Arrived on a Saturday around 1:00 p.m. crowded, so we sat at the bar. The stools were the most uncomfortable things I have ever sat on. Was not impressed. They only have custom beers, could not get a Miller Lite? They serve a quart container of fries and have NO KETCHUP, only gochujang? Brisket sandwich was OK nothing to write home about. The smash burger was a total mess of a sandwich. Don't order that on a first date! The plastic flatware is helpful with all the mess, NOT. The lighting in the joint does not show the RED that is in the pictures? Not sure what that is all about. Subliminal mind conditioning along with the music. Will not recommend or visit again. Was very disappointed.
Mary Kay B.
Stopped in for a sampling of a lot: meatball sandwich, spicy brisket tamale, cornbread, pulled pork, brisket, beans, potatoes, and coconut pie to finish. Okay, it was A LOT!! Everything was good or awesome. The pulled pork was Ah-mazing and I would go back just for the coconut pie! 5/5
Bob R.
This was my second time at Chicago Culinary Kitchen. The first time was outstanding and this was the same. Earlier, I'd been lucky enough to go with other Yelpers. This time, it was family. Their barbeque is as good as I've had it in Texas. The Brisket is perfect - moist with a beautiful bark. My favorite, though, is their smoked chicken. It's wonderfully flavored - smokey, moist, with crisp skin. We also had their baked beans, truffle fries, and their candied bacon for dessert. The decorations are really fun, and you can see them in the photos posted to Yelp. They don't have many tables and have long picnic benches. The service is also very good. And, they have a small well-stocked bar. We went early, so there was no wait to be seated - a real plus since wait times can be long. Chicago Culinary Kitchen definitely rates in my top 10 barbeque restaurants in the USA. When the food arrived, it looked so good we jumped right in. By the time I realized I took no photos, we were half done.
Alicia K.
Awesome atmosphere! The staff is friendly, helpful and knowledgeable! Food was off the charts and settled my hankering for good barbecue!!!!
Mark C.
Best BBQ in the Chicago land area. Everything I've tried from there was exceptional. From the burgers, to the Maple Bourbon smoked fish, to the truffle fries, to the Cole slaw. Everything was great.
LucysBrother P.
Went there for the first time Thursday night. We all got different things and shared with each other. Here's the breakout: Brisket - pretty good, mostly point so a bit fatty 4/5 Amish chicken - very good 5/5 Back alley ribs - very good 5/5 Cornbread muffin - dry, no flavor - meh 2/5 Zucchini fries - no flavor - meh 2/5 Texas sausage - no flavor - meh 2/5 18 hour pit beans - pretty good 4/5 Mac n cheese - very, very good - 10/5 Fireball bread pudding - sounded good but - no fire - no balls 0/5 I had hoped to get the award winning smoked Moroccan lamb chili. I asked if I could get a sample but was told no. I wasn't about to spend $16 for a bowl of chili without having a clue what it was going to be like. Next time, we'll have to try the Oklahoma burger sandwich and the bone-in pork chop sandwich.
Angie Kincade Reid
Very friendly staff. We had the PB&J Wings. omg sooo good.
Pickle Rick J.
Mind blowing! Every dish they serve is made with pure love and enthusiasm! Everyday they offer unique dishes in limited quantities. You need to follow their social media to get the inside scoop on the daily specials. Ive eaten here countless times and never had anything less than 5 stars ! Bring your appetite and your friends. Their unique take on BBQ puts this place in the history books of the Chicago Suburbs!
Alice R.
CCK had an amazing wine and BBQ pairing. With Lynfred Winery tonight. Absolutely over the top great food and wine. I highly recommend this place if you want great BBQ.
Todd Cohan
Always phenomenal bbq and ambiance! The owners are fantastic and always appreciate their customers. Have tried everything on the menu several times and have yet to have something I haven't thoroughly enjoyed. If you get the chance definitely attend one of their beer/bourbon/bbq dinners..super fun and delicious experience!
Great BBQ spot with an awesome atmosphere! Also home of the best sandwich I've ever had IN MY LIFE. Only downside is, it's not a regular menu item. But if you ever see The Rocco on the menu, I HIGHLY recommend you get it. It may be pricy for a sandwich but I guarantee you won't regret it!
James S.
Today was my 1st eating here and trust me I wasn't expecting the service, atmosphere, and the food to at an all time high. It was a group of 12 of us and the service was the same for all of us. I definitely recommend trying this place.
Eddie C.
Review is just for the food since I had it delivered but with that said... I normally don't review just "food" but I gotta say - the bbq here is mind-numbingly good. The brisket was fatty, juicy, and melts in your mouth. The Amish chicken is also the best roasted chicken I've ever had. It looks totally scorched so I thought it would be dry but it's super moist and the flavor is incredible. Also loved the fried zucchini with the creamy tzatziki sauce. I honestly can't even imagine a smoked bbq place being any better than Chicago Culinary Kitchen. I just can't believe it's taken this long for me to try this place since it's totally in my back yard!
Kim S.
Definitely worth our drive from Lake Bluff! Everything was tasty but we especially loved The Pork-U sandwich and the patatas bravas. The atmosphere is fabulous and the service was awesome. Try and get there when they have Ube cake. It was phenomenal (and will be for days to come since the slice was huge enough to enjoy now and take to go). We will be back!
Thomas O.
I have eaten beef brisket in Dallas Texas several times over the years. The beef brisket I ordered at Chicago Culinary was salty and fat. The St. Louis ribs were average and the French fries were too salty. The zucchini fries were good. The cole slaw was wet and slightly spicy. The Texas sausage link was good but over priced. The pulled pork was good. I didn't try any of the deserts. The food was average and would not recommend if you like beef brisket. Music was very loud so difficult to carry a conversation. Plenty of parking.
Arrived on a Saturday around 1:00 p.m. crowded, so we sat at the bar. The stools were the most uncomfortable things I have ever sat on. Was not impressed. They only have custom beers, could not get a Miller Lite? They serve a quart container of fries and have NO KETCHUP, only gochujang? Brisket sandwich was OK nothing to write home about. The smash burger was a total mess of a sandwich. Don't order that on a first date! The plastic flatware is helpful with all the mess, NOT. The lighting in the joint does not show the RED that is in the pictures? Not sure what that is all about. Subliminal mind conditioning along with the music. Will not recommend or visit again. Was very disappointed.
Stopped in for a sampling of a lot: meatball sandwich, spicy brisket tamale, cornbread, pulled pork, brisket, beans, potatoes, and coconut pie to finish. Okay, it was A LOT!! Everything was good or awesome. The pulled pork was Ah-mazing and I would go back just for the coconut pie! 5/5
This was my second time at Chicago Culinary Kitchen. The first time was outstanding and this was the same. Earlier, I'd been lucky enough to go with other Yelpers. This time, it was family. Their barbeque is as good as I've had it in Texas. The Brisket is perfect - moist with a beautiful bark. My favorite, though, is their smoked chicken. It's wonderfully flavored - smokey, moist, with crisp skin. We also had their baked beans, truffle fries, and their candied bacon for dessert. The decorations are really fun, and you can see them in the photos posted to Yelp. They don't have many tables and have long picnic benches. The service is also very good. And, they have a small well-stocked bar. We went early, so there was no wait to be seated - a real plus since wait times can be long. Chicago Culinary Kitchen definitely rates in my top 10 barbeque restaurants in the USA. When the food arrived, it looked so good we jumped right in. By the time I realized I took no photos, we were half done.
Awesome atmosphere! The staff is friendly, helpful and knowledgeable! Food was off the charts and settled my hankering for good barbecue!!!!
Best BBQ in the Chicago land area. Everything I've tried from there was exceptional. From the burgers, to the Maple Bourbon smoked fish, to the truffle fries, to the Cole slaw. Everything was great.
Went there for the first time Thursday night. We all got different things and shared with each other. Here's the breakout: Brisket - pretty good, mostly point so a bit fatty 4/5 Amish chicken - very good 5/5 Back alley ribs - very good 5/5 Cornbread muffin - dry, no flavor - meh 2/5 Zucchini fries - no flavor - meh 2/5 Texas sausage - no flavor - meh 2/5 18 hour pit beans - pretty good 4/5 Mac n cheese - very, very good - 10/5 Fireball bread pudding - sounded good but - no fire - no balls 0/5 I had hoped to get the award winning smoked Moroccan lamb chili. I asked if I could get a sample but was told no. I wasn't about to spend $16 for a bowl of chili without having a clue what it was going to be like. Next time, we'll have to try the Oklahoma burger sandwich and the bone-in pork chop sandwich.
Very friendly staff. We had the PB&J Wings. omg sooo good.
Mind blowing! Every dish they serve is made with pure love and enthusiasm! Everyday they offer unique dishes in limited quantities. You need to follow their social media to get the inside scoop on the daily specials. Ive eaten here countless times and never had anything less than 5 stars ! Bring your appetite and your friends. Their unique take on BBQ puts this place in the history books of the Chicago Suburbs!
CCK had an amazing wine and BBQ pairing. With Lynfred Winery tonight. Absolutely over the top great food and wine. I highly recommend this place if you want great BBQ.
Always phenomenal bbq and ambiance! The owners are fantastic and always appreciate their customers. Have tried everything on the menu several times and have yet to have something I haven't thoroughly enjoyed. If you get the chance definitely attend one of their beer/bourbon/bbq dinners..super fun and delicious experience!
Restaurantji Recommends
Great BBQ spot with an awesome atmosphere! Also home of the best sandwich I've ever had IN MY LIFE. Only downside is, it's not a regular menu item. But if you ever see The Rocco on the menu, I HIGHLY recommend you get it. It may be pricy for a sandwich but I guarantee you won't regret it!
Today was my 1st eating here and trust me I wasn't expecting the service, atmosphere, and the food to at an all time high. It was a group of 12 of us and the service was the same for all of us. I definitely recommend trying this place.
Review is just for the food since I had it delivered but with that said... I normally don't review just "food" but I gotta say - the bbq here is mind-numbingly good. The brisket was fatty, juicy, and melts in your mouth. The Amish chicken is also the best roasted chicken I've ever had. It looks totally scorched so I thought it would be dry but it's super moist and the flavor is incredible. Also loved the fried zucchini with the creamy tzatziki sauce. I honestly can't even imagine a smoked bbq place being any better than Chicago Culinary Kitchen. I just can't believe it's taken this long for me to try this place since it's totally in my back yard!
Definitely worth our drive from Lake Bluff! Everything was tasty but we especially loved The Pork-U sandwich and the patatas bravas. The atmosphere is fabulous and the service was awesome. Try and get there when they have Ube cake. It was phenomenal (and will be for days to come since the slice was huge enough to enjoy now and take to go). We will be back!
I have eaten beef brisket in Dallas Texas several times over the years. The beef brisket I ordered at Chicago Culinary was salty and fat. The St. Louis ribs were average and the French fries were too salty. The zucchini fries were good. The cole slaw was wet and slightly spicy. The Texas sausage link was good but over priced. The pulled pork was good. I didn't try any of the deserts. The food was average and would not recommend if you like beef brisket. Music was very loud so difficult to carry a conversation. Plenty of parking.