The food was good. I had the pulled pork sandwich, very good. The pickles are so good. The only thing is that the fries are extremely greasy. My mom had the Rib tips, very tender but they were way too burnt. Other than that, everything else was good. read more

A bbq restaraunt in Jefferson Park neighborhood can be easily seen through traffic; we've always drive through there and we finally decided to check this place out. Drive thru or park in their small parking lot? A group of 4 of us for late lunch settled on dining in. We decided on: made to order warm & crispy, cinnamom & cocoa sugar 3 donuts ($2.65). 4 item smoked platter ($21.95) ; 1/4 racked ribs, 1/4 chicken, brisket, rib tips, pulled pork, polish sausage, smoke salmon. There's a selection of sauces to enhance flavor to these tender and juicy meats. Total bill is average, though a bit expensive for its size pirtion. The platter was pretty good with a combination of sauce flavors and donuts were a bit sugary. Also a drink and 4 courtesy water cups. This place has a self serve soda machine. Portion was obviously for 1 person, though we made it a snack before attending a function that will hold us down until dinner. It's one of these places I would try once read more

Amazing salad w/ Chicken, smoked wings, and Mac n cheese! I don't know why this place only has 3.5 stars, everything we had was delicious! The sauces that came with the wings were really excellent too. read more

This NW side find has been excellent! I have ordered from here three times now and have really enjoyed the food. From the coleslaw, to the fresh cut fries, to the BBQ chicken, pork, rib tips and brisket, our friends and family have loved every bit. The only thing I wasn't crazy about was the Hot Chicken Sandwich, but that's okay - plenty of other things to eat! read more

So delicious and fresh and inexpensive! And that's just the meats! I haven't even moved over to trying their extensive shake menu!

This was my second time at Earl's, and I"m not that impressed, it's doubtful that I'll be coming back. The brisket that I had today was tender, but part of it was too salty. Business was slow, yet the dining area wasn't clean. The sauce bottles on the tables were really unappetizing: the caps were crusted with old sauce and the sides of a couple of bottles were sticky. The sauces seemed like the same commercial stuff you could buy at the store. Maybe I'm spoiled after having BBQ in Kansas City for the past 3 years, Earl's just doesn't do it for me. read more

This place is ridiculously good. I can't believe we waited to try it out. The brisket and pulled pork sandwiches are amazing. Lots of sauce choices and they're all good! Their mac n cheese is also really great. Too many places mess us the mac by over-complicating it. Highly recommended. Basically BBQ perfection. read more

this bbq joint used to sell great tasting bbq in the area but i noticed lately when you place to go order they been giving you too dry full slab baby back ribs (taste like a day or 2 old). they will just glazed it with fresh bbq sauce so it will look newly grilled. too pricey for a low quality bbq you will get from them. read more

Yes the bbq here is good and the buttermilk tenders are to die for and the Mac and cheese is so amazing... but the hidden secret here is the breakfast sandwich called the "drive thru." Im from Jersey and love bacon egg and cheese sandwiches and this "drive thru" is just perfect. It's not served with cheese but u can add it on. The egg is over easy. The bread is a perfect toasted white. The bacon is perfect. The sandwich is perfect. Boom. Yum. Golden hello Yolk comes oozing out on the bacon and bread and provides for morning glory. I call ten mins ahead and pick it up in the drive thru. I pick up the "drive thru" in the drive thru. Yes. read more

Looking for some good bbq check this place out! Small place but very cozy food is reasonably priced and service good.

Sure, as a not-much-meat-eater I am not your ideal judge for BBQ, but Earl's was great even for me. I was psyched to see salmon on the menu, so I tried the salmon sandwich: excellent. The salmon was a generous fillet with a dry rub on a plain bun, and delicious. Since the fries were also awesome and I enjoyed the cole slaw, I ended up taking home half the sandwich. It heated up fine in Chef Mic the next day. As Earl's was a stop on the Father's Day Yum-Yum tour, and I had to save room for the next stop, I did not try a milkshake or donut. But it's nice that they consider one's sugar needs as well as meat needs. It was cool that when we visited, they had some log rolling championship on TV and the rollers competing were women. Good roll models for our daughter (yes, I did!). Word to the wise: do not try to turn left out of the parking lot. read more

Food was BOMB . The brisket is so flavorful and delicious . Mac and cheese is my favorite side from here ! Recently tried the smoked salmon and that was BOMB too . Def a great BBQ spot read more

Earl's BBQ - Donuts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The bbq here does not disappoint at all, the brisket was on point and the sides were delish, a perfect companion to the sandwich, the half pound was massive and I almost didn't finish it at all the Mac and Cheese was so good so flavorful, the fries were crunchy and wonderful, love the fact that it's close to where I live so that's a great thing, will be coming back for sure!! read more

Earl's BBQ - 1/4 brisket and half pound brisket - Donuts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Been here a couple times over the years and I've noticed the food quality and quantity declined while the prices drastically increased. From my personal experience, the brisket is really dry and borderline inedible. The owners response to other reviewers really illustrates what kind of business this is. read more

I love their pulled pork! Sometimes it's a hit or miss because it's either over cooked or under cooked or just right. Get their Mac and cheese you wont regret it!!!!!! read more

So lately I've been trying out different items of Earl's BBQ breakfast menu. The breakfast burger is good and also the BBq pulled pork poutine. I would also recommend the trying the brisket burrito. Id say skip the drive-thru. Service was quick and prices are reasonable for portion. read more

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How disappointing that before even trying my food, I'm already getting ripped off. I ordered the 2 items platter and when I asked for both to be brisket, I was told it would be an automatic extra $3.00 because I was ordering the same thing. No where on their board menu does it state that the items had to be different, or anything about being charged an additional fee...! I would have preferred to have seen it on the board when I was ordering so it was not as a surprise. The quality of brisket is not the same as it used to be either, which makes it that much more disappointing to have to pay an additional $3.00. read more

This place has some really good BBQ. For me I am a fan of the 1/2 pound pulled pork sandwich. Also, The sides are all very good. This is one of my peeves about BBQ places when the BBQ is good they think they can get away with sub par sides. I am looking at you Smoke (http://www.smoquebbq.com/). This is not a problem at Earl's! Also, get a donut for dessert they are delicious. I really love going to this place for breakfast. There isn't often anyone there at this time, but the breakfast burrito is really good. read more

Screw Bub City or any expensive brisket places on the city. Earl's BBQ is so much better! The brisket was the best I've had here in the Chicago area and the pulled pork is very different form any place I've been. It's moist and soft which isn't usual for take out pulled pork. The sauces are great but honestly you probably won't even need them. I definitely recommend this place if you're looking for just some good old fashion barbeque. read more

Earl's BBQ - Beef brisket and pulled pork plate. Very delicious! - Donuts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great bbq, I had the tips. they are very meaty and cooked just tight. you can see the smoke rings in the meat.. The staff are very outgoing.. The Benches inside are great for eating q... small parking but there should be enough street parking if needed read more

Earl's BBQ - Donuts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Always have horrible customer service here. No one answers the phone for complaints. Last time they messed up our order they kept me on hold for 15 minutes. When my sister got there with the food to complain there were no customers. The girls were just chatting away. Mind you when they saw my sister come in. They hung up on me. When I call back to ask why they put me on hold if they weren't even busy they didn't answer. I asked to speak to the manager or owner they told me that they won't be there until Monday. Decided to give a second chance and order delivery. Cancelled my order with no reason. Took 4 phone calls and then to call private in order to get someone to answer. No apology just their computer is down. So I asked are you closed? Are you not taking orders? "No just dine in and pick up." Rude staff. No matter how great the food is, if your staff sucks not worth it. read more

Holy crap. Some people have RIDICULOUSLY high standards. How anyone could rate Earl's BBQ anything less than 4 stars is beyond me. In fact, this is my new favorite barbecue in the city, right up there with Smoque. That's some high praise right there, coming from someone who has eaten at the best places in Kansas City, Memphis and Austin (Texas) and bleeds barbecue sauce... Portion sizes are extremely generous -- a 1/4 slab of ribs as part of their meat combo give you more like a third of a slab, and the larger bones off the slab to boot. But more important than quantity is quality, and Earl's delivers. Although the brisket is not quite as good as Smoque, Green Street or Franklin in Austin (once again, Texas), it's still pretty awesome and tender with a great bark. The ribs also have a nice rub, go extremely well with their original sauce and have the perfect texture (not like "Chicago-Style" boiled ribs where you could eat them with your gums -- you actually need to tug a bit to get the meat off the bone, as you should have to). And the pulled pork was some of the juiciest I have ever had. Combine it with the Carolina vinegar-based sauce, and you're in PPP -- Pulled Pork Paradise. Yeah, the macaroni is "OK". Yeah, the fries are "standard". SO WHAT. This is a barbecue joint, and the things that matter are the meats. And with that, I say "Nice work Earl, you magnificent beast!" read more

For me, with bbq, it's all about the flavor of the meat and Earl's does it right! In my opinion, beats out a lot of famous names in the city (i.e., Smoke Daddy, Honey 1, I-57) This is some of the best tasting meat I have had in years!! I love the sauces, the sides are really good, especially the baked beans. Certainly worth the drive from the far southeast side of Chicago to the far NW Side any day. read more

Bought the rib tips , tasty and tender. Side order of charred corn and house salad was also very good. Will buy from here again

I'm so happy I found this place! I'm super picky about meat. I don't like any fat or mystery bones in my meat. I got the pulled chicken today w/cole slaw and Mac and cheese, all were terrific!! We ordered delivery (free!) and it still came pretty warm. read more

Thank you for breaking up the monotony of hot dogs, pizza and Italian beef fast food joints in the neighborhood. Barbecue is such a pallet and mind cleanser. I had the brisket and was delighted by the flavorful awesomeness. No need for the variety of sauces available. I had my brisket straight up - old-school style. The only critique I have of this place is the price they charge for relatively few french fries. The wondrous smells as you approach this place will sure get your juices flowing. It's on its way to become the neighborhood hipster hangout - God help us! read more

Great food, but they really need to work on the service. The drive-threw is always broken and the people who take orders are always slow and a bit annoyed with the customers. Love love love the pulled pork and mac & cheese. read more

Ive been to this restaurant a few times. 1st - I thought the food was excellent. However the customer service was lacking. It seemed the staff only care about talking to each other. 2nd visit - I got the pulled brisket and chicken on my second visit. Food was good. Not excellent. And the staff was still concerned only about themselves. 3rd visit - my third visit was the worst. The brisket was very very fatty. The chicken hardly had any white meat on it. The sauce is only so-so. And the staff could care less that I was there. I won't be back. There are definitely better barbecue joints in the city read more

We moved to the neighborhood a couple months ago and Earl's quickly became the local favorite. We've been here probably eight times already, and a bunch of those times were with family or friends we felt needed to try them as well. Everyone has had nothing but compliments! I always have the pulled pork and fries, my husband's favorite is the brisket with macaroni and cheese. And the fresh made donuts for dessert are worth the wait. Highly recommended! read more

Just picked up rib tips with fries at 1:45 pm Saturday. Meatiest ribs on the Northside didnt need BBQ sauce and I'm a sauce guy. Fries were hot and fresh. Definitely will go back. Thanks read more

Fantastic food, brisket always the best in Chicago. The perfect end to a great lunch is the donuts, which I was told were discontinued today. How does Earls BBQ and Donuts discontinue the donuts? Incredibly disappointing! I have referred so many people here for the brisket and donuts, such a shame. Looking for new BBQ recommendations please. read more

The definition of an unexpected hidden gem! First of all, this is not the area you'd expect to find anything trendy. We came here because we love BBQ and I had heard about it since we live in the area. I really appreciate them having the guts to open up a cool place in a kind of random corner of Jefferson Park. My boyfriend and I decided to go splitzies on a platter with four meats. The brisket, rib tips, pulled pork and sausage. We got a side of cole slaw, mac and cheese and a donut. The Cheerwine out of the fountain was a nice touch. We were really impressed with pretty much everything! Brisket - 10/10. Rib Tips - 8/10. Pulled Pork - 11/10. Sausage - 9/10. Sauces - 10/10. Cole Slaw - 6/10. Mac & Cheese - 3/10. Donut - 10/10. Music - 10/10. We were both really into the pulled pork with the mustard based Georgia BBQ sauce. We liked the yellow slices of sweet bread that came with it - authentic. The vinegar based Carolina sauce was also really tasty, along with the original. Really great selection of homemade sauces - we appreciated that a lot! I liked the balance of fat on the meats and delicious char to the brisket. Everything was fall-off-the-bone, in a good way. My boyfriend is really picky and admitted he kinda hated the mac and cheese (so I ate it) but I am completely fine with one of their sides not being perfect since everything else was so good! The donut was surprisingly the best donut I've had in years!!! (And I go to all of those kitschy hipster donut shops downtown, too.) Lastly, their music was on point. I know they are mostly a drive through, so most people aren't hearing their playlist - but as a DJ and music curator for other restaurants, I always pay attention to these things. The perfect balance of Steve Miller Band & Led Zeppelin, counter balanced with Diana Ross & Jackson 5. Perfect. I don't know why, but that kind of soulful gritty rock mixed with wholesome Motown was exactly what I wanted to hear while enjoying some BBQ. Thank you, Earl's. I don't even think you know you nailed that. ;) Definitely recommend. Will definitely come back to support. They deserve your business! They have a well crafted product that is greatly appreciated in the (kind of boring) outside parts of Chicago. Oh, also, this place is way better than Smoque and manages to do it with like 100% less hype! read more

Best BBQ I've had in the Chicago northside so far. Ordered the brisket sandwich fries and mac&cheese. Everything was perfect. I wish they had corn bread. I'll review their donuts, ice cream and shakes another day. read more

I wanted to like this place since its in the neighborhood. Baby back Ribs were dry. Rib tips were ok. Brisket was dry. Sausage was good. Sides were good. No mashed potatoes, Coleslaw was the best of the sides. Ordered pork n Beans and got an order of Mac n cheese by mistake, which was good. Surprisingly very little "smoked" flavor on the meats. I will give them another chance in the near future. read more

Was not expecting good BBQ due to location, I mean Jeff Park really brings nothing to the table as for neighborhoods..... let alone the string of closed businesses at the same location! So, craving BBQ and seeing that fellow yelpers gave it a whopping 4 stars, I decided to give it a try...... and OMG, I'm glad I did - nothing short of pure deliciousness, pulled pork, chicken, and ribs were all amazing!!! Would have given 5 stars but brisket is a little too fatty for my liking, and they don't serve double portions and their combo menu (meaning you can't get two of the same portion). Breakfast burrito us to die for - a little on the spicy side so make sure you grab a drink to go along. Very pleasantly surprised, and excited to have downtown quality type food up on the Northwest side. Thank you Earl's and best of luck in business, I am sure you will continue to do well. read more

I order from this place all the time. But I'm constantly getting inconsistency's. I ordered a large rib tip and the smallest tip was given and I paid $25. Like come on. I love the food but I'm seriously disappointed. read more

Earl's BBQ - Donuts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The service is ok- but the rib tips were more fat than meat. This is overrated for the price. Good luck in 2020. I'll stick with LEMS on the southside of Chicago. First time, last time. read more

Food is great, but the service is horrendous. The woman that took our order got our order completely wrong and ended up charging us an extra 9 because she didn't listen or just found a way to charge us more. We noticed after we paid. Then it took 30 minutes for our food. If you come, make sure you have time and watch what they are ringing up. Donuts were amazing. read more

Going back there those people who worked there are different and WAY BETTER. They didn't try to rip me off and the food was actually delicious. I hope I never see those ladies who worked there before. Younger guys are there now and make good damn food. read more

My family and I are fans! We usually order the you pick two, which gives your choice of two meats (salmon (tasty!), chicken (a good amount), pulled pork (tastes great to me!), ribs (we usually don't order anymore since we find it more bone than meat), brisket (tasty, not too fatty), and polish sausage (which we have not tried). They also have a pick three, and pick four. All of these come with a side of coleslaw, and your option of another side, of which we have had their macaroni, and fries. The meat portions are great and generous, and the sides are tasty. Sometimes I wish they gave a bit more of their sides, but I am always left feeling full and satisfied from their food. I would also like to give a shoutout to one of their employees! She came out to us as we were leaving the parking lot with our food and made sure we got our extra side of macaroni we ordered! TLDR; Great portions, tasty, and it is good to see a local business thrive! read more