I'll keep it simple we order catering and order multiple pounds of brisket. We've ordered on the coldest day ever, and even on a holiday. These folks are the best and the most accommodating team ever. I thank you for everything! My parties are always hits no matter what and the brisket is gone in seconds. Anytime anyone asks for a recommendation of places, this is the first one I recommend Everytime. I've eaten at the restaurant once, it's always pretty busy but for a good reason! If you're ever in the area stop by but keep in mind if there hours too! read more

You know BBQ is good when it doesn't need any sauce. I loved the pulled pork, beans and fries. Everything was really yummy. Friendly service, really nice dining space. Highly recommend. I was brought here by frequent customers, that absolutely love the food here. I have to agree! read more

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I'm honestly shocked at how many five star reviews this place has... our first experience here was average, at best. We visited on a Friday evening and were informed upon arrival (1.5+ hours before closing) that they were out of brisket, ribs, and chicken. This severely limited the menu choices, but we decided to give it a try anyway. The "coleslaw" had almost no flavor whatsoever - practically dry chopped cabbage. The baked beans were the best thing served; a little heat and good flavor. The pulled pork was bland, and honestly no different than pulled pork I can make at home in my crockpot. I tried the traditional BBQ and the Carolina Gold sauces. The traditional was good - just enough heat. The Carolina was heavy on mustard flavor (minimal vinegar tang) and extremely watery. Both came to the table in small plastic to-go cups... I was surprised and disappointed at how little sauce was provided, especially when you're charged $0.25 per extra sauce. But the lack of extra napkins at the table should have told me everything I needed to know... The corned beef sandwich special my husband had was decent, though neither of us felt our meals were worth the nearly $20 (each) price tag. The overall experience was disappointing. The staff was kind, but besides one initial check in shortly after food arrived, no one came by to check on drinks, extra napkins, etc. My husband finished his drink partway through the meal and was never asked if he wanted/needed another. 3 stars is generous - if we could rate half stars, I'd be giving 2.5. read more

The restaurant is located right across the street from the train station. There is plenty of parking. We arrived at 7:00 p.m. on a Friday night and we were able to find a decent parking space and no wait for a table. Our waitress was very kind, I can't eat tomatoes and she helped me go through the menu to find something that I could have. My husband and I both ordered the jumbo wings appetizer for dinner. My husband picked the buffalo sauce for his dipping sauce and I picked the white Alabama sauce. We split a side of coleslaw and a jalapeno cornbread. The food was so delicious! So The restaurant is very relaxing, the lights are dim and they have soft accent lights. They have three televisions and small bar area. They have both high tables and low tables. It is 23 degrees outside but nice and warm inside. I posted video with the view from our table. read more

Moontime Smokin' Que - Rewards program ($5 off your next order) 12/5/2025 - Barbeque Near Me - Crystal Lake, Illinois

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Moontime Smokin Que is a hidden gem of a place in my opinion. It's located right next to the Crystal Lake train station on the side street. Service is fast and friendly! We tried a couple items which were all very good. For starters smoked chicken wings were very flavorful! Even for health conscious people, they are smoked not fried. We also had a bowl of thier chicken chowder whereby the chicken pieces were smoked and gave a unique flavor to the soup. The corn muffins were good but could be better. The beef brisket we ordered by the pound was full of flavor. They smoke all the meats on site and boy are they good. We like that they asked which cut of meat we would like; lean, fatty or mixed. I think it's good to try both your first time. We tried both and both were very satisfying. The coleslaw was very good too. It was fresh and a nice change up being a mixed flavor of sweet & tangy. They offer several inhouse made sauces including a new one that is spicy sriracha. It complimented everything really nicely. We would have loved to have tried desert but we didn't have room and took some of the leftovers home. If you're looking for really good traditional smoked bbq and can't get to Texas then this IS the place!! read more

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The meat is 5+ stars. The sides need help. Coleslaw is dry. Cornbread dry and needs honey. We've tried to just order the meat without the sides and it's not offered. We will keep coming back for the most amazing ribs but would love to see the sides change a bit!!! read more

Moontime Smokin' Que is a great small barbecue spot with a fun, lively, and rustic atmosphere. While they don't offer the traditional option to order barbecue by the pound, the sandwiches and entrées more than make up for it, delivering solid smoke and satisfying flavor. It's an easygoing place where good barbecue and a relaxed vibe come together nicely. read more

The food was really good, was surprised that the appetizers weren't teeny tiny. We got 2 anticipating them to be too small for 4 of us. Flatbread and fried pickles. Even had a few left over. Sandwiches are amazingly good. The only negatives I would say is the percent fee that is chard for using a card (which I know is very common now). More so I did not like how loud it was in there. Again, a lot of places have the high open ceilings and brick which makes it that way. But would definitely recommend eating here! read more

Moontime Smokin' Que - Barbeque Near Me - Crystal Lake, Illinois

Had a great experience here. Friendly staff and amazing food. We ordered fried pickles, brisket grilled cheese, brisket philly, corn bread, mac and cheese. Absolutely everything was amazing. Mac and cheese was much better than you'd expect from a restaurant. They also have a pretty large mocktail menu which is always appreciated. read more

I tried Moontime on a recent weekday evening while in the area. This is a laid back place where the food is tasty and the atmosphere is comfortable to eat, drink, or both! The Turkey Club was quite good-meat was cooked perfectly and everything on it was fresh. Brisket grilled cheese enjoyed as well with an interesting blueberry chipotle sauce. read more

How good is Moontime Smokin' Que? Well, let's see how my visit went when trying to find a good bbq joint. Ambiance Walking in, the place is slightly dark, but not enough to warrant using a phone or other light source to read the menu. They have a "game area" but it is walled off, which helps people not have to deal with flashing lights or loud slot machine sounds. The music was at a decent volume and they had a wall bar. It was a cozy place where the tables we spaced out pretty well. Service Our waitress was nice and gave us recommendations. She was pretty attentive with our drinks and when she was busy waiting on another table, the other waitress came over to helps us. Food Grilled cheese brisket sandwich I ordered this sandwich which is one of our recommended items to try. This was a very well made sandwich. The bread had a nice crisp to it and was not burnt. The brisket in it was juicy. I can definitely understand why this was recommended. It came with a blueberry (I might be mistaken) bbq sauce on the side. The sauce was okay but the sweetness kind gave me flavor fatigue... I think it might have paired better with a vinegar based bbq sauce... but that might be my own opinion... Jalapeño corn bread These little mini muffin-sized con breads were fantastic. I really enjoyed the sweetness and the little kick the jalapeños gave to them. French fries The French fries were well cooked. I don't honk they were double fried since they were pretty crispy throughout the meal. They were seasoned well. Ribs We ordered a half slab of ribs. They were firm and properly cooked. I would say they were juicy, but definitely not dry. The firmness of the ribs was fine for me. I know there are people who prefer ribs to fall off the bone sometimes but the ribs were good. They came with 2 cornbreads and a side of pickles and pickled onions. Those helped with the sweetness of the bbq sauce. Brisket sandwich I had a taste of the brisket sandwich. It was juicy and properly seasoned. I dipped the piece I tried with the blueberry bbq sauce. It was a really well done brisket. Overall Did I have a good experience? Yes, the service and food were good Would I recommend Moontime or go back? Yes to both. The bbq is really good and I would definitely would go back and try the other items. I would probably see if the other sauce would not tire me out liked the blueberry bbq sauce. It was pretty sweet and I did get tired of the sweetness. Overall, it was a good experience and I would recommend trying out the bbq. read more

Moontime Smokin' Que - Grilled cheese brisket sandwich with jalapeño corn bread! - Barbeque Near Me - Crystal Lake, Illinois

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I would eat here everyday. But, I do need fruits and veggies according to my doctor. So, I get the blueberry bar b que sauce.

Brisket sandwich - 3 slices meat Spareribs - full rack $30 Mini jalapeño cornbreads - 3 Cole slaw - skip it Cheese curds - get the large Done porkin around sandwich Extensive bar list 4% cc fee $0.52 for extra little cup of bbq sauce - not a fan of that. All in all everything tasted good. No rib tips or burnt ends, they said to check their fb for what day they do it each week. We went early to avoid the crowd. read more

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Great food! Ribs and wings were cooked perfectly. Super tender and very moist. Seasoning on the ribs was tasty and loved the smoke on the wings. However, the homemade beans were undercooked and still crunchy. The French fries were standard out of the freezer. That being said the pluses far outweighed the average read more

Very good service once we were seated. It would have been nice to be seated or at least greeted when we walked in, but that did not happen immediately as there was no one there. Nice atmosphere and clean. Food was very good. Will definitely be back. read more

My wife and I used to love getting Moontime. The flavor was amazing and the portions were large. We ordered last night and my wife's turkey club seemed undercooked and my brisket grilled cheese tasted amazing, however, we both noticed the portions were not what they used to be. A little disappointing...sad face read more

Fantastic food and great service enjoyed everyone and wanted to see if anyone wanted to share some pictures of each other and play a little email me if you're interested have an amazing day thanks so much.. read more

Food quality seems to be slipping. They've reduced the number of brisket slices on the sandwiches and it is very noticeable. Liked it previously, but we've removed them from our rotation. Disappointed cause of the close proximity to our house, but for the money they charge, we spend our dough elsewhere. Sad. read more

Went on a Friday ~4:30pm, missed the dinner crowd. Service was very good, food excellent. I had the brisket sandwich & my husband had the grilled cheese brisket sandwich. Blueberry sauce was as good as everyone reports. We will be back for the pulled pork and now I want to try the grilled cheese brisket sandwich (~4:30). read more

We stopped in for lunch and really enjoyed our experience. The bbq was delicious and the service was fantastic.

Food was absolutely delicious!! Wait staff is very attentive. I know someone that was in the food service industry and they always said to use the bathroom. If the bathroom was clean, the kitchen is. Their restrooms are immaculate!! Will definitely go back. read more

Absolutely delicious! Some of the best ribs I've ever had (and I like my ribs). I live in the city and was out this way doing errands. The ribs are perfectly smoked and cooked. They are so tender and almost fall off the bone, but have some substance to them so they aren't just mush. I highly recommend. Oh! The server said they sometimes run out of ribs, which they only serve Friday through Sunday (at least as of now), so you may want to call ahead. The other menu items looked good, too. Finally, my server was just as nice as can be. She really made the experience a pleasure. When I'm out this way again, I'll be returning. read more

This is decent midwestern bbq. I had the brisket sandwich with the house chips and it was delicious. I ate after the lunch rush and the service as quick and friendly. I didn't sample any of the beers but their selection looked quite robust with numerous local brews listed. I can imagine eating here on a weekend would be fun as the place had a vibe of a local hangout spot. Bonus for being right across from the metra stop and easy to pop in before or after the commute to Chicago. read more

The Cuban was big and awesome! The Pork taco was great too! New location across from the CL train station. Inside has great atmosphere too. Much better than the old General Store location. read more

Nice servers, handy location, great turkey club, some of the best fried pickles I've ever had. The tacos were "meh", but everything else was good. read more

Would recommend for sure. Meats had good smoke yet still moist. Had the brisket sandwich and Nancy had two different tacos- great presentations and ingredient builds Cocktail and wine hit the spot as well. Good service and ambience One note- this is not typical smokehouse menu where one could order different meat platters, there are just fixed options. We knew this going in so no issues. read more

Moontime Smokin' Que - Brisket sandwich, cucumber side - Barbeque Near Me - Crystal Lake, Illinois

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Ordered here as a carry out. Food was fantastic. Briskets and the ribs were both on point. Curds are out of the world and would compete on the other side of the cheddar curtain aka Wisconsin. Get the Mac and cheese as well. I would like to offer up some constructive criticism. You need to include a little more bbq sauce. The little tiny cups don't cut it. Also, please also increase the size of the side. That cucumber salad was almost a shot glass. Plus, offer a 12 or 16 oz side as an option. For sure, stop by and get some bbq here. read more

This is the best BBQ joint in the area, hands down. Everything just phenomenal and good portions. The Pulled Pork sandwiches and the pulled pork mashed potato dish were both fantastic ONLY GRIPE: baked beans were just plain bad. Bland, not sweet, no spice. Just dump some of your sauce in that pot until theyre good boys, BBQ joint should have good baked beans. read more

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Really good brisket burger. Above average mac and cheese. I'm really interested to try their ribs or other BBQ, and this review will definitely be updated when I come back. It opened around 2022 read more

Pretty good! Tried this BBQ place after not finding a spot at Duke's (which somehow always seems to never have a table open despite every time we go there half the restaurant is empty). Anyhow we enjoyed this place. Service was friendly, and we were seated promptly. I tried the ribs which were quite tasty - good portion, I couldn't finish it and husband even tried one. I brought the rib bones back for my dachshunds and they gave four paws up each! :) Husband got the brisket Mac and cheese - he felt the brisket was a little dry but overall good! Curds were tasty as well. The staff was friendly. Restaurant is very reasonable. Pricing is very reasonable also. Parking is by the lot next to the train station. Would recommend! read more

Moontime Smokin' Que - Barbeque Near Me - Crystal Lake, Illinois

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Great food, awsome staff. We came in later on a Friday afternoon lunch hour, got a hi-top. Was greeted and serverd in a timley manner. The atmosphere is very cool. Fantastic basket of fried pickles was next. Most places send out 10-12 peices. After we ate the pickle app we were almost full! The next item was lunch. Ordered the brisket grill cheese and pulled pork sandwich. Both were out of this world. The cucumber salad is a great side. Highly reccomend it. The sauces served along side of our sandwiches were really good too! Can't wait to go back! read more

Moontime Smokin' Que - Fried Pickles - Barbeque Near Me - Crystal Lake, Illinois

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Small menu with things done right! Great drink and beer selection. Food was fresh and prepared well. Purchased the Mac and cheese bowl with pulled pork, very good dish, would have been great to have the option of some steamed veggies mixed in. The pulled pork was juicy and very flavorful, I selected the Carolina sauce on the side and it was fantastic, but I was told by some of the regulars at the bar that the Blueberry chipotle sauce was very tasty also. We also ordered a brisket sandwich and the corn chowder both excellent dishes, The chowder was creamy and packed with flavor only wish we could have gotten a smaller portion, the brisket sandwich paired with the original sauce and French fries was an excellent choice and would have again. Nice clean place, has bar seating that I prefer with good selection of beer and a list of suggested drinks and beers. Bartender although I did not get her name was very knowledgeable and friendly. I again say the place was clean and the bathrooms were the best I have seen in a restaurant in a very long time. Yes it makes a difference and thank you. Bonus I got the pleasure to meet the owners Mother who was in to watch the final 4 game and have a bite to eat. read more

Found this little place when looking for a bite to eat. As soon as you walk in you can smell the BBQ, makes your taste buds churn. Ordered the Pulled pork sandwich with coleslaw and was very pleased. The beer was great and the service was fantastic. Would go back again. read more

Best BBQ I've ever tasted. Love the tacos both brisket and pork! The chicken corn chowder is the bomb!! All 3 homemade bbq sauces are amazing! read more

Really good little spot off of Crystal Lake's Main Street. I had the brisket grilled cheese - big sandwich! Brisket was a little more smoky than I prefer it, but still so good. Has the blueberry bbq dipping sauce and that was top notch!! Service was super friendly, I sat at the bar and it wasn't crowded so everyone just chit chatted. Ambience is nice, seating was comfy. I'll definitely be back. read more

You may never expect to get BBQ like this when you see the location. In the corner of the Ralph's General Store, this hidden gem is nailing it with a real deal smoker out back. I have had BBQ in Texas, Carolinas, and top spots in Chicago and this ranks up there with the very best. Our order included the "stupid good" moonrib sandwich and the chipotle chicken club sandwich. Both were perfectly put together sandwiches with the right balance of everything. Meat had the right amount of smokiness and a great bark. Meat melts in your mouth. We will be returning many many times for the different menus and the great creations made here. AWESOME SPOT! read more

Moontime Smokin' Que - "Stupid Good" Moonrib Sandwich. - Barbeque Near Me - Crystal Lake, Illinois

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Decided to check out Moontime Smokin' Que by accident yesterday. We had plans to get some takeout from 1776 Restaurant but they were at capacity for both dine-in and takeout. This is completely understandable with the labor shortages we are facing today. I quickly opened up my trusty Yelp app and found Moontime Smokin' Que. This restaurant fit the bill perfectly because we haven't ate here yet and wanted to try something new. So here we go... Glancing through the menu my usual go to for a bbq joint are the ribs but tonight I wanted to switch things up and I decided to go with the brisket sandwich with french fries and I had to try their baked beans. My wife went with the cuban sandwich and even without her telling me what her order was going to be I knew exactly that she was going to get that sandwich. She paired this with their mac 'n cheese and ordered the cheese curds appetizer. When my wife arrived home with our food it was nicely packaged with no spills and everything was still nice and warm. Nothing is worse than cold fries. Am I right? Well, there are far worse things but who in their right mind enjoys eating cold fries? I sure don't! My wife tells me, "I wasn't sure what kind of BBQ sauce you wanted, so they gave you three kinds to try." I'm a big fan of sauces and I really enjoy trying different sauces with my foods. The three sauces that came with my sandwich includes their classic bbq, honey pepper, and their signature blueberry chipotle bbq sauce. My eyes lit up with excitement as I was intrigued to say the least to try their signature sauce. It's either going to be really good or it's going to taste like cold fries, *see what I did there :) The first thing I tried was the cheese curds and they paired with a ranch dipping sauce. It was good, warm, gooey, and crunchy on the outside. Perfectly cook. Next up were the baked beans and those were delicious. Then I wanted to try the sauces and my method of attack was to just take a plain french fry and dip it in each sauce. Now they didn't label any of the sauces and I feel after having close to 40 years of eating experience and over a decade of training under an executive chef, I would be able to clearly label each sauce. And I did with ease. The classic bbq is that of any bbq sauce and it was good. The honey pepper has a hint of spice and not over bearing and their is subtle hints of honey as well and also not over bearing, both flavors balanced perfectly. And last up was the pièce de résistance, the signature sauce, what they were known for, the blueberry chipotle bbq sauce. BOY I tell ya what, this sauce rocks your socks! I'm a big fan of complex flavors, unique flavors, and to do it right it's gotta be balanced correctly and Moontime Smokin' Que, really hit a home run with this sauce. The sauce has a nice hint of blueberry that's as the forefront of the tasting experience and then gradually glides into the chipotle flavor. I took my brisket sandwich and I found myself dunking and dosing the sandwich in all three sauces as I was taking bites of each one. The brisket sandwich was again, delicious and full of flavor and the meat wasn't dry the bread was soft on the outside but had a nice crunchy ring around the inside edge. It's those little attention to detail that makes all the difference to me. After trying my dish I had to try my wife's cuban sandwich and her mac 'n cheese and we both agreed that everything was really good and it wasn't an attempt to make a cuban sandwich. They actually made a real cuban sandwich with ham and pork roast and the bun being cooked using a panini maker. I was super glad 1776 restaurant was booked to capacity because it gave me a chance to try this wonderful restaurant for the very first time and I'm glad I did. MSQ is a great restaurant with great food and their attention to details and unique sauces are a pleasure in the Crystal Lake area. So what are you waiting for? Go give them a try and make sure to try all three sauces to see which one you like the best! read more

Everything I've eaten off the menu is delicious. The cheese curds are amazing. Very clean and great service. Highly recommend!

This place is very tasty. I came to Crystal Lake from central Texas to visit family, the home of BBQ, and I can say this place is as good if not better than a lot of places there. I had the pork ribs and my wife had the Cuban Sandwich. The ribs were well seasoned and had just a little bit of tang from the BBQ sauce. The BBQ sauce was heavy on the Molasses but it was on the side and honestly it doesn't need it. The meat was juicy enough as is. The Cuban sandwich just sings with the pulled pork. They only sell brisket by the pound and I didn't want to take any home but the waiter was able to get me a nice side of brisket. I was genuinely surprised how moist and juicy that brisket was. Also my ribs came with house made potato chips which just was icing on the cake. I would say that if this was in Central Texas it could definitely be added to the rotation. Hope this place does well when I come back. read more

Wow!!! Finally, great BBQ in the area. Everything was really tasty and the selection had something for everyone. Pricing was great and the service was quick and attentive. Highly recommend!!! read more