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“Russell's is a fun and nostalgic place.”
“They have good food (I reccomend the bbq sandwiches, crab cakes and their sauce of course) and fast, friendly service.”
“Entering Russell's we expected to eat one of the best bar-b-que restaurants in Chicago.”
“We order a slab of ribs and a pork sandwich.”
“People in Chicago have way too many great options to waste their time on bad food.”
“No great decorations, not a fancy place, but just good food.”
“Some people love Fords, others a Chevy.”
“It's not fancy, it's just plain ol' food that tastes good at a reasonable price.”
“life long love affair”View Less
DONT WASTE YOUR TIME,OR MONEY. After 25 years absence from russels,we were in the area,and decided to grab a bite,what a terrible dissapointment,the beef sandwich meal shrunk 50%,and charged more money,my wife ordered a full slab of ribs that were tasteless,and burnt to a crisp,this is not the russells i remember,we paid a lot of money for terrible food,i would not recomend this place to anyone,i would"t go back there if they gave me free food for the rest of my life,terrible experience,the person that takes your order is very rude…
ewww. this place is gross. i know for a fact they have roaches! my friend used to work there and told me. they are really dirty, they have so much garbage piled up in the back. don't go here unless you like to eat bugs!…
It's a shadow of what it once was. Russell’s BBQ in Elmwood Park was my first dining experience I can recall from my childhood. I fell in love with BBQ as a result, and have spent all of my adult life refining my skills as a BBQ pit master. There are many regional BBQ’s, and most every fan of the “Q” has a favorite style, but good “Q”, even if not one’s favorite, is still good. Prior to leaving the Chicago area in ‘06, my wife and I went to the Elmwood Park location for one last time, knowing our return to Chicago was going to be infrequent. As per normal, the ribs and pork sandwiches were wonderful, and the distinctive sauce was tasty. We returned to Chicago in ’09, and decided to stop at the Rolling Meadows location (which we have frequented many times) for a quick lunch before our flight – WHAT A DISASTER!!! The meat was dry, and the sauce was terrible. I was wondering if the Rolling Meadows location was under new ownership – I questioned if it was still affiliated with the original Russell’s. For decades, Russell’s was always consistent – event when they had three locations. Well, in reading the reviews, it seems the Elmwood Park location also has lowered their standards. New ownership?? Nothing is forever, but it’s sad when an iconic restaurant which has generational follower-ship exists in name only… I’ll go again – for the memories… Not to eat.…
Don't waste your time!. After reading all the the reviews and hearing how good this place should be, I was more than disappointed. THIS IS NOT GOOD BBQ AT ALL. I ordered the so-called famous beef sandwich... truly tastless and dry. I also tried a FULL slab of their boiled ribs. If you call this good bbq then by all means keep going there, but if you want real bbq it is not to be found here. The coleslaw is the worst I've ever tasted.…
Why go there. Owners' s*ck. They don't know how to treat their employees. Bad business people who are milking the place for all it is worth for their own personal gain. In the little time these people have owned it they changed far too much. Now tell me, would you want to eat at a place like that? I for sure don't.…
