Best BBQ in Champaign, rib tips are to die for. The mixed sauce is perfect but the hot is great as well if you're looking for something more spicy. Really great "hole in the wall" kind of bbq joint. read more

Li'l Porgy's Bar-B-Que - Rib tips - Barbeque Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

Really sad to say this place is not what it once was, and I probably won't be back. I had a serious craving for their rib tips and made a 20 minute drive just to get them. Everybody knows you can't have Lil Porgy's rib tips without that signature sauce, so I ordered mine with extra sauce too. Unfortunately, I trusted them and didn't check the bag before leaving. It was stapled shut and I figured it would be fine. I drove the 20 minutes home, got back, and realized they gave me zero sauce. Nothing at all. The rib tips were completely dry. I called them, let them know I had driven 20 minutes just to get these tips, and they said they would make it right. So I drove another 20 minutes back to the restaurant. After all that, they only handed me the sauce I originally paid for. No apology, and nothing else offered as a courtesy for wasting my time and gas. In total, I spent about 80 minutes driving for rib tips that were cold by the time I finally got to eat them. Really disappointed in the lack of care and customer service. read more

It's a nice spot with some clear strengths and weaknesses. Food and price point alone, I was juggling between a 3 and 4, but other factors made me think a 3 star was more justified. Strength - their sauce. It's their barbeque sauce that completes the dish and is compatible with almost everything they serve. I like to get this on the side so that I can enjoy the sauce and the main course separately. I also enjoyed their ribs. It's very clean (almost bland), but it allows you to have your preferred amount of sauce with each bite. I appreciate this because some places over season their ribs and you can't undo that whereas if it's under seasoned, you can always add to it. Their specials are also a pretty cool idea. If I lived much closer to the location, I would probably plan my weekly meals around some of their specials. Their specials seem very reasonably priced. Weakness - Their chicken sandwich game was pretty bad. I'm talking so dry that you can't really swallow unless you have some sauce or drink with it. What ultimately made me give this a 3 star is their service and the cleanliness of their restaurant. Service was meeting the bare minimum. Nothing to complain about, but also nothing to compliment. They do NOT clean their tables often enough. We went in when it was almost empty, but almost all the tables we walked past were sticky. I mean it's a barbeque spot, so customers may spill sauce every now and then. This requires more attention from the staff so that new customers can enjoy a clean table when they come in. read more

Li'l Porgy's Bar-B-Que - Entrance - Barbeque Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

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I ordered a small tip from this place and it was more bones than meat, I don't like wasting food but it has to be food in order for me not to waste it!! Worse $15 I ever spent!!! read more

This has been one of my favorite spots for over 20 years and now it's my very picky 14 yr old son's favorite too. Their sauce is unlike any other BBQ sauce I have ever had and BBQ is my favorite food. It's seriously the best! You have to put sauce on the steak fries. It's just part of it. Their meat is good. It's not the juciest meat ever but it's incredibly good cause they cook on wood. So many people think ribs should fall off the bone but truly good ribs have some bite to them. They should not just fall off the bone. That defeats the whole purpose. The chicken and rib combo is the best. It's a ton of food for a very reasonable price. I like it with hot sauce on it and extra sauce on the fries. Yes, your fries will get soft but they're delicious soaked in that liquid gold. Temper your expectations. This place is not fancy. They do things their own way and it has worked for decades. I pray it never changes. Get a lemon shake up to drink and enjoy read more

I've heard recommendations for this bbq restaurant for some time. However, I ordered a beef ribs today, the meat was too chewy and hard to swallow (just like people say, their quality depends from day to day). The flavor was good but was not so "interesting" to me. The serving people were probably too busy at that time to show warmly and friendly greetings to customers. One thing worth appreciating was that the weight of an order was decent, so the price was really reasonable and competitive to other bbq restaurants in town! Considering my experience and taste this time, I would only give a 3 out of 5 TT read more

Li'l Porgy's Bar-B-Que - Barbeque Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

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Our "go to" for. BarBQue! Good fries, too. Dont forget lemonade shake-up! Fast service. read more

If I could give no stars I would I placed an order for a tub of tips and a hot link all without sauce .. I drive all the way across town get home and everything has sauce on it!!!! I called to have it replaced was told bring the food back but they won't be able to replace it until tomorrow because they close in two min... so I asked If the policy is to bring the old food in I'm willing to and if you can't do that tonight can I atleast receive a credit I was told no credit so these people expect me to hold on to food that I needed to feed my family tonight until tommorrow when I was more than willing to bring it back now and still be able to fees my family!!! I am beyond upset, frustrated and down wright angry!!! This is a horrible way to treat your customers I will NEVER PURCHASE ANYTHING FROM THEM AGAIN not to mention I specified to the cashier several times I wanted no sauce on anything because of family allergies!!!!!! read more

Li'l Porgy's Bar-B-Que - Tips that was ordered with no sauce!!! - Barbeque Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

So-So Get the sauce on the side. Overloaded with it on the sandwich. Its ok! Nothing to write home about. read more

Delicious barbecue at a low price - it doesn't get better than that! We got in when there wasn't a line and by the time we paid then sat down, our food was done! Literally no waiting for food. When we left there was a big line of people so I'm glad we got in at a good time! I got the mild sauce and it had a nice flavor of sweet meets vinegar with a little smoky flavor. Definitely a recommended spot when coming to Champaign. read more

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Always a staple visiting town. The sauce is good and the meat is tasty - sometimes a little dry depending on the day and they dont toast the buns they serve the food on which makes the sandwich hard to go down without a good soda - but the steak fries on the side of the sandwich are a plus! The pickle on the side of the sandwich is also good. Nothing like some good hometown barbecue. They serve a variety of different types of sandwiches from chicken, pork, brisket, and sausages and also turkey legs and chili. It's worth a stop when you're in town - but I always wear a coat or jacket I don't mind having smell like barbecue when I get home. It's not the most amazing barbecue you'll have by any means, but it hits the spot, and I feel good supporting a local business. read more

Grew up eating here and am obsessed with their BBQ sauce. I will say their meat seemed to be a lot better back in the day as it can be kinda dry and plain nowadays. Definitely a staple regardless, and couldn't imagine not having their sauce available. read more

Porgys is an all time favorite for me and my husband. They have a very reasonable price for all their items. The tub of tips is generous for two to share. Sunday's are a great day to go because they have a Sunday special which is half a chicken with fries and two slices of bread. Their portions are pretty generous. But their sauce is to die for. Dunk and drench your meat in their sauce and it makes the world of a difference. If you don't like it the first time, you may need to try it a few more times. It grows on you. read more

Li'l Porgy's Bar-B-Que - Tub of Tips - Barbeque Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

After being closed for a while.... I really missed the BBQ from this place.. Be fore they closed the messed up an order I got for out of town co-workers for catering Co I worked for. Got it to where we were staying.. NO HOT LINK SANDWICH...AND THE 2) CHICKEN DINNERS WERE DRY AS HELL. I called and complained the said they would replace it, and did not go back for a while. Then they burnt down I got excited for the re opening... But to my dismay everything I have gotten has been lack of a better word "GROSS".. It all tastes like ham. Not the cooked on wood flavor I loved. The Hot link was my fav" Now it tastes like play dough in a casing and was not hot. Just nasty.... Might go in for fries and sauce but the meats...um NO. Such a disappointment as everyone I have talked to has the same opinion. Do not know why they went to some pellet cooker/smoker but they have destroyed a good thing. THEY OWE ME... 1) HOT LINK 2) CHICKEN DINNERS FROM BEFORE THE FIRE. AND NOW. 1)HOT LINK 1) LARGE RIB TIP 1) SAT SPECIAL RIBS. But they do not care, could not even get a manager on the phone always got the " I don't know, that ain't my job, our manager don't work today, or can you call back tomorrow? DONE...DONE. read more

Worst bbq I've ever had!! All bones and fat. Will never go back. Not impressed at all.

Great service. The pork sandwich was amazing. We had beans, coleslaw but the best was the macaroni and cheese!!

Pro Tip: If you order a sandwich, get the sauce "on the side". They'll put it in a little foam container and you can administer it yourself. If you don't get the sauce on the side, you're going to get a soggy handful of goo instead of a sandwich. The other customers make this a pretty low-brow place. But the food makes them worth tolerating. read more

It's so good that your actually ok with their suck ass attitude! I live their Barbq sauce!! It's amazing at a fair price read more

So, the restaurant itself isn't much to write home about, but the food is good. And hubby and I reeeeeally like Li'l Porgy's mixed sauce. The mild is a little too sweet for us and the hot is too hot, but the mixed is the perfect flavor for us. I haven't strayed from the pork sandwich, so I can't speak to the other meats. It's our go-to BBQ joint in Champaign. read more

Li'l Porgy's Bar-B-Que - Yusssssss... - Barbeque Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

I'm just going to say this.. this BBQ place would be a three star place but their sauce makes it a 5 star place! It is my favorite BBQ sauce I've ever had.. lil porgys is my fav BBQ place although a lot of people will say black dogs is, their sauces do not come close to lil porgys sauce.. lil porgys is cheap and the best thing to get is the tub o tips and get the sauce on the side because if they pour it on the food it will mix with the greasy ribs and not be as good.. trust me!!! Also the people are cheap as hell giving the sauce on the side and pouring it on anything but on the tub of tips they literally give you a small sized sofa cup full of sauce so you will have more than enough! My fav BBQ place of all time! The quality of the food is pretty greasy and bad compared to other BBQ places but idc because that sauce is magic and makes me forget! read more

Li'l Porgy's Bar-B-Que - Barbeque Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

Restaurant review: Cheap tasty BBQ fresh from the smoker. I was excited about visiting this location because I drive by here everyday and I can smell the the restaurant smoking the pork everyday. The restaurant has very good prices for BBQ food with daily specials as well. They take your order you get your food when they call your number. One downside is that they charge you ten cents for a coupon of water. Who charges for water? We ordred the pulled pork sandwich which came with fries. The pulled pork was above average size. The BBQ sauce was a bit on the watery side which detracted from the experience. Fries were average, I would say the fries at Five Guys is better. Overall cheap, inexpensive, but not spectacular. My quest for BBQ continues in Champaign. Pro: inexpensive, daily specials, fresh smoked BBQ Cons: watery BBQ sauce, only mild and spicy choice Hidden gem: Daily specials (most up to date price Aug 2014) Sunday 1/2 chicken 5.10 Monday Small rib tips 5.39 Tuesday 1/3 pork ribs 5.49 or chicken sandwich 4.85 Wednesday beef sandwich 4.85 Thursday pork sandwich 4.85 Friday 1/2 slab beef ribs 7.10 Saturrdayy 1/2 slab pork ribs 7.49 read more

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this my favorite restaraunt I've been going here every year for my birthday since I was 9 their mixed sauce is so good and the pork is always so tender i could eat a whole pound one time I threw up because I ate so much it was too good and then I went home and ate the leftovers I can't get enough of this place seriously read more

I'll take Li'l Porgy's over factory BBQ any day of the week. And I'll certainly take it over some schmengy As Seen On TV sandwich shop, that's for sure. Not that I'm drinking the chain haterade, but this place has personality just oozing out of every crack and crevice, much like the smoke that fills the air each day. The Yelp app led me here, and I ordered a brisket sandwich with a few sides (slaw and beans) and of course they include that crisp pickle spear in the order. Yessir. So let's begin with the order itself. You walk in, and immediately it's a wave of smoke and fry scent. I smelled like Porgy's all afternoon (you're just going to need to wash your clothes later) but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Just know before you go. The nice woman at the register took my order while shouting it out to the people in the kitchen, and you slide down to the counter to pick it up. Lightning fast! That's the beauty of BBQ--all the prep is done beforehand and then you just sling it out (with love, of course) to waiting customers. Sling they did, and I went to sit down with my food and my strawberry soda. STRAWBERRY SODA! I don't usually love it, but there's something that happened when it mixed with BBQ and I honestly don't know if I'll ever try BBQ without it again. Trust. The food was okay--unfortunately the brisket had been holding wet (in water, maybe?) and when they put it on the light bun for the sandwich, it got soggy pretty quick. Maybe avoid the sandwich and get it as a meat plate? The sides were fine. My socks were not knocked anywhere, but I did enjoy them. Pickle win. All in all, a nice lunch from nice local folks. read more

Li'l Porgy's Bar-B-Que - Beef brisket sandwich - Barbeque Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

Went well off my route to try Lil Porgy's so really needed it to live up to the five star reviews. It satisfied and I'd try it again if only to give it another chance to make five stars. It was so close. The ribs were just a tad over cooked, which gave a chewy crispness to the outside that wonderfully balanced the juicy, tender and smoky inside. But, with more chew than juice over four bones my jaws got a workout I'm not accustomed to with slow-cooked meat. Typically, Lil Porgy's serves its ribs wet with your sauce choice. I had the original mild sauce on the side. It was moanin' good sauce--sweet with a bit of tang. You'll want to ask for extra--in a large cup--to take home. Creamy Cole slaw and crispy/fluffy steak fries were the perfect BBQ sides. Add a medium soft drink that anywhere else would be a large and you're looking at a terrific value at $11. Final note: The ribs were meaty but had the smallest bones I'd ever seen--about 3/8" across and, with the tips, 6-7" long. I asked what kind of pigs they used (potbellied?) and was told they get ribs from various places, which sometimes means larger bones or fattier ribs. That kind of inconsistency could affect cooking and quality, and maybe account for the varied results among reviewers. read more

Li'l Porgy's Bar-B-Que - Barbeque Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

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Love this place! Maybe not the best bbq I've ever eaten, but this is definitely a favorite place from our college days. So thrilled to find they are still open! read more

I have been coming to Li'l Porgy's for years, mostly the Urbana one before they consolidated to just the Champaign location, but worth the drive. Best BBQ for the taste and value in Chambana imo. I usually get the rib tips, extra hot sauce on the side. It comes with fries and bread, both the large and small are under $10. It is the best memphis style that I can find in the area. The dry rub they use as well as their signature sauce is top notch! read more

Price is great, you can fill up your belly if you feel hungry with the free carbs they gvie (Bread, French fries). Meats are good but not the best in the world. Sometimes the meats are really dry. Overall I recommend. Not the best BBQ Place, but a good enough one to try if you want some BBQs read more

I LOVE ME SOME PORGYS!!! Get the chicken sandwich with mixed sauce on the side every time. So so good!!

I've been here several times in the last couple of years which have pretty good most of the time always ordering the rib tips. Took a group of five there today just after they opened. In theory the food should have been at it's best. So much for theories. Ordered the beef and pork, one pound of each. This was not bbq. It was attempt at roast pork and beef, dry flavorless at that. Quality of the product they started with seemed at the bottom of the barrel. This is not good bbq, period. However, their sauce both mild and hot are EXCELLENT. They should bottle it and sell it. You can buy it by the quart. Solution is go here and buy the sauce. Then go ANYWHERE else to buy your bbq. Actually this reminds me of a business that has lost it's passion and love of the food. Kind of sad because I know they are capable of so much better. read more

I want this for my last meal. It's the best food I have ever tasted in my mouth. I've been coming here all my life. In high school I used to come here 3 days a week for lunch. My friend Zac and I would each get two orders of fries, extra hot sauce on the side and a pickle spear. That was $2.75. Amazing! We used the extra quarter from our $3 to buy a handful of Chiclets from the gumball machine. The rib-tips are better than anywhere else I've ever been. The fries and lemon shake-ups are amazing too. The sandwiches are not impressive. The sauce is. It's incredible. They make 200 gallons of the stuff each week. You can buy it by the pint for less than the cheapest store-bought BBQ sauce. I've kept Porgy's sauce in a squirt bottle in the refrigerator for 6 months without it going bad. It's miraculous. I've eaten the brisket of Texas and the vinegared pork of North Carolina. I've savored the best meats in Memphis and met Kansas City's Arthur Bryant himself. Li'l Porgy's is the best barbeque I have ever had. read more

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The meat was hard with big bones in each piece,I don't think that Tips have bones they have gristle they had no seasoning on them NASTY. Last time there read more

Dont bother going anywhere else for BBQ. This is the best BBQ place in town with some of the tastiest homemade BBQ sauce I've ever had.

Used to love this place. What a change. Sauce was very sparse. The brisket was dry and tasteless. Pork had no taste either. Bread was not fresh. So disappointing!! Love the aroma when driving past but not worth it read more

This place is a hit-or-miss. If you're lucky and can get the perfectly cooked beef ribs on a Friday, it's a steal. However, if you come in late, things may get overcooked and dry. read more

I found myself in Champaign for lunch and had the Friday special of beef ribs. They were smoky, meaty, and delicious! The potato salad was just the right touch of creaminess to cut through the beef flavor. Excellent! I was so proud to see that they are following pandemic guidelines, with only three people in the store in-line at a time and masks. One knucklehead was in there yelling at the staff because he didn't want to wear a mask. They would not serve him without the mask and requested that he leave until he had one. Thank you!!!!!!! read more

My family loves this place. Especially enjoy their ribs and 1/2 chicken specials. Generous portions with quick and efficient service.

Never thought of myself as a BBQ fanatic until I found Porgy's! Such a hidden gem in the C/U area! I get the rib tips every time and they're amazing! So soft and tender! Definitely beats paying $10+ ordering rib tips from Blackdog or any other BBQ place. Not to mention, you get an order of fries and a slice of bread with every entree! They also have amazing daily specials. My boyfriend visits every single Sunday for their 1/2 chicken special. Half a chicken, side of fries, two slices of bread, and a large drink all for $5.40! You can't beat that! read more

Li'l Porgy's Bar-B-Que - Small Rib Tips & 1/2 Chicken Special - Barbeque Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

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Overview: Lil Porgy's is a good, cheap BBQ place. The food is tasty and filling for the price you pay. The atmosphere is very casual and the service was friendly and fast. They cook all of their meeting using wood and the meat has excellent flavor. The different BBQ sauces are good, but quite similar. There is nothing fancy about this place, but that's not what a good BBQ place should try to be. Recommended Item: Rib tips with a lemon shake up is a great meal. The rib tips are a lot of food for quite cheap. They have great flavor and are fun to eat. Watch out for cartilage though! The dish comes with bred and fries which are quite tasty. The lemon shake up is a sweeter, less sour lemonade that tastes great contrasted against the tangy BBQ sauce. read more

Li'l Porgy's Bar-B-Que - Ribs with fries - Barbeque Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

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I don't know what compelled me to go back - but I love barbecue. Got the brisket sandwich - soggy tasteless watery meat. It's not barbeque. read more

Excellent pork BBQ sandwich. Very affordable and clean fast service. Plenty of dining area inside easy access.