I have enjoyed Blackwood BBQs party platters for family gatherings over the years and decided they…read moremight make a nice addition to Thanksgiving 2025. I ordered a small container of Brussels sprouts and a large of mac and cheese. The mac and cheese was as good as usual--crunchy, cheesy, and the pasta was cooked well. The sprouts disappointed the family this time as there were a lot of stems included. +The instructions were very clear on how to heat the food the next day (Thanksgiving) -Even though I prepaid and picked a specific pick up time, I still had to wait in line +The gentleman who gave me my order included serving utensils which was a help by the time I got to my grandma's house My mentality when visiting repeat restaurants is "If this was my first time, would I go back?" and if that was the first time I ate the Brussels sprouts, I wouldn't order them again.

As I sit here looking around, the decor is cool and a mix of a good painted skeleton, sports bar…read moreand used table and chairs. But let's face it you're not coming here for the decor, it's about the food!! That being said, mediocre at best comes to mind, sorry but true. I hade the Meats + two sides, I choose brisket and pulled pork with beans and fries. Where to start in the just food dinner? The brisket was plain and cook, maybe it had a Smokey flavor but it wasn't that stood out or having me think about more. The pulled pork was the same, it was pulled but the BBQ or smokiness was missing. If you thought those two were missing flavor, don't even try the baked beans, they were almost to the point of just being boiled and put into a little paper side basket. The fries, come on, we are in the Chicago area, why would the serve frozen crinkle fries, where are the fresh cut fries??? At least the sweet tea was good!! If you want good BBQ, take a little bit of a drive to "I Smell Bacon" now that is BBQ done and right the best I have found in the area!!!

Food: Amazing. I was surprised by how much I enjoy the cheesling flavor! Good crunch and good sized…read morechicken pieces, too. Service: Reliable and gives you exactly what you order. There's a little bit of a wait, but I get that. Also want to give a shoutout to the solid, ventilated takeout boxes. They don't get soggy, and they keep the crunch of the chicken on the drive back home! Ambiance: I can't speak to that because my husband went to pick up our food from this location, but as for the new HMart location, it's what one would expect from a food court situation except newer and shinier. (be forewarned that seating is somewhat limited in that HMart, especially if you go on a weekend.) Price: Prices are what they are these days, and while it feels a bit pricy for wings, it's definitely comparable to BWW/any other local dive. Plus, the wings are BIG. Overall, my husband has gone to get chicken from bb.q Chicken (which stands for "best of the best quality" chicken, he was told!) twice within 2 weeks, so I think that speaks for itself. Go and enjoy!

I ordered close to their closing time, so this may have contributed to my experience. I ordered a…read morehalf chicken golden original with a side of rice. My understanding is that the original was NOT spicy. But when I went home to eat it, half was spicy, half was not. Granted, they gave me six pieces instead of four, so kudos for giving me extra chicken. Unfortunately, the golden original was rather bland. They don't brine their chicken, so if you're eating here, select one of their flavored options. On top of that, it took 20 minutes for my order to be ready. So not exactly an ideal place if you are in a time crunch. The staff was at least very friendly. I signed up for the rewards program, but couldn't figure out how to add the points from my order to the rewards app. I asked the staff for help. They couldn't figure it out either.

You better be hungry because the food isn't only fantastic it's plentiful…read more I had a pork burrito and boy it was big enough to fly a license plate in it. Along with the burrito I had a hand full of onion rings which were good. Owner was walking around with a pan of bbq ribs which melted in your mouth Small dining area and even tougher parking but once you get past those little inconveniences the food is very good. We drove out from Chi which really only took 40 mins and it was well worth the trip If you like this kind of food do your taste buds a solid and take a ride. You'll be glad you did

Went to pick up food on the way home from a race. It was busy, so had to park across the street…read more The ordering was fairly quick, but took quite a while to get the food - but they were busy. I ordered the Rokka Pollo and it was VERY tasty, The garlic, olive oil, and rosemary combo was great. The chicken was also tasty and juicy, but somewhat of a rubbery/chewy texture unfortunately. The fries, as always, were also tasty and well seasoned. However, I do like my fries crispy - and these are on the soggier end. (I usually throw them in the oven for like 5-10 minutes to get them crispy.

Chicago Culinary Kitchen is the BEST! They provided their food truck for our youth program and are…read moresimply outstanding! Jay and his team are top notch. They are kind and easy to work with...not to mention they brought EXCELLENT food to our children and families! Highly recommend! Thank you Chicago Culinary Kitchen!

I finally found a BBQ spot in the suburbs that I absolutely love. Chicago Culinary Kitchen has a…read morecool rock n' roll vibe, and everything we ordered was delicious. For the hand-cut meats, we tried the brisket and pulled pork. Both were incredibly tender, smoky, and practically melted in your mouth. We also ordered the cornbread and mac and cheese, and both were standout sides. The cornbread was huge, dense, and still perfectly moist. I was a little worried the mac and cheese would be too spicy because of the Hot Cheetos, but it actually had just the right amount of kick. The combination of creamy mac and crunchy Cheetos made it extra flavorful. To finish the meal, we shared a burger, and wow , it was juicy, flavorful, and cooked perfectly. You do have to order at the counter, but the staff was super friendly and helpful. They gave us great recommendations on which meats to try, which made the experience even better.

Can't believe I have never been here before! And I drive past it all the time. Shame on me! Hahah…read more Walked in and was greeted right away and had patiently waited to take our order. Your clothes will definitely smell like bbq after leaving, just FYI. Good thing I left my jacket in the car. Got the 2 meats, 2 sides. Ordered the brisket burnt ends and brisket, with fries and the mac bites. For the sauces we chose the butlers tribute & firebox. I absolutely loved the burnt ends. It had the perfect amount of fatness and meat. The brisket was also good, a little dry but it was good with the sauce. Now that I have finally made it in, I will definitely be coming back again when I crave for some bbq!

I ordered the ribs with BBQ sauce on the side. The meat was tender, but not the best BBQ I've ever…read morehad and my stomach had a bit of an ache afterwards. Nevertheless, I think it's good for the area. I also recommend their beans for a side and the rib tips which are super fatty and juicy.

My fiance and I are scouting BBQ catering options for our wedding and Porky's was on the list. Not…read moreonly was all the food excellent, but staff were helpful in answering questions and seemed invested in wanting to provide great service for our event. Honorable mention to the chicken drumsticks that had a sweet & savory dry rub, the mac & cheese, and all four of their sauces that made it hard to narrow down a favorite.

Not sure what happened since my initial review, but the quality has been taking a nose dive in my…read morelast few visits over the past year or so. While I noticed that the portion sizes seems to be bigger, the actual product is not nearly as good. The ribs, for example, come un-sauced (I could have sworn this wasn't the case in my first couple of visits) and instead are coated with an overly peppery rub. I think they're trying to go with a Texas-style, but it's WAY too heavy-handed to the point that you can only have a couple before your taste buds throw up the white flag. This is further complemented by the actual cook on my latest batch, which had no smoke ring and were extremely rubbery. The chicken was slightly better, though once again, was overcooked and not nearly as smoky as I've had in the past. Hoping these guys can right the ship, as this used to be some really solid BBQ. In its current state, however, I cannot recommend.

Tried Firewater BBQ and overall it was a great experience. The atmosphere is lively and the staff…read moreare super friendly and welcoming. Portions are huge--the pulled pork cheese fries alone could feed 5 people. The ribs were delicious and a standout. Brisket was a bit on the dry side but still tender, and the burnt ends were good (just avoid the fattier pieces). Jalapeño cheddar brat was one of my top favorites. Absolutely worth getting! My son also got the jumbo wings. He said they were OK weren't his top favorite. Sides really impressed--cornbread, coleslaw, and baked beans were all flavorful and worth it. Mac and cheese was creamy but a little bland. The employee that was taking our order was very helpful. He explained all of their different barbecue sauces that they have and went through detail explaining which one would be best with what type of meat so that was really nice and then he was super awesome and gave us all to try since we had such a wide variety of meats. Great spot for BBQ, especially if you're going with a group!

I pass Firewater everyday going to and from work. I appreciate a good smoked brisket. So we ordered…read moretwo three meat meals each with an extra side and an order of sweet potato fries. One was lean brisket, burnt ends and pulled pork with the brisket beans and onion rings. The other was lean brisket, pulled pork and rib tips with Mac and cheese and bacon potato salad. We were both disappointed with the brisket, it was very thinly sliced and had a heavy smoke flavor. We did like the burnt ends, rib tips and the pulled pork. We did not care for any of the sides. They weren't anything special. The kicker was our order of sweet potato fries, that cost $3.95. What we received was ridiculous. When I picked up our order, was just asked the name and that was it. No greeting or thank you. It was early when I picked up the order so it wasn't that crowded. So I don't know how the ambiance would be.

Duke's Blues-N-BBQ is the kind of place that reminds you what great barbecue is supposed to feel…read morelike. The food is bold, smoky, and clearly made with care -- not rushed, not overthought, just done right. It's the best around, plain and simple. What really sets it apart, though, is the heart behind it. The owner is local, invested, and it shows in everything from the food to the atmosphere. There's a genuine sense that this place was built with pride -- and that kind of thing is hard to fake.

I hit up Dukes on a Friday around 3. I parked in the back and walked up to the front. Nothing was…read moregoing on at the time and the lady upfront kindly took my order. I wanted a brisket sandwich, but they only sell sliders. I'm not a fan of sliders, but it was served as one regular sandwich. I also ordered mac n cheese and cole slaw. The total was $23. After paying, the nice lady said that she could bring my order when it is ready because it was a little chilly outside. Lest than 10 minutes later my order was brought out to my car. The bag had some weight to it. I dug right in and ate right there in my car. I didn't care for the flavor of the brisket sandwich bread. However, the brisket flavor was phenomenal, so savory, and was tender as well. There was more salt than I preferred but not too much to ruin it. It's hard to find good bbq in this area, especially with me being from Texas. In contrast the mac n cheese needed a little help with some salt. Otherwise it hit the spot. The cole slaw tasted good and was more on the sweet side. The meal was far from perfect but I was satisfied.

You know, - I saw their barbecue sauce in the stores for years - even out in Southern California,…read morewhere I lived for 32 years. I had no idea that they actually ran a restaurant. Seriously! So, imagine my surprise when I found out they had a restaurant on Irving Park Road in Wooddale - and I would occasionally pass it going to and from work! Well, it was time to try it for lunch today. There wasn't a big line of people, but boy did the food smell like barbecue when I walked in! I quickly ordered the two meat combo with chopped brisket and pulled pork. I got the green chili, Mac and cheese as a side, as well as the classic coleslaw. All right - the ambience was just perfect for a small barbecue place. The food came quickly, but I noted it wasn't quite right. I had asked for chopped brisket not sliced brisket. Not a crime against humanity, true, but still I didn't complain and I decided to go ahead and eat it anyway. So how was it? Well, I slathered on sweet rays barbecue sauce, and ate like crazy. The meat was pretty darn good! The green chili mac & cheese was delicious- can't say that the coleslaw was to my taste, but there was nothing wrong with it. The cornbread was fantastic. The only reason for the demerit? Was that I ordered chopped brisket and got sliced. Will I come here again? Yes, yes I think I shall! And I think you should try it too if you like barbecue.

My husband and I were in the area and decided to stop in for some BBQ…read more My husband ordered the Large Nachos with Smoked Pork. He did not like how they put them on a checkered paper, it tore and was heard to eat. The pork was also too dry.'he said they were ok but he won't order them again. He says he will order a burger next time! I ordered the 1/2 Alabama Chicken with cornbread and two sides. I chose green beans and coleslaw. I love that they have healthy side options. The chicken was really delicious and flavorful. Probably the best 1/2 chicken I have had in a very long time! It was juicy and the perfect temperature. My favorite thing was the corn bread muffin! It was moist and delicious not dry at all! I would definitely order this meal again! The restaurant was very clean and they played classic rock music in the background (the drive radio station). The restaurant is small but the perfect temperature... it was in the 50's outside and inside it was about 70 degrees in here. If you're in the area I highly recommend giving this restaurant a try. We will definitely be back to give other menu items a try!

Have been eating here since the place opened. So many items I enjoy. The service is always great…read more Ben is awesome! Today we went for brunch. Their maple ribs with eggs and potato's is so good the maple glaze is quite different than their normal ribs. You should try both! My wife loves the Boss Hog brunch which is pulled pork, bacon, eggs and waffles.

I had a solid experience at I Smell Bacon. I ordered the brisket wrap, and the mix of flavors was…read morereally good--everything blended well without one thing overpowering the rest. The brisket itself was flavorful and made the wrap worth it. The environment was also nice, clean, and comfortable, which made the whole visit more enjoyable. Overall, a good spot with quality food and a chill atmosphere. I'd definitely go back.