Texas-style BBQ, good sides, and a friendly atmosphere all add up to a place you'll be coming back to over and over. Station One Smokehouse offers a variety of different meats by the pound or in sandwich form - brisket, ribs, pulled pork, and more. All the meats will bring a smile to your face. The smoke ring is there, everything is still juicy, and there's quite the variety of sides. BBQ sauces are available with utensils and drinks off to the side, but you could do without the sauce. The food is that good. It's a legit BBQ place when they're not trying to slathering their meats in sauce trying to conceal something. There's also a bar and TVs to enjoy beers and sports that runs the length of the interior. Station One knows their craft and it's nice to see a legitimate BBQ spot. The only problem is that it isn't closer to my house. read more

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Today was a shocking experience at Station One(Plainfield) My husband and I get food here atleast twice a month. Use to go once a week. Amazing BBQ but today was shocking. I got a chopped brisket sandwich, sliced brisket sandwich and a full slab of ribs 75.00 spent. Chopped brisket was like bacon and super dry. The guy open a newly wrapped brisket to slice one of my sandwiches. Totally dry to the point we had to lots drink water to get it down. I tried adding alot of bbq sauce so it could go down. This has never happened before. The ribs were over cooked the outside was hard. Not sure what's going on but I noticed different workers and maybe something has changed. I called back to complain and was not offered a refund or something else to replace the food. Times are difficult and we don't have money to waste on food that's not edible. Wasted money... read more

My favorite sides: tator tot casserole Elotes Favorite meat: Turkey Pulled pork The area by the drinks does not smell good. It's very off putting. I've noticed it the last two times I've come in. read more

Station One Smokehouse - Barbeque Near Me - Plainfield, Illinois

This place is incredible! First thing you will notice is this place looks and feels like an old fire station. It has so many wonderful decorations that pay tribute to the firefighters of Plainfield. If you want some of the best bbq in town, visit this place. Truly amazing and you can smell the quality right when you walk in. What I absolutely loved was how friendly the staff was and how extremely knowledgeable they were. They really wanted to help me get the right things. I truly would love to visit this place again. read more

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Service was fast and efficient. You walk up to the board and order whatever you want, and it's placed on the tray immediately. Then you can get pop or alcohol of your choosing. They have indoor and outdoor seating. Food was 10/10. My favorite was the pork belly. read more

Station One Smokehouse - Huge Mac n cheese, (2) cornbread W butter, jalapeño cheddar link, pork belly, brisket - Barbeque Near Me - Plainfield, Illinois

Came here around 8pm Saturday night with the kids. We got a platter that included ribs, brisket, pastrami, and sausage. I really enjoyed all the meat partially the brisket and ribs . They had a good smokey flavor. Although the meat is the main reason you go to a bbq place, the star of the dinner was the brussel sprouts! They were in a sweet Asian like sauce , so tasty! The only reason I am knocking off a star is because of the dining experience itself. It was difficult to grab a seat. With two young kids in tow, and a platter of food we had to stand for a while before enough room became available for us to sit down and eat. It would have been nice if someone from the staff was coordinating and cleaning off tables. Aside from this, definitely would love to get this place again. Maybe we will do pickup instead of dine in. read more

Station One Smokehouse - Barbeque Near Me - Plainfield, Illinois

The Brussel sprouts are soooo good! I'd go back for the pastrami, pulled pork and brisket. The burger is pretty good too. The service is fast and has the option to sit outside. read more

The food was amazing, including the sides. My grandmother is from Mississippi & the collard greens here are authentic & full of flavor. The pork rib sandwich was a perfect balance of sweet, salty & a slight kick. The people were very nice when I picked up my order. The restaurant itself was very clean, orderly & the vibes were nice in there. Will definitely be back. read more

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Station One will pull you in from a block away! The smells waft straight to your nose and beg you to stop by! The food is always top notch. The pulled pork is tender and seasoned just right. They make their own bbq, with diff varieties for any type of taste buds. I highly recommend grabbing the cornbread, which is the perfect texture. read more

I don't normally leave reviews, but as someone who lived in Texas for the better part of a decade I've been looking for good Texas BBQ up here and been disappointed with places that say they are Texas BBQ. Starting with the smells outside I figured we were on the right track. Shiner on tap was also a great indicator! We got the Sampler platter and I was happy that they had the holy trinity on there. Many places up here miss one of the three and still call themselves Texas BBQ. Let's start with the good. Ribs were outstanding, good pull to them with great flavor. The turkey was good as well with an excellent pepper flavor. The fatty brisket had great flavor and good smoke penetration, although the lean was lacking flavor and I think they cut their slices just a tad thick. The sausage had a nice snap and a good spice to it, and I found the leftovers the next day were even better. Not to turn negative, but I did think there were some opportunities for improvement. The pulled pork my son had was lacking flavor and was really dry. The beans were ok but not great. The cornbread was great however! This will be my go to spot when I'm being lazy and not making my own BBQ. If you are from Texas, this place isn't Terry Blacks, or Pecan Lodge, or Goldie's, but it's about the same as a Rudy's, and I like me some Rudy's! read more

Station One Smokehouse - Menu - Barbeque Near Me - Plainfield, Illinois

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We go here once a year when we see our accountant in Plainfield. It must be good because of all the good restaurants in the area we always choose this one. This time I had rib tips which were very meaty, my husband ha St.Louis ribs and said that we're very tasty and meaty. For sides we shared broccoli salad and Brussel sprouts and loved both. See you again next tax season! read more

Just went with my son's baseball team in between games this afternoon. I would LOVE to go back! What I had - was just as good as it was when we were in Austin TX a handful of years ago. We went at 2 PM and there was a line - which is always a good sign... when there is a line in between a rush time. My son - had ribs. My husband - cheddar jalapeño sausage... and me - Frito pie! We weren't eating a lot given it was in between games - but what we had was stellar! And the honey butter corn bread - absolutely fantastic. Cute restaurant with a nice bar in a downtown area... just an all around amazing place! read more

this is a really nice restaurant looking inside. I like the ambience and the bar. I thought I was gonna have a great experience. Unfortunately, the food was not up to the level of quality for the price that they charged especially, the brisket. On top of that, the staff was not the best not unfriendly but not exactly welcoming. I probably won't be back. YMMV read more

Station One Smokehouse - 1/2lb Sliced Brisket 1/2lb Sliced Brisket Jalapeno Cheddar Link Cornbread Slice with Honey Butter Coleslaw Sauces - Barbeque Near Me - Plainfield, Illinois

I was excited to be getting BBQ. That quickly was a disappointment when I got home. They forgot my sides, beans is all I got. The St Louie's ribs were disgusting, burnt and not enable, I threw them away. The brisket was all fat, no meat and it was overcooked. The cornbread was not good either it was so heavy and over cooked. The macaroni and cheese was dry and bland. I called to let them know they forgot my beans and the manager did say they would credit my Cc. I won't be eating there again. Terrible food and just ok customer service for the price I paid for the food. read more

Fresh-brewed Sweet tea is a hard thing to come by in the Midwest. This Bama boy's solution is to message BBQ joints about their sweet tea solution. Station One messaged me promptly and told me that they had it from a dispenser. Yeah the Gold Peak one that serves that abomination of sweet tea. But they allowed me to bring my own sweet tea so that made my day along with the delicious que they serve. Station One received that name because it looks like it was an old fire station. Someone better call 911 for this Texas Style BBQ! I went up to the counter and ordered 1/4 of brisket, pulled pork, and pastrami. Pastrami was a new one for me at a BBQ joint so I had to try it. I also had one rib added to my tray. The sides are a la carte and I chose tater tot casserole and Mac and cheese. All the meats were fantastic! I would rank them from best to worst: rib, pulled pork, brisket, pastrami. I loved the rib as it was meaty and had a sweet glaze to it. Pulled pork and brisket were solid. I was a little disappointed in the pastrami but my wife loved it. The tater tot casserole was amazing! Think of a hashbrown casserole with thick, crunchy pieces of hashbrown and you have the tater tot casserole. The mac and cheese was good but I started thinking I needed something else than cheese because of the tater tot casserole. There are 3 sauces. Spicy is a Texas Style sauce that is made with pepper. Bourbon Peach is very sweet. Texas Gold is a mild, mustard style sauce. I can't wait to go back and eat at Station One again! read more

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My boyfriend and I love this place. They have a big sheet of paper to show what is sold out for the day. The ribs and pork belly is usually always sold out. So get there for lunch if you want those items! We usually go for the collard greens and the chicken wings. The wing are huge compared to other places. The only disappointment here is the sauce selection. There's maybe 3 BBQ sauces and 4 sauces for the wings. It would be a better experience to have more sauce options but overall a great place to eat. Come on in for your BBQ cravings! read more

It was ok. Had the pastrami sandwich, but found it to be very dry. Also, never offered to put on condiments or cheese. And considering they charge for a single sandwich as much as other places charge for a meal figured it'd be larger. The sides were great though. Especially the brussel sprouts. Really great char and flavor. read more

Station One Smokehouse - Pastrami sandwich, elote, and brussel sprouts - Barbeque Near Me - Plainfield, Illinois

Stopped by this spot on a friend's recommendation, and boy, are we glad we did! To really dive into the full experience, we went all out and ordered a variety of dishes. Everything was absolutely delicious, and since the meats are sold by weight, it's perfect for trying a little bit of everything. We ordered the ribs, pastrami, smoked wings (with sweet chili and Alabama white sauce), mac and cheese, and Brussels sprouts. My favorites of the day were definitely the ribs and the Brussels sprouts. The ribs were a bit fattier than I typically prefer, but they were still excellent--no need for extra BBQ sauce! And let me tell you, the wings were huge--definitely not your average wing size! Sitting here, enjoying our BBQ, listening to country music, and watching college football, this place brought me right back to a Texas BBQ spot. Highly recommend for anyone in the area looking to get their BBQ fix! read more

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Came here on the Tuesday after Memorial Day around lunch time as I was passing by the Plainfield area. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality and taste of the meats. Pictures don't really do this place justice. It is better than it looks! I like how they allow the meats to be ordered by the 1/4 pound so you can try a wider variety. Meats are on the saltier side, the vinegar coleslaw and green beans (not pictured) were cooked to perfection. I would recommend if in the area! read more

Station One Smokehouse - 1/4 pound brisket, pork ribs, pastrami, and 1 hot link, - Barbeque Near Me - Plainfield, Illinois

Station One has that rustic feel with the most delicious food. in the summer you can eat outside and enjoy fresh air or stay inside and take in all the delicious smells. Very good food and the staff is friendly. read more

Food was amazing! Staff was excellent! I'll definitely come back! Check out the garage band brewery next door! Great beer! read more

Station One Smokehouse - Amazing food! - Barbeque Near Me - Plainfield, Illinois

The most amazing BBQ spot!! I was shocked at how amazing everything was! Being a city snob I didn't expect to be as good as local city, Chicago, BBQ's. So happy to have been proven wrong!! We stopped here after a day at the pumpkin patch. My 8 year, who is normally a good eater, even asked for thirds!! He knocked out on our way back home. 10/10 would recommend! Can't wait to visit again! read more

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The food quality has become inconsistent both in the quality of meat (50% fat on their brisket slices is not acceptable), and seasoning. The ribs tend to switch between savory and sweet depending on the day. The brisket was under seasoned in addition to the excessive amount of fat. Their service staff is always fantastic. However, poor quality control and decreased meat quality means this is no longer the best BBQ in the western suburbs. read more

My friends and I love coming here after we go do Fall activities in the suburbs! The meat platters are amazing and it is a great place to sit down and relax with a beer. Staff is nice and friendly, but we asked some specific questions on why was served, they hadn't exactly known the answers or tried to ask someone else. The peanut butter pie was great if you have a sweet tooth, but I'd love to have a better chocolate/pb ration in the future. Either way, we will still make another stop next Fall! read more

Station One Smokehouse - Peanut Butter Pie - Barbeque Near Me - Plainfield, Illinois

I saw 530 reviews at the time I checked for a place for lunch with a friend in the Plainfield area. Now I know why the reviews are so high. Since my first visit I've been back twice in two weeks. The food and portions are incredible. My favorites are the brisket burger, Brussels sprouts and tater tot casserole. If you have room after the main course try the bread pudding. It's out of this world. I will be a regular now and will spread the word. Keep up the great work. read more

Station One Smokehouse - Brisket Burger with Brussels Sprouts - Barbeque Near Me - Plainfield, Illinois

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My husband and I have been here a half dozen times and we love it every time. It is the only BBQ in the area that sells pastrami and my husband loves it. They have the best bork belly burnt ends I have ever had. The Mack and cheese is a creamy white cheddar ( taste like Gruyère). French fries are simple but made to order and tossed in salt and pepper. Corn bread is a huge slice served with honey butter. We loved the elotes. The food is consistently great every time. The dining area is simple, beautiful and clean. The servers are always kind. I can not recommend this place enough. read more

Always excellent, delicious food. The staff is always very friendly and helpful, and the decor is earthy and comfortable. I prefer this smokehouse over any other in this state. read more

The best BBQ you will find in Illinois!!! I wish I could give this place 6 stars because everything is just so good. I highly recommend the turkey and tater tot casserole. Service is a bit different. It is seat yourself, wait inline for food and a separate line for drinks. They do sell out of meat, so it is a possibility when you get to the counter in busy weekends they might no longer have what you were looking to try. Also, on those busier days the line can be a 30+ minute standing wait but it's highly worth it. Staff has been friendly every visit and tables are always kept clean. read more

Quality is completely different from first time there. Burger served without what was ordered. Out of sides that brought us there to begin with. Will think twice before going back. read more

This might be the most difficult Yelp I've ever written. If you read my previous Yelps, you'll see Wife and I were once VERY enthusiastic about Station One (in Plainfield), but that enthusiasm waned over repeated visits. After not eating at the Plainfield location for at least a year, we thought we'd try the new outlet in Yorkville, and give them another chance. My dilemma is: Have I lost the taste for BBQ, an American Culinary Cornerstone, or is this just a subpar suburban BBQ joint? I've been to Arthur Bryants in KC, a buncha places in Memphis, BBQ in Georgia, Alabama, the Hill Country in Texas, Dallas, Houston, Charleston and numerous Aquariums here in Chicago. In these cities I've had Weapons-Grade 'Q that was sublime. In a few of those cities I've also had some crap meat that was closer in taste to a Parodi Cigar. (I mean eating a Parodi, not smoking it). I'm confident I know good 'Q from bad 'Q. Anywho.. It's a cold room, without charm. The one in Plainfield had some vibe, but this place feels like a warehouse where they put up some chairs and tables. Then again, part of the BBQ allure is: it's the cuisine of the common man. You're going there to eat, not to be seen. My 1-star was not influenced by the circuses. Now about the "bread": We asked to see the ribs at the beginning, and the fellow pulled a slab (St.Louis Style) out of the hotbox and it looked fine. Wife ordered 1/2 lb. of Ribs (3 bones) a 1/2 lb. of lean Brisket, and one of their giant baked potatoes. I went for the 3 bones as well, a Pastrami Sandwich, plus a side of Collard Greens. At the table, I grabbed the St.Louis rib by the bone, and it came clean away from all the meat. OK, this was going to be tender 'Q-not the chewy kind. Knife and forking it, my first bite was confusing, because the meat had very little taste. This was surprising, 'cos there was a LOT of fat. The common wisdom is fat=flavor, n'est ce pas? I got about 3 bites out of each rib, before I had to discard it due to the abundance of fat. The ribs were practically tasteless. Wife got about 3 bites in before she too, cast hers to the side, for the same reasons. The Pastrami Sarnie was huge in proportion. Not quite the leviathan served in NYC, but damn, this one was big. I tried to pick it up and eat it as a sandwich, but the bottom slice of Rye Bread was already thoroughly soggy and this too, was going to be a "knife and forker". I LOVE Pastrami. I've been to NewYork's best, Canter's in L.A. and Manny's here in town. I've had some outrageous Pastrami. This too, was outrageous. Not for its taste, however. What was outrageous here, was calling it "Pastrami". No hit of garlic, not a whiff of coriander or pepper either. It tasted like overcooked Corned Beef. I LOVE Corned Beef, too. This was dry and tasteless. There was a considerable halo of fat around the meat pieces, and a paper-thin crown of dark stuff. I took that as the "bark", scraped away the adipose tissue and went in search of seasoning. Nope. The Collard Greens were off as well. I remember them being exquisite here from previous visits. I usually sip the pot likker as a treat after the vegetation is gone, but I didn't this time-I couldn't even finish it. They just didn't taste good. Wife gave me a nip of her Brisket, which wasn't yummy, either. LOTS of fat, but bereft of flavor. She reported her Giant Baked potato was dry and mealy. When I went up for drink refills (both her Diet Coke and my IcedTea were fine--they were the pinnacle of the meal) she asked me to get some extra butter. The cashier went over to the fellow behind the hot table to get some of the nice butter they put on the Potato when it is served, but she was rebuffed and directed to a box near the floor behind the cashier's station where she nabbed a few of those miserable little plastic tubs (not refrigerated, mind you) each having about a 1/4 teaspoon of butter. Wife never finished her 'tater-which is a stone giveaway it wasn't any bloody good-she LIVES for Baked Potatoes. If all the lousy food wasn't enough, there were a bunch of flies and gnats buzzing about which were specifically annoying. Did I mention this experience cost us very near $90? Aaaaargh! tasteless food AND bugs? Don't get me wrong-We don't mind paying the freight when the cuisine is satisfying, but this was simply unpleasant from start to finish. The prices did NOT influence my 1-star review. Honest. Maybe I DON'T care for BBQ anymore--it's embarrassing, I feel almost unpatriotic. Maybe in my dotage, I can't handle grease and gredue like I did when I was younger. In this case, I think this is exactly what I said-a subpar suburban BBQ joint. Hum. I always try to find a silver lining at any place I go to eat-look through my Yelps for proof. I couldn't find anything here to make me happy. I HATE to throw a "1" for anyplace. It's got to be almost inedible for me to rate that low. You shoulda seen what we threw away on our way out... read more

Yum!!! First time trying to visit the smokehouse I was with a big group on a Saturday night and the lines were long and nowhere to sit. Today was great the patio was open and wasn't too long of a line. What got me first is the bbq smell that hits you walking in the door. The ribs and brisket looked amazing. They have all the typical sides and meat options! I can never decide between potato salad collards Mac and cheese or Brussels sprouts. I was very happy with my choices. Enjoyed everything I had. The brisket burger is more like ground brisket and is a double patty which was a surprise to methe only downside was that the ice cream was all out and we had ordered the peach cobbler that comes with ice cream but weren't informed til we started looking for it. Besides that everything was great!! read more

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I'm updating my previous review from '19. I stopped in on 5/6/23 with my boyfriend, who is from St. Louis. They've improved their pickles- yum! I ordered the Cuban, which needs to be a permanent addition to this delicious menu! I loved the bread- it reminded me of the Dutch crunch I used to eat in California. The beef tips, brisket, beans, pickles were all amazing. I can not speak for the potato salad in the picture as I don't eat it. My boyfriend enjoyed everything as well. I will not let 4 yrs pass before visiting again!!! read more

Station One Smokehouse - Their Cuban was sooo good as was the brisket, beef tips, beans, pickles - Barbeque Near Me - Plainfield, Illinois

The staff was very friendly and welcoming. Plenty of communal tables inside. Food was fantastic. We ordered the sliced brisket, pork belly, pork ribs, brisket sandwich, elote corn, mac and cheese, brisket chili and black pepper garlic link. The meat were all moist and flavorful, none of it was dry. Only complaint was that they forgot to give us the toppings for the chili but that's fine. Place was clean. I would come back. For prices, not sure why people say it's pricey but it's not. Chicago Culinary Kitchen is way more expensive. If you want some decent bbq, you have to pay a bit more. I've been to Texas, South Carolina, and Memphis for bbq and this place is definitely one of the better ones in Illinois. The sauces were pretty flavorful as well. read more

Station One Smokehouse - Barbeque Near Me - Plainfield, Illinois

The restaurant was really nice inside had a nice bar too. But the food was nothing great at all. I understand it was Super Bowl Sunday so they were out of a lot of things. So we had brisket, pork & chicken to try. Someone we were with got the chicken, it was 1/2 a chicken but very small and they pulled it out of the refrigerator and put on the grill a few minutes and served it. They said it didn't have any smoke flavor or BBQ flavor. They said chopped brisket was barely warm, & didn't have a lot of flavor. The pork was cold, also not a lot of flavor so you needed sauce & none of the sauces were anything special. Baked beans were like a chili, Cole slaw I couldn't eat. The elote was good, Mac n cheese too but again just barely warm. The cornbread was supposed to be served warm w/ honey butter on top, it was cold and butter was in a plastic dish ice cold. The banana pudding was good. The employees were very short with us. I really wanted to like it, I go to a lot of different BBQ places it was one of my favorites but this place didn't do anything for any of us - go over a little bit to Piggy's on 59. read more

They've really gone downhill for the price. Used to be my go to. Not anymore. Brisket was dry, not sure when it was cooked, but felt like it was just warmed up. read more

This is a place where you wait in line to order and get your food before leaving the counter. Portions and pricing were very reasonable as you can see by the size of the Mac and cheese and potato. The brisket was perfectly well done and didn't need any additional sauce for great flavor. The brussel sprouts were outstanding, charred and had a great sauce on them. The macaroni and cheese is homemade, and recommended with the bread crumb topping. Drinks are serve yourself and if you want alcohol this was ordered at the bar on the south side of the restaurant. On nice days (which this was) the garage door was open. The place could be fairly loud with conversation so the open door helped with that. Not a huge dining area, so be sure to come early, or expect to wait to find a seat once you get your food. Will be back here again soon for more! read more

Station One Smokehouse - Macaroni and cheese (huge size), loaded baked potato with brisket, cornbread with butter and Brussel sprouts. - Barbeque Near Me - Plainfield, Illinois

This is my go-to BBQ. The food is absolutely delicious. Every time. The service is great. Line moves quick and tables are cleaned quickly. And the ambience is a fun hang. read more

Food is always good with quick service. Get the salmon or brisket. Cornbread is also very good.

OMG! Run, don't walk, to the best BBQ Northern IL has to offer! Had the pork belly burnt ends. So smokey, so flavorful, and melt in your mouth. Side of the best mac n' cheese ever. Cornbread that was awesome. Buddy had ribs and they were perfect. So tender and smokey. Can't wait to get back there! read more

Food was great! Had the brisket, fries, pickles and tater tot casserole. We tried all the sauces and all were good. Bartender was helpful and counter lady was super nice. Inside used to be a firehouse and they continued with the theme. The rope to form the carry out line is a fire hose. Very cool inside! read more