Chicago BBQ

So before the Hate record show i picked up Lopinto from work and headed to Smoque. He owed me dinner for some work i did for said record.. plus the last time i was in town we were supposed to go there and as we pull up he realized they were closed Mondays. Smoque is located on the corner of Pulaski Rd. and Grace St.
The eatery is focused on, you guessed it, barbecue.






The inside is pretty cozy, according to Chris we were lucky to get there before 5, as they usually are packed by then. The menu is written on a large blackboard on the side wall, with daily specials and sides. Once you figure out what your flavor of the day is, you step up to order, then have a seat and wait for them to call your number. Chris recommended the sliced beef brisket platter.




So a few minutes after we order here is the feast that arrives. Lets break down each platter. You've got the sliced beef brisket, with extra sauce and cole slaw, which comes with the platter already. then comes the sides, I got bbq beans (baked beans) and cornbread. Chris got fries and peach cobbler. We also ordered baked macaroni which was great, and i usually don't care much for it. You may notice Chris has a beer, did i mention that Smoque is BYOB?

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Smoque is not another bbq chain with bottled sauces. They use a combination of sacues, rubs, wood smoke and cooking technique specific to each cut of meat to maximize deliciousness. Everything is made in the kitchen from scratch, from the sauce and rubs all the way to the sides. The brisket melted in my mouth, and the sauce was sweet and tangy but didn't overpower the flavor of the meat itself. The beans had nice chunks of meat in them along with some delicious sauce. the slaw was some of the best I've had in recent memory, and the cornbread actually had corn in it. If you're in the city and have some time to kill and belly to fill, stop by and check out Smoque. And it doesn't hurt to bring someone that's going to pay for your food either.