Y'all! When I tell you, if you visit Chicago, this is a MUST-TRY BBQ spot! 10/10 -- definitely recommend! I ordered the wings and fries, and they did not disappoint. The wings were cooked to perfection--super flavorful with an amazing texture. The fries were crispy and seasoned perfectly! Apparently, there's this thing in Chicago where they drown your fries in sauce... OMG, DELISH! The sauce can definitely be overpowering, though, so if you're not a fan of a lot of sauce, I'd recommend asking for it on the side. All of the workers were very friendly, and they worked quickly to get everyone their food. This is a to-go BBQ joint, so be prepared to grab your food and head out. It's a fairly small space, but it was clean. I will say the line was pretty long, so pack your patience, but trust me, the wait is absolutely worth it. Even with a long line, the staff kept things moving and got everyone's orders out surprisingly fast. read more

Lem's Bar-B-Q - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I really wanted to like it...but it wasn't good. So Boom it 5:30 on a sunny perfect Chicago Saturday...im about to head home but decided to stop at Lems im like nice the line is short...I got excited....FIRST MISTAKE...line didn't move for 20 min. Positive I got to see an amazing car show and the old man in front of me was nice. Ordered a large rib tip with links...mixed sauce. Tried the rib tips it was SALTY! My husband was like oh it's pork..pork is salty...so he tried it... We could eat two or three at a time and then thr salt became over bearing So disappointed! The links was ok...not impressive..just ok! read more

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The best rib tips and links. The flavor is excellent. The line moves fast and the food is worth it.

Lem's is worth the wait..if you have the patience. It's not NC style bbq which can't be beat, but their meat is always smoky and flavorful. The hot links are my favorite and I go back and forth between traditional rib orders and the Chicago staple rib tip order. They are efficient in their system. The guys that work there are always in good spirits and laugh with me. The owner lady has always been kind to me but I have seen her be very unpleasant to others. I live in this community and am proud to be a regular customer. read more

I placed a catering order for New Year's Eve (NYE). The catering order process follows: - you physically wait in line to place a catering order. - catering orders must be placed and paid for at least 24 hours in advance. - when picking up, you don't stand in-line again. You go to the backdoor and ring the bell at your agreed to date and time. - I ordered the rib tips ($85) and ribs ($130). Pics attached. I separated each item into 2 separate pans to put half in the refrigerator. The pics give you an idea of how much it is. Great value and the food was amazing. P.S.: On NYE, The line was the longest I've ever seen it. This was the way to go and I froze some for later. Edited to add: catering items are ala carte (no fries). Also, I got both items with no sauce. They typically come drenched in sauce. Paid $9 for a quart of sauce on the side -- not everyone in my crew wanted sauce. read more

Lem's Bar-B-Q - Rib Tips from the catering menu ($85) - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Purchased rib tips and some chicken wings. I don't know what the big deal is with this place. The tips were cold and there was no sauce on them. All the sauce was on the fries. The tips taste like they were prepared with no seasoning and they were tough to chew. the wings were horrible, they taste old. I'll never go back. read more

Overall good food especially the wings and tips BUT the sauce is not good at all. This spot gets 2 stars for the nasty attitude of the older lady working in this place. That attitude is unnecessary! I would never go back and stand in line where customers are so disrespected. Also what is this stupid rule about not standing to close to the windows to order, the workers were literally yelling at a customer because he was to close to the bullet proof glass! There are to many worthwhile spots in the area to stop here! read more

Lem's Bar-B-Q - 49.50 for ok food - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Seeing that I've been going here since 1973 I've never had any issues or problems with the food or service ever. Also when Mr. Lem was alive he was very attentive to the people and now that he's gone his family has been keeping his legacy alive and strong and they're worth the wait and trip to the restaurant. So if you want some in my opinion very Gr8t BBQ Lem's definitely is the best place to go to. read more

Superlative Cue. The swine is honored. A burnt offering. Not in the sense of the old covenant, but to anyone able to shell out 20 dollars: no matter whether a gentleman or a schlub. The building is a mid-century/Googie that you'd associate more with hotdog or burger stand. Perhaps ideally you'd prefer your bbq served from something with clapboard siding. But it is what it is. If you want Lem's, you will have to deal with a lot of "it is what it is." Such as eye wateringly long wait times. But hey, that's bar-b-cue. While you wait you can listen to commentary on the Bears, about how QB Caleb Williams is just the addition the team needs, but he really needs to learn to get rid of the ball and stop taking sacks. Enough of the Bears; back to the pigs. They honor the swine with a bath of their slightly spicy, ultra tangy, barely sweet sauce. You'll want the ribs. Moreso even than the ribs, you'll want the rib tips. Tender and they seem to hold on to the smokiness in a way other pieces do not. As for everything else, you can leave the sausage to someone else. It's dry and mealy. Like too many uncles in the family had heart problems so they cut the fat from the sausages. Also, forget about the chicken wings. Why? They came from the fryer. Fried meats: go somewhere else for those. read more

We took 50 minutes to drive here only to find out they are closed until Dec 1. Nothing on their website and no msg on their voicemail. They don't answer the phone and no automated message. Must be nice to have a Michelin star and not care about your customer and lack the decency, courtesy and hospitality to do the simplest comms to let us know if you are open. read more

Lem's has been a true South Side staple in the community for years. I am proud they earned the highly coveted James Beard Award. From the look of the line, I am not the only one. It was really nice to stand in line for an hour and five minutes said no one ever! But, it was nice talking to the police officers in front of me and the city workers behind me. The conversation made the cold a little more bearable. When you made it around the corner, there was a nice heat lamp waiting to warm you. I knew exactly what I was ordering, one large rib tip combo that came with a hot link and fries. One JBL Special, includes two rib bones, rib tips, one hot link, two wings and fries. One order of six wings with fries. Everything came with bread and was drenched in a cajun barbecue sauce. The hot links were dry and some of the tips were dry. But, overall the food had a nice flavor. read more

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Lem's absolutely rocks--the best ribs and tips I have eaten anywhere in the world, and the hot links are terrific. Making the center cut (meatier) and small end (more bacony) sections of the slab available separately shows you how well they know their product. If you can't get with it, then you need to hit Twin Anchors or some other sweet-sauce, parboiled, soft-meat joint--this is apex Chicago-style barbecue and unlike steakhouse rib offerings, it has its own signature and personality. Also if you come here expecting joy and good cheer, you probably won't get it--the employees are working in a smoky, hot box for hours every day and they are focused almost entirely on kicking ass on barbecue. Wait in line, get your food, and go home to eat it (it travels great). I've had zero dud orders in 26yrs. read more

I am a believer! Come get this barbecue and stop being scared! Now I haven't been gatekeeping this place for too long, but I was for a while. You can see this place from a mile away from all the smoke. They are doing in-house and sometimes there's a line that is well worth the weight. These juicy never dry rib Tips were something made out of dreams. Perfectly smoke perfectly chard meaty goodness, topped that off with some bread and your set. I loved every moment of this car meal because it never made it home lol. Pricing is pretty decent and they are keeping things simple . But they don't just serve rib tips, they got it all, they got ribs on the bone, center cut, small end, hot links, wings of all kind, fried chicken dark or white, potato salad...galore! This isn't a dine in place, order your food and go. This place is five stars for me every single time. read more

Customer service, was the worse. Can't believe people pay them for being treated badly. Being, an out of town visitor, I would never go back or recommend this bbq place to anyone. I guess the locals who patronize them are use to the rudeness. The food was not much better , fatty rib tips, dry links, dry chicken wings, not to mention French fries drenched in bbq sauce( who does that?? No where on the menu did it indicate that was how your French fries would be. That definitely, should be made clear. Remember, all customers are not from Chicago. read more

Bad service , owner very rude to customers , long wait time , overall, it definitely not worth the time, food not the same as it used to be, I'm definitely not going there again read more

I had not been to Lem's in more than 15 years. Friends and I decided to go because they had been awarded the James Beard Award. We waited in line in 90 degree heat and rain for 3hrs & 48 minutes on July 3rd to get bbq slabs, hot links and rib tips. NOT ONE TIME during our wait did any of the staff come out to thank us for our patience or thank us for doing business with them. No one even offered to give (or sell) us a bottle of water. After 2+ hours, several people left because they just couldn't wait any longer. The only reason I didn't leave is because I was with others and not driving. We came into the city from the suburbs. Thru the window, we could see the owner dancing and counting money! It was THE MOST DISRESPECTFUL BEHAVIOR I have ever experienced as a member of the community. I WILL NEVER PATRONIZE Lems again!! They do not care about their customers and are leeches in the community. I wish we would come together, boycott for at least a month and show them who is really the boss. Many entrepreneurs fail to understand that the community makes them who they are. Lem's can smoke and bbq 24/7 but if we don't buy, they are nothing! DO BETTER LEM'S!! read more

Awesome food, it's just the line is so long give and take 1 1/2 due the line and get your food. Would I go again of course. Again the food is good and hot read more

I love the rib tips and the sauce is incredible. I give this restaurant a thumbs .I've tried the ribs but i didn't njoy them as much as the tips. But I do njoy eating the combo meal that u have. I would like if ur side dishes were a little larger like cold slaw or spaghetti the small amount that u all sell is just a teaser. read more

My favorites are the rib tips and hot links, they are the best! The tips and slabs are seasoned so well you don't even need the sauce! You can dip in the sauce in the side! I would highly recommend! !'I would highly recommend trying them! read more

The customer service here is terrible. They're rude for no reason. I ordered a link dinner and ask for extra sauce. They gave me extra sauce but no cover for my food. I opened the bag of food when I got home and sauce spilled all over the place. I feel like they did it on purpose knowing what would happen. read more

This place is awesome Note there are negative reviews but when you have 40-50 people line up everyday for BBQ, are the negative reviews accurate or one offs? Overall (A) This place has awesome food and is a community staple. I can see why they won a James Beard award. My kids loved the bbq. I have a daughter who is picky about eating meat and loved it. The other is a meat connoisseur and loved it. Value (A) The prices seem expensive but you get a ton of food. We paid $110 and will probably get 8 maybe 10 meals out of it. 3 people ate twice yesterday and we have a ton of leftovers for today. Service (A-) The service takes a while. Just plan to wait 1-hour to 90 minutes when you get in line. I got there at 11:23 for a noon opening and food around 12:35. They are super busy so they don't have time to be patient. Plus you have plenty of time to make a selection and ask people in line on what to do when you enter. They are not rude or disrespectful they are just super swamped and busy and trying to keep things moving. While there they accommodated someone who "cut in line" to get a bottle of sauce she forgot. The one polity accommodated her request and asked that she ask all of us waiting for permission to cut in line Food (A+) We got Rib Tips, Ribs, Chicken wing,sausage, fries and coleslaw. All items were excellent. Get the coleslaw as a side - well worth it. I don't know how else to explain things - everything was excellent and we couldn't stop eating. Tips - When you go get a lot of food. Like for days so you don't have to wait in line again - The JBL special is a great value and well worth it - Line starts around an hour prior to open - Basically pick out what you want, five people allowed inside at once. They will call on you and you place your order. When your food is ready you pay by cash or cc. They need to keep things orderly since there are so many people and the food is always fresh - there is no seating so you have to go home and eat or eat in your car. - the sauce is excellent and I should have gotten an extra bottle - they keep things simple and old school here. No call ahead orders or any of that nonsense. Come and stand in line like everyone else and get your food. - the plain white bread is magic when soaked in some sauce - great compliment I like this place a lot and will pick up from here a few times a year. We live in the burbs but will have to make a special trip for it. I don't have that many pics of the food since we ate in our car. read more

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I finally tried Lems & I loved it. A short wait in line. I ordered JBL special. I told my Sister the BBQ was delicious. Tips were tender and flavorful. Hot links were perfect. I would have liked more mild sauce but I could have ordered extra. A week later my sister & niece decided to make a return trip. I joined them. I ordered a large tip & hot links. I must have gotten a bad batch. I've been sick for 2 days. My sister & niece are also sick. I really wanted to write a glowing review, but I have to be honest. I'm scared to leave home. I need to be near my toilet. Edit: We were sick with diarrhea for 7 days. 4 family members in 3 households. 2 separate orders. Urgent care said it's food poisoning. read more

I stood in line today, I bought a large tip and a half shrimp. I'm so pissed because the rib tips tasted boiled & I have been coming to Lems for years!! The rib tips have never tasted boiled , I'm soooooo disappointed!!!! I will not be back !!! read more

We come from Wisconsin, and this is always my very first stop coming home. I always order a large tip/link combo, fries, everything smothered in that tasty bbq sauce, the tips are always meaty and tender. Been eating from them since I was a child. read more

Instead of the woman on the register worrying about vape/cigs being smoked outside. She needs to be watching how her workers are giving out scraps!!! I drove 50min, brought a bucket of rib tips and 2 hot-links 68.00! Hot links very dry not hot at all! Sauce runny too much vinegar and look at these hard as dried out scraps of rib tips! Lady on register not friendly and was mad because I have a personality and she don't! 5 at a time! Not giving out scraps next time I will be checking my food before I leave! Tired of these black owned restaurants serving garbage! read more

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A neighborhood staple for years! Still the best bar b q in the city and worth the wait. Ribs tips were amazing!

A Chicago taste of James Beard Award-winning food. Be prepared to wait in line for a while, as only five people are allowed in at a time. The fried chicken was crispy and perfectly cooked, the ribs were very tender with just the right amount of smokiness and packed with flavor, and the food came in big portions. I must say I wasn't a fan of the sauce, which was very watered down and probably needs a good shake before serving. It is a busy place with a hectic atmosphere, and take-out is the only option since this establishment doesn't have any benches or tables for dining in read more

Lem's Bar-B-Q - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

First and last time to never ever be going back there to lem's the 2 JBL Specials was so horrible and nasty that my wife and I had to throw it away especially after waiting for over at least almost a hour and a half it's not worth the time we were very disappointed with our order $25.00 each for nothing but garbage I could have kept my money $55.13 I definitely want to going back there. Felix Bland felixbland24@yahoo.com (312)888-0824 read more

Came to get a large order. Was very excited. That quickly disappeared when the owner was very rude to me and my wife. Did not order and won't be back. Please fix this!!! read more

Food was ok. Prices were reasonable. Service was not the best. The lady with the short hair and the little cross on her neck could use a little more Jesus. She's rude, snappy and talks to people like she doesn't have a clue. She's obviously the boss because she the only one who touches the cash. Her nephew needs some active listening skills. (He kept calling her auntie) They hygiene of the men working to prepare our food was questionable. They didn't wear gloves, hairnets nor anything covering their mouths. We know saliva was everywhere. We ordered way too much food. A slab of ribs, bbq chicken, fried shrimp, potato salad and everything comes with French fries. I liked the sauce but she could not get jiggy with it. I didn't like how they drenched our fried shrimp in BBQ sauce. The shrimp were not fresh but frozen cheap more bread than shrimp. We have our food away to an unhoused individual downtown. He literally was laid back enjoying his meal. Glad to see someone really enjoyed it. read more

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from a food perspective, the food is always good. from a service perspective. The service was the worst service I've ever experienced at a restaurant. ambience perspective it's quirky and that customers have to stay out in line. read more

Long time chicagoan first time at Lems. I heard about the hype and I think they delivered. The chicken wings were hot, crispy but lacked flavor. The hot link was solid 4/5. But the ribs and the tips, with the sauce and fries. Meaty, smoky, good without sauce. Next time I'm asking for extra sauce. Will definitely go back. The line and wait wasn't that bad, maybe 30 min on a Thursday at 11:15. You can even grab some dessert from across the street at Brown Sugar Bakery. read more

I've been wanting to come here for years, and apparentlt, it's the first Black-owned barbecue spot in Chicago. I'm happy to report that I was well pleased with my visit. The vibes were immaculate (customers and workers were both lovely and fun to chat with while we waited), and lots of regulars coming in. The food was delicious - we got the rib tips and links combo as well as an order of fried shrimp. The prices are great, and I do wish I'd tried their fried chicken too (just to sample), since other people seemed to really like it. I especially enjoyed the tips and the fried shrimp was wonderful (I admit I love a fried item and fried shrimp in general might be one of my perfect foods). But definitely get the rib tips and links because that's what they're known for. As an FYI, My friend and I came here on a spring night and unsurprisingly, there was a bit of a line. I'd read reviews talking about lines in winter, so I was ready to wait. I would definitely factor that in if you're a newbie like me, so don't come too hungry because it's also takeout only, so you'll have to factor in transporting it home. read more

Lem's Bar-B-Q - Rib tips and links combo and fried shrimp - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Some of the best bbq I've had in chicago. The wait time was 45 minutes in the cold but it was worth it. The smokey smell of cooked chicken pork and beef was in the air increasing our appetite as we waited. I was not a fan of the fries or potato salad so don't get your hopes up like I did. The potato salad was heavy on the mayonnaise and didn't taste homemade. Fried chicken was well flavored but would have appreciated them separating it from the rest. Ribs were out of this world flavor and texture falling of the bone. Highly recommend. First time and everyone in line was super kind and fun to talk to -- a bunch of older folks which was a sign the place was good! read more

Lem's Bar-B-Q - Lem's combo for $21 - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Soooo... I have never in my life (truly) experienced the level of "customer abuse" as with Lems. I call it "abuse" because it's deliberate. Rude, abrasive staff. No delivery or phone ahead options. Sometimes I think they enjoy watching their customers stand in ridiculously long lines in the cold, snow, heat, rain. And the staff always seems angry... what have they got to be angry about... they're inside and making money hand over fist. Yet, I (like millions of others through the years) continue to patronize them because the BBQ is just that delicious. But they should really be ashamed of how they treat their loyal customers read more

Staff was super disrespectful, and the food was horrible...it taste like somebody accidentally dropped the salt shaker in my food, it was over salty and the ribs was so chewy and the sauce was horrible. read more

I live in Georgia, but I was told by family to come to this location on 75th for rib tips. I waited in line for about an hour and 30 minutes (during the heatwave, I might add), because they only allow five people in the store at a time. When I entered the store, the cook was taking the ribs out of the box and putting them straight in the cooker. So, I'm pretty sure they were NOT cleaned. I bought a JBL Special, two large rib tip dinners, a side of potato salad, and coleslaw - totaling $70. When I got to my parents' house, the ribs were overcooked and tough. My mother said the only thing she could taste was the char. I will not patronize this restaurant and do not recommend this restaurant. read more

Good: seasoned nice freshly served had a tasty crispy edge that no one else does. bad: waited 2hrs in a line 1/4 of the small tip was tough ;not tender. God Bless the legacy of Mr. Lemons . Amen read more

The bbq here is just ok have to be really hungry tip/links are not the most tender and sauce is so so. The fried chicken wings with no sauce are good though. read more

I am first of all a 50 plus year customer, I been going to Lem's when they were on 59th and State st. I Saw all these children and grand children and great grand children of Mr. Lemon grow up in the business. I always purchased a minimum of 3 orders when I come to Lems. I am Loyal customer that travel a long distance from the south suburbs and pass many bbq places along the way. My experience at Lems last night at 9pm on July 20th 2025 was not good! I waited in line for 30 minutes and then they tell me through the window that they cannot serve anymore, If they know that they could not serve anymore customers why let the line continously increase for 30 more minutes to make elders wait in line, they should have informed the customers sooner that they would not be serving. read more