Very disappointed. Bought $142 worth of pork & beef ribs for wife's birthday party. I eat only beef ribs and these were dry and tough. Almost too tough to even eat. Certainly weren't very fresh. I've had lots of beef ribs and these were the worst. Want good ones? Go to L. Woods in Lincolnwood. I would never go back to Hecky's. read more

I'm sad to write this bc I had such high hopes for Hecky's but unfortunately it just didn't live up to the hype in my opinion. The rib tips are okay, most of them are more work and fat than meat. The combos are a great way to get you to try their top items but for $20+ and mostly just end pieces they'd toss and tons of fries, this place is just eh. The sauce is good but id get it on the side so it doesn't overwhelm the entire plate of food read more

Take out from Heckys tonight. I went with the mutt. I liked the story behind it. I mean we are all mutts, right? I had never had rib tips before, they were more work than I wanted. The sauce was ok, maybe sweeter than my taste. Loved the spicy link and the peach cobbler. I don't like my fries underneath all the bbq. But a great local place for some great bbq. read more

Hecky's Barbecue - The Original Mutt - Barbeque Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

The best damn chicken in the state! My favorite restaurant in Evanston for sure. Delicious. One time they delivered our meal in 5 minutes!! An outstanding restaurant! Hecky Powell was an amazing person. I hope they can continue without this magnificent man. His passing was a tragedy. read more

Hecky's has always been our favorite spot. But since moving to Indiana we hadn't had a chance to get there for some time. Today we took a special trip just for old times. Boy were we happy that we made the trip. We ordered Baby Back Ribs, St. Louis Ribs, Rib Tips, Beef Ribs, and chicken. Everything was absolutely delicious and the sauce was still the best. It brought back memories of the times when we would just jump in the car and head up LSD to Evanston just to go to Hecky's. The only thing missing was Hecky himself with that great big wonderful smile. read more

We wish we would have checked Heckys out sooner. Not only is the brisket a melt-in-your-mouth heavenly experience, the service is incredible. Everyone is so genuinely kind and welcoming! We can't wait to try everything on the menu. Thanks Heckys! read more

Terrible product. Ordered the pulled pork sandwich. Meat was fine and seemed quality (only saving grace here) but the sauce they put on it was basically water. Tasteless. Sandwich was a soggy mess, fine but the sauce was so bad it ruined the whole thing. Maybe order it plain and put your own sauce on. I say maybe but the reality is I'll never be back. Only take out too. All in all total waste of $13 and still hungry read more

I am bummed to be giving a poor review to this restaurant because I've only heard great feedback about them. While I have not had the opportunity to taste their food, I have had a very poor customer service experience with them when attempting to place a large catering order for a University event. A student I supervise and myself attempted multiple times over a time span of 2 days to get in touch with the catering staff to place an order for an event we were hosting. The staff were incredibly unclear in their communication regarding when the catering staff would be working and no one had answered the phone during the listed business hours. They took down our information and reassured us that we would be contacted by their catering staff member once they were in, but we never received any calls back. After a few more attempts, the staff at the restaurant would pick up our calls and then hang up the phone. I am unsure why this happened but the lack of communication and hanging up the phone displayed a strong sense of unprofessionalism. We chose to go with another restaurant that was able to work with us last minute after not hearing back from Hecky's. I am disappointed in the communication and friendliness and will likely not be attempting to place any future orders here. read more

Hey Hecky, I'm Home!! This is the 3rd time I've been back since my last review. Mann,was I missing out on some great food when I slipped from the fold. This time we ordered the pulled pork for the chauffeur. I ordered the 1/2 Chicken, superbly fried, and delicious french fries. The chicken was fried to Perfection. A connoisseurs crunchy crispy coating that is probably a top secret family recipe!! The chicken meat was in a word, " EXQUISITE !!" Perfectly cooked, the crispy breading holds in the juices resulting in a moist,juicy, tasty chicken that keeps you " Mmmmmming" and smiling and wanting to keep eating! In fact, I'm going to eat the last piece as soon as I finish this update : ) mmmmm! I also ordered the Juneteenth Strawberry Soda from which all profits are donated to the Forrest E. Powell foundation. Established " To help people work to achieve their dreams "The chauffeur said the pulled pork was delicious. I say if the Colonel made fried chicken this good they would have made him a General !!! Don't be "Don't be Cheep Cluck " order a chicken dinner tonight !!! read more

Hecky's Barbecue - Mmmmmenu : ) !!! - Barbeque Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Great food and service taste great reasonable. Go there you will never be disappointed. Love hecky's sauce.

Way over priced! 1 Hotlink $6 1 Hotlink 1/2 RibTip and a fry $16 Its a shame, i love this place, but they raised prices to much. read more

It is difficult to find DELICIOUS barbecue in Metro Chicago, therefore, when I go to Hecky's, which is 50 minutes from my home, I buy enough to enjoy and then freeze. I'm a barbecue snob and I don't mind driving for fresh, succulent lean meat and the best sauce ever. That's what I have ALWAYS experienced at Hecky's. I've been a customer for over 20 years. My favorites are the baby backs, rib tips, chicken, hot links, mac and cheese, greens and cole slaw. Hecky's also provides excellent and friendly service. Judy R read more

Very disappointed. Went in and stood there for almost 5 minutes and we were never acknowledged. No hello. No welcome by the disinterested woman behind the counter. Anyway, we went up and ordered and what huge disappointment! The pulled pork sandwich was cold and had no texture. It has the consistency of canned dog food. The brisket sandwich was 75% fat. How could any decent BBQ place serve brisket like that to a customer?!? We ended up throwing away $35 worth of food. It's a shame because I really wanted to like this place, but the service and food will keep me away forever. read more

With a heavy heart I have to give my loved Bbq tips place... I see they changed their place which was great look. However, the ribs I saw were being pulled out of warming oven and when I got home as we usually do to eat them. The tips were tough and dry..... when I remember Hecky Powell would pride his tips of how juicy they are... he even separated business with a Hecky's partnership for same poor quality back in the day coz of the same results that place had dry bone ribs.... Yesterday I ordered two large tips and both sets were tough and dry! HECKY'S your failing on what Powell prided his tips on!!! Sauce is still on point but the ribs such an ultimate fail!!! I'm truly sadden coz I certainly brag to everyone on how great your tips are...... I have been a hecky's fan since 1988 since had tasted the hecky's at old highland park in that tiny spot..... miss you Hecky Powell and miss that juicy hecky's rib tips like before!!! Mrs Hecky's take pride in your husband's business n bring back the quality juicy rib tips!!! Look at the pic this was how we got it home without sauce and how dry dry the tips are SO SAD!!!! read more

Hecky's Barbecue - Barbeque Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

A friend of ours catered for the holiday and I helped pick the food up. First off, the staff was wonderful and such a joy to interact with even if it was just for a short second. Also, the food was great. The sauce was great (even the bottle of sauce they gave us with the order). 10/10 would recommend ordering from here. Eating here. An institution of barbecue and food that reminds me of my family down in New Orleans. Thank y'all read more

Times change but I sure still love the turkey drum. Hot sauce on the side.

Still as good as ever. Tips and wings are go tos. Also the chicken hot links (somehow better than the regular ones in my opinion). I usually get delivery and it always shows up fast and hot. Probably my favorite bbq spot in Chicagoland. read more

Hecky's has been one of my favorites for a while! They recently catered an event for an organization I am involved with at Northwestern and the food was a hit! As always, the Mac & Cheese is my favorite. I also really enjoy the brisket and the chicken wings. Overall, you can't go wrong. Don't forget to get the corn muffins also. The service is consistently friendly and they got our order to us right on time. I also recommend trying the new red soda that they are promoting! read more

The HECKY catering Experience was Wonderful. First, everything was packed and ready to go when we arrived to pickup! Everyone was so Friendly and nice to Deal with, very pleasant and efficient. As for the food it was magnificent, so many Delicious choices! Everything was just wonderful. I would recommend Hecky's to anyone who wanted some Great soul food. I don't normally eat anyone's Macaroni and Cheese it was GREAT, so were the baked Beans, Cole slaw and the greens. we will for sure be catering from them again, But I'll be going for lunch more than I should :-) read more

The chicken hot link sandwich was phenomenal!!! Extra sauce because it's that good!!! read more

Hecky's Barbecue - Barbeque Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

I went to Hecky's today to purchase two small sweet potato pies and decided to try a vegetarian burger. This burger was AWESOME!!!!! Absolutely delish!!! PLEASE try one if you can with a side of sweet potato fries. I guarantee you won't be disappointed. YUM!! read more

We met Hecky! He was a rock star at our opening night party! We'd been driving from Evanston to Skokie to the Northlight Theatre six days a week, and on the corner of Emerson and Green Bay, we'd see a barbecue joint with a big butcher paper sign in the window: "OBAMA MUTT IS HERE". Every morning, we'd ask, "I wonder what an "Obama Mutt" is?" and one day, after a long couple of weeks of rehearsal, we found out: An Obama Mutt is basically their sampler plate with some of the best rib tips, BBQ chicken, hot links, and fries, all smothered in their signature smokey sauce. You walk in, and you are almost instantly imbued with barbecue (I was sniffing my winter jacket for a couple of days afterwards and getting hungry) smoke, and their friendly staff will wait patiently as you look, awestruck, at their big menu board. Some of us got the Obama Mutt, the Obama Super Mutt, the Chicago special (rib tips and hot links), a half rack of baby back ribs, and a half rack of just regular ol' ribs, with a variety of sides, including some black beans and rice, macaroni and cheese, and collard greens to go along with the Wonder Bread slice designed to help soak up some of that barbecue sauce off your fingers. Mmm! A normally loud, talkative, and opinionated bunch of theatre artists got real quiet as we went straight from food ecstasy to food coma. We were over the moon when we found out that both Hecky and Koi were going to host our opening night party (Po Boy Tango has both Chinese and African American food at the heart of it) - and when we met the iconic Hecky with his gold Hecky pendant, we mobbed him for pictures. Dang, why didn't I think to ask for his autograph? read more

Hecky's Barbecue - A happy cast with a rock star - Barbeque Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Hecky's has been an Evanston staple for as long as I can remember, yet sadly, it's one that my family avoids. And it's sad, because Etown is lacking good barbecue!! The meats are dry and flavorless, with too much depending on the sauce. My husband is not only a former chef, but well versed in barbecue, having moved here from Kansas City. He always questioned why you could not smell the barbecue as you approach the area, like you can at their bbq places. A friend of ours told him you may not smell it, but it's pretty good. So I stopped one day and got a slab of ribs for him to try. I was sad that indeed they were super dry. We did like their mac & cheese and their fries, but those wouldn't justify the trip. Yesterday my daughter and I wanted sandwiches and after not having been to Hecky's in years, I decided to get us two pulled pork sandwiches. That seemed safe. I also got a burger for my husband. They were TERRIBLE! When I think of pulled pork, I imagine actual meat, pulled, in thin strips. This meat was like sloppy Joe meat, slopped on the buns. And I specifically asked for the sauce on the side, yet both sandwiches were drowned in sauce! Thus, sloppy joes. The buns were good (almost like a brioche bread) so I scraped the mess off and that's what I ate! I also ordered my husband's burger medium (which means PINK) and it was past well done. No pink at all. He does not like his burger well done and if we were in a dine in establishment, he would have sent it back. He asked me why I went back to Hecky's!! Well trust me, this was it. I don't like to leave bad reviews but I was truly disappointed. Being from Evanston, it would have been nice to be able to support a local business. Especially a minority one. But we just can't justify it. read more

Since, as everyone knows, Natashka is not moved by human rights or baseball, I did not go here because Mister Hecky supports little leage and all manner of philanthropic goal. I went here to satisfy my Carniverous Appetites. And I can report that Hecky's satisfies more than some men ever will. I am suspicious of any yelper with name like "Kake" to judge barbeque sauce (see below review of Hecky). Kake was name of my first teddy bear. Let me just say I would travel from the Winter Palace all the way to Evanston for Hecky's Barbeque sauce. Luckily, weather is similar in both locations so I do not have to change my hat on the way. read more

Hecky's Barbecue - Barbeque Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

It's just sadly not good. I love bbq, I love brisket, but it's just not good. Seems like a good community restaurant though.

Oh goddess . . . RIB NIRVANA. Just the smell of this gets my taste buds goin' all Pavlovian. "It's the Sauce", and it's totally true, this place is the real deal. WORTH the drive to Evanston, and I dare you not to bust open the box on the way home to sample just a bit. I've been going there for years, and have always gotten the Rib Tip Dinner just 'cos I am so in love with it, but I'm sure anything they make is going to be supremely delicious. These are RIBS, baby, can I give it more than 5 stars? GO!! And you know a rib place is oldskool when they give you that inexplicable slice of white bread (to wipe your fingers? lick them!!) and cole slaw. The slaw is yummy too! read more

After the reopening of Heckys it seems the food has gotten even better. The ribs and tips are extremely tender, flavorful and tasty. They recently added chilli to the menu and it's absolutely delicious! Very flavorful and hearty, actually some of the best take out chilli I've ever had. I guess the bbq sauce takes it to another level. It's called Cheryl's BBQ chilli. I brought a pint home poured a little over some tamales and whoo weee. That was amazing! I think it will also pair well with Heckys Mac and cheese for a comfort food delight. The smoked chicken is so good, smoked to the bone. I drive a long way to grab Heckys because it's just that good! read more

Came with a huge group of classmates and was disappointed by the lack of seating. I got the turkey leg dinner which was nice and soft, fell off the bone but the flavor was pretty bland. The turkey leg you guy at Disneyland is wayyyy better. I tried some rib tips and again it was nice and soft but the meat itself was flavorless. They rely too much on the bbq sauce which is really sweet. The meats don't have that smoked flavor that I like. Will not be going back. read more

Hecky's Barbecue - Turkey leg - Barbeque Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Wow... I am a but surprised by the negative reviews. First off, this was one of the main spots we loved back in my college days. I have not been here in years, but after a tough NU loss to Ohio State we needed some comfort food. We called to make sure they were still open... it was late... and they actually said they were wrapping up, but would wait for us. Come on, that is damn cool! We ordered rib tips, a half rack of Baby Backs and a Brisket sandwich... Everything was tender and delicious... smoked to perfection and bursting with flavor. I would have liked a bit more sauce and forgot to get more on the side, but still... delicious. The fries were also great. I would have loved to have brought some sauce home, but having only a carry on kept me in the rub... not that there is anything wrong with their rub, but I would love to try to relive the whole Hecky's experience here in LA... Next time... next time. read more

I haven't been here in a long time since I moved away from Evanston, but the rib tips were always my favorite. It's in the sauce which is why I still order their sauce and rub online to have it shipped to me. I don't know if they have sausage anymore, but those used to be the bomb too. So good. Wish I could give this place 6 stars. read more

Blown away by how much heckys really appreciates their customers. Cheryl the owner is the real deal. She is hands down the kindest and most hospitable owner that I've ever come across. I went from an experience that was subpar to what I normally have at heckys to elated to order from them again for the 4th of July. Cheryl, your devotion and commitment to your business does not go unnoticed. You are clearly the heartbeat of this restaurant. Thank you again!! read more

Delicious! We picked up ribs, rib tips, macaroni and cheese, cole slaw, sweet potato pie and peach cobbler. Very happy. It truly is the best sauce! Love Hecky's and highly recommend. Plus the remodeling made the restaurant even more welcoming! read more

3.5 stars. Hecky's has decent BBQ - not the best I've had for sure, but "good enough". I've tried their food twice. Once a few years back and the second time a couple weeks ago. I've tried their pulled pork sandwich, turkey leg and some of their sides (mac and cheese, baked beans, cole slaw). The turkey leg looked huge but there actually wasn't too much meat on the bone. The meat, however, was really tender and fall-apart juicy. Prices are pretty cheap as well. Location is too far and food is not amazing enough for me to go back on a regular basis, but nothing to complain about. read more

So I really wanted barbecue. I ordered a half of smoked chicken and it was delicious. I highly recommend the chicken. it is so good. I'm still thinking about it and dinner was hours ago. Thank you Cheryl! read more

Groupon called my dude, and he answered with a certificate to Hecky's. I noticed a few days ago that it was set to expire next week and found myself in Evanston this afternoon. BBQ was clearly meant to be tonight. I tried ordering online for pickup and it was a big pain. Ended up aborting that mission and just called it in. The staff was borderline surly and unpleasant. That's fine. I don't get takeout hoping to make some friends. My eyes were significantly bigger than my stomach this evening. For just my dude and I, I ordered the rib tips and hot links combo, a full slab of ribs, mac and cheese and red beans and rice. I got home and we kicked some BBQ ass. Everything was really good. Very good. I think I liked the rib tips and hot links the best and I'll most likely order just that next time. The one disappointment? The sides were just kinda ok. The mac and cheese was better than the red beans and rice. My biggest complaint about the beans was that it needed significantly more rice. It was more like a bean soup. Even without a Groupon, we'll be back! read more

Adequate barbecue, but nothing special. The rib tips are meaty, and the snack size is a generous serving for two. A BBQ place is all about the sauce, and Hecky's seems a bit too acidic for my taste. I like a richer, more full bodied sauce. There was certainly a lot of it, though. The pulled pork sandwich had a nice serving of pork, but the bun was soft and flavorless, not really any point to eating it except to hold onto the pork. Sweet potato pie is pretty good. No place to eat, so take out only. read more

A-OK Q. I bought a Groupon for $15 worth $29 in Pork Ribs and some fixins. The ribs were alright. They were cooked well (fall off the bone, clean), but the sauce--which they're apparently famous for--was no bueno. It was pretty bland and didn't wow me. Granted I'm a dry-rub BBQ fan myself, but I've had plenty of sauces that I'd rank higher than Hecky's. The sides were okay. I wouldn't suggest the Mac and Cheese as it was really bland and needed salt + perhaps some much-needed texture (broil/bake the top? add some bread or panko crumbs? something!). The fries were okay and seemed like they had some Lawry's dry seasoning sprinkled on top. Not too exciting. But it's Evanston! We can't just pack up and go to St. Louis (for Pappy's) or Kansas City on a whim for good 'Q. Even Smoque in the city is a bit far away. Because of that, I gave Hecky's a 3 rather than a 2. TL;DR. Underwhelming BBQ/sauce. Decent considering it's the Chicago 'burbs. read more

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Lived across the street from this place for years, what a great way to wake up on a Saturday morning smelling barbecue!

I had the best beef ribs at Heckys Barbecue. Besides the best corn muffins. Cole slaw greens and macaroni and cheese. You must try it. Also those beef ribs are phenomenal. Try them out. You won't regret it. read more

Great sauce, beans, and corn muffins. Jerky hard meats. Wish I could've enjoyed it. $30 wasted, and that was for each $15 combo- not including sides. Hopefully, I get to change this review one day. read more

Hecky's Barbecue - Too hard to be eaten. long hair strand intertwined with greens. The corn muffin was great, and so were the beans. $30 down the drain. - Barbeque Near Me - Evanston, Illinois