I can only review Bub City based on brunch, but I've gotta say, it's pretty tasty! You'll want to come into Bub City looking for a heavy brunch with that down home feel, though. Biscuits, gravy, cheesy grits, fried chicken & waffles...that's the type of down home cooking I'm talking about. The entire brunch menu is food coma-inducing, but I didn't really regret it at all. I opted for the beef brisket benedict...so heavy...so good...so worth it. The staff was incredibly nice and gave us an honest breakdown of everything on the menu, provided fast service with a personality, and kept my water topped off to help wash down the artery-clogging meal we ate. The atmosphere is something straight out of Nashville, with the country theme being undeniable. I can only imagine how crazy it gets in the evenings, but for brunch it was laid back. For a place in the sometimes-pretentious River North, it was a nice surprise for us when we just wanted something simple. Ultimately, I don't see Bub City being the type of place I'd frequent if I were a local, but there's a good energy about the place that could appeal to tourists who like live country music (country karaoke backed by a live band!), heavy meals, and want to avoid feeling underdressed at some of the other restaurants nearby. Don't come here looking to eat healthy or enjoy a quiet night out, but if you're looking for a fun vibe, I could see Bub City hitting the spot. read more

Bub City - Brisket benedict with cheesy grits, chicken & waffles, hash... - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Not sure about in-house, but delivery portions are pathetic for the price. Expect to pay 28 dollars for a thimble of coleslaw and several ounces of brisket. They intentionally don't post their BBQ offerings in weights to scam their customers. They're cheapskates! Stay away! read more

Great bar, in a perfect location. Had a burger and it was absolutely delicious. The Place has great service, and awesome prices. Even in the winter, you're able to sit outside. read more

Bub City - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Great atmosphere and reasonably affordable drinks! Great spot for football and listening to country music.

Great food and great service! I ordered the Pastrami Sandwich which had a side of latkes, and it was the perfect meal to celebrate the Fourth of July. I also ordered a side of brussel sprouts were nicely roasted as well. Such a nice addition to the River North restaurants! read more

Bub City - Housemade Pastrami with a side of Potato Latkes - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Came here on a Tuesday night aka Karaoke night. Drinks are average, last place you would get a Moscow mule to be honest. The bouncer was nice and funny, but once we got in the service was average. We signed up for karaoke but the guy told us 30 min, no one really even came up for their turn. We waited an hour and our turn never came. This bar was average, would I come back? Let's be real probably not read more

I've been a fan of bub city for years. Excellent BBQ, atmosphere, staff, and live entertainment. Recently my wife and I ordered delivery via DoorDash and the wrong order arrived. We called in and Brad handled the mishap like a pro. It was a human error and it happens. He offered to even deliver the correct order himself! Brad ultimately refunded us, had it delivered again, and gave us a gift card! Super generous and excellent customer service. The food was fantastic. That Mac n cheese just hits different. Brad has a customer for life. read more

Ok. I am not a country music fan. I do like BBQ. Both the atmosphere and food here are pretty good! The wait staff is attentive and friendly. After hearing my daughters praise the burgers, I would come back. We tried the fried pickles. While not as flavorful as some others, I'd try them again with that $5 special. Those burgers were given 5 stars by both of my daughters. I ordered a platter. The two-meat platter was a bit pricey for the volume of food. With choices of lean and fatty brisket, this was the standout for me. A close runner up was the baked beans with brisket. The BBQ chicken was simply one breast cut in half to make the platter look larger. I wanted more flavor, but had to rely on the BBQ sauce. The coleslaw, white bread, and pimento cheese spread with crackers would have been eliminated. Overall....not bad at all. read more

I liked the vibe of this spot. As a tourist to find this gem (locals helped me out) I think I had more fun with all the cool things on the wall *including writing my own name on it* and checking out the funny "guy" standing in the ladies bathroom. Our server was super cool peoples. Down to earth, she knew the menu and knew where we could save money and not compromise the quantity of food. People raved about the fried chicken. As a person who cooks southern style fried chicken, this was ok. I'd give it a 7 out of 10. I didnt care for the mac and cheese, I found the cheese too mild. I did like the texture, it was very creamy. I took it back to Cali and my kids tore it up. I preferred the appetizer chicken bites, they had more flavor. Next time, I will try the Nashville Hot. We also ordered the Gluten Free fried chicken. I didnt like it at all. It tasted 100% like charbroiled chicken rub. I expected texture but it looked like Shake and Bake BBQ. And the Brussell Sprouts were burnt and really oily. Had it been out of my own pocket, I would have had issue. But for the ambiance and the staff it got the 4 stars. The food isn't horrible, a good place to kill tons of time with groups. You'll be busy drinking, people viewing and digging the art all over :) read more

Bub City - !! - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Complete rip off. What it says you get vs. what you actually get. I honestly hope this place closes it was so ridiculous. read more

Bub City - What they claim you get - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Pretty good spot for bbq.. especially downtown. Good bbq and sides, haven't really had anything bad here regarding the food! Also, good beer and drink selection! Definitely on the weekends you might want to make a reso.. it can get pretty packed. Staff is friendly and accommodating. Only thing I have no enjoyed here is the bloody Mary bar. It just was not good. Some of the toppings tasted and felt like they had been left out for hours.. just not worth the $$. read more

I've been going to bub city probably at least 3x a month for the last few years, typically for takeout. It was my wife and I's favorite place to pick up from, as we live right next door. Dining in is also great, as the vibe is solid, the staff has always been friendly, and the drink options are plentiful. However...they recently revamped their menu, and it is very disappointing. It seems that everything has gotten smaller but more expensive at the same time. We used to always get the trucker snacks (saltine crackers with sausage links and pimento cheese) for $5.95...at first, we thought they were off of the menu once it was revamped, but just discovered tonight when we got take out that they were changed to "Texas hot links." These are the same thing, minus the saltine crackers, and are now $10.95. We also would get the hickory smoked wings, which are the same price now, but come with only 6 wings. 6 wings for $13 is pretty absurd. Lastly, we'd get the chopped salad, which also increased 20% in price. I believe they also took away the fried chicken, and all of the daily specials they used to do. Overall, the menu seems much more limited, and from reading other reviews, it sounds like portions got smaller across the board, not just on our favorite items This place has to make 90% of it's money on high priced beers, whiskey, and cocktails. Get people in the door for food and make money off drinks.... The first part of that equation just got harder for me with the menu changes read more

Quick and friendly service, with great BBQ. Came here with my husband and almost 2yr old son before we saw a show at the Chicago Theater. We were cutting it somewhat close with only about 30-45 minutes to order and eat. Our waitress was great, acknowledged our son and was very attentive to our needs. From the minute we ordered, it maybe took 5-10 minutes before our food was out in front of us - and we hadn't even told her we were in a rush! We had the chicken finger basket for our son (which both my husband and I picked at), that was juicy and perfectly breaded. My husband and I shared the fried pickle appetizer (a bit thicker than normal but were tasty), the chopped brisket sandwich, and the pulled pork sandwich which both were delicious! I like that they don't bombard you with 20 different sauces, and that they prefer to showcase the meat. All in all a great place to eat that's lively, family-friendly and provides excellent service! read more

If you are looking for a quiet evening out to catch up on some meaningful conversation with your loved ones, then this is probably not the place for you. However if you're in the mood for a quick trip to Nashville (blaring music and all) without the cost of airfare, then you've found the right place. Everything about this restaurant screams "Howdy, ya'll" from the American Flag made from beer cans (see photo) to their extensive array of barbecue sauce arranged syrup style at the end of each table. We started with the fried pickles. Now I've had my fair share of fried pickles and these were right on the money. The dough to pickle ratio was great. I often find that places use too much dough around the outside that can't cook through all the way which makes it pretty mushy but this wasn't the case here. And it's a good sized portion for the price. We then moved on to the Smoke's Sampler Platter with hot links, baby back ribs, and brisket. For our sides we ordered the waffle fries, crispy Brussels sprouts, and classic Mac and Cheese. For drinks we had the Margarita and Seasonal sangria. Now let me be clear... this ain't my first rodeo. Half of my family lives in Texas and I visit pretty often so I know good barbecue. But Bub City really measured up! The hot links were amazing... so juicy and had a nice added kick. The baby back ribs were also pretty good... they were well dressed and not too dry. And the brisket was very well executed. It's noted on the menu that it's an 18 hour brisket and it was worth every minute. But the real standouts were the sides. The Mac and cheese was everything you'd hope it to be... genuine comfort food. And the waffle fries were also a nice bonus. But let me get to my favorite part of the evening... the crispy Brussels sprouts. I have just about died and gone to heaven after eating these. My boyfriend is the true Brussels sprouts lover and he literally had to fork fight me.... they were THAT good! Our server didn't have the best sense of Southern Hospitality, but it was clear that she was managing a large section and we were impressed with how quickly everything came out. Neither of us are big whiskey drinkers but she did convince us to try both the Honey Whiskey shot and the Cinnamon Whisky shot. My personal favorite was the honey shot, but they were each only $5 and absolutely filled to the brim so definitely worth the price! All in all this is a great BBQ spot, the best I've found in the city. Not only is the food excellent but the atmosphere as a whole serves as an extremely fun night out! I will definitely be back! read more

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The first time I went here, I received exceptional customer service. This is my second time and I feel as though I am begging for attention from my server. She did not check on us and everything took forever for us to get. We got our food before our drinks and didn't receive silverware or napkins or our beverages for 10 minutes later. Bad city. read more

We had a great staff lunch here during one of our downtown retreats. Each order was a ton of food, and everyone was satisfied with their meals and the service. I would definitely go back! The only thing I didn't like was the women's bathroom. We were there during the day, so no one else was down there. I watch a lot of horror movies, and it creeped me the eff out! Haha. read more

Been coming here a while. Wow has the quality changed. I just ordered via uber eats and I'm speechless. The portion size for the Brisket is 18.95 and this is the amount I get. The vast majority of it is ALL FAT. I like fatty brisket but this is unedible. The Mac and cheese is a joke. It looks like they through a slice of Colby jack cheese on top and called it a day. With an order total nearing 50 dollars, I could've had better luck almost anywhere else in the city. It's an overpriced, low-quality, barbeque restaurant used as a trojan horse to sell low-quality overpriced booze. read more

Bub City - One sauce and no utensils either? - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Bub City? More like that 'Bloody Mary and Food was really great city!' When factoring in price, this is the best Bloody Mary I've had. The brisket Benedict was spot on and their portions don't disappoint. A great vibe, great service and how can't you love the "eat out" of the year award! Tasty in multiple ways! Not to mention they have the wettest water in town! read more

Last night was my second night there. The live music every night is amazing and they take enough tables away so that people can dance and have a good time. The food is ammmmmmaaazzzinnnggg; the brisket is my absolute favorite and I'd recommend getting the platter even though I wasn't even able to finish it. Great cocktails! The cowboy hat is so fun and the best in my opinion! read more

Bub City - Cowboy Cup - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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There are way better BBQ restaurants in chicago Than Bub city BBQ ( lettuce entertain you) One of their worst restaurants. Wine in cans that taste like spit patroon wine If you are in a BBQ restaurant and they serve you BBQ sauce in a small container it's not a real BBQ restaurant The wings were way over cooked with no sauce on them tasted like they were yesterday's lunch I think they found the ribs in the back of the refrigerator pre cooked and dry . The one thing I can say about the the ribs were that they were High quality ribs but if you smoke them until there is no moisture left you ruin your product Like an over cooked steak never good So stay away from this restaurant if you want Good food And never ever go for a glass of wine ( or can of wine ) just awful I gave it two stars because of the person waiting on our table She as the only good part of the experience read more

UPDATE!!!! Came in last night (Tuesday night) around 9pm for a late night dinner and to stay and watch karaoke. Food: my friend and I split the double barrel burger. They cut it in half for us which I really appreciated. It was delicious but a bit too much mustard for my taste. We also split fried chicken (thigh and drum stick). Ummm YUM! I swear I had it before and was not a fan at all. Also it kind of looks like the menu changed a little. And finally we got an order of Brussel sprouts which was DELISH! Cocktails: I had the save horse ride a cucumber- with gin per the waitresses recommendation. YUM! Super refreshing. My friend had the frozen marg and was not a fan (I didn't like it either) so later in the night she just gave up on drinking it and went for a beer. Service: our waitress was great, attentive and ha some great recommendations (she was hard to find towards the end of the night but that's okay the place was packed) Tuesday night: omg a must to go to. The band was great and everyone that was singing karaoke was amazing! I will for sure come back on a Tuesday. Clearly 3rd time was the charm at Bub city read more

How does this restaurant only have 3 and a half stars? Bub City receives five stars, a high five, and two thumbs up from me! First and foremost, try to get a seat outside. The atmosphere is great, and it's fun people-watching. Onto the food... get the fried pickles. They were the best fried pickles I have ever had.. just the right amount of crispy-ness and packed with flavor. Since Bub City specializes in BBQ, I decided to order the BBQ pulled pork. It was served with chips and coleslaw. Again, some of the best pulled pork I've had in a while. It was cooked to perfection and the BBQ sauce was incredible. Although I didn't get it, they offer a lunch deal where you can pick a meat and choose three sides for $17. Pretty good deal for all the food you get! Thanks Bub City for a great lunch! I'll be back next time I'm in Chi Town! read more

Bub City - Fried pickles - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Visited Bub City for the first time after hearing a few people rave about it. I wasn't told much other than the atmosphere was great, the food even better and they had a huge wall of whiskey. So we decided to stop by on a Wednesday night. Walked in and was seated immediately, which was shocking because it looked kind of packed. I wasn't a big fan of the country music but a girl can take one for the team, plus the World Series game 7 was on. We were seated and a very nice waitress Ashley appeared and told us everyrhing we needed to know. She suggested a few dishes and we settled on the nachos with brisket, Brussel sprouts, and fried chicken. Nachos were amazing! I had never had nachos with BBQ sauce before and I must say I was pleasantly surprised! The brussel sprouts were flash fried to perfection!.... with a twang of BBQ sauce as well. Unfortunately, I was so stuffed that I had to take my portion of the chicken to go. However, my friend demolished her portion of the chicken. And even said it was the best she had tasted. Thank you Ashley for being so patient with us and super knowledgeable about the menu! We will be returning again soon for Sunday brunch. P.S. The weather was alittle wet out and we had the best hot toddies (made with whiskey) ever! read more

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I loved this place! The decor is awesome. My food was incredibly good!! They had a live performer and they killed it. Very talented. I went to the bathroom and was so confused! I opened the door and there was a man standing up against a urinal even though the door said women...? It turns out it was a mannequin lol. They got me! Great spot in Chicago. read more

Bub City - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Everything time I come here, excellent food and excellent service. The most recent visit was fantastic. We decided to hold a graduation luncheon here and the process was impeccable. They contacted me immediately with prices and accommodations. We have been looking around for a place that would suit all of the guests tastes and I got nothing but praise for the selection. (They should have left reviews with their comments!) Serviced as family style: We picked the El Paso Chopped Salad and Smoked Chicken Wings for an appetizer. For the meat, we chose the Berkshire pulled pork and the fried chicken with sides of Phoebe's Mac and cheese and roasted Brussel sprouts. Every thing was delicious and they even made a custom menu for us! We also brought a cake and they kindly displayed it and cut it for the guests. The manager stopped over to check on us and she was so sweet. They even boxed the leftovers for us! They also have a valet parking deal which you will have to ask about. Overall, amazing time and amazing food. Can't wait to come back for just dinner but will definitely recommend if you have a celebration! Thanks Bub City! read more

Bub City - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I went to Bub City a couple of days ago with a few business colleagues. We arrived at 6 and a great table in the main dining room. The decor and atmosphere was awesome. It was American themed....I thought I was in Texas or the South. So cool! There was not an empty seat in the restaurant! For dinner, we ordered the Baby Back Ribs. The Ribs and sauce were awesome! I will come back again and again!! read more

Really fun atmosphere on a very fun street (currently Clark blocked to car traffic, which I love, so tables can expand further out). Food here is awesome, but portions are large - have yet to find something I don't like, but get the atomic cheese sauce. Late night, they move out tables and it's definitely more a drinking/live music situation, but drink selection & house cocktails are delicious. Unless you want to hang at the bar, or grab lunch/early dinner, definitely checkout a reservation read more

We have visited for brunch a few times and always leave equally impressed! The Bloody Mary bar here can't be beat! In addition to getting to choose your own alcohol (tequila, whiskey, vodka, burbon) you are able to put as many garnishments as you can fit in your glass. Literally anything you can think of is available and probably has a little American flag sticking out of it for added decoration. Mini grilled cheeses, sausage cheese and crackers, shrimp, oysters, olives, etc. You also get a beer chaser included in the price. I would highly recommend the chicken and waffles. They are awesome especially the jalapeno syrup! We have also split the waffle fry nachos which were also very good! They serve brunch on Saturdays and Sundays, but the live brunch music is on Sundays. Don't forget that Bub City is a Lettuce Entertain You restaurant so you will earn points for checking in with the app! If you are not a frequent diner member I would suggest signing up so you can start earning rewards and free food! read more

Bub City - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Went to this restaurant on vacation, and was rudely answered on the phone by our server Emma in regards of being charged missing cutlery which i didn't have. even if the portions are big and the food is good. the unnecessary description of our persons over the phone was rude, especially from a woman i watched dumb 4 open white claws on a man and didn't say sorry. food 7/10 service 1/10 read more

This place gave me exactly what I wanted. Bar food , in a chill atmosphere. The food well exceeded my expectations, since I have found it very difficult to find a decent fried chicken sandwich in Chicago. I had the bufallo chicken sandwich and my husband had a cheeseburger, both were cooked perfectly. The only thing lacking was the spicy flavor of the buffalo, but still good.. Our server was amazing, which sealed this review :) . read more

Bub City - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Hmm, a restaurant focused around BBQ and bourbon? Count me in! Every time I come here, I always go for the house old fashioned. They make it ahead of time so they have it on tap. It's a bit sweet, but being a southern-themed bar that also serves alcoholic sweet tea, I can see where they're coming from. The food is also amazing, as they do their brisket right. It is tender and juicy and I love trying their different sauces on it. I have never been here for the live music, but they have a stage right in the middle of the restaurant, which I think would be nice to enjoy while having dinner. I will definitely be back to try the other meats and drinks! read more

We did carry out for Thanksgiving. So good! We were obsessed with the buttery, sage stuffing. The mashed potatoes were so smooth and flavorful. The smoked turkey was impressive and looked/ smelled amazing. (The salad was ok- a little too much celery for me). We also ordered the brisket- always delicious and the perfect amount of lean/fat They were running about 30 minutes behind on orders, but they texted us so we could adjust our arrival time appropriately. They ran things very orderly and the staff was very patient/ helpful read more

It pains me to write a bad review because I know it's bad for business and I think I like bub city. But I've been yelping long enough to know that this kind of post usually gets management notified. I went to bub city last night to celebrate my birthday with live band karaoke. I put my name on the list to sing Carrie Underwood "Last Name" I was so nervous but the band put me right at ease. Singing with a live band is so much fun but you have to really know the melody otherwise you will get lost. After about 30 minutes I put my name on the list to sing another song figuring it would be about an hour until my name was called. Here's why I'm writing a bad review...people don't care if you are unfair, people care if you are inconsistent. After about an hour I went to go check on the list because two people that sang after me had just sang their second song. One of the band members, I think his name is Trace, told me that we were being bumped to let new people sing. Fine. Totally get it. Except that I could tell that they bumped me for two people that had already sang before. So that didn't make much sense but I figured I'd be called a little later. After another hour went by I went to see if I was going to be called and then Trace told me, "oh we are going to do a few rock songs then I'm going to get you in." Well after a few rock songs they announced that they were going to sing one final song. So I guess he wasn't going to get me in. Here's the deal, it was my birthday. I had been up since 4am working and I just wanted to sing another song. Had he been consistent and only let everyone do one song. Fine. But that wasn't the case. Had he said, yeah I think we are going to be wrapping up and we are not going to be able to get you in. Fine. But I feel very lead on and that's not cool. My friends and I would've left if I had known it was a one and done because it is a work day after all and the karaoke starts at 10pm. So I'm not sure if it is the management policy to get people to stay longer and drink more or what. But I'm very disappointed. read more

Bub City - Live band karaoke - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Lemme start with compliments to our server- Tyler! He is so darn charming!! He was always smiling, even wen I snuck in a photo. He chatted with us a bit, which made us happy right there with him! We went for Sunday brunch and even brought our pup. Tyler brought him water right away. The food was deeeeelicious! We had breakfast, which all had a bit of their special bbq touches. Service was impressive and the food came out so fast! Sitting outside was great, especially since it was a gorgeous day! We can't wait to come back again!!! read more

Bub City - Our server Tyler! - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I came here on a Friday night and barely recall the experience - but the place was packed, people drinking, live music playing and all together a good time. I do specifically recall that my mixed drink was $10. I guess I'll eat Maruchan ramen the rest of my life. However, I digress. I went back the next morning, not for the walk of shame, but for brunch. I've never been to a bar one night and turn around for brunch less than 10 hours later. Remarkable for me, better for them. Bub City brunch was slammed. There were no remnants of the beer I spilled the night before. Truly remarkable. I ordered the meat and three with the breakfast burrito, mac and cheese, Texas hot link, and biscuits and gravy. This meal is not for the faint of heart. Luckily, I shared it with someone and we also got a side of hash browns. Skip the hash browns, gorge on the macaroni. Awesome place, highly recommend! Make reservations for brunch. read more

Bub City - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place was basic. I got the buffalo chicken quarter( tasty), a bub city Arnold Palmer thing( On Point!), Fried pickles( aight!), Loaded waffle fries ( On Point!) And sweet potato mash ( aight). No need to make this a place to go. Be better than basic! read more

Bub City - Buffalo chicken leg and thigh ( pretty tasty) - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Bub City is basically a sports bar that serves bbq food. The bbq isn't special. TVs and booze, loud country music. The night we went we both ordered specials that were no longer available because they didn't update their menu. We didn't care for the sandwiches we got. Grilled cheese and the pastrami. Just kinda meh. read more

Had a good afternoon with my fri Mrs and walked over bub city to drinks and dinner. Terrible. Yes, we've had a couple of drinks but we were aware of everything. The server come to us and says she's not gonna give us any drink because we're too fucked ip. If that's the case, how did we get dinner and a full fucking bottle of wine at @Maggianos's? TWO BLOCKS AWAY! we had dinner and everything. Bub City just sucks on a Sunday night. If you don't want to work in a Sunday night, that's not my problem. I just want to have a dinner and a couple of drinks with my friends, but bub city seems to be too strict for it. Lucky we have Maggiano's. I used to love it, but now, bub city sucks! read more

Great whiskey collection. Fun atmosphere and great bar and bartender:) I would recommend it.

This was my first time visiting and I could see myself visiting again to try something else. Staff was friendly and it was around noon so their were only a few people, which is perfect to me! I ordered the "One meat & 3 sides"; Ribs, Mac & Cheese, Cucumber & Tomatoes, and fruit (pineapple). The Mac & Cheese was AMAZING!! Knew I should have tried the pull pork.. read more

Bub City - Sorry the photo is upside down!! - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois