I remember really liking this place when I visited a couple of years ago, but this time I was underwhelmed. The service was prompt and friendly, but the food was hit-or-miss. I'll address each item separately. Chili (A-): Meat, beans, tomatoes, and not much else, with a comfortable zing Fries (C): Unspectacular French fries of the shoestring variety Pulled pork (B+): Nothing to complain about here Baby back ribs (C): Seemed bland and not quite fall-off-the-bone quality; had to use the table sauce on these Macaroni and cheese (B+): A bit too creamy but yummy Cole slaw (B+): A fresh texture and flavor, with a lot of cilantro Roast chicken (B-): A bit more flavorful than the ribs but the breast portion was too dry; used the table sauce again "Original" sauce (B+): It's no Sweet Baby Ray's but it gets the job done read more

The Smoke Daddy gets five stars for picking a niche and doing a really great job at it. This is definitely our favorite BBQ place in Chicago. The decor has a very authentic-feel to it with diner booths, swivel stools at the bar, and pictures of old time singers which port you back a generation. The tasty selection of sides, from real mac n' cheese, cornbread, fresh homemade coleslaw, sweet potato fries, and even vegetables! While the name says it all, I want to be clear, there is a very distinct smoky flavor to the meat so if that's not your style then don't come and complain. The vinegar-, molasses-, and mustard-based sauces compliment very well for those that like to drench the meat in sauce. Added bonus, they have live music after ~10pm on the weekends. Delivery and takeout make it another spectacular option when you want to enjoy it at home. It's a great place to bring a family, since I've seen three generations enjoying meals here sometimes. read more

3.5 Stars First off anyplace with outdoor seating already earns a star from me. When the weather is nice I want to be sitting outside under an umbrella enjoying a fruity drink and a nice breeze. I went to Smoke Daddy yesterday during the Do Division Fest and the Blackhawks playoff game. Needless to say it was packed, but with a 10 minute wait we were able to score an outdoor table with good views of the TV screen. I think they sat us so quickly because we were drinking up all that free water out front. LOL I ordered Sangria...that was okay, but not as sweet as I normally like. We then ordered the Mac and Cheese to share. That was some pretty good Mac and Cheese. No complaints there. For our meal we split the pulled pork sandwich and got a side of sweet potato fries. I have definitely had better pulled pork and me being a fry person I found them to be too crispy and not sweet. The service was good though, the crowd lively, and did I mention I LOOOOOVE outdoor seating??? :) If I was over this way I would go back to try other menu items and definitely for an encore of the Mac and Cheese. read more

Smoke Daddy - Pulled pork with sweet potato fries and delicious Mac and cheese - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Knowing that I was going out for barbecue food, I made sure to pack a small lunch. My intentions were to chow down and not leave leftovers, and I was able to do just that. I ordered the pulled pork sandwich with a side of mac and cheese. The food came out quickly and was nice and hot. The macaroni serving initially seems small, but is jam-packed and so rich, it ended up being a perfect amount. It stayed hot throughout the whole meal and was really tasty. The pulled pork came as thick chunks in their signature sauce. The sauce definitely was smokey! I got the smoke taste first, then the sweet of the sauce. They had two other sauces on the table which I also tried- all very good, but nothing that totally blew me away. I also had a sangria to drink. I thought it was just sweet enough, and was a nice portion for $6. The sandwich was only 8.95- a steal in the city! You'd pay just as much for some crappy panera sandwich! The atmosphere fit the theme of the restaurant- Lots of wood, warm feeling, animal heads and kitschy art up on the wall. Service was great! I would definitely go back here in a heartbeat. read more

Smoke Daddy - Pulled pork, Mac and cheese, chicken in the back - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We ordered catering for our party and the food was fantastic and a huge hit, and the staff was incredibly easy to work with in terms of ordering. There was even a slight mix up regarding one of the items that was admittedly my fault (I did not see a note on the contract), and I received a call from the GM who offered to fix the issue, and the "corrected" item was delivered promptly. Excellent customer service. I highly recommend BBQ sliders for your next party - it's a great way to serve BBQ to a big group without a big mess! read more

The burnt ends are burnt fat and old left over dried out brisket; Over-smoked as though by a novice pit boss who thinks more wood is better. read more

the food and service here is amazing. highly recommend the bbq nachos. they are great and the service is fast and friendly

The food is great. The music is fun. The space is cool. The service is just okay. I went with a group of 8 on a Friday night, and while we weren't the smallest group, we are decisive, and we would go 20 minutes or so between visits from our server. Two people came late, and the server approached them immediately but then took probably 20 more minutes to come back and take their food order, so everyone else was done by the time they got their food. To his credit, they seemed understaffed. Otherwise, absolutely no complaints about the food or drinks. Everything was excellent. read more

can't expect much from north side bbq lol what can I say but they Mac n cheese sum bland Sh*t and it's sweet too bro like wut also they chicken dry as hell. Salad was good but how u mess up Mac n cheese :(( had like nutmeg in it or cinnamon or sum sh*t idk it was weird. Fast service tho my order was supposed to come at 10:20 but got here at 10 idk I was real sad about my mac read more

Wow! I haven't had this great of a BBQ in a long time! I mean I have places that are my good to that are very good, but none that have wow'd me since. I had the two meat combo sandwich, pulled pork with burnt ends, with bacon added. Very tasty, meat had a lot of smoke flavor, and the meat was moist. Also had the Mac and cheese was really good. But what really stood out was the beans, my co worker had them and made me try them. WOW! I would go back for just the beans if that's all they had. I will definitely go back very soon. read more

Smoke Daddy - Pulled pork, burnt ends, and bacon! - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We got the pulled pork and the daddy-o (for the love of god, do yourself a favor and get the daddy-o). Outdoor seating. Outdoor tvs. Good beers. Great location. read more

Smoke Daddy - Daddy-o! - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Hands down one of the BEST bloody Mary's in Chicago. They also have some of the best smoked meat and BBQ sauces! They often have live music which makes the atmosphere even more amazing read more

A mainstay of Division Street long before the Restaurant Row invasion began in earnest, The Smoke Daddy churns out some of the finest BBQ on the North Side. I've been here several times and am partial to the spare ribs and the rib tips. The baby backs are decent but not the star of the show. For sides, go with the corn bread, mac'n'cheese, or outstanding sweet potato fries. If your concorde is on the fritz and you can't make it to Salt Lick in Texas, the Smoke Daddy will not disappoint. read more

Their Daddy-O sandwich was amazing! Pulled brisket on a bun with melted provolone and onion rings. Does it get any better than that? And you can add from a variety of BBQ sauces on the table. The big screen Tv's everywhere are great for watching the game so that was an added bonus. read more

I've been coming here for about 20 years now. I used to come here quite frequently when I still lived in Chicago back in the 90s and early 2000's. Back when it was small and back when this area wasn't as "hipster trendy as it is now. I've noticed though, that when I do come back to Chicago and I visit, I'm not as happy with the quality. I usually visit at least once every couple of years. I've noticed for at least the last 6 to 8 years, the quality of the food has significantly gone down. It just doesn't seem like the time and attention is given to the food anymore. Shortcuts. Over cooking. It's just not the same. I had the baby back ribs during my last visit here. Extremely disappointing. Dry. Overcooked. Not a lot of meat on the bone. Not what I remember of the old days of this, what was once a killer barbecue place. Would I go back? After just over 20 years, I'm afraid I won't be going back. I've tried. I really hoped and tried. Maybe it's okay for the new local scene and clientele. But for somebody who knows what this place used to put out, I don't think I can go back. Unfortunately the last several visits have severely tainted what I remember how good it used to be. And it pains me to give one of my all-time favorite places a bad review, but its necessary. And to be honest, I feel like I am being generous by giving two stars instead of one. read more

I've always found it a challenge to find ribs in Chicago, that taste close to the ones I enjoyed in Texas. Texas does an exceptional job of using charcoal and maintaining the succulency of the ribs. Unfortunately the baby back ribs were too dry and tough. I'm not a fan of the smoky flavor although am aware this is a usual traditional American BBQ profile..... I didn't like the ribs, or the collards which were undercooked. What I did enjoy was the Mac and cheese and the corn bread (both fresh and delicious) and the rotisserie chicken. read more

Hands down my favorite barbecue spot in Chicago. And trust me, I've tried many. Every time my family comes to visit, this is where they want to come. All of the meats are great, but the brisket and burnt ends are my favorites. My family also raves about the ribs! As for sides, I would highly recommend the greens- they're cooked perfectly so they still have a bite to them and aren't soggy at all like some places. The Mac and cheese and bbq chips are also great options. I will say that this place gets packed on the weekends, so I'd highly recommend making a reservation beforehand. read more

Smoke Daddy - Brisket, chicken, greens, and Mac! So delicious. - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Yes yes yes !!!! So this place came highly recommended and I have to say the original smoke daddy location is AMAZING!!! Part of four shared the rib platter with 2 sides of Mac and cornbread ... I can't even believe how good it is. We literally fought for the last bite of food! I would definitely recommend to anyone who wants some great BBQ!!!! Venue is great, music is good and bar is stocked and loaded! read more

I came here for bottomless brunch with a group of friends and I just need to make an announcement: BEST BACON I'VE EVER HAD. The bottomless brunch includes mimosas, bloody Mary's, and sides (sausage, bacon, pancakes, hash). The mimosas are customizable depending on how much/little orange juice you want, the bloody Mary's are perfect, the sides are incredible. The pancakes are fluffy, the sausage is delicious, but he hash and bacon were my absolute favorite. I would absolutely come back every week if I could. read more

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Ahhh man I love this place. I probably went there once a month before the pandemic . They had live music , great food and awesome drinks and the staff is always supper friendly. Now I still go but I miss the live music . I usually get st Luis ribs , with Mac and cheese and sweet potato fries.. the fries are the best sweet but salty ahh I want some now .. yumm read more

The nice patio lured me in from a bike ride on July 4, but I wish I had kept riding by. Service was decent but not impressive, the food came up quickly and the patio is wonderful, but those are about the only positive things from my experience. My sweet tea was so watered down it was barely sweet (I added a sweetener!), and the meal got worse from there. I ordered the combo sandwich with pulled chicken and pulled pork. It's an ample sandwich, but the plate was either too big or my order of fries was too small. The sweet potato fries have a cinnamon/salt dusting, which is tasty. Unfortunately, the meats come drenched in sauce! If your meat is so bad on its own you have to soak it in sauce, then you should rethink your recipe. I think the pulled chicken would have been good on its own -- seemed moist and flavorful. The bone I bit into was not as enjoyable. The waitress came by to take my nearly clean plate and I mentioned the bone. She apologized and said, "Oh, that's not supposed to have any bones." Obviously. Perhaps sensing I was unhappy, the manager came over and apologized too. Neither of them offered even a coupon for a future visit or dessert. Heck, no one even offered me a refill on my $3 sweet tea. Chicago and especially Wicker Park have so many wonderful restaurants, so it'll be a long time before I stop in at Smoke Daddy again. read more

Smoke Daddy - Hope you like sauce! Combo sandwich with pork and chicken, soaked in sauce. Decent sweet potato fries and a mediocre sweet tea. - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My family and I came here for lunch before the Cubs game. I choose this placed based on Yelp reviews. I dont know who the people are giving this place 5 stars. They must have never had anything BBQ in their life. Where to start: The service: We were promptly greeted and asked if we wanted to sit outside or inside. We sat outside with a nice view of Wrigley Field, no wait needed. The waitress was friendly and took care of my kids, ages 8 and 12. No problems here. My 8 year old ordered the chicken strips with fries. Although he was not a fan he is a very picky eater. My wife tried the strips and said they were good. My 12 year old loves BBQ and ordered a pull pork sandwich. Although he ate it, he was not impressed and passed up additional meats from my order, including the ribs which he normally LOVES. My wife and I ordered the the Big City Eats. A choice of 2 meats, half slab of baby back ribs, half slab of St Louis ribs, quarter of a chicken and 3 sides. We choose the pulled pork, brisket, coleslaw, cornbread and mac N cheese all for $55. I asked how much of the 2 meats came with the meal and was told about 5 ounces. What can I say, the ribs were average at best. They would have been better but they were slathered with their original BBQ sauce which was a vinegar based sauce and not at all to our liking. They did have a smokey sweet sauce which was pretty good, however since all the meats (except the chicken) were already covered in this other sauce, the good BBQ sauce taste was overpowered by the other one. Both the pulled pork and the brisket were more fat than anything else. It was pretty much inedible. The chicken was pretty good, but dry The cornbread was different. That is all I can say, it was not good, but it was not bad, just different. The slaw was pretty good. It had a good cilantro and wet mayo taste. The Mac N cheese I found to be very tasty while my wife disliked it. Both my kids enjoyed the it aswell. We found that kids eat free for lunch during the week, so that was a nice bonus. All and all, very disappointing as a BBQ place as the main part of the meal was not fit for consumption. When it arrived, I had high Hope's by the tasty look, but in the end was full of disappointment. read more

Smoke Daddy - Big City Eats platter $55. - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We decided to bring my father here for Fathers Day after seeing this location on TikTok we were told we could sit outside when reservations were made when we arrived because we had a rather "large party" (4 adults 3 kids ) we couldn't sit outside there was no room ... that was a let down it was nice out and the live music was very loud to speak to the waiter or to each other ... the food was a 8/10 but when it came time to pay the bill our waitress refused to give us a receipt it was like she figured we would run off or something and when I asked for a receipt she made an excuse on why she didn't give one; she hovered over her little machine watching us pay and when it came time to tip instead of being able to discuss it she told us how much to pay hovering over the machine once more ! We are minority and we had a great time with my dad so I didn't want to be "those people" but please next time do things correctly ! "Grace" read more

Stopped in this joint on a lunch break and loved it. The Taste of the Daddy was an excellent tour of the meat on the menu. I chose the baby back ribs, chicken, and brisket w/ cole slaw and greens. The selection of sauces were good with my preference being the sweet and hickory. Great service, atmosphere, and bar. I'll be back for a shot of Blantons to compliment my meal next time. read more

The food was ok. FYI tips seem to be mandatory for take-out orders. The person handling my order was basically staring at the POS machine when I was typing numbers. And he made sure to gently "remind" me of leaving tips, which made me feel very uncomfortable. Don't think I will come back. read more

I stopped by this weekend and had the best experience. The Bloody Mary is hands down my favorite and actually bought a bottle to have at home. Love the burnt ends, get them if you can! The staff was super friendly and the service was fantastic. read more

Bbq was def not the best. Good service & drinks but actual meat is not great. Small portion and bland.

What a fantastic experience! Got a great seat right by a heater, so we stayed nice and toasty. We watched the Rams-Packers Playoff game on one of their many large TV screens. Mariya was a great server! She helped us come to a meal decision based on her great recommendations. Her suggestions didn't disappoint. We had wings, burnt ends, ribs, and brisket. Unreal. The flavors and meats were simply to die for. We got mac & cheese and sweet potato fries for sides. I don't know which side I preferred more because I am still having dreams about both. Staff was fantastic and accommodating; going above and beyond. The table next to us had their little baby accidentally knock over a plates. They not only weren't upset or bothered by this at all, but they offered to bring them more food, clean the baby's sippy cup, and then brought a chopped up banana for the baby! So sweet! Just nice & good people; you can really tell! I can't wait to go back! read more

Love me some Smoke Daddy. I'm more a spare rib guy than back ribs. The wife and I usually split the rib sampler. It's plenty of food for 2 hungry people. The brisket is one of the tastiest around. They have a solid selection of beer, wine, and booze. The weekend brunch is truly special. Monkey bread is ooey gooey, sweet, buttery bliss served with a main dish, like brisket benedict. Wow, just wow. Add some juice or a boozy beverage to your meal, and you have one of the best spots in the city. A few years ago, they expanded their seating, indoor and outdoor, which was a welcome respite to the long waits that we suffered through. Overall, great spot, food, and service. I've been coming here for over 10 years. read more

Had a great time with my mom the waitress was helpful and we didn't feel rushed and everything was so amazing even the coleslaw which I hate was amazing there read more

Smoke Daddy - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Thank you SO much to our girl Renae (Renada) for the absolute great service today. The bottomless Bloody's and Mimosa's came in exactly on time for my friend's birthday brunch. Great atmosphere, wonderful food, and the best service. 10/10. read more

OMG this place was great!! I saw this place on the news, and I just had to take a trip! I had the rib tips, 1/2 chicken, mac -n- cheese, Homemade BBQ chips, and Jalapeno cornbread.............. I was in heaven......I wanted to slap my mama AGAIN LOL!! The food was great, the mac -n- cheese was excellent!! The live music was awesome!! You get so much for your money. There was also a special with these dark beers so you know i had to try them. I usually am not a dark beer kinda guy, but hell I was into it that night!! My Favorite was this one with an apricot taste. I will definitely be back!! OMG the cookie in the skillet was sooooooooooooooooooooo good. My fat ass needed a wheel chair to get up outta there!!! read more

Smoke Daddy - My Food!!! - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We knew you as visitors and you welcomed us into the neighborhood. Solid, consistant BBQ, great atmosphere, the music, the drinks, the staff, oh my. This 5th star is inspired by the ridiculous amount of times it took me before I tried the smoked wings and/or the cheeseburger. G'luck with the expansion guys, can't wait to see! read more

Smoke Daddy - Great live music as usual - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

First time here in Chicago from San Diego ... I was passing by here with my crew this morning and the smell of that holy BBQ called us! All of a sudden it was all clear to us ... we were meant to eat here tonight. And, yes Gods had looked upon us! The food here is delicious and the ambience is very cool grouped with nice live music. If you come here, try the Burnt Tips, and the BBQ Beans! They are just amazing. Stick around for some more live music and enjoy a drink at their bar. I wish I lived here in Chicago to come eat here every week, but I'm sure I'll come here every time I visit this town. read more

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MONKEY BREAD !!! Unlimited ... do i need to say more?? My group of friends went here for Saturday brunch. They have unlimited Mamosa and bloody Mary's. For the bloody Mary's you can either pick smoked or spicy which is always two great choices. For the main course it's all you can eat for about $20. You pick your main dish which they have an array of egg dishes and skillets which is always two most popular choices. And then you get a platter. Which has unlimited goodies. It has fruit pancakes sausage bacon and unlimited monkey bread. The monkey bread is the best I have ever had. It comes in a small skillet and it's pull apart. We got there around 11 o'clock and it wasn't that busy but as we were leaving it started to pick up. I think they take reservations but I would just call and see. My friends and I will most definitely be back because you get so much food and alcohol for the price that you pay. read more

Terrible. Very disappointing. Not on a level of quality bbq restaurants anywhere in the country. Small portions. Over priced. Too much sauce. Inattentive staff. They are lucky they have a location where they don't have competition and an audience that doesn't know what quality bbq is. I was very disappointed read more

BBQ is my friend.... First of all, apologies to the staff as I'm not sure I was in the best frame of mind for dinner... However, this BBQ spot surpassed my expectations. I really enjoyed the food - sauces were heavenly! The food was delicious and I enjoyed the reasonably priced wine list. The music was a nice touch, though I didn't love the band the night I was there. Service was good, though slow. Considering it was late, I was surprised that we weren't helped more, but it wooed out for us (see bad customer note above...). 2 for service 5 for food 3 for atmosphere 3 for bathrooms 4 for value I'm rounding up because I will definitely be back. Great spot!!! read more

very great experience! waitress was wonderful!! would come again under the same circumstances which were pleasant Under the guidance of my dear sweet love Ashley!! read more

1 Star for smoked chicken wings 1 Star for the key lime pie the rest was dreadful. I went here with a bunch of fellow hungover 40'somethings. It was not good. The problem was the meat, which at a barbecue place is important. It was as if they pulled it off of the animal and slapped it on the grill. The sauces were horrible as well. Over sugary and under flavored. Even the Carolina which I never eat was flavorless. The other sides were fine but what you expect eating out! The waitress was great. An attentive Australian young woman who interacted well with the table and divided the checks easily. It's just the MEAT SUCKED. And I don't pay people to make food that I would not eat if I made it at home. So after this initial review the owner contacted me and gave me a gift card to give them another shot. While I don't do this trying to get free food. Frankly I am shocked that they think the review is that important. But I am always appreciative that they care enough to try to make it right. This was true here. Full disclosure whenever this happens I always order different dishes in order to get a greater idea of the menu. This time I had the brisket sandwich and fries, a sour beer from Oberon. The brisket was solid Smokey and good. The fries were good as well but it is hard to ruin fries. For desert I had the cookie in a skillet with ice cream. Delicious!! I know that when a rib restaurant has amazing dessert it means that the supplier has great top shelf desserts but I still darn near licked the plate lol! So after further review this place has earned an extra star from me because of service and commitment to satisfying the customer. read more

We've eaten here a few times this year and are never disappointed in the food or service. Solid BBQ, hot, and fast. If you're looking for a no B.S. eating option, this is it. read more