My first time here. We only have 1-2 places to go for bbq food in my town that I've heard of that's worth going and one of them is a chain restaurant. The place is pretty small so if you have more than 5 people with you, I'd order to go. Once I walked in, I could smell the bbq and it was already filled with people and there was a line. The pulled pork was my favorite, along with the chicken and brisket. I ordered the full slab of baby back ribs but could only finish half. The meat was a little too dry for me. They didn't fall off the bone though. I do like that they had a variety of sauces laid out. Their sides portions are a bit small. I would say they're almost the same sizes as the sauce cups that they have for their bbq sauces, just a smidge bigger. Other than that, they got the bbq flavor I need whenever I'm craving for it. read more

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4 stars. I had been on a BBQ kick for a while, now... ever since my dad came for a visit and brought along a cooler full of his amazing ribs. Yum!!! While NO ONE can do it like Daddy, this joint made my belly happy. After several questions about the menu and portion sizes, I ordered burnt ends, smoked wings, and onion rings. Was told they don't come with bread, so I had to buy separately. They were $.35/each. Pricey in my opinion and turns out a piece actually came with my wings. Customer service was unremarkable. What BBQ joint doesn't serve bread with their fare? This one. Several of the reviews mentioned getting a full pound of burnt ends - which sounded like too much - but I shoulda listened! They were PHENOMENAL!! Meaty and tender. And there's a little dry rub on them that has a slight kick which made them even tastier. Skip the smoked wings. They weren't smoky at all. Good, but not what I wanted. There's a place in Lombard...firewater bbq...that does them FAR better. Onion rings were great. I thought I wouldn't like them because they weren't breaded in-house, but I was wrong. They tasted like they were made fresh. Thick, crispy, and golden. Excellent, actually... The sauces were underwhelming. I only tried 3. Butlers Tribute was the better of the three. Apple Bourbon was decent. I think I mixed the two together... Spicy vinegar was not for me. Prices per pound are a bit steep, but not outrageous. And they do have kids meals...although not prominently displayed. And there is a lunch special. The combos are a good way to go if you want regular sides. I wanted premium sides, so I ordered a la carte. Spend about $15 and had enough for two meals. Dem burnt ends were amazing !!! Worth the drive for ends and rings! You won't be disappointed by either. read more

Holy Cow!!! Had the Brisket burrito and the pork burrito at Winners, freakin' awesome!!! I'm a Steamboat regular and am always extremely satisfied! read more

I have become a bit of a BBQ snob over the years and you could often find me traveling on a Saturday to scope out a new BBQ place that I heard of or just wanted to try. Fortunately I found Steamboat and it is close! I am very happy with this place. The ribs and pulled pork are two of my favorites but the burnt ends top my list. Great selection of sauces and sides too! Nicely done guys. Keep up the great work? read more

Wanted to try this place for some time. Well it didn't pan out apparently. $18.00 for a small side of potatoe salad , small piece of cornbread, and a mound of fatty rubber they call their burnt end sandwich. Def won't be back. The Girl at the counter was very nice; And The other two managers?.... Were just gossiping away instead of making sure I was served a decent lunch. Needless to say I left still hungry. Won't be back. read more

Steamboat BBQ - This place has some serious shrink- flation going on.... - Barbeque Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

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Delicious local place! They are not open everyday and go early because they do sell out. Pulled pork is so good and all the sauces are homemade. The burnt ends are my new favorite! read more

Well life is full of surprises. As a Southern boy wondering if he can find good BBQ in the Chicago area. Had a friend recommend Steamboat and I wasn't disappointed. It is only takeout only during the Covid restrictions so my friend and I dropped the tailgate on the truck and dug in. I had the three meat plate which I recommend for first timers. Out of the group their burnt ends were outstanding. They use a slightly sweet coating, almost like a light brown sugar flavor that pairs well with the char. The pulled pork and hot links are no slouch either. I'll be back. read more

Steamboat BBQ - Burnt Ends, pulled pork, SPICY HOT LINKS - Barbeque Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

Good sauce, flavorful but not very moist meat, friendly people, nice beans and potato salad. 5 types of Root Beer. Good Catfish 3 Meat Combo I got this thinking it'd be an insane amount of food and I'd have to take half of it home but I didn't actually end up with that much left over. It was basically the same amount of meat as the cheaper dinners with a single meat. Pulled Pork - good flavor but not very moist as all, borderlining on dry Catfish - excellent breaded crust and succulent meat, you can taste the catfish. The sauce I passed on, it's like the sauce you get for dipping the blooming onion at Outback. It's not tartar, nor do they have tartar sadly. Brisket - good flavor and fairly moist, much more so than the pulled pork Apple Bourbon Sauce and Butler's Tribute Sauce - combined this makes a great sauce, apart they are pretty good but way better combined. A bit sweet, a bit spicy, a slight sour, and a good smokiness to it all. Smokey Pit Beans - sweet beans with a apple cinnamon type taste to them, i liked them :) Smokey Bacon Potato Salad - you can taste the bacon, it's quite a nice contrast if you are eating a sauce that is spicy Frostie Rootbeer - similar to Culver's, it's decent and smooth but I prefer something else WBC Rootbeer Chicago Style - more similar to a Barq's in sharpness but no caffine. I quite enjoyed this one. I'd get it again. The service is pretty decent, nice people at the register and service counter. You order at one window, sit at one of the tables and wait for your number to pick up at the other window. There was a line quite a few times. I think the turnover is too high for them to clean the tables during the busy parts of the day, so prepare to clean them yourselves. There are about 4 tables of 4 (all taller seating) and 1 table of 6 and 1 table for 10 inside along with 2 larger 8 people picnic tables outside. It's a small place, many took carry out instead. read more

Steamboat BBQ - 3 Meat Combo Pulled Pork, Brisket, Catfish w. sauce Beans and Potato Salad - Barbeque Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

I was in the mood for bbq today and looked for something local. The brisket was a little on the dry side, but still really tasty. The burnt ends were great and did not need any sauces! I love bbq beans and these did not disappoint. Customer service experience is important to me and everyone I interacted with here was very friendly. I definitely recommend trying this spot. read more

Not many places can compete with Steamboat! Beef Brisket is amazing. The multiple sauces are wonderful as well. I have been eating here forever. You walk in and are hit with the smoking meat smell .. The interior is not fancy but the barbecue makes up for it.I bring out of town guests here all the time. Great carry out and catering options. Prices are not low but quality of meat is worth it!I am not a huge fan of sides so spend your money on the meat! read more

Outstanding bbq. Place smells amazing when you first walk in. Very open, can see all the work happening in a clean environment. We had the burnt ends, pulled pork and shrimp. So delicious. Only reason I'm giving four starts is because when I got home (15 minute drive) I found that there was no bbq sauce. But I can forgive that given how good the meal was without it. Keep up the great work! read more

Reading all the glowing reviews I probably have to give Steamboat another chance. I haven't been to this location since it was Butler's, which was always 5 stars. I got there at 5:00, so you'd think there should be some really fresh items. I ordered the 3 meat dinner (almost $22) and picked the brisket, pulled pork, and the "jumbo" wings. Wings were a disappointment. I ate at home and weighed the wings on my kitchen scale...they AVERAGED 1.4 ounces. Nothing "jumbo" about them. Cajun rub was ok but I'd give the wings a 'C'. Pulled pork was also "ok" but very dry...B-. The best of the three was the brisket, which ironically, is the toughest to get right. It was moist and tender, although I prefer a little closer trim...A-. I had the Butler's Tribute sauce and the Firebox Hot...both really good. I eat at Mission BBQ a couple times/month and it is easily 2 notches better than the meal I had today from Steamboat. I will try it again tho...maybe at lunch when stuff hasn't had a chance to dry out yet. read more

Steamboat BBQ - "Jumbo" wings from Steamboat BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

This is the best BBQ in the Chicago suburbs. I have ordered burnt ends, pulled pork, and smoked bacon, all by the pond, for several occasions and each has been a huge success. read more

Great food! Brisket and burnt ends were perfect. Sauce was good, but not needed. Service was friendly and prompt. This is pretty much a take out place. They have a couple high-tops. Room for 7 or 8 ppl, but no more than that. read more

Holy cow this place is dope. It was recommended to us and I was amazed how good it was. I have mentioned in previous posts that when it comes to BBQ if I think I can do it as good its tough for me to love it. I will say that across the board they destroyed my bbq. The one spot that really made me look foolish was their sauces. My god they were so delicious. I tried the apple bourbon and the hot sauce. They both were complex, sweet, nice heat and just amazing. The place was really cool, the people super nice. If I had two very very small notes I would say, not having a restroom for customers is a huge bummer. I had to walk over to the grocery store across the way, not the end of the world, but a bummer. The second is I thought the pulled pork could have used a touch more seasoning or smoke. It was moist, but was not too strong in flavor. Overall I was extremely impressed. Loved the food. I had the wings and Ribs. They were great. The french fries were delicious. And the corn bread was excellent. Highly recommend. read more

The BBQ here is so good! Haven't had a bad experience here yet. Also very good for catered lunches at work.

I stopped in today . Drove all the way from the city to this gem on Geneva road. Gosh! It made my day! What a wonderful place! The BBQ is outstanding and the service was great! Someone came out and took my order rapidly and in a friendly manner! I will be back soon this weekend! It's like a drug! Wonderful BBQ !!!! Best ever!!!! read more

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This hidden gem is the Best BBQ in the county. Love how they have to-go cups for all their amazing sauces too, which there's no limit on. Only gripe here is you woll probably have to wait a bit for your food, but it's def worth it! 5/5 stars read more

Good spot sauces are tasty, but I do wish there was some amount given without the extra charge for small amounts. Then to sell a bigger squeeze bottle so someone can purchase it with their meal. Use that with their meal and take it home. Just seems a little. Extra an too much nickel an dimming. read more

Don't get me wrong...the food is still excellent...BUT... They rearranged the restaurant and have about half of the seating they used to have. You used to be able to take a variety of sauces to your table and mix and match them....NOW you have to tell them only 1 kind of sauce and that's it and they give you a tiny container of that one sauce. The "1 side" you get is about 2 oz. So it's a couple or so spoonfuls of beans, or potato salad, etc...The people working there were unprofessional. It was a bit like a highschool class without a teacher. One of the employees was play arguing with another. Pushing him and hitting him in front of the customers...? The person taking the order was only half listening to what we were ordering and we had to keep repeating ourselves because he was getting our order wrong. It was correct in the end but the process of trying to communicate with somebody who doesn't seem to care about what they're doing is frustrating. As far as the menu board being down and the things with the access to sample the different sauces being gone is crap because if you've never been there or, like me, normally mix 2 different sauces on your food or order a couple things and like one kind of sauce here and another there, you're out of luck. I hadn't been here in a couple years or so because of work and, well, life and finally had an afternoon to hit the road on the motorcycle with my wife and was pretty disappointed. The prices were always a bit high. I know because I work in the city all the time and their prices easily meet or rival Chicago prices which is crap because Wheaton doesn't have near the taxes Chicago does. It's very frustrating to love a place as much as we did and come back to find it in a disorganized mess. I don't know if it's a different owner or what happened to this place but it's definitely NOT the great business it used to be. This place used to get 5 stars from me easy all day long. I'd like to see it go back to the way it was. They also took down their menu board...? Wt#?!! I don't get it. I watched other people come in who weren't regulars and it was a bit confusing for them as well. Very disappointed. read more

Always good. Sauces are very good. Serving size are plenty for anyone. Best BBQ in west suburbs. read more

I've had the bbq from here many times and it's always been fantastic. This was my first time eating at the actual restaurant. The restaurant itself is situated in a strip mall. Very little decor going on within the place and nothing special to the inside. It could actually use a bit of a facelift, but I'll keep my review to the bbq itself this time. We came on a Monday, unaware they only were serving St. Louis style ribs this day. Baby back ribs are only served Friday-Sunday. I think they are missing the mark here, as baby backs are just so much better in my opinion. The St. Louis style are a little more fatty and harder to eat. Beside not being able to get the ribs I truly wanted, the meat itself was smoked great. We were also able to try the burnt ends, pulled pork, and brisket. The burnt ends really stood out the most. It's probably why they only allow you one order as part of the pick 3 meats. For the sides we tried their fries, Cajun fried pickles, coleslaw, and bacon potato salad. The pickles were the clear winner out of the lot. There is no liquor served here, but as we sat at the table we were able to see a BYOB sign which is nice to be able to bring in your own. There isn't a huge amount of seating within the place, and for a Monday night it was filling up quickly. This is definitely one of the better bbq places I have tried for both the smoked meat quality and their bbq sauces are amazing. However, the ambiance inside is a little lacking. read more

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The food is pretty good, although I think the prices are a bit on the high side (check my photo; that's $35 worth of food (before tax and tip)). Why do you only get one container of sauce whether you order 1/2 lb or 1 lb of meat? It's barely enough for 1/2 lb and definitely not enough to cover 1 lb and that's really disappointing. That alone will ensure I don't eat here as often as I might otherwise. Ribs - not great (hubby liked them, however) Brisket - pretty decent Pulled pork - the best of the three BBQ Sauces - Apple Bourbon and Butlers Tribute are both pretty good. read more

Steamboat BBQ - 1/2 slab of ribs, 1/2 lb pulled pork, 1 lb beef brisket - Barbeque Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

Not the same as it was pre-Covid. Burnt ends were more fat than meat. Pork was decent. read more

A bit pricey but well worth the food. I got the 2 meat combo with burnt ends and beef brisket. Sides were bacon potato salad and coleslaw. Everything was exceptional. Meat was super tender and Smokey. I got the Apple bourbon bbq sauce and they give you plenty of it. Sauce was on point and meat was very good. Only reason I wouldn't give it 5 stars is because for $18, I would've expected some decent accommodations in terms of seating. The venue itself is just in a strip mall and there's not much seating available. Otherwise, food is fantastic. read more

Steamboat BBQ - Brisket and burnt ends two meat combo with smoky bacon potato salad and coleslaw. - Barbeque Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

Top BBQ joint in the Wheaton/Carol Stream area. Prices are fair and food is good. Go there!

Decent barbeque.  Pretty good overall, but I think Texas BBQ is much better just quite far from Illinois. But their brisket is dope especially on Superbowl day! read more

I enjoy this BBQ quite a bit. They have the best burnt ends and their chilli is awesome. Unfortunately the chilli is seasonal. The chilli loaded with the cornbread is a great combo. The mac n cheese bits are awesome. The selection of sauces they have are good as well. I enjoy the spicy one. They definitely can get crowded around lunch time so get there a little early. read more

Great ribs and brisket combo with sweet potato fries fast s service The chicken was good read more

Yes, finally brisket from Steamboat BBQ for this no-carbs woman. It was tender, juicy, and very tasty. We will be back for more. Easy pickup, easy access, well keganize read more

Steamboat BBQ - Brisket over my own salad - Barbeque Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

First, I've been coming here for about 2 years and really enjoy the pulled pork, Ribs, and sides. I particularly like the fried mac and cheese. They use a BBQ oven of some sort, which really cooks the meat perfectly, but can caused the place to get filled with smoke. Only drawback. One word of caution is if you go on at night there might be a line and they can run out of things, because of the volume of customers. A great sign of quality of food. read more

This place seemed to be getting great reviews and even winning a few awards so I had to try it. Lot of different things on the menu to choose from but I had to try the traditional BBQ items. Went for the 3 meat combo. Ribs, Brisket, Pulled Pork. Served on some white bread with 2 sides and some corn bread. Alrighty here we go Ribs. Cooked through well enough, meat didn't fall off the bone but didn't stick to the bone like crazy. Taste was OK but not really a smokey taste. Reminded me more of a slow baked taste. Even the sauce was baked onto it. I like a good rub on the ribs but there wasn't any, the baked sauce acted as a glaze and it worked pretty good. Made me wonder where the line really is for what is Great BBQ, Smoked is usually the way to go, and maybe these guy do smoke them but it sure as hell tasted more like baked and it was still moderately impressive. Brisket. A little dry but not completely, sometimes that's the way it's supposed to be. Good flavor but hardly any rub. Got about 5 slices, 4-6 inches long. Pulled Pork. Kind flavorless, no fat chunks, good texture, some chunks I had to cut into and rip apart myself. I prefer it like this though. I don't always like it when the pulled pork is dosed with one kind of sauce and its all mushy in steam. This way I get to choose my flavor. Baked Beans. Different, very soupy grease oil thing, cooked perfectly, no flavor, maybe chunks of bacon. It's weird they look like regular baked beans in a plastic cup until I scooped them out, and it was like they went from a dark brown to a greyish yellow. Sounds unappetizing but they were still edible and it's not like they tasted gross, just weird. Coleslaw. Shouldn't be judging a place on their coleslaw but for anyone wondering, this was chopped cabbage and carrots the way you would expect in a typical slaw, but mixed with a flavorless mayo. Not even any spices. Might have been a bad batch or something but there was literally 0 flavor. Cornbread. I was impressed by their corn bread. Everything I look for in a cornbread. A nice sugar like glaze on the top, gritty yellow bread, actual corn kernels, good sweet yet earthy taste. I'd only take away a little point because I like my cornbread in squares and they cook them in skillets. Which I completely understand that plenty of people could argue that against me and they would be correct, skillet corn bread is amazing compared to a square cut layer cake. Just a personal preference of mine, and sometimes it doesn't come down to what had more taste. But I will definitely take away some point because it was served cold. This stuff needs to be at least warm, if not fresh out the oven. Sauces Apple Bourbon - very very very slight bourbon taste, no apple, maybe apple wood, nothing crazy but good Butlers Tribute - My Favorite, not overly sweet, fun maple zing to it, more thin than the bourbon sauce Spicy Vinegar - Apple Cider Vinegar, ok, not crazy overwhelming vinegar. Carolina Mustard - Gold sauce, something else to it. Almost tasted like one of their other sauces was mixed with a traditional gold sauce Firebox - Didn't try. Regret not trying but I just didn't want to have a heart burn for the rest of the night. There were a lot of other options, people seemed to enjoy the wings and they looked delicious. read more

Steamboat BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

The food was delicious. I just wish they had a seating area. I would bring friends here in a heart beat

It was very good. I would recommend to all who enjoy a brisket sandwich. Service was really good as well.

I've love Steamboat since it opened and like just about everything on menu. Get there early before they sell out and better yet, call ahead. Jane H 10/11/2021 read more

We ordered a smoked turkey and it was so good. We have had the ham, ribs and brisket and love them all. The cornbread is also very tasty

Highly recommend. The Rib Tips, brisket, and cornbread are my favorite, but everything on their menu is simply phenomenal. Small dining area, its best if order for pick up. This is the spot for some out of this world BBQ. read more

LOVE this place. Best bbq in the area. However they have the absolute WORST hours. They are hardly ever open for dinner. We stopped even considering them because every time we try to order we are disappointed. read more

OMG. I'm in BBQ heaven. We even bought some sauce to take home. Large portions enough for 2-3 meals if u r a lighter eater. This place is amazing read more

Steamboat BBQ - meat and beans in a styrofoam container - Barbeque Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

I think the BBQ meat was very good. We had the 3 meat combo dinner-pork, brisket and ribs. Finally a brisket my husband likes. It was flavorful and tender. Loved the ribs. They were done perfect. Sides were ok. Coleslaw tasted a bit old. Fries had the skins on and I don't care for that type. I did love the Carolina mustard sauce but the regular bbq sauce was blah. Carry out only but we were from out of town and they let us sit at the counter with stools. Wall in front of us filthy, filthy and filthy. Sauce all over. My husband wanted to use the bathroom and they said it was out of order. Would I go back? Yes for the BBQ meat only. read more