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    Milt's Barbecue for the Perplexed

    3.7 (377 reviews)
    ModerateBarbeque, Kosher, Salad
    Closed Closed
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Milt's Barbecue for the Perplexed Photos

    Business Info

    MILT'S BARBECUE FOR THE PERPLEXED ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Milt's Barbecue for the Perplexed

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    Brisket sandwich with fries and creamy Cole Coleslaw--AMAZING!!!
    Mark H.

    Simply amazing! The smoked wings are phenomenal, the pickles are over the top, and the meats are incredible! I'd eat here every day if I lived in the area, but I'll certainly be back every time I'm in Chicago!!

    Eric S.

    If you're craving bold, smoky BBQ with a twist, Milt's Barbecue for the Perplexed is a must-visit. This kosher BBQ joint in Lakeview proves you don't need pork or dairy to serve up serious flavor. What to Try: * The "Milt's Way" Burger - brisket chili, beef "bacon," crispy onions & BBQ aioli * Smoked Brisket Sandwich - tender and packed with flavor * Full Slab of Beef Ribs - massive, meaty, and unforgettable * Vegetarian Options - surprisingly satisfying, especially the smoked seitan sandwich Don't skip the sides: brisket chili fries, hand-cut fries, and brisket baked beans hit the spot. Finish with the chocolate mousse with spicy caramel drizzle for a perfect ending. Why It's Special: Beyond the food, Milt's is rooted in community. They regularly donate profits to local charities and foster an inclusive, welcoming vibe. The Verdict: Fans rave about the flavorful food, generous portions, and warm service. Just note--prices can run high, with a rack of ribs pushing $100. But for many, the quality and experience are well worth it.

    Margarita
    Katherine V.

    Nice place, good food and drinks and ok service! The brisket chili nachos were amazing and wings were also really good!

    Demolished brisket chili and scarfed down beef rib sandwich with fries
    Nadine S.

    We're from LA and we have plenty of choices for kosher food, but this place beats most of our kosher beef serving restaurants. We had the brisket chili and beef rib sandwich with fries. Everything had a delicious smokey flavor and a little spicy heat. The heat could be too much for some so beware if you're more bland with your food. We also trued the 3 barbecue sauces and they also came with a spicy kick. Prices were amazing!!!! But again, we're from LA so our prices are much higher. Excellent service from Morgan and modern ambiance. Very clean, too!

    Sliders trio of chicken  brisket and beef
    Diana G.

    An extremely loyal and thoughtful Jewish client of mine (I'm Jewish too FYI) GIFTED me a certificate to have a mini feast here for Chanukah. I finally got around to using my coupon code and had a mini pig out (it was all kosher I promise). Got here around 5ish on a weekday evening and most of the tables were already pre reserved; but fortunately I found a cute table for one by the bar and got comfortable. The menu is geared as bbq comfort food and you will find an extensive variety of sides like honey baked cornbread with butter, baked beans, baked potatoes, veggies, smashed potatoes fries etc. There are brisket and chicken sandwiches, pulled meats with various BBQ sauces, hamburgers BBQ salmon etc. You will find so many options here you will be pressed to decide which one to get. I asked for a recommendation from the chef and he said the mini sliders were a good pick. I absolutely agree with his choice and it comes with a free side so I upgraded for fully loaded smashed potatoes which come with a dairy free sourcream, chives and pretend bacon can't recall all the ingredients but it's a perfect side. I also got the cornbread and for dessert chocolate mousse which is also dairy free. Everything here is Kosher and they don't mix milk with meats so if you're Orthodox you can safely eat here without breaking your code of food ethics. I really loved my meal and will definitely come back in the near future to try their other food options. Cute atmosphere and a lovely staff!

    Restaurant
    Ashley D.

    I forgot to mention the chicken wing starters! We ordered the sampler and it had Smoked Wings, BBQ and Buffalo. Caution: the BBQ is spicier then the Buffalo but it's amazing!!!!!

    Menue
    Jesse H.

    Great kosher restaurant, I was in Chicago on business and three meals there over my stay. All were great and the service and staff were great.

    flinstone  Spare Ribs
    Raquel A.

    The flinstone ribs are off the charts! I liked the corn bread and slaw! The men in my party were very happy!! the sauces were also delicious!

    Empanada with brisket

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    A great food experience, great service, and I loved the cozy ambience. I can't wait to get back soon.

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    6 years ago

    This is one of my favorite kosher restaurants in Chicago. The ribs are excellent and you must try the Brisket Burger!

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    I first discovered Aba around the time they had first opened up and it was such an amazing dining…read moreexperience, that I made a reservation again when I came back into town all these years later. I have to admit... it's not the same as it used to be. Don't get me wrong, it's an excellent place to dine at, especially on their patio during the Chicago summer, which was one of the biggest reasons why I came back. I was with someone who had not explored Chicago before so it definitely gave the city ambience while being engulfed in the Mediterranean experience. Yet the inside dining area feels like you're dining in small romantic villages in Italy or Greece. Service is still top notch. But the food is what's not the same. For me, the highlight was the crispy short rib hummus. I never thought they'd go well together but the juices from the meat blended in with the hummus and it's just soooo good. The kefta was nothing to be impressed about in which I expected more for the price we paid for. The chicken thighs were good but also nothing to be that impressed about. The one thing I was a little disappointed by is that they no longer serve a desert I tried the first time I was there, and their new desserts are average. Nothing to marvel about. Their OG desert is what had stayed in my mind all these years. You can't go wrong for a nice little date night at this spot or if you're new to the city, but it's not exactly a place I feel like I want to come back to, especially at that price. You're really mostly paying for the experience of the place.

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    The Purple Pig

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    As a last minute change of plans, my friend and I impulsively ended up at this spot after a long…read moreday of travel. This was the best meal I've had in recent months with melt in your mouth pork, whipped feta, and dessert. I would have loved to try the cocktails but I'm breastfeeding and avoiding alcohol. We had bar seating so our server was very attentive. We also got to see the kitchen staff as they worked and they all genuinely seemed happy to work and cook. If you've never worked in restaurants, kitchen staff is often highly stressed and gets annoyed with each other in high paced environment and despite it being super busy, they all seemed like they loved what they were doing.

    The Purple Pig has risen to be my absolute favorite restaurant I've had the joy of eating at in…read moreChicago. After coming back to the city almost a decade later, I knew I wanted to have a meal here. The best way to eat a meal here is to share all the dishes with friends. Sage Gimlet (5/5) - I started my meal with a refreshing sage gimlet that was a strong but well balanced cocktail. Roasted Bone Marrow (5/5) - I 100% would recommend getting this appetizer to start off the meal. The marrow was perfectly roasted and paired so well with the jam and salad. Roasted Beets (5/5) - If you love beets, get this salad. The flavors were so well balanced and I really liked the fried balls of goat cheese. Agnolotti (5/5) - This pasta was amazing!! The short rib and bone marrow with the fresh pasta still makes my mouth water. Scallops (5/5) - These scallops were perfectly cooked. The crispy prosciutto was a tad on the salty side. I honestly love the energy and the flavor bomb this restaurant packs. I can't wait until I'm back in the city and can dine here again.

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    Girl & The Goat

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    This restaurant is popular and super packed. It's a bit loud but the ambiance is nice and…read moreupscale-ish with the dim lighting, open kitchen concept, and interior decor. Service was a bit slow. It took 45 mins to get our first dish, which was the halibut. First, just want to comment that the portion size is quite small relative to the price of the dishes. The halibut. This was very delicious. Somehow the blueberry nuoc cham works? The fish was tender and flaky. The sauce was salty and full of umami with a hint of blueberry sweetness. This fish dish made me crave for a bowl of steaming hot bfluffy white rice. The string beans. Unless you are allergic to nuts, this is a must get dish. Perfectly cooked string beans (still crispy but not raw) sautéed with fish sauce vinaigrette was an absolute delight. It's also on the salty side which made me crave rice but it's such a flavor bomb. The cashews provided a contrast in texture but yet complemented the seemingly simple dish. I wish the portions were bigger. The galbi. It's was good but compared to the first 2 dishes, didn't really wow me. The meat was one rib strip (4 rib bones) cut into 4 pieces so it's a rather small portion for the price. The stone fruit slices was a nice pairing in that it provided a sweet and tart contrast to the heavier meat flavor. After trying this dish, I felt I personally prefer the LA galbi marinade flavor and preparation for short ribs. Overall, I'm glad I got to try this place. Would come back for the string beans on a splurge day .

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    Il Porcellino

    Il Porcellino

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    Wow! So happy I finally got to come here. They have recently started accepting some reservations…read moreand I was lucky enough to get one. I understand why they are famous for their burgers. I had the single cheeseburger and it lived up to the hype. I learned that the single burger is actually a double and the double is actually a triple. I was recommended to add an egg and bacon to the burger and I'm glad I did. Each bite was a glorious burst of flavor. The bacon is epic. Thick juicy slices. The cheeseburger was perfect. I didn't need additional condiments and that never happens for me. The fries were good too and came with a delicious aioli. For beverages, I loved my Arnold Palmer. I also tried a cocktail--the Long Island Iced Coffee. It was pretty strong. I added a shot of bourbon cream to it and that sweetened it up and made it perfect for me. Unfortunately, I didn't have room for dessert. Cute restaurant. Cozy inside. They have an outdoor patio as well. If you don't have a reservation, be prepared to wait. Excellent food. Excellent service. Jennifer took great care of me and made great suggestions. It's pricy but it's worth it.

    My friend wanted to go to Au Cheval while we were both visiting Chicago, which is one of the most…read morepopular restaurants for tourists. I've heard the wait is insane, so it's recommended to make a reservation on Resy. Off the bat, I was already side-eyeing this process. I had to pay $2.49 per person to secure a reservation, which is crazy. This is not a deposit either, which I would have understood. I've just never encountered a restaurant that charges a fee to make a reservation. Upon arrival, we got seated immediately (which I would hope so, after paying to make a reservation). Our server collected our orders quickly and our food came out about 15-20 minutes later. CRISPY FRIES - 13.99 Charging $14 for a side of fries is wild enough, but topping it with a completely solid fried egg was baffling. I'm not sure what the culinary vision was. Are we supposed to mash it all together into some sort of hash brown situation, or awkwardly eat the fried egg on its own? The fries themselves were fine, nothing to write home about. However, I did enjoy the mornay sauce and garlic aioli that came on the side. SINGLE CHEESEBURGER - 17.99 +3.49 for egg Over $20 for a burger that doesn't come with sides? I was a little disappointed my burger came with a side of a knife instead. I thought the whole gimmick was having the knife strike straight down into the burger. Beyond that, the burger wasn't anything unique. The bun itself was dry and mid, not the soft and fluffy bun I had envisioned. Everything else was fine -- not bad, but certainly not great. While it wasn't a bad burger, I can't help but feel incredibly disappointed given the hype around Au Cheval burgers. My friend told me the way to "fully experience" Au Cheval is to get the cheeseburger plus both the egg and bacon add-ons, which our server also recommended. I did try a piece of my friend's bacon with my burger and it does add a depth of smoky sweetness. However, that becomes a 17.99 + 3.49 + 6.99 = 28.47 for a burger. That's insane. The add-ons themselves cost more than half of the burger. I'm not doing that to my wallet. Sorry, but this was a disappointing experience for me. I'd rather just go to Shake Shack, which at least comes with tasty and juicy burgers for 1/3 of the price.

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    Schneider Deli

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    Great lunch/breakfast spot with fast service and simple/fresh sandwiches…read more The oven roasted turkey sandwich was great, tasted like something my grandma would make me (in a good way). Will be back.

    I really want to like them so much more than I do. If there were a continuum from hipster deli…read more(think Mile End) to traditional deli (Manny's, 2nd Avenue, etc) Schneider would on the hipster side of center. Two of us shared a half pound pastrami on rye with a side of hash browns. The rye was pretty decent but the pastrami was sliced far too thick and the meat was lean. That is not a good thing when it comes to pastrami and I attribute the lean meat to the deli catering to its hipster-ish audience. Although the flavor was decent, the sandwich was dry and difficult to eat. We disagreed on the generously sized pickle. One of us thought the flavor was just right, the other not so much. We both agreed on the hash browns. It's a no-go. They were well fried but entirely unseasoned. I understand the lack of schmaltz but there was no onion or salt or anything else. Waffle House has nothing to worry about. (IYKYK) Service was fast and polite. The space is tiny, but it works. Prices are okay for this area but if you want traditional deli in Chicago, go to Manny's.

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    Milt's Barbecue for the Perplexed - bbq - Updated July 2026

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