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If there's one thing we brought back to Chicago with us after our six years down south, it's certainly our love for smoked meats. We'd always loved ribs as far back as we can remember, but exposure to true Southern BBQ raised our expectations to a whole new level. We learned that meat is meant to be lovingly smoked for hours in order to achieve the perfect symphony of tastes and textures.
When first we got wind of a new BBQ joint opening on the north side just about a year ago, we eagerly awaited it opening. We stopped into Smoque their opening week and have returned on a number of occasions. While we've sampled the ribs and pulled pork, our clear favorite is their sliced BBQ brisket sandwhich.
The briskets are rubbed with a blend of 13 spices and slow smoked overnight. Smoque's slices of beef display the pink smoke rings that certify the authenticity of the bold flavor -- this is definitely not our Mom's Passover brisket. Tender slices are piled high on a bun and doused with a Texas-style BBQ sauce. The meat is amazingly moist by itself, but the sauce certainly completes the sandwich. Smoque uses large buns that at first glance don't seen right for BBQ but do hold up to the sauce better than the buns more typical of BBQ joints. Don't forget the sides, either. While we ususally go for their hand cut fries -- which are among the best in town -- their homemade BBQ beans and mac and cheese are also standouts.
While we may be among their biggest fans, we're certainly not the only ones. Chicago magazine named it to its recent 124 Best Dishes, and it was even featured on the most recent episode of Food Network's "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" about BBQ. You can wait until the episode repeats on November 30 to catch a behind-the-scenes view of Smoque or make a trip over there and taste their BBQ for yourself.
Smoque is located at 3800 N. Pulaski, Chicago
Photo by Benjy Lipsman
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The BBQ sandwich is truly the way to go. I prefer pork over brisket but it's all good smoked and slathered in sauce. Why go through the hassle of eating ribs, all that work, all that mess, when you can eat a sandwich with all the meat and no bones? It's like eating food with napkins on your hands and then being able to eat the delicious napkins as well.
The chopped BBQ brisket is my favorite. Like it even better than the sliced. I think this will be my request for my last meal.
I've never been, any idea of what the crowds are like at night? With all the press, can I get in to enjoy this hunk of deliciousness.
I've had better luck with lines at lunch than at dinner, but there's always a wait. Nonetheless, it's worth enduring any delay. The food is phenomenal, and the owners really seem to care about satisfying their customers.
They should have taken the cheesy name to an even higher level: Smoc ala Tone Loc.
Looks similar to Honky Tonk in Pilsen. I would love to say nice things about them too, but they have only one side (cornbread) and is the meat supposed to be like refrigerator cold? Because mine was.
All but one of my visits to Smoque has been for lunch -- and the one dinner visit was the night of that really horrible snow storm last winter. At lunchtime, it's crowded but not so much that you can't get a table or have to wait in too long a line to order.
Bronto, Smoque's brisket is much better than Honky Tonk's -- ours was also cold when we went there and it's also drier and sliced too thin. I do remember them having other sides, though...
I don't know, I've ventured in there for dinner several times and there was only a crazy line once. I tend to go in early (6ish or so) and early in the week, and there's usually not more than a few people in line before me.
Also, while I can see why people are put off by the name, you can't really beat the combo of SMOke and Bar-B-QUE. The name works. So does the Brisket. YUM.