Been coming here for years The foods decent but isn't worth the rude consumer service and the unprofessional employees I try to give it another chance because my kids enjoy the food here but every time we go it seems the employees become ruder and rude. it actually make this restaurant unenjoyable and returning makes me regret it every time simply because the customer service isn't the best and then your paying a good amount for food! They need more staff and to train there employees to be kind and more efficient read more

I don't know what's wrong with this place. The meat is dry. The sides seem to be old.

I ordered Earl's after a disappointing experience with another BBQ place. The presentation was great, the food was pretty good, and I will return. The brisket was tender and juicy, the chicken was tasty, and the mac & cheese was pretty good. We tried the "Chicago Hot" and the "Original" sauces and they both were pretty good. read more

Earl's BBQ - Donuts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Ordered for delivery and it was alright. Got rib tips and a side of Mac and cheese. The Mac was delicious, there were some really tough pieces of rib tip that were hard to eat so I'm taking a star off. Also the random slice of bread seems like a waste. However very good portions and affordable. read more

Food is delicious. Charred corn has Mexican spices... yum....plus scraped from the cob... so less mess. Carolina BBQ sauce tangy... but too sweet. Service is slow. read more

We just picked up our take out brisket w sides It was absolutely delicious. Tender with authentic smoke flavor. Love the dollop of burnt ends to complete the BBQ experience. Sides are high quality & choice of sauces very satisfying read more

I'm a southern transplant and when I first moved here, happened across Earl's, tried it, and thought "at last! True Southern BBQ!" However, in recent years, they've gone pathetically downhill. Every time we order delivery, multiple items are missing and we don't get refunded. Also the ribs were rock hard the last 2-3 times we ordered them. You could not chew half the meat and what you could was dry, stringy, and bland. The ribeye sandwich was also a textural nightmare. This place used to be so great and now they suck. I don't know what happened to their quality but it's really sad. Do not recommend at all. read more

I ordered a rib tip dinner through GrubHub. My order arrived quickly. I ordered sauce on the side because I like to taste how well the meat is seasoned. The tips definitely didn't have that smoked taste, lacked flavor and were mushy. The bread was hard. The baked beans were very greasy. And to top it off, I found a hair in the rib tips. They won't ever get my money again. read more

See all

Was looking for some rib tips and stumbled on to Earls, had seen it a few times and decided why not especially since they have a drive thru, Ordered the small tips and they were so tender and good, Loved that they added the sauces on the side so you decide how much to add for yourself. The sauce was real good too, will come back to try the pulled pork next time. You also get a side of your choice with the tips so got the fries and they were good nice and crispy just like i like them. Didn't take a photo as i wanted to dig in right away, will be going back soon read more

I was in the mood for bbq and found this place with so many good reviews. My first time I ordered the brisket and salmon. Strange choice but I didn't feel like chicken. I wish the grubhub app allowed for the same meat to be ordered twice. Anyways, the brisket was so tender and the salmon was surprisingly amazing. To top it off, the fries are freshly cut... just awesome. There was plenty of food for one person. I will definitely do here again! read more

Earl's BBQ - Donuts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Please bring back the other mac & cheese it was better I love Earl's bbq everything on the menu is very tasty at a good price the food is definitely a high quality I appreciate it and the guy's up front are very nice with great personalities HIGHLY recommend you try Earl's it's well wort it. read more

Some of the best BBQ of the Chicagoland area! Lady and Gentleman working when we walked in were very kind. Very good setting for some quick easy great tasting BBQ!!! read more

I was really excited to come here, I passed it all the time. It always smells so good, but when we walked in, it was empty. We order and sit down, our food is cold, like not lukewarm but cold. I was able to eat some of my brusket, but the ribs were not only cold but hard. You could hear the employees swearing, and they even left a customer in the drive thru waiting . Just disappointing read more

Earl's BBQ - Rib and brisket combo - Donuts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My family loves Earls. From the rib tips, brisket tacos to the sandwiches! Good bbq. My husband craves the rib tips often but my fav is the brisket tacos. read more

DO NOT ORDER FROM HERE! They took our order on MOTHER'S DAY and cancelled it an hour later. If we would have known they weren't taking orders, we wouldn't have wasted time. They cancelled right during dinner time so we were unable to get anything else. Mother's Day was ruined. We have a family with no food. They took our money and said they would refund in 5-7 business days. So we have to wait to get our money back, we have no food and it's Mother's Day. So deeply disappointed in this place. DO NOT ORDER FROM HERE. THEY WILL TAKE YOUR ORDER, YOUR MONEY, and you receive NOTHING in return. Horrible horrible experience. read more

Always a good stop when we are in Chicago. My brother Tony swears by the place! Great BBQ! Hubby likes the rib tips. I like the salad with meat on it. read more

Some of the best BBQ in Chicago in my opinion. I always get their beef brisket burrito, which is packed with so much flavor it is like that scene from Ratatouille with the burst of colors. Their fries are phenomenal and taste amazing with the habanero sauce that comes with the burrito. The staff is always friendly, but this last time he went to a new level. He was really nice and seemed to genuinely care about his work and providing the best experience possible. He succeeded and I will definitely be back in the future. Anyone looking for fall off the bone, juicy meat with a variety of flavorful sauces, look no further! read more

See all

Husband loves their brisket sandwich Their salmon tacos are AMAZING Customer srvc is top notch Great location. Husband and I have been ordering here since it opened! Return customers here! read more

I've been going to Earls since it first opened. But the last two years they have been so inconsistent; so much that my family got tired of getting bad service, mixed orders and bad food that they quit giving earls business. I praised Earls to my coworkers and was hoping that they would get it right. I did warn them Earls has been really inconsistent the past two -three years. When they're on point they are excellent, BUT when they're NOT it sucks. Drum Roll.... we ordered 4 plates, I just can't believe that the last four times I've eaten there the fries are so chewy that all our jaws hurt. There were pieces of rib tips that were great, but most of them were extremely chewy. some pieces were so chewy that we had to spit them out because it was too hard and chewing it was exhausting. For the price we expect a lot better. I'm writing this in hopes that the owner will take action and fix this. Its gone on for too long and you will go out of business eventually because people will not tolerate such INCONSISTENT COOKING. Good luck Marco read more

Very disappointed Ordered Ribs were hard dry NO TASTE AT ALL!! fries were cold as the rest of my order! almost $50 I spend through Doordash Not recommended at all very sad how much they charge for an order that was disposed of !! read more

The food was fresh. We ordered the ribtips and a brisket sandwich. The meat was tender. I have not had bbq this good in a long time. They have 4 sauces. All really good, although I had 2 favorites. I wish I could write more but I'm so full I can't think. Try this! read more

Earl's BBQ - Brisket sandwich with a side of coleslaw. It was delicious! - Donuts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My first time there was today, the cashier was friendly and helpful. I chose the two item platter ( Beef brisket and rib tips) with Mac and cheese and corn as the two sides. The Beef brisket was good but the rib tips were very dry, the sides were good. I would suggest the beef brisket as a single item platter. There are a few outside tables as well as a couple inside tables. The BBQ sauce is four types of an in-house brand, not the standard Open Pit or Sweet Baby Ray, so you may want to bring your bbq sauce bottle with you.... read more

Not bad for a drive-through at all! The food was delicious and the woman at the window was also really kind, no complaints! read more

Earl's BBQ - Donuts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The food here is generally good. Not the greatest BBQ ever, but pretty good. I've gone here many times over the years. Usually the counter service person is friendly and pleasant. Not today. We came in to order something for take out. The young woman at the counter was bored, and un-welcoming. Looked like she didn't want to be there; just going through the motions. When I spend $35 and order at the counter, the least I expect is a pleasant interaction. Not today, Sept. 3, 2023 read more

The brisket was the best thing I had here, that item is a 5 and I would highly recommend to try it. Felt like it was as good as some of the famous places that I have tried. Very juicy, nice smoke flavor, and a overall great smoked brisket. The smoked sausage was good, I think it needs to be smoked a little slower and longer to bring out the best flavor. Fries were very good and the mac n cheese wasn't that good. The sauces were all delicious, the Chicago hot was my favorite one. I was impressed with the brisket as I mentioned before, I would come back for that alone. They have other cuts of meat that looked really nice on other peoples plates that I checked out. Sold BBQ place worth a stop. read more

Earl's BBQ - Donuts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I normally go to a few other places for BBQ but they were closed on a Monday night. I had always passed by Earl's BBQ and thought why not, let's give it a try... I ordered a combination plate with Brisket and Chicken. French fries are a staple, so kinda hard to mess that up... But the Mac & Cheese was so flavorless that after 2 bites I didn't want to put such tasteless calories into my body... The Brisket was okay... The Chicken was very dry... Part of me wants to give them the benefit of the doubt that it was later on in the night and they were preparing to close... The other part of me isn't convinced that I ever want to return... Oh, the Honey BBQ sauce was really delicious - which is good. However, for me personally, I don't think that food should necessarily rely on a sauce to taste good - rather yet just having it as an optional accessory to enhance the experience. read more

A lot of very good food for a great price. BBQ is excellent and brisket burrito a favorite!

Earl's i just met you and I already love you. My boyfriend had the brisket sandwich and I had the ribeye sandwich. Let me break it down for you. The ribeye sandwich which was pretty good and you can tell that the meat was cooked perfectly with the arugula tomato and onion with pepprocini peppers, it all tied in together perfectly. The sandwich that stole the show though was the brisket. Three cheers for the brisket! HIP HIP HOOORRRRRRAAAAYY x3!! There is something about perfectly cooked brisket that makes me so happy. It was juicy, tender and super flavorful. accompany it with one of those bbq sauces that is on the tables that are house made and you're set! We got the Mac and cheese, baked beans and coleslaw. All the sides were amazing. My favorite was the baked beans and i am not a huge bean aficionado like that.This northwest side gem is nestled on the corner of Austin and Lawrence and totally worth the trip. Seating is communal and super casual place. I love the "tin shanty decor". We will be back to try the rest of the menu but we are in love already! read more

See all

This review is about my visit a year ago. I read the reviews from other people and decided to try this place. I can tell you I was not disappointed and have no idea what other "reviewers" are complaining about. First, I was greeted with a friendly smile and warm welcome. Second, I explained I had never eaten there and the girl went over the menu and made suggestions. She was super friendly and even made recommendations of the complimentary sauces they made in house for my platter. Third, the portion of the platter was over generous if you ask me, and well worth the price; I cannot recall the exact amount, but I remember not batting an eyelash at the total. Fourth, everyone was cooked perfectly, especially the fries, and the meat had just the right amount of fat and seasoning. That being said, I will definitely go back and recommend this place to anyone. read more

Earl's BBQ - 2 Smoked Items Platter - Donuts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

03/18/17 - Earl's BBque on the corner of Gunnison & Austin Ave use to be a KFC until a couple of years ago. I went here yesterday around 4pm after having nothing to eat all day so I was hungry when I went there. It's a very small dining area. As I went in there was only one other couple in the restaurant and 2 people working in the back and. There was no one to take my order. As I was walked by out one of the employees was cleaning the parking lot. She went back in and told one of the guys in the back to come up front to the register. After taking my order I sat down and the food was up almost instantly. I ordered the brisket that came with Cole slaw and macaroni and cheese. The brisket sandwich that was served had a very generous portion of meat. The meat was very tender, but was very fatty. I ended up cutting out the excess. I know you should have some fat for marbleization of he meat, but this was very excessive amounts of fat. The brisket was pretty good. I should have tried some of the Bbque sauces other then the hot Bbque sauce. Once again the sides were decent, but nothing to write home about. I might go back and try their ribs someday based on some of the reviews. read more

See all

We ordered 10 pans of brisket for our company anniversary party. Everyone was complimenting the brisket. It was amazing. They really know what they're doing there. Definitely wlll be back. Thank you Anthony, the manager there. read more

I really had high hopes for this place after looking at the pictures because I saw the red smoke rings in the meat which is a good sign of smoked meats and I'm a BBQ junky so I try some everywhere I go, always on the hunt for good Q. The place is a repurposed drive through restaurant that is now the BBQ pace. The place is small with wooden tables, metal chairs and limited booths with out door seating in front. When you walk in you smoke which is always a good sign and usually means half way decent BBQ. The place was packed which is a good sign but this side of town probably doesn't have many options for BBQ. The menu has all the BBQ meats and today I would change it up and get the 1/4 rib and 1/4 chicken combo with Mac and slaw for $15 vs ribs only. The ribs and chicken looked slightly small compared to what I get from the store and make in my kitchen I thought. The slaw was ok but I don't really care for most slaw and I can take it or leave it. I asked for sauce on the side so I could see if the meat stands on its own but it was sauced anyway. The ribs were tasty with a small smoke flavor and moist but not very meaty so the 1/4 was a tease. The chicken was tasty with a seasoned smokey flavor and not dry just like the ribs. The Mac was creamy with no big cheese flavor and cooked just past al dente and on the way to mush. Overall I found the BBQ meats tasty but small and not very meaty compared to other BBQ places which will not replace anyone's known great destination BBQ place but if your in the area it works, It will scratch the BBQ itch if you have one. read more

See all

I pass through by here often and tried it since I really love BBQ food. The person at the front was young and was a bit rude. It was a little busy so I don't think he knew how to work in those conditions. The ribs were really dry - so disappointed there. The sliced brisket was really good. They give nice thick slices and were very meaty!! The Mac was cheesy but bland and I enjoyed the baked beans. For the price, you don't get much. It was ok....not a place I'll go back too. read more

I truly wish this could have been different. Wait, hold the mayo! It could have been! Orderd pick up. Hubs and I were hankering for a good steak sandwich. Thought we would give Earl's a try. Upon pick up the gal behind the counter was friendly and personable. Food was ready on time. The issue here were the steaks themselves. Loaded....and I mean LOADED with fat! Hey I absolutely love a good marbled Ribeye...but clumps of silver dollar size fat belong on the alter and not on our bread. It wasn't just one sandwich, but both. There is no way the cook didn't see this, yet still served it up. 30 bucks later...Our German Shepherd was more than happy to lap up our poor choice of Earls ribeye. Hey, our loss....her gain. I will say this, it is a shame because the bread assemble had a good sauce and flavor. read more

Earl's BBQ - A river of fat runs through it... - Donuts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Delicious food and good portions. The drive thru makes dinner so easy! We love their sides!

I am writing this now, extremely Ill. I ordered on July 14th. Since I ate this, I cannot keep anything down and have been having extreme digestive discomfort. I think they cook everything really early in the day and then I just sits and keeps being re heated every day. I had ordered late in the day and I feel like I ate something that had been sitting out, perhaps not being kept to the temps it should've. For a $50 dinner, I expected better. NEVER AGAIN. read more

We were looking for something different last night for dinner. I mentioned BBQ and wifey said she could go for some bbq tips. So I got on Yelp to see where I could find some Bbq rib tips... I saw Earl's Bbq first so I thought I've passed this place a lot of times while working for Lyft. Tonight will be the night I stop in. They have a really good menu board to choose from. When wifey saw they had brisket she changed her mind about the tips. Well, I thought I would try the tips and I did. She and my daughter both got the large brisket sandwiches with wifey getting Macaroni and cheese and Lexi getting baked beans. My side with my tips were fresh-cut French fries. We also got a chicken Caesar salad which was good. Here is my honest opinion about the Bbq. The tips were a little tough and boney; the smoke was great on them. And they had a lot of hard gristle. By the time I got home my fries were greasy and cold. (This is the main reason I don't like fresh-cut fries). The pickles were old and discolored not fresh and the bread that they served with my meal was stale and hard around the edges. Everybody has an off night sometimes. But as I was once told you never know who might drop by and eat at your establishment so you make sure it's perfect the first time. As for the brisket sandwiches and the sides my wife and daughter got, they were fine. The brisket had great bark and a nice smoke ring and it was really good. Just a little bit fatty. Wifey said the mac & cheese was ok. My daughter didn't care for the baked beans. So in closing, the meats were not bad. The service was excellent and even though that was a $70 take-out meal, I may give them another shot. I'm from Kansas City the mecca of good BBQ and we're hard to please. I'm tough on BBQ places. Oooh and they have several different sauces to choose from. I got Georgia: it was good and I chose Carolina for the girls: they liked theirs too. I give Earl's three stars. It wasn't terrible, but the little things make all the difference. read more

We ordered food on a Sunday. All of the meats we got were so dried out like they were reheated. Sides were ok but very disappointed with the meats. read more

I ordered a full slab of ribs, tips and Wings total cost $50.00 They did not remove the Membrane off of the ribs and then boiled them to get them tender. No TASTE & unclean food I will not be going back read more

See all

Tasty and Delicious BBQ has come to Jefferson Park! You can get sandwich combos, chili or salad but really where it's at are the Smoked Platters. You can pick from two meats ($13.95), three meats ($18.95) or four ($21.95). Each platter comes with coleslaw and your choice of another side. Side options are Baked Beans, Macaroni & Cheese, Fries, Potato Salad & Coleslaw. I'd kind of prefer to pick my two sides instead of having to get coleslaw, but oh wellz! Meat options are Rack Ribs, Chicken, Brisket, Rib Tips, Pulled Pork, Smoked Sausage and Salmon. The meats are tender, meaty and delicious. Even without any BBQ sauce added I thought all three we tried (brisket, rib tips and pulled pork) were so tasty. I liked all of their BBQ sauces, as well, but the Sweet Sauce was my favorite of the lot. For whatever reason, I always find that the sides at BBQ joints are not so great. It's like they focus on the protein and forget all about the carb-filled sides. Wah wah. Earl's to the rescue!!! They do their sides really well. I loved their mac & cheese and it's been some time since I've encountered a truly delicious macaroni and cheese dish.I'm not big on coleslaw but also liked their version of it. Word on my street is their donuts are bomb, too. Stay tuned for an update on those. Their website needs some updating. It gets the job done but no photos, no additional info - just their menu and address. This could only positively impact them to fix it up a bit. They have a drive thru! Not gonna lie, I'm already craving their BBQ. I haven't ever been a big BBQ gal and have never craved the stuff like I am currently but Earl's is one of my favorites around town. read more

See all