Some of the best BBQ I have had. A cute little place that has a full bar (no tap beer but a good bottle selection). We got a half order of chicken nachos that were the bomb !! On a side note it's great that they do a half order. Burnt ends that the hubby raved over and a bowl of chili and home made cornbread. All the food was delicious. The only thing that I would change (and this seems to be at every BBQ place) is that the cornbread is still cold. Pop that into the microwave to heat it up and you have a hit !! Honestly the highlight was the awesome bartender. Can't remember his name but we bonded over dog stories and photos. (He has Norwegian Ellhounds) He was a great guy to chat with !! We will definitely be back to try more food read more

Cool place with stone walls and wood floors. Our food came out quickly. The staff was friendly and engaged, which is always appreciated. Definitely worth going back. The bar has plenty of options for those interested. read more

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I had this place on my YELP list for sometime. The building is very old school charm with a large dining area in the rear. I had Verde Street Tacos and my guest had the Brisket Sandwich with a side of Cheesy Hash browns. We both liked the Alabama White Sauce. My tip is to order separate items and split it with your party. Liked the pictures located around the restaurant. read more

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This was our 2nd time that we had lunch in Peru and again we were not disappointed. You place your order as you walk in and the food is brought out to you. My wife had the Seafood Gumbo which she enjoyed. Homemade with lots of different seafood and veggies. I had the SJB Combo which consisted of a Spicey Polish and Smoked Brisket topped with Provolone and Giardinera served on a freshly baked hoagie roll. It was huge and came with 1 side. Very good but the hoagie roll was too big for this sandwich in my opinion. Plenty of street parking available. Prices are reasonable,staff is friendly and the BBQ is amazing! We will be back. read more

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If you're in the mood for bq and find yourself in this part of Illinois, head to Stone Jug. Their hot links and BBQ shrimp are my favorites, but the pulled chicken and brisket are also pretty good. Another area where they shine is the drink selection; if you like mixed drinks try the pineapple snow day. Otherwise they have a solid assortment of beers and bourbons to suit your fancy. Prices are reasonable and the service left no complaints. In short - thumbs up! read more

Stone Jug Barbeque - SJB sandwich + cheesy hash browns and macaroni & cheese - Barbeque Near Me - Peru, Illinois

Popular friendly bbq joint right on the main drag in Peru runs like a well oiled machine. You order at the counter, take a number and your meal is brought to your table. The meats are so tender that they melt in your mouth. Today I tried the soup special which was a gluten free Seafood with Wild Rice Soup that comes with a tender and moist cornbread and butter. My husband tried the SJB Sandwich which is a hot link covered in bbq brisket and provolone cheese topped with giardinera on a crusty hoagie roll. He chose Mac and cheese for his side and it also came with crunchy pickle chips. The interior has exposed brick walls, a wooden ceiling and a bar that wraps around in front and an assortment of high tops and regular table seating. There are umbrella tables outside and both street and lot parking. They also do catering and post their weekly specials on their website. read more

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The food was good tasting. I ended up getting the street tacos and the meat inside is a bit dry. I tried the brisket sandwich and the meat was very dry! The atmosphere and workers were good. Everything is a bit pricey for the amount you get. read more

Stone Jug Barbeque - Street Tacos - Barbeque Near Me - Peru, Illinois

Had brisket delicious with Alabama white sauce, the bar tender so nice place very clean ( even the men's room)LOL would definitely recommend coming here . Great Bloody Mary read more

Stone Jug Barbeque - Barbeque Near Me - Peru, Illinois

I visited Stone Jug BBQ a few weeks ago when me and my buddy when hiking at Starved Rock, Matthiessen, and Buffalo Rock State Parks. We arrived around 6pm on a Saturday and there is a small parking lot outside with ample street parking. There were people there and a short line. If you dined in, then they would give you a number and bring the food to you. Ambiance was cozy and contemporary with a nice bar at the entrance and a big hall in the back for seating. There were a few TVs. Great country music playing! When I try a new BBQ place, I have to try everything. So I got The Juggernaut. Ribs, Pulled Pork, Beef Brisket, and Pastrami. Mac n Cheese, Cole Slaw, and Cornbread. Notes are below: Cornbread is amazing. Sweet and flavorful. Cole slaw is great. Not vinegary. Has a small kick. Pastrami is solid. Not spectacular. Too fatty for my liking. Brisket is flavorful and tender. No rub. Never had it chopped before, but they initially pointed me in that direction so I got it. Not sure if I would have liked it better sliced. Pulled pork is good. No rub. Ribs are good. Rub is really good. Amazing smoke ring. Brisket and the pulled pork were my favorites as they were juicy and tender. Sauces were amazing and some of the best that I have had! Peach chipotle sauce is amazing. Very flavorful. Signature sauce is very flavorful as well. Has a small kick. Honey golden is great! Sweet and small amount of vinegar. Portion sizes are HUGE!!! Counter service and the waitress who brought us our food were friendly. Prices were average for BBQ. Overall, I am very glad that I found Stone Jug BBQ and I highly recommend it if you are a fan of BBQ and you are in the area! read more

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The food is freshly made and quite tasty. I had the corn tortilla tacos. I did think the portions were a bit small-ish yet with the economy and cost of food, it makes sense. Great service and a well stocked bar! Margaritas were yummy! read more

Ribs were delicious. However the pork, chicken wings and brisket were dry and almost cold. Sides were decent. Cornbread was dry and didn't really eat it. Sauces were amazing. read more

Food was cold. Pulled pork was flavorless. Only three options for barbecue sauce. The cornbread was cold, dry, and very sweet. Macaroni and cheese was nothing special and was cold. Very disappointing. They were out of ribs. read more

The bbq is outstanding! Had burnt ends and hot links, both were great. Sauces are very good also. I ate at the bar and the bartender was great, fast, friendly and made good recommendations. Will definitely be back to try more of the menu. read more

Great food and decent prices. They have a room in the back to eat in also. They have a counter when you walk in and order and sit down and they bring out your food... parking was slim and we parked in front on the the street. They have various BBQ sauces. I live in the town near by and haven't been here until now. A nice find read more

Worst bbq I have ever had. Got a pound of brisket. 1/2 chopped ,1/2 sliced. The chopped looked exactly like pot roast!! Dry brisket. Sauces were different. Just give me hot or mild. Maybe come to Kansas and see what REAL Bbq is !?!? read more

Stone Jug Barbeque - Barbeque Near Me - Peru, Illinois

The burnt ends were amazing, so were the smoked chicken wings. The staff were very kind & warm. The restaurant was very clean, I would definitely recommend this place. read more

We came here on the Fourth of July since the kitchen sink in my MIL's house broke and they had to turn the water off. I'm glad Stone Jug was open, because it was phenomenal. We had the two dogs, so we sat outside at one of the many huge picnic tables. One enjoyed the pets from passerby's and the other kept eyeing my chicken. It's counter service, and they give you a number placard to bring back to your table and bring you your food. The Mac and cheese was so good, a beautifully done baked Mac. The cornbread was also delicious, it was sweet enough you didn't need any honey drizzled on top. It came with a cute little pad of butter if you're into that. The chicken was delicious, they ask your preference of light vs dark meat when you order. I'm normally a dark meat gal, but I wanted to try the breast meat too. I think next time I would do all dark, because I think the breast meat was a little dry for my taste. The thigh/drumstick were very juicy and the seasoning was fantastic. I tried all 4 sauces, and the peach chipotle and Alabama white were my favorites. The Alabama white kind of reminded me of the zesty sauce from Burger King. The bread pudding was also a home run, it was a great finish to the meal. read more

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We sat outside with our 3 dogs, and everyone inside and outside the restaurant was amazing. What was even more amazing was the food. VERY reasonably priced, and the food is excellent! We almost went back for lunch the next day, but we had to try another new place. We will absolutely return again when we come back to visit Starved Rock State Park. Good beers on tap as well! read more

Good food! Good drinks and atmosphere. Service was fast order at counter and brought to table.

Carry out was ready on time. The crew of 12 really enjoyed all the items, burnt ends were the best. Thanks

Always go here with a good friend and his wife and it has yet to let us down. Great owner, great service and great food. If you like bbq arrive early as this place is always hopping. Everything is delicious. The swag is nice too. read more

A friend of mine posted pictures of their food on fb and it looked so good, we had to try it. Six months later, it is one of our favorites that we go to every few weeks. It's 45 minutes away from our house but so worth it! They have smoked wings that are perfect, not just drowning in sauce. The flavor stands on its own. I always get the smoked pastrami sandwich since they are so hard to find. It never disappoints. My husband always gets the brisket and never leaves a crumb. Lastly, I know cornbread is a staple at BBQ restaurants but so many places do it wrong. Stone Jug nails it. The staff is also great, the restaurant is always clean. I can't say enough good things about it. Just try it out! read more

Stone Jug Barbeque - Smoked Pastrami Sandwich with Mac and cheese side and Nachos - Barbeque Near Me - Peru, Illinois

We were visiting Starved Rock from out of town. My daughter forgot to pack a few things so we ended up at the Walmart. Luckily we came across Stone Jug Barbecue when looking for a place to eat. Great food! Awesome BBQ sauce! excellent options for the kids! And good atmosphere and clean. read more

We were very glad to find this place via Yelp after an afternoon of hiking at Matthiessen nearby. The brisket was excellent. The pulled pork was good but a bit wet (not from sauce). Otherwise all the food was really good: chicken, beans, mac & cheese, even the cornbread. If I lived in town, I would eat here all the time. Burnt ends and bread pudding--I will see you next time! It's counter service. The staff is all smiles and helpful attitudes. It was quite full on a Saturday night, a very festive atmosphere. read more

Food is great. Service was also great, always friendly staff and food comes out pretty quick. The restaurant itself is cool inside, gives a homey feel. read more

Food is usually great. Tonight not so much. Ordered the Jug and got 2 big gristly chunks of inedible meat. read more

Stone Jug Barbeque - Barbeque Near Me - Peru, Illinois

Well worth the drive into Peru from the highway. Had a variety of things and everything was amazing. Staff was super friendly and helpful and the building is really cool. read more

We were visiting Starved Rock from the west coast and looking for a place to eat. After searching yelp, we decided to try this place out--what a gem! * friendly and polite service * clean and spacious area * food was excellent! We tried the juggernaut * prices were very fair and reasonable. In the off chance we're visiting Peru, Illinois again, I would definitely come back. Thank you to the Stone Jug BBQ staff! read more

We have been here for takeout through the pandemic and have always enjoyed it today we were able to order and eat inside. The restaurant was very clean and well kept. It was handicap accessible which I appreciate. The restrooms were very clean and also accessible. You order at the counter then have a seat they then bring your food to you. The bar had multiple drink specials so we ordered a Lemon Shakeup and it was very tasty. The service was very friendly, helpful and efficient. We ordered ribs, chicken, burnt ends, pastrami sandwich, mac n cheese, and baked beans it was all very good. They have 4 sauces in squeeze bottles on each table which made it nice to try them out on the different foods. The nonalcoholic beverages were self serve Coke products. We had quite a bit of food leftover to take home to be enjoyed another day. I would not hesitate to return to this place. read more

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Would absolutely recommend to whomever will listen haha. Never heard of this establishment before the other day when I dined in. You can just smell the food walking up to the building, just amazing. You get greeted immediately by friendly happy faces. My husband and I sat at the bar and got one of their cocktail specials, that were not only very affordable, but delicious. We ordered our food at the bar, started with the gumbo which was very hearty and flavorful. Came with corn bread, of course. The corn bread could have been maybe warmed up before served, but still delicious. When we got our meals everything smelled amazing. My husband got the bacon bourbon chicken sandwich and said it was the best sandwich he's ever had. (Only a little offended). I got the chicken and rib plate and the ribs were so tender and tasty, the chicken was flavorful but the smallest bit dry but still great. Over all, an absolute treat to have walked past this store. Our bartender/server was the sweetest and friendliest girl and will be returning with our daughter! Thank you very much! read more

Nice friendly atmosphere, was greeted upon entry , we ordered nachos for the appetizer which was good, kinda hard to mess up nachos, then we both ordered their ribs with sides of baked beans, cornbread, potato salad , it was all delicious, definitely worth going to read more

Outstanding food!! First time here, passing thru on the way back home to Virginia. Will definitely be back and highly recommend.

The bbq nachos (with chicken) are SO delicious- definitely enough food for a whole meal for two. The staff are all friendly and helpful in suggesting new things to try, and the restaurant is cozy and cute. read more

My husband and I have been to this restaurant a few times. Each time, we have been approached by the owner, Matt. Because of my husband's disability, he has a service dog. Our dog, Max, is highly trained and certified. We have been approached by this gentleman everytime, awkwardly asking about Max, implying that he is not welcome. This last time, he accosted us in the parking lot as soon as we exited our vehicle. He proceeded to tell us "we prefer you don't bring him [Max] into the restaurant." This is discrimination and is therefore illegal. What a shame. We won't be back. Under Illinois law and the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), people with disabilities may bring their service animals to all "public accommodations," such as restaurants, museums, hotels, and stores. These laws also require those who operate transportation services to allow service animals. #discrimination #Americanswithdisabilitiesact #protectthosewhohaveserved read more

This place was just amazing! Beautiful stone work in the restaurant. They say it's original to the building. We felt so welcome here. The owner and a few regulars introduced themselves immediately. Wish I got our bartender's name, he was great with menu knowledge and recommendations. We'll definitely be back! read more

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Burnt ends appetizer was to die for. Bartender Josh was awesome. Great recommendations for craft beers. Since he was from Milwaukee he made an authentic old fashioned as well. Will be back soon for sure read more

Stone Jug Barbeque - Brisket sandwich with baked beans - Barbeque Near Me - Peru, Illinois

Consistently good food. Excellent service and restaurant is always clean and nicely arranged. read more

The pulled pork and brisket was amazing according to my husband. I had the southwest salad with chicken. The corn salsa was delicious. read more

Stone Jug Barbeque - Menu - Barbeque Near Me - Peru, Illinois

The BBQ and the sides taste great and are very large portions. The location is easy to access.

Best smoke house in the Illinois Valley. Sliced brisket is off the chart good. Sides are all delicious. The specials always worth a try. Bar staff is awesome. It's a traditional smoke house! Somewhat self serve! Sliced brisket, pulled pork, cheesy hash browns and the weekly special! Give it a try! read more