Just had one of the worst experiences with a restaurant that I've ever had in my life. On 5/12/23 at around 7:40 PM I called the restaurant and found out they were open. I called them right after checking The Pit Stop BBQ app which said all of their locations were closed. When I called the restaurant they told me they wouldn't start making my order until I arrived at the restaurant. I drove 15 minutes to get there and once I arrived, there were only 4 people in line. The line never moved for the 15+ minutes I was in their lobby. The lady standing at the window never got her order taken the whole time I was in line, so I left. These people had me drive all the way to the restaurant for nothing. I call myself staying away for the last 3 years because of their rude staff and this happens the very next time I show up. After these two experiences, I'm convinced. They don't value you as a customer at all. read more

Ordered wing/rib/link combo at 747 PM and finally got my food 50minutes later. The only thing good was the sauce. Coleslaw was watery with no flavor. Chicken was not plucked; fried with long feathers sticking out. Hot links were overcooked and the tips were chopped up pieces of grizzle and bone. They gave me about 10 French fries. I hadn't eaten there in over a year and plan to never return. Service was lousy. Asked for update on order and the young girl with the nonchalant attitude gave an answer of its coming up. I give them no stars read more

Took an hour to get a Turkey tip wing dinner and a small Turkey too and the cashier was mad because I wanted to know why it was taking so long. Last time coming here. Food is good terrible service. read more

Can't even order in person nor over phone. When I called a female answered the phone and before I can speak, she said, "place your order online" and she hung up the phone before I could respond. I'm not impressed with ghetto Black owned businesses like this. And I'm Black. read more

Food is good, service is lousy, ambience is OK service is pitiful a call to place an order they don't fix it until you come and pay. I wish I could go somewhere else in my neighborhood because pitstop is not a good one. It's so sad that we cannot patronize our neighborhood businesses and restaurants because of poor service read more

It's so sad that I have been living in the neighborhood for 50 plus years. The customer service is really poor and it is becoming worse. It's already painful to wait to be serviced for thirty minutes or more in a hot box in the summer and a ice box in the winter. I have spent a lot of money here but after today I'm done. I called to place an order for my family the woman was rude as per usual she said come in to place your order we are BUSY! And hangs up! If this isn't bad for business, I can tell you this customer service is everything. I've tried to give them chance after chance and I don't want to pour any of my good energy into a dark negative place that does not respect their customers. They need to hire people who are happy to work and grateful to have loyal customers. I come here because it's around the corner and the food is ok. Now, I will drive to I57Rib house that is far enough to not be convenient but at least your respected when spending your money. read more

This place is only good for those that dont mind waiting around 3 hours for the rib order! And after waiting roughly 3 hours, keep your charger handy because your battery will probably be out of juice standing in the looooong lines. And, last but not least, dont forget to check your order before you leave, because they are well known for not putting your full order in the Bag!!! Mr Unknown!! read more

This location is our go-to location. We bypass the one near us, 65th& Western, to get bbq. It's a cleaner establishment. On Saturday, I ordered the Full Slab Dinner. It was supposed to be for the holiday, but I had to just see how it tasted. The rib was a little overcooked on the top, but the meat was tender, and the sauce is always good! Young lady taking the orders was courteous, and patient. As always, will be returning to get more food there! read more

This used to be the spot to go get the best barbecue in Chicago but now they have fallen off every time I go there now and get home with my barbecue it is so burnt to a crisp and it taste like lighter fluid I cannot eat it,,, do not eat here , it's not worth the hype read more

To start I had a craving for some BBQ today, since this morning which I should have gone then but I waited until that craving really kicked in for that BBQ, so I went to Pit Stop BBQ on 97th and Halsted. when placing my order all was great in the beginning, I ordered a rib tip and link dinner, as I continued to order I ask the clerk taking my order does it come with coleslaw she told me it did. Now for me when I order from any BBQ place or Harold Chicken Shake I expect that coleslaw, but when I got my order, I looked before I left and there was no coleslaw I was a little upset so I asked where was the coleslaw she told me they were out, so I ask can they replace it with potato salad she said they don't do that, I said you should let customers know that upon placing order then, I felt that was not perfectional her not mentioning there was no coleslaw. I know this is miner, but people expect the orders to be complete and it's not. overall, the food was good. had to by my coleslaw for Jewel sad. read more

I have to go back to get a photo of food The food was good to me. Very flavorful and seasoned well. Worth the time indeed. Obviously cause I started digging in and forgot to take a picture read more

i love pit stop i've been buying from them for 20 plus yrs i believe, if i had something bad to say , if would be sometimes there meat taste like lighter fuel, and that's not good and be ready to set for a while , the wait for your food is to long but other then that it's good read more

You know, you try to support local businesses. But when you order rib tips and links, and the ribs are burned to a crisp, and the the links are so hard, you can barely chew them, you wonder how this place stays open. Ratings don't lie. My order yesterday was the worst bbq I've ever eaten. I regret spending my hard earned money here. I urge you all not to step foot into this place. They need to learn how to smoke meat. read more

I hadn't been to this place in over 6 months, because I got fed up with the poor and rude customer service. I needed a couple of pans of food for an event, so I decided to give them a try and see if things had improved. They haven't. They now take online orders, so I ordered my food online thinking that would improve my chances of getting in an out. When I walked through the door everybody in the lobby was already pissed off, so I knew it was not going to go smooth. There was a young lady at the window who had also ordered online, and she was in the process of cussing them out because it was taking so long to get her food. She told them to cancel her order and she walked out. When I got to the window, it was the same thing. They even had the nerve to tell me that they ran out of meat and called me to tell me so. Ran out of meat? No one called me, and they certainly hadn't run out of meat. They were just way behind on orders as usual, and were making excuses as usual. I cancelled my order and walked out as well. I'd advise anyone thinking of getting food from here, to make sure you have plenty of time and patience that day. You're definitely going to need it. That last couple of times that I did eat here, the food wasn't even as good as it used to be. It's not worth the headache. read more

I have to give them a 2. Now I love their tips! Yes this is true! But being that I frequent different establishments to be able to review, I am HUGH on service. Being a business owner myself I would not allow my staff to act the way the staff act towards the people who are responsible for putting money into their pockets! First off, why are customers greeted with a DAMN attitude! They didn't mess up your day! What ever problems you have are to be left at the door. Secondly if you don't like your job why the hell did you apply ?! If you don't have a passion for what you are doing then don't do it! Negative energy transfers over to the food! Maybe there should bring training on customer service prior to being put on the window! When you know better you will do better. Yes my food was good but the very atrocious attitudes ruins the entire experience. So I will have to fall back and do another visit some time down the line to see if they have improved. I will keep everyone updated! read more

My rib tips was cut too small for my taste. Felt like a samples. Overall, the tips were good.

Called in a wing and tip combo. They don't drop the wings until you come in supposedly. I waited fifteen minutes to get in and ten to get to the counter. I waited another ten for my order. I sweated more inside there than I did at work for eight hours. I'll give them a pass on the chicken. I got sauce on the side and now I see why they drown their ribs in sauce. My rib tips were dry,overcooked,charred and crunchy. They were also paper thin. They chopped them to death. I haven't been here in a while and I won't be back. It's sad what we settle for. This is not how you cook ribs. I'll cook my own next time I need my fix. read more

Definitely the pits. Orders online and the food still wasn't ready at the estimated time. I have never waited 90min for food, it's not worth the wait. Bless they heart she was nice but that still doesn't make up for the extreme long wait time. Did they have to kill the cow? read more

Unprofessional, long wait, and terrible food pretty much sums up my 1st and LAST experience with this place.

The food is good but the service is horrible. I ordered and paid online and still had to wait 30 minutes after I arrived. When I got home, I found out that I was given the wrong order. When I called and spoke to the manager, he said I have to bring the order back even though I told him I don't live anywhere near the place (I work around there). He said he has no way of knowing the order was wrong without my bringing it back. He could have asked his employees what was given to me or offered a professional courtesy with a future discount or at the very least provide an apology. I received nothing! Never again will I patronize this place. I strongly suggest you do the same. read more

This is basically I-57 (as it was named before) with all the same options. The food is pretty standard for all of the barbecue spots in this chain with the sauce being the highlight of the meal. This location in particular will have you waiting about an hour to receive your food, especially during peak times. Calling in your order typically doesn't help, because when you get there it still won't be ready. I've grown up on I-57s, but this one could definitely use some process improvements. Waiting an hour read more

Waited in line for 2 hours to get in the restaurant and when I made it to the window the lady taking the orders created another line and disregard the line I was in because they had online orders. Ridiculous! I called the number for management an he over talked me and disregard what I was saying about the service I am receiving. Never and I mean never again will I support this establishment (if that's what they call themselves) but what i will do is tell people of my experience i will spread the word to people to patronize them at your own risk. read more

Horrible horrible customer service. This the 2nd I've been in there and got talked too in a disrespectful manner! If you don't have the ability to deal with the public then don't take the job. I refuse to spend my hard money with a business the does not possess the people skills . I was told me order would take 20 minutes I sat in my car for an hour and when I went back in to ask about my order the guy behind the counter got very impatient very quickly and refunded me. A prime example of why it is so very hard to support Black Owned Businesses i read more

gotta love the cashiers that act like their forced to work lol besides the shitty ass service it place smelled like a true bbq pit and the food was great read more

I am normally not a complainer... even if I receive an order that is not accurate, I most of the time bite the bullet... BUT the service that u receive at Chicago Pit Stop bbq on 97th Halsted Street is more than horrible it's horrendous. The person taking orders has no customer service skills at all. And to add insult to injury the number provided on the window to phone in complaints was useless. The gentleman who answered only provided excuses for the employee's behavior. If u must throw away your money to get occasionally good ribs then do so. But know that the service will suck every time and no one cares at the establishment. They are totally oblivious that customer satisfaction is what causes your business to flourish. My suggestion to anyone who is not willing and unprepared to get the worst service from an establishment keeping driving by!!! They will never see a red dime of my money again!!! I am so disappointed read more

See all

Ok listen.. you're gonna wait & you might not get the best customer service, but you're gonna like the bbq. U might not even be able to call in & place an order because they ALWAYS take the damn phone off of the hook, so it doesn't continue to ring. My 4 stars entirely represents the quality of the food and the food only lol as an overall establishment it's worth only 1-2 stars really. But if u can get past all the other bs, you'll enjoy the food for sure. read more

I ordered my food the young lady asked me for ID. I told her my picture was on my debit card. I pulled my mask down so that she could see my full face. She still asked for ID. When I asked why she claimed she need to see something else with my name on it. She proceeded to get real nasty with me even though I said ok. Once I started back at her she refused to service me. I call the number in the window to complain about what happened. I spoke with a gentleman and told him what happened. He said he would look into it and get back to me. Never called back. This place has very poor service and unprofessional employees. read more

Barbecue sauce is good, that's about it. The customer service sucked! It was my first time going, and will be my last. The ribs were cut quite thin and we're a bit fatty. Seemed a bit expensive to me. I drove from Indiana and was quite disappointed. I gave it to stars because the barbecue sauce was on point. That paired with the french fries made it pretty good. Everything else is a hard pass! read more

I ordered a $200 (all rib tips) catering order this past weekend for my mother's 60th bday celebration. Paid for the order on Wednesday, picked up on Saturday. Ribs were on point, fresh, and packed full. Thank You! read more

Placed an order on a Fri only to have it given to another customer in error. Gave them a second chance the following Sat only to have wings missing from my order. No more chances. This place is definitely The PITTS!!! read more

Terrible. The wait was ridiculous after calling it in. Then it's super over expensive. I'm done with this fake place. The food is not even par. read more

The customer service is absolutely horrible and the workers does NOT WEAR MASK. We are in the middle of a pandemic and they are not following the CDC guidelines at all! The food is good but it's not worth my life! The person who answers the phone is rude as well. read more

When it comes to customer service don't bother expecting anything other than rude service in the Chicago heights location . And don't bother calling the 773 number on the window the guy that answered is just as rude. Why take orders over the phone if the food won't be ready for an additional 20 minutes after you arrive and pay...then the sign on the window says 5-10 minutes additional wait on call ins yet when questioned I'm told oh that sign is just there we don't go by that( then take it down.) Oh but i bet you follow that you can't have your money back stuff if a person gets tired of your ridiculous wait. The management in this location Chicago Heights is terrible. People are angry and upset and it boils down to wait time. Food is good yes, they do make errors at times (i get it we're all human) but when it comes to how I'm treated i draw the line there sorry I WONT BE COMING BACK AND THE ONLY WAY THEY WILL GET IT IS IF WE stop patronizing their business. After all with out our money what do they have? read more

I don't know what happened, but I do know, the last time I had rib tips from this place about a month ago, they were so tender and juicy, they just fell apart in my mouth. I got a bucket of the tips and was seriously happy! And I am going to get another bucket today. I just hope they taste and look like before! If so, I highly recommend this place! Thank you! You definitely get the quality and quantity for your money! And "Thank You", to the very nice young lady that took my order over the phone. ""Best wishes! read more

This was not a pleasant experience in any form or fashion. I placed the order on the phone, was told it would be ready in 25 to 30 minutes, after arriving, I ended up waiting a full additional hour. Now this was the best part of the experience, the food was horrible, the ribtips were fat and mostly bones, the hot links were soggy ( a poor quality of meats uses.) Totally inedible and a waste of money. Betty R. read more

my ribs were terrible very salty they taste like the pit stop in riverdale I knew when I saw a new worker that would be my last time why fix what wasn't broken the sauce didn't even taste the same my rib days are over gotta go to I-57 what y'all doing Chicago Pit Stop yuk read more

I've only ever had tips from here. The sauce is good. The quality is inconsistent. Most times that I've ordered the tips they were good. The fries are a hit or miss. Some days fresh some days old. Tolerable due to the sauce. The customer service is ok. You will wait. Even if you call in the order and get there 10+ minutes after they say it will be ready, you will wait. This used to be I-57. Was afraid to try it when I noticed the name change. The name was all that changed. read more

By far thee worst customer service experience I've had in my life. I wouldn't recommend anyone give their money to this establishment because they treat their customers horrible. If they do not like their place of work they should quit. From being frustrated to throwing my card and receipt back at me I'm appalled that they're still in business. read more

Absolute worst experience! It is a standard business practice for this location to take phone orders and not prepare them until you come into the building. This is particularly concerning during the covid pandemic, as their lobby, which is the size of hallway is always beyond capacity and a clear safety hazard. The business owners need to devise a curbside service for the safety of the customers...as their employees are currently behind a glass partition, while customers are increasing risk of sickness in a cramped space due to poor business and crowd management. A disgrace and a safety risk! read more

One of my favorite bbq spots in the city! Made fresh to order so you'll definitely wait the 45 minutes but it is worth it. The sauce is perfect and the meat is always smoked to perfection. The parking situation could be better but that can't really be helped. Quality food at a good price! read more