I'll keep it simple we order catering and order multiple pounds of brisket. We've ordered on the…read morecoldest day ever, and even on a holiday. These folks are the best and the most accommodating team ever. I thank you for everything! My parties are always hits no matter what and the brisket is gone in seconds. Anytime anyone asks for a recommendation of places, this is the first one I recommend Everytime. I've eaten at the restaurant once, it's always pretty busy but for a good reason! If you're ever in the area stop by but keep in mind if there hours too!

If you're a meat lover, this is a MUST-visit spot in Crystal Lake! The rustic atmosphere and…read moredelicious BBQ make it worth the trip. The brisket is fantastic with the pickled onions and spicy sauce, and the ribs are excellent! Here's a tip: combine the blueberry sauce with the spicy sauce for a flavor party in your mouth! The slightly sweet blueberry sauce is a must-try. Don't skip the cornbread either, with its delicious hint of jalapeño and honey. Layala was wonderful and very attentive. Definitely check this place out!

Another amazing big daddy bbq pork sandwich at the McHenry music fest!…read more Tasted great, high-quality, fast and friendly service. Thanks for another great memory!! Can't wait to try your mac & cheese truck!

The food is amazing. Staff is extremely friendly. The owner is a down to earth guy and we love…read morecoming to his truck! 100% recommend giving it a try! Go try the loaded brisket!

This five star review for this little family owned barbecue joint is pretty much dedicated to one…read moredelicious sandwich that they've been serving up for a number of years now. I'm talking about the Sho Boat. Plenty of reviews have already mentioned it, and even though I've had other items on their menu, and they've all been delicious, when you stop by Smokehouse Barbecue, you will notice two things... 1. There is typically a line. 2. 99% of the patrons are getting the Sho Boat. So much so that the woman behind the counter just points to people with her pen and says, "Sho Boat? How about you, Sho Boat?" The sandwich consists of perfectly seasoned chopped pork shoulder. Smoked daily on the pit outside on the back of the establishment. It's an awesome blend of juicy, meaty chucks of pork with just enough fat to pull it all together. It's then covered in a sweet and tangy homemade barbecue sauce on a nice crusty French roll and served with a side of fries, which are also drizzled in their signature sauce. The Yelp! reviews for this place mostly feature pictures of this sandwich, as you will see here in mine. There's not much else to say that hasn't already been written. Yes, it occupies a side space in a local Shell gas station. Yes, it is family run business by people who are absolutely lovely, super friendly, warm and inviting. Lastly, and most importantly, the sandwich is fantastic! The Food Network has got a TV show where all of the top chefs in America tell you about their favorite places and things to eat. The exact name escapes me, but if there were one of these famous chefs that was from Rockford, Illinois, there is no doubt they would be telling you about the this sandwich. It's that good. Again, their menu features more food besides the sandwich, although it is quite limited... But if delicious barbecue is your thing, and you don't mind waiting a minute or two, then this is a must have. Some of the reviews said this is cash only, however when we were there, they were taking a credit card. There is also ATM inside of the establishment. Smokehouse Barbecue isn't much to look at, but the people that work there know what they're doing, and it definitely shows! No frills... just one of the best sandwiches I've ever had served to you with a warm smile by wonderful people that care.

Passing thru Rockford and remembered a great little bbq joint near 20. Got their bbq pork showboat…read more Just as good as I remembered. They were quick and the food was flavorful. A small family business on the side of a shell station. Worth a stop

Excellent BBQ downtown Huntley. The atmosphere was friendly and lively. We got there right at…read moreopening, so it was not busy at all- but I can see this place being packed at dinner time! The beer and food specials were frugal! We had the wings and a pulled pork sandwich. The food was top notch. The sauces were excellent as well- I especially loved the mustard bbq. They even had a creamy Cole slaw or sweet Cole slaw option. I chose the mustard based and it was tangy and fresh. We will be back to try their appetizers with friends!

We have eaten at BBQ King several times in the past year and a half... and we haven't had a bad…read moremeal. My son loves the loaded fries and the Mac and cheese, my daughter loves the turkey club and my hubby loves just about everything he has tried. We used to have a server, Seb, who we absolutely loved but I think he went off to college. The last two times we went, our server was just fine, but not Seb. Restaurant is always clean and it's a great place to watch sports while eating.

OMG!! Chef RC killing it in the kitchen. Homemade and fresh! Please bottle the ranch and tarter…read more Huge walleye! Awesome potato pancake. Pretzel roll is a welcome twist on traditional rye. Get there early or they might sell out. Walleye was out by 7pm. Curds...that pull and that ranch. Might be the best in the area. Both bartenders took great care of us as well! Parking can be a challenge. But remember to respect the homeowners and don't park in front of their driveways or garages.

Cubano, a lot of food. Didn't detect any smoke in the pork. Wrong bread for a cubano. Used some…read moresort of sliced bread. Potato salad, not good. FF app, $5 for about 20 frozen fries. Meh. $5 bottles of miller lite, too high for Wisconsin.

I agree this is the best BBQ I have had in the area. Little shack behind the bar. Sit outside or…read moreeat it in the bar. Had the brisket Sammy and half slab. Melts in your mouth.

It's a very nice tucked away place and I would definitely give it another shot. I spoke with Nick…read morewho was one of the owners, and got talking about barbecuing. The brisket was better than the pork. The only thing I wished was that I wanted it to be more smoky. The barbecue pork was decent, but I would definitely want to try the ribs during the weekend. He was very nice and very accommodating and added in some sweet pickled jalapeños, which were phenomenal. The brisket sandwich was definitely a good hit. Had the coleslaw and mac & cheese...and that was not bad at all!Had a little bit more mayo than expected with a tad of vinegar, which was OK. Overall, it was a very good lunch/dinner. (by the way, I liked the Kansas City better than the Texas but Texas sauce was also very good! They make their own homemade sauce by the way ) Nick was a great conversational piece and they are going to be starting with a food truck pretty soon which is gonna be pretty neat. He does take a lot of pride in his work, and it shows! So I guess keep an eye open for that. Nice job, Nick. I'll give you the next star an update this review once I have your ribs. Is that a Deal? (because I'm a big-time rib guy.) Thanks again Nick!

New day, new review…read more We hadn't visited in a while (time marches on) and I had a burning taste for the Dirty Bird. So back we went. The theme is still the same - CHICKEN EVERYWHERE! It's clear, and they love chicken. I mean they REALLY love Chicken! First off, they are FAST. They were very busy - almost every table filled and they kept filling after people left. After we placed our order, our chicken (two Baby Bird meals) came out HOT and FRESH within around 7 minutes. With my appetite, the Baby Bird is the right size, and I have a big appetite for their chicken. Service was great as well - our drinks were checked, and the server was very pleasant. What a great place to visit in Downtown Sycamore! The drink menu is still impressive, and they even have a Whiskey Acres Bourbon-infused barbeque sauce.

Nice comfortable dining room, and friendly & efficient service. They absolutely crush it on the…read moreportion size and crispy crunch. But I did find everything to be pretty salty for my taste. And because there is so much food, that saltiness keeps stacking up.

Good food but it wasn't hot.. I wouldn't even say warm. The only thing that was a little warm was…read morethe Mac and cheese. Potatoes had great seasoning and enjoyed the brisket the most out of the ribs brisket and sausage

Being in the Meat & Seafood industry for over 40yrs, I decided to give The Puff Shack BBQ a chance…read moreand by luck it was $1.00 Weds. Wings day. We decided to buy a good portion of Wings and they were ABSOLUTLEY FANTASTIC! Also, Zack/Josh and the Staff have a wonderful system when you call and the line is busy, they will notice the call came and you will get a "Callback" within 5min. For us, it was unexpected and it was our 1st experience. I can't forget the look on my wife's face and how surprised/happy they called back and helped us! The food & Service is "Over the Top" - I HIGHLY RECOMMEND Puff Shack for all Smoked/BBQ & Sidea - SPOT ON! David H.

Not really a BBQ place (why only 4 stars). They have two or three items that are BBQ on their menu,…read morebut no ribs, brisket etc. They have burgers, fries, Pizza Puffs, Fish Sandwiches, etc, a pretty full menu. Unfortunately, they have no online presence so no menus The food they do have is pretty good and the staff is very friendly. I do recommend them, even the few BBQ items they have, just don't expect a full BBQ menu.

Ribs had no smoke flavor and were just salty. Mild links…read morewere not smoked just grilled and flavorless. French fries were not fully cooked and shaky underneath the sauce.

I am addicted to the Texas Twinkies…read more They are very quick with service. We never have to wait very long.

Sunday "Father's Day... Worst Restaurant Experience!…read moreMy son and grandson wanted to take me out for a Father's Day lunch and we chose The Chick and the Pig since we never ate there. We got there around 12:30, ordered our food by phone (because there is no wait staff other than a bar tender), pay for the food via phone, and waited a hour only to be told that there was no food left. Customers that came in after us had ordered and ate but not us. Finally my son went up to the kitchen window to ask why we didn't get our food. The kitchen staff told my son "We ran out of food". One would figure that there would have been some type of announcement made instead of leaving us and some other customers hanging but, nobody said a peep. This was the worst experience we've ever had at any restaurant! How can this place even operate without a wait staff and run out of food soon after it opened for the day. It simply was not busy enough to run out of food. Seems to me that the underlying problem is the owner and management. One thing I do know is that I will never go to this restaurant again nor their other restaurant Bold American Fare. Thanks Chick and the Pig for leaving us hungry and for giving us a very bad experience on Father's Day!!