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    Frank's Backyard BBQ

    4.6 (106 reviews)
    ModerateBarbeque
    Closed Closed
    Updated 2 months ago

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    FRANK'S BACKYARD BBQ ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Good for kids
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Frank's Backyard BBQ

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    The Sampler
    Javier G.

    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.

    Amber S.

    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.

    Inside seating
    Joee L.

    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.

    Italian beef! Yum

    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.

    Brisket
    Rhett B.

    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.

    Burnt ends, pulled pork, brisket , ribs

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    6 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Food is always fresh and well cooked! LOVE their burger! One of the BEST in the Region. Locally owned makes it even better!

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    5 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Have to try! Fun atmosphere to take the family. Games in the restaurant to play while waiting on your food. Food is amazing!

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    5 years ago

    Great for catering! Our family enjoyed the food. Very flexible when I needed to change my order

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    3 years ago

    Excellent food love eating at small casual restaurants.they have quick service and everyone is friendly.

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    5 years ago

    If you haven't tried this place.... you're missing out!!! those dry rub ribs those smokey potatoes them green beans and brussel sprouts

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    7 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    3 years ago

    So far the best BBQ in Cedar Lake! We are new in the neighborhood and it was delicious and great service! Thank you!

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    5 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    5 years ago

    Great BBQ. The belly bombs are a must. The ribs fall off the bone and sauce is magnificent.

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    9 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Best place ever!!!! Has a great family feel and whatever you order will be great! Definitely have to try their brisket!

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    5 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    6 years ago

    Love this place. Great people. Nice to see it growing and expanding. Always good food no matter what you get

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    7 years ago

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    7 years ago

    Awesome little place. Staff is always super happy and enthusiastic, food is always delicious. This is hands down the best BBQ in NWI

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    7 years ago

    We get their carryout quite often during the season and it is absolutely delicious. highly recommend!

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    4 years ago

    Keep this short n sweet..... Fan Friggin Tastic!!! Been here multiple times and Woooooooooo!!! Franks Backyard BBQ Rocks!!!!

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    8 years ago

    Wow. Smokey & delicious. Had pulled pork, brisket & brisket tacos. Great staff & truly good BBQ. Mmmm can still taste the Smokey goodness.

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    7 years ago

    Amazing, Burnt ends are the best i have ever had and you have to try the smoked brussel sprouts!

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    Page 2 of 3

    Ask the Community - Frank's Backyard BBQ

    Hi! I'm looking for burnt ends. Do they have them and are they good?

    Phenomenal

    Is franks BBQ gluten free?

    Our sauce and rubs are, but some menu items aren't, like our baked goods and mac and cheese 😊 hope this help. Call 219-552-1275 if you have anymore ingredients questions!!

    View All 3 Questions

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    Unsanitary and unbelievably rude service. My son and I both ordered the Station 21 burger medium…read morewell. When our food arrived, I cut into mine and it was extremely rare--so undercooked that one side of the patty was still pink. My son's burger was cooked correctly, so I know mine clearly wasn't. When our waitress checked on us, I explained the issue, and she politely apologized and took the burger back. A few minutes later, the manager on duty brought the same burger back upstairs, slammed it down, and asked with an attitude, "What is the problem?" I explained that it was undercooked and that I had ordered medium well. She then asked, "What do you want me to do with this?" while just standing there staring at me. After acting irritated, she asked if I wanted a new burger or wanted "this one" recooked. The idea of them recooking a burger I had already cut into and handled felt completely unsanitary. Her attitude throughout the interaction was awful. I declined a replacement, and she huffed that she'd remove it from the bill. Unfortunately, it got even worse. Just minutes later, an earwig crawled out of my friend's salad. We were horrified. We took a picture, caught the bug, and asked another server to get the manager. When she returned, she walked up with her hand on her hip and said, "Now what?" We handed her the napkin with the bug, and instead of apologizing, she opened it right there on the table, let the bug crawl out, scoffed at us, and said, "Fine, I'll take that off the bill too." At that point, my friend was covering her mouth in disgust after realizing she had been eating a salad with a bug in it. Rather than showing concern or professionalism, the manager snapped, "What do you want?! I didn't put the bug in the salad." I have never experienced such unsanitary conditions combined with such shockingly hostile customer service. Mistakes can happen, but the manager's behavior was beyond unacceptable. We left disgusted and will absolutely never return.

    Visited on a Saturday night and it was very busy! We were told about 20 min wait for our party of…read more2, but we were seated in about 5 mins. The atmosphere was lively. Loud music, lots of talking, and plenty of TVs showing sports. The service was friendly and efficient for hour busy they were. The food and drinks were tasty and the prices were pretty fair! We will be back

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    Frank's Backyard BBQ - bbq - Updated June 2026

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