt ends. I had low expectations, because this is DuPage county and it was 8:15pm and I was driving another 20 minutes to get home before I ate it, and I'd been there before.

The meat tasted fine, and better than the Patio, but it wasn't really BBQ. It's what my dad used to make at his diner in the 70s with baked rib tips. [tangent: My dad's rib tips tasted good, but he was always careful to tell people that it was "BBQ-style" and not real BBQ. But he also had a couple of guys from Jackson, TN in his kitchen who helped him fine tune it.]

Sides were useless. Sauce was bad, ate most of it without the sauce.

For a Monday night when I'm too tired to cook something and too tired to make the 25 minute each way schlep from my office to Smoque before heading home, this place is better than eating Portillo's for the third time in a week, and better than chain offerings such as Famous Dave's, Ruby Tuesday, etc. So I generally find myself settling for it once every six or seven weeks, and then regretting the calorie intake by the next morning.

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"When people want their version of the truth, they go find it, no matter how baseless their beliefs." -- Ken Rosenthal

I haven't had the burnt ends, but a chef buddy of mine told me they aren't even real burnt ends at RUB. What they do instead is chop up pieces of brisket (not the ends), put some sauce on them and throw them back in the smoker.

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All of the old BBQ joints on the south side use wood/charcoal.

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

Yeah but you know white people are scared to come south of Roosevelt.

Hell, Biggie doesn't go south of Fullerton.

Except for last Friday

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I want to go to Calumet Fisheries SO BAD but don't feel good about taking the Metra Electric to its bitter end and then walking to 95th Street.

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No, we've had lengthy discussions about the neighborhood & barbeque. That's what has that remark catching me off guard.

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

I was gonna say, it's been a while since I've been to Lem's, Barbara Ann's or Uncle John's, but I thought they were all using wood, too.

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what about Keith Urban BBQ?

Too Australian...

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Barbara Ann's is closed & not sure what Uncle John's uses at their spot in the city. He/they started with pellets, but they tweaked it somewhat before Mr. Mack passed & its better. I'm pretty sure his stepdaughter uses hardwood in her place (Uncle J's - at 47th St. just off Vincennes) & I know his nephew uses hardwood in the Uncle John's in Richton Park.

I went to Lem's for the third time in three weeks on Saturday. The quality is back to flavor & levels I remember as a kid. Easily the best tips I've had in years. I may go back tomorrow, they're now that good. The 20-30 minute line wound outside down 75th St. in the 35-40 degree weather last Saturday night good. Unless I want links, I've now got that as my default spot over Alice's.

Damn, now I'm hungry. Maybe I'll go to Lem's this evening. (damn...they aren't open today/Tuesday)

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

Personally, I really like the burnt ends and I like the ribs with the dry/wet combination...their sides pretty much suck other than the slaw, brussels and salad. I don't understand how you can make mac and cheese completely inedible...but they have succeeded. The kids love the pulled chicken.

I haven't had much luck finding good BBQ in Lake County.

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Their pulled pork is ok...I usually get the fries and slaw...

There are only a handful of places in Lake County that I know of...there is a new place in Grayslake (like a year old or so) on 45...I've heard it is suspect at best.

There was a place down the street on 45 that was just bad...closed a couple of years ago.

Hillary's in Waukegan on Lewis wasn't bad from what I remember...the only downside is having to go to Waukegan to get it...

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Hillery's isn't worth the drive. They opened in the old McCormick's on 176 for about a month...sucked. There's a new bbq place in there now, Nardo's...it's middling at best. I actually might pick some up tonight, just to give them a second chance.

There was a place in downtown Libertyville that went under...it was good. They were replaced by Big Ed's, out of Waukegan...they were ok...but are now gone as well. One of Big Ed's employees just happened to be delivering food and casing out cars and houses to rob while making his rounds...this probably wasn't helping.

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Likely not...

I may give Hillery's a shot again...I'm bowling at Sunset in March for the Lake County USBC tournament...it's in the damn parking lot

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http://bigedsllc.com/

You're welcome.

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That location didn't work out for Ed, but his new place in Waukegan is looking good. Been there a few times and its always been good, but they run out of just about everything by mid afternoon since the place is so popular at lunch. I recommend calling in the morning and ordering your food then, they'll put it aside and hold it all day for you. They're really cool about that. I've done that a couple times this summer on our way up to Wisconsin when we dont make it to Ed's till around 8:00.

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Big Ed's is ridiculously good.

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I'll be driving past Smoque to and from band practice tonight. I remember Smoke Daddy on Division, west of Ashland being quite tasty in my Wicker Park days.

RUB is fine. I don't hate it, but I don't have any recent "taste references" to know if it's good or bad.

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@audioidkid

Smoke Daddy is average at best which makes them slightly better than the shitty hockey team they sponsor at Johnnys.

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Hmmm, Big Ed's is now over by the old Lakehurst Mall location...That's only 15 minutes out of my way...maybe I'll stop there tonight rather than Nardo's...

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