Listen, I wasn't sure if this place was open but then I noticed some people eating along the window. So what the heck, I placed an order. The server/bartender was SUPER friendly. Ordered a full order of rib tips and fries for $20. The lady working the counter and the bar suggested I go and wait in the bar. We had a refreshing conversation and she told me about a local gin that she loves and suggested picking it up. Food came out , and it's A LOT! Enough for two people. Very delicious barbecue sauce with just a tiny bit of spice. Fries were excellently seasoned and perfectly crispy but not overcooked. Only ate 1/3 of the rib tips and 2/3 of the fries and called it quits. Give this place and the employees a shot. I was NOT disappointed. 4 out of 5 because they are working on the ambiance and it's no where near I expect it to get to! read more

This business is closed! It was pitch black when me and my family tried to go! It was next to an event place called h.

Mmm... I was pretty excited for this rack of ribs but it just didn't live up to my excitement. The texture was really good but it just didn't taste the best. It wasn't the worst but the high price also made me not like it as much. If it was maybe 2/3 the price then I'd bump it up to 3 stars but as of right now I'd say pass on it. Just not worth the time and money to get it (especially trying to fight through Chicago traffic). read more

Windy City Ribs - Ribs - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This gem is a block or so from Wintrust Arena where the championship Chicago Sky play, and we've been looking for a place that supports Chicago's WNBA team. It's insulting that nearby restaurants that have sports stuff on the wall don't have Sky jerseys too. My husband, looking for another place near Wintrust other than the places on Indiana, spotted Windy City Ribs & Whiskey and suggested we try it. When we walked in and spoke to the very personable and knowledgeable owner, Terri Evans, and she showed us the signed Sky jersey and told us they are one of the sponsors, we immediately felt at home. The space has a cosy bar and it was hopping. There are two sections to eat and we sat in the section with the bar and another table with diners. Their storefront big windows were wide-open, letting the lovely day inside. My husband and his sons love BBQ and shared a platter: ribs, pulled pork, and brisket with two sides- elote spicy corn and fries. They ate it all. If you have a big appetite, a platter could feed one, but it's ok for two, too. The ribs had a tasty rub and the sauce was boss, they said. Ask for more sauce if you need it. There's no sauce on table but the lovely staff will bring you a container. What is on the table, which I saw as a good sign, was a large roll of paper towels. Much better than a weak individual napkin holder, IMHO. I got the fried catfish, which was sweet, melt in your mouth (but hot temp wise so watch out) and the cornmeal coating seasoned just right. My side was elote spicy corn with just the right combo of mayo, butter/margarine, chili, cheese. Corn was crunchy. But the real secret sauce of this place was the vibe from the owner and staff that spilled over to the clientele. They went the extra mile-plus to make sure everyone had what they wanted and were having a good time. It was more than friendly. There was a joy, fun and pride in providing an affordable, fresh and delicious meal. One of the many reasons we're die hard Sky/WNBA fans - in addition to the fun and excitement of the game and the creativity and skills of the players- is the atmosphere at the games. Welcoming- like family reunion welcoming and all are welcome. It's always a racially and LGBTQ+ diverse crowd, families, kids happy and having a good time. Windy City Ribs and Whiskey is an extension of that atmosphere. I don't know when I didn't think to take photos of the food, but I did take a photo of their sponsorship at the game. And BTW, the Sky won. read more

Windy City Ribs - Sky scoreboard and jumbotron screens with Windy City sponsor ad. - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Honestly i thought this place was closed when we got there, should have been a sign my other to go i. the brisket was tough, service took a while even though we were the only ones in the place. My son did say the wings were decent so if you like wings but not a line to wait in, maybe give it a try. read more

Fantastic. Service was great. I Food was great. Will have to return to enjoy bar which had nice music playing. read more

Me and a friend were looking for a new place to grab lunch and she mentioned she knew the owner of Windy City Ribs as we rode past. I'm usually open to try a place I've never been so I was game. It was around 2:30 in the afternoon on a weekday so no one was really there and we were able to sit anywhere we wanted. I love BBQ and there was so much that I wanted to try, but most of it would have put me to sleep lol! I decided on the pulled pork sandwich along with the mac & cheese. Both were delicious!!! One of the servers had some extra salsa they made and allowed us to try at no charge. Was pretty good, but I was too stuffed to enjoy more of it. Good place and pretty nice staff...would love to come back and try the brisket platter. Yes, they serve liquor here ;P read more

Windy City Ribs - Pulled pork along with mac & cheese - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Ribs were very good. I sat at a table about 20' directly in front of the establishment at Navy Pier waiting for my wife and grandson to get their food at another place. When I paid for my food, it was $47. I asked why so much and she said the taxes are high. They walk the 20' to my table and dropped my food on the table. I look at the receipt and because I didn't sit at one of their tables, it was considered a "to go" order so they charge $7.49 "delivery charge" to walk 20'!!! Needless to say I was not happy. On top of that, I left a tip (for no reason) for the woman that took my order. UPDATE - Terri (the owner) asked me to call her which I did. She was very upset by what she read in my review. She was unsure how such a thing could happen and assured me that she would get to the bottom of it. Terri thanked me for the review (even though it was a big pill to swallow), because she can't fix the problems she doesn't know about. It's obvious that she cares a great deal about her restaurants and wants each person to have a positive experience. read more

The ambiance is not the best for a sit down fast food joint, but the food is delicious. The servers are polite and friendly. The brisket sandwich was excellent. The brisket was perfect - warm and moist and well-seasoned. read more

Called the restaurant to place a carryout order and ask how late the kitchen was open. Was told they don't take orders over the phone. No mention of any other issue There was no online ordering so went through Uber Eats for pickup. I live a block away but also had to pick up burritos in Pilsen. Did that first and drove back to Windy City Ribs. Walked in and was told that they just cancelled the order because they were out of ribs, rib tips, corn, and pretty much everything but wings. It had already been half hour. Why couldn't they have mentioned that WHEN THEY EXPLAINED THAT THEY DON'T TAKE CARRY-OUT ORDERS OVER THE PHONE. Just a waste of everyone's time and now it's late and more restaurants are closed. It doesn't even make business sense to only take Uber Eats orders. Why do you want to give them a cut? Sheesh. read more

I'm disappointed. This place came highly recommended by a friend, but fell way short of expectations. First off, they didn't have some of the items that they advertise on their menu, but I understand that things get 86-ed sometimes. My issue is the lady who took my order forgot to send the main reason I came into the restaurant, which was to order their sampler platter, to the kitchen, so I was waiting for over an hour for no reason. The buffalo wings were decent, but again, I left the place feeling truly disappointed due to me not being able to even sample their BBQ. read more

My dad found Windy City Ribs and Whiskey while looking for a place to eat after a Chicago Fire soccer match. The game was an early start, 5:30 on a cool rainy Saturday evening. So we were hungry by the final whistle. We walked 1 mile to get there and it was definitely worth the walk. When we got there the friendly guy at the door greeted us and said we could sit anywhere. We took our seats in front of the TV near the bar so we could watch March Madness (St Peter's beat Murray state 80-70, in case you were wondering). We got our food really fast, a sampler plate of meats. It was spicy and sweet. I really enjoyed the smoky taste. The ribs fell off bone. The smoked chicken wings were delicious, with a tangy rub and crispy skin. But I really liked the spicy and sweet bbq sauce the best. If you find yourself in the neighborhood or are looking for an adventure in the city you should definitely go to Windy City Ribs And Whiskey!!! By Elliott, age 8 read more

Windy City Ribs - Five Stars! - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

WING REVIEW: Really wanted to like this place since I live in the South Loop but the wings were absolutely terrible: tiny, soggy, and bland. I ordered the large ($12 for 15 wings) original hot with blue cheese ($.85) and fries ($2). For $.80/wing I expect a normal size wing but instead they decided to serve wings from a chicken fetus - TINY. I also find it ludicrous that they charge for a dipping sauce! In what world do wings not automatically come with your choice of dipping sauce!? Sadly, when I picked up my order it was empty so it appears that they are combating their lack of patronage by nickle and diming their customers. With so many amazing restaurants in the area, Windy City Ribs is a HARD PASS. read more

Windy City Ribs - Ketchup packet for scale of these tiny wings - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The smoked wings were cooked and seasoned to perfection. Great spot for those late night wing cravings! read more

Windy City Ribs - Smoke Whole Wings - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The new Windy City Ribs is a welcome addition to the Chicago BBQ scheme. With a couple of hot spots from the West Loop either being closed down or in the verge of an extended break, it's great to try somewhere new and fresh. With it's soft grand opening, Windy City Ribs was offering up some free Slider Trios ($9 usually), so my friend and I jumped on the opportunity to go and indulge. Being that it was new, we knew that they would be working on getting the service down. During our visit, one of the wait staff failed to show up work, so the existing ones were working extra hard to accommodate. I have to give them props for doing their best especially when they were just opening and needed to work out the kinks. In addition to the Sliders, we ordered the BBQ Nachos ($9) and half-slab of St. Louis Ribs ($17). Each plate came with a side of fries with no indication that you could switch it out with another side. Would've been great to try their mac n' cheese etc. Be sure to ask because we would have loved to have tried some other dishes. The sliders were very good- chicken, pulled pork, and brisket. Nachos at first seemed rather basic until you realized all the queso was at the bottom. You must slather their BBQ sauce and mix in the queso in order to have the best tasting nachos you could get. Our ribs weren't bad but they didn't have that smoky "fall off the bone" kind of flavor. I'd skip over these next time. So the Windy City Ribs has got some good stuff. They're working hard to improve their service and food, so it may take a bit for them to get into the groove of things. Good to try and I am curious to see how they do in the Chicago BBQ scene this upcoming year. read more

See all

Pros: The cashier and bartender were nice. Very attentive and sweet. Cons: everything else! The bar didn't have many options, and the drink that I was able to get wasn't very good. Didn't taste like any liquor was in there at all. It was a $17 juice. The food came out quickly but it was disappointing and a waste of time. The brisket was dry dry dry. Tasted like it was made the day before and microwaved before it came to my plate. And it wasn't even hot. I couldn't even finish it because it was so hard to get through. The baked beans were palatable but not good by any means. The Mexican corn was dismal; it was a bowl of soupy corn and mayonnaise. I was really excited to eat some barbecue but this place did not live up to expectations. read more

Didn't give it 5 stars because my food was warm not hot. The food was delicious. Sauce was good, needed more. The other problem was, for them to be so close to the Mccormick center , they wasn't prepared for a lot of people. For instance, there wasn't anymore drinks. They had run out. The smoked wings weren't available, they were still cooking. But, I give grace and mercy. Everyone was nice despite a few challenges. My friend in the group had a sampler. She said the green beans were the bomb(good). She said all her meat was good as well. They are attached to a bar. The bartender was nice, but, not so proficient in making a real drink. Overall, go eat here, you won't be disappointed. Just bring your own drinks... read more

Windy City Ribs - Brisket barbecue nachos - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I like the spice blend they season the fries with, makes for a very savory experience. I thought my rib tips had a good porky experience. I was however disappointed there wasn't any smoky flavor. It also made me think about how I didn't spot a smoker on site.The sauce was on the sweeter side. I also feel for what they charge for a large rib tips there should be more tips in the tray. It should be literally teeming over with rib tips. read more

See all

Staff was nice but 20 dollars for a large tip and getting a small is ridiculous. Very bland and drowned in sauce. Tips were the fatty parts and very little meat. Wouldn't buy again. read more

My mom is a Travel Director Manager for a major Fortune 500 company. She just was in Chicago and someone suggested that she try the Windy City restaurant which was a block away from her hotel near McCormick Place convention center. First of all the hostess was cold and nonchalant. No greetings - she just stared. When they finally got seated, it took 15 minutes before the server came, and 25 minutes before food arrived. My mother was okay with that because the NBA finals was on and she and her work colleague was just chatting. Her Pepsi was flat and she mentioned it to the server. He said it was because it cave from the fountain. (Poor excuse). She and her colleague order six wings and they shared a pizza. The colleague ordered a Long Island ice tea. That's ends the order. When they asked for the bill, they was charged $25 for the drink, $15.00 gratuity to be shared with the bad personality hostess the server who was clueless. The food was AWFUL and the service below poor. This restaurant needs to improve in their cooking, cleaning crew and greetershosting staff. On the scale from 1-10 the food was -1.1. The pizza bottom was hard and the chicken taste like it came out the microwave. So sad so despicable. read more

While the food is good, the service is haphazard at best. There are moments when it seems the wait staff realizes that they are in a service industry but then the glimmer leaves like spilled sauce. Also not certain if they understand that tips are given in direct proportion to services received--giving the customer the water pitcher instead of refilling the water glass never represents good service. Neither does complaining about the customer when the customer had not left the premises. Since you can't tell what business your customers may represent, especially when they are on vacation, one should never make the mistake of assuming they are unsophisticated restaurant eaters and don't know how to tip. Even if your menu states your policy of adding a certain percentage as gratuity, poor service on the part of the wait staff may mean a discussion with the manager to have that gratuity reduced. read more

See all

Friendly and welcoming takeout food with adjoining bar -- open late! The food I got was terrific, brisket and cole slaw. Will definitely go back to try their shrimp and smoked wings, order IN PERSON and then hang at the bar while they prepare the order. I recognize the challenge it is to run a business during COVID, and maintain a steady supply of food and servers, and deal with changing COVID expectations. Big props for keeping the business going! So, 5 stars for the food and ambiance, but zero stars for the delivery option. It was late at night and I was nursing a sprained ankle so I ordered via GrubHub. Total fail. I waited an hour for a delivery that never came (not sure what happened). I was close enough and hungry enough to walk and reorder for takeout - but they should just GIVE UP up the delivery option with GrubHub, and tell people they do takeout only. read more

I can't say much about the food here actually, because the delivery driver never showed up with my food. After more than an hour waiting, the GrubHub website tracker reported the order as "delivered" to me, when it was not. I phoned the restaurant three times and got three different reasons why, plus they gave me the driver's name and cellphone number, which of course he twice declined to answer while apparently enjoying my dinner. After all of this -- and me just trying to support a rare to find black-owned business in my own neighborhood -- Windy City Ribs still charged the $35-plus to my credit card, and said sorry, but there was "nothing else they could do" and abruptly hung up the phone. Here's how everything went (May 31, 2020) - 8:09 p.m.: Placed a small dinner order (via GrubHub app, for delivery), paid in full, along with a $5.36 tip in advance to the driver, which I didn't have to do, but did so because I wanted to show support a black-owned business in a time of crisis * Note: Order is immediately confirmed as received by both text-message and e-mail, with a note that it is in the hands of the restaurant. Delivery is estimated to be made between 8:35 and 8:45 p.m. Time passes. 8:36 p.m. - The GrubHub website tracker marks the order as "delivered." No call, nor e-mail or text message is received saying this from the driver. I venture downstairs and check the building lobby and there is no delivery, so I just decide to give it a few more minutes. 8:55 p.m. - I phone the restaurant to check on the status of the order, and am told that it's definitely out the door, on the way and should be arriving in "just a few minutes." 9:20 p.m. - With all of the time that has gone by, I call the restaurant again to check on the order. The young man who answers the phone this time assures me that he packed the order himself before it left, and gives me the name of the driver, his cellphone number and even tells me the make, model and color of the vehicle that the man was driving. He suggests that I call the driver myself directly because once they pack and hand off the order and there's nothing else they can do. I dial the guy twice and leave detailed voicemail messages asking about the whereabouts of the delivery. No answer, and no returned call. 9:50 p.m. - I phone the restaurant again and am told that the order "was delivered." I tell them no, it is not or I would have it and would not be calling them. I also tell them that the driver would not answer his phone, nor return my calls. * While still on the phone with the restaurant, the young man who answered offers to replace the food and have the order re-packed and re-delivered, but an older woman can easily be heard in the background telling him that no, they cannot and will not replace the order. The man promptly changes his story, suddenly says he can do nothing, tells me I should just talk with GrubHub the next day and hangs up the telephone. The moral of the story? Windy City Ribs get's paid, delivery driver gets paid--plus my tip and a free dinner, GrubHub gets paid, customer gets zero, as in nothing. read more

Overpriced and bad food. Ordered pulled pork sandwich-- very small and dry. Sandwiches ch came with fries (ok) and 2 Tbs of coke slaw. We also ordered the brisket platter. The brisket was 6 thin strips of meat about 4 inches long with a BBQ sauce poured over the top. Tasteless. Food was really not good. Drink was $18 for a watery Old Fashioned served in a small plastic cup. read more

Good name, good location, food however left a lot to be desired. My chicken fingers were legitimately inedible. The bbq sauce was atrocious. Even the ketchup was bad. Ribs were okay and nachos were meh. Stir fry isn't bad, fries are good, and the music was A1! Tbh that was the saving grace for even giving it that one star. read more

Open Late and food was Fresh and tender. More of a smoker bbq than a pit bbq but over all great!

What restaurant "doesn't have salad"????? Unbelievable! Avoid this place at all costs.

The food here is NOT a representation of Chicago food. The guy out front open dialog with me swearing the food was to die for and recommended the sampler platter. I order the sampler platter with a side of fries, baked beans, and a hot link. The chicken wings were smoked to perfection with no flavor with barely any meat because of the small size. The pulled pork was 60%meat/40%fat and and it had absolutely flavor. They were out of brisket, but the guy raved about it. The baked beans were straight from the can with no added seasonings (literally pork and beans). The fries were nicely seasoned, but you can tell by the uniformity that they were store bought frozen (not freshly cut/made). Got home and no hot link in the bag. Maybe this is acceptable in other parts of the city but not this side of Roosevelt. read more

Didn't even start my online order until I got there and showed them the confirmation. They were out of the stir fry, but didn't let me know: They just handed me the incomplete order, told me to call Grubhub, and immediately ran off into the back before I could say anything. They also gave me fries instead of the coleslaw side I ordered. Sullen and unprofessional throughout the whole experience. As for the brisket sandwich I got, it was tiny and the brisket was bone-dry and flavorless. The fries and BBQ sauce were good, though. read more

Supposed change in chef. I do not know since I have never been here. But from the reviews I have read from the old shop - points to a big improvement. I had the app version of the 3 slider bbq selection. All had q sauce and coleslaw on top. Meat was tasty and tender as well as the bun they were served on (it had body and did not fall apart). Spice lovin' folk might be ask if the have some hot sauce but that's all fine with me. It was happy hour and hot outside so the Coor's Lite for 2 bucks twixt 3-5 over ice really hit the spot w the sliders. Alas someone made hamburger helper at my place and I dare not take something home to try. BUT I do want to try the blackened shrimp and rib tips when I return. And special mention to service -- Vanessa was excellent insuring my full cup of beer stayed full! Oh yeah -- bottled beer -- I like it over ice in a styrofoam cup with a straw. I aint kiddin! Keep hydrated my friends! burp......... read more

Windy City Ribs - HUNGRY FOR SLIDERS! - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Food is delicious one of the only barbecue places in the south loop area. Nice place to catch all your sports. I will visit again.

We went to the location at Navy Pier and to say that any other restaurant would have been better is an understatement. The spicy elote had almost no flavor and was watery. The baked beans seemed to be straight from a can. My pulled pork sandwich had so much juice on it that by the time the waitress remembered whose it was (it came out 10 minutes after she brought the appetizer and my husband's dinner) the bottom bun fell apart it was so soggy. The pulled pork had no flavor. The only good part was the bun itself. The loaded fries was good other that a few fries that weren't fully cooked. My husband and I have both worked in the food industry and almost left without paying. They were not very busy and the waitress could not keep up. My husband ended up going to the bar to pay and flagging someone down​ read more

The food was delicious and the service was amazing! The staff were very friendly & gave amazing recommendations (the smoked wings were delicious). The owner was very welcoming and made sure we were taken care of. Bebe was a huge part of making sure our experience there was amazing. Will definitely be coming back!! read more

Windy City Ribs - Smoked Wings - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The ribs from Windy City, tend-to-be shitty so you should dodge them like Trump and the draft. I mean, M.R.E.'s taste better than this stuff. I ordered from Grubhub and, of course, when I got the food, these dudes got it wrong. I ordered chocolate cake and apparently they're colorblind. Chocolate is BROWN, people, not red. They send six barbeque cups along with the rib tips, so good job on that. The rib tips are chewy for way too long. If I wanted gum, I would have walked to Walgreens. The lobster with mac and cheese was sooooo boring, I nearly fell asleep while chewing them. The Mexican corn was too watery. I don't know if was prepared that way or if it discharges from the corn. If there's anything that was good, it was the hot link. So if you just had a fight with your tongue and are looking for a way to seek revenge, I highly recommend this place. Otherwise, don't torture your taste buds. read more

AMBIANCE: Your typical BBQ restaurant setting. Inside is pretty small. Good R&B music playing - a little on the loud side. SERVICE: Two of us dined in at 4pm on a Saturday and there weren't any other people inside. Hard to truly gage how the waitress would have been managing multiple tables, but she was very attentive and as first-time goers she offered her recommendations on what to try. Not a long wait for the food. FOOD: Overall both my partner and I enjoyed the food. For a BBQ spot, I liked that they had multiple fish options on the menu. They even have tacos (although we did not try them). My blackened shrimp was a little on the salty side, and I was also expecting bigger shrimp. The sides were good (garlic mash, mac & cheese, green beans). Sides came in a polystyrene cup, which I didn't like. My boyfriend questioned how 'smoked' the ribs actually were, but still said he'd have them again. One drawback was there wasn't an option to do a two-meat combo, so we had to order an entire hot link meal just to add/try this. Not a wide selection of BBQ sauces. Spicy BBQ or regular, both tasted store bought. PRICE: We paid $45 for 2 meals (3 including the hot link meal). Which is reasonable. The blackened shrimp was $17 (for a half order), which is not worth it for the size of the shrimp. Other portion sizes were good. OVERALL: Worth a try, food is enjoyable and has flavor. Not sure how 'smoked' the meat is but I would go back again. Street parking available $2 an hour. read more

I checked this place out a random Monday night, and I will start with the food was good! I tried the rib tips and fries, yummy! Now, the challenge was that they were out of stock on several of the liquors to make the drinks that I ordered. But, the bartender made me a random peach martini that saved the day! read more

Windy City Ribs - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

I've ordered from here a good handful of times, I always order the ribtips and sometimes their wings also. They lack consistency big time... 1 out of 5 times the ribtips would be good... then other times it would be like wth happen.. there was also a few times that I wanted to order wings and they ran out. I've start coming here a lot less.. wish they were more consistent with their food as this place is close to my crib. read more

I wanted so badly to write a good review for this place. I had been looking forward to eating here all day. Anyway, the service was very slow, nice but very slow. There was also a disconnect between the server and what they actually served. The bar did not have wine and again the server did not know what beers or whiskeys they served. I get the impression this place has recently changed hands. The menu that is posted online looks nothing like what we were given. Overall, so so so disappointed. read more

In town for Star Wars Celebration 2019. Windy City Ribs is about 2 blocks walking distance for the convention center & our Hotel. I feel they deserve a better rating than they have received. 1st our service was Excellent!! Every employee came by our table more than once to check on us and our waitress was the hardest working girl in the city of Chicago! I ordered the brisket and was more than satisfied with the portion size, taste and overall experience we had dining in. I will go out of my way to eat here again every time I visit the Windy City!! read more

Amazing flavor, huge portions, good prices, and super friendly staff. This was a big win!!! Sampler app gives you a taste of everything, robs, pulled pork, and brisket. Sauce is so good I asked if they sold it! (They don't but they should!) read more