visiting here from out of state, do not come here, very bad attitude, service is horrible, do not recommend ever. if i could give 0 stars i would. they need jesus inside this place. read more

I lovd and lived in Chatham and served as a Scout Leader over at Maryland Aevnue Church over 30 years until the gangs and related crime made it what it is today, so I return from the burbs only for the hot links, not as good in the burbs, but the forget the tips, way too fatty and dry and the ribs always too tough, hard and dry ALWAYS.. i guess the James Beard team came on a good day because Ms Lem's exhibits horrible customer service skill's especially to be part of ownership,, expect a long lone, good conversation while u wait, staff disrespecting each other but you will enjoy the links, make sure to get an extra one if you live in the burbs you might eat one before you make it back there. read more

Great Chicago BBQ ribs, but expect long lines outside and boot-camp discipline inside

Really low grade food. Hostile employees. There are so many good barbeque places on the South Side

I love the ribs,but the hot links are ALWAYS dry, and the chicken wings are super basic and not crispy or well seasoned .Go for the ribs,expect a long line, and be patient when looking for parking. 4 stars for the rib tips cut small(they charge an extra $1 to get them cut small).I don't really eat anything else there very often. I ordered the hot bbq sauce on the side to keep the fries a little less soggy. read more

Lem's Bar-B-Q - Rib tips cut small,hot link - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Lem's offers excellent cuts of meat, hot links and sauce. The staff has a great memory of what you've ordered and once inside the establishment, the service is quick! The ambiance is lively, because of the upbeat music. I highly recommend for your barbecue in Chicago. read more

Back in Chicago my hometown and my brother and I had a munch and a taste for some bbq... We unanimously chose LEM's. We ordered shrimp, center cut ribs, chicken wings, and small ends. Simply put, they were hot, juicy, and the portions were very generous. Best ribs on the south side...put this place on your visit list when in Chicago, I do. read more

Lem's Bar-B-Q - Ribs, shrimp, chicken wings, and small ends. - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I saw Samantha Chatman on channel 7. She gave Lem's a great review. They won an award. I drive all the way from Maywood to try their BBQ. I am very disappointed. I spent 78.00 I just knew it was going to be delicious... I was so very wrong. Horrible!!!! I will never ever go back!!!! read more

My favorite bbq in Chicago! Get the rib tips. My husband and I live in Roscoe Village but the drive down to Lem's is always worth it.

Only the BEST bbq on the South Side, maybe in all of Chicago. Tender and flavorful ribs/tips and links. Get a combo and try them all, oh, and get the hot sauce (slightly spicy) but DELISH. Thank me later. read more

This is a tight carryout restaurant that allows four to five customers to enter at one time. I consider it a hole in the wall style restaurant. The short end and rib tips are generally good. However, the wings lack seasoning without the barbeque sauce poured on them and I do not care for the texture of the hot links. I like the thin vinegar-based barbeque sauce, and one can purchase a jug (small or large) of the sauce for home use. A major downside is that the customer service is generally awful. The women cashiers and some of the men taking the orders often have ignorant and disrespectful attitudes regarding where and how to order the food especially toward newcomers to the restaurant. Other downsides are that the quality of cooked barbeque can be inconsistent. Sometimes it seems old and/or dry plus bad management allows them to run out of barbeque while you are waiting in the long line. This causes one to wait an additional 30 minutes to an hour in line if they want the food that badly. Plus, one cannot call in their order for pickup and you cannot prepay and come back for your food when they runout of barbeque while you are in line. read more

It was not good and it took forever to get inside won't be going back . I didn't like the sauce or the hot links and the rib tips were awful read more

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

Best tips in town I highly recommend them.... I'm a southern guy these guys hit the nail on the head. The food was awesome, service was fast, and the have an aquarium smoker talk about am ambiance! Must go to in Chicago read more

Longstanding perfection. It is a Chicago staple. I am now 64 and my dad used to pick up Lem's on payday for as long as I can remember. In high school, I went to Lem's after parties on Friday and Saturday nights. I now live in Maryland and have to have Lem's every time I come home for family visits. I recently had Lem's catering for my dad's 90th birthday in the nursing home. Our family loves Lem's. Always have and always will. read more

Yum! Ok so I live in North Chicago and been looking for a decent bbq place for the whole 4 years I've lived in Chicago. I'm from Louisiana and spent ALOT of time in TN and TX. To say I've been disappointed by places up north would be a understatement...but Lem's was a delicious surprise! So parking is kinda iffy if you go during the busy hours (which is like all the time) so I had to park on the street. They only allow 3 people inside at a time, which is pretty ok since the inside is pretty cramped. Like you order when you get in and ideally they have your order ready by the time you get to the cashier (5 minutes). The lady who was cashiering seemed to be sweet. Reminded me of home a little bit. I got the JBL special to go because it seemed to be a good mix of everything. It comes with rib tips, links, and fried chicken on top fries with mild sauce over everything. Not sure why Chicago doesn't that but whatever lol The rib tips were meaty and delicious. Had a nice Smokey taste about them. The sauce was a good accompaniment that had a little spice about it. 9/10 The links were meh. I guess I'm use to spicy smoked sausage, but these were like...dry. Like left out on the grill too long cause you're drunk Saturday night dry. Not a fan. Chalk it up to a busy night and perhaps they were lit ‍ The fried chicken was delicious. Nicely seasoned, and had the mild sauce on it so it was a pretty messy affair too. The fries were Chicago fries...soaked in mild sauce at the bottom of all of your meat. Lol All in all I'd be super down to to again. Like I said, after dozens of restaurants tried (like in what world are Italian restaurants suppose to serve rib tips lmao) I'd say this is a top choice. Just be prepared to wait outside on any day that the weather isn't dreary or annoying. Even at 10PM on a Wednesday. read more

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

1 of the best ever ribs I've had tbh, had to go back the next day to have some on my 10 hour drive- it's that GREAT!

Good barbecue. Sausage and ribs were really good. Fries come with every order and they give you a good amount of sauce on them. Ribs are not fall off the bone, which if fine with me but could be smoked a little longer. Got there about 10min about before opening and there was about an hour. Only 5 people can be in the restaurant at a time for a to go order. Would go back again. read more

I haven't had Lem's in years, but we took the 30-minute drive to stand in line for about 30 minutes to get some awesome rib tips and hot links! I will honestly say that I enjoyed my food last night. I've previously eaten from here many drunk nights and never remembered the food being good. TONIGHT THAT CHANGED! It was fresh and hot and not dried out. The sauce was on the side, and the meat was magically delicious!!!! It was so good, I'd like to go back today! Seriously, check them out. read more

Ohhhhhhhhhhweeeeeeeeeeee Talk about I was sleeping on a hot spot!! Despite having to wait outside they Food delivers!!! Service could have been better as the older lady cooking fries and cashing out need to learn to be friendly or hire someone for counter or fried... IDK Beside her attitude this place is amazing Flavors and Portion size is great for the money you pay read more

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Great BBQ...ole school pit with the best sauce... except a long line but worth the wait......

Rain, sleet or snow...that line is out the door! Lem's is a community staple, and the food is always delicious. Some of the best eats on the Southside. It's an express spot for takeout, but it's always busy. read more

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

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I just left here I been coming here since the 60's when they were on 59th & State St. There was a woman in front of me from Texas who was looking at the menu the nasty ass lady on the register told her you should have looked at the menu outside. Which she didn't know that there were menus out there. So, I said to her there's a better way to talk to people. You all want our business but you want to treat us like sh*t. She said we don't need y'all to patronize us. If we didn't they wouldn't be in business. She also said if y'all didn't patronize us well still have a line wrapped around the building. They young man that works there said that that itchba is the owner!!!! SMDH #TreatPeopleTheWayYouWantToBeTreated Everyone @everyone read more

Great Bbq fries and rib tips.when you get there to order speak up and don't be shy when it your turn. read more

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

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Not good too hard and burn The meat is not tender and the wait for the service from the worker are rule n just out date. Management don't care nothing about nothing just the money they receiving. read more

I'm embarrassed that I've worked and lived less than 15 minutes from this place for so long without ever making the drive. You don't need to mess around with the link, or any of the other combos. What you want are the rib tips -- rich, gristly, deliciously soft near the bone and with crunchy bark on the outside, these are the real deal. I'm not saying I didn't like the chicken wing, mind you. Buried in sauce and tips it was shockingly good. But at the end of the day what I really wanted were more tips. No frills, no seats, long lines, and the only drinks are sugared sodas from a vending machine, but the staff is nice, patient, and friendly, and man, I've got to have more of those tips. read more

Lem's never disappoints! I was there tonight and got a slab. I always have my slab dipped and I get extra white bread. No wheat bread when you're eating barbecue. The barbecue was tender and flavorful as usual. As as soon as I got home, I tore off a piece of the small in, which was a little burnt, just like I like it and had a little fat. It was so good! Yes, there was a short line and we waited about 20 minutes. As soon as we got inside, we were told there would be another 15 minute wait on barbecue, but we did not mind. If you're coming for Lem's barbecue, be prepared to wait. There's always a line, because this joint has the best barbecue in the Chi. read more

There's a reason the line is around the block at 11:30am in the morning! Some of the best fried chicken I have ever tasted. Links and ribs are also very good. I had my sauce on the side so I could add as much or as little as I wanted. Coleslaw was too sweet for me. We got the JBL combo, half a chicken, coleslaw, and potato salad(a bit sweet too). Meals come with a side of fries which are put at the bottom of the container. This gives them the smoky taste from the ribs which is just out of this world! I also bought some of their seasoning to cook at home. Highly recommend! read more

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First and Last time coming here. The line for this place was ridiculous. The lack of efficiency this business has is even more ridiculous. For every one person in line, I saw one person leaving after they saw the line. Imagine how much more money and time you could gain if you had a better system in place. Only 3 people can enter at a time. So everyone else has to stand outside. You order and then your food is prepared. What you order depends on how long you have to wait. I was in line for 46 minutes for two large tips and a order of hot links. This is the problem with many black owned restaurants. Slow, rude, lack of efficiency and long wait times. I must note they were not rude. I get that it's fresh and it wasn't that bad to taste at all but can't you collect data that tells you how much you should cook in advance so that people can order and go quickly? Why not do phone orders??? You would make a ton more money doing pickup orders. Or have someone take orders for the folks standing outside like Portillo's does. I went to Lem's for someone as a favor but I will never return unless this line situation is fixed. Who wants to stand outside like that to give away their money?? Not me. Never again. Get with the times. read more

The ribs were burnt and the owner was rude. They did not put enough sauce on the ribs so they were dry. I will not be returning.

I called there to place an order. They did not have what I wanted. I told the cashier to have a good day. The cashier called me back and told me not to contact the restaurant again. Horrible customer service. My colleagues and I will never consider eating there. If I could rate Lems for 0 stars, I would! read more

The cashier was very rude! She doesn't have any business etiquettes just plain ignorant towards her customers! She talk at her customers like they're children with no hesitation! She doesn't appreciate the customers! This was my first time coming to this restaurant & it was a terrible experience after spending almost $50 & coming from the Lakeview area on the Northside spending $80 around trip in a cab! My rib tips was dry no sauce & the same on the JBL! Ribs, coleslaw, potato salad & chicken wings was okay nothing to write home about! I heard about Lem's from the news because they received some kind of award! It was all hype if you ask me! Poor people skills will cause them to lose business plus God doesn't like ugly! Lord have mercy read more

I'm really disappointed. The community keeps this business thriving but they seem to only be interested in the cash. It was cold yesterday, too cold to stand outside waiting for BBQ. Lem's didn't have any meat ready for approximately an hour. The appropriate business decision should have been to announce temporary closure to public. This would alleviate folks standing outside in snowy weather for an hour plus. Clearly the entity recognizes the weather as evidenced by the ineffective heat lamps surrounding the premises. Not only did they not do this but a guy requested to take photos of folks standing in cold to post on social media. Really?!? FYI, the tips were overcooked, edges literally burnt beyond consumption. Also the food tasted of chemical, similar to lighter fluid or a related compound. Extremely disappointing!! Just to be clear, they sold NOTHING while folks waited for the meat to cook. The policy of only 5 inside doesn't allow them to sell anything if the 5 request ribs. read more

I bought a large rib tip ,which was around $14. It comes with fries and slices of bread. The actual rib tips are delicious, they were nicely cooked and did not have very much fat on them at all. I could really taste the smoky flavor in them, and I enjoyed the mild sauce as well. You get a lot of food, it fed me and my fiancé easily. The guys that work in there are very friendly, and you will hear them singing along to the music. Takes debit/credit and cash Does have a parking lot read more

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

Take out only, long line but so worth the wait. The rib tips are spectacular, their sauce as well. The wings were not my thing but they were decent. The best links my husband has had my mom had the ribs. Everything is served on a pile of fries (omg) and bread. Loved it. I would try off hours because seriously the line is long my husband waited 45 minutes to get to the window and his order was ready in less than 10 minutes.Someone told my husband while he was in line, that in the summer the line is over a block long. We were able to park in their lot but I think we got very lucky. It's a no frills location, everyone was friendly and service focused. read more

Lem's Bar-B-Q - Hubby with the grub. - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Being from KC, I was very ready to be critical of any barbecue that isn't from my hometown, but I have nothing but good to say about this BBQ joint. The only knock it's getting from me is the hour wait in line outside on a busy Sunday afternoon, as there's no place to sit down inside and there seems to be a max of five employees working. As far as the food is concerned, this is legit - the sauce is rich and tangy, with a subtle hint of sweetness. A lot of food is also provided. My husband and I ordered the rib tips and center cut ribs, and we couldn't finish our meals in one setting. The sides (fries accompany most dishes, and I also ordered potato salad) compliment the meats well. Be sure to carry small bills of cash if you want to purchase soda drinks, as they only have a vending machine to purchase them from. read more

It's tasty, consistent and worth it. Each time that I come home to Chicago from South Florida, I say that I'm buying additional food to package and travel back with a container. I finished off the order l yesterday for lunch. There is nothing like Lem's. Please don't tell me about Memphis barbecue. There's no comparison. I wish that they took UberEats orders , but standing in line is entertaining because there's always one person who livens things up. The Hot links are still everything. The sauce is unmatched. No one seems to understand the importance of rib tips so they stand alone. I'll be back for more soon. read more

Hello and good day I drove from 187th from Lansing Illinois a month ago there was an hour or so wait on the rib tips so I took a chance and went yesterday. I waited in line over an hour, when I got inside I wanted my rib tips cut it thin. I was willing to pay the $1.50 but the young man said they cut thin anyway. I ordered a bucket and a order of links, when I got back home they weren't cut thin. I hardly had no sauce and at the bottom of a bucket was full of grease. Not sauce, I picked through the bucket for good pieces, it was chewy and no sauce on a 38-dollar bucket of tips. I will not be patronizing this location again. It was better in the '70s read more

Wow! I've been wanting to come to Lem's for several years and it didn't disappoint. The best rib tips I've ever had are A&R in Memphis and now Lem's. The sauce is absolutely incredible and I'm surprised I've not heard more about it on all the food shows. I'm getting a gallon of sauce next time I'm in Chicago. Don't be discouraged by any size line you see in front of you , it moves fast and all the food is worth any wait you may experience. Lem's is the best BBQ that I've had anywhere in Chicago. History can't be wrong. read more

Bbq rib tips are always on point. Service is quick, as there is only a pick spot no sit in.

Ribs are delicious. Barbecue sauce is too vinegary. Links are good too. Service is fails to accommodate the large number of customers. Must wait in long lines especially during holidays or spry occasions. The shop is carry out and cannot hold only 5 persons at a time to place orders. No delivery service read more