Bobby Q's

10/25/08

Don't go there...

by onlyonme at Citysearch

Went there last night(10-24-08) for a date ( seeing this girl for only 2 weeks) very bad place to go.Didn't make a good impression on her.They didn't have half the sides that ppl wanted,service was horrible only 3 ppl working and i swear its like they never have had waitressing experience before. Food was horrible,waited forever to be waited on ,to get drinks,to get appetizer,to get our actual meal,to get CLEAN silverware,This place won't to on the map for long....

• Pros: Ok looking place
• Cons: Everything eles

04/12/08

Horrendous

by plavacek at Citysearch

Bobby Q's was awful. I ordered the 2-meat combo - pulled pork and brisket. Had mashed potatoes and mac n cheese for sides. The waitress said "you know the pulled pork uses the Cajun sauce, and the brisket uses the Texas sauce" - "Sure", I said, not thinking about why that might be important.

45 minutes later, out came one big plate of meat. The horrendous, truly unforgivable thing they did still leaves me speechless: they put the pulled pork ON TOP OF the brisket. They also chopped the brisket so it was darn near impossible to distinguish the two.

Also, there's no way smoked food takes 45 minutes to come out of the kitchen unless they're reheating it. I don't doubt they are - this may be a Sysco establishment. The texture of the pork was all wrong, tough and stringy instead of soft and delicious, and the two sauces, from what I could taste of them, were both pretty bad. Neither one has any bite to it and they both tasted strangely watered down.

Over all, the best thing here was the cornbread. It wasn't outstanding, it was just the best thing here. Before you come here, you owe it to yourself to go to Smoque, or even Famous Dave's. This place doesn't measure up.

• Pros: Corn bread. Easy to get a table because everyone else knows better.
• Cons: Sauces are weak, meats are reheated and stacked on top of each other

09/29/07

Best ribs in town

by luky at Citysearch

The ribs here are excellent and the sauces(cajun and texas)are both delicious. If you enjoy pulled pork, beef brisket, or other smoked meats this is the place to go for either a sandwich or platter. Bobby Q's has an extensive menu but I definitely recommed the ribs and the smoked meats. Besides having great food here it is easy to park and the staff are friendly and courteous. Get your ribs here!!!!!!!!

• Pros: Great ribs, extensive menu, friendly staff, easy parking
• Cons: a little hard to find

07/03/07

Horrible BBQ

by elviseguan at Citysearch

I found nothing even remotly pleasing about the ribs. Taste, texture, sauce, all forgettable at best. All the other reviewers gushing about this place clearly love extremely subpar bbq, and should really experience what true bbq is supposed to taste and feel like. There are plenty of quality bbq joints out there. Do yourselves a favor and try Heckys, Smoke Daddy's, Gale Street Inn, Fireplace Inn, Famous Dave's, Sweet Baby Ray's, Robinson's, or Smoque. Now THOSE guys know ribs!

• Pros: none
• Cons: bad bbq

06/10/05

Good Eatin'

by judysdog at Citysearch

BobbyQ's not only has great pulled pork and beef brisket b-b-q, but their eggplant parmesean is to die for! Good eating any time!

• Pros: food, food, food
• Cons: ambience

05/10/05

Outstanding BBQ

by lovnrckets at Citysearch

Food is AWESOME, best BBQ in Chicago. The only drawback of this place is that they don't have the service nor size to keep up with their growing business. Carry-out service is somewhat awkward. However, the food quality more than makes up for their service issues.

• Pros: food, pricing, parking
• Cons: service

03/09/05

A Great Experience

by steve2200 at Citysearch

Last friday, a group of buddies and I headed out for some barbeque, at Bobby Q's. Our experience, was absolutely wonderful, our server was great, and was right there to help us out. They gave a great explanation of the sauces, that cajun sauce, was excellent, a little kick & sweet. I tried the Baby Back Ribs, they were the best that I have ever had, they were smoked, unlike most places who have turned to grilling or baking. One of my friends tried the pulled pork, and loved it as well. Another thought that the brisket was great too... The sides were absolutely awesome, I loved the waffle fries & onion rings. I got a great meal, at a great price. The owner's were very nice as well and made sure we were taken care of, I'd go back in a heartbeat.

• Pros: Food, Price, Service

06/13/04

A great experience

by jbhdb8 at Citysearch

As you drive up to Bobby Qs you will be leery as it is in a classic nightmare american strip mall....But please go in and do yourself a favor. Talk about the meat and the smoker all you want (and there is lots to talk about in this area - the meat is excellent) but what really sets Bobby Q's apart is the AMAZING sauce. I have lived in Kansas City, I have lived in Tennessee, and I have lived in Texas and I know sauces. Bobby Q's has one of, if not the best sauces I have ever had (better then the Polynesian or regular sauce at Gates and Sons for instance).

I went there on a tip from a freind and if I lived in Chicago I would eat there on a VERY regular basis. If you know BBQ you should head quickly to Bobby Qs.

• Pros: Sauce, Meat, Service

06/04/04

Awesome BBQ!!

by terrieoday at Citysearch

We were looking for a new BBQ place and found this one on citysearch.com. We were a little leary when we pulled up to the strip mall thinking this was a fast food type place. Man were we pleasantly suprised when we went inside. Very comfortable, friendly atmosphere. The ribs are the best around! We left there 30 minutes ago and are still talking about them! Real wood smoked is incredible! Service was great too and reasonably priced. This is our new favorite place! We're going to tell everyone!!

• Pros: Great food,selection, reasonable priced, fast seating

12/18/03

Northwest suburbanites get messy with big plates of barbecue in a casual strip-mall setting.

by Contributor at Citysearch

The Scene
Come-as-you-are couples and families roll up their sleeves at this low-attitude, low-ambience spot in Arlington Heights, named for the owners' toddler's pronunciation of "barbecue." Poster and tchotchke efforts at decor are incongruous with the food, though bluesy background music is on-message. Service is enthusiastic, despite occasional gaps in menu knowledge.

The Food
There's a serious commitment to smoked meats here, all done in-house (except the pork sausage) using hickory wood and cherry for the poultry. Some results are stellar, including perfect pulled pork and smoked turkey breast, and the house sauces, spicy Cajun and sweet Texas, are worthy contenders (the former took third place Cajun at K.C.'s American Royal competition). Fans of falling-off-the-bone ribs may find these a bit too firm, and the reheated brisket can have a stale flavor. Stalwart onion rings are a good bet; other sides like mac and cheese and cole slaw are forgettably bland. Dessert is a low priority, as ownership feels "if you have room for dessert, we haven't done our job."

• Pros: good barbecueserious saucecasual ambiance
• Cons: uninformed serviceuneven side dishesstrip mall atmosphere