Rib Fest Review: Hell's Kitchen BBQ - 4.5/5 Stars I recently attended Rib Fest in Chicago and made it my mission to sample barbecue from several vendors, including Robinson's, Texas Roadhouse, and others. One stop that truly stood out was Hell's Kitchen BBQ. The first thing I noticed wasn't the food--it was the energy. The team at the booth was welcoming, enthusiastic, and clearly proud of what they were serving. Their presentation was also impressive. Unlike many of the other vendors, they displayed exactly what customers would be getting, including portion sizes and plated examples. As a customer, I appreciated that level of transparency. I ordered the rib tips and fries because I had already purchased ribs from another vendor and wanted to compare different offerings. While I was waiting for my food, I struck up a conversation with the owner. When he learned I had ordered the rib tips, he smiled and said, "The tips are great, but you should have tried the ribs." When I explained that I was trying food from multiple vendors, he graciously offered me a sample. What impressed me wasn't just the sample--it was the generosity behind it. The portion he gave me was anything but small. Afterward, I tried both the rib tips and the ribs. The rib tips were outstanding. Tender, flavorful, and seasoned so well that they didn't need sauce. Every bite was packed with flavor. The ribs were equally impressive. Smoky, juicy, and cooked perfectly. The sauce had a little kick to it--something spice lovers will probably enjoy. While I personally prefer less heat, the spice wasn't overpowering and complemented the smoky flavor well. The fact that the ribs came fresh off the grill made the flavors even more intense. The fries were standard fries--good, but the star of the show was definitely the barbecue. What ultimately elevated this experience was the customer service. The owner was kind, approachable, and genuinely passionate about his product. That level of hospitality leaves a lasting impression. Food: 4.5/5 Customer Service: 5/5 Presentation: 5/5 Overall Experience: 4.5/5 If you see Hell's Kitchen BBQ at an event or have the opportunity to visit them, I absolutely recommend giving them a try. #RibFest #ChicagoFoodie #BBQReview #SupportSmallBusiness #FoodReview #BlackOwnedBusiness #ChicagoEats #TheSpedWhisper read more

Tried Hell's BBQ for the first time and overall had a great experience. I ordered to-go, but the small dining area looked clean and welcoming. As soon as you walk in, the counter is on the left, and they have a display plate behind glass that gives you a visual idea of what the meals look like--which I thought was a nice touch. They offer a good variety on the menu. I ordered brisket, a smash burger, rib tips, and ribs. The brisket and smash burger were excellent--definitely the highlights of the meal. The rib tips and ribs were good, though the ribs were a little on the dry side. All the meats had great flavor overall. Personally, I wasn't a fan of their BBQ sauce, but that comes down to individual taste. I'll definitely be coming back to try more from their menu--especially since quality BBQ spots are hard to come by in this area. read more

See all

I tried Hell's BBQ at Nightmare on Chicago St., they were very friendly. I thought the food had a lot of good flavor. Really enjoyed it. Really good BBQ sauces. I wish they were closer but hoping they come back to Nightmare on Chicago St next year! read more

See all

Stopped by HellsBBq on saturday for a quick lunch while we were in the area. I had the special MFV baked potato with brisket. It was amazing, juicy and the tater was baked perfect. My wife has the pulled pork baked potato and it was also perfect. We loved it so much saturday that we went back sunday and were greeted with more specials. This time i had the brisket mac n cheese bites and they were also very tasty and tasted out of this world. My wife had the arremcheda tacos and the were very flavorful and delicious. read more

Hell's BBQ - This was there special mfv loaded baked potato with brisket and elote. This thing was huge - Barbeque Near Me - Oswego , Illinois

See all

Food was amazing. Our favorite BBQ place. Lots of options. Service was great and quick. Chef hospitality was great! read more

The corn bread melts in your mouth!! Baked beans are absolutely delicious! Meet was tender and juicy! We will be back!

Food was not bad but not great either. I got the pulled pork and chicken plate with beans and slaw. The slaw didn't taste like much and neither did the beans. The food wasn't that warm and the chicken was dry. I liked their sweet bbq sauce. The other people I was with got sandwiches and they said their food wasn't hot enough either. Overall not a bad bbq joint but I've definitely had better. The inside of the restaurant was nice and clean and the service was friendly and quick. read more

Recently, I ordered takeout from Hell's BBQ; it was my first visit to the restaurant in Oswego. I am a native Southsider from Chicago, a city known for its great barbecue, so my expertise is derived from many years of enjoying it. Unfortunately, the food was from hell; it was absolutely horrible. The rib tips were dried out, tough, and lacked authentic BBQ smoked flavor. I will not consider this place again. read more

I'm going make a date with this establishment to get me some rib tips Friday or Saturday.

In from out of town. We have friends in Oswego. Situated on the end of a strip. It's only open on the weekends right now, but they are working on more hours. The staff was super welcoming and super nice. Even got a sample of the brisket while we waited. We got a pound of rib tips, a pound of brisket and a pound of chicken tips. Along with two containers of Mac n Cheese. The brisket is really good. The serving we got had a decent amount of fat. But very good. The bark on it was great. The chicken was good. Not a huge fan of the rib tips. The mac n cheese was AMAZING!!! Super homemade and super delicious! I would go back just for that!! The two bbq sauces were good. The mild was basic and the spicy had a little zing. It's kinda of pricey. But most bbq is I guess. read more

See all

Food was excellent! Smash burgers sooo good. Great seasoned fries. Great brisket grilled cheese. Love the original sauce. Great quality ribs tips. My wife really enjoyed the brisket egg roll. I thought it was good but she loved it. Very friendly staff. We will be back for sure. read more

Hell's BBQ - Rib tips smash burger Brisket grilled cheese - Barbeque Near Me - Oswego , Illinois

I ate here today and the food was so good. I got rib tips/fries and Mac and cheese. I asked for the BBQ sauce (spicy and mild) and the jerk sauce on the side. The spicy sauce is super tasty. I liked the spicy better than the mild. The jerk sauce was good too. The Mac and cheese was super good. The French fries were good. I asked for a sample of the beef brisket. It was amazing. I cannot wait to go back to get the brisket. I totally recommend this place. The service and the food were excellent. read more

GOAT. Everytime we bring this to a party everyone is like "omg where is this from?". The brisket eggrolls and the potato salad are life changing. Everything is so good, but those two items I crave! Love this place. read more

This place never disappoints regardless what I order! The brisket eggrolls are amazing and so is the service.

I knew something was up when I went in at 5:00 on a Friday. Nobody else was there and nothing was setup. We got a few different things to explore the menu. Brisket sandwich, ribs, wings, eggroll and a few sides. Brisket was bland and cold. Ribs and wings were both dry and overcooked. Eggroll was ok. Mac and cheese was good. Mexican corn was pretty bland too. Felt like we were served day old leftovers. read more

the brisket was tender, good smoked flavor, could use some seasoning and it was kinda pricey for the 1/2 lb. The pulled pork, was seasoned very well but very dry, ribs tips were dry as hell like bark, no flavor. Jalapeño Cheddar sausage very juicy and fresh! I ordered online but still waited about 20 minutes, they were packed! My over all bill with tax was $70. Way too expensive for the amount of food we got read more

See all

so this restaurant was at Long Grove festival. I ordered a grilled cheese brisket came with french fries I looked at the column wrong and the sandwich was $27. Thought that was a little expensive considering the brisket sandwich was less than that. I'm not sure why the cheese was so expensive, they made to order. I believe it was an egg bread and they grilled it with the brisket and I asked for spicy barbecue sauce but really didn't taste the heat or the barbecue sauce. The fries in the Sam container so they weren't good flavor. the brisket was super fatty which I love. I wish it had some more sauce and maybe a couple pickles, it was $27. I canceled the order but they're already started making it. They were very nice. The brisket was very good but $27 for sandwich is rather a lot don't you think? read more

Everything here is ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!! You cannot go wrong here! Great Owner. Feels like family!

First time trying this place food was good,some unique items like the soul roll. Nice atmosphere and great owners too very friendly

gave them a 2nd chance after they didn't have my order the 1st time went to pick up 2nd time asked if that was all 3 items that were ordered and the girl said yes and of course we only received 2. Girl working there didn't have a clue to what she was doing, no return trip total disorganized mess! read more

Customer service on the phone horrible. The food not so good, nothing close to what the picture looks like. Definitely have had better.

Man... what a disappointment. We are in town from 2 hours south and wanted to grab some food before we go back on the road. We saw the "Hell's BBQ" sign and pulled over immediately. The staff was great. Young and friendly. The inside of the establishment was clean and felt like a very nice place to eat. Holy fuck. I spent $70 for cold, dry garbage. The flavor of everything was good but it was dry from either sitting out all day or being microwaved or whatever. Idk terribly disappointing. We won't be back. My advice is just go to McDonalds. read more

Hell's BBQ - Colossal Sandwich. Bad - Barbeque Near Me - Oswego , Illinois

We ordered the below today and disappointed. The cost was $48 and food was not to our expectations. The meats were dry as if they were made the day prior or two days prior and warmed up, with sharp little ends and shredded so much the guy behind the counter had a hard time picking up the meat and putting it into the bun. The sandwiches were very small and there was hardly any meat on them. We ended up back to my house and had something to eat again. I heard this was a newer place in Oswego and wanted to bring some family members.. Brisket sandwich 2 pulled pork sandwiches Smoked chicken sandwich 2 macaroni and cheese read more

Came here because it was recommended by a friend, I will say I was expecting more out of this place. Ordered the pulled pork sandwhich (it was dry, sauce wasn't really that great) I had the Mac & cheese (it was alright) and the corn bread was good. My husband had the brisket and that was good he also had the baked beans and they were alright. Ended up paying $50-$55, I believe it wasn't worth the price going to Sharkos would have been around the same and their bbq is better. read more

Very pricey, bought 2 sandwiches for $24... I know ... what the f!@? Was I thinking . The sauce was great but the meat was full of fat and slime. You think well for $12 bucks a sandwich it must be good! Let's see how long this place last....... read more

Was expecting so much more from this place. Ordered brisket sandwich and Mac and cheese. The brisket was cold. Like it has been sitting for a while. Big chunks of fat. For $22.00 for lunch. I would think this place would impress. Was going to try the ribs next visit. But after this experience. I'm out. I understand they are new. But I would definitely go back to the basics. read more

Hell's BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Oswego , Illinois

Stopped in yesterday right as they opened, it was my first visit. I'm usually working during their hours of operation, so I took advantage of my day off and got some take out. First of all, the place is really cute inside & all of the employees were quite pleasant. I tried the 2 meat sampler (chicken & pulled pork) plus mac n cheese, potato salad, Mexican corn, and banana pudding. It all came out to just about $32 before tip. I am so happy with the quality and quantity of food. Best place I've eaten in this whole area since moving here in 2020. Super sad that my typical schedule won't allow me to visit them often. I'll have to be sure to take advantage of my future days off. Thanks for a great meal! read more

Happy to have a good bbq place in the neighborhood! We brought home a little bit of everything but our favorites were the jalapeño cheddar smoked sausage and brisket. We would have loved to have more of a meal option - as in, a smaller side or two included in with the meat. Either way, we will keep supporting! read more

Great bbq. Try the brisket grilled cheese, you will not be disappointed. Brisket tacos are also great

I really want to like this place. However, it is very inconsistent. Anything on a Friday is phenomenal!!! Fresh, moist, and very flavorful! They are only open Friday, Saturday and Sunday. However, on Saturdays and Sundays I have found that the pork ribs and especially their brisket is very dry. I ordered 2 pounds of brisket and literally I threw it away. It was that dry...... That was $50 down the drain. The pulled pork, has been real good and consistent so that's a huge plus! It's unfortunate for the dry brisket, like I said, I want to love them but for the price point and dry meats, I'm not sure if I would recommend them. Have wanted to try their beef ribs as well but they never have them. Maybe they should remove it from the menu entirely or advertise beef ribs as a special????? read more

I had 1/2 portion of ribs and chipotle salad. Ribs had good flavor, but not much meat. The salad was very good. Total about $27. My friend had 1/2 portion of brisket and smoked sausage about $24. He said both were tasty. The quality was good, but prices seemed to high for the amount of food we received. read more

Hell's BBQ - Ribs and Chipotle salad - Barbeque Near Me - Oswego , Illinois

We heard great things about Hell's BBQ and they did not disappoint. Ribs, pulled pork and baked beans were very very good! Banana pudding was also very good (loved the homemade whipped cream) but my absolute favorites were the Rio Rolls and the Cognac Bread Pudding...wow! Cannot wait to try the brisket burger. A bit pricey but SO good. I also want to say the staff was wonderful!!! read more

I bought two rib tip basket, it was very dry tough and salty. I got the bbq sauce on the side. The meat was cold and fries was cold. The girls was taking it out of warmer, but the warm mist was turn off. The girl was fighting to cut up the meat. We knew then something was wrong, but we was trying not to complaint. It was our first time and last time. I am a manager and I do catering too. I am Serve Safe Certified!!!! That good was in danger zone. No temperature at all if the health department had came they would a good time on temping the food. read more

Hell's BBQ - Dry cold salty tough ribs !!! - Barbeque Near Me - Oswego , Illinois

I kept hearing about this place but never got a chance to go until yesterday. I got a pulled pork sandwich, potato salad, and banana pudding. Holy moly it was delicious. I don't know what the secret ingredient to the potato salad is but it was just so good. The meat was smoked perfectly. The spicy bbq sauce was incredible and the banana pudding- I swear I wanted to just swim in. The staff was all super friendly. The temperature inside was cool and refreshing on such a hot day. It was immaculately clean and the vibe was chill and comforting. We expected it to be packed because we've heard so many people talk about the place, but there was actually plenty of room to sit. The kicker-my son who has severe food aversions ate his first ever bbq food! He had the kids meal-a pulled pork slider and fries. He loved the original bbq sauce and said the fries were super yummy. Please support this small business! You won't be disappointed! read more

Hell's BBQ - The kids meal was a perfect amount of food for my son! - Barbeque Near Me - Oswego , Illinois

I had never heard of this business prior to today when I tasted their food at the Strawberry Fest in Long Grove. They have a booth set up right towards the front entrance, so I tried it. The cheddar sausage was spectacular! I ended up eating another one on way out. The food was delicious. Now that I know how tasty their food is, one day I might drive all the way from Chicago to their Oswego store. Five stars! read more

Eaten here on many occasions but Oct 5 wow. First I paid for a large tips and got a small tips when I got home the service appeared to be very odd as the 3 ladies seemed confused. Also the ribs did not taste good like usual and no desserts at the time around 6pm. The Mac & Cheese had too much salt and the cole slaw was not fresh. Baked beans were good the Ribs werent good. Just don't know what happened as I have given very good reviews. What a shame read more

This place is the real deal. Great food, great service. Christina was the best. Recommend read more

Hell's BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Oswego , Illinois

Brisket was a little dry, pulled pork was about the same as the brisket but they Mac and cheese and slaw was excellent

One of Illinois Best BBQ for sure. Some of the best Brisket I have had. All the sides are delicious.

Too much fat in the pulled pork and some of the meat was tough/dry. Ordered take out and close to half of the serving was fat. read more

Hell's BBQ - Set aside fat from pulled pork. - Barbeque Near Me - Oswego , Illinois