Have been back to Franks many times, they have a large picnic style room dine in area and outdoor seating, I get mine to go. Keep arriving late I the day so they run out of rib tips so I have to get a full rack. I don't mind when they run out, let's me know how good it is and that they make it fresh each day. They do sell vacuum packed products too if you really want something including beef talo. Service is fast and friendly, save a few percent and pay cash. read more

Frank's Backyard BBQ - Full rack - Barbeque Near Me - Cedar Lake, Indiana

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Love this place!! Fantastic brisket and excellent sides. Fantastic Smokey flavor throughout all their food making a nice cohesive meal. They have beer and live entertainment occasionally including outside in the summer. I'll keep coming and hopefully make and outdoor concert sometime soon! read more

Frank's Backyard BBQ - Menu on the wall! - Barbeque Near Me - Cedar Lake, Indiana

One of only two BBQ places worth visiting in the county. Their product is amazing! Highly recommend grabbing some to go!

The food was delicious, and the people working there were so nice. I'll be back there someday.

First time. Delicious!!! Great service, you order at the counter, food comes out quick. I ordered "The Sampler", came with 1/4 pulled pork, 1/4 brisket, 1/4 burnt ends, 1/2 Memphis style baby back ribs, 2 homemade cornbreads and pickled red onions and pickles, I chose not to get pickled jalapeños. Ordered southern style green beans at an additional charge. Worth it. The meats were tender, juicy and very flavorful. I shared and still had leftovers. I've tried a few bbq places in NW Indiana, I will say Frank's Backyard BBQ is my #1 choice. Give them a try. read more

Frank's Backyard BBQ - The Sampler - Barbeque Near Me - Cedar Lake, Indiana

What happened to this place I called in an order arrived 15 minutes later No one was in the place not even one other customer told them my name and they said ok just a minute 10 minutes later still no food 5 people working in the place lunch cost me over $24.00 dollars and the bbq was just ok nothing special So if you want crappy Service and ok food be sure to go to Franks in Cedar Lake read more

Great staff and food! My kids enjoyed it as well, which is rare for them. Keep up the great work

Food was great and service was quick! Nice find on the way to Chicago. Husband had the pulled pork which was great unsauced and then even better with the variety of bbq on the table. read more

Frank's Backyard BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Cedar Lake, Indiana

My son really wanted macaroni and cheese and we had 20 minutes for a dinner stop so to yelp I went and found Frank's. I will say we probably didn't order the best things for bbq as I wasn't really in the mood for bbq, so I ordered the burger. My son had a pulled pork slider and we ordered sides of macaroni and cheese and corn. The place was clean, no one was there when we got there around 5:30pm but had filled up by the time we left. We ordered at the counter and then the staff brought our food out. They had a kids corner which my son loved and didn't want to leave. The burger was ok. I don't think I would order it again. It just seemed to be missing something in my opinion and I can't put my finger on what. The macaroni and cheese was great. The corn, I didn't like nor did my son. It was too spicy for us, so if you like a spicy corn sitting in cheese this might be a hit for you. The pulled pork- not sure. I took a bite but since it was my sons I didn't put any sauce on it so I can't give it a fair assessment. I would definitely come back here to try bbq with different sides as the environment was homey, food was fresh and it's a local business. read more

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Everything there is always so delicious. My favorite are the ribs, and the paninis are TO DIE FOR. Good portions for the price too

Frank's Catered my daughter's wedding on 05/09/2026 and it was seriously the best BBQ. We had brisket, pulled pork and chicken, Mac & cheese, smokey potatoes, corn bread, and a few other sides. Guests talked about how amazing the food was all evening. They definitely gained new customers after that night. I would 100% recommend Frank's for any event/meal. The staff (carver and 2 servers) were amazing and professional. Very pleased! read more

Wow this place is a bbq lovers dream! The ribs are hands-down the best in the area-tender, smoky, and packed with flavor. I could eat them every day and never get tired of them. The belly bombs are another standout-- and a must try. I'm already obsessed with their bbq and it's only my first visit. The outdoor patio seating is a vibe. Can't wait for summer to roll around so I can kick back out there, sip on their sweet tea, and play some cornhole. Great food. Great service, and great atmosphere. I'll be back for sure. read more

Best bbq I've had in the area. Staff is very sweet. I love their frozen/refrigerated stuff they sell too, especially the beef tallow cause they sell it pretty cheap. Would recommend the ribs. Everything's good tho. The Mac and cheese isn't my favorite though I'd get a different side. read more

5+stars. Brisket slider wonderful. Cheese spicy cron yummy. Serves always smiling and making jokes. The top of top baby back rib. Made with pride read more

Food is always delicious Service is always great Fast service love going here Will continue to come read more

We ordered food from Frank's for Thanksgiving dinner. The staff were great and the food was wonderful. We highly recommend the pulled rib meat and the brisket! read more

The BBQ was very tasty. Looking for to trying everything the serve in the near future.

It's too spicy. I don't understand why people are mad about the heat. It masks flavor and has serious health issues. It's not just digestive but esophageal issues. Really lay off the heat it a killer!!!!! read more

Great little place, food was delicious!!! First time there, and I can say I was very impressed. So much food, needed a take home box. read more

Frank's Backyard BBQ - Italian beef! Yum - Barbeque Near Me - Cedar Lake, Indiana

Delicious and ok prices. I mean bbq is usually expensive but it was aiight price wise. Would eat again.

I discovered Frank's while playing disc golf at Lemon Lake. They were closed that day but I added it to my list. Last night, I made the 45 minute drive and it was worth it. Frank's sits on Highway 41 in an average looking building. There are picnic tables inside. You order at the counter. The menu is on a marker board. And there is 80s, 90s, and 2000s music blaring. The only combo plate they have is a 3x3 platter that comes with 3 meats, 3 sides, and 2 drinks. I picked brisket, pulled pork, and pulled ribs were the choice. They don't include the actual ribs in the platter. I don't know all the meats that are offered with the platter but they do have pork belly, chicken, and hot links. The first meat I had was the pulled ribs. The pulled ribs had their traditional sauce mixed in. It needed it or the meat would have been too dry. It was all right...a little tougher to chew than I like. Out of the 3 meats, it was the one I liked the least. My next meat was the pulled pork. This was phenomenal pulled pork. It was easy to chew and seasoned extremely well. Both sauces mixed with it well. I could have easily at another half pound of it. The third meat I had was the brisket. Just like the pulled pork, this brisket was bodacious. It was easy to chew with a good mix of fat marbled in with an excellent black pepper rub. Both sauces went with the brisket well. There are 2 sauces - a tangy traditional ketchup base and a sweet ketchup-vinegar base. Usually it takes a thicker sauce for brisket but both sauces went well with the brisket. Actually, the pulled pork and brisket were so good, I almost considered giving up being a sauceaholic. My 3 sides - potato salad, beans, and cheesy spicy corn. Outstanding Sweet jalepeno cornbread also came with it. The potato salad was a mix of mayo and mustard with the potatoes cut cubed. It did have that abomination known as celery in it though but was easy to pick out. Out of the 3 sides, I liked the beans the best as they were homemade with a smoky, thick taste. The cheesy spicy corn was weird to me. It was like queso with corn. There are other things on the menu I want to try like the belly bomb which is a jalapeño with cream cheese and brisket stuffed inside. The lady let me sample the pork belly and it was similar to the brisket with the fat adding to the taste but also kind of like white meat pork. I would recommend it. They had sweet tea too which makes this Bama boy happy and for Indiana, it was all right. I would recommend making it with real sugar (4 cups per gallon) instead of adding syrup though. Then it would be real Southern sweet tea. I will be making several.more trips to Frank's in the future. read more

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Tried a bit of everything with the Sampler. Really nice BBQ balance of smoke and rub flavors. The ribs had a nice peppery rub and the burnt ends were a delight. Nothing needed sauce, the the Carolina vinegar and the mustard sauces were great. read more

Can't go wrong with anything on this menu. Friendly employees, great little BBQ spot.

Best bbq I have had in years. A reason to go to NW Indiana. Had the combo plate and the sausage. Ordered multiple sandwiches to go and everyone loved them. Great beer. Wonderful service. read more

My husband and I stopped for a burger after hearing it was "best in the region". These rankings are starting to lose credibility with me but I'll stick to my opinion on Frank's. Food: burger is unique and people really love it. It for sure wasn't for me but that's personal. Greasy, super "meaty" (if that makes sense" and mediocre quality in toppings. Also, they put my husband's double burger toppings on my single burger so we had to disassemble/reassemble at the table (I never ever return food) which is always awful. This for sure was not an exception and was a massive mess. Service was fine, I only interacted with the young girl who took our order. Ambiance is null (it's a bbq place): picnic tables, paper towels, plastic silverware, you get the idea. Rooting for this place but it wasn't for me. read more

We were looking for a lunch destination on our way through town (not from around here) and happened by Frank's. Turned the car around and we were not disappointed with our decision. A family of 6, we ordered a lot of food including the sampler platter, pulled pork sandwich, pulled chicken, corn, Mac & cheese, potato salad, baked beans--it was all delicious. Guessing it was the owner who came out to our table to say hello and encouraged us to return. We hope to have another opportunity to enjoy this yummy food. Great service, fantastic food. Adults, teenagers and our 5 year old all enjoyed. read more

Frank's Backyard BBQ - Burnt ends, pulled pork, brisket , ribs - Barbeque Near Me - Cedar Lake, Indiana

Just stop and do it. Great food all the way around from tacos to brisket to burnt ends, we love it Al. A regular stop as we visit our son and his family. Oh yeah the ice cream is delicious. read more

Food gets better and better everytime I go. problem with this place is am stuck on a few things and I never change from them one of these days am not gonna get rib tips and nachos and try something else lol sure I will read more

Very good bbq. Service was very fast and polite. We had the ribs, burnt tips and pulled pork. read more

Purchased two samplers, the seasoning and meat were delicious. Didn't realize until after we left that the sides were a la carte. Which was surprising for the price point of the sampler. Was able to sample their smoked turkey, phenomenal. Overall great food and excellent staff. read more

My husband is a southern boy who loves bbq and he likes Franks. You can choose from 6 bbq sauces for the meats. We Have eaten here multiple times and always good . Big assortment of side dishes as well as the bbq. Love the green beans, today we tried the mashed potatoes and gravy - also good. And the staff here are very friendly and helpful if you have questions about the menu. We drive from Schererville straight down rt 41, it's on the west side of the road. Clean tables,plenty of napkins and even a small play area for kids. Give it a try, you will like it, they even have homemade ice cream! read more

Visiting from South Carolina, this BBQ spot is exactly what I was looking for. Seems to be a family ran BBQ spot, not too busy and decent portions for the price. I'll be back read more

First time there. NOT disappointed!! Always Leary of places that say best BBQ. More times than not they usually fall short. I tried the sampler. Ribs, pork belly, beef brisket and pulled pork. My favorite? Pork belly!! Hands down. BUT, I will say, none of the other meats disappointed! Great seasoning, great smoke and wow, I love that 50/50 sauce! Sides were good too! Seating was comfortable (even for us bigger boys). Six Sauces at the table to choose from. Prices were fair for the level of food quality. It's a little above average, but the food makes you forget. And that makes all the difference. Well done Franks BBQ. No wonder you were voted best in the region. Keep it up. I'll be back. read more

AWESOME!!!!! Ava loves it there. Bunch of kisses!!!! The Ribs are amazing!!!! Ava loves the brisket burger!!

The pork belly is on point here! The first time I have ever had it and enjoyed it. They are doing it right!! The chili with waygu beef in it was hearty and had a zing to it. ( I think it was just chili powder) This is what carried the stars in my review. The sweet tea was not true sweet tea. She threw sugar in a cup and stirred right there at the counter (and not even simple sugar) The green beans were squishy because they were way overcooked. The mac-n-cheese was just something to fill you up. The pulled pork was not dry, but it didn't have any flavor to write home about. Jalepeno cornbread, I am pretty positive, came out of a box. Those definitely were dehydrated jalopenos. The staff was very energetic(almost too much), loud and easily confused. When I asked if I could have 2 sweet teas with the special instead of pop she said it would be an up charge. I told her that was fine until she started calculating. Sweet tea is .50 more than pop, so it would be $1 up charge for 2 teas. She wanted to charge me $2 upcharge because lemonades are $2.50. Lemonade has nothing to do with it. Her repeated response when something was inaccurate was, "I don't usually work weekends". Okkaayyyyy, so do their prices change on weekends ? No. So what does that have to do with the price of my tea? I will only return here if I get an immense craving for really savory pork bellies. read more

Frank's Backyard BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Cedar Lake, Indiana

Frank's Backyard BBQ is delicious! I ordered a large catering order for a rehearsal dinner, and everything was fresh, hot, securely packaged and delicious! The bbq is tender and tasty, the macaroni and cheese is creamy and cheesy, and I also highly recommend the corn side dish! The delivery was right on time and working with Patty on the meal planning was a joy. She recommended a menu and amounts of food as well as preparing summary sheets with prices and total. She was responsive to questions leading up to the event and cheerfully accommodated a menu item change and followed up with paperwork. Frank's Backyard BBQ was a hit with our guests and a very special part of the event! read more

Very good! And if you are on a budget - you can get a slider and a side for around $8 and if should fill you up. And there are more expensive options if your up for splurging a bit. Everything I have tried is absolutely amazing!! read more

Great BBQ. Will get again, want to try everything on the menu!!!!!! Would love to by the BBQ sauce.

I had the chicken wings, Smokey potato's and the spicy cheesy corn The highlight of the meal was the potato's they were absolutely fantastic. Well cooked great flavor would definitely get again. The corn was just ok. It seemed like they wanted it to be elote but it definitely fell short. It was served on a paper boat filled with a brown sauce that smothered the corn. Not something I would order again. The chicken wings were poorly seasoned and very gritty. I got the Buffalo sauce on the side so I could try the sauces on the table. The Buffalo sauce was not my favorite and the bbq sauce on the table the mustard sauce was the best. The service here was fantastic and super fast. I ordered and my food was out in less then 5 minutes. read more

That place looks so small! Why would we even stop.... well we did and I was very surprised and happy with what I saw and what we got. I expected a little dive, hole in the wall, attitude when we entered. But that isn't what we got. We were greeted as soon as we entered with a friendly hello. They explained to us where the menu was and how to pick what we wanted. The decor was fresh and clean. Not what I expected for a hole in the wall BBQ place. Food was plentiful for the price. They unfortunately didn't have indoor seating. But did have a clean picnic table area. With as good as the food was, they are going to have to invest in more outdoor seating soon. Excellent place. We will be back for seconds. read more

Frank's Backyard BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Cedar Lake, Indiana