Chicago Q Reviews

Amazing BBQ sauces; weird service people. Great bbq pork, pretty good ribs, ok bbq chicken... Place is upscale bbq and quality of sauce is awesome but a little "pharmaceutical clean room.". Need to loosen up a bit.

Awesome!!! Great food...the cornbread was amazing and the brisket meatballs and corn grits were out of this world!!!

This was our first Chicago q experience ... and we are admittedly BBQ snobs, but hands down this is the best BBQ in Chicago. Our table ordered the brisket, chicken, ribs and salmon. All were outstanding. And the potato chips, pickles and hash browns were a great way to kick things off. Great "Savannnah-style" atmosphere and the service was outstanding from beginning to end. The price is right, especially given the quality of the food and service. We will be back!

Fantastic flavorful food. Not overly salty or sweet. Everything was perfect. Bbq, slaw, cornbread with maple syrup butter and Mac and cheese. Nothing was overdone. S very flavorful without too much salt or sugar. Run here. Service great and had a wonderful meal. Surprised by quality. The bar entrance looks small but seating is in back by kitchen and would go back in a second.

I've had a lot of Texas BBQ so I know the cuisine. The restaurant itself was newly redone and nice, but they refused to reduce the air conditioning and we froze. Each item we ordered looked properly prepared and delicious, but had obviously been made hours ago, or maybe even leftover from the day before. Large chunks of corn bread and Pat's of butter on top-not melting.They were dry inside, as were the burnt ends. They should only be frisky on the outside. The ribs were were hard and the meat unchewable. Our entire dinner would have been good 12 hours ago. Too bad because there were 10 of us for a family get together.

Nice enough place , food was ok , but pretty standard barbecue fare at an expensive price . The alligator bites were so salty and highly seasoned as to be close to inedible . Wine prices are eye watering for unexceptional stuff . I wouldn’t rush back .

Started the evening with some difficulty locating the restaurant as it didn't look like a typical BBQ restaurant from the outcome. Once in we were very quickly shown to our table despite being almost an hour early. The interior made us feel like we were dining in someone's home. Service was efficient and friendly. Loved the pickled cucumbers and chips that started us off. We shared a starter of the steak wedged salad. It was pretty good, the chunks of grilled steak added to the salad evoked the experience of an old fashioned steakhouse meal. We also shared a combination plate with links, meatballs, baby back ribs, brisket, pulled pork and chicken. It was plenty. The flavors were full and the meat cooked to perfection. Hardly needed to add any of the 4 sauces that were provided.

Great higher end BBQ! Lovely atmosphere, great service AND food excellent. LARGE portions. Had the ribs. Was with a large group, all food was delish. Would highly recommend for a great evening. Priced right, service and all was good.

Tucked into a quiet spot on Dearborn, Chicago Q is a great place for lunch. The service is excellent, and the food is delicious. I was pleasantly surprised by the sweet pickles and house-made chips. My order was the Prime Brisket sandwich on brioche. The beef was tender, moist, and smoky and served in generous chunks. A sweet barbecue sauce and a spicy version were served on the sides. The fries were nicely seasoned, and the baked beans had nice meaty bits. I ended up eating half in the restaurant and took the rest back to the hotel. It was a great late night snack. Next time I'm in the area, I'll enjoy Chicago Q again, for sure.

Food good, not great. Service was lethargic, with no desire to do more than necessary and only what was necessary to get the job done.

Waitress recommended the competition ribs. They did not disappoint. Everyone at the table the happy with what they ordered. I would definitely come back.

Dined at Chicago Q on a couples night out. Atmosphere was quite nice with the bar area, raised seating, and standard table and booth seating. The house made BBQ chips and bread and butter pickles were a great start. Ordered the Q3 with half a chicken, sliced brisket, and pulled pork. The chicken was smoked and as moist as could be with great flavor. The brisket was cooked to perfection and topped with just a little Sweet BBQ sauce. The pulled pork was awesome and even got lucky to have a little burnt ends! Ordered the Mannequin Chardonnay and that was a hit as well. Great job Q!

In Chicago for a few days with work and asked for recommendations - this was one. Arrived mid-evening on a Monday and was quiet, so seated promptly and given the choice of restaurant or bar, and we chose bar. High tables, good couple of beer choices and some great food. Complimentary crisps and pickles, good fried green tomatoes and excellent St Louis ribs. My side of 'slaw was good, fresh and crisp and my friend's mac n cheese looked great. Will now recommend to others.

The atmosphere here is cozy yet light and the main dining area has a very airy and southern feel to it. I prefer to sit in the bar to eat at night and the main dining area during the day. The Q3 is my favorite and provides enough variety to satiate my BBQ craving! I also love the side of beans and the hushpuppies are delicious! The pickles and BBQ chips to start are SO GOOD, but very addicting and could fill you up before your meal if you're not careful. In the summer, the outdoor patio is so cute and comfortable with big white umbrellas and padded seating and lots of pillows.

Great service, good customer experiences, people very friendly taking care of all your questions. Menu is good on food and wines, friendly and complicity ambient... will come back at first chance.

Chicago is known for its steakhouses, hot dog stands and pizza parlors, not its barbecue joints. So pitmaster Art Smith, the critically acclaimed celebrity chef who was Oprah Winfrey's personal day-to-day chef for 10 years, came up with a new concept when it opened Chicago Q in 2010. He has brought house-smoked southern barbecue to Chicago by serving regional recipes from the Carolinas, Texas, Missouri and Tennessee. Located at 1160 North Dearborn Street, a few steps south of Division Street, Chicago Q isn't your ordinary barbecue joint. And Art Smith isn't your ordinary pitmaster. Have you tried his special Pit Boss Platter, which consists of a hot link, pulled pork, three ribs, prime brisket and pulled chicken? With potato salad and baked beans? On our most recent visit, I couldn't resist. My wife was tempted to order a half-rack of St. Louis ribs but settled for grilled salmon with brussel sprouts. For starters, we had brisket meatballs with parmesan and grits, prime brisket burnt ends with coleslaw and a Cobb salad with chicken, bacon, hard-boiled egg, avocado, bleu cheese and red wine vinaigrette. For dessert, we shared slices of chocolate mousse pie and chocolate cake a la mode. It won't be long and pitmasters in Austin, Kansas City, St. Louis and Memphis will be stealing some of Art Smith's recipes.

Ten of us went out after a long work day. Think we orders most of the menu! Ribs were great. As was the brisket and pulled pork. Had almost all sides! Loved the brisket beans and the mac n cheese!

Dropped our daughter off to her junior year of college on August 19, 2018. Since it was a Sunday, they had a brunch, it didn’t disappoint!

Food was great, staff acted like they hated life. It was way more upscale then what a normal BBQ place is like. They did have all kinds of whiskey and bourbon. But the attitude of the staff was " Were too cool" which is weird because at most BBQ places the atmosphere is laid back and down to earth.

The place has a great ambiance and the food is amazing. I had the beef brisket and my wife had the slider trio. The rub they use is delicious and the smoking is to perfection. My Brother in law had the St Louis style ribs and they were fall off the bone delicious. The cocktails are also very interesting. My wife and I split the number 1 with a Bulleit, which is a good tip. The cocktail comes in a small pitcher and the waitress described it as a cocktail and a half but it is easily 2 if not 3. I'm not a bourbon fan but this was very good.

The team of 5 had the platter and 3 sides with 2 appetisers which was enough room for desserts. The cakes that came out between the 5 of us we could not finish half of the carrot and chocolate cakes. The cakes are very recommended asking with the alligator appetisers were the highlights of a very good dinner. Highly recommended. d-o

What a wonderful find. Mimosa's, complementary delicious pickles and homemade chips, outstanding service. Chicken and biscuit with gravy was delicious. Gave moms a flower and goodie bag with 2 chocolate chip cookies and a small jar of their meat rub. Awesome experience.

We had no idea this was an Art Smith restaurant when we walked in.....we were just in the mood for BBQ. What an amazing find! The food was incredible and the service was just right. You know the right blend of attentiveness without hovering or intruding. Oh and the BBQ......oh man the BBQ, so very yummy! The rack of ribs....is a real rack of ribs. So many places now give you 6-8 ribs and call it a rack.....this is a FULL rack. You should really consider sharing! They serve 4 styles of BBQ sauce but our ribs were so good we hardly touched them. The food isn't inexpensive but it is totally worth it.

I was looking forward to tasting the ribs at Q having read all the good reviews. I make my own ribs at home, slow braised for 4 hours until falling off the bone then grilled to achieve browning and charred crispiness on the outside. I also make my own BBQ sauce from scratch. I was excited to treat myself to ribs cooked by pros. While we had an enjoyable dinner with ribs that were tasty and respectable, I don't think they are anything to rave about beyond that. For 2 people, we shared a full slab of baby back with the so-called competition sauce (costs $5 more than the regular version), honey corn bread, and a side order of brussels sprouts. The ribs were on the dry and tough side. You get to try 4 different sauces, which was fun, I liked the spicy sauce best, it was tasty but again nothing special. The honey corn bread was overly sweet for me and lacking in corn flavor. My fave item were the bread and butter pickles, they tasted house-made and were delish. My least fave item were the brussels sprouts, they has no flavor at all and were under-cooked, also pricey at $8 for a side portion. Total bill with 2 beers, tax and tip came up to $75.

We visited at lunch and had two of the lunch specials. While we were waiting we munched on complimentary home-made potato chips with an addictive BBQ coating. They also provide complimentary pickle slices which we did not try. The ribs and pulled pork combo came with 4 good sized ribs and a mound of pulled pork. Both were very tender and tasty. It came with cornbread and coleslaw. Both were good, but not outstanding. The other lunch special was the brisket sandwich. It also was very tender, moist and tasty, and came with a big serving of fries. They serve 4 different sauces on the side: a mild BBQ sauce, a spicy one, a vinegar based sauce, and a mustard based one. We tried just the mild BBQ and were happy with it. The service was very good throughout the meal: quick, attentive and friendly. One slight drawback was the price of our soft drinks. $3 for an 8 ounce bottle is a bit much. Still, the overall experience was enjoyable and we plan to go back.

One of my fav monthly stops in Chicago. Great food across the board from the apps to the brisket and pulled pork. Cute house-style setting in the heart of Gold Coast. The service is sometimes average but usually great. Highly recommended if you're walking around GC area

We stumbled upon this restaurant by chance. . . as Texans, we weren't necessarily looking for a Barbecue place in Chicago. . . especially for brunch! But it was raining and we were nearby so we gave it a shot and I am SO glad we did! The decor was beautiful and had a real "Chip and Joanna Gaines Fixer-Upper" feel. . . wood and white and clean and serene. Very nice atmosphere. Our waiter was so professional and personable and explained their specialties, including Eggs Benedict three ways with a barbecue twist. They had a Bloody Mary bar and wonderful mimosas. Started us off with bowls of bread and butter pickles and rustic barbecue potato chips. . . a wonderful treat and tided us over well til we ordered! We got bacon and cheddar hushpuppies for the table. . . as good as they sound! I got the chicken and waffles. . . a classic which can be ruined if the chicken isn't good. . . but this WAS! Oh my gosh, half a chicken on the bone with a light but crispy outer layer and a tender and juicy inner layer. Just perfection. . . and paired well with the huge waffle. I split this meal and it was plenty for both of us. Just a lovely experience all the way around and we will return next time we are in town. Note: looks like they have some private rooms upstairs for events. . would be a great place for a bridal brunch or other gathering.

We had a wonderful dinner at Chicago Q. The food was delicious, the hostesses and servers were very charming and the decor is lovely. We went early on a Monday evening so the restaurant wasn't very full but the outdoor area was a mob scene. It is located on Dearborn near the intersection with Division Street.

We enjoyed a delightful evening here from the time we stepped into the restaurant until we left. Highly recommend the prime rib on Fri or Sat night. Our server, Brandon, was outstanding. He was very knowledgeable and attentive without being condescending. The BBQ is perfected--great choices of house made BBQ sauces to match your preference. Cornbread is SO good! Can hardly wait to go back!

Outdoor, sunroom, dining, and upstairs seating in an old restored mansion. Good range of bbq selection. Not just the waitress, but the staff would pass by and ask if you needed help. The pulled pork is pulling me back for more. Using a pretzel bun was perfect for eating as it did not dissolve in your hands. Homemade chips and sweet pickles as a table treat never stopped coming. Delicious.

the meat barbecue platter has 3 kinds of meat-bricuit, ribs, and chicken and all were delicious and sufficient for a family of 4. The house salad is huge so only get one for the table (we ordered 4 which was ridiculous). The restaurant is a fun active restaurant so can be loud but the atmosphere is charming so if you don't need to have important conversations you're in a good place.

This was an enjoyable delicious place for brunch. The staff was entertaining and the food was plentiful and delicious

Ruined every other meal since... and presumably every one in the foreseeable future. The only good news is that I don't live in town, so I won't balloon to 500# like I would if I lived even one mile closer.

Went for breakfast at ChicagoQ and had the Eggs Benedict with Pork, this was very tasty and filling. We enjoyed that so much that we came back the following day for Dinner. I had Spare ribs and Pulled Chicken, my partner had pulled pork. This was very good and again filling, did not manage to eat it all. Also enjoyed the cocktails. Will visit again when next in Chicago.

Great experience. Much like a Mexican Restaurant, they keep the before meal chips coming. Except in this case they are house made BBQ chips. Along with that, House Pickles are also served. Both were delicious. Opted for the Prime Rib Burnt Ends appetizer as a main course. I was more than an ample portion for dinner. Added a side of their Prime Brisket Baked Beans. They were delicious, with big chunks of brisket added to the beans. Friend had 1/2 rack of ribs. They were also delicious. Good value and great food.

This is one of my favorite restaurants in the city! Stumbled upon it a few years ago when I lived down the street and have continued to return when I am in the neighborhood. I have brought 10+ visiting friends & family here who all also loved it! If you have a chance it is definitely worth trying.

Very nicely laid out and furnished restaurant with a bar to the front. Staff were helpful and knowledgeable, drinks and starters arrived quickly followed by mains, the brisket is excellent! Cornbread dried out very quickly but was lovely on presentation. As with my experience in many US restuarants, staff are a little quick to clear the table, at these prices I prefer to linger a little longer!

I met a group for lunch. The staff was very accommodating. We snacked on the chips and pickles until the whole group got there. I had the macaroni and cheese with brisket as my main dish. It was very good (a little oily). I was able to find parking right in front of the restaurant.

During our last visit in Chicago, we celebrated birthdays dining at Chicago Q, what a great experience ! Everything exceeded expectation, appetizers, GREAT RIBS (and my ribs expectations are high), desserts, and a great service from this team. We had a memorable birhdays dinner. Next trip in Chicago, we will definitely return.

Came her with my Daughter and her partner for an evening meal. Wasn’t too busy for a Saturday and we got straight in. Servers were friendly and helpful and the delivery of the food quick. I had ribs which were well cooked and even the half portion was more than enough for me. It came with a selection of sauces, all good and this gave the dish good variety. Only issue for me was that the side of fries were a bit limp. I prefer fries to be rigid. Selection of beers was ok, we had a local beer which was excellent. There was a very big selection of whiskeys and with some knowledge of Scottish whiskeys I can say they had the better ones available. The manager spent some time talking to us about them, he was clearly a real officionado so if you want to try some new US whiskeys this is the place to go. Overall very good value meal, all three of us enjoyed it and came away satisfied, could have been 5 stars but for the fries.

Was pretty good. My brother and I shared a combo platter of various meats. Baby back Ribs and pulled pork were quite good. Chicken was fine. Brisket was so so. A little dry. Hot link was dry and neither of us had more that two bites of it as there was plenty of other good food on the tables. If I went back I’d just go w pulled pork sandwich. Their eastern N.C. style vinegar based sauce was very good on the pork. Had a bourbon cocktail that was ordinary.

A group of us decided barbecue sounded good on this frigid Chicago night, and it ended up being a great choice. I had the fried chicken which was wonderfully spiced and cooked. The coleslaw side was decent, and I never received my cornbread, which is probably ok as I understand it was sweet [ugh...an anathema to this southerner]. Tasted the brisket which was tasty but very dry, and the pulled pork which was very good. Love the chips and pickles that they put out to gnosh on when you are seated. Service was ok, not nearly as good as I had remembered.

Shared a platter of pulled pork, brisket, sausage, St. Louis ribs, meatballs and a few sides. Everything was good and the service was excellent. Nice smoked flavor, large list of bourbons.

Or son insisted we get the burnt ends; even though we were already getting the ribs, the slider trio, the prime brisket Benedict and the Benedict flight between us! The burnt ends were in a bowl over a tangy, crunchy coleslaw, and were so tender and full of smoked flavor. No extra sauce was needed.

The food was exceptional. We had Buttermilk Chicken and Shrimp and Grits. It was the best dining experience we had on our trip to Chicago.

I enjoyed our Chicago Q, the waitstaff was really on point, friendly, and offered great suggestions. The food was very good. They start you off with bbq chips and sweet pickles, which are both really addicting and bottomless. Our waiter refilled us many times as we waited for the rest of our group. The appetizers we ordered were very good, brisket nachos, hush puppies, and dry rub chicken wings. We could have kept eating this for our meals! The barbecue is good, I had the 14oz bone in pork chops, which were cooked well and tasted good. The ribs were flavorful and tender. Brisket was decent, a bit on the dry side but tasted good. I plan to return to try the rest of the barbecue on the menu.

Great restaurant. Like the bar, great selection of drinks. Very friendly and attentive staff: food is exactly what you want. Mac and cheese a standout for me.

Lots of great southern-style and family foods with a modern twist. All the baked goods tasted great with unique twists that enhanced the flavor. Friendly staff and fast, efficient service.

If you want really good bar be que, this is the place. Happy hour is from 4 until 6 pm. We were there about 5 o'clock and had the place to ourselves. Not the place to go if you are in a hurry but the wait is worth it. When you sit down you are given a bowl of potato chips and a bowl of pickles, both made right there that day. The pickles are terrific! The wait staff is friendly and very knowledgeable and very helpful. Try one of the combo plates. The Q3 or Big Combo gives you three choices of meat and a side. Make sure to try the brisket and the ribs. We had the St. Louis style ribs. Meaty and very flavorful. The brisket is fall apart tender. The pulled chicken is very good. They also give you a bowl of each of their sauces - regular bbq, hot, vinegar based and mustard based. All are great. The hot is HOT! The chef has won awards for the ribs. I had the buttermilk grid chicken. Yum! The best I ever had! You have several choices of sides. We had the mashed potatoes and the smoked beans. The potatoes were ok but the beans were terrific. Fun fact - the restaurant used to be owned by Oprah. Since we were the only customers for awhile, we had plenty of attention but not pushy. Atmosphere was relaxed and enjoyable. The dessert menu looked good but we were stuffed. As far as price goes, it was about average for a nice dinner in Chicago. The three of us spent about $75 for two meals and drinks. It was definitely worth it!

I can really recommend this place. As people are saying it is popular but doesnt feel too crowded anyway since good space. The food is also great and you feel that they care about the quality of the food. Portions are massive in my opinion so you will for sure not leave hungry.

The food, drink menu, service, and ambiance of this restaurant were excellent! We shared the “burnt ends” appetizer which was amazing. I had the baby back ribs for my main course. They were perfectly cooked and the sauces that come on the side were delicious. The main drawback of this place was the seating. We sat at a normal table (high top tables are available, but as one of our guests has a prosthetic leg, this was not an option for us). The table is very low to the ground with low to the ground chairs as well. It seemed a little odd at first, but by the end of the meal it was noticeably uncomfortable. I have no idea why this great establishment doesn’t to something to change the seating options for the table seating section of the restaurant. I would eat there again, but not at a table. I would also add that the complimentary chips and pickles to start the dinner were also very tasty.

Oh man. This is the worst BBQ rib I've ever had. This was my first time trying their ribs and this was just so disappointing. I placed a take out and they gave me this meat that was COLD and DRIED to the max! And I can clearly tell that this meat was made a while ago and had been sitting out. Poor poor poor quality! I called the restaurant right away. Upset! That they were selling garbage food. A young lady answered my call and asked for my name and when I told her she recognized me right away.... "you just picked up a take out order?" I told her the problem and she put me on hold for OVER 5 mins. She said she reported the problem to her manager but it will be few more minutes before he can answer the call. Ohhkay ... so I waited and waited. Finally the manager BEN gets on the phone and asks me if there is problem w the food. Really??? I just repeated the issue to the other lady who told you whay happened. I asked him for a full refund. When I told him that this meat is SO dry! He goes... You may have gotten a rib that's a "little old" but it wasn't sitting out all day. Umm. Ok. He should have just apologized for "A LITTLE OLD food" and left it at that. Ugh. Never eat here again. I normally do not write bad reviews but this was really bad food. Food that should have gone into the trash can long time ago. I hope BEN the manager follows through and gives me back my refund of $32.34

This place has amazing BBQ - but the proportions are huge so plan accordingly. The service, the food and the entire atmosphere is great. A very inviting place to have a great meal. I only did lunch so I can not attest to the dinner vibe - but my one-time experience was very positive.

Everything was excellent from food to service. Had the pulled pork sandwich and girlfriend had a cob salad. Will come back for sure.

Excellent t BBQ restaurant. Nicely furnished with a great bar. Staff were very friendly and attentive. Food wise the menu was comprehensive and offered a lot of options. Particular favourites were the fried tomatoes and alligator appetisers and of course the baby back ribs . Price wise very reasonable as well. Will return again soon.

This place is crazy good. The atmosphere is great. The service is great and the food is amazing! Get the Mac and cheese with your choice of meat.

Chicago is best known as a town for steaks, pizza and hot dogs. But it is rapidly building a reputation as a town for barbecue. It doesn't rank with Memphis, Kansas City, Austin or the Carolinas yet, of course, but more and more outstanding BBQ joints are appearing on the scene, giving diners a change of pace in Chicago's very competitive restaurant market. Take Chicago Q, for example. Located at 1160 North Dearborn Street, Chicago Q opened in 2010 under the direction of chef Art Smith, who once was Oprah Winfrey's day-to-day chef. In a relative short time, Chicago Q has built a reputation as one of Chicago's top brunch and Happy Hour destinations. It offers house-smoked southern BBQ plus a full bar and bourbon flights in an upscale, Savannah-style dining room. It isn't your ordinary BBQ joint. Instead, it's a BBQ experience like no other. It serves regional favorites from the Carolinas, Texas, Missouri and Tennessee. Try brunch from 11 to 3 on Saturday and Sunday. How about smoked chicken and Eggs Benedict or prime brisket and Eggs Benedict or pulled pork and Eggs Benedict? Or Art Smith's fried chicken and waffles? Or potato hash and eggs? Then there's dinner. Choose from baby back ribs, St. Louis ribs, shrimp and grits, 14-ounce bone-in pork chop, prime brisket burnt ends or Q brisket meat balls. Dessert isn't bad, either. How about chocolate cake a la mode or banana cream pie?

We went to Chicago Q for a late dinner this weekend and had a great meal. The dining room is bustling and loud, but it's worth it for the food. Service was very prompt and accommodating, and we had the bonus experience of being there during Restaurant Week...which meant special deals on a 3-course meal (appetizer, entree and dessert). The only problem was there was too much food to eat...the entree was a FULL RACK of ribs, on top of the appetizer of Kale salad or hushpuppies...and we never even got to the dessert! Now, this is not just a quantity meal...the ribs were outstanding! My wife and I both had the st. louis style ribs and I had to force myself to stop eating. I only made it through half and my wife only got through 1/3 of the rack. The waiter knowingly boxed our dessert to go along with the prized leftovers.

Great food at a reasonable price. The burnt ends are very good. The sampler platter for two is quite filling. You are provided with chips and pickles when you get seated. Local beers.

Great bbq dinner. Excellent drinks. Massive portions. The burnt ends were amazing. Was surprised that Easter weekend wasn’t busier but…

We had a big corner booth that we fit about 10 of us around comfortably. Atmosphere was modern, but also farm-house feeling without trying to hard or feeling hipster. The food was amazing! Every one of us enjoyed what we had - and what we tried off each other's plates! We also got a bunch of desserts to pass around and mmmmmmm, even the seemingly regular "cookies" were fantastic!

Excellent service, great food and reasonable price. The wait staff was exceptional, the more than met the needs of our table of four adults and two teens.The resturant is very clean and neat. No complaints at aii. All positve.

We had a wonderful barbecue meal - outside of Texas! Our group ordered a variety of meals and shared. The ribs, pulled pork and chicken, and slice brisket were all wonderful. In addition, the drinks were exceptional. Service was also exceptional.

The food and cocktails were very good. We got the wings, competition spare ribs, potato salad and it was more than enough for 2. Outdoor seating available. Not a traditional red checker bbq joint but very good food. Service was decent but dropped the ball on a couple of easy things.

After a horrible experience at another restaurant a local referred us here. Wow just so happy. It was my wife's birthday and our server said it was his birthday also. The service and other clientele were spectacular. We felt welcomed and like family not guests. Eric and the rest of the staff made her birthday great. The food was amazing also. If you are looking for a place in the city that you feel like you are in the country this is it. Loved it and will be back.

Went with the wife and had a lovely meal. Burnt ends were fab, and my ribs were delicious. My wife had fried chicken and mash which was equally delicious. Portions were huge. We took a slice of carrotcake home... my word it is amazing. Service very friendly however we sid get served by 2 different waiters who didnt seem sure what the other was doing. Made no impact to our experience, they were great guys.

Found out about this restaurant from a local. Nice setting, great service, delicious food if you're in the mood for great barbecue. The front of the restaurant is a charming white building with a unobtrusive "Q" on the sign out front. Within walking distance of our hotel near north Michigan avenue.

We have been here before, loved it and loved it more this time around. An European friend said he had the best ever ribs here. Ribs were plentiful and delicious. Service was excellent and friendly. Extensive bar. Will be here again and again cheers

The food is great, the service not so much. Thee bbq is mouthwatering, the service was spotty at best, had to make multiple requests for things before they were delivered and they weren't busy.

I’m a southerner and picky about my barbecue but this place was great. My teenage children and I enjoyed a fantastic meal, great service and enjoyed seeing the bbq culture from so many areas melded together under one roof. An upscale experience compared to most bbq joints - highly recommended.

Lots of variety for brunch: good crispy bacon, fantastic biscuits and very good service. It's got a nice relaxed feel for the weekend. We sat upstairs which was cosy and nice on a cold afternoon but the downstairs is a bit brighter.

We really enjoyed our dinner at the Q. We sat at the bar, and enjoyed people watching. We loved our food, and the bartender made the evening fun. I’d return for the Happy Hour!

The food was so good!! Highly recommend!! We had the prime brisket burnt ends for apps, then the competition ribs, baby back & St. Louis & pulled pork & prime rib. Side of Mac n cheese. It was great food! So enjoyed!! pork

This place is amazing. Four of us dined here over Thanksgiving week. We tried most of the meats and sides. Everything was outstanding. The ribs were my personal favorite, my husband loved the pulled pork and the brisket was amazing too. Oh and the pickles and chips to start..YUMMY! Tried the banana cream pie and cheesecake, 2 thumbs up for the desserts as well. I will definitely return to this Gold Coast Gem!

When you see it from the outside, it looks cosy but small. But when you walk in it opens up to a huge restaurant. Portions are huge, food is good and they have a lot of interesting beer. And whats not so good? No refill on soda and the chair are very low for the table. Can be hard for short people to reach the table correctly, and for tall people the legs are a problem.

Recommended by a friend, very cosy atmosphere. First alligator I had in my life, and it was very good!! Enjoyed it!

Best BBQ in Chicago! Came for the Brisket, stayed for the company, finished with carrot cake, AMAZING! I’m going to find a reason to be in the neighborhood soon! Also the bourbon list is incredible!

Couple of visits as is usual when in Chicago. Can't say enough positive things about the team, and on this occasion I was well entertained by Slav from next door, and John. The mac & Cheese weather by itself or with meat is amazing. However, the real star is the carrot cake.

Celiac friendly; Extensive gluten free menu. Great atmosphere. Always nice to have another celiac safe option.

We enjoyed our Labor Day meal at Chicago Q! This restaurant is all about the great rub & smoked taste! All bbq sauces are presented on the side. We ordered smoked wings as an appetizer. They were full of flavor with a spicy kick. My spouse ordered the buttermilk fried chicken. I had to sample it after his reaction ☺️. My oh my was it full of flavor! 😄 What a pleasant surprise. He also had brisket which he says was the most flavorful brisket he has had. 😃 I ordered the 1/2 smoked chicken & pulled chicken. The 1/2 chicken was delish. 😋 The rub on it was great. I never even got to the pulled chicken! There was so much food! 😳 We took home plenty of to go containers. For sides we had buttermilk mashed potatoes & mac n cheese. I’m super picky about Mac n cheese & this was tasty. I ordered carrot 🥕 cake to go. If you’re in the area and have a taste for bbq, check out Chicago Q!

Came with some buddies of mine. Daisy was our server. She was really sweet and nice. Food is amazing and big portions. Love the chips and pickles they bring out which will keep coming as lobby as u want. Two thumbs up and a must when in Chicago. It’s great BBQ

Looks great from the outside as it oozes a southern vibe. The inside is well spaced and lots of room. This review would be a 4 if the service matched the food. The service was abysmal compared to the Orlando Homecoming location for example. We ordered drinks from 2 different wait staff and still waited 15 minutes. The dining room wasn't even running at full throttle. Sadly the guy serving us wasn't really interested in our table Now let's focus on the Manager who walked past several times noticed we had empty glasses and not once asked if we were ok. He is equally bas culpable in this crime against basic hospitality. The food of was the only saving grace and sadly beers are bottle or can only. I doubt I will seek another Art Smith's out again.

I cannot say enough how much we enjoyed our Thanksgiving dinner here. The smoked turkey breast and the smoked prime rib were both excellent as were the sides. I have to say the Prime Rib was the best I've ever had, hands down. Really looking forward to coming back for the regular menu.

This was my first visit to Chicago for Christmas, and pleasantly surprised when Chicago Q announced they were opening on the Day. There was simply no where I could go. To have the amazing Pitmaster for my main Christmas meal was amazing. Washed down by a well made Manhatten. All wrapped up with a top notch carrot cake. On this occasion I returned, as I wanted to try the burger. The burger was great. However, the real memories come from talking and drinking with the locals. Always so welcoming. Can't wait for July.

I am writing to tell you all how disappointed I was with my birthday dinner I held at Chicago q. When we walked into the restaurant they did not even know about our reservation we made. They had no idea. They were not prepared. My food was cold and I got served last as host and birthday guest. We had exactly 28 people as my reservation confirmed. I received the same speech about family style and all that from at least 3 different people. It was extremely dissatisfying to have that conversation three times. The waiters were not happy about accommodating our large party probably because they had zero heads up. I can't believe this was messed up so badly. I called the restaurant a week in advance two times and two employees told me they would have a manager get back to me. A manager never got back to me. I also submitted a request online. Finally, a party host from the overarching company, Whitney Jacks, contacted me and we had a 5-10 min discussion, in addition to e-mail correspondence. She confirmed on the phone and through e-mail that our reservation was all good-to-go. I guess not. I've been to this restaurant about 7 times. This will likely be my last time there. I was so embarrassed just knowing I tried my best to set this event up on a non-busy, Monday night for ease of service. My friends and family made it better with their positive attitude, but inside I was so upset. Justin

Very good down home food and friendly and attentive staff. The burnt tips and Mac and cheese were very tasty!

My niece and I were walking to the Saturday farmer's market and happened to pass Chicago Q, which neither of us knew about. We looked at the menu which had us at Burnt Ends. Although the menu items are a bit pricey, the food was genuinely excellent. We had burnt ends which came with good cole slaw and dipping sauce, watermelon mint salad that had a kick, and then the pulled pork eggs Benedict that was loaded with meat. Definitely recommend this place.

Came in and braved the cold, their vibes were great. Food was excellent, but the whiskey selection was unmatched. They can walk you through whatever you’d like.

Have never eaten at a BBQ joint with coffered ceilings, but now can check this off the list (well, it wasn't really on our list). Anyway, stopped here on a Sunday afternoon towards the end of the brunch service. Started with the burnt tips appetizer followed by the biscuits and gravy (fortified for an upcharge with a couple of scrambled eggs and a hot link sausage). The smallish serving of burnt tips were cut up into small bite-size chunks and served on a bed of creamy cole slaw - the tips had a good flavor, although the slaw tended to overpower the more subtle aspects. The biscuits (there are two to a serving) were good sized if a bit doughy. The gravy had a good flavor, but was lacking in actual sausage and could have used some more pepper (we asked for some pepper and were given a little grinder, but it didn't actually work so not of very much utility). Worse, there wasn't really enough gravy provided to accompany the biscuits adequately (basically 50% to 100% more gravy would have made the dish much mroe satisfying). The hot link sausage was nice and spicy, which made up for the just okay eggs. Service was okay, but not exceptional. The price was very high - about $40 for this one meal, but this is a downtown restaurant so the overhead must be pretty high. Overall an okay meal, but probably won't be coming back as we can find much better away from downtown for much less money.

I will preface this review by saying I have eaten at this restaurant before and it was great. This review is for my most recent visit there and this time was anything but great. It was my boyfriends first time in Chicago and I thought this restaurant would be the perfect place to take him to our last night there. I figured it would also be a nice change from the ballpark and diner food we had most of our time there. Was also excited to take him to a restaurant that I liked so much. Used to like. The first sign it was not going to be a normal night was when it took over 10 minutes for a server to come to our table. We proceeded to order our drinks right away. We asked if the beer was draft or bottles to which the server looked very confused. We repeated our question a few times and rephrased it a few times and she finally confirmed it was draft beer not bottles. When she brought us the drinks they were bottles. For dinner I ordered the half chicken and coleslaw. My boyfriend ordered the q2 for which he chose pulled pork and a half chicken and cornbread. We also ordered an additional side of mac and cheese. When the meals arrived mine was correct. For my boyfriends meal they brought him coleslaw as the side instead of cornbread and our Mac and cheese was nowhere to be seen. We told the staff serving the meals of the errors and they said they would take care of it. Then the server came over to see how things were going and we again explained the errors. She said she would get an order of mac and cheese for us right away and bring the corn bread. I think it was around this time a manager came by to see how things were going. We said not good which she didn't seem surprised to hear and told us the server was new and she was working with her. She apologized for the mistakes and left. Soon after she left I noticed my boyfriends dinner looked wrong. He had pulled pork and pulled chicken instead of his half chicken. I asked if that's what he ordered and he said no. At this point I think he was just accepting the fact we had a server who had no clue what she was doing. I called her over and told her it was wrong. She leaned over the table, took a look at it and said "My Bad". We asked for the half chicken for him and reminded her we still didn't have our Mac and Cheese and she took off to deal with that. The manager came by again and spoke to us. We were very unhappy at this point. I asked my boyfriend if he even still wanted the mac and cheese and he said no so we told the manager to cancel and then she hurried away. When the server came over again we asked when the chicken would arrive to which she replied, oh I thought you cancelled it. Now we were really mad. They were even screwing up the second time around on the things to fix our meal. The manager came back over and we asked her what the heck was going on. I told her I had eaten here before and I couldn't believe the level of terrible service. I said I was even more ticked off because I knew this was far from their norm so how could they let this situation get so bad. At this point I wasn't even hungry anymore. My dinner was good but I couldn't enjoy it. It's hard to have a nice meal when everything is going wrong and it's a constant stop of people at your table. The manager said we wouldn't be charged for anything and said we hoped we would give them another chance to which I said no way. I understand mistakes are made but there was no reason for this many to happen in one evening. After the first few mistakes I'm not sure why they didn't give us a different server. They seemed to be aware of her issues. A lot of this could have been avoided if they had just fixed everything when they should have. Instead they let it get worse. Like I said food was good but the experience was horrible. I will no longer recommend this restaurant anyone.

After looking over the various offerings Chicago had for BBQ, it was decided to head to the Q. A rather unassuming exterior gave way to a wonderful interior that was comfortable and inviting. The BBQ, St. Louis ribs and pulled pork, were good and the sides, especially the coleslaw, was even better. Service was spot on, not too little and not hovering. As this is a little more upscale BBQ place, the prices reflect that accordingly. Well worth the experience for this out of town guest.

We ate here during our last night in Chicago, looking for somewhere casual, but with good bbq food. We easily booked through the open table app. We were seated at a nice four seat table, which was useful as the meals and plates were substantial. We chose the pulled meats sharer, with bbq beans. Good meats and accompaniments, and a great start. For entrees, we had the brisket with creamy mash and greens, plus the buttermilk crispy chicken with fries. Both meals were very good, but hard to finish as quite large. All of the starters and entrees came together, which was a bit of a food onslaught, but a minor complaint. We choose a nice wine, a red blend from Oregon. Our server was very pleasant. The overall cost was relatively inexpensive. We would return.

The staff here are very knowledgeable about the entire menu, including the whiskies. But that's not why you came here. You came for some BBQ. Well...\ You will NOT be disappointed. My better half is southern in her upbringing. Every time we get a chance to get good BBQ, we are on it. Having said that; She wanted you to know these are the BEST ribs she ever had. I on the other hand did not get to experience my favorite, brisket burnt ends, as they were out. Which is to be expected honestly. Most BBQ places, if you want the brisket or the burnt ends, or the both, you need to be there earlier than later. Great food! Great ambiance! (we loved the front porch type set up).

This is my second review of Chicago q (first was in 2015). After my first visit in 2015, I talked about this place up until the day we came back last weekend! I had deemed this place as "the best mac n cheese" and "my favorite place in Chicago", but I must say I was let down this time. The service was great, but the food was overall mediocre. The mac n cheese was delicious, but I can't positively say it was "the best mac n cheese". The burnt ends were another great dish, but it kinda went downhill from the appetizers. The pulled chicken was average. Brisket average. Pulled pork average. Ribs average. Meatballs were a weird consistency for me. Wish I could say we'll be back, but not sure with all of the culinary creativity in Chicago! :(

I have eaten BBQ all over the country - with Texas smoked BBQ being my favorite. This is some of the best BBQ in Chicago 6 kinds of BBQ sauce to meet your needs. We had the burnt ends, pulled pork, prime rib and tons of the free sweet pickles and BBQ potatoes chips. All were super delicious. The restaurant is not your typical BBQ dive joint - they have actual table cloths on the table. Service was amazing We had tickets to a theater nearby (Ruth Paige Ctr for Performing Arts) and needed to be in and out of there in 35 minutes. We were there for lunch and they did the job.

10/5. I know its a bit childish to give somewhere such a great score. But I cannot tell you how good the food is at this place. Best ribs in the WORLD. Service great. We even got a tour of the kitchen I thought I knew bbq, but I am clearly still learning.

We ate dinner on Christmas Eve at Chicago Q. A delightful experience. The staff was friendly and worked well together. The Christmas Eve special was Peking duck and it was very good. The barbecued meats were also great.

What an absolutely incredible experience! The staff was so friendly and accommodating; the atmosphere is inviting, food is delicious, and the drinks are spectacular (you must try the Smokey Jalapeño’Rita!!). Make sure you ask for their pickles and chips!

We picked Chicago Q because of the set traditional turkey and trimmings Thanksgiving meal. Being for overseas we wanted to experience a traditional meal. We were disappointed. The turkey was so melt in your melt and delicious, and usually I don't get excited by turkey. The Brussel Sprouts which I usually don't eat were very tasty. Everything was a bit sweet, but I figure that would be traditional for Americans. I really enjoyed my whole meal. It was finished odd with of course Pumpkin pie which was nice. The meal was huge and filled me up. The service was a bit over attentive and kept trying to take my plate away before I was done. However for $41 I thought it was good. They perhaps could include a glass of wine or champagne for that price with it.

We found Q to be awesome, great flavors and amazing cooking techniques, all the meats were perfect with incredible smoke ring. Really enjoyed the sides and both cocktails ordered were perfectly balanced & paired really well with the food. Really beautiful local , with friendly staff

My wife and I were in the city for a quick getaway. Saw this as we were walking by. Decided to walk in. Great place. Much bigger than you would think. Lots of good "home made" food. I had a pulled pork sandwich which was terrific.

We did a variety of appetizers because they all looked good and couldn’t pick just one. Nothing disappointed us all was delicious but the burnt ends were a table favorite for us.

The venue is quite festive, and well laid out, you can see and hear the kitchen which adds to the atmosphere, and the decor is also aligned with the theme. This is a place for a romantic dinner, but definitely a great place for families and friends to have a hearty meal! The service was ok, although at times they wait staff seemed like they wanted us to eat and leave as quickly as possible, we ordered a lot of meat (all available dishes), and were picking on it for a while afterwards, and we were asked regularly if they could clear the table, even after we explained to them we weren’t in a hurry. The food was inconsistent and disappointing. The beef rib was amazing, nice and crisp on the outside, but juicy in the centre, a well prepared piece of meat. The rest of the meat was all dry and over cooked, including the sausage and the chicken, which was disappointing. I would recommend being very specific with how you want the meat prepared as the standard seems to be well done, as opposed to medium.

The restaurant is easy to find. Parking is close or you can spring for valet at reasonable price. Outdoor dining available but big dining room. The menu selection is excellent, food is unbelievably good. The decor is beautiful. Cocktail menu extensive. Now the bad.... We had a reservation but my son and his guest were late. We went ahead and took a table when available. When my son arrived the reservation was nowhere to be found. He actually showed them the e-mail confirmation of the reservation but the hostess rudely refused to let them in without a reservation. I had to confirm they were with us for them to pass through. I assume they erased reservation when we checked in but the manager actually had to approve them coming in to meet us. The server was very attentive but his assistant would do something and then our server would do the exact same thing 5 minutes later. We got extra plates, 5 minutes later new extra plates. Hot towels come after dinner, 5 minutes later more hot towels. Not a bad thing but better communication please. Now the absolute worst possible thing of all. You get such large servings you have leftovers, glorious leftovers. The server takes plates away and returns with leftovers boxed up. Very nice. Dreams of a ribs, chicken and pulled pork for lunch tomorrow. We get home, Instead of glorious, delicious dreamy leftovers - half of a cheeseburger and a small piece of fish. Nooooooooooooooooooo.

This place was around the corner from my hotel and over the course of one week I went twice. I sat at the bar as a solo diner both times. The first visit the bartender was awesome. She was friendly, prompt, engaging, and knew exactly how much time to spend with the customer (me). My order was delicious. Appetizer I had a half salad (huge) that was perfect with just the right amount of dressing and toppings. Main course I had half rack of ribs. The meat fell off the bone, absolutely perfect with just the right amount of smoke. This was an outstanding meal with great service. Second night the bartender was a disaster. I sat down and he basically did everything he could except approach me and offer service (closed out checks, cleaned up, asked others for their second order...he actively seemed to avoid me). Appetizer was hush puppies which were OK but not great, without the dipping sauce they were dry. I had Cobb Salad as my main course. It was terrible. Barely any dressing (definitely not blue cheese), dry chicken, bacon bits that could break your teeth. It was really bad. So I don't know how to rate this place. Go for the ribs...best of luck on the service and avoid the Cobb Salad like it was the coronavirus.

I was way too early for a meeting and asked the clerk of the place of business I was at that if he knew a place to have brunch or something alike. He emntioned a couple of place, but he just mentioned the location. I walked accross the corner and say a patio with blue and yellow cushions, so, what the hell, I decided to enter. To my great surprise it wa s a Bar-B-Q joint (hence, the name Q). I had no reservation, but they seated me in some high chair and tables close to the bar. They gaveme the menu and a Whisky/Boubon, Rye..." menu, but I decided to have a cold beer. The recomendation of the waiter was spot on. I was having my beer and waiting for some bread, but was happy that they brought me the most amazing and crispy kettle cooked potato chips and some pickled cucumber. So Bar-B-Q- it is. I went with the traditional. First some Burnt Ends with Coleslaw. Now, these burnt ends of brisket were juicy and delicious and the cole slaw was light but exquisite. Great start. Then I had the Dry Aged Sliced Brisket. They brought these five nice sized slices with four different sauces aside, which I do not remember since I did not try them to taste the brisket as it is. Oh My God!!! The brisket was phenomenal. Moist and perfectly cooked. I did finished the potato chips. I will for sure visit Q when in Chicago. A Most!!!

I love ribs. I order them almost every time I go out and I make them at home.Chicago Q has the best ribs I've ever had!

Chicago Q put out a nice plate of BBQ. Straightforward BBQ. Delicious. But this was supposed to be ART SMITH level BBQ. Top Chef Master worthy BBQ. I expected this meal to elevate BBQ into something mind-blowingly good. I expected to be as delighted by the service as the dining. I wasn't wowed by either. Service was lacking. Honestly, I think we just drew the short straw on waiters. I could hear several of the other waitstaff engaging with their tables and explaining nuances of dishes. For us, the first words from his mouth were "Are you ready to order?". It wasn't rude, not pushy, just not a cordial as I would have expected. Even our local chain places start with "Hello welcome to XXXX, have you had a chance to look at the menu and can I answer any questions for you?" Discovered after overhearing other waitstaff at neighboring tables that we apparently missed options for side dishes. App and food arrived in rapid-fire succession. The pacing felt rushed – more like we were a table waiting to be turned rather than valued guests. Food, delicious, but ordinary. Not helped by the format of table runners dropping off the food with no dish introduction (i.e. there were four sauces, the waitstaff never explained what each was.). Portions were hearty to say the least. Flavors were expected. I did enjoy the meal – but wasn't wowed. All in all it was a perfectly okay meal, just not to the standard I would expect of an Art Smith establishment.

What a gret place to eat ribs.... The baby back ribs competition style are.......amazing en the best we ever ate. Don't overeat yourself already on the delicious crisps and pickles that you get as a complimentary appetizer They are unbelievable too. Best ribs ever. REALLY

Menu offered a range of choices. Predominantly meat. Friendly staff. Great wine list by the glass as well as Bourban and Whisky. Desserts were huge. Mashed potato amazing.

Our friends took us to this restaurant on a Saturday night. The place was packed and rather noisy We had to wait a while before getting seated, but that was our fault for not having a reservation...make one if it's a weekend.. I shared a brisket sandwich and our friends had the ribs which they shared. The sandwich was good but I thought a little on the dry side but the ribs were pretty good. I'm not sure I would pay $16.00 for that sandwich but then again, I'm not living in Chicago.It was very obvious from the crowd that night ...this is a very popular eating spot.

The food in this place was wonderful. They had all different kinds of sauces available for you to try. The meat was so tender it just fell right off the bone. We had 21 people in our party and all enjoyed their meal.

This was a very nice restaurant and didn't look like a typical bbq place, and it proved it was not typical. The pulled chicken and pork were out of this world, as was the cornbread. Brisket was a little fattier than I like but it and the brisket baked beans were very tasty. There is a lot of food and I was happy I tried the bbq via an appetizer and one side. I was MORE THAN FULL but loved every minute of it. The homemade potato chips and bread and butter pickles to start were a great touch and very good. No way we could make it to dessert, although when we saw the HUGE piece of carrot cake go by (enough to feed the whole table), we hesitated and longed!

Came here after reading reviews on Tripadvisor, came with my husband and two young children. The restaurant doesn't look like much from the outside, infact I was a bit apprehensive going in....didn't know if It was child friendly!? From outside it looks like a bar/pub, but there is a more restaurant seating area out the back. We didn't book and got a table, but I would highly recommend booking as this place was super busy! We enjoyed our meal, but it was really loud and service was really really slow, like I said it was busy, but I think the waiters could have occasionally said "Your food is on the way" or "Ill just check how your order is getting on" nothing was ever said. They did provide yummy bbq chips and pickles to snack on whilst waiting for food. The chips were amazing, so much so, I asked for more! Food was good, Ive had better ribs but it was still good and my family really enjoyed their meals. We didn't stay for dessert as we had been there long enough and didn't feel like waiting forever for dessert but people around me were getting dessert and it looked yummy! Would I come back here again - Yes, but I would pray it wouldn't be as busy! I would also make a reservation.

Loved this place! Always look to TripAdvisor for places to eat and this place didn't let me down. Wednesday night dinner-It was busy but easily got a table inside. Outside seating was full. Atmosphere: casual. Indoor, outdoor and bar seating. Inside had many tables. Menu: Appetizers had a large selection of different things to try. Barbecue, but many other meat and seafood selections. Plus many side items to choose from. Dessert was located on the wall chalk boards. Food: Excellent! Try: -hush puppies with sauce -cornbread with butter -barbecue plate with different meat selections was large enough for 3-4 people. Served with 4 different types of barbecue sauce. -kettle chips and pickles provided upon arrival were very good. -desserts looked and sounded amazing but had no room after this big meal. -large selection of beers on tap and in packaged plus specialty house drinks. Price:for the amount of food you get, definitely worth the trip. Service-excellent. Always someone to fill up your water glass, clear the table and box up your left overs. Overall, excellent experience! Take a walk in the surrounding neighborhood and stores to help walk off the calories! 🙂

Homey interior and lively atmosphere, polite and informed staff. Food came faster than expected and was good in general but the chicken was overrated, somewhat lacking in flavor.

We ordered takeout and my husband had the prime brisket. I had chicken wings. Both were so dry that if it weren’t for the sauce they would have been inedible. What a disappointment, as we recently moved into the neighborhood and were looking for good barbecue. Probably won’t return.

Q has a wonderful menu of smoked and BBQ items. The home made potato chips are the perfect start and it only gets better from there.

I couldn’t tell the place was a BBQ joint by the exterior. Even the interior doesn’t ooze BBQ. The food was great. It was a bit pricey, but worth it. The chips & pickles pre-meal were good as well.

Nice spacious room and booths. Good Q. I would highly recommend the burnt ends which they serve as larger starter size - but really could be an entree. Rest of the Q was not exceptional.

Went for dinner on recent visit to Chicago. Exceeded our expectations. Started with the “burnt ends”. Delicious and large portions. I had the brisket and Mac and cheese. The brisket was outstanding - juicy and tender. And it was quite a large portion. Husband had the corn bread and ribs. They were fall off the bone tender but still juicy. Nice beers on tap and good wines by the glass. Overall very surprised and impressed by the quality of the food and the service. Would go back in a heart beat!! Enjoy!

We came upon this restaurant kind of by accident, since my wife and I are not really the meat-eaters we once were, but one of our companions knows quite a bit about Suthren Bar-B-Q so we decided to give it a try. Overall, we were pleasantly surprised! The service was good without being over-attentive. The ribs --and how could anyone go a Bar-B-Q spot and not have ribs?-- were EXCELLENT, smoky and lean, fallin'-off-the-bone tender and quite flavorful. Accompanying coleslaw was exemplary and abundant, and my wife's pulled-chicken sandwich was very much to her satisfaction. The fried green tomatoes were done just right, though I will offer a serious quibble about the "Habañero ranch" sauce that came with them, which had NO heat to it at all; one should be careful not to take the H-word in vain! Too, I'm afraid our friend was deeply unimpressed with the side of cornbread we had, which not only disintegrated into crumbs, making it almost impossible to eat with your fingers, but was quite sweet -- Nawthern cornbread, in other words, not Suthren. Too bad, really, because otherwise our meal was quite tasty.

I really hoped for better from this place, based on the reviews. The dining area was nice and clean, the seating was comfortable. We ordered the mac n cheese with burnt ends, sliced brisket, pulled pork, and pulled chicken. The waiter forgot my drink until the end of the meal, but it happens and is understandable, at least it is when a place is packed, but given the fact we were one of two occupied tables in the dining room, maybe not so understandable. I ordered my meal minus slaw & minus salad. The food was brought out minus salad, minus corn bread, plus slaw. Given the inattentiveness of the waiter, I just sucked it up and focused on the meat. I'll be the first to admit that BBQ has its work cut out for itself when it comes to my lofty standards. The brisket was tender and juicy, however i got nothing flavor-wise from the bark. It was very smokey, but not in a good way. I'm not sure what wood they use, it lacks distinction. The pulled pork was tender and decent, however they use a bit too much, in guessing chili powder, in the rub. The pulled chicken again was tender, but lacked flavor of any kind, what more BBQ. The mac n cheese with burnt ends was ok. The chunks of burnt ends were a bit too large and the smokiness was overpowering the dish. I feel it should have been chopped and sprinkled across the top. The highlight for me was he complimentary chips. Very crisp with a great flavor. I don't believe I'll be returning

The service was attentive but not intrusive, music eclectic and quiet enough that conversation across the table wasn’t impacted at all, and tables far enough apart that conversation was private. The food though-just delicious! We had Hush Puppies to start, along with the appetizers (wonderful pickles) they brought to the table. Followed by ribs with cornbread and the best buttermilk fried chicken I’ve ever had. Both dishes were huge so we ended up with a box to go (next nights dinner sorted!) and couldn’t manage desserts. We will visit again but share one dish next time.

Visiting Chicago for the NRA (restaurant, not rifle) Show. I have family here and invited a dozen or so down impromptu to celebrate a sister's birthday. Beyond the lack of customer service free m the hostess, the food is sooo very yummy. The complimentary pickles, and corn fritters set off a theme of home cooked deliciousness. We got the meat flight of pulled chicken (amazing - moist and smoked to perfection), pulled pork (ditto), and brisket (ok), to sample offerings before entree order. Also got a mac n cheese with choice of smoked meat. Amen and Hallelujah. At entree, those who got the baby backs raved. No sauce required. But if you wanted, there was a delicious sampling of 4 on the side. Drinks were standard, but guests raved about the house vodka lemonade. Sides, pretty good. I recommend ordering a combo and sharing. You can get more if you need it, you probably won't. Good times, Blues music background, really attentive Servers (Brian, was that you, the night of 5/21 in the front dining area?) and Art Smith's famous buttermilk Fried Chicken too. Amen. Can't miss, worth the wait and the snarky hostess!!! Parking within walking distance is possible, but metered @ 2 hr. Limit. Get ride, or use valet ($15.) Bon BBQ!!!

We ordered the ribs that were so tender and delicious, and the burnt ends that literally melted in our mouth. Their fried green tomatoes were so good, and I dipped them in the JALAPENO RANCH SAUCE that I would dip everything in for the rest of my life and be happy Yum Yum Yum. My family loved the Mac n Cheese and of course their carrot cake which is next level. Thank you so much for the delicious food I have a very Happy family with full belly's <3

I ordered the flight with pork, chicken, and brisket. The pork and brisket were much better than the chicken. The meal was served with 4 different sauces - all of which were delicious. The serving sizes were large. The mashed potatoes were a great and tasty side as well. Service was very good. Will be back when craving barbecue!

My family and I stopped in on a quiet Tuesday night before Thanksgiving. We had fun, attentive service and delicious meals. The ribs were excellent, my son loved his pork sandwich, it was gone in under 2 minutes! All the sides were great as well. The pickles and chips are an added treat. We all shared slice of a cheesecake for dessert, that too was yummy! We will return!

Few issues - they did not really cater for nut or shellfish allergies (they cook their chips in oil used for shrimps). Food quite salty. No ice cream for dessert for my son. .

We walked by yesterday and then a friend told us it is her favorite casual place---so we went today. Great experience. Solid barbecue menu with pulled pork, chicken, brisket and plenty of other choices. We sat outdoors on a glorious day and enjoyed the patio with our pulled chicken on a brioche bun with delicious Cole slaw and a corn, black bean, etc salad. We will be back.

I have never been so excited to write a review before. I love love love this place. The food portion was obviously large but it was good. I wouldn't order the chicken wings as it was a bit tasteless for me but their pulled pork burger was amazing. The BEST thing I tried here was for the first time, alligator meat and OMG, it was so tasty and juicy and I was scared at first but now I can just walk in and order alligator tail meat anytime. It is better than chicken.

My partner and I were cat sitting for a few days in the area of Dearborn and Division and wanted to check out some of the local eateries so we started with this one as we both enjoy good BBQ food and were very pleased with the delicious rib dinner we shared! We also were given some treats to nibble on while we waited for our food which consisted of some very tasty BBQ chips which by the way they will refill if needed and of course we did get a second helping of them! They also gave of some very tasty sweet sliced pickles which I thought was quite interesting but were also very good! The dinner was served in good time and the ribs were oh so delicious as they smoke them which makes them so tender and full of flavor! We opted for the St.Louis style and Baby Back combo to see which we would like better as we never had the St.Louis type before and we liked them a lot. The meal came with a side of mashed potatoes which were also very good. They bring sides of different sauces to try with your ribs and the regular sauce is very good as is a mustard sauce which sounds odd with ribs but it is actually very interesting together. I highly recommend this restaurant for its food, atmosphere, and great service!!

Great Happy Hour with premium drinks and tasty home made chips and pickles. The barbeque is exceptional…my preference is the baby back ribs. The manager Ron Nordgren introduced himself…very friendly place with exceptional service. He was even open to a bourbon night…something they had a couple of years ago.

Massive, gigantic portions of tasty BBQ. If it's smoked, they have it, and are doing it very very well. Word to the wise, if you're anything short of starving before you come in, share an entree with someone else. There is a 0% chance you're going to leave Chicago q hungry, no matter what you order. The food is delicious, you really can't go wrong!

Truth be told - I am a BBQ snob. Texas, KC, NC, I have been to over a 100 BBQ restaurants and smoke my own food. Chicago q is pretty good and there sides are very good.

Food was great, as was our service. Complimentary pickles and chips start the meal...I could have made a meal of the pickles. Sides great and designed for sharing. We had a combo of pulled chicken, brisker, and pulled pork...all were excellent. Wish we had had time for desert. Nice atmosphere.

Great BBQ in the hart of the city! Food and service are fantastic. We love coming here. Everything on the menu is great. It's so nice to enjoy BBQ in a bit upscale place. You will love it!!!

It's hard not to like the place if you like good Bar-B-Q. The meat is well-prepared, with the bonus of great chips and even better pickles to whet your appetite. My only suggestion is that the portions--I had the pulled pork shoulder--are large enough for two or three people. Seriously. I would rather see a smaller portion and a slightly lower price. Just too much food. Yes, there are doggy bags and we use them. But I don't go to a restaurant in order to secure my next meal of leftovers. Still, that didn't detract from the quality of the meal.

This looks like a home at one time but with large rooms, tall ceilings and quaint. Service and cocktails were impeccable. I recommend the brisket, my wife loved her tri-tip and our friend like bed his chicken. The potato chips were fresh and delicious. Desserts were plentiful and yummy

Have always liked Q as it’s convenient with pretty good food. Service is ok too. Prices are a bit high for what you get but you are paying for location. And it is a pretty nice atmosphere. Here’s my rub. We asked for some bread and butter while waiting for food. They made some toast — ok and they charged $3—ok. Looking at the bill, they charged $4 for the “rocks” in my $22 double Absolute. Think I will find another convenient ok place.

My friend and I were really looking forward to dining at Chicago Q and were disappointed once we finished out meal. Far atmosphere and service, the restaurant deserves five stars. For quality of food, it merits somewhere between two and three stars. My friend and I ordered dishes that included: prime brisket, chopped brisket, pilled pork, pulled chicken, hot links and french fries. The positive factors: hot links and fries - both are delicious especially with the spicy mustard served. Pulled pork is also good, but not exceptional. Neutral factors: pulled chicken. Negative factor: brisket - both the prime and the chopped were extremely dry and lacking in flavor. This was a big disappointment for me as I go to a barbecue place looking for sumptuous brisket. It is quite possible that Chipolte’s is better. Dishes come with three condiments, each in its own bowl. One is spicy mustard (delicious), the other two are non-described barbecue sauces, neither better than any jar you would find at your local store. If one of them was supposed to be a hot or spicy sauce, it failed to be one. The wine list is not extensive but definitely reasonable for a barbecue restaurant. The prices, however, are not as they are priced much higher than is the norm. Thinking about it later, we also thought that beer would have better accompanied the meal. And, it probably would have been a lot less expensive. This restaurant has many great reviews and perhaps we were there on an “off” night. Nevertheless, we will not return.

My husband and I absolutely loved our visit from start to finish...when you walk in the restaurant is elegantly decorated...yet was warm and inviting. Every single staff member was friendly and helpful...whether offering to take plates or pour water etc...this is the kind of service you'd expect at an expensive restaurant. Except...the food is amazing (we usually think Chicago food is pretentious and overrated). Here...it was simple...damn good BBQ! No gimmicks or distractions with weird garnish. The portions are huge...we couldn't even finish half of our dinner and the prices super reasonable. Every piece of this restaurant and our visit was on point. We will absolutely be coming back and recommend this place to friends.

Lovely restaurant. Great food, reasonably priced & nice service by all who work there. We weren't very hungry so thought whatever we didn't eat we'd take home... when we left there was nothing left on either if our plates! Too good to stop.

We came here for a Sunday brunch, and I really enjoyed the food. I got the cowboy hash brown skillet and loved it. There was so much food and the brisket was delicious. They also make a really good bbq sauce. The interior here is really cute. I think it would be really good for events. There’s two separate rooms on the ground floor and an upstairs area with seating. My one qualm is that the service was a bit weird. At times it felt like we were being bombarded with different servers and other times it seemed like nobody was around. It evened out to a normal amount of total interactions but the spacing of them could have been better.

Choice of well prepared BBQ meats. Had the St. Louis Spare Ribs, Baby Back Ribs, Pulled Pork and Brisket. Corn Bread was good but the Collard Greens little disappointing. The service was excellent on a pretty full Sunday evening. Got seated immideately without reservations (7:45). Normally I would prefer the Baby Backs but, the Spare Ribs were great here. Would definitely return to try the rest of the menu. I would have given them a 5 but the Collard Greens....

It was one of the worst we have ever had. Bbq was over cooked and no more to mention. As we talk to manager, his excuse was silly (the restaurant is full, we can not serve) 🤤

Went here for the BBQ pit / smoke experience. Restaurant was very quiet so service was slick and friendly. We didn't order starters guessing how big the main course would be. We ordered a combo plate of pulled pork, chicken, ribs, sausage with baked beans side. We asked the waiter if this would be enough for 2 or we should order more, on his recommendation we ordered half rack of baby ribs with fries. The plates was enormous, we didn't need the extra ribs, so a bit of a waste of $23, however, we took it away for the benefit of a homeless person. Would definitely go back again.

Went here for brunch on our last day in Chicago and I'm so glad we did. Beautiful restaurant and the food was great. We are still talking about the burnt ends and I mean, we've had great BBQ all over the country; TX, KC, TN, OK, etc. But those little morsels sitting on a bed of perfect slaw were outstanding. We got the 4 sauces just to try them (which are all unique and perfect) but you don't need anything with those little suckers. Brunch items were interesting and delicious and executed perfectly. Can't wait to get back to Chi Town someday and go there for dinner.

Very nice ambience. Good lighting and service. Great bbq sauces, all 4 of them. Corn bread was a little dry but good. Excellent pulled pork.

Stopped in for an early dinner on a Sunday. Delicious chips and sweet pickles to munch on while we checked the menu. Nice selection of sandwiches, entrees, salads. Pulled pork was very tender. Brisket, pork, chicken combo with cornbread was top notch. Assorted bbq sauces brought so we could mix and match. All excellent. Fries were a bit too salty for my taste. Imagine it could get loud in the bar area at a busier time.

This was our first visit to Q and it will not be our last! Our waiter Jim was fantastic!!! He helped us navigate the menu and made some excellent suggestions. He was on point with the brisket and the mustard based sauce. The baby back ribs were fall off the bone tender. There were homemade pickles and my husband loved the freshness! Very satisfying.

Unassuming from the outside as it sits in a residential neighborhood on the near north side of Chicago, inside there is an amazing smell of BBQ and a vibrant, bustling environment. Service was attentive. The brisket meatballs and hush puppies were excellent appetizers. The Championship ribs are worth the extra price, leftovers are equally as tasty. Homemade chips and pickles come out first and are complimentary, so you will hardly have room for dessert although the choices look great. A little loud with the huge tv on the wall but still a great dining experience. Good for friends, not so much for a date night.

We went for a late lunch and sat it the bar. The menu is trimmed down. The pulled pork sandwich was mushy - no texture. The brisket was okay. There only were two sauces - a basic red sauce and a hot sauce that seemed to be the same recipe with red pepper flakes added for heat Same chips and pickles to start. Still a nice touch. The wait staff was mostly absent. Not the go to place it once was for me.

Enjoyed a good business dinner here recently. Upmarket BBQ joint in the center of the city. Nice building on Dearborn with some outdoor seats and then lots of indoor seating inside. Nicely styled inside with a good ambience and feel. Friendly and helpful staff with good recommendations about what to try. I had a brisket sandwich with slaw which was pretty tasty and not so gigantic that it killed me. I would say that the BBQ taste at Smoque is a bit better, but then the location and ambience of this place is better. No plastic knives and forks to contend with here.

I've been to Q several times over the years with a large family group. It's always the day after Thanksgiving, mostly because they have accommodated all of us in the private dining room on the main level but now they charge a large fee to sit there. So this year, we sat upstairs and turns out we were the only ones up there so it was a private room for free. The pickles and chips for the table that were complimentary also have a price now. The service was pleasant but not exceptional. The menu is the basic, standard options from a bbq restaurant. Entree dishes are in the $20-$30 range. BBQ options like pulled chicken, pulled pork or bbq for example, are $20-$50 and come with one side (fries, coleslaw, mashed potatoes, cornbread) and some bbq sauces. It was good and everyone liked their dinners but not outstanding. My pulled chicken did not come out hot and the cornbread is the very crumbly variety. I would recommend ordering several sides to share with a bbq dish each to get more variety on your plate if you go here. The restaurant has nice decor and is in a good area so easy to walk to.

Great BBQ at reasonable pricing. Nice environment. Enjoyed our dinner and recommend this place. The ribs were good and the sides were creative and delicious.

We enjoyed everything about our brunch--from the friendly, professional service to the always delicious food (and coffee)! The ambience is comfortable, too. There are plenty of other reputable -- nay, outrageously popular-- restaurants in the neighborhood, but Chicago q is making us less and less interested in putting up with them.

We are happy this is a short walk from our condo. We dine here every year for our favorite Barbecue flight appetizer trio of brisket, pork, & chicken with 3 sauces. Corn bread comes with this also.

Great food and excellent service. We enjoyed this modest but authentic barbecue restaurant thoroughly. The pulled pork, brisket, ribs and pulled chicken were all flavourful, juicy and reasonably priced. The cornbread is a MUST to try. I will be back!!!!!

Based on the TA reviews, we made reservations at Chicago Q for BBQ and left thinking "it was okay." Read on for details. Looking more like an upscale restaurant than your typical BBQ establishment, the personal touch was evident from checking in with the host to the service by our waiter. The wine/beer list is impressive and a bit pricey ($12/glass for prosecco, for example.) Looking to sample what was available, we had a mixed plate of brisket and ribs with a side of corn bread. The brisket was okay; dry, short on smoke and not very distinguished in any particular way. The ribs were moist, easily pulled from the bone with fingers or teeth with a sweet porky/lightly smoked flavor. They were good, better than I had yesterday at Green Street Smoked Meats but only "good." The corn bread was dry and sweet; my wife liked it. If I returned, I would try the chicken and beef ribs. If I returned.

Had Chicago Q delivered and ordered the Pit Boss Platter hot link, pulled pork, prime brisket, pulled chicken, 3 ribs and the Q3 choice of two meats and half chicken or half slab of ribs. This is the best BBQ in the city and the sides are awesome as well.

I enjoyed this very much! My husband not so much. The different sauces were great. The waitress was not very bright and a terrible waitress. We sat outside and it was gorgeous and comfortable. Highly recommend the lemonade cocktail.

Have gathered here for the last few years for a reunion with friends, classmates and former co workers. Once again we were not disappointed. Call outs were the hush puppies which i still say would be better if they werent sweet, the alligator, the ribs and best of all the fried chicken. The brisket was ok, but honestly the ribs or friend chicken are a must when dining her. And love the pickles and chips!

On a trip to Chicago we were excited to visit the Q for a higher quality meal over the plethora of diners and dives we decided to eat to do Chicago right. This was a mistake. The food is pretty good, I will not take away from that. Our experience, however, was destroyed by the most awful service imaginable. 1. Our server did not understand the difference between a pint of beer on tap and bottle service. Assuring my order was 'On tap' she shortly brought over a bottle. We let this go; 2. Our mac and cheese appetizer never materialized. Once our main dishes arrived we reminded the waitress of the appetizer and she advised she would get it. We let this go; 3. My meal which should have been pulled pork and a half leg of chicken ended up being both meats as a pulled option. After two errors, I was not willing to let this go and questioned the order. The waitress response was "my bad". Wow. She advised she would have the proper chicken prepared and bring it over; 4. Manager came over to question the meal. We were honest about how poor the service was and that the waitresses was addressing the chicken. At this point we told her to cancel the appeteizer which still had not arrived; 5. After another 5-10 mins the waitresses comes back to check on us. I ask when the proper chicken will be ready? Waitresses states that the manager advised her that we cancelled that order and therefore it was not ready. We explained we cancelled the non-existent appetizer and not my incorrect main course. Finally frustrated we advised this was enough and sent everything back. The manager returns shortly thereafter to again apologize. We provided constructive feedback on the service which the manager defended by advising how 'new' the waitress is. We advised she required extra training and that we understood being new, but not how we were subjected to as many errors in one sitting. Despite the meal being comped, as it should have been, this experience was deplorable and we definitely will not return nor recommend The Q based on reasonable expectations of service not being met.

I found Chicago Q many years ago, and have been here always as my post marathon celebration. The pandemic had meant I couldn't visit for 3 years. It was great to turn up to see that nothing had changed. The atmosphere if anything was better than ever, I got to meet locals Bob and Phil, whom convinced me to have an old fashion. This went down brilliantly with my Pitmaster. Sitting at the bar the chat was great, and service spot on. Thanks for the congratulatory drink.