We ordered food for my sister-in-law's 40th birthday. The original caterer cancelled at the last minute, so many of the guests pitched in to provide food. For our contributions, we reached out to Hecky's. Not only was the food delicious, they helped us with little notice. Also when I picked up the order, with no idea how I would carry the large catering trays, the staff loaded everything in my car. The greens were fresh and fabulous, as was the cornbread. We also ordered potato salad to round out the meal. As a bonus, Cheryl, is extremely kind, patient and professional. We felt taken care of from start to finish. Order early for your events or treat yourself to lunch or dinner any day. The food does not disappoint. read more

Really not that great compared to the competition in town. But I have found to each there own when it comes to BBQ and Hecky's has a following. Do not care for their sauce. Everything is drowned in it. It was a sad day in Evanston when he was sited for the smoke that he put out. He had to stop that and it hasn't smelled as good as it did in the ol' days read more

I haven't been here in a while. I ordered the Mutt without hot links because I don't like hot links. They gave me more chicken wings for not getting the links. The wings were seasoned well with a good salt/ pepper balance. The fries had a tasty seasoning. I think it was paprika or something similar. The rib tips could have been better. I would have liked more smokiness and tenderness. The sauce completed the tips nicely but would have desired more intrinsic flavor. read more

It's been a while since I've been there so I'm combined my experiences and the most recent posts. They seem to match up. Hecky's is a no frills BBQ place. Not pretty, no style points but very good BBQ. I'm a HUGE rib tip guy. I make them myself but to do them properly, it takes time. Hecky's does a VERY good rib tip so if you don't mind a little effort (in eating). The hot links do pack some heat and plenty of flavor. That right there is a meal in itself. Ribs are top tier and that goes without saying. As for the sides, the mac & cheese, slaw, & red beans & rice were very solid. One thing I liked about Hecky's is the wide selection of BBQ you have. The sauce is quite tasty as well. If you're in Evanston, this is a good place to grabs some BBQ & take home. read more

Why does this place smell light burnt Bologna? The food is scary bad! Could not finish the ribs. It is not good! Compared to Gates, Arthur Bryant's, Rendezvous, Whole Hog, etc... Hecky's is fodder. I think Hecky knows exactly what he is doing, he is appealing to the BBQ ignorant. There is NO GOOD BBQ tradition in Chicago, a few good places are popping up, but they have a long way to go. read more

This is not a sit-down restaurant. It is strictly carry-out. You must call in or place an order online on their website. We ordered the half slab, Original Mutt (rib tips, hot links, 2 chicken wings, and fries), and jambalaya for $24. I don't think there was anything I really enjoyed, although I was happy about the chicken wings. They were good sized, and the skin was really plain looking but flavorful. The ribs and rib tips were hit or miss. Some of the meat was tender, some was tough/dry/chewy. The sauce was almost too overwhelming in tang. The hot links were pretty spicy but nothing amazing about them. The crinkle fries were very boring. The jambalaya was too wet. For all the Yelp hype, Hecky's truly disappointed. read more

It's a total neighborhood joint for any Evanston boy; Hecky is a nice man who's done a lot of good stuff for the community, so it's doubly nice that his restaurant kicks four kinds of butt. Good barbecue -- the sauce is well above average. Purists scoff at BBQ drowned in sauce but it works here, especially since the meat isn't really all that amazing. But the fried chicken -- my god in wine-dark heaven, the fried chicken. Soooooo good. (Sooooooo incredibly bad for you, too, but let's not go there.) Seriously, if you're burned out on fried chicken because you think it's all Popeye's and KFC, check this stuff out. read more

Well I used to order ribs here until tonight. After waiting an hour and a half for my order I decided to call and find out what was going on. The girl who answered the phone said something lame: "like our system is down or something, so what'd you even order?" Yeah. Good ribs, but not worth the horrible service. Won't order here again. Now I wait to see if my order will arrive... Addendum: for the best ribs in the area, drive or train to Andersonville and get the rib special at Calo. Amazing ribs, service, everything... read more

Throughout my childhood no trip to Grandma Jane's was complete without driving past Hecky's and forcing my parents to open all the car windows, even if it was the middle of the winter. I had free smells for countless years before finally trying the place. The food lives up to the smell! The ribs are as good as Carson's (my favorite rib joint) and come at a better price. They have great sides, including a can't miss jambalaya and gumbo. This is BBQ done right and you have to love that you are supporting an Evanston institution! You will NOT find better BBQ in the area and will be hard pressed to find better BBQ in Chicago. read more

Hecky's Barbecue - Unpacked and awesome. - Barbeque Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

To start my bunch of BBQ reviews, I'll start with Hecky's. I've ordered carry-out a bunch of times here and their sauce is the ish. That means it's really damn good for those who don't know. The staff is very friendly and quite hilarious. Here's my recommendation for a perfect afternoon on the couch. -Order a pulled pork sammich, extra sauce, french fries, and mac & cheese. -Share with someone (but preferably someone with a small appetite so there's more for you). -Pick up food and return to couch with a fresh DVD of Arrested Development queued up. -Divide up food, douse fries in sauce, and go to town. -Marvel at the delicious goodies you just inhaled and don't move for between 1-4 hours. read more

sadly, every time I go here I'm disappointed. My hopes are high but the quality is not. The ribs no longer taste as though they were made in a pit or charcoal, however taste as though they were baked. don't get me wrong there was a period in which the cheese was awesome I would say about 5 years ago. Even the hot link seems to be a lower quality. The two stars go towards the french fries and the barbecue sauce. read more

I normally get nervous when a place I love as much as Hecky's starts tinkering with its menu, but their recent changes have been knocking it out of the park. The fried chicken has traditionally been fine-- maybe a notch below the nearby Chicken Shack-- but the new recipe is unbelievably fantastic and blows every chicken place in Evanston out of the water. It's even good without the sauce (blasphemy, I know). The second addition is a selection of sausage sandwiches: chaurice (kind of a milder chorizo with a firmer texture), andouille, chicken, and brat. I've never liked the links much, and since they're just $2 apiece I figured they'd be tiny, but these sandwiches are gigantic and absolutely incredible: go for the chaurice with sauce and you'll be thinking about going back for more the rest of the week. For the traditionalists, though: go with the ribs. The tips are fatty (but whose aren't?) and not much cheaper than the half-slab, and you'll be much happier with the latter. And when you order, always ask if they have the smoked wings: they're the best around but are only available irregularly and usually sell out during lunch unless you're lucky. Most of the sides are pretty average (skip the corn), but the jambalaya is great during the winter. read more

Always go to Hecky's for rib tips. Just don't expect the friendliest of customer service. When you have Sweet Potato pie that good, you can be a little unfriendly. Just order before and pick it up. You can even order online. Less interaction read more

Heckys is our go to for bbq. Hubby gets the mutt (it's enough for two people) and I get the pulled chicken sandwich and is amazing every time. Really can't go wrong with anything on the menu. read more

I debate between 3 and 4 stars and would like to give them 3.5....anyway, The ribs here go either way. They were drowning in the sauce (so if you care for ribs drowning in sauce) and the sauce is pretty good - the baby back ribs were definately leaner but I wasn't fond of them. Definately didn't appeal to my senses. But their usual ribs were very tender and fell right off the bone and those were really yummy. The rib tips were really good, too - service is decent. You can either order online or over the phone - they deliver (extra $3.50 charge) or pick up for free. You do get seasoned fries and a slice of white bread with your ribs to dip in the sauce and clog up those arteries some more. oh, yeah - I like their coleslaw, too :) If you have a choice between their ribs - just go with their original - meatier and fattier but much better tasting! read more

I know Heck'y has been around for a long time so I jumped at the chance to buy a groupon for ribs and was super excited to try it. Unfortunately I was was very disappointed. These are definitely not melt-in-your mouth, meat falling off the bone ribs. They were chewy and not tender at all. The sauce is good but doesn't change the fact that the ribs are just ok. I wanted to love this place because it's close to home but I'll just stick to Smoque... Still the best ribs I've ever tried and totally worth the hour long wait! read more

I heard from a few co-workers the food was GREAT and from reading the comments, I was extremely excited to try the food here. So I ordered the Chicago style rib tips and hot links combo which includes fries and bread. I LOVE rib tips and hot links. I was very disappointed. The hot links was actually just one link cut up (the person on the phone told me). That wasn't even the worst part. They were dry, shriveled and tasted like they were made last week and reheated. The fries and bread... I could care less about but I mean come on. If you're going to throw in bread and fries with some BBQ please put some effort into it. I would have at least thought they would have toasted the bread and butter or something and instead.. it's just one slice of wonder bread or wherever they get it from. Fries sucked. I mean all you have to do is fry them and salt them.... Rib tips were okay. I didn't think they were really special or anything, The saving grace was the BBQ sauce which was delicious and had a bit of spice to it. All I needed was MORE of it. Yes my food was delivered and I didn't expect it super fresh but I also didn't expect it (hot links) to taste like it was cooked last week and reheated. read more

My Husbands birthday required a trip to Hecky's. This is our go to Barbecue restaurant when we can't make it ourselves. We were not disappointed. The Baby Back Ribs, St. Louis Ribs, Tips and Fried Chicken with sauce were still as delicious as ever. All the meats were tender and juicy. The Sauce, well it's Heck's sauce and truly delicious. I wanted to take ten bottles home with me. I normally buy 2-3 with every visit, along with their signature soda. My 93 year old Mother in Law, requisitioned our Baby Back ribs to her house, that says it all. read more

Tasty smoked ribs with delicious sauce! My only concern is that I pre ordered and prepaid but it took five minutes to get my order. Some one was ahead of me and a little slow, ideally the counter staff would have given me my order because they knew who I was and that I prepaid. If they had given me my order quickly, my food would have been hotter when I got home. Great place!! I highly recommend!! read more

Kudos to all of the other Yelpers who've pointed out that Hecky's really IS all about the sauce. I've been to some other BBQ havens, especially some acclaimed places down south like Goode's in Houston, where they pride themselves on serving the sauce on the side. A lot of those places will even sneer at any establishment that serves their food with any sauce, let alone smothered in like Hecky's does, and dismiss it as not being real BBQ. I sneer at the sneerers, because there are lot of us in this world who just love, love, LOVE good BBQ sauce, and as far as sauce goes then Hecky's may be just as good as it gets. It's smoky and molasses-y and like any good BBQ sauce it stains your clothes permanently. read more

What a horrible and annoying experience at lunch today. My co-worker and I ordered lunch to be delivered from Hecky's... a pulled pork sandwich with fries and an order of rib tips. After promising the food would be delivered within an hour, an hour and forty minutes later--the ice cold food finally showed up at our door. We had made a call to the restaurant around the one hour twenty-five minute time--and were told they were shocked that our food hadn't arrived yet as they'd seen the delivery person leave "quite some time ago." When she arrives, she has the gall to chastise US for taking too long to meet her outside the apartment building as it was starting to rain. Aside from being totally cold, the rib tips were full of fat, and the pork sandwich was completely crushed. Maybe if you're picking up, the food would be hot and delicious... but I kinda doubt it. read more

Usually Hecky's food is good, but yesterday? not so good. The Service: I placed my order online at eat24.com a regular rib tip for my man & small mutt for myself, my total was 21.81, when I arrived at the restaurant I was asked to pay a much higher amount, when I asked about the difference, I was told that their prices went up & they were not updated online. HA!!! I explained that I wasn't prepared to pay that much so I won't, the young lady then called another young lady who caught the mistake (I ordered a small mutt but they made and charged me for a large mutt), but even after she change my mutt to a small & adjusted the price, the total was still more than what my online receipt stated the total should be, I went ahead and paid it. The food: I was expecting to enjoy some tender and delicious rip tips, NOT SO! They rib tips were NOT AT ALL TENDER in any way. they were extremely chewy, the sauce was good as usual but I could not enjoy it on the ribs, The link was extremely dry, the chicken wings were as they always were, just okay and the fries were lukewarm and spongy. We just threw it away and I really regretted going there yesterday. Had it been just the price alone that was the problem, I would not have wrote a Yelp review, because the food would have (should have) made up for the price mishap, well it didn't and I was extremely disappointed. UNCLE JOHN'S HAVE THE BEST BBQ RIB TIPS & HOT LINKS IN ALL OF CHICAGO, Just check out their review, it speaks for itself. I would have went there it but was just too far at the time. read more

Hecky, bubala, I got your back with Netta and their kind. They come south of Howard Street and I'll boot their car. Maybe I'll boot their mouth, too. Rahm read more

We visited Hecky's for the first time this weekend and it was very good! We didn't feel like venturing to the south side while we were in town so we decided to give Hecky's a try and we're glad! We had the mut, half bbq chicken, fries, greens and red beans and rice. Yummy!! Nice meaty tips and juicy chicken! It was also a treat to go on a night when Mr. Hecky himself was there! Will definitely return! Thanks Mr. Hecky! read more

I ordered the Super Mutt (1 full link, 4 chicken wings, rib tips, and crinkle cut fries). It came piled in a to-go container. The girl taking my order asked me if I wanted the BBQ sauce on it. I just assumed that it was normal that way, so I said sure. Big mistake. I really wanted to love the food but I could taste any of it because it was drowned in BBQ sauce... So. much. sauce. It was all I could taste. It wasn't particularly bad sauce (but not my favorite) but it was too much. I took a few bites of everything but I gave up. I suppose I should give them another try... this time with sauce on the side! A few notes, take-out only and parking sucks. read more

Like so many other reviewers, I'm very sad that my fave BBQ place has gone to the dogs. I've been going to Hecky's on-and-off since I was at Northwestern back in the early 90s. 20+ years a loyal fan. But the last few times we've been disappointed, the quality has surely gone down. The last few times my husband said the ribs tasted old. Today was the worst. The ribs were tough as shoe leather, the rib tips were just an assortment of bones, and the sauce was aweful-- not the rich brown sauce from years ago, but a ketchup-vinegar disaster. Why the heck would they change the BBQ sauce recipe??? Also the sides were ridiculously overpriced. $4.50 for a tiny 1/2-pint of mac and cheese, that everyone said was "just ok." I can't tell you how upset I am that my favorite BBQ place has taken such a nosedive. read more

I grew up in Evanston so Hecky's BBQ was something my family knew well. I haven't been in years, so when I finally made the drive from the city I was very excited. The baby back ribs are some of the best I've ever had. Tender, yet firm ribs that are basted in their amazingly delish signature sauce. A must get for any Hecky's diner. As for the rest of our dishes, I was not impressed. We also got a pulled beef sandwich that was mediocre at best. They couldn't tell me if it was pulled brisket or not (not a good sign) and it was just boring. Their cole slaw, while tasty, was mushy and their baked beans tasted like canned pork-n-beans. If you're going to come to Hecky's, do yourself a favor and get what they do best - RIBS! You won't be disappointed! read more

Found out recently that Hecky's delivers to Rogers Park. Already ordered twice. I'm a big fan of their Pulled Pork sandwich. It's a good size. Who ever complained that their mashed potatoes were awful is crazy. Ordered them twice and you can tell these aren't instant. Mac & cheese was nice and creamy. And I'm still enjoying my rib tips snack pack (which, holy wow that's a lot of rib tips for a snack!)... Corn bread muffins are good--I top mine with butter, honey, and hot sauce. And they carry Green River, something we had back in college, so it's a nice little treat. I've never had a bad experience with Hecky's yet, now or when I lived in Evanston. The delivery time was about an hour, but they're driving down from the north side of Evanston. I expected a little wait for them to get to Rogers Park, especially with construction and such. Without doubt, every time there's Hecky's in the house, the cats go crazy and I spend most of my meal pushing them away from the table. But afterwards, it's one of the best food coma naps ever. read more

This was my first time eating at Hecky's 9/29/18 and will definitely be my last. I ordered the rib tip dinner and it was cold not even warm and the fries were soggy, old, both tasted horrible. I would never recommend this be place. I am disappointed that I wasted my hard earned money. read more

This review is based only on my delivery experience. We ordered through GrubHub and while we expected it to take awhile (our estimated time of delivery was 75 minutes), waiting 2 hours for mostly cold food is never ok, especially not with a $4.50 delivery charge. The first time I called (95 minutes after ordering) I was told, very curtly that my food would be delivered in 15 - 20 minutes. Ok, so an extra 30 minutes. For good bbq, not a problem right? 30 minutes later, I still had no food so called back. This time the lady on the phone was very friendly ad told me they were short staffed in the kitchen, so unfortunately our order had taken awhile to get made. No problem, she said it had just gone out and was fresh and should be delivered in 5 - 10 minutes. Just like she said, within 10 minutes we had our food. Unfortunately the only thing that was fresh was my chicken. My fries were soggy and cold, not only was my husband's burger cold, but it was burnt to a crisp (the bun was very charred as well). The only thing that saved it was the bbq sauce. The mac and cheese was amazing, the greens a little bland, and the fried chicken was well seasoned and crispy. The desserts were delicious, I had sweet potato pie and he had peach cobbler. All in all, we've decided that we will never order delivery from Hecky's again, but we might go in to try it fresh.... maybe. read more

I did not enjoy the bbq at all. I know this place is popular but I don't understand why.

I ordered 4 bbq burgers and they all came plain!! ...meat, cheese and bun only! All of them. 1 even didnt have cheese!! I called there and they offered to deliver bbq sauce. Theyre 20mins away and the girl couldnt understand why thats just not an option. She offered a credit for a free item on a future visit and all I could think is "hey...lets focus on the fact I just bought frozen patties on a bun for $40!" New girl on the phone...no manager available!!?? I just spent $40 on plain hamburgers....bad customer service and clearly a staff that is unable to fill an order correctly. Save time and money and go anywhere else but here! read more

Hecky's Barbecue - Would you pay $40 for 4 of these?? Not so much! - Barbeque Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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The food here is so good, I get the mutt combo from here. You get a lot of food for the price to be under $10, I split my order with someone and still got full from eating half the container. I've only been inside once to pickup an order and had really good service. I believe Hecky was actually in there, it was a really friendly man behind the counter speaking to everyone. But usually I order a delivery and it's pretty quick and well cooked which I really appreciate! read more

What more can be said about this place? Hecky's BBQ, you son of a delicious rack of ribs and beef brisket! Anyone ever tell you have amazing turkey legs, as well? Baby back ribs were engrained with spices and piping hot, fresh from the oven with one of the best bbq sauces you can taste on the face of the Earth. Fries are good as well, but that's "small fry" compared to the jumbo and juicy wings they serve here. While studying at Northwestern University (transferred to the Ivies, but NU is another story and review on its own, lol), Hecky's BBQ was one of my many guilty pleasures. This place is good, and I mean real good. Best BBQ in Evanston, but its not just the food, its the culture. Fried wings and baby back ribs are just fried wings and baby back ribs, right? Nope, not a Hecky's, here they're just amazing. The service is great, Hecky and his staff are courteous and very welcoming. I mean, come on..I know of many vegetarians who have converted back to omnivores and carnivores after Hecky's BBQ! Highly recommended. read more

Stopped by and ordered this to go. The staff were really friendly and welcoming. Ordered the Obama Super Mutt for the two of us. The rib tips were delicious, the fried chicken was out of this world, and the hot sausage link was wonderful. Got two mutt muffins (greens inside a giant cornbread muffin) on the side. I loved everything. "It's the sauce"! is definitely an accurate statement. That all of these delicious things sat atop a bed of fries was awesome. Will be going back to try some of the sandwiches (pulled pork, pulled chicken) and get another one of those mutt muffins! If Smoque were next to this place I wouldn't think twice about going there [I do think about Smoque about twice daily though!] but as it stands Hecky's is some good stuff! read more

If I could give 6 stars I would! Quick story, my wife and I went to Chicago for the holidays to visit my sister. On Christmas Eve went to Hecky's and met Mr Hecky's. We told him we were visiting from out of town and he treated us like we were his family! He ordered up a bunch of his best, which is everything and we had the Best Christmas Eve meal we ever eat! My Hecky's is a humble and amazing person who happens to make world class down home BBQ!!!! read more

Owner Hecky Powell opened this BBQ and southern comfort food joint in 1983 and has since gathered a strong legion of followers. Hecky's food is old-fashioned, hardy, stick-to-your-ribs, good. Vegetarians, this is probably not the place for you. Offering a spread of ribs, rib tips, chicken, burgers, hot links and pork with classic sides such as baked beans, corn bread, and greens....you will not leave Hecky's hungry. If you manage to save room, savor the peach cobbler or the family recipe sweet potato pie. Having trouble deciding? No problem...order the "Mutt" special and get a little of everything. If you're curious about the origination of the special's name ask a local and get the full story. If the already cheap prices aren't enough for you, stop in for a boxed lunch special. The lunches rotate and none come close to the same old same old. While some may already be familiar with Hecky's Chicago, I must recommend you make the trip up to Evanston to experience the original. It is truly worth the trip. So stop in to Hecky's and find out why everybody agrees: "It's the sauce!" read more

I can't remember if I reviewed this place or not but better safe than sorry. After eating here 3 times I ordered it for my whole office one Friday. They went nuts over it. I'm now taking all visitors all the way up to Evanston from Chicago to try Hecky's. For a Texan, it takes a lot to get excited about bbq. Hecky's does it right. read more

Hecky's Barbecue - The mutt is enough barbecue to kill a man. And it's 9.95. Can't beat it. You gotta eat here. - Barbeque Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Been going here over 30 years never wrong with the sauce. I remember tasting that sauce and the tips excellent... the hot links are the bomb. read more

Ribs.....VERY GOOD! This is what Hecky's does best IMHO. Genuine smoker on the premise that you can view and see and smell. The sauce is ok, I am used to more pepper in BBQ sauce, this is sweet. The links are not good though, very very dry. Maybe I got a bad link, but it was awful. The side are good and really hail from the SE US. Cornbread rocks and the rice'n' red beans was great! Best ribs in Chicagoland that I tried so far. read more