Friday, July 6, 2012

Honky Tonk BBQ

Location: 1213 W. 18th St., Chicago, IL 60608
Honky Tonk Barbeque on Urbanspoon

A Quick Word:
I saw this restaurant on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives and was really excited because it was close to my apartment.  I drove down on a random weekday night and had a smaller dinner.  The atmosphere was definitely country-esque and there was live music.  I did enjoy some of the BBQ and was disappointed with others.  And unfortunately I was disappointed with most of their sides.  Sorry ahead of time because I didn't take pictures of them all... but read the DOs/DON'Ts section for further recommendations!

(UPDATED REVIEWS BELOW: 11/27/13)

What I ate:

Candied Bacon Appetizer

Extremely thick cut bacon which is candied in brown sugar!  The fatty section has an interesting texture that I crave.  It is almost like eating bacon flavored sugar.  The meat portion is more like a jerky.  They have limited supplies and we got lucky enough to get some this time!

Rib Tips

My favorite dish at BBQ joints. A huge portion of rib tips with plenty of bark and tons of meat! It was piled high on a slice of bread! In the background you can see their different BBQ sauces including a spicy one, a sweeter one, and a mustard based sauce.  In comparison to other BBQ joints in the city... these rib tips were definitely a great deal.  At $9.00, if you could finish the size of this platter than you have a huge appetite, because I couldn't.  They did have good flavor and without pre-saucing them, it gives you the opportunity to try all the sauces and choose your favorite.  Personally, I loved the mustard  based sauce.

Mac and Cheese Side

I don't know what I was thinking the first time I tried their mac and cheese.  Maybe I got a bad scoop or something.  I recently ordered Honky Tonk BBQ again and my friend wanted a side of the mac n cheese.  Previously I thought it was to creamy and no crust.  This time was the exact opposite.  Perfect amount of creaminess and cheese flavor with a nice golden brown breadcrumb crust.  It was excellent.  The regular size is definitely enough for two people to share.  I love added a little BBQ sauce to mine and a couple shreds of meat to spice it up. 

The DOs/DON'Ts:
DO:
- Do order the candied bacon.  It is an interesting dish and something everyone should try.
- Use a lot of the mustard based sauce.  It was definitely my favorite and most of my friends' favorite too.
- Do order the corn bread.  It is more of chunky fresh corn tasting bread.  Not like the usual buttery dry bread that other places serve.
- Do order the sausage link... it is delicious with lots of spices without being spicy!

DON'T:
- Don't get the sampler platter.  It is only an OK deal... I would rather order everything a la carte and switch the sides or switch something else out.
- Order ahead of time and pick it up or get their early.  Even though it is not the best BBQ restaurant in the city, it is always busy.

How far would I walk for this food?


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