Smoque BBQ

Among a handful of Chicago BBQ restaurants, Smoque stands its ground as one of the city's favorites.

The hubby and I finally tried it for lunch last weekend and were excited to see what the hype was about. I wasn't sure what to expect, but Smoque is a very down-to-earth BBQ joint reminiscent of those you'd find in North Carolina.

You wait in line to order, give your number to the guys manning the tables, wait for your order, and those guys find a table for you. We got there with the lunch rush on a Saturday afternoon so I was afraid that we'd be standing with our food, waiting for them to find a table for us, but tables turn quite quickly and we were seated before our food was called.

The hubby ordered the sliced brisket platter with mac n cheese and cornbread. I got the pulled pork with bbq beans and mac n cheese. Both
orders also came with coleslaw.
My pulled pork was so good! Moist pork with crispy edges and skin, with a side of bbq dipping sauce (sweet and tangy). The hubby's sliced brisket was delicious and clearly a favorite as most tables had at least one order of it.
The mac n cheese were served in little foil cups and had a breadcrumb topping that added some contrasting texture to the creamy, cheesy mac underneath. The cornbread was good, nothing spectacular. The bbq beans though - those were spectacular. Served hot, with chunks of beef, a good amount of spice and tang. I loved it.
The slaw was simple, vinegary, and nicely cut through the rich, sweet, spicy bbq sauce and beans.

Pulled pork -- Beans -- Bite of Mac n Cheese -- slaw -- sip of Sweet Tea -- Repeat.

We left with full tummies and happy hearts. We'll definitely be back to try other menu items, namely, the St. Louis ribs!

cPe 2011