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    Earl's BBQ

    3.7 (464 reviews)
    ModerateDonuts, Barbeque, Burgers
    Closed 11:00 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Order Earl's BBQ Takeout or Delivery

    Earl's BBQ Photos

    Business Info

    EARL'S BBQ ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Classy
    Casual
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Earl's BBQ

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    Reviews With Photos

    Nerina B.

    I ordered carry out - rib tips, steak sandwich, and bbq wings. The Rib Tips were ok. Some of the pieces were tender, while others were dry. BBQ wings were meh, dry and small. The Rib Eye Sandwich, ok to nothing great, meat was ok. This place overall was ok. Wish the rib tips were all tender , it's unfortunate because they were not that bad. Loved all the BBQ sauces though.

    Brisket
    Jose C.

    I decided to give Earls another chance. The staff here was very friendly and welcoming. I ordered two orders of their Rib Tips. One with fries and another with Mac & cheese. The Mac & cheese was still just ok, but I'm really glad I ordered the rib tips. I usually go to the south side for rib tips but decided to try some up north. Not as good as the ones down son but still not too bad. The Rib tips were cooked almost perfectly, some pieces were overcooked but overall some juicy bites. They do however have some damn good tasting sauces. The Chicago got was the best. The perfect amount of heat for the perfect bite. I can definitely see myself returning more often now.

    Brisket, Mac and cheese, and coleslaw..
    Dawn V.

    After living in the neighborhood for 2 years I finally made it here. I purchased beef brisket with a side of Mac and cheese, and coleslaw.The brisket was good, the coleslaw had an interesting taste, creamy with a hint of vinegar. It was tasty but wayyyyyy to creamy.. the Mac and cheese was tasty as well. But they put wayyyyyy too much water in it so it was liquidity. The inside was a little shabby and there was a puddle of water on the kitchen floor visible to the customer. Now with that being said. Would I go back again? Yes, I hope the owner sees this as corrects the food .

    Counter
    Drake M.

    I was dropping off a delivery for my side gig when I drove past Earl's Drive Thru BBQ. So I decided to park and go into this quaint restaurant with about eight tables and bench like seating there's even outdoor seating. As I walked in, I was greeted with a hearty "Hello!" from the guy behind the counter. As I went over the menu, I noticed they had rib tips, which is extremely hard to find on the north side of Chicago so I ordered the rib tip lunch special with one side included I chose mac and cheese. The rib tips were meaty and I like that they have four sauces you can try. My favorite was Chicago Heat, followed by the Carolina. The mac and cheese was creamy and delicious. I will definitely be hitting up this place again. I need to try the burrito.

    2 item platter w/ 2 sides
    Ariana G.

    This place surprisingly impressed me. I can't tell you how many times I drove past wondering how the food tasted. The food still tasted fresh even though we ordered from Uber Eats. 2 item platter: For my platter, I chose rib tips and brisket and mac n cheese as my side. Portion sizes were pretty good and they give you alot of meat. I don't really crave bbq that much but this was so enjoyable to eat. Brisket is my favorite bbq item and the brisket here was so so tender and soft and full of flavor. They also give you alot of pickles and a side of bread that I didn't really care for. All in all, I would def order from here again especially since it's close by.

    Rib Tips

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    10 days ago

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    4 months ago

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    27 days ago

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    1 year ago

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    1 year ago

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    3 months ago

    The food is always amazing. The service is always great. Love coming here often. Five stars all around

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    9 months ago

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    10 months ago

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    11 months ago

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    11 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    4 months ago

    Had chicken tenderloins there it was excellent, I'll really look forward to trying more from there

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    10 months ago

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    9 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    11 months ago

    They never disappoint. I've had the ribs. Chicken and pulled pork all really good. Bake beans are excellent.

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    4 years ago

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    6 months ago

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    3 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    2 years ago

    We bought pulled pork and brisket by the pound and brought it home. It was good, moist and not that fatty. The sauce is quite good too.

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    11 months ago

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    5 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Favorite place to go in all of Jefferson park. Their burgers are the best I've ever had.

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    1 year ago

    This food used to taste AMAZING . I believe there are new cooks. The food is mid and the ribs are NOT tender. They do not fall off the bone.

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    4 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    Page 1 of 12

    Ask the Community - Earl's BBQ

    Anyone cater a party from Earl's?

    How tender is the brisket. Can I depend on them to always be tender?

    Always.

    Does it beat smoque?

    It's hard to say if it beats smoke. It's kind of on a slightly different level. It's worth a go for sure. I know that smoked brisket and it's awesome, but this stuff for how fast it is and how good it is. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

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    Do-Rite Donuts & Chicken

    Do-Rite Donuts & Chicken

    4.4
    (1.6k reviews)
    9.6 mi
    $

    Walked in and immediately greeted with the smell of donuts, yum!…read more We asked for donut recs and got one of each of their most famous flavors: vanilla bean glazed and old fashioned. Both were delish! The glazed donut was fluffy, sweet and my fave. My husband loved his old fashioned donut! He said it was crunchy yet moist. We also both got the Hot N' Spicy chicken sandwich which was so good!! Flavorful and spicy, with toppings that helped add some freshness to it. Pair it with a soft brioche bun, and this sandwich was heavenly! Def check this spot out for breakfast! One of the best places we tried while in Chicago!

    I saw glowing review after glowing review, so I decided to make my way out to a Do-Rite after…read morelanding in the early morning in Chicago. Pulled up just before 6:30 AM on a weekday and there were just a few folks ahead of us in line, but service is quick. Cake donuts were actually pretty solid here; the Blueberry Cake Donut was the best item, super soft and moist with a good amount of berries throughout. The Pistachio Cake Donut for some reason was texturally firmer and drier than the other. Unfortunately, the fried donuts were all misses. The dough was just really dense and none of the toppings really hit. The Glazed Donut just made me sad that the dough was bad and the bacon on the Maple Bacon Donut wasn't crispy, so you got a cold, chewy, greasy bite that wasn't super pleasant. The chopped dough pieces in the Apple Fritter were also oddly firm instead of soft. For a place with rave reviews, I was pretty bummed by the donuts, but maybe the fried chicken sandwich is where it's at.

    Photos
    Inside on a Saturday noon 1/4/2025
    Inside on a Saturday noon 1/4/2025
    Breakfast Sandwich - Vera Cruz
    Breakfast Sandwich - Vera Cruz
    Front Counter at Do-Rite

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    Front Counter at Do-Rite
    Voodoo Doughnut

    Voodoo Doughnut

    4.0
    (200 reviews)
    8.7 mi
    $$

    While strolling in the West Loop on my way to pick a different unhealthy bite I stumbled across…read moreVoodoo Doughnut. It's been well over a decade since trying for the first time in Seattle. Tbh I remember being disappointed because of the hype. Today I entered with tempered expectations. I tried the Old Fashioned doughnut and it was somewhere between solid and above average. I'll definitely stick with Do-Rite especially because they're a few blocks away and significantly better. If the job catered Voodoo I'd indulge, but considering I prefer a few other donut shops I won't make a special trip. Great service plus a respectable donut equals 3.51 stars.

    I discovered this place over a decade ago in Portland OR. I am really excited when they decided to…read moreopen a location in Chicago. The donuts are amazing, unique and fun. It also doesn't hurt that they are open from 6am to Midnight - perfect for those sudden doughnut cravings! One thing that can be improved is how they handle big orders. I recently ordered over 5 dozen doughnuts and it came in 6 boxes and a small bag. First problem: they don't deliver. Second and bigger problem is that they don't pack big orders so you can carry them out. How the heck am I going to carry 6 boxes and a bag of donuts??? Maybe they want to keep their business "small". A simple brown bag or even something to tie the boxes together would have been very helpful.

    Photos
    Ring of fire
    Ring of fire
    Voodoo Doughnut
    Our doughnuts

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    Our doughnuts
    2d Restaurant

    2d Restaurant

    4.0
    (433 reviews)
    6.9 mi
    $$

    Yes. This place really looks like this! Everything seriously looks like paper. Or, as if you've…read morestepped into doodlebob world if you're a Spongebob fan (IYKYK). It's pretty small inside, with maybe no more than 10 tables. When I came there was a large party taking up majority of the dining room, leaving about 4 tables left. We didn't have reservations, but I believe they take them. Luckily we were seated right away without any issues. They are known for their Asian cuisine. Think Taiwanese fried chicken sandwiches, Japanese mochi donuts, ube, vietnamese coffee, etc. What I tried: - Mochi donuts (1 strawberry, 1 chocolate) ; so fresh! 10/10 - Strawberry/peach lemonade boba; Extremely sweet, but good! Staff was super kind from start to finish. The only downside (which is big) - it is pretty dirty around the restaurant. With all the white, you can unfortunately spot things quicker. A deep clean would do the trick!

    We're visiting Chicago for the weekend and TikTok led us here, it looked really cool! We got there…read moreand it was cute, just like the videos and pics I've seen on social media. However, it wasn't the cleanest but we were still willing to give it a try. When we arrived, the hostess/waitress asked if we had a reservation and I told her no but there were literally only 2 tables being occupied at the time, so she had us wait until she cleared another table. The menu gave a hibachi vibe, they had teriyaki bowls, unwich sushi rolls, soup, and specialty drinks but no fountain or canned drinks. I wanted the salmon and everyone else was getting chicken but that didn't happen because they were out of salmon. Really wasn't feeling the other options, so we canceled our order and left. I would definitely give the place another try but maybe earlier in the day and a different location.

    Photos
    Half A Dozen Donuts
    Half A Dozen Donuts
    Inside
    Inside
    2d Restaurant

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    Earl's BBQ - donuts - Updated August 2026

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