Everything was so good! * Food * Service * Parking * Sitting Don't forget to try the deserts. I recommend it.. ... read more

Heard about Big Ed's when we moved to the area. And the food definitely lived up to the hype. We were a little confused by the restaurant set up. It's split into two - cafeteria style side and a full service restaurant style. We chose the full service... The wait service itself was solid. Waitress was personable and we were rarely without a drink on hand. But we had to wait 25 min for our dinner. This is the part that dropped my rating to 4 stars. We eat a lot of BBQ and it rarely requires that long of a wait. The food is smoked and grilled hours ahead of time which is why the cafeteria side is able to serve right away. Why is there such a long wait for the same food in the sit down space? Again, the food was great and the atmosphere of the restaurant was ok. But I'd hesitate to select this for dinner out unless I wasn't hungry yet and I had a lot of time. read more

We had heard about Big Ed's BBQ for years and always planned to make the trip. We finally committed -- and we were not disappointed. The venue is large with a good sized parking lot. Walking in, you expect it to be spacious, and the main restaurant area delivers that. I believe the dining area is only a portion of the building, as they appear to have event rooms and additional space as well. There was a large line to order when we arrived, which told me right away this place was worth the wait. Our family collectively ordered brisket, rib tips, fries, Mac and cheese, chicken strips, peach cobbler and key lime pie. Not a single item missed. The brisket and rib tips were well made with bold, strong flavor. The fries, chicken strips and Mac and cheese were all equally impressive. My wife loved the key lime pie and the peach cobbler was a standout for me personally. Zero complaints on the food. The one thing I will note is that next time we would likely order ahead and pick up. The line took about 25 minutes, which was absolutely worth it for a first visit -- but now that we know how good it is, we would rather skip the wait and get straight to eating. Highly recommend. Big Ed's lived up to every bit of the hype. read more

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Was looking forward to grabbing some burnt ends, unfortunately like with a lot of family BBQ businesses you must plan to get early as they were out of burnt ends and chicken before 4 pm. So with that settled for the brisket dinner which comes with two sides and a corn muffin to enjoy. Service was fast and friendly. They have a handful of sodas along with some beer (had corona and modelo special today). Good was out quickly. Brisket was on the drier side, but the sides were amazingly delicious!! Good sauce selection and a bit on the thin side so be careful when dispensing your favorite BBQ sauce within your meal. Casual vibe with TVs in the back ground (no volume or CC) and music lightly playing not to overpower the conversation with friends. Dine in or take out, good option to meet your BBQ needs! read more

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I picked up Ed's for lunch yesterday, and I have been thinking about the burnt end sandwich ever since. I am going back today for lunch. Super tender, smoked to perfection, excellent rub, and the sauce was spot on. Very friendly service when I was picking up. Excellent bbq. read more

Big Ed's BBQ - Burnt end sandwich - Barbeque Near Me - Waukegan, Illinois

I had a taste for BQ and this place hit the spot. I had a full slab of ribs, coleslaw and fries. The ribs were so tender and tasty. I love their original BQ sauce. My friend thought his pulled pork sandwich was excellent. He also tried the peach cobbler and loved it! Dione T did a wonderful job. We ate in the full service area and it was near the bar and stage. This is the weird configuration of the place. They also had a pick up counter cafeteria style. read more

Delicious food, great service and wonderful spacious dining experience. We found this place by accident. We were in the area and decided to stop in. We're so happy we did. We didn't want to eat too much so we shared a combo tray. The chicken was good, not a juicy as we wanted. The brisket was ok. The best part was all the sauces to choose from along with the macaroni and cheese. We wanted collard greens and sweet potato but those are only served during the weekend. Overall, it was a good experience. I would go back again if we ever return to Illinois. The chef happens to know a lot of famous people. When you walk in, you will see all his photos with them. If you want some delicious sauces along with tons of options for BBQ, this is the place. Try it, you might like it. read more

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Surprised I haven't updated my review since the move to their new bigger location. It's really something else. Large bar area and separate to-go station. Hard to say what's my favorite, but ribs and burnt ends are up there. I have to make my way in on a Tuesday for a smashburger. The dinners come with 2 sides and a cornbread muffin. Good luck trying to finish, you'll need a nap. Super friendly staff that help out with your special requests. Dining room tables are cared for by the staff. Owner is a great pit master that puts his heart and soul into each piece of meat. read more

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Great getting to meet the owner right at the door. Good solid bbq when your thousands of miles away from home.

Definitely not worth going back for , its always good to try new places. Service was fast but they didnt have much options the had a whole list of things they had already ran out of which was mostly everything. Was looking to have chicken and they didnt have nun left. Ribs barely had any meat to it and most were just fatty. the fries were good freshly made a little salty. the mac and cheese was also salty and hard. The mash potatoes (redskin sour cream) were really good. The hot link was really greasy, tasted alright. The brisket was on the dryer side not what we expected. For sure over priced for these two plates my husband paid almost 80$ read more

Big Ed's BBQ - brisket ribs hot link mac and cheese mash potatoes corn bread - Barbeque Near Me - Waukegan, Illinois

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I read the reviews about big Ed's and I concur with the majority of positive reviews. This is some amazing barbecue. And it's in Illinois to boot. When I arrived at the bar I was greeted promptly and provided drink and food menus. Two TVs playing sports were above the bar and there was music being pumped in on a decent sound system. The only downside was that they were out of a significant number of meats including brisket, pork, and burnt ends. That made me very sad. Not all was lost however. I ordered the rib dinner with a side of mac & cheese and the Lawd Ham Mercy beans. This was accompanied by a cornbread muffin. Before it arrived the bartender provided me with a delicious margarita that was well-made along with six bottles of amazing barbecue sauce for me to try. My tray of barbecue came out shortly after my order and I dug right in. It was simply put delicious. The ribs had a nice smoke ring and were very meaty. In fact some of the medias ribs I've ever had for pork ribs. I dabbled with the original sauce, and settled on the sweet heat as well as the Memphis. The beans were named appropriately. They were amazing as was the mac & cheese. And let's face it, cornbread muffins are either amazing or awful and mine was the former. As I walked out at the end of my dinner I was greeted by a bunch of folks near the entrance who wished me a good evening and were kind and friendly and made sure that I enjoyed my dinner. If you like barbecue, and you're in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, big Ed's is the place to be. read more

Big Ed's BBQ - Rib dinner with mac & cheese, corn bread muffin, and the amazingly named "Lawd Ham Mercy" Beans! - Barbeque Near Me - Waukegan, Illinois

Big EDs BBQ is the best BBQ set-up, food, and service I have had since visiting Texas. Their location is huge! It's a walk up menu type establishment and the cooks taking your order make amazing suggestions. I appreciated BIg EDs BBQ prices and they offer a military discount! I would highly recommend for anyone visiting the area for a boot camp Graduation, it's close to several hotels in the area. read more

Big Ed's BBQ - Hot links platter - Barbeque Near Me - Waukegan, Illinois

very slow ordering process. they really need to have a designated order taker instead of one person taking the order, cutting the rib tips, putting fries in the oil, etc. plus their meats (specifically pulled pork and pulled chicken sammiches) are barely 'warm' and the buns are cold. plenty of room compared to their old location. read more

It was the weekend, so of course I got the collard greens! They're 12/10 as always. The ribs on the other hand were good, but not great like I remember which was unfortunate. The cornbread was great! Fries are good, could have used just a touch more salt. The barbecue sauce is out of this world! If I could put in on tap in my house, I would. I'm not sure what's in it, but it's spectacular! Service is a little different. Didn't get to see the usual guys, because I ordered takeout. It's pretty big inside, but quiet in the front. Not as close knit as it used to be, so that definitely took away from the "home" feel that you used to get. I'll be back for sure, but hoping they bring back some of old restaurant closeness! *Also personal gripe, you CANNOT contact them if you make a mistake on your order. None of the lines lead to a direct line to Big Ed's which is really frustrating. read more

Big Ed's BBQ - Ribs - Barbeque Near Me - Waukegan, Illinois

Big Ed's BBQ was ranked #97 on Yelp Top 100 BBQ restaurants in 2024. It was time to see how Big Ed's stack up. First of all, the building is pretty grand as it is huge. But when you walk in, there is a line. The line doesn't seem to go fast so be prepared. But when you reach the counter, the customer service was very friendly. I went with the combo with brisket, pulled pork, beans, cornbread, and I talked myself into the Tony's BBQ mac instead of the normal mac. The Tony's BBQ mac wasn't bad but I feel like the normal mac and cheese had to be superior. Pulled pork was solid and the brisket was good, just not as moist as I like. The beans were phenomenal with all the spices, peppers, and onions mixed in. Big Ed's knows sauce which made me happy for a sauceaholic like me. There is a picture of the descriptions but I found that the Sweet and Spicy went best with the brisket, Memphis and the Hot ish went well with the pork, and the Memphis was the best overall sauce in my opinion. The Sweet and Spicy was my next favorite and Chipotle Maple was the most unique. The best thing at Big Ed's though was the sweet tea! Being from Alabama, I'm a sweet tea snob and the Midwest at times does not understand how to fresh brew tea and add lots of sugar to make it phenomenal. The lady at the counter said they brewed it on the stove which made it even better! A 12 oz sweet tea was $2.69, which for this outstanding tea was a great deal....until refills were not included. But it seemed like there were no refills on any drink except maybe tap water. Anyway, surprisingly outstanding sweet tea I would buy again even without the no free refills. I will give Big Ed's a try again though I think I need to eat there a few more times to understand it's top 100 ranking. read more

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This is a stand alone building in a safe part of Waukegan just down the road from the casino. It's cafeteria style, you order your food up front & bring it to your table. Food: Brisket was so delicious. Rib tips good but too salty. Tony Mac & Cheese, too salty Laws beans was very good. Key lime pie was life changing. Pound cake was life changing. Corn bread was very good with a crispy exteior. Loved the 4 different sauces at the table. Service: The lady getting me my food was great. The guy at the reception was simply preoccupied looking at his phone when we left. When we arrived, his only message was announcing that they were out of burnt ends. Overall: Get the brisket, law beans & the life changing key lime pie & pound cake. read more

Big Ed's BBQ - Brisket, rib tips, Tony Mac & cheese, law beans, corn bread. - Barbeque Near Me - Waukegan, Illinois

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Another great meal from Big Ed's! What a birthday celebration! The catering team was friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. Easily located near the entrance for ordering and pickup. Sports lounge decor for waiting area. And team kindly carried it out to load up. It did not disappoint!!! Thank you!! read more

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Friendly welcoming active environment. Food comes out quickly, fresh & delicious! Free parking.

Cute n cozy in bar area, server was friendly and gave recommendations on food selections, food was great ribs fell off the bone tender, catfish fried to perfection, sides sour cream red skinned mashed potatoes, Tony Mac, baked beans and sweet potatoes were all delicious read more

Huge restaurant which is cafeteria style, you go to the counter and order your food and you find a table to eat at. I was driving through the area stopped and ordered food to go. I ordered chicken wings, and rib tips. The chicken wings were OK nothing to rave about and the rib tips were OK as well. The barbecue sauce was watery to me and it didn't really have a robust flavor. The staff was amazing, very friendly and they were helpful in explaining the menu. Overall, the restaurant was spacious and it had lots of memorabilia on the walls. I would have to be in the neighborhood again and try their food at the restaurant because taking it HOME did not do any justice to the food. read more

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No notes. Just meat, really, really damn good meat and plenty of it. Barbecue sauces to drool for. Beans of dreams. Peach cobbler. Just go. You'll thank me later. read more

Big Ed's BBQ: A Smoked Revelation in Waukegan Unexpected win: I landed a last-minute spot for training out in Chicago. Touched down early Monday afternoon, and before the suitcase hit the hotel floor, the hunt for BBQ was on. I asked nine locals where to find the best ribs in town. Only one--an older lad at Binny's--gave me a confident answer: Big Ed's BBQ. That was all I needed. After class, I jet straight to the spot. Ordered the Full Rib Rack Dinner with mashed potatoes, BBQ beans, cornbread, and a slice of Key Lime Pie. Slapped first seven ribs-No sauce needed. First bite in, and I was floored. The bark was perfect, the smoke was light and soulful, and the meat? Fell off the bone like it was trying to escape into my mouth. --no shame, just joy. Pure, finger-licking bliss. Then came the pie. I don't know what kind of crust sorcery they're working with, but every bite held together--crispy, moist, custard-smooth filling, and a topping so airy it defies description. Slap-yo-mama good!! No exaggeration. Big Ed's isn't just a BBQ joint--it's a masterclass. Cali needs to take notes. Do yourself a favor. Go. Eat. Thank me later. read more

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The food is pretty delicious. The brisket is soft, pulled pork is delicious, ribs are delicious.tender and favor is amazing-no sauce needed. Mac n cheese are kids approved, greens are adult approved. Cornbread is also delicious. At Big Ed's you line up and order at the counter and get your food right away. The line is out the door by 1130am. Someone is always checking up on you and clearing tables right away for the next customers. This place is huge and clean. read more

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I've been to Memphis a few times, love the bbq and haven't been able to find the same in the Chicago area, until now. Fast and friendly service. Very clean inside. Had the Half a Yard Bird and my friend had the Burnt ends, our sides were mac and cheese, Lawd ham mercy beans and coleslaw. Everything was delicious. They provide multiple sauces at each table. Nice large seating area and plenty of parking. Nice vibe inside with a good mix of couples, families, and friends eating. Someone was constantly going around cleaning and clearing off the tables. Definitely worth the drive out! read more

Everything was delicious! Group of 9 but they were very kind and helpful. We bought an assortment of food and everything was wonderful. read more

Big Ed's BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Waukegan, Illinois

First visit to the new site. Wow it's huge compared to the old place. But the food is still amazing. I had burnt ends, beans, and mashed potatoes. Delish!! Usually I get the mac & cheese, but wanted to try something different. Service is still great. Order at the counter and they bring you your food. Folks still walking around to make sure you're doing good. Got the last piece of homemade pound cake! My friends (first visit) tried pulled pork and loved it. They now have a dining room with sit down service for dinner. But as I understand it, the counter service is also open at the same time. As far as I'm concerned, this is the best barbecue place. Food is great, service good, clean place, good parking and easy to find. I will be back! read more

Brother wanted BBQ while we were coming back from Wisconsin - and found this place. BBQ is tricky because if you're in a remote enough area - their "good BBQ" really is "okay BBQ because they don't have access to better BBQ." But - Big Ed's does a really good job :) It's a very homey vibe as (it appears but too shy to confirm) Ed himself is there, and he's a friendly man. The variety of choice you get is amazing - and the portion size is very generous. The fam basically got one of each item so we can try them all - the full rack, the brisket, and the burnt ends. Some of these items are tricky also as, for example, brisket can be chewy and tough (and paying a premium for it makes it worse). But I want to say, all the meats were really good - I'd probably lean towards Burnt Ends being the best, then the brisket, and then surprisingly, would skip the ribs as the other two are that much better. Notably, they provide 6 sauces at each table so you get to try them all. Unfortunately, I want to say that I didn't like any of them - they felt homemade in the sense that it was unbalanced (ie: one too vinegary, one too watery, etc.) - but maybe it was just the batch we got??? I'm okay with eating BBQ without sauce though and the meat quality is good enough to do without it - but yeah, this part was a little unfortunate. Overall, would come again if in the area :) read more

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Great place to eat i ordered the kids helping So filling . I have been going g there since they open they have moved from the north side of walmart in waukegan to the South side of waukegan so in same area in a beautiful building and it is so nice place is spotless. read more

I came here because I saw that the restaurant was a repurposed Pizza Hut. I walked in and stood in line it moved relativity fast. There is a bar that served beer. While waiting they have a white board with items that are sold out with a time when they should be ready again. Since I wanted the rib tips but there was a 20 minute wait. I ordered the combo dinner with burnt ends and brisket. It comes with two sides and a corn muffin. I was feeling greedy so I ordered a third side. Mac and cheese, beans and cole slaw. The guy behind the counter was phenomenal. Joking with customer while giving them information when items will be ready. I sat down and they have six different bbq sauces to try. My favorite was the original and That Hot Ish. I was surprised by how much food they give you. The brisket was juicy and fall apart as soon as you tried to pick it up. The burnt end was tender and flavorful without any sauce. My favorite side was the Mac and cheese, followed by the beans with chunks of brisket. My eyes were bigger than my stomach and I enjoyed every bite until I had to tap out. Seldomly do I need to go containers at bbq spots, but I would have had to take a nap if I continued eating. read more

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Oh MY GOSH! Big Ed's BBQ is THA REAL DEAL! First time here today and it's my new favorite restaurant. We ordered the Brisket Dinner with two sides ($22.99) and I chose the Baked Mac n cheese and the Lawd Have Mercy Beans. Yum, Yum and Yum. The Brisket is seasoned and smoked perfectly and it is moist without being fatty. The perfect Brisket dies t need sauce and this one needs no sauce. The Baked Mac n Cheese is pretty great too. Just cheezy enough and creamy without being over-creamed. The Lawd Have Mercy Beans are so tasty, not over spiced and not swimming in bbq sauce that overwhelms the beans like other places tend to do. The Cornbread....or Conebread as we like to call it is just perfect. Moist inside a crisp outer and just slightly sweet as a great "Conebread" is supposed to be made. We also ordered a Pulled Chicken dinner ($18.99) with two sides and we chose the Baked Mac n Cheese and Mashed Potatoes. Again, Yum, Yum and Yum. The chicken is seasoned and smoked just right and the potatoes are a creamy delight. The staff is friendly and helpful...making this a very comfortable restaurant to visit. I cannot recommend Big Ed's BBQ enough! read more

Big Ed's BBQ - Order counter - Barbeque Near Me - Waukegan, Illinois

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The restaurant is nice. A very homey feel, nice music and excellent staff! The cook is super nice and does a great job answering any questions. The bar section had live music and good vibes all around. I dined on the cafeteria side. Now let's get into the food. I had the fried mushrooms, Mac and cheese and mashed potatoes as sides. The fried mushrooms were good! The ranch dipping sauce was nice and creamy. The Mac and cheese unfortunately was nothing special. It was cheesy but the flavors tasted artificial. The mashed potatoes were good but just a little cold. My entree was the big Ed's barbecue combo, I had beef brisket and rib tips. Unfortunately the beef was extremely dry. The flavor was very good though. I didn't enjoy the beef at all and was not able to finish it because it was so dry. The rib tips were also very dry. The flavor was good for the rib tips as well. I'm not sure if I came too late but the meat all together was just very dry and not as tender as I am used to for barbecue. Not a bad restaurant, but not my personal cup of tea. If you're looking for a place to dine for some barbecue, while this would not be my first choice, it is a nice restaurant to grab a bite with family or friends for a good price! read more

Big Ed's BBQ - Mac and cheese, fried mushrooms, mashed potatoes, beef brisket and rib tips - Barbeque Near Me - Waukegan, Illinois

This was just spectacular! I loved my perfectly cooked brisket and it just made me say hit damn! My waiter came out and made sure it was going great, so I give a 10/10 on service. The vibe was just beautiful, the music, the food, and the employees were great! This made me love my life! read more

Stopped by when my son graduated Navy boot camp. The service was amazing! The BBQ was very good. I had the burnt ends and my husband and son had the brisket. Both were great! The plates were so big we should have shared. I would give the coleslaw a pass, it was too sweet, but everything else was great! read more

Big Ed's BBQ - Burnt ends with mashed potatoes and coleslaw. - Barbeque Near Me - Waukegan, Illinois

Service staff was very friendly and food was ready pretty quickly. I called to order, message said to order on the website, couldn't order on the website. So I went in, ordered the brisket, it was a little dry but very tender with good flavor, Mac and cheese was great! read more

First time at the new place. Our party arrived at 6:30 on a Saturday night. We walked in to find the ribs, pulled pork,burnt ends had run out - everything but brisket and hot links. We went to the bar area and had to beg to get service. Once we finally flagged a waitress to take out order we were informed they were out of chicken at which time we got up and left. It's obvious they don't cook enough food to serve their customers. Don't know if I will be going back. Miss the quality and service at the old location. read more

We Love Big Ed's BBQ. Every time we have gone the food has been outstanding. Jasmine has been our waitress each time and she is fantastic!!! We love supporting this local business. They do so much for the community. We can't wait to go back. read more

Great brisket and pulled pork. They were already sold out of burnt ends. It happens. The Big Ed Mac and cheese was unbelievably good. I could've eaten a tray of it. Good baked beans. Good fries. We will be back! read more

The most dry brisket I've ever had. So dry I had to drink my water just to put it down. I quite possibly had a more juicy brisket in bootcamp, I'm honestly pissed that they would serve this choking hazard to people. Not to mention the mash potatoes had no life to it. Legit just potatoes that they mashed with a foot. The Mac n cheese was 90% water 9% macaroni and .5% cheese and the last percentage was a middle finger for you to look at while you pay 30 dollars for a choking hazard read more

Big Ed's BBQ - Water and hatred for customers - Barbeque Near Me - Waukegan, Illinois

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First time visiting, huge place, noisy open floorplan, no booths just tables. Nothing fancy. The menu is posted on the wall. You look it over while standing in line which, BTW moves fast. Place order, move along to cashier, they have you pay and hand you a table number. As it was, I ordered the full.slab dry rubbed ribs, a side of cornbread and 2 sides of my choice; mercy beans and skin on fries was included in the $38 total. I choose the complimentary ice water, got my cutlery, towelettes and a straw. I located a table that held a napkins dispenser and 6 kinds of bbq sauce. What a spread. I ate most of the mercy beans which, are like cowboy beans, the cornbread muffin was fabulous, the fries, fried to perfection. My complaints are, the fries were like the bottom of the basket kind, broken, short stubs, very few long ones. The cornbread, a bit dry. The noise levels are irritating. It gets amplied by the high ceiling, the open floor plan. I would definitely take away in the future. Dine in? I'd go during the off rush times. I was there around 1pm so, it was full of noisy folk. read more

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I was looking for a new barbecue restaurant in the area around Grayslake/Third Lake for Memorial Day and found this restaurant as the most highly rated in Yelp reviews. The nice website along with the embedded Check Please! show's episode was the other thing in addition to the reviews and website quality that put it over the top for me. I went with my partner and upon arriving I was surprised that how big the restaurant was from the outside and new looking. When you get in through the double doors it is just as big inside. Immediately to the right of the entrance are the bathrooms. To the left is a counter for To-Go pick up orders. I was again pleasantly surprised by how big the restaurant was and the To-Go counter and overall space once inside between tables. Ordering is cafeteria style where someone takes your order and gives you your food. There is at least one or more people in the back who bring food up to the front from the back. And there is a cashier. All of the staff were very nice. The food came quickly. The food was all delicious! We had the rib tips, brisket, fries, and Yard Bird (chicken). We also had the sweet tea and peach cobbler for dessert. The brisket was melt in your mouth savory and delicious and we were especially surprised by the great taste of the Yard Bird. I highly recommend to everyone whether by yourself or with your family, friends, etc. read more