What a place, and that is single handedly due to the fact that our server jared is a god send. I cant imagine eating another meal without him being my server. I cant say enough good things about him. But i will anyways, a charming young man who also works as a hotel bartender to expand his knowledge in the service industry, he truly cares about his craft in the food industry. Bartender kinda milks the clock on the "bottomless" drinks read more

Smoke Daddy - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Our server Emily was absolutely amazing! Her recommendations were spot on! The deviled eggs were to die for if you're looking for some great BBQ and tasty cocktails while in town this is definitely the place to go! read more

We love Smoke Daddy! Great food, fun/laid back environment, and dog friendly. We especially love when Mariya is working - she is the best! Always so welcoming and attentive. Be sure to check out the brunch too - great deal! read more

I live locally, and love BBQ. I've dined in twice, though one of the times they had a little bit of live music (which was nice), and the general ambience is great, but unfortunately I have to be honest and share both times the food arrived cold to the table (surprisingly even BBQ & the mac & cheese). $70 for dinner for two, one drink each. It also appears they still use single-use polystyrene (Styrofoam) food containers for take out (unless it's an eco friendly styrofoam look alike), as shown in the photos below. So I'd recommend that you avoid taking home left overs if you can. *Especially with COVID it's not like you can give the box back, if you do not wish to use it. read more

See all

Great food and beer and the bartender is great! I enjoyed the vibe there and the environment highly recommend checking it out!

food was great and great service definitely would plan on coming back in the future 5 out of 5

Positives: excellent service outside al fresco. Skillet cookie a crowd favorite. Negatives: Ribs a little too dry - good flavor though. Good, not great, BBQ. In a very sociable area. Lots of foot traffic. read more

Beef rib tips incredible, and ignore the brisket, not even on the same level. Interesting layout and has outdoor seating along with a semi outdoor/indoor section. Friendly staff. read more

I have been looking for a good barbecue spot in the city & Smoke daddy's in wicker park didn't disappoint. We took it to go, but the patio was poppin! We'll definitely be back to dine in and check out out the atmosphere. It's inexpensive and didn't take too long for our food to be ready. I got the pulled pork sandwich which I was pleased wasn't overly dry and could taste seasoning other than salt and pepper lol. The Mac and cheese was flavorful too. My partner got the ribs and he said they were almost as good as his own! read more

Smoke Daddy - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great food, better service! We came after the Top Golf at Wrigley experience and it was the perfect ending to a great day read more

We love smoke daddy's food and their indoor patio! Great for sunshine when it's still cold out. Also dog friendly which is a plus! We had Meztli as a server and she was great! read more

Maria treated me like a king (as usual). Can't wait to see her again! The food was fantastic.

Excellent restaurant. The food was good, the service was excellent and the vibes were nice. Unanticipated bonus - my friend who is allergic to mustard was able to eat this BBQ, which was nice (and atypical). The pricing was also reasonable. I liked this place. read more

The food was almost inedible i.e. watery mac & cheese, stale chips, unseasoned chicken. Great service (ACTUALLY!), high prices. Total tourist trap. read more

Born and raised in the south, I was hoping for a place here in Chicago I could get some comfort BBQ. Found this place just a short walk from my condo, only to be extremely disappointed. I got the two meat platter: Pulled pork and brisket. I honestly couldn't tell which was which. Both were full of fat, neither looked like pulled pork and neither were sliced like brisket. The meat was almost a flavor similar to once frozen meat, the BBQ sauce that was on it tasted worse than Ketchup, and it was placed on top of bread- something I've never seen before (and a bad idea). My dog didn't even seem to enjoy it once I fed it to her because I just couldn't eat anymore- and she'll eat just about anything. I will definitely not be back. This is not how you do smoked meats. Save yourself an over priced meal. Just a block or two west are a lot better options for food. read more

I wanted this to be better, it was just ok. I got a half rack of baby back ribs, fries My wife got nachos with pulled chicken and sweet potato fries Also the skillet cookie. All were really meh. The best part was the sweet potato fries and that's not what you want from a bbq place. All the bbq sauces tasted bland. I will say pick up was ready when I arrived. read more

Great place to watch a game. Great deviled eggs and mac and cheese. My husband loves the on tap hazy!

I love this spot!! Great food and drinks . I can easily bring my stroller too! The deviled eggs are Amazing

Great food. Smoke Daddy is bigger than it looks on the outside, there is a refitted garage for extra space in the back with plenty of seating Ordered the Smoke Daddy, the biggest dish to share with friends. Baby Back Ribs little lean, not that enough meat. Rib tips were great value a lot of meat to bones ratio. The waiter was super helpful and informative. The Moscow Mule had three different flavors. Got the Grapefruit flavor which was Delicious. Sides ok kind of small and flavorful compared to the meat. Fries little skinnier than prefer. Smoke chicken wings appetizer were nice and large. 4 different bbq sauce each distinctive flavors. Solid classic banana pudding. Great BQQ spot. read more

See all

Came in last Saturday to drink and watch college basketball with my boyfriend; We tried the bloody mary because we've heard they're so good here, and our bartender Colleen was so fun and so enthusiastic about the food that we decided to try the smoked wings too... They really are so good! We'll definitely have to come back to try the bottomless brunch- Thanks, Colleen! read more

Amazing bbq, amazing pumpkin spice latte drink as well. Service and vibe were also great!

Been to the Wrigleyville location before first time here. The service was exceptional the bartender checked on me quite often. Went with a pretzel, wings and a beer. I saw a picture advertising an Oktoberfest but still had no idea about the massive pretzel I was about to get. Came with 2 types of mustard and a cheese. The wings you definitely get a smoky flavor and there other spices they put on them. Not overpowering. They're 4 sauces they have for you. I didn't try the spicy one. Went with a Haymarket beer. Most of the wings were pretty meaty. read more

See all

Unfortunately the food was hit or miss with what we ordered; if you choose the right dishes, I'm sure you'll have a good meal, but that wasn't quite the case with us. I split the Taste of Daddy (I know, I know) with one other person, and chose the brisket and pork and the two meat options with a side of collard greens and corn bread. We thought it'd be enough for the two of us, but the portions were on the smaller side, so wouldn't bet on being able to split it, unless you aren't too hungry. Out of the meats, the ribs that came with the meal were the best--they were tender, flavorful, and juicy. I wasn't impressed by the brisket or pork; the brisket didn't have much flavor, and I thought the pork was on the dry side. I also thought the cornbread was dry and tough, which was a bummer, as it looked delicious. For dessert, we chose the skillet cookie, which was delicious, but super, super sweet. I think there are good things on the menu, but don't bet on everything being all that great. They have a good variety of meat plates and sandwiches, so you can probably find something to suit your appetite. Wish I could've liked this place more, but didn't choose the right dishes to do so. read more

Maybe not the *best* place to come as a vegetarian because it's obviously all about barbecue but I can be a bit contrarian in that way. I found the veggie burger to be fairly decent and a nice variety of drinks. It's a cool place but you kind of get the gist with one visit read more

Smoke Daddy - Veggie burger - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Edited my review because I called the restaurant and spoke with a manager. After I saw that Smoke Daddy is part of the restaurant team that has awesome Southport Corridor restaurants, I decided to share my experience directly with the restaurant. They are appreciative of the feedback and acknowledged they don't want subpar meals going out. They will be reimbursing me since we barely could eat what the kitchen prepared. Staff makes or breaks a business. The manager is 5 Stars. Old review: McDonald's serves a better meal and at a better price point. Smoke Daddy sadly and woefully disappointed for take out. A waste of $66 for a rotisserie chicken salad ($17) and Taste of the Daddy ($36) - more like Decrepit Daddy. There were dried scraps of chicken in the salad and the salad ingredients were limp & meager. There was barely any meat on the half slab of ribs and what was there was burnt. I could not find the brisket under the ribs because there was a sloppy slice. Disappointed by what I was hoping could be a neighborhood go-to. read more

The food was actually terrible. Brisket was overcooked and had no smoke flavor. The nachos were stale and smelled fishy. Finally, the chicken was inedible. For the cost, it definitely wasn't worth it, and the majority of the food ended up in the garbage can. read more

I love BBQ and this was suggested to me by some friends. We went here and no one really enjoyed their meals. The nachos and the burnt ends had the most flavor and were the best thing to order. The brisket was greasy and a weird undercooked pink color, the pulled pork and chicken were flavorless. The Mac and cheese had a terrible consistency, thick like play dough. The sweet potato fries were full of sugar and cinnamon. The collard greens were very undercooked. There is much better BBQ in the city and this isn't it. read more

Heron was great! Quick service and great food. Really fun atmosphere for sporting events too!

The smoked wings are amazing, love the chipotle ranch it sets the off. Very tender and flavorful and great vibe in the bar. Will be back

Incredible wings, would def come back. Good beer on draft, best penn state bar in the city.

Mac and cheese is fantastic. St L ribs are good. Sauces are tasty. Service and atmosphere are both decent. Portions are mediocre. Brisket and pork were both dry. Sweet potato fries were cold. An average BBQ place. read more

I've eaten in once and had delivery several times. It's a shame because some of the food is delicious and I love the variety in the menu. Unfortunately every time we've done delivery, the fat content on the meat is so disgusting that it's barely edible. I understand this is BBQ and without a level of fat it's not going to taste good, but the pulled pork should not be 50% fat. I should not have to spend so much time separating it to get to the point that the food is edible. read more

Smoke Daddy - This is what was left after the fat was picked off. - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Friends orders from here for a party and everything was delicious. Cornbread was very tasty, ribs were delicious, what more could you want.

I visited this restaurant in the summer 2024. They had a nice ambiance and the menu and food was OFF THE CHAIN! Today I visited and wanted some ribs tips only to find out that they don't have them on the menu anymore. Also, I ordered a half slab of baby back ribs that were severely over cooked and pretty much more bone than meat. Finally, i had onion rings which was $5.00 and only got 3! Terrible food. Very disappointed. read more

Jenni was a fantastic bartender! She gave us such a pleasant experience and had a great attitude! We will definitely be back.

I have been going to Smoke Daddy for many years; well over a decade, I reckon. But with a change of homes and Covid, I had not been back in many years. Unfortunately, my return trip was not with the wait. The brisket was quite disappointing. While it had a nice tenderness, there wasn't much smoke flavor. In fact, there wasn't much flavor at all, except for the too sweet barbecue sauce which was curiously drizzled on top, despite having 4 bottles to choose from already on the table. The burnt ends, again topped with a squite of sauce, were even worse due to a flavor that reminded me of charcoal fluid (I don't really believe that they would use charcoal fluid, nevertheless that was the flavor). Sides weren't much better. Mac and cheese was gummy, albeit more flavorful than the beef. The sweet potato fries had a nice texture, albeit too much salt. On the plus size, the service was above average and the beer list was quite good. Finally, a dining companion ordered rib tips and the portion was quite ample -- easily enough for two. read more

Great service and great atmosphere for watching sports. The nacho platter is also great for a group

This restaurant is below average; average at best. It will fool you because, the food smells and looks pretty good but, the taste won't match. I've been twice and supremely disappointed both times. Honestly some of the worst collard greens and "smoked" chicken I've ever had; and I've had a lot. The brisket and ribs aren't bad but, have 0 smoke taste. The meat tastes like it's been cooked in the oven not a smoker. Surprisingly the only good thing I've had was the macaroni which is usually the kryptonite for BBQ restaurants in the Midwest. They have a decent liquor selection and bar area. This restaurant would be much more suitable to be sold as a late night bar with a couple bbq options, as opposed to a legitimate bbq restaurant called "Smoke Daddy". They don't live up to the name. read more

Smoke Daddy is a fantastic place for casual brunch! The room has been extended so there is extra space. We sat in the new room that has a bar and a huge skylight. The front doors/windows open for an indoor/outdoor room. The brunch works in a great way. Platters of all things good come out for the group such as bacon, pancakes, potatoes and monkey bread. Then you each order your brunch entree. Yum! We wanted extra monkey bread and the items on the platter are unlimited. The potatoes had something in them that tasted like potato chip dip - maybe sour cream and chives... You can also go for bottomless Mimosas or Bloody Marys if you are a gangster bruncher! There was a live band too. I saw couples, groups and families enjoying brunch. So if you are looking for a casual bar feel with live music and tons of great food and booze - this is your spot!! read more

See all

The BBQ was really good at Smoke Daddy, everyone continued to rave about this spot, so we finally checked it out. The main restaurant is small but there is outdoor seating in front and side extension. We ordered a sampler with baby back ribs, brisket, and burnt ends. Also started with hush puppies. Everything was really good. The ribs were excellent, meat falling off the bone. They have three types of BBQ sauce on the tables, I liked all three flavors. I would recommend this restaurant to friends. read more

Smoke Daddy - The line-up... - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois