Well, the owner contacted me after I left my first review. I waited til now to go and try them out again. I was craving bbq so the bf and I went down to firewater. This time i ordered a full slab of ribs and a wedge salad with chicken. Surprisingly the chicken in the salad was so hard it was almost like plastic. That was the worst part of the salad besides the iceberg lettuce. The bacon and cucumber was a good touch in there. The full slab of ribs. MOST of the slab was pretty good and I liked the sauce. I spent almost 30 bucks on this and the ribs on the end of the slab were burnt as burnt could be. MOST of the meat was decent. That sums up my meal. The bf ordered "smoked wings" which btw were smoked and then dropped in hot oil to fry. I watched the guy drop them in a basket and fry them. Sure enough they were hard as wood blocks. He also had the brisket which was pretty good and some rib tips. The Rib tips were slightly better than last time but again you can tell they mixed old with new. Altogether for both of us we paid almost 60 bucks for this food which was partially edible. I don't believe in getting hand outs so when the owner invited us back I did not seek to speak with him. I went ahead and paid for it AGAIN to give them a second chance and they failed. It's too bad Cuz I really did enjoy that sauce. They sell it for five bucks so I may stop in there to buy some soon. Other than that I would probably pass on this. I don't get the great reviews but I guess it all comes down to each their own. Good luck on this one guys. read more

The BF and I went out to see what the hype was about. The experience in itself was great. I loved the ambiance and the employees were sincerely concerned about the customers experience. I had the wings 6 pieces for 6.45 which does not include side however 2 sides and a drink can be added to any order for 3.75. I ordered the onion rings and cajun fries. The onion rings were delicious but the fries were incredibly salted for both of our taste. The chicken was tasty but one would likely expect more based off the price. My BF had the tips and brisket combo which came with one side in which he ordered beans. He enjoyed the overall experience. There is not enough options for individuals who don't eat both beef or pork in which I do not. I would love to see more chicken options (you can only order the wing pieces or the pulled chicken sandwich) or even turkey, lamb, etc. I will likely not go back until there's more options for me because in my personal opinion it wasn't worth the value. read more

Firewater BBQ - I love the open kitchen. - Barbeque Near Me - Crest Hill, Illinois

This place is amazeballs! Love the food! Specially the seasoned fries. If you're hungry and need some baby back ribs then this is your place to go! read more

I was thoroughly impressed with my food here. Best BBQ chicken sandwich I've ever had. Loved the house BBQ sauce. The mac and cheese was amazingly creamy and flavorful. And the bread pudding for dessert could have fed an army. 5 stars! I'm actually thinking about going back tonight for dinner with the family. read more

It's a shame. Food is good prep and service not so much. The two times I was there, the first they ran out of pulled pork, this most recent time ticket time of 25+ minutes on a to go order. read more

Nope. Got the R3. Pulled chicken was cold and so was the bun. Was supposed to be drizzled with southwest ranch and it wasn't. Bacon was cold, greasy and unbelievably salty. Mac and cheese was cold and very boring. Only thing that was kinda warm was the beer. Place is busy but not sure why. I won't be back. Don't waste your time on the one. read more

Horrible. The service is horrible. The ribs are dry and full of fat. The sauce bottles on the table are more water than sauce. The cobbler is only brown sugars chunks, no fruit. The manager is extremely rude. This was a first and last experience for my boyfriend and I. He ordered a full slab combo and 8 wings. I ordered 4 wings and 4 rib tips. The baby back ribs were burned. The rib tips were full of fat. When I told the manager of our bad food, he looked at me like I was bothering him. Every food item that was disgusting that I told him of, he argued that he made it himself. When we were ordering he was moving boxes in the back. He did not give his name, but he was Caucasian with glasses. I am a Joliet native, and this was the worst BBQ I've had by far. read more

First the good brisket was ok but dried out. Floors greasy stick to your shoes grease dirt paths coming out of kitchen leading to dirty bathroom w no paper towels awesome! Sauces not good bottles have weird I'd stickers that trap funk yum! Pulled pork dry chewy and no seasoning. Pretzel roll chintzy and dry. Brisket beans no brisket in mine I'd bet my life they came from a can. Garlic Fries not bad but mediocre. I would not return. It's so easy to find bad bbq.:@( pickles and jalapeños floating in murkyish looking juice. some guy was asking another table how they liked their food was hoping he would've come up to me so I could give him my opinion but He never did. read more

Excellent service and even better food, I recommend the rib tips, simply awesome...happy I don't hv to drive into the Chi for BBQ...keep up the good work read more

And why didn't we find this place sooner! The barbeque is great..Lots of different sauces provided on the tables..very convenient. My husband & I both had one sandwich.. no sides and it was plenty! Next time I may just order a couple of sides..Manager came around to check on us..very friendly / helpful staff. ^5!! read more

Damn! They've got BBQ down to a science, and I have been to Texas, New Mexico, New Orleans, and this place stands up to those places with relative ease! I'll be going back as long as God makes cows, chickens, and pigs. And this place turns them into incredible BBQ! read more

I live very close to Firewater which is what brought my husband and I in, initially. I've had the ribs, the pulled pork, and the burger here, and most of the sides. They have a good selection of sauces you can try out that are on the tables. The employees are friendly and they get the food out to you pretty quick. You can see them preparing everything as you wait. Tasty and reliable and close to home! read more

Wonderful place. Everyone is happy and very helpful. Chicken wings and Brisket is out of this world with the white BBQ sauce

Fantastic BBQ food. Delicious brisket and the fried pickles were amazing. Also nice to get a beer to go along with the delicious food.

Had the brisket and it had a lot of gristle that I couldn't eat. Maybe just a problem with that batch. I may try again although the prices were pretty high. read more

Six of us stopped in for dinner. My wife ordered the burger, they were out of the burger. She settled for salad, they were out of salad. In a group, there's always going to be somebody who doesn't want the specialty and you need to have menu variety to please that person too. Can't recommend a restaurant where they're out of alternatives to their main offering, especially early on a Friday night.. We left and drove the 5 minutes to Smokey's where we had a dynamite BBQ dinner. No signage other than the name and logo above the door and an unlit banner in a field. No easy access if you don't know it's there. This will be another failed out-of-the-way business in this failed out-of-the-way strip mall. There are several better alternatives in the area. read more

Thrilled with this restaurant. As others have said, there used to be another BBQ place here. DO NOT confuse the two! While the first restaurant was a major disappointment this one gets everything right: very welcoming staff, good BBQ and excellent side dishes. I usually get the rib tips or a full slab. read more

This was our first visit and it was great. My husband and I got a full slab of ribs and the pulled pork fries. He had a Lagunitas and I had NYF cream soda. The sauce was very good, I like sweet mild so it was perfect. They had the Cubs game on which was good I just wish they were open past 9pm. It was still a great date night out that happens rarely. Can't wait for the next time already. The staff was very nice and friendly. read more

We odered take out pulled pork, chicken and mac n cheese the cheese tasted like canned nacho cheese the chicken was pretty good but reminded me more of a Greek taste not bbq the pulled pork was ok at best. The person who took my order was very courteous and answerd my questions the food was ready when promised. I feel the food missed the mark we have been going to baby back blues for years also sharkos and now Doc Watsons in Romeoville we decided to try you out and feel disappointed read more

Great barbecue! They know how to add on to make food even better! Add bacon and chives to potato? Of course! Add a layer of caramel to a brownie? No problem! Unpretentious place, great food! read more

This place is one of my local favorites, great BBQ. I can say that I haven't found a better place to eat BBQ around here. The wings are great and my favorite off the menu, I tried it all and it's all good!!!! read more

Finally a worthy opponent to baby back blues for BBQ in the crest hill/Joliet area. The brisket, pulled pork, and sausage had really good flavor. the fries and baked beans were excellent. I also enjoyed the mac n cheese and while I'm not a fan of potato salad, it was also pretty decent. the customer service was definitely A+++, which unfortunately is hard to find nowadays. everyone was super nice and helpful. if there is any negatives, the BBQ sauce is just ok. and there wasn't many drink choices. I don't know If I've ever been to a BBQ place that didn't have unsweetened iced tea ( which I think goes hand in hand with great BBQ ). all in all, it was a great meal and I will be back to try the ribs ( and brew when they get that up and running in a few weeks ). read more

My rack of ribs were great. My pulled pork was out of this world. The onion rings are cooked to perfection. Getting hungry just writing this review. read more

BEST BBQ Around!! I have been here countless times and tried almost their whole menu. NEVER have ive been disappointed. All the food is cooked to perfection. read more

This was my first time hear. The service was amazing. I was greeted by Matt and cashier. I could not decide on the kind of sauce I wanted so they gave me container to try them all. I ordered the ribtip combo with fries, bacon and blue pasta, and a chicken wing taster. I have to admit that everything was great. The wings were huge and delicious. read more

I saw this open up recently and had to give it a try. I ordered a pound of brisket to go. That beef was tender and juicy when we got home. Reading other posts I would agree. Joliet is a good place for their expansion! read more

We've been to Firewater more times than I can count and have never been disappointed. We've brought out-of-town guests who enjoyed it as much as we do! I've tried the pork, brisket and chicken, hubby's "regular" is the Southsider, which is both brisket and pulled pork. The brisket was dry on one visit, but other than that, it has been stellar, and the pulled pork has been fabulous every visit. I only had the chicken once and found it to be dry, so I'll stick with the pork and brisket from here on out. I think we've tried all of their sides at this point. Our favorite by far is the beans. I could make a meal on them alone! The only side we weren't crazy about was the mac & cheese, which isn't a big deal for me ... there are enough other choices to go with that I won't miss it. The sauces are great. I'm not usually a fan of Carolina-style sauce - too much vinegar for my taste, but their Carolina vinegar is my favorite, I'll usually mix it with their signature apple bourbon sauce. Yum!! Service has been decent on every visit ... sometimes better than others, but never bad. We had to ask them if they could turn the volume down on the music on one visit, as it was so loud we couldn't carry on a conversation, but they were very accommodating. On several visits, the owner has come out to stop by each table and visit, and ask about our experience. I so appreciate that level of effort. It shows he cares about his customers and his business! The only drawback for me is that it doesn't always feel very clean. There's a stickiness throughout that's a little off-putting. When my shoes stick to the floor on every visit, it makes me wonder if they ever mop. read more

Me and my fiancé love this place! I've tried just about everything from the ribs to most the sandwiches. Portions are big & there's always some to take home for later. My only complaint would be while the kitchen area always seems to be clean, which is good, the tables are often not wiped down and as clean as they could be. They get pretty busy and really need someone dedicated to just cleaning dining area. Otherwise i would give it 5 stars for sure. read more

I love BBQ, I try it everywhere I go and this place is definitely in the top 3 in Joliet! Love the food here! Great environment and staff are attentive! 5 stars for sure! read more

Every once in a while you stumble upon a business that is the epitome of the american dream. Firewater BBQ is such a place. It is obvious the pride in the business they are making from the passion in their food, the customer service, the cleanliness and decor of the business, etc. This is a type of place to whom I am proud to support. They serve quality food at honest prices and I wish them the best. I've tried the brisket, pulled pork, chicken wings, rib tips, ribs, mac n cheese, bacon potato salad, and garlic fries. Of all these I enjoyed the brisket the most (amazingly tender!) And the mac n cheese (yes its just a sauce they pour over cooked noodle but it has pretty good flavor and I honestly do not like most mac n cheeses so kudos to them) and garlic fries were the better sides so far experienced. Last but not least they have very tasty bbq sauce that brings it all togeather (4 different choices). Keep up the good work and please give this place a shot. I think they are doing it right and deserve a chance. read more

Yum! Favorite lunch spot. Had pulled BBQ sandwiches. Location is sooo adorable it looks like a trendy barn! I know wired big but it works. Good costume service. read more

Love their food, all of it! It is a little pricey but the quality & quantity is too notch! The smoke bacon is out of this world!!

Ahhhh fire water I want to like you but you just make it impossible. I have been here 4 times and I must say it has not improved each time I've been there. I will keep this down to one time only. If you order a sandwich with pulled pork and brisket and you have an actual human making it why would you serve it with a boatload of fat? I pretty much had to remove all the beef brisket because it was inedible and absolutely disgusting. The sandwich and the sides were both cold way overpriced with Baby Back Blues down the street that does it hot and fresh every time without serving you a pile of fat. I will definitely not be going back anymore. read more

Ribs and chicken were good. Lots of tasty sauces. Friendly GM came by our table to see how we liked everything. We would go back.

A great place for BBQ. All of the sandwiches are winners. They advertise craft beer, but they don't have any yet. Generous portions and great food. read more

Good eats! First off we love BBQ and when you walk in bam! Hit with the smoke! Love it! The guys behind the counter were really nice and friendly. Had the brisket and pork sandwich think it was called the "south sider" brisket was a touch dry but really good flavor and the pulled pork was excellent, beans and Mac and cheese also solid. We'll be back, keep up the great work guys! read more

Great food, good service! Nice little jem near joliet. Ordered mac and cheese, garlic fries and beef brisket. Amazing! Beef was juicy and piled on high. read more

I tried this place out last night cuz my neighbor went here & said it was so good. I ordered the Texas Tacos w/brisket, pulled pork cheese fries, corn bread & 1/2 slab of ribs. The cornbread was nasty & all crumbly, I didn't finish it,the corn tortillas were cold, I guess that's how they come not heated up which is stupid,the ribs were fine. I won't be back. Been there done that on to the next place! The pulled pork was very tender. I've had better BBQ ribs at Famous Dave's. Restaurant was clean, I didn't use the bathroom but I like the big Picnic tables. read more

Love this place ! Brisket is definitely my favorite . Baked beans and Mac and cheese very good too !! Will be back soon

Firewater BBQ is an amazing fast casual spot with the most delicious pulled pork, ribs and great sides too. I loved the soft bun for the pulled pork, please don't change it. I never eat all of anything and i ate the entire sandwich. It's not fatty, very moist, I love the sweet sauce, I took a jar home. We were looking for a place near my sister's work and I drove here from Elmhurst, quite a drive but so happy that it was so good! I have also been to the one in Lombard and the food is also excellent there. So delicious. I do want to try the chicken, can't wait to go back! read more