Like others said, this isn't the best BBQ in Chicago, by any means (!), but it may be the best KOSHER BBQ restaurant in Chicago. This is important, because when I get together with an Orthodox Jewish friend of mine for a meal, it's always a hassle to find something that both of us will eat. Usually, my friend is consigned to eating just a salad with no dressing and some water. Not very satisfying. So we've had some pretty decent meals in Kosher restaurants in and around Chicago. And Milt's was on the list. So today we went. We were the first customers on Mother's Day when they opened at 11:30. The restaurant is nicely decorated, and the options on the menu are up to par with any good BBQ restaurant (minus the pork and the cheese, of course). Our waiter, Doug, who was attentive and helpful, was patient as we decided what we wanted. I ordered the rib sandwich with creamy coleslaw and extra side orders of fries and baked beans. My friend got the brisket sandwich and a side salad, and also ordered both the BBQ sauce and the salad dressing on the side. While we waited, there were delicious house-made pickles to munch on. The one BIG bummer was that there were TVs on the walls (including one directly over my friend's head) showing sports, that were distinctly audible throughout the restaurant. I am somewhat hard of hearing in places with a lot of background noise, and I was having trouble hearing my friend. So we asked Doug if the TV directly above us could be muted. He said he'd ask the manager. Surprise of all surprises: the manager refused to mute the sound!!! Now, really, who the HECK goes to a fairly nice restaurant (not a bar) on midday on Mother's Day in order to watch AND listen to mediocre irrelevant sports?!??! Who goes to ANY restaurant (other than a sports bar) and wants to hear the sound of sports during their meal?!? HELLO!!! Ever heard of "closed captioning"?!? They did turn it down a bit. But the sound was distracting the whole time to me, and I simply couldn't believe the manager's gall at denying my request, especially since I mentioned that I was having trouble hearing my friend. Indeed, this seemed to me to be rude, tone deaf (pun intended!), and self-centered, because, looking around the whole restaurant, the only person who seemed interested at all in the TV sound was the manager. (Lots of family groups with Mom's celebrating; lots of kids.) Personally, I take this as fireable offense for a restaurant manager (and I hope the Milt's management takes this under consideration). The food was delivered very quickly, which isn't too surprising since the food was mostly already prepared and just had to be heated and assembled. It was very good, if not great. The fries were meh: not crispy, not hot, and not special in any way. Plus it seemed like a PALTRY amount of fries for an extra $4 side order charge. The baked beans (with brisket) were very good: as good as any I've had anywhere in Chicago. The creamy coleslaw was good: crunchy and fresh. It didn't have a whole lot of flavor, but would serve the function of cleansing the palette. My rib sandwich had rib meat, off the bone (probably yesterday's ribs), on a nice french roll, with a spiced aioli that was good (but a bit too much black pepper). The sandwich almost didn't need any additional sauce. My only complaint (if you can call it that) is that the aioli was too strongly spiced, such that adding any of the three BBQ sauces was pointless. (However, I seriously don't think the sandwich was worth $24!!! Where do they come up with these prices?!? I'd say, maybe $12.) My friend enjoyed the simple, unsurprising, side salad with a balsamic dressing, which was maybe appropriate as a substitute for fries, but, again, certainly wasn't worth a $4 extra charge. The brisket sandwich came on a toasted pretzel bun, which was good, and (again) with sauce on the side. Without the sauce, the brisket had almost no taste. The three sauces (sweet Kansas City style, mustardy Carolina style, and a vinegary spicy sauce) were absolutely necessary to making the sandwich edible. WITH any of the sauces, I could eat one right now. We both drank diet coke. The bill without tip was $62. That's not bad for DINNER for two at a BBQ restaurant. It seemed excessive for lunch. All in all, the experience was decent. The food was better than some available BBQ in Chicago, and certainly not bad. If I kept Kosher, I'd go here regularly. But given all the other options available to us Goyim, and given the ridiculous response to my request that the TV be muted, I doubt I'll be going back. read more

I recently ate dinner here with my daughter for the first time. I was pleasantly surprised that the food was delish and the service was excellent. I had the barbequed chicken and she had the brisket chili. Everything was very good and I took half my dinner home and ate it the next night. Even though we are not kosher, I enjoyed eating here and look forward to going back. You will not be disappointed. read more

Ok, look to each his own, you know? But I have no idea what some of these other people are whining about. The food was outstanding and plentiful. The price was just right and the employees were super friendly and made the experience complete. We left the place stuffed and completely satisfied. By the way, the pickles are amazing. Brisket sandwich? Thumbs up. Chicken wings. Thumbs up. Even the French fries, terrific. I highly recommend this restaurant. I'm one happy fat guy. Thanks guys. Please open a location in Los Angeles. Please. read more

Milt's Barbecue for the Perplexed - Front door of Milt's BBQ. - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This a great place for Kosher food, and has a surprisingly great vegetarian menu. Since it's a meat place, there's no dairy but there are parve options like seitan and a veggie burger. I had the barbecued seitan sandwich and it was delicious. read more

I visited Milt's today for their first lunch service--and second day of operation--so, my review is graded on the curve. First: YES, the hours listed on Yelp! are correct. They close at 2pm on Fridays and don't re-open until 7pm Saturday. That's really putting your money where your faith is, considering the neighborhood's traffic pattern. Diners are welcomed with a batch of complimentary homemade pickles. Their bread & butter pickles were spot on today. As was the vinegar-based slaw and the roasted root vegetables side. The Q is served with three sauces: Memphis, Carolina, and Kansas City. All were great renditions. Now, here's the problem with the spare rib entree (pics posted in the gallery). My "half-slab" portion size was three ribs. One rib literally--seriously, literally--had no edible meat on it. It was dark and smokey, but zero meat. No, really. None. (Betcha it would've made a killer stock, though!) The second rib had a bit more. The third rib is exactly what the other two should have been. A good amount of meat, deeply flavored with smoke. When my server checked in, I told her about the first rib and she rounded up a complimentary fourth rib that was downright FLINTSTONE-IAN in size. It seems like there's a huge variation in these ribs and, for $29, I would've been very, very,....uh, what's Yiddish for very?....dissatisfied with my initial serving. If the other meats are as flavorful as my third and fourth spare ribs, they should be wonderful choices. Expect the usual growing pains that go with new restaurants. I was the only diner when I sat down at 11:15am. By the time I left, the place was packed. I counted 26 adults and 6 kids in there for their first lunch service. Sidenote: Watching the crowd at Milt's--and the significant number of yarmulke-sporting 20-something men who stopped in for carry-out menus--reminded me of my under-fed lust for nice Jewish boys. I may have to visit the bar here late Saturday night. read more

Milt's Barbecue for the Perplexed - Half-slab smoked spare ribs (3) with root veggies and vinegar cole slaw. Good flavor, highly inconsistent meatiness. - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Poor in all respects. The BBQ chicken sandwich was thinking, overcooked, and downright disappointing. The fries were cold/undercooked as were the green beans. And sadly, and this comes from a relative BBQ sauce connoisseur, they had possibly the worst BBQ sauce I've ever had. On top of all that, they got our order wrong, completely forgetting one of our meals. I will never come back and I recommend you look somewhere else for food. read more

We have been looking forward to trying this place for a while, so when my friend finally made reservations, we were excited to be perplexed. Well, my excitement ended at the butter pickles... I understand that kosher food is more expensive and the animal is treated better, etc...but to charge these prices is a sin. With tip, we paid almost $250 to have some mediocre and dry BBQ. And no, this wasn't drinks, we only had 3 alcoholic beverages total among the 5 of us. One major disappointment outside of the price - the food all tasted the same. The brisket sandwich, short ribs, ribs, and milts burger - were all one note. The three sauces that they served to dress them up on your own were mediocre at best. I gave them an extra star to add up to 2, due to the innovation of the apple ketchup. Even though the sweet potato fries were soggy, the ketchup made up for it. Bottom line - unless you really do keep kosher, don't waste your time/money. Since the best parts were all accoutrement's - the apple ketchup and free butter pickles they serve on your table... read more

Milt's Barbecue for the Perplexed - Milt burger with sweet potato fries and apple ketchup - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My wife and I are Reform Jews so pork, shellfish, etc are definitely part of our diet. Our friend who recommended the three of us have lunch here is an Orthodox Jew so those items are definitely not going to end up on his plate. I was a little skeptical that a kosher barbecue restaurant could be good but this was. My wife and I split the brisket sandwich and the turkey club. The brisket was succulent. Soft, tasty, smoky. Perfect. The turkey club was also good. Again, a really nice smoky taste. The fries and coleslaw were also excellent, although the fries were the better of the two. Coleslaw is good, but how good can it get? Fries can be disgusting, decent, good, or YUM. These were YUM. Slightly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside with a nice, mild, potato taste. Would I go back? Definitely. What would I order? Anything with the brisket. read more

Milt's Barbecue for the Perplexed - Spicy, mustard, and regular BBQ sauces. - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I was walking down Broadway with a friend trying to decide what to eat for lunch when all of a sudden the sweet smell of BBQ hit us. In that instance we discovered Milt's BBQ for the Perplexed. Walking in we were greeted by a friendly host who informed us that the only available spots were at the bar, which I hate hate hate (note to the reader - make reservations). Since we were hungry we decided to suck it up and sit at the bar. The bartender, Leslie, working the bar was great. She have us some background on the restaurant, the menu and offered up some recommendations. Definitely chatting it up with Leslie made sitting at the bar not as HORRIBLE as it usually is. We started out with the fried okra which sadly wasn't as good as I was hoping. The pieces of okra weren't fully covered with the breading before being fried. This dish tried, but failed. My friend got the Buffalo Chicken Salad and said it was good and interesting. The ranch dressing that came with the dish was dairy free which thrilled my friend since he was just diagnosed as lactose intolerant (his life now sucks). For my entree I got the Smoked Brisket Sandwich and it was really good. I was given a hearty mans portion of brisket which I deeply appreciated and made sure I ate every last bite. The brisket was well seasoned, tender and filling. I'd like to check out Milt's again to try some of the other dishes on the menu. read more

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Kosher bbq joint. We didn't find out until we stepped into the establishment lol. I was going to get their ribs, my go-to for a bbq joint, but it was on the pricey side ($32 for a half rack, $45 for full). Buffalo chicken salad ($12) - 4.25 stars. Crispy buffalo chicken tenders, maybe cornmeal crust. Really good with the pickles. Smoked chicken sandwich ($12, comes with a side like fries) - 3 stars. Could definitely taste the smokiness, but the meat was on the dry side. Pass. Sweet & spicy pickles (comes with the meal) - 5 stars. Dee-licious xD Slick interior, not at all like the casual, picnic-style interior of Pappy's Smokehouse. Desserts section could use work. I saw pictures on instagram of their cookies & ice cream, and they looked downright sad :/ read more

Milt's Barbecue for the Perplexed - Buffalo chicken salad ($12) was delish, smoked chicken sandwich ($12) was dry for me, really liked the sweet & spicy pickles - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

OK, so I have been keeping kosher for about 13 years. This means that I actually do have a good memory of what great meat tastes like! We were visiting Chicago, and heard about Milt's. We went with high expectations, and were not disappointed. The atmosphere was young and modern, and Milt himself is really friendly. His waitstaff take after him, and had great descriptions of the food and BBQ sauces. We had an order of nachos for the table, as well as a side of the smoked beef ribs. Our party split between the brisket sandwich and the Miltburger. Several members of our party were a) non-Jewish, and b) from the Carolinas, so they know good BBW! Here's what we thought: Others have raved about their pickles, and they are correct. Nachos: covered with Milt's smoked brisket chili, and some of the most incredible nachos I have every had. The chips were great, and the chili was just unbelievable. Smoked beef ribs: Nice flavor, but a bit crisp. The three BBQ sauces - one more tomato-based and sweet, one a Carolina vinegar and mustard, and one a spicy Memphis style - were right on, and went great with the ribs. The brisket sandwich: pulled smoked brisket was tender, juicy, and flavorful. I really liked it with both the Memphis and Caroline sauces. The Miltburger: Hands down the best burger I have every had. The burger itself was perfectly cooked (medium rare) and full of a great smoky flavor, while also being nice and tender and juicy. It was topped with the same brisket chili that was on the nachos, as well as some beef bacon, and fried onions. I added some Carolina sauce as well. Tender, juicy, packed with flavor. I am having euphoric recall right now. Some reviewers have commented on the boring buns - they are not wrong, but I had a hard time finding the bun to be particularly relevant as anything but a delivery system for smoky goodness! read more

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My little sister and I stumbled in here decked out in rainbow attire post Pride parade and it became the happiest accident of my month. I got the nachos and my sister the brisket sandwich. But first, the pickles. I want a while jar. (Can you buy a whole jar?) Flavorful, slightly sweet, and they complimented our meal perfectly too. The nachos were huge, definitely for sharing. My sister really enjoyed her sandwich. Our waiter brought out three sauces (versions of a bbq, mustard, and ketchup) for her to use. I stole a few of her fries and they had a good crispy to fluffy ratio. I wish I could have tried a cocktail. I did ask for a drink menu, but I never got it. It was fairly busy though, so I didn't mind too much...just was a little bummed. Overall, I'd definitely go again and recommend you try it if you're a fan of bbq. Very yummy and a great menu. read more

I was disappointed with every part of my experience with Milt's. Our first interaction with our server was him coming to our table and saying "OK, have you had a chance to decide what you want?" This seemed rude, but making it worse was that he was checking his cell phone constantly behind the bar and seemed to be the only server working on a busy night - service didn't match the price. The bartender was very friendly and came over once we got settled in to say hi and get our drink order. We arrived hungry so we started with a basket of chicken tenders to dip in Milt's three sauce offerings. The tenders were so overcooked and dry that they had to be smothered in sauce to make them edible. We didn't finish them. Not wanting to spend $50 on a half slab of beef ribs, I decided to try the turkey dinner. Smoked turkey sounded good. It seemed like it might have been ok until they threw the three slices of slightly overcooked turkey onto a grill and dried it out. Afterwards, it was covered in a gelatinous gravy that tasted like it came from their food service vendor. At a BBQ place, I would have loved it to be accompanied by BBQ sauce. The "smashed potato" was basically a baked potato that was smashed into a pile on a plate. No one ate more than a couple fork fulls at my table - I was hoping for fluffy, buttery goodness and rather got something that looked picked-over and partially-eaten. Looking around the room, we weren't the only ones avoiding them. Green beans were the high point of the meal and they were just ok. We all had leftovers but refused when offered a to-go box. For me, that's a first at *any* BBQ restaurant. Overpriced and bland, I'd say stay away unless you're desperate for below-average shabbat-friendly food or just going in for a drink. read more

I think they were having an off-day. I have gone here before and haven't had an issue. I went for my mom's 65th birthday. My mom ordered their $70 ribeye steak. My wife ordered the salmon. I ordered the pulled chicken sandwich. They did not ask my mom how she wanted her steak done, and it came back well-done. Thankfully, she liked it like that and thought her steak was delicious, but if it was for me, I would have sent it back. I'm not going to pay $70 for a well-done steak, and the fact that they didn't even ask cofounds me. Again, I'm assuming this was an off-day because every restaurant I have ever been to would ask how you want your steak done. My wife's salmon was undercooked. She sent it back and they made her another one, and she liked it. My chicken sandwich was flavorless. This was a bit of a bummer because every time I have come here before I really liked the food. I hope this was a one off, but this experience really was a downer. Our server was perfectly pleasant though, no issues there. Just pay more attention to the food next time. read more

I was so looking forward to trying out this place. I figure with a name like "Milt" how bad could it be? Well.. it wasn't bad but it definitely wasn't good either. Weekday visit, about 5PM. Place is easy to find on a busy street. Was greeted nicely and seated quickly. Wife and I both saw that the drink specials, written on a chalkboard towards the kitchen, showed they had a "Summer Kolsch" beer. I love this Cologne, Germany special and try out different Kolsch beers whenever the opportunity comes up. This beer was warm!!! Yuck. My wife even asked the waitress if she could have some ice to "make my beer colder". She didn't get the hint and just got the ice with no other comment from the waitress. Appetizer: We had the potato skins. I actually liked them but feel they would be better without the fillings they put in them. I was really looking forward to the BBQ ribs but when I saw they were lited as "MP" for the price I was bold enough to ask what the price was. Waitress goes on to tell me sheepishly that they were $120 for the dish and explains about all the supply issues and covid problems, etc etc.... We ended up getting the rib sandwich and the steak sandwich. Now I know kosher meat is really not known as the best meat around and this place did not disappoint. The meat is horrible. Grisly and tough, dry and flavorless, overcooked and sliced poorly. So sad. After a few bites I told my wife that I was done and ready to leave. She had maybe 2-3 bites and agreed. Now when a waitress sees someone asking for the check and 80% of their dish is still sitting there they usually ask if everything was ok or something, This time... crickets. Actually, I wish I really had crickets as they probably would have tasted better. All in all... I was highly disappointed and wish the restaurant well. I understand they donate all their net profits to charity which is a huge example in charity. Good luck to them. read more

Great food and awesome service. The pretzel bits were delicious. My friend and I shared the BBQ combo. It was very good. I'll have to go on a diet before paying another visit! I highly recommend this place. read more

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Had a great dinner experience at Milt's! I'd been very excited to try out this new addition to the neighborhood and was not disappointed. It was actually pretty packed at 8:00 on a Monday night! I would definitely make a reservation before coming in. We were seated at the end of the bar and promptly given a plate of their delicious pickles. I definitely wished we had been asked if we wanted a table or to sit at the bar, but not a huge deal. My dining companion and I shared the BBQ sampler that included a chicken, brisket, and hamburger slider. All were delicious...but tiny. My two bites of brisket left me wanting more. For $12, wasn't worth it and next time I'll go with a regular sandwich. And I get it. Kosher meat has always been (and will always be) more expensive, resulting in smaller serving size. The BBQ sauce selection that came on the side was superb, the KC style and vinegar Carolina style were the highlights. We also shared the sweet potato fries which were out of this world. They were accompanied by what we found out later was an APPLE ketchup. Sound weird? Try it, you'll like it. A tasty vinegar-based, mustard cole slaw was our other side. We both enjoyed it a lot. Dessert isn't listed on the menu, but I can't recommend their apple turnovers enough. Great end to the meal. The atmosphere is fantastic, light, open space with a huge spectrum of fellow Heebs; families, elderly couples, 20-somethings, you name it, they are out trying the latest Kosher spot in Lakeview. Will definitely return to try some other menu items including the ginormous beef ribs I saw being carried by! read more

Milt's Barbecue for the Perplexed - Apple turnover, it's a must order. - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Okay here's the deal: the atmosphere is nice, and the prices are really affordable, but that's pretty much it. The food just isn't that good. Our meat and fries came quickly but weren't hot. The grilled vegetables were undercooked and very hard. Pretty much all the food tasted like "decent wedding food". Like mass produced and catered. Not the sort of quality you'd expect from a sit down restaurant. However I must point out that the service was great and the prices were really inexpensive. Almost oddly cheap. So I guess it makes sense why the quality of the food isn't that great. Also, 100% of the profits go straight to charity so I can't hate too much. We left unsatisfied but not furious because our bill was rather low and they were nice. Bottom Line: If you're in the area and need a quick kosher bite, maybe give it a shot but I'd recommend getting their cheaper food like their sandwiches as opposed to their pricier food such as ribs so it'll be less of a disappointment. Beer and side dishes are $4 which is great too. read more

Milt's Barbecue for the Perplexed - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Milt's is one of two well-regarded barbeque places within a short walk of my apartment. It is also kosher (which I regard as a moderate plus, even though I don't keep kosher). Reviewed as a kosher restaurant, it is extremely good. Reviewed as a barbeque restaurant, it is a little perplexing. All of the sides -- pickles, vinegary slaw, fried okra, french fries -- are very tasty. The barbeque itself (I had spare ribs) was on the dry, gristly, hard-to-eat side, though accompanied by some quality sauces. It was also quite expensive. I'd probably go back, and pretend that it doesn't have "BBQ" in the title. read more

I never wrote a review in my life till now. I want to start off by saying I heard the food was amazing. Me and a group of friends were staying in Chicago for the weekend and were looking for a nice Friday night shabbot meal caterred to our hotel. I knew something was wrong when I called the restaurant in advance and the catering manager yessed me to death. I really wanted to make sure that I had enough food for 14 men so to be on the safe side I ordered for 18 men. Little did I know that the food I would eventually receive would be good enough for 6 men. I couldn't even call to question our food because the restaurant closed at 3:00pm. Mind you this meal cost $600. It was so sad we had to order non kosher pizza that night. I know kosher food is expensive but this was ridiculous. They claim we received our order but the food packaging was not as advertised on their website. If anyone ends up ordering from this place be ready to get ripped off. read more

Milt's Barbecue for the Perplexed - Does this look like $600 worth of food? - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The place: my friends from New York said this place seemed so much nicer in terms of interior decor and ambiance than the kosher establishments they go to in New York. It seemed welcoming, with a hint of chaos. Even on a Monday night, it was packed with an eclectic crowd. It was pretty awesome to see a kosher place bursting at the seams. Our server was awesome, and everyone was really nice and let us wait until a table opened up. We showed up without reservations, and there were about 8 seats available at the bar/counter, but we wanted to sit at a table. We probably waited 20 minutes. The taste: during our 20 minute wait, we share the beef bacon over our first round of cocktails. I don't eat bacon, but man. This side dish they offer, with the three sauces was freakin phenomenal. Wet with grease, salted appropriately....supremely awesome. In small amounts, of course. We ordered the Romanian char dog with chili (thick, juicy, flavorful, and messy), half rack of ribs and the veggie chili with corn bread. Everything was delicious, including the company. The only real reason I'm not giving it 5 stars is because the first mixed drinks we got were super diluted (I'm still not 100% sue there was alcohol in them). I would give it 4.5 stars if I could. My face: flushed from the cocktails (a vodka soda, followed by a sidecar), but smiley and content. Left stuffed, with a slightly less stuffed wallet, as the meal for 3 was $130 pre-tip. Three of us each had at least 2 cocktails though, so that probably accounted for at least $50 of the meal. Overall, metzuyan (excellent) job Milt's. I'm pretty sure my friend from New York is going to come back to Chicago the next time he is craving meat. read more

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I came back for a second visit with a friend who keeps strict Kosher. We came on a random night and it was packed (yay Milt's!). We were seated within a few minutes despite it being really busy. I ordered the brisket chili and I am literally still thinking about it (this was probably a month ago). It's perfect. Spicy, thick, tender pieces of brisket, and a good portion, especially for the price. I want the recipe! It goes perfectly with a massive chunk of cornbread on the side. I'll be back here just for the chili. I'm never going to order something else! Seriously -- try the chili! Even if it's 90 degrees outside, you will enjoy it. My only only only piece of criticism is that when it is *that* busy, the tables are very close together, and you can really hear others' conversations. This is of course the case with many other restaurants, but when couples are going on awkward first dates, it makes you feel just slightly uncomfortable. But that's part of the Milt's experience! read more

I'm not Kosher nor am I Jewish. My kosher Jewish friends brought me here a few times. Ehhhhh. Overpriced and nothing spectacular. The only thing I will eat here is the brisket chili with fries, which actually is quite tasty. read more

Milt's Barbecue for the Perplexed - Brisket chili fries - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Horrible service. Sat at a table for 30 minutes while only 1 other table was seated in the entire restaurant. There were 2 waitresses, 1 bar tender, and a very rude hostess and no one came to take a drink or food order. Unbelievable! read more

This place is a lot of money for ribs that are what I am going to call average. The bill was $140 before tip for 4 people without alcohol, or any other type of beverage. I liked the spare ribs and the short ribs. Braised Short ribs were fattier than I would have liked, but still good. The wife had the pulled chicken, which she liked. Her only criticism was too much bread. The sides were good. I had the brisket beans. Mom got the fried green tomatoes that we all liked. Others reported that the coleslaw was good. The French fries were average at best. Service was good. read more

I got a char burger for pick up with sweet potato fries. The fries were very good and robust. I don't know why I assumed the burger came with cheese - but it did not and I was sad by that. Luckily I had my own cheese at home! I couldn't really decide if I liked the burger or disliked it. I will go with it just being so, so. It came with some BBQ sauce on the side that was extremely sweet, a definite aftertaste of cinnamon. The inside seemed cool and crowded on quick glance when I went to pick up the food. I'll maybe go again to try something more in line with their BBQ forward concept. I would not get the burger again though. I will say though, that the burger was not greasy at all which I appreciated. read more

Came here last Saturday night with 7 of my friends. Worst mistake ever. We made reservation for 7:30 (they only open from 7:30pm to 10:00pm on this particular Saturday). They sit us down immediately and our waitress came and took our drink order. Then she came back and told us that pretty much half the menu was not available. We all came from the far southwest suburbs (50 miles away) to eat the beef ribs and the smoked chicken. Well, both those items and a bunch of other stuff wasn't available that night. So we ordered the brisket sandwiches and the brisket burgers. Our waitress said that the only cook the burgers medium so they don't dry out, which is how we like our burgers done. Then the food came out: Non of the food had any flavor what so ever. Not even salt! Everything was sooo blan. Our burgers came out looking like a piece of charcoal, well well well done. It looked like they were cooked the day before and reheated for us when we ordered them. 4 out of the group ordered the brisket burgers and they were all the same. We wanted to add eggs to our burgers and that wasn't available either, even our waitress was embarrassed, she said "I can't believe how much stuff they're out of today". Overall, service was pretty good, it not the waitress' fault that the food was over cooked and had no flavor what so ever. But if 5 out of the top 7 items aren't available, maybe you should just close for the night instead of tricking the customers to come through the door and tell them they can't have what they want. Service: 4.5 stars Food: negative 2 stars. Never coming back here again. read more

Milt's gets 3 stars in this review: The average of a 4 from my vegan brother and a 2 from me. First of all, you're coming here because you're a vegan (seitan bbq sandwich and veggie nachos got high marks and smiles) or Kosher (BBQ with nary a porky thing in sight). I am neither, but I was looking forward to the BBQ beef ribs. We were informed on our Thursday evening there were still full racks of "spare ribs" available - $60 for three ribs. My wife gave me the stink eye when I gasped, so I did as I was told and ordered them. To be fair, the ribs have a Fred Flintstone mass to them and easily fed two people. They were heavily spiced, but to be honest, were on the chewy/greasy side, with the membrane still attached to the back of the ribs. The sides (we got coleslaw and smashed potatoes) were very ordinary. Extra sides were $4 each. I'm told the sauteed spinach side order was bitter but there wasn't enough of it for me to taste. The 3 sauces offered complemented the meat but didn't really excite me. Service was attentive and friendly, so full marks there. Oh, we asked about corkage or BYO and were informed a firm "NO". So basically, for me Milt's is: been there, done that, until I have guests demanding Kosher BBQ. Then I'll send them to Milt's and meet them for Stan's donuts afterwards. read more

I've been here a few times over the years and I just don't understand the hype. It's overpriced and bland. I get that limiting yourself to kosher options takes away things that taste good, like bacon. But trying to imitate non Kosher foods, as someone who's Jewish but doesn't keep kosher, it doesn't work. If I want bacon, I'll eat bacon not "faux bacon". The staff is nice and attentive but every 5 minutes someone- server, bus person, another server- is coming over and asking if you're done or if they can take something away or pack it up. I was with old friends I hadn't seen in a while and we were talking a lot throughout the meal and eating at a leisurely pace. I just felt rushed. We finally just packed up our food and left. If you only eat kosher food, great option but if you're not keeping strict kosher, there are tons of other BBQ options out there where you'll leave more satisfied and not pay $90 between 3 people. read more

Delicious kosher bbq spot in Chicago! I don't usually crave BBQ, but when I do, I go all out and do some heavy research followed by some heavy ordering. I feel bad at some point because a lot of the food goes to waste because my eyes are definitely bigger than my stomach, but hey, such is life of an internal fat person. Service is very quick and friendly. My ribs were literally falling off the bone as soon as I picked them up. They were simply delicious, and big! I couldn't finish it. We also got the wigs sampler which was delicious and the corn bread, which I could easily eat every day of my life. read more

Second time at this wonderful joint! The first experience was outstanding; we had to come back for the sandwiches. We had the 1. Rib Sandwich - very juicy and topped with some delicious sauce. Delicious. Got it with coleslaw. Great choice! 2. Brisket Sandwich - definitely not as juicy. Got it it fries and a bunch of different sauces. 3. As an appetizer, we got the wing sampler. It's 12 wings, four of each flavor. Delicious on all three flavors. We'll definitely be coming back! Thanks for great food and great service!!!! read more

Milts BBQ is the best kosher BBQ place in the world! I would highly recommend the rib sandwich and a starter of brisket nachos. Everyone is friendly and it has great ambiance. I would greatly recommend it. read more

The food here is just OK. If you keep kosher, it's definitely worth a try. if you don't keep kosher, you can find better barbecue at betters prices elsewhere. It's pretty expensive for just so-so food. However the pickles were good, fried okra was good (but tiny bite size pieces that you could barely dip into the sauce). The shredded chicken sandwich was just okay. They give you three small bbq cups for the table, and while they do refill them upon request, it would be much easier for everyone involved to just have large bottles of the sauces on the table. The sauces were actually quite good though. Service was good and the ambiance is nice, but paying a touch under $20 for a mediocre chicken sandwich with a piece of bland cornbread is not too appealing to me. Sorry Milt's! read more

One of our favorite places to stop when we are in from out of town. The food is always delicious and the service is friendly.

Having a few frummie family members visiting us in Chicago, I'm eternally grateful for Milt's! Entertaining them with restaurant delights beyond West Rogers Park is about as daunting as wishing for and pretending we can blow up an air mattress, close our eyes, count to 6 and we're in midtown Manhattan. It's not going to happen. Here in Lakeview, Milt's is about as close to Southern BBQ as Kosher can allowably get. That is the reality and that's what tastes so good at Milt's. Even hours of operation abide by the rules. No Saturday's - and they close early in the afternoon on Friday for Shabbat. Now for the food. The 1/2 BBQ chicken is smokey, moist and full of BBQ goodness down to the last bite. There's something tasty about Kosher chicken over regular and Organic chicken to begin with. Never has a Kosher chicken met up with dry. The smoked turkey dinner with smashed potatoes and roasted green beans is all comfort decadence on a plate. Without touching the gravy, the meat was still melt-in-your-mouth. The brisket burger is too rich for me to eat, but the taste is magnificent and my cousin can polish one himself with a smile on his face. With fried onion strings, this sammy is seriously going to fill one up with luscious BBQ, while still maintaining Kosher standards. Worth $22.00! Smoked brisket chili - a meal in itself, and so yummy! Just enough BBQ flavor to make a great bowl of steaming, decadent,hearty chili. Smoked brisket sandwich is a classic and reminds me of only that which my grandma made! The brisket chili fries are oh so good and worth every calorie, even though I don't want to know how many calories are in each bite of those dressed up fries! Milt doesn't skimp on dessert and I saw some bread pudding and brownies with al la mode going on. Not mixing milk/dairy and meat, we're completely focused on the BBQ. One less star than perfection because I'm a salad girl at heart and these salads are a little too ho hum, or maybe way too ho hum for my liking. Otherwise, good luck to any Kosher butcher or chef outdoing Chicago's/Lakeview's, Milt! I bet it's never going to happen. read more

I have no idea how this place is still in business. I had the most over-priced, mediocre sandwich in my life. $18 for a small serving of brisket on a terrible, commercial grade bun. The prices in general are insulting, the service was beyond terrible. We never got silverware till we end up and asked for it, no refills, never got water after repeated asking. Had to track down our check, track down a to go box, all in all a terrible. You've been warned, unless you must have kosher BBQ, go anywhere else than here. read more

Stopped in for lunch today: really nice design, welcoming colors and aesthetics. However, that's about where the 'good' ended. For lunch I ordered a cup of brisket chili and the chopped brisket sandwich. The chili was not bad, but nothing special. The brisket sandwich was a mix of underwhelming and disappointing. The sandwich ($14) came on what looked like a McDonald's hamburger bun - so it was not very big or visually appealing - not worth the price either. Flavor was good, again nothing outstanding. Poor service brought the experience down further; as a new place that's been open for a week, how does anyone not ask how our food/experience is? The place was not busy, but we felt like we were forgotten about for the balance of our meal - empty drinks, etc. All in all, kind of disappointed with the experience and uncertain at this point if I'd return considering the other options in the neighborhood. read more

My friends and I stopped in for dinner. It was "pretty good". It's a good addition to the neighborhood....I guess though actually anything would be better than a vacant laundromat for years :-) The wait was long, so we ended up eating at the bar, which we were totally fine with. I was however disappointed that we didn't get the "complimentary pickles" everyone else is speaking so highly of here. Our bartender was great! She made really good recommendations. We started with the fried okra + buffalo wings. I had the 1/2 roasted chicken and my two friends had the brisket. They both enjoyed their dinner and so did I. I especially love the three BBQ dipping sauces that accompany everything. We asked the bartender who owned the place and she pointed him out. She said, "he's the guy who is walking around talking to everyone right now". We then watched as he greeted and chatted with every. single. solitary. yamaka-wearing person in the place, but did not say two words to us....the only people not wearing them. RUDE! Will I be back? Meh....probably not. read more

I was sitting at home thinking "Man, I'm perplexed! And hungry!". Yelp search to the rescue; Milt's BBQ for the Perplexed is walking distance from my home! I was pleasantly greeted by some very good pickles at the table before I even ordered. They were very good, as was the rest of my food. I ordered a burger and beer. I had forgotten that Milt's is a kosher restaurant and therefore dairy free. No cheese on my burger but it was still delicious. Milt's is a pretty BBQ joint. No, it's not a joint. More like a BBQ cafe. It's too pretty to be a joint. It's not a huge place but decent sized and a good sized bar. Comfy seating, which to me is incredibly important, I need to be comfortable when I'm leisurely enjoying my lunch and a beer. The service was very good. My server was friendly and attentive. She helped me pick out a beer and made sure I was enjoying her suggestion. You need not be perplexed to enjoy Milt's BBQ. All you have to be is hungry. read more

I actually feel perplexed by this place. Is it a hipster place? Is it an adult kosher place? (Notice there how I didn't include hipsters as adults). So.. I understand that this is a BBQ place. I am not a BBQ fan. So I would just like to say that before I start. I got the buffalo chicken salad. It was HORRIBLE. Im guessing they attempted their own dressing. I couldn't even eat it. I wiped it off of everything it touched. I basically just ate the chicken, which was dry and bland, but hey, I was hungry. I was there with a big group. The staff was very nice and didn't even laugh at me when I told them I didn't eat BBQ. Everyone around me ate the BBQ. Everyone had the same reaction.. ehh. Nothing was like over the moon good. One of the people at the table said that if it wasn't for the BBQ sauce, it would have just been a plain piece of meat. So, kudos to the BBQ sauce! Im not sure this place is going to work as a BBQ place. At first glance, it seems to be a hipster, gastro pub. But then on closer inspection, it leaves you perplexed. (see what I did there). read more