Honky Tonk BBQ

1800 S Racine Ave, Chicago, IL 60608, USA

Address:	1800 S Racine Ave, Chicago, IL 60608, USA
Phone:	+1 312-226-7427
Site:	honkytonkbbqchicago.com
Rating:	4.3
Working:	Closed 4PM–2AM 4PM–2AM 4PM–2AM 4PM–2AM 4PM–3AM 4PM–2AM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 8

A Private User

Wait staff was un-attentive. The food portions were small. The food, itself was pretty ordinary. The BBQ sauce was watery and overly sweet. We waited 20 minutes AFTER our plates were cleared to get our bill. When it didnt come, we went to the hostess desk to ask for the bill. When the waitress finally brought the bill, we paid immediately so as to not have to wait again for her to come to our table. She brought our change, we didnt leave a tip. We were so annoyed. Then, to add insult to injury, as we were pulling out of our parking spot near the corner of the restaurant, the owner comes running out of the restaurant yelling "Excuse me, Excuse me." We stopped immediately. She indicated that we hadnt paid our bill. We were shocked and surprised. We told her we had and described the process in detail. She said that the waitress reported that we hadnt paid. We went back in side and demanded to speak with the waitress. When the waitress finally came, she contradicted the owner by saying that we had, in fact, paid our bill but hadnt left a tip. The owner apologized saying SHED had a bad day and offered us dessert. We declined. We were absolutely insulted by the ENTIRE experience. The restaurant was not so crowded that they couldnt keep track of who paid what. Stay away from this place. It is not worth the trouble and the calories.

Tom Ruggles

This place was a funky little surprise while finding eats prior to a concert at Thalia Hall. We sat by a giant window, were greeted by a very helpful waitress who was a real pro with a great smile. We decided she resembled Joanna Gaines. But thats not what is important. What IS important is the beef brisket. It was the best Ive had in a very long time! The collard greens were good, and my girlfriend really like her salad. She got the "girlfriend salad", as the menu names it. IKR!!!! Also, our drinks were GREAT! I got moonshine, she got vodka and juice. Gluten-free was a bit of a challenge as they had no GF dressings, so bring your own. However, they did have Titos vodka (gluten free, annnnd delicious!). But wait! Theres more! Yeah, they had a ragtime band playing during dinner! It was too cool! Right?? Anyway, I plan to go back just for dinner. But when I do, Ill use Google maps, not Waze, because Waze devised the most ridiculous, time-consuming route EVER! But thats not what is important. What IS important is the beef brisket. It washed away all the bitterness caused by Waze. Reconnize!

Gina Hellman

Ive had better and Ive had worse. We had the sampler platter and the rib tips. The sampler platter is a pretty good value at $30. You could easily feed 3-4 people. Everything was quite tasty. The rub and the char on the meat was good enough that you could choose to go without sauce. Ribs were not dry and came off the bone easily. The pulled pork was really moist. The brisket had good flavor, but was a little too fatty. Hot links had skin that "popped" when you bit into it and had a nice kick. The ribs tips were plentiful and delicious. The chicken wasnt bad, but slightly overcooked. We had gotten there early... around 5:30 before it got crowded. One of the biggest downsides of the place is that when you first walk in, you get an overwhelming whiff of stale cigarettes and beer. Although, the bar is in the front of the place. Maybe the back room smells better. Will be back there because its close to home, but wouldnt make a special trip there. Too many better barbecue places in Chicago for that.

Marc-Louis Paprzyca

Honky Tonk is a cool place to go because of the food and the area. No sauce needed because lets be serious, did you go for the meat or the sauce? I first saw it on some television show and wanted to go because of the lack of good(places that smoke their meat) barbecue places in Chicago. I really enjoy going on Friday or Saturday nights when they have live music and I can get the Short Ribs. They are only available then and they are my favorite thing on the menu because of the dry rub and tenderness.Their regular ribs, St. Louis and baby back, are also delicious. Everyone I have gone there with has loved the brisket as a plate or as a sandwich. The baked beans, macaroni and cheese are great sides but I was a little disappointed by the cornbread muffins because they were kind of dry. The portions and the atmosphere are good, especially for larger groups in the back room.

Matthew R

I started with the bacon and brew. I wasnt that impressed with the bacon candy but it was a nice little snack I guess. I had the rib tips for dinner which were great. They were a little on the dry side but had a nice dry rub and were smoked well. The portion size was huge and I could only finish about half. The mac and cheese was great, the coleslaw was so so, and the corn muffins were alright. The choice of sauces were decent though I would have liked to see a spicy one. Im a big banana pudding fan and this one was pretty good though it seemed like 80% cookies an 20% pudding. Service was fairly quick once we got seated and overall it was a good experience. I would recommend this place to friends looking for some decent BBQ.

Thomas Besore

We wandered by this place the other day as we visited the Dia de los Muertes festivities in Pilsen. We really did not come to this neighborhood in search of BBQ ..... but sometimes things just work out for the best! My companion and I created our own sampler menu of chicken, baby back ribs, hotlinks, pork n beans and cherry cobbler! We did not go away hungry, thats for sure! Service was attentive, atmosphere was great and the food did not disappoint! They had a nice selection of beers .... I chose the Dead Guy brew in honor of the day! Well be back, hopefully for some live music the next time around.

Christine Wren

We went with friends who had seen Honky Tonk BBQ featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. We had two southern boys in the crowd and we received two thumbs up for very good (not the best they have ever had) but respectable, especially for up north :) Very eclectic place with tons of charm located in the Pilsen neighborhood. Easy to get a cab to the place a bit tough getting one out. So the #12 bus will be your friend to get back to Michigan Avenue if you are an out-of-towner. The bus travels right in front of the place (look for the bus stop). Check bus schedules though since they change routes often.

Jonathan Bruha

Hands down, my favorite BBQ spot in Chicago. Their cocktail list has a ton of drinks that youll want to order over and over again and if you catch them on the weekends, youll be treated to their full meat selection. They also regularly have live music that just adds to the overall pleasant atmosphere. Im a huge fan of the candied bacon and the Viking ribs, and when you can get it, the Root of All Evil is my favorite drink to go with it. Ive bumped into the owner a few times and she is extremely down to earth. She always made sure we were well taken care of. Missing this place is a mistake.