We saw, we ate and then we ate some more and then toddled back home! Well there was nothing much else to do - and it started raining! So my bf and I huddled under an awning, me making a-goo sounds @ this beautiful baby and drinking beer! But really the ribs were good and there is something soooo fun about liking your fingers clean after eating some meat off the bone and yummy funnel cake (I only eat funnel cake @ street fests - otherwise I would weight like 2000lbs)! My fist visit to the Ribfest, Chicago but I am sure I will be checking out the next one ;-) read more

Ribfest Chicago has it all. Ribs, beer, ice cream, ribs, various vendors, pineapple drinks, amazing live music, and ribs. I highly recommend that you try the ribs. It also is home to "Ribmania" which is a professional competitive eating contest hosted by Major League Eating. You know those guys from the Nathan's hot dog contest? Them. The big dogs. The pros. And they even hold an amateur contest the day before so someone can win a seat at the table. Not only that, Northcenter Chamber of Commerce uses the festival as a fundraiser to support local things like education. You just can't beat that. I've been going for the last 3 years. I love it. I'll be there every time. Someone start cooking the ribs. read more

Ribfest sucks. it is the worst system ever. You go to a stand to buy food, after waiting in line 10 minutes they tell you you need to go buy tickets so push through the crowds and go half mile this way, wait in line another 10 minutes, buy tickets, come back , wait in line again to buy some ribs... and if you bought more tickets than you can spend, guess what... your money is wasted cause you cannot return unused ticket currency. This is super inefficient crazy-ass backwards system.. no other festival puts you through this crap. I won't be back. read more

RIBFEST did not disappoint, let me tell you!!! My only thing is that it could get pricey!! There should be more sample size portions so we can make through the entire Fest and have a chance to try different options. I made it to as many places that my stomach could handle and ate myself silly. If you missed it, you missed a good time and should plan to come next year. read more

My fiance asked me why I never went to Ribfest. My answer was that it is usually held on the same weekend as the Andersonville fest (which I love), so why mess with a good thing. After yesterday's Ribfest visit, I will never go back again. Why are you selling tickets instead of having people pay cash for food and beer? The line for tickets was a block and a half long. You are not the taste of Chicago. You don't have 3 acres of space to work with. After wasting a half hour to walk a half of a block, we found a side exit and got the hell out of dodge. I'm glad that we got the chance to pay the good people of Lincoln Square $10. Maybe now they can finally build another Starbucks that they desperately need. Maybe a Pottery Barn. I love street fairs, I love crowds, but the people who put this thing together are mental midgets. I have lived in this area for all but 5 years of my life, and I don't care if you lace your ribs in 14k Gold, I will never go back to your minor league street festival. read more

This was my inaugural visit to Ribfest, and I actually went twice today. First I went around 1:00 pm, and I had a really good time, it wasn't too crowded. Part of me wishes there were more bbq vendors, but part of me is glad there wasn't because I don't think I could possibly have eaten any more. The day visit would get four stars. I went back in the evening with different friends and it was a giant clusterf*ck of far too many people I could hardly walk. Some food lines barely moved, and several places were out of ribs. (some places would be getting more later, some didn't say so) wtf? poor planning folks. at 7:00 on Sat night you should have plenty left! So the night visit would get 2.5 stars. In addition to ribs, Tiztal was there (with their oatmeal shakes and with free smoothie samples, yum), as were Greek, Chinese, Polish and some other vendors, which at first I thought was weird but I appreciate the options for those who might OD on ribs. There was also a place that sold vegan ribs that one of my compadres seemed to enjoy. Also, there were plenty of options for sweets--ice cream, malteds, cheesecake bites, gelato, and fried twinkies and candy bars.Chicago gluttony at its finest! I didn't really stop and listen to any of the bands, but they sounded pretty good and were at a tolerable level. read more

Get's packed so get there early. There are plenty of good eats around. ONe of the things I was suprised to find here were the fried twinkies and fried snickers. Almost reminded me of the Texas fair will those fried eats. Just need to add other fried objects. Good music and fun environment to enjoy yourself. Probably the best place to something to eat this year is Smoke Daddy's It has the sauce and the meat. Surprisingly up on my list of eats were the Vegan ribs which weren't to bad and something different. read more

This is my first time going and it was awesome! My mom and I walked around for a bit and of course it's crowded. What do you expect. Anyways my mom got a sampler(I forgot which booth) and she loved it. I got this mac & cheese with pulled pork on top and BBQ sauce and I have to say it was Amazing lol. I'm not a mac & cheese fan but this was delicious and creamy and I put Texas BBQ on in and it had a little spice but still delicious and was able to handle it. On the way out I got Dinky Doughnuts and it comes with like 8 little ones in a bag and you can choose which kind of cinnamon you want. A couple hours later it was still super soft and tasty. I want some more of those lol. Oh and also when you first go in it's suggested that you give a $5 donation. They have a kids section with games and rides and vendors selling stuff and whatnot intermingled between rib and food vendors. Overall great fest and would come again next year. read more

Really enjoyed my day here. Lots of vendors (I love my little safety pin watch!), easy access to beers and food make this the best street festival I've been to so far. You still have to buy tickets to purchase food/beverages (I don't get that), but the pricing is pretty much the same across the board for the BBQ tastings. Some places ran out of ribs as early as 3:00pm (Brown Trout) which was disappointing, so if you're really into trying everything, earlier is probably better than later. And, last but not least, I heart my yelp tote bag and button that I got by stopping by the yelp booth :-) read more

The only reason this shitty fest even gets 2 stars is that they have a shit ton of ribs!! Ribs=happiness. Being at this fest = Misery. Remind me next year to never pay for a street fest that uses tickets in order to get food and beers. I'm not paying to stand in different lines all day, predict how much I am going to eat and drink before hand and then just get bottlenecked when trying to traverse the crowd. And since everyone comes in the 4 or so entrances and this place isn't nearly wide enough, DO NOT ALLOW IN PEOPLE WITH DOUBLE WIDE STROLLERS!!! People should be smart enough not to bring their 2 kids in a double wide but apparently not. So ya, pay $5 per person to get in, stand in line to get a bunch of tickets that you know you will never use, then stand in the beer line, then be informed you have to go stand in another line to get a drink bracelet (as if that couldn't possibly be taken care of in any other line) then go back and stand in the beer line again, get half your beer spilled by the immoveable crowd, stand in yet another line for your food while being pushed around due to the massive crowd, before you get your food and then try to get through that crowd again with your food and half spilled beer to find one space of dirty sidewalk to eat your then cold food. And then there is yet another line to stand in when you have to go pee. And not to be racist or a Reggie White who says Jews are good at banking but this year all the BBQ vendors were white, aside from the Korean BBQ place...Which isn't technically even the traditional American BBQ as we know it even though I do love Korean BBQ...And I am glad they were there. But it's kind of like hipsters from Wisconsin playing Bluegrass music...It's just not the same or authentic as the hillbilly with a washboard from the hills of Tennessee with no teeth. I sort of feel the same about ribs...What do a bunch of white guys from Wisconsin know about BBQ ribs?? This is a food that originated in the south and I don't think too many white guys from Wisconsin have roots in the south...Not that I have any proof that all the vendors were from Wisconsin... But you don't see people from the Delta trying to brew German beers so why do we have the reverse happening with BBQ...I would just prefer to keep it real is all I am saying. Like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPkMUU9tUqk I went to Midsommarfest in Andersonville this weekend too and had no such problems there...No ticket line, no bracelet line, no TICKETS PERIOD. Which means, when I was done, I could just go home and not worry about wasting the $5 in tickets. I will gladly pay $5 for Midsommarfest next year or any other fest that does not require tickets, such as Do Division. But, if I even go to Mayfest or Ribfest again, which I may not, I am definitely not paying them just to stand in a bunch of useless lines. This thing needs to be moved over to Irving Park or something with 4 lanes because there just isn't enough room for all the BBQ pits, stages, ticket and beer lines and all the idiots with double wide strollers eating the messiest food on the planet. I ate, spent the tickets I had and got the fuck out of there as fast as possible! Next year if I decide I need ribs, I will just go to Smoque and then go hang out at Midsommarfest. Or better yet, walk to Fireside from my house, eat their ribs and then walk to Midsommarfest where I don't spend the entire day in a line and trying to keep track of how many beers I can get with the tickets I have left. Oh, and if you do go, ride your bike or take public transportation because there is no parking. read more

I hoofed it all the way from Naperville to check out Ribfest this year. Alright, well, I didn't entirely hoof it, but instead went from train to L to get my BBQ on. It was fun, entirely too hot when you add in the smokers, but fun. What wasn't so fun: the $5 "suggested" donation to get in. I'm not entirely convinced it was suggested as the man taking money glared at me to take the cash out of my wallet (I was especially thrilled when I noticed people just walking in at the other gate without the hassle later on). I felt obligated to pay it only to be dumbfounded by ticket price shock. $1 a ticket is fine but when a 3 rib sampler costs you $6, the day begins to escalate from casual treat to expensive. If I'm going to drop $50+ on a couple hours of fun, I'd prefer not to be surrounded by smokey, sweaty yahoos, especially the kind that stand in the middle of the walk way in their group of ten staring blankly at the menu that looks identical to the rib stand proceeding it. There were definitely some good ribs and definitely some joints that probably should have stayed at home. Don't let this review fool you, I really did enjoy myself. I'd probably go back next year provided the event coordinators reconsider their price tags and consider including some alternate booths that provide more than deep-fried snickers and bacon on a stick. After a few of those $6 rib samplers, the last thing I want is a potential heart-attack. read more

I'm going on my 8th year living in Chicago and lets be honest some of these street fests can start to blend together after awhile. It's often the same vendors and the same four or so cover bands that play every fest. The nice thing about ribfest is that there are several restaurants that don't show up at every fest and it's a nice opportunity to try a lot of great local places without having to pay full price. Moreover, they have a lot of interesting local music acts, that for the most part, play their own songs. Don't get me wrong I like a good cover band, but I could go a couple summers without hearing "Don't stop believing" and be ok. I usually go on Friday night, when they open, and am able to walk right up to the ticket counter and buy tickets. Most of the vendors only take tickets (no cash) one ticket is a dollar. Ribs start at about 8 tickets, while beer's are 6 to 7 tickets. This year had a rib eating contests that was interrupted by animal right protestors, so you never know what kind of strange scenario you might run into. Good ribs, good music, and a tolerable price point, make Ribfest Chicago a four star event. read more

I thought the tickets were very expensive & portions way too small. A lot of booths also ran out of food.

My first time at Ribfest turned out great. Yes it's crowded so I don't see why people are complaining about that. It's a fest people. Do you expect the fest to only serve you? But I wouldn't of brought dogs to the fest. Leave them home because you see way too many biting incidents with dogs and big crowds. Now onto the food. I went to Q's ribs and ordered the half slab and the portions were huge. Probably the biggest ribs I've ever ate. This year's prices are 8 tickets for a sampler which is 3 ribs but for Q's that's almost like a half slab. 15 tickets for a half slab and I think 25 tickets for a full slab. Q's lets you add your own BBQ sauce which was either a spicy sauce or a sweet sauce. I got the spicy sauce and it was a good kick. Overall this was a fun fest. read more

Eh. Don't bother. Head to Naperville if you want to enjoy some good ribs. This fest is kind of a joke. Not many vendors, too many dogs, and there's an entry fee and not much entertainment. read more

My friends and I have been craving BBQ for a while now, so we came to Ribfest during the afternoon on Saturday ready to chow down on some ribs. With some beers and a list of last year's winners in hand, we strolled down the streets and the first winner we came across was Mrs. Murphy and Sons Irish Bistro. We saw that they won 1st last year for People's Choice and figured we couldn't go wrong, so we ordered a bunch of ribs to share and found a spot on the sidewalk so that we could fully enjoy our first BBQ experience of the day. After biting into my first rib, I thought I died and gone to hog heaven! The meat was so juicy and fall-off-the-bone and the BBQ sauce was thick and tangy. We all finished our ribs in a hot second and were ready to explore more stands. We also ate a tri-tip sandwich, pulled pork nachos, some sides, and 2 other ribs, but sadly nothing compared to good ol' Mrs. Murphy - we even got seconds as our last stop of the day! I now know where I'll be heading when I'm craving ribs, especially since I just found out that they won People's Choice this year for the 4th consecutive year in a row! Overall, I thought Ribfest was a really fun and delicious event and great start to the summer festival season in Chicago! read more

Ribfest Chicago - Mrs. Murphy's & Sons Irish Bistro. Yum!!! - Local Flavor Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I get that Chicago loves it some outdoor fests but this fest was just too crowded and I thought that a lot of the booths were unprepared for the crowds. 5 different booths were out of food for the next 45 minutes when I was there on Sunday afternoon. There's just no reason for that to happen when the weather was good all day. read more

It's been two days back home and finally out of my barbeque-induced coma. The question was it worth it and I would say heck yeah every bit of pork goodness. This festival has been going strong for the last fifteen years. It was my last day in the Windy City so I thought about end it with a bang. I went Sunday and it was crowded. The cost free with a suggested donation of $5 which went to the Northcenter Chamber of Commerce giving back to the community. Meal tickets were used at $1 each to purchase food and drinks (alcohol included). For the barbeque you could get a three bone sampler (4 to 5 tickets) or a meal (at least 8 tickets or more). Cool, I had a game plan to try as many samplers I can. There were about 16 barbeque vendors there, I made it to two. The first was local Smoke Daddy Rhythm and Barbeque it was the first tent going in and had the longest line. The second was Texas Thunder, from Amarillo Texas. I've seen Texas Thunder before featured on the Travel Channel and in mostly every major barbeque competition there is in the U.S. You know I had to try them out. Now deciding who was better I couldn't tell you they were both great so I couldn't decide and opted out voting. I was done with barbeque so I tried other things, one stand out was the firecracker from the Piggery. The firecracker are cheese-stuffed jalapenos wrapped in bacon and grilled. You had me at cheese and bacon. I could eat a bowl of those things they are so good, they weren't too spicy just a bit of a bite to it. Bonus, I got a sticker for a free cocktail from them cool since they were a 2 blocks away from the festival. Next, was the small donuts from Dinky Donuts, sorry guys they only available at venues like festivals. Nonetheless this little cake donuts are yummy I took two bags back with me on the trip back to Atlanta. This also gave me the opportunity to try some local beers, one stand out was Green Line. I'm not much of a beer drinker but this pale ale made me a fan, maybe they have it around somewhere in Atlanta *fingers crossed*. Only downside I had was just the crowds and those individuals who walk and just stop in the middle of the path causing a traffic jam. Yes, I know there so many choices and you're just overwhelmed by the vastness of tasty nom noms but please for the good of everybody keep it moving or move to the side. The other was the long lines at the meal tickets and age verification. Even with that it was still worth it and one of the best festivals I've been to. Now will I go back to Chicago for this, I'll get back on that. read more

First time going. All though the food was good, there was long wait for everything, not enough food vendors to keep up with the crowd. And the food was very pricy. One dollar for one ticket. 15 tickets got you a half slab of ribs. Meaning i paid 15 dollars for a half slab of ribs with no sides. The lines for the funnel cake was so long that i gave up in waiting. They did take credit cards for tickets. And Dr. Pepper did pass out free pops. Due to the stage of the band it was too loud to order at some places. They definitely need to expand the blocks of the ribfest and get more vendors. read more

Ribfest is pretty decent as far as Chicago fests go. I used to live above one of the buildings that is in the roped off fest area and they would ruin my life for that one weekend a summer. But even so, I do like to go check out their BBQ and good bands. The last two years, their headliners have been a lot better than you would expect a neighborhood fest to be able to pull (Heartless Bastards and this year Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.) but the other featured bands are also awesome (Warm Ones this year were great). The things it has common with EVERY Chicago festival are that it's overpriced and overcrowded, so I won't even get into that. And people who gripe about those things when reviewing festivals probably need a reality check. read more

Rib-fest is about 2 blocks from me, so we always made it a yearly tradition to go. Per usual street-fest standards, the prices for what you get are inflated but the smell of smoked meats made it worth it. We went this year and the prices have gone significantly up. A 3 rib sampler went from 6 dollars to 8. I'm sorry but there's no way i'm paying 8 dollars for 3 ribs. Not after I paid 5 to get in. You can easily just go to any of these restaurants and eat for significantly cheaper. While the food is delicious, I can't say we are as eager to get back there next year. read more

How many ribs is too many to eat in one day? Don't know, lost track. But all in all a great fest. A big crowd with good bands and a ton of local vendors. It would have been cool to see vendors from other areas travel up to show off their BBQ but I understand. Prices were above normal festival food but ribs cost more...and drinks were still the same price! Not a huge fan of the food & drink ticket system but at least they took credit card and the lines moved fast everywhere. I would say ribfest is a ribcess! read more

Dang it....What happened to Ribfest this year? I am a neighborhood local and sooo look forward to this festival every year. Outside of over-indulging in heavy beer at Lincoln Square's Maifest, this is my kick-off to the Chicago festival season. However, this year may have been my last. I don't know what happened this year, but something was seriously wrong with the fest in 2013. Pay $5 at 7:00pm to only find out that almost everyone is sold out of ribs??? I did not pay for a "pulled chicken" festival. I was bummed on Saturday that most places were sold out by early evening. I am talking 7-8pm, not 9-10pm. The real kicker is that I tried going back on Sunday evening and the same thing happened, but to a worse degree.(Even more vendors were sold out by 8pm.) Was there a new rule or was this just bad planning? I did not notice it to be any more crowded this year than in years past. I can only ask again, what happened? Also, this is a ribfest, right??? I was really disappointed at the number of RIB vendors this year as well. Seemed a lot easier to find "Fried Something" than it was to find ribs. I was joined by friends who all felt the same way, so I am not alone in this perception. Maybe I am just bitter that no one had ribs in the evenings. I also agree with other reviews that the layout of this festival is one that needs to be reviewed. There are so many bottleneck areas in this festival and those seem to be focused around the ticket booths, beer tents and more popular rib places. There has to be a redesign of these booths. The beer tents stick out several feet farther than other booths and that adds to the problem. Is there something to consider with the middle-of-the-street setup of Midsommer Fest in Andersonville? This really just needs to be addressed cause it does nothing more than promote frustration and limit sales of product, because people can't get to the product. Sorry this review is mostly negative, but I just can't seem to find anything positive about it this year. P.S. The announcer of Rib Mania has been the cause some personal post-traumatic episodes since Friday. That is a whole other review in and among itself. Lord help us all with him. The Michael Jackson joke bombed and yep....it was too soon! read more

Crowded, disappointing and expensive ribs. Seemed all the ribs were about the same - slapped on the grill with the only difference being how much vinegar was in the sauce. Where's the smoke? Where are the pitmasters lovingly crafting meat perfection rather than just treating it like another day in the kitchen? Oh, and for next year, PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION...c'mon, did you REALLY have to drive and take up all the parking spots on my street? Quit being so lazy and throw some love toward the CTA... read more

Let down this year. This is a yearly event for me. This time I didn't get to the fest until Sunday night after 6, due to work. Was still SUPER CROWDED, places were running out of ribs, and lines were still not moving. Hopefully next year is better. read more

So, I've been reading everyone's reviews and I'm a little perplexed as to how anyone could possibly have anything negative to say about Ribfest Chicago? I attended Ribfest both days and absolutely had a blast! I can honestly say that this is by far my FAVORITE festival in the entire city!!! To all the folks that clearly live under a rock, answer me this....have you ever gone to any festival and: 1. Not had to weave throughout a street full of people (hence the title street festival)? 2. Not had to wait in line for reasonably priced beer, tickets or food? 3. Not had to make a donation upon entry? Yea, I didn't think so. That's what makes a street festival a street festival and if you can't hack it, then maybe you shouldn't attend them? In my experience, I thought that the food and beer were all priced very reasonably and I love the fact that I never had to wait too long at any point for a drink....that ROCKED! (they must have spent a lot of time training their volunteers so well....it paid off!) I also loved making my way from one end of event to the other and didn't mind all the people...that's what makes it fun. Due to the area, its a great mix of people minus all the yuppie trixies that tend to clutter events in Lincoln Park. And, it never hurts making a donation to support a good cause, like a chamber of commerce, that supports such a great neighborhood (and I don't even live there). So all you haters, step off! You can't beat all the great food, totally rockin bands and unbeatable atmosphere that Ribfest offers. And to all the people who organized this event, job well done and keep up the good work. The only thing I would suggest is to add another block, you can never have too much of a good thing! P.S. Even though I didn't really spend any time there, they also have a whole section just for kids, which makes the event very family friendly. Very Cool! read more

I love me some ribs. I generally like neighborhood street fairs. Partner and I walked in at the north end of this event Sunday PM and through the miracle of peristalsis found ourselves at the bus top on Irving. As we were propelled past the rib vendors (the aromas from which I found tantalizing) the long lines were disappointing. I didn't notice any open spaces to sit and enjoy some messy ribs whilst listening to the music. Oh well...we supported the neighborhood with our $10. read more

I felt like this was the taste of chicago just smaller minus the ghetto kids. I just don't understand why people would bring babies, kids, strollers, and dogs! It's just wayyyy to crowded and I would never bring my kids (if I had any) here. Let's get to the food! Tried 2 samples of ribs, a pulled pork slider, and a fried snicker. It all cost $20. Kind of pricey don't ya think? I can't remember where the slider was from, but it was awesome! The fried snicker was a big let down. I did not like the batter at all. I guess rib fest was ok. See ya next year! read more

If you have not experienced it, you must go! Yes, it is very crowded, there are grills everywhere...then again it is called Ribfest, right? Right! Best advise I can give is to get in, eat and drink and get out. If you decide to stick around, and listen to the music people watching is highly encouraged ;-) read more

All I will say is that if you REALLY like eating RIBS, you should go to the Naperville Rib Fest (Naperville, IL starting 7/2-7/5). Umm... the ice cream stand was good.... OK, it was not THAT bad.... the ribs were OK. There was no where to sit and it was too crowded. The only thing good that I enjoyed was the company of my friends. read more

Well... what can I say except year after year they continue to make you buy tickets which is hassle and strike one still. Every ticket is a $1 and almost all the samplers are 6 tickets. 6 tickets for a 3 bone sampler is EXPENSIVE and strike two. FYI full slab is 20 tickets. There is a $5 suggested donation...which they are really persistent in getting by the way. Other than those things the ribs are AMAZING and a great time for friends and food. read more

One of my friends coined it perfectly: "Is this BABY fest?!" Seriously--a narrow street, lots of people, and you brought your strollers? I think I still have some ankle bruises from this year's fest. read more

Live music, streets filled with meat, friendly neighborhood people, and beer! What's not to like? Well... it's crowded, the lines are long, and it's a little expensive. I got a 1/2 rack from Chicago BBQ and it was pretty delicious, however. Good sides, good ribs, good fun! Try to go between lunch and dinner times (3ish?) to try and beat the crowds. read more

Let's get this out of the way: I hate street festivals. Hate them. I hate the huge crowds of drunken d-bags from Lincoln Park who gravitate to them like flies to manure. Ribfest in particular seems to draw out some of the worst that the city has to offer. It's crowded, you'll get pushed, you'll get beer spilled on you, and you can't take two steps without hearing a homophobic or racial slur. The layout of the festival does not help at all- there are way too many booths (and this year one ENORMOUS Playstation truck) packed into too small of a space. Also, the prices are a little high for my taste. But, there are ribs. Tons of ribs, and I can forgive most of the above mentioned sins after a taste of delicious, smoky ribs. I mean, not all of the ribs are delicious. Most are mediocre at best, but the good ones, the good ribs make dealing with all of the pushing and douchebaggery worth it. read more

It wasn't "pushing through a crowd", because you could push as hard as you wanted an' yo' ass wasn't getting anywhere. I'm not closterphobic, but this event made me want to run and hide. Also, the food=violent pooping for hours on end. read more

Seriously good ribs abound. I thought Corner 41 had the best sauce, but Mrs. Murphy's had the most tender fall-off-the-bone ribs. They just melted in your mouth, if pork can do such a thing. The only real downside is that there are so many people it can be tough to move around, and some of the food lines are really long. And people with small kids in strollers - just leave them at home. You take up way too much space and then you just stop in the middle of the street and nobody can go around you. Its really unecessary. read more

I enjoyed myself for the most part. I liken this event to a mini Taste of Chicago with a barbecue theme. At $1 per ticket, it was a bit on the pricey side to me. Samplers went for 6-8 tickets . My favorite ribs were from Chicago Barbecue which is known as Giovanni's at home in the suburbs. It was seasoned just right and not hidden under a mountain of sauce. I tried the maple bacon gelato from Black Dog-F!@#$%^ DELICIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!! I had some more stuff but those two stood out. read more

I'm insanely jealous of community spirit like this. Ribfest is packed with people who are stuffed with meat and have big greasy smiles. I consumed ribs, rib tips, pulled pork, lamb, corn, and chili until I was so full I had to lay down on the concrete in the shade. I washed all that smokey salty goodness down with several root beers from there old fashioned gigantic barrel at one end of the rib walk. It can add up if you have a big appetite, but there aren't many opportunities to walk a sunny strip with friends, listen to live music, and eat as much bbq as your will allows. Definitely a great time. read more

I think this festival is great value- for $20 I sampled 5 of the 11 rib joints on offer and had a smoothie on the side. By the end I was uncomfortably full & very, very satiated to boot. My vote goes for Gale Street in- tender juicy ribs with a sauce that wasn't too sweet or too tomatoey. A number of Chicago's classic rib joints were conspicuously absent though- what gives? While there were beer tents and live music for adults, there seemed to be a lot to do for kids and a lot of families about too. read more

I haven't been back in a few years but five years ago this was the most awesome party vibe music etc. I am going this year and I'll post a review. Gale Street is NOT the best ribber by the way!! read more