I visited The Patio in Lombard, located at 2780 S Highland Ave, Lombard, IL 60148, on August 28, 2026, between approximately 12:30 and 1:00 PM. I drove about 35 minutes to get there after seeing several positive comments about the food, so I decided to try it for myself and share my honest opinion. The restaurant is large and very clean, and it was almost full during the time I was there. The service was great, the atmosphere was nice, there was plenty of parking, and it is located in a busy but very nice area. With all that said, those were not the reasons I made the trip--I went there for their signature dishes, the BBQ ribs and brisket, the foods they are known for. I don't know whether the positive comments I had seen were paid promotions or simply people's honest opinions, and I am not here to question anyone else's experience; I can only speak about my own. I ordered the BBQ ribs and brisket combo, which came with ribs, brisket, French fries, coleslaw, and a piece of bread. The fries were good, and the bread was also good, but the coleslaw was not to my taste; it had a flavor that made it seem as though it had been sitting for a while rather than being fresh. The ribs, if I'm not mistaken, were baby back ribs. They were okay, but in my opinion they were nothing special or out of the ordinary compared with what I expected after reading some of the comments. I also found it disappointing that, for a BBQ restaurant, I did not see any other style of ribs being offered. From what I saw, baby back ribs appeared to be the only option, and I did not see St. Louis-style ribs or another rib style to choose from. For a restaurant centered around BBQ, I believe customers should have more than one style of ribs to choose from. The biggest disappointment was the brisket. It was sliced extremely thin, almost as if it had been cut specifically for a brisket sandwich, but served by itself as part of the combo, those very thin slices did not work for me. They were completely dry and unfortunately were not enjoyable. That was especially disappointing because I specifically traveled there to try the signature BBQ dishes the restaurant is known for. The one item that really impressed me was the strawberry cheesecake--it was absolutely delicious. However, I didn't make a 35-minute drive for dessert; I went there for the main course, and unfortunately the ribs and especially the brisket did not meet my expectations. I can understand why people who live nearby may enjoy coming here because the restaurant is clean, pleasant, and well maintained, the service was great, the atmosphere was nice, and there is plenty of parking. But based on my personal experience, I would not make the drive again specifically for the BBQ ribs and brisket. This is simply my honest opinion based on what I was served on August 28, 2026, and I understand that other customers may have a completely different experience. read more