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Welcome to Honky Tonk BBQ

Honky Tonk BBQ is a vibrant music venue, barbeque joint, and bar in Chicago. Known for its attentive service and delicious BBQ dishes, it offers a unique dining experience with live music on select nights. Customers rave about the flavorful brisket, tender ribs, and must-try cornbread muffins. The variety of BBQ sauces adds a tasty touch to the dishes, with a standout mustard sauce praised for its unique flavor. The cozy ambiance, friendly staff, and occasional live music performances make Honky Tonk BBQ a great spot for delicious BBQ and good times in Chicago.

Honky Tonk BBQ: Reviews & Ratings

Daniel M.
Daniel M.

Great attentive service and not too long a wait for food either. The food is really tasty and great! Definitely a recommended BBQ place. The ambiance is a spacious seating room, with some live music occasionally. So it is unique comparatively to other places. Back to the food, great cook of the BBQ food. The cornbread muffins are exactly as advertised. Nice and moist, as they should be. The hot link has a nice seasoned layer while tender. The brisket sandwich has a ton of brisket inside. I love brisket, so this is welcomed. The brisket is really great! There are three bbq sauces which are fine. Would be nice to have a spicy bbq sauce option too or some other type of bbq flavor sauce. As is there is a tangy (Carolina), a sweet bbq, and then some other one that's in between sweet n tangy. So perhaps a more straight up bbq sauce too would be good. Regardless, the three sauces currently are good. Overall, very satisfied with this BBQ . Another great BBQ place to check out in Chicago.

James F.
James F.

A great barbecue spot! We went on Thursday for dinner and it wasn't too busy. Sat in the back room and really enjoyed the interior design and ambiance. Ordered the sampler platter ($43) that comes with basically everything and then a side of Mac and cheese. The mac and cheese side was not super needed honestly. The best parts of the platter were the ribs, the brisket sandwiches, and the corn muffins. Shared with my girlfriend and we had plenty to bring home for leftovers. Overall great food, value, and service.

Elise F.
Elise F.

I have been coming here for years. The food is good and reasonably priced. But tonight I received the best service! Nicole was lovely, informative, and lovely overall. Made the dining experience superb. Very good band tonight as well. All and all a great experience.

karina k.
karina k.

Fernando, the food manager was really nice even on his off duty night ... what dedication! He made our night amazing and made us want to return. He also offered us some really fun food items like thick cut sweet bacon strips. The brisket was really good! For someone who doesn't like meat I liked this bc it was tender but still well cooked and the meat was not too fatty and had many shreds of lean meat inside the rims. The wings were huge and ribs were good from what I was told bc I didn't eat them. But the best part?!? The mustard sauce was the best I ever had with little crunchy bits and a sweet but tasty flavor of authentic mustard. The BBQ sauce was also really good and sweet too. But I was swept away by the mustard sauce we saved it in the fridge for future use w fries or other food. I enjoyed mustard w French fries ... just really high quality and tasty! Try it. Oh the Mac and cheese was okay... I personally thought it needed more gooey cheese. The mashed potato was good but lacking spunk. They also have live music and on 5/18/24 they had a burlesque show! Really nice to see something fun for a Saturday night.

Lucille F.
Lucille F.

The bar b Que that has flavor and tenderness. I can't imagine any other rib tips that taste so good without a bar b Que sauce on it!!

Christina D.
Christina D.

Hi friends, once again, another local spot that's not even a full block away from me. I stopped in on Saturday and I love this place for the vibes and also for the ambiance. They have live music and good food! This was around 6:00ish in the evening and I was sooo hungry (I always wait too long to eat) anywho, I digress..lol. I ordered the Mezcal margarita for my drink and the rib tips with mac&cheese and greens for my sides. My drink was made with Mezcal, blackberry basil syrup and fresh lime juice . It was DELICIOUS. Now, I'm giving this 5 stars for the experience and the service ..BUT and you guys know I don't like to do it but I have to be truthful. My food was a 3/5 for me. The portions were lovely so no bones to pick there, but for ME, the tips(which come with a slice of bread as well) were flavorful but the meat portion was a little tough as if they were overdone by a few minutes . The greens didn't taste like much but vinegar and very spicy . The mac and cheese had a lovely sauce but very under seasoned. I don't think it was terrible in any way shape or form. I just feel like things were too much or not enough if that makes sense. Other than that, a lovely experience. Saturday night was blues night and I was tempted to stay for the band but i had other things on my agenda . However, the staff here are amazing and so kind and courteous . Overall I had a great experience and will pop back in and try some more things on the menu . Thank you so much for a good time! See you soon!

Thanh T.
Thanh T.

Pork ribs, 4/5, mediocre. Sauce on the side is great because you can appreciate how well made the ribs are. Cornbread is fine. I love the natural corn husk wrapper but a fan of the corn kernels embedded throughout.

Sonya M.
Sonya M.

I visited Honky Tonk for the first time a few weeks ago. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it ended up being a great experience. We walked in and found the place semi empty. There were ample seating choices, so we opted to sit near the front of the restaurant. Our waitress, Brenda, came over immediately to greet us. We ordered drinks and food. I had the pulled pork sandwich and greens. It was delicious. My sister also had the pulled pork, but she also ordered a hot link. My brother had the rib tips and mac-n-cheese. We ordered a basket of corn bread muffins for the table. The food was delicious!! The mac-n-cheese was al dente, which was interesting. My brother loved it, but I didn't care for it. He also liked the corn muffins, but I didn't like those either. I like my corn bread on the sweet side. The muffins and mac-n-cheese weren't bad... they were just okay, in my opinion. The pulled pork and greens were fantastic. My brother loved the rib tips as well. The hot link was decent. It's not like a link you'd eat in the hood, though. It's tasted more like Eckrich smoked sausage to me. We also ordered a round of cocktails, which were really good. My brother had a sidecar, and I think my sister had a moonshine. I can't recall what I had, but it was good. They both liked their drinks, too. The ambiance was really nice, too. There was an R&B band singing and playing live instruments. They sounded great! Our waitress, Brenda, was awesome. She offered recommendations and was really chill. We thought she was cool. The bill was about $100 for the 3 of us, which is a little pricy but well worth it. I'll visit Honky Tonk again for sure. Update - I changed my initial five star rating to four stars. I visited Honky Tonk again last night and the experience was lackluster. I had the pulled pork and greens again, but it wasn't as good as my first experience. The pork had a lot of gristle which was disgusting and the greens tasted bitter. The service was still good though and there was a great band (Anna Maze) playing. I was with three friends and they also didn't think the food was very good. The drinks made up for it though. Not sure if it was an off night or if this place is hit or miss all the time.

Location

If you're on the lookout for a unique dining experience that combines great food, live music, and a laid-back atmosphere, look no further than Honky Tonk BBQ in Chicago. Located at 1213 W 18th St, this music venue, barbeque joint, and bar offers a range of amenities including delivery, takeout, reservations, and even vegan options.

Customers rave about the attentive service and delicious food at Honky Tonk BBQ. The cornbread muffins are moist and flavorful, the hot link is nicely seasoned and tender, and the brisket sandwich is packed with delicious brisket. With three different BBQ sauces to choose from, there's a flavor for everyone.

But the real standout at Honky Tonk BBQ is the mustard sauce, described as the best ever tasted. With a unique blend of flavors and crunchy bits, it's a must-try. The ribs and wings are also a hit, with generous portions and mouthwatering taste.

Aside from the food, Honky Tonk BBQ offers a vibrant ambiance with live music on select nights, making it a perfect spot for a fun night out. Whether you're a meat lover or prefer vegetarian options, this place has something for everyone.

Overall, Honky Tonk BBQ is a gem in the Chicago dining scene, offering great food, friendly service, and a lively atmosphere. Don't miss out on this fantastic BBQ spot!