We stopped by here on our way from the beach walking. This place is the real deal! The food tastes phenomenal and definitely homemade! The owners were very nice and laid back! My husband and I enjoyed everything! Collard greens,mac and cheese, catfish and wings! Next time we will take pictures of the food! The banana pudding made by his mother was like icing on the cake!!! Just delicious! We thank them all for their southern hospitality!!! We will definitely be returning! read more

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I had a rib tip dinner, which came with 2 sides, and purchased an extra side of green beans (which was $6.99!!!!!!). My total was just over $30, which is absurd; particularly since the ribs were on the tougher side - almost as if they were reheated. While I love to support black owned businesses, and this one has a rich family origin story - I'm not sure I'll be returning with that price tag and experience. read more

I want to say 3 and a half stars because 3 is too little and 4 is too much. We got the rib tip and wing meal to split. The BBQ sauce was probably the best I've ever had. Sweet with some tang to it and just enough spice (I prefer spicier but hubby said it was just right). Really solidly great rib tips. The hushpuppies were fantastic. I think I ate like 7 of them. Just perfect. Wings were fantastic and seasoned just right. The mac and cheese was good but was heavy on the salt and garlic. Corn bread was a no. Burnt and very dry. I asked for hot sauce and some of the spicy bbq sauce and typed out that I knew it was extra and that was fine. No sauce came. No honey or anything for the hushpuppies either. Also...no napkins or forks or spoons. If it's a to go order...it's a pretty good bet that you need utensils and napkins. All in all, darn good bbq. read more

I had the catfish, complemented by a beans/rice side and the all time BEST macaroni and cheese side I have EVER tasted!! I was SO impressed, my husband Tony and I will soon be back!! AAA rating.... don't miss out; enjoy this TODAY!! read more

The catfish dinner was cooked perfectly. Nice and crunchy, perfectly seasoned and piping hot. The catfish steaks were meaty with a great cut. Not thin and worth the $$$. The customer service was exceptional. You have to check out Honey Bay's for the Catfish and tips. The rib tips are so tender. No sauce needed. read more

Awesome! The food was great. Make sure you stop in. We enjoyed our dinner and talking with the family. I recommend this BBQ to everyone in lake county. Chosen read more

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Not sure why I have forgotten to review this place. Remember the food from back in their little whole in the wall spot in Waukegan. Best bbq in town. The rib tips are amazing. And the homemade desserts are to die and kill for. Try the banana pudding. I mean even the fries here are great! Properly seasonsed This place has continued to grow because they emphasize customer satisfaction! Pay attention other businesses these guys know what they're doing and may god continue to bless them. read more

Tips and sides were delish. Can't forget the dessert. The banana pudding with strawberries was so good. Whole family enjoyed dinner. Great customer service. read more

Food was absolutely delicious and the banana pudding was amazing! The bbq was tender and juicy! Everything had flavor. Would definitely recommend! read more

Food is always good. The catfish dinner is my favorite. The sides are very tasty. Oh and the cake is excellent

Great food. Great service. My favorite rib tips in the area! The Sunday specials are all delicious too! read more

They never answer the phone. Food is delicious but they never answer the phone no matter how many times you call

Best BBQ in town, hands down. Owners remembered my name and order from the first time I ate here, and they knew I'd be back! Highly recommend the Jerk Chicken and the Brisket! read more

Honey Bay’s BBQ - Beef Brisket Dinner - Southern Near Me - Beach Park, Illinois

Service was ok..but my god my food had an overwhelming taste of vinegar and mustard to it. Definitely won't be coming back.

Ordered dinner for delivery and unfortunately the order was done well. We ordered burnt ends ($22) and received brisket slices instead. We also ordered the brisket, so just got more. We ordered the pulled pork (1lb, not a sandwich, with sauce on the side) and got the pulled pork sandwich instead. It was not appetizing. In the positive side the sides are all good, including the slaw, potato salad, and macaroni and cheese. Disappointing experience. read more

My boyfriend and I came here today, since ik he loves BBQ, why I chose this place! The service was amazing and the workers were so nice! We aren't from the area but we will definitely be back and I can't wait to try the fried pork chops! I definitely recommend coming to this place, great staff!! read more

What in the actual heck? I ordered a catfish sandwich, rib rips and two orders of okra. Gentleman rings us up, and then tells me they were out of okra so he gave us hish puppies instead for free. No catfish sandwich. Only.got rib tips, fries and free his puppies. I used to love this place. But you do NOT tell a customer you are out of something after ringing their order up, dude, then also not include the catfish sandwich we ordered. Bill was 11.95 after we tried to order like 45 bucks worth of food. What in the actual fu#$ just happened? read more

I'm biased in my opinion on BBQ. I spent a good portion of my childhood in Memphis. Dry rub was king. In my travels of searching for the perfect rib tips this is not it. But...if you really like a thick sweater sauce go for it. I'm not saying it's wrong. I'm just saying maybe they need me as the pit master! read more

WAY! Too Expensive! The food is good, but not that good for the price! Frankly you can get the same type of Soul food, Sunday dinner fare at Da Da's which is located just a few miles away, for a much reasonable price and the food is good as well... I would give Honey Bay's more than 2 stars if it were not for the price gouging, AND they don't take debit or credit cards (cash only, what's that about?) They do have a ATM machine that you must pay $3.00 to use (on top of the expensive food) By the way, be assured, I am not a Da Da's employee, family member, or anyway connected to that restaurant; I'm only giving my honest opinion of Honey Bay's vs. Da Da's, both of which are so food restaurant in the Zion area. Here is a plus for Honey Bay's, their ribs are the best with in a 5mi radius, in fact the only one if you don't feel like driving to Waukegan, but again too expensive for the little that they give you... read more

This location just moved to my area and I remember seeing it when I was driving through Waukegan. I was excited because I had always wanted to try it but didn't have time to stop so now that they're close to my house-I figured I would make sure to try their barbecue because I love good smokehouse barbecue and I am from Louisiana. I just love southern food. I also noticed that they had some jerk chicken and jerk chicken is one of my favorites . We picked up our order to go it was nicely done nicely wrapped we got the fried catfish and the chicken with the jerk seasoning and the jerk sauce. We also got some of rib tips, some spicy barbecue sauce and regular barbecue sauce. Our order was plentiful we didn't spend as much as we would going out to dinner and we had plenty of food left over and we ate a lot. The rib tips were amazing- The chicken was also so good and the catfish to we were so impressed will definitely be back! So delish I would definitely go to honey bays before other bbq spots for sure. read more

I stumbled upon this restaurant on my way to an appointment. The owner was so nice! The food was so good! Probably out of all the soul food places I've tried in Chicago and suburbs they have some really bbq and those greens..... baby let me tell you! The best! read more

this is one of those places that you drive past and never try. glad i finally gave this place a try! the food is really delicious, they definitely have a unique flavor! the place is cash only, but thats how you know the food is going to be good! ordered the jerk chicken & rib tips! will be catering a friendsgiving from this place! read more

Saw the van driving in our neighborhood so my wife and I decided to check this place out. It's was absolutely amazing! I got the brisket with Mac n cheese and mashed potatoes. The brisket melted in your mouth it was smoked perfectly. My wife ordered the catfish and it was fried nice golden brown! We will definitely be going back! Prices are responsible. Limited parking. read more

Honey Bay’s BBQ - Catfish Dinner - Southern Near Me - Beach Park, Illinois

They didn't have burnt ends when I ordered, most likely because they're amazing is my guess, but i never had them and everything else I had was amazing. They substituted burnt ends with brisket. That's a good trade, especially since it was tender and juicy as advertised. Bbq sauce is thick and coating not a watery marinade, which is a plus for me. Rib tips were delicious and had a slight bark, so it was flavor, crisp, tender, juicy, and flavor again. Topper is...they have a Cookie! Cookie is a headliner with care about people and their food. If I drove by the restaurant and had time, I would stop in just to say hello. read more

Just stopped by the new location in Beach Park. New location looks great and the food was excellent. Had the fried wings and mac&cheese. I wish I lived closer. read more

Fresh food made to order, seasoned to perfection and definitely worth every calorie & Deelish

The biggest players in the BBQ game locally I'd say are Hillery's, Big Ed's and Honey Bay's. And each has its own charm -- I'm not here to compare them -- but I think Honey Bay's is something special. It's a small place with a little pickup window. I can't remember what the building was before it was Honey Bay's, actually. But you go inside, and it's like a spot you'd find in Memphis. Really warm, a little rustic. The woman that often mans the front definitely has that Southern charm too -- incredibly sweet. I always get the rib tips with fries. Sauce is gas. Fries are some of my favorite. If you're looking for good BBQ, you can't go wrong with Honey Bay's. read more

Found Honey Bay's on a whim. The ratings grabbed my attention. To start I pulled in the lot and the place was empty... which wasn't a bit deal it was 3:30, but I was HONGRY!!! I walked in and the two ladies that greeted me could not have been nicer. I barely even had to look at the menu, they laid it out and made suggestions, which I jumped on. I went with a half rack of baby back ribs, yams and coleslaw. The food was all delicious. The ribs melted off the bone and the mild/jerk sauce mix they recommended was on point! The yams were soft sweet and I wanted to stop eating them but I could not. The coleslaw was okay, came in a small plastic thing, you'd usually get ketchup in. Made it clear it was made earlier or yesterday. The coleslaw was not the reason for the minus one star it was the price. I've been to BBQ places all over the country and the price for 6 ribs was the most I have paid any where. Reset your expectation for one $. Food is great cost is stepper than you'd expect. read more

Really clean place I like that they get some of the recipes from his Grandma Willie "Ann" Johnson R.I.P. It's alot to choose from with a Alabama kick to it. Service with a smile and thank you which to me is most important. Love that I can see them wash there hands and family owned place what a great find hope you enjoy. Daawan Baker aka Hotclips the Barber read more

Honey Bay’s BBQ - Southern Near Me - Beach Park, Illinois

Talk about soul food. As I opened the door I was hit with awesome aromas in the air. It smelled like grandmas house. This place feels like home when you walk in. I ordered a pulled pork sandwich and a jerk chicken dinner. Gotta say it's the best food around hands down. The mild sauce for the pork was outstanding. The jerk chicken was well seasoned and the sides were great. I'm so glad I found this place, I will definitely be returning. I have to try everything at least once. read more

Honey Bay’s BBQ - Jerk chicken dinner with Mac n cheese and green beans. Definitely comfort eats - Southern Near Me - Beach Park, Illinois

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Tastes like home cooked meal. Thrilled to find a taste of the south in the Northshore.

Best place to come get BBQ. Came from Wisconsin to try this place. Came highly recommended. Took back ribs,okra,fries,peach cobbler and banana pudding. Definitely will be coming back to try more things on menu. It's worth the drive. read more

Honey Bay’s BBQ - Ribs - Southern Near Me - Beach Park, Illinois

This brisket is top notch!!!! 5 stars for sure Enjoyed them at sd cooper the loop in Waukegan read more

As a sales rep for HealthMarket insurance I am often on the road meeting with clients. Stopped at Honey Bay's BBQ. Wow! Was their jerk chicken fabulous by itself, and the side of BBQ brought the meal to a new level. I also strongly recommend the okra - great flavor with a minimal coat of breading. read more

Okay food. The prices are VERY high across the board for items. Too high for what is served. The waiting area is extremely small; no dine-in here and you basically have to guess what is available to order. read more

I stopped in here on the way back from a winter picture taking trip to Illinois State Beach Park and will be doing so every time I go up that way from now on. The place itself was cool, the people were very friendly, and they had great music playing the entire time I was there waiting for my food. The food came up fast and I took it to go, A rack of ribs and a side of fries. I got the spicy bbq sauce and it was spicy and delicious. The woman working the counter was awesome as well. Can't wait to go back, highly recommend. read more

Honey Bay's BBQ has pretty good food...The prices are about the norm for the area .... + their meat is cooked...I ordered the tips and jerk chicken with no sides cause I wanted to review the BBQ not side dishes... I'll try them another time...the BBQ and Jerk sauces were good as well... the staff was pleasant and accommodating...this place is definitely worth a try...reminds me of Westside BBQ joints from back in the day... read more

Great BBQ and awesome jerk chicken! Their sides are sooooo yummy! People there are so friendly! Everything is great. If you visit this area, this is a must go place. It's good for lunch And dinner. Sharing with your friends and family or getting for several meals. read more

Honey Bay’s BBQ - Southern Near Me - Beach Park, Illinois

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Been getting the cat fish dinner, rib tips, racks, and brisket at Hillery's on Lewis Ave. for over 25 years and have NEVER been dissapointed. I remember the first time I went there with a friend. I am white and there is NO RACISM at Hillery's! As a matter of fact, my wife and I enjoy going there and if they had dine-in, we'd be eating everything fresh, right outta the smoker. We live in Mchenry, Il. so it's a hike, but the food is always worth the drive and we usually buy the $60 pan of tips and seperate them when we get home. Frikin awsome people and "Q"!! read more

I love the owners customer service, and ability to chat and relate to the customers however, the food was not so tasty. Ordered the turkey keg with dressing and macaroni and cheese. Macaroni was bkand and the turkey wasn't quite seasoned. I really wanted to give this spot a good review. Perhaps il try again with an easy to cook item like burgers or hotdogs read more