Pound-for-pound best restaurant in the suburbs. Jay and his team do an awesome job. The food is incredible and every week there are unique specials. Service is pretty quick and so dependable. In the summer, they do live music on their patio read more

I've been sitting on this review for a bit because I want to go back and try it a second time, but I'll update later. This place does get busy! Even on the 'off' hours, plan to wait in a line. The staff does move pretty quickly, but I've seen the line out the door so be prepared. Speaking of the staff... Nobody is wearing a mask. Now I get people's feelings about vaccinations, masks, etc.. however- there is a mandate so that immediately knocks off a star from me. Inside is super cool and rock and roll. A very 'if you don't like me, I don't care' vibe. It is loud, so if that's not your thing take your meal to go. The tables are mostly a shared setting, so you may also be sitting with people you don't know. The food is just ok to me. For it's price, I was expecting a little bit more portion wise. The taste was pretty good though. Like many reviews have stated, they don't give you sauce right away- you have to ask. Honestly, I didn't feel like I needed sauce but I'm not about to throw hands with half of yelp over that. The ribs were absolutely our favorite. We got the brisket (hey- we get it, brisket is a fatty meat!!) and it just fell a little flat. read more

The food is amazing and the owners and crew are great. Can be a little loud inside but they have a great dog friendly patio. read more

Chicago Culinary Kitchen - Brisket, Back Alley Ribs and Beans. - Barbeque Near Me - Palatine, Illinois

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We had such a unique experience here this week! There were about 50 of us from the office and we all got to experience, bourbon tasting, beer, brisket, sausage, pork, ribs, sides, and much more. It was so much food we could barely walk out. The best part was hearing the details about each cut of meat and how it's prepared. The owners are great people, very personable and really know what they're talking about. We had a fabulous time and were excited to hear that they are about to open a new place called Pink's shrimp. I highly recommend trying both out. You will not be sorry read more

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BBQ, pizza ,seafood, drinks Great food I've been their over 100 times , they got different specialty items daily. read more

Chicago Culinary Kitchen - Simon - Barbeque Near Me - Palatine, Illinois

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I've been wanting to go to this place for years. Finally get there.... For Two people to.... Pulled pork, half slab of ribs, fries, cornbread and one soda. $45. Kind of high, so my expectations just went went up. Pulled pork... Cold. Not very flavorful Half slab was more like quarter slab, Luke warm, eh Fries had a weird seasoning we weren't expecting, warm, not hot Ketchup was homemade and not good Cornbread.... Straight from the fridge. Very cold. BBQ sauces..... Now I like vinegar, these were extreme vinegar. Only one was so-so. The food was not warm at all and lacked flavor. Then the sauce.... No thanks. For $45 we expected great BBQ. The temperature of the food was the most shocking. Took home pulled pork to add my own spices to it. Or it will sit in fridge, don't have much desire to fix it. Hoping cornbread tastes good once I pop it in the microwave. Threw out over half of the fries. Add extremely loud music where we couldn't even have a conversation..... I don't get the hype. Would not recommend. read more

We had been dying to try this place out for months! They are only open for a total of 6 hours throughout the duration of the week. Finally trying it felt like a success in itself! We tried this restaurant during the quarantine, and they require masks to enter/order. We came around 11ish and waited in line outside. The decor is VERY cool. It has a rocker/metal vibe and it matched the badass flavors of the meat. Since we knew it was hard to get here, we decided to order some sides- we tried the F'n Mac & Cheese and the Esquites. We ordered the brisket and pulled pork for our entrees. They served all the food on one platter, which was good for sharing. The entrees came with two pieces of white bread, but the meat was served by itself. Personally, I wished it was served with sauce, but I suppose the meat quality and preparation was enough. I still really like sauce, maybe I'm not a BBQ expert though. Overall, I really loved this meal for a fun Summer event, and the high table top stools were a great add to the ambience. read more

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Tried this place out from a friend's recommendation and glad we did. For starters when we first walked in the gentleman behind the counter was friendly and helpful talking us through the menu with some recommendations. We tried the ribs, brisket sandwich, PB&J wings, Mac n cheese and baked beans. All the food was delicious, the ribs and pb&j wings being my fav. I also really enjoyed the chipotle apricot bbq sauce, there were 4 sauces as option on each table. read more

Just moved to the NW burbs from Minneapolis where the burger game is strong and have struggled to find a place that comes close. This is it. But they aren't a burger place...so if they have this so amazingly right, can't wait to work my way through everything else. Super friendly staff and a great vibe. I think it's worth a drive if you're in the metro area. read more

The hype surrounding CCK from yelp, friends and, of course, Money Magazine (who claims, based on this site's reviews, that this is the No. 1 BBQ in Illinois" -- a fact prominently displayed on CCK's website) was immense. Surely, my mind would be blown from such a place, right? After all, while Illinois isn't KC, Texas, Memphis, or the Carolina's, it's assembled its fair-share of notable eateries (including Smoque, Honky Tonky, Lem's or Earl's [my personal favorite] in Chicago, and 17th Street BBQ in downstate Murphysboro, which previously won the distinction of "Best Ribs in America" by Bon Appetit Magazine). So imagine my disappointment when I discovered that -- gasp! -- this place is NOT the greatest BBQ in Illinois! Actually, it's not even the greatest in the Northwest Suburbs. Allow me to explain why this place falls short: A) The brisket is executed extremely poorly. Two main reasons for this: 1) It's sliced too thick; and 2) it's not served with any sauce (unless you request it, which I didn't know at the time). There's something to be said about adding BBQ sauce vs. letting the meat stand on its own. Sauce should complement the meat, and some meats (such as ribs or sausage) don't need sauce to be phenomenal. Brisket, however, is not one of these items -- as an inherently tough cut with very little flavor (outside of the bark), and a tendency to dry out quickly, a complementary sauce is a MUST for brisket. Without sauce and cut a 1/2 inch thick, my brisket was nearly inedible because of how dry and flavorless it was. Some bottled Stubb's sauce helped the situation, but still, it was anything but great. B) The ribs were one-note. While these seemed to have a slight glazing of sauce cooked on to them, I couldn't pinpoint the sweet and/or spicy and/or smoky flavor combination that makes BBQ amazing. I would describe the ribs' flavor as "savory" and nothing else. I will say these were tender, especially for spare ribs, but I was missing an additional flavor profile which could've taken these to the next level. C) BBQ is not a cheap meal (which is ironic, considering it originated from African American slaves, who did all they could with their given "less desirable" cuts of meat). However, charging $15.95 for a half slab of ribs (i.e. six bones) where as some of the better places in Chicago charge the same or less for more bones seems a little too expensive. D) The 18-hour pit beans and the corn bread were the best part two parts of the meal. While good sides are important, they shouldn't be the highlight of the meal. E) Not a single staff member was wearing a mask, despite Illinois' mask mandate. Again, because this concept still hasn't set in with some -- you wear a mask to PREVENT YOURSELF from unintentionally spreading the virus to others (as opposed to relying on it solely for protection). By not wearing the masks, the staff members are basically communicating to customers that they don't care if they infect them. Maybe, once upon a time, this place WAS deserving of its accolades (regardless of the fact that Money Magazine definitely isn't known for its proficiency in the culinary arts and that it simply used the average Yelp star rating of places to proclaim the best in the state -- which means that deserving staples like Rendezvous in Memphis, Joe's and Arthur Bryant's in Kansas City, and Franklin Barbecue in Austin are nowhere to be seen on the list -- here's a REAL list for your consideration: https://www.businessinsider.com/the-25-best-barbecue-restaurants-in-america-2015-7#7-franklin-barbecue-austin-texas-19). But today, as a barbecue aficionado who's had the best-of-the-best from Chicago, KC, Texas, and Memphis -- I just don't get the high praises for this place. read more

This place is directly on my way home from work. Makes for a great place to pick up dinner when we don't feel like cooking. We had two of the special sandwiches, two kinds of sausages and two sides. All were very good. Only slight miss was the corn, it was good but just not the style I prefer. Will be back to try some more of the menu. read more

Just ordered take out. Price is typical BBQ. 1 star because brisket was very fatty, didnt like the pulled pork rub and meal did not include sauce. What kind of a BBQ place doesn't give you sauce?!?!? Fries were the best park and mac and cheese was boiled noodles w cheese sauce and crushed Cheetos on top. Not worth saving as leftovers. read more

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It was the first time there. We came for the Ribs Around the World which was $89.00 for two. Taste wise definitely not worth that, amount wise maybe. Some of the ribs were fatty, the Mac and cheese was dry and flavorless as was the cole slaw. The only thing I was impressed by was their menu of beers. I have been wanting to try this place for over a year so this was a huge disappointment for me. Probably won't go back unless my husband wants to try something different. read more

SLOW, SLOW, SLOW!!! We went there on Father's Day and while there was a line to order our food, it wasn't terrible and our order was placed within 10 minutes. However, it then took 1 hour 15 minutes to get our food once we had ordered. I get that they were busy, but there is something wrong when it takes that long to serve food that is precooked (ie ribs and brisket). The food itself was fine with juicy, flavorful meat, but I won't be coming back because it wasn't good enough to make up for the horrendous wait after ordering. read more

Overhyped and not worth the money. Just dropped over $60 today for a Saturday lunch for 2 and we both left unhappy. A "pound" of brisket for about $28. Parenthesis because it was well below a pound. A couple of sausage links for $12. We tried the street corn and left it alone after one bite. $6 fries. And clearly expected tip at checkout without having tasted the food or quality of service. Food was mediocre. At that price, criminal. I don't mind paying a premium for quality but this... I'd been happy with the food when they were at the old location, maybe they need to season up the new location or have new staff that are still learning. The wait staff was friendly and attentive. We won't be going back. The search for excellent BBQ in Illinois continues. read more

Pretty good barbecue for the Chicago area being a kids raised on KC barbecue. I heard voted they were voted BBQ best in the Chicagoland area. I liked the quaintness of the old location and having to maybe wait in line or running out of food. Talked to the owners a few times good people. read more

Very disappointed with our carry out order for very expensive meal. Half of order was fat in very pricey meal. End cap was not great. Sorry I failed to take pictures of brown outside. Think $ could be be better spent elsewhere. Heard good things from others but extremely disappointed. Follow up, great service with refund on order. Respect that. read more

I've been following CCK for years on social media. I finally went on Sunday for lunch, as I was very hungry and ready to take on lots of food. I saw the owners working there.... it was like how you listen to a band you love for a long time, then finally see them in person for the first time... total rock star vibes, but smoked meat stars. Smoked meats + bread pudding + Iron Maiden = died and gone to heaven. But heaven can wait.... Heaven can wait 'til another day! Course 1: * Peanut Butter Jelly Time Brain Freeze. I was expecting a cocktail, but instead you get a little cup of frozen treat with little peanut butter cookies. Total flashback to New Orleans where you have frozen cocktails until Nothing Else Matters. Tastes like PB&J and booze. Can I get this in a large size, please? * Half slab of St. Louis ribs. They were pre cut perfectly which I didn't expect, and the main thing I noticed was what makes them different from most. I see people writing about how this and that is smokier blah blah. I get what they are doing. The Chicago BBQ scene has been "who can make the smokiest meat" to where you can't taste the meat anymore. Well holy **** you can taste the flavor of the meat. I almost forgot what pork ribs were supposed to taste like. It has a nice dry rub, a moderate hit of smokiness that doesn't overwhelm the senses. Nice balance. It came with 2 slices of white bread. Next time I will ask for no bread, as I need room for more meat and slush. * 18 Hour Pit Beans. Dude. These are SLAP YO MOMMA beans. Having eaten my way through Memphis and the surrounding areas, baked bean recipes are unique to each establishment. I remember specifically my favorite was a place along the border of Tennessee and Mississippi. I've found my new favorite baked beans. Course 2: * Not Your Mom's Bananas Foster Milkshake. It has booze. And bananas. It's bananas. 2 banana slices on a stick on top that have a caramelized sugar crust on them. I can't taste any booze. But it has lots of booze. Can I get this in a LARGE? * Hatch chile brisket tamale. I know what tamales are, but not familiar with this. Figure it's a good way to try the brisket. The masa is perfecto, and the filling of finely diced/chopped brisket with a little zing from the chile. I want to eat an entire basket of these things, but I have a whole menu ahead of me. But for sure get this. Course 3: THE END * Soju and Pineapple Brain Freeze. I can taste the booze a little more in this one than the PB&J. But listen. Just fill up a big cup with this stuff and give me a straw, dammit. All and any frozen magic you are serving up there. It's so good. I guess the worst thing that happens is I drink too much so I have to stay and keep ordering smoked meat. Oh no. Please no! * Bread pudding. Okay. This was a good and bad decision. I love me some legit bread pudding. I wanted to keep ordering more food. But out comes this tray of bread pudding with Fireball whiskey caramel sauce. Probably enough for 3-4 normal eating humans. It was amazing. This was definitely a If You're Gonna Die, Die With Your Boots On moment (which happened to be playing). I ate the whole damn thing, and as I sat and trying to figure out what to order next that wouldn't cause me to spontaneously combust, the bread pudding continued to expand within and my dreams of the Oklahoma Onion Burger went Fade to Black. Alas, I told myself - incentive to return again. To come back, try a lot more food, and skip the bread pudding JUST next time so I can eat more meats. Worth the long 1 hour drive. It's over 24 hours later and I keep thinking about CCK. Palatine is now one of the X marks the spot on the food treasure map. See ya's again soon, Up the Irons! read more

Treat yourself! Delicious, Addictive and worth every penny!! If your tired of the average, The Chicago Culinary Kitchen is a MUST try! The quality is superior ! Always serving off menu specials and regular menu items will exceed expectations! For myself & my husband its our weekly treat! read more

Their biggest advantage is that people haven't eaten there. I went for the first time today and the place was NOT worth the hype. The brisket was fatty and tasteless. MacN Cheese was average. We would never make a long drive or wait in a long line for what they call BBQ. Smoque in Chicago is ten times better. read more

We love this place and so close to home. Excellent food and a nice change in cuisine from the usual choices around.

I prefer my chicken actually cooked not raw My chicken was completely raw as if they only fried for 2 seconds and served to me after I showed them, they were barely even sorry and just remade and gave to me. No thanks This is an absolute health hazard and flat out disgusting read more

I guess I'm a bit disappointed after buying into the hype. Not worth the 40 minutes in line. It was decent but does not hold a candle to Texas BBQ like Salt Lick, Franklin's, etc. IMO Spare ribs2/5 Sausage 3/5 Brisket 4/5 Big Short rib 4/5 (not worth the $37.95 for one) Pulled pork 4/5 Chicken 3/5 Mac and cheese 3/5 Beans 1/5 Elote 3/5 People working there are very nice. Sadly that won't make up for BBQ that is slightly above average. Best I've had in Chicago Metro Area is Steamboat BBQ in Wheaton. read more

Brisket.Perfect.Every.Slice. Ordered a full 10#'s - crazy good, juicy, tender, outstanding. BEST BBQ! thank you read more

Great food, great beer, great service. You won't be disappointed! Enjoy the outdoor seating on a nice day, we did. read more

Chicago Culinary Kitchen - Had the brisket, ribs, pork ribs, sticky ribs, bulgogi burrito side of corn, zucchini fries...all were top notch! - Barbeque Near Me - Palatine, Illinois

Meat was excellent sides were ok, beer selection great! Service was very conscientious and apricot bbq sauce with chipotle was outstanding.

We went in for opening day at their new location in Palatine. The brisket was very dry. Mac and cheese was decent to good. Hoping to give it another try! Perhaps I got a bad batch of brisket? The staff is amazing. Refund please? My boyfriend loved the rib tips. read more

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Terrible. Bloody chicken. Asked waiter to cook it more and was told they pre cook the night before and the temp showed it was done. Blood coming out of joints. The waiter brought me back the same bloody chicken and said nothing he can do. Do they not have ovens there? Rib tips chewy under cooked and fatty. Never again read more

Best brisket ever! Very loud so only come if you are good with that. Order out instead!!! It is delicious!! Come early as once they are out... they are out! Pulled pork was tender ... I can't wait to come back and try some of the other menu item!!! read more

We love this place for bbq and all the food that they make. Very tasty. Cool atmosphere and music is good too. Kudos to the owners and Jay!

Woah! Talk about food intoxication! I started feeling food-high even before taking a bite! I had the luxury of tasting this amazing BBQ when Greg & Kristina catered for our office. If I'm ever in Palatine, I will definitely stop here for a bite, as well! Brisket: The star of the show! Holy cow the way they cut this huge hunk of meat reminds me of a steak the Flintstones might eat. Juicy, perfectly seasoned, a little fatty and greasy but I love it that way! I can't stand a dry piece of brisket and Chicago Culinary Kitchen's brisket does not disappoint. So juicy I swear I was up to my elbows. Guess it's a good thing you can't lick your own elbows, right?! Pulled pork: Tasty, tender and no need for any extra sauce! Elote: While not authentic Mexican style, this savory side dish is delightful. A little heavy on the onion, but I still ate like 2 cups (and probably STILL have a little dragon breath!) BBQ Beans: Made a big sticky mess, but tasty nonetheless! You'd really have to be catering for a TON of people to ever eat all the beans that come in this huge pan, though! Each pan of meat can feed a ton of people. We have a small office of 8-10 and we had so many leftovers that we could have probably fed everyone in the entire building! I made many friends with my neighbors by doling out leftovers and STILL have enough for our whole office to eat again! Also, the owners are so cool they make me feel like an even bigger nerd than I already admit to. Their style is off the chain (There I go being a nerd) Tattoos, faux hawks and bitchin' glittery shoes, and a gift with meat - makes me envy their lives. While Chicago Culinary Kitchen is a bit out of our normal office lunch budget, it's definitely something I would consider for larger events, or maybe even a family reunion. But, great meat comes at a price. For my normal review-readers, you know I'm a frugal tightwad, so I'll be honest, I don't love enough people enough to spend this kind of money on catering on my own dime. But I would definitely stop by for an individual meal or spend "corporate funds" for special events on this food in the future, because the food is damn delicious. read more

Love the vibe and attitude, pulled pork with sausage and bacon was good, but soooo fatty burping all night.

Damn! Now that's some good BBQ, like drive all the way from the city for lunch kinda good. Stopped in during that weird week between Christmas and NYE when no one knows what day it is. Just had a hankering for some good meats and was not disappointed. The joint itself has a very rock vibe but I noticed some highchairs so family friendly. The food has been enticing me for ages on IG so and it lived up to the hype. I couldn't resist a pic posted of a Philly cheese, sadly just an hour after it was posted it was gone/sold out. That leaving me with a much tougher decision on what to get. I opted for brisket a fave of mine. This brisket was a perfectly smoked, tender plate with a nice line of fat but more meat with a great smoke ring. The flavor was perfect as was the texture. The sauce choices were all solid, didn't taste much of a difference between the legendary and special but both tasty. For sides I opted for Mac and cheese so good and beans, solid as well. I was hoping for a potato salad option as that is always a fave of mine with bbq but only fries here. I will be back without a doubt. The only downside to this place was the huge RUSH painting on the wall, really RUSH.. the worst.. lol the bbq more than make up for it though. Don't sleep on cc's you'll be sorry! read more

Chicago Culinary Kitchen - Barbeque Near Me - Palatine, Illinois

Saw good reviews wanted to try it. Did a carry out. Staff - friendly Inside - clean and roomy. Overall, nice ambience (reminded me of kumas corner - metal vibe) Food: Brisket - good Rib tips - salty and dry Ribs - salty Fries - salty Corn bread - good Beignets - very good (maybe because everything else was overwhelmingly salty) Value - over priced - we basically paid $95 for pure SALT! They advertise themselves as #1 bbq in Illinois. I tried a lot of bbq over the years and not even remotely close. If you are in the mood for some brisket, give it a try, otherwise NEXT! read more

Great food... kind of on the expensive side. We go there on occasions. Nothing special.

Stopped by to try the new in our side of the town? And just like advertised, the brisket, well smoked ,juicy.I would have preferred thiner cuts, make s it last longer and the delicious for me is on the thin side. Had the ribs, little hard and chewy top of the ribs goodness. This is going to be a runaway success glad it was relocated read more

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Went there for beer,bourbon bbq tasting. It was spectacular . Greg explained how the different meats were prepared prior to our tasting. Kristina explained the beer or bourbon match to the meal and matching sides. The staff was very friendly. So much food everyone went home with leftovers. read more

Fire food and ambiance! You will be blown away by any of the items you pick. Worth a try!!

Oh my Goodness I like this place. Very cool atmosphere and great workers who are ready to recommend what to order read more

Chicago Culinary Kitchen - Inside - Barbeque Near Me - Palatine, Illinois

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We threw a party on the patio here at Chicago Culinary Kitchen. I was blown away by how absolutely passionate every single employee is who works here. The great news is that the food and drinks are just as wonderful as the people serving them. We loved getting to celebrate with nearly 70 friends and family members. I highly recommend working with these guys for your next party or just heading down for some damn good BBQ. 10 out of 10! Highly recommend. read more

Chicago Culinary Kitchen - Party on the patio - Barbeque Near Me - Palatine, Illinois

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