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After being sold and then closed by the City, Barbara Ann's is back up and running. I stopped in for lunch last week and found that virtually nothing has changed except for the folks behind the counter.
Same menu, same prices, same GNR hanging over the register. Best of all, same killer BBQ. Nice dark smoky bark on the rib tips and the same sage and chilli infused, gnarly grind hot links


Barbara Ann's BBQ
7617 S Cottage Grove Av.
Chicago
773 723 4780

That is one hell of a photo, JSM.

E.M.

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"Don't even touch my gold, I'm good."

i was given WHEAT bread last week. that freaked me out, not sure what they're trying to tell me...

Your posts, at least, would generally suggest that you do not get enough fiber.

E.M.

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"Don't even touch my gold, I'm good."

Even behind the counter, actually, it depends on when you go. On at least two
occasions, most of the people behind the counter have been the same as before
too - one guy who cuts up the meat (once theyre removed from the smoker),
and the woman behind the counter, both are old hands from the glory days.
Mack, however, is gone

Had asked the folks about it when BA's opened back up - they said theyd be
trying to keep everything exactly the same if they could, even with Mack's
loss. The menu has stayed exactly the same, with the same prices as you
say. This is not entirely a good thing, maybe, because IIRC the phone number
*has* changed, and the menu's may not reflect it (The last time I called there
the number didnt work - I ended up looking for and finding the number of the
Motel, calling them, and getting the new number for BA's. Unfortunately I seem
to have misplaced it and so cannot tell you what it is.




I will say, based on 3 trips now, that isnt *quite* the same as it was with Mack.
The tips are still great, of course. The links... the last 2 occasions, I ended up there
at the non-busy time (which is my fault, of course). The links were sitting above
the fryer - they werent *in* the fryer (as they once were, when I asked for
"well done", many moons ago), but were sitting above it. They said they did
that to keep it warm - it would dry out too much in the smoker (and the fresh
smoker links would not be ready for more than another hour). I dont remember
this ever happening under Mack - maybe he just judged the rush hours better
and spaced it out more, I dont know.

It is still the best link in Chicago of course - the coarse grind is still the same,
as are pepper flakes in in the link etc. That alone ensures that they remain
the best links in town, by far, IMHO. However, so far, they have not been as
sublime as they sometimes were with Mack - when they could sometimes be
just perfectly done and crispy outside, and beautifully moist, spicy and
flavourful inside. But again, on at least 2 occasions Ive been there at
non-busy times and thus not gotten the perfectly freshly done links yet.



Hmm. Is this the new number, BTW? I dont quite recall the old number - I
just know the old one changed. Does the menu now reflect the new number
too?

c8w

I'm not ready to declare that all is right with BA's, if only because Mack was always such a key player.

Did they always offer "beef rib tips," as now advertised in the window?

Thanks

I just stopped for a quick combo and never gave the phone number on the menu a second thought! The number I included on my original post came up on Google, have you tried calling it?
Hopefully this snafu is not interfering with your room service orders.

The new number for Barbara Ann's BBQ is 773-651-5300. I tried calling the old number, and had to resort to the same trick of calling the Motel for the new number.

I found myself in the vicinity today about 11:45 am and so toddled on over to Barbara Ann's. First time ever. Hope it won't be the last--though it's hardly convenient to home. Got the rib tip/hot link combo (hot, not mild) for $9. My oh my. Oh my. Oh. In the words of someone or other, this is some seriously good eats and, on reflection, worth bumping this thread for. It's hard to believe nothing has been posted in three years.

For those of you who have never been, get you hence. Pronto.

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Gypsy Boy

“How can a nation be called great if its bread tastes like kleenex?” (Julia Child)

Took some out of town relatives on a tour of the south side and stopped for a tailgate lunch of tips,links and chicken at Barbara Ann's last month. Phenomenal as always !
I manage to make it to BA's at least twice a year and have never been dissapointed.

I hear ya.......though I have a fondness and loyalty for Mack, the Adams and my WSM, I need to get back here soon. Thanks for putting it back on my radar, I mean GPS.

GB,

Its been way too long since I've been to Barbara Ann's, an oversight on my part which I intend to rectify in short order.

Enjoy,
Gary

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Sauce on the side, always, implied, axiomatic..........never a doubt, BBQ sauce without.

Low & Slow

Tried BA's for the first time last week. I ordered a tip/link combo (well done, sauce on side, natch), and at <$10 with tax this is one of the best BBQ deals around. You'd be hard-pressed to find this much food for less than $25 on the North side.

Links were cartoon-sized with a great snap and a noticeable heat, ground coarsely with large chunks of fat visible. Tips were plentiful, with tough exteriors with a strong smoke flavor. Though neither needed sauce IMO, the hot & mild sauces were both exceptional. I wish I'd read the tip on combining the two, as I think the hot might have stretched me to my limit. Combo came with a few slices of wheat(!) bread.

Another great rec from LTH. One of the best BBQ joints (in my limited experience) I've been to anywhere.

Totally agree. I call the tips "sauropod-sized" (thinking of Fred Flintstone and the dino-ribs), and the links "Ed Fisheriffic."

it does sound good ,i might have to make the trip

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philw bbq cbj for kcbs &M.I.M. carolina pit masters

For more evidence of how good BA's is, here's a rare shot of a ninja cat swooping in to grab some glorious Q:

Ninja cat is BOLD! Damn. You gotta keep a squirt gun around for that.

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Ed Fisher
my chicago food photos

RIP LTH.

hey geno55 what all is in the box ? ribs , tips ?& is that wheat breead!

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philw bbq cbj for kcbs &M.I.M. carolina pit masters

No sight of wheat bread at Barbara Ann's last week, just great barbecue with even more wonderful campfire smoke than usual. Ribs were perfection, tips slightly dry but forgivable for the tenderness that level of done-ness brought to the normally squeaky cartilage meat, and the caramelization of the exterior. Links are my second favorite in the city, and a necessity at the moment since, as noted for several weeks, Uncle John's schedule has been inscrutable of late.

The Bride and I spent last weekend in the city, planning to finally visit Uncle John's, only to discover Mack has closed for March . Barbara Ann's was a good fallback, tho the Bride declined to stay at BA's motel, despite my insistence that it offered great value.

No ribs, no chicken at 7p on a Friday, but the tips and hot links were good (tips also a bit on the dry side, but nice smoke and chew, hot links excellent), and the bread was, surprisingly, wheat bread. All in all, a fine kickoff to a meaty weekend (BA's followed by Birria tatemada and 5 Guys burgers).

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d
Retired, gone fishing, and exploring my curmudgeon within

Its not actually inscrutability - as mentioned elsewhere, UJ's is closed for a month. Mack is off holidaying in Arkansas for a couple of weeks, and that will apparently be followed by a couple of weeks worth of remodelling of UJ's (though no seating is planned, or so I was told when I asked the last time I as there, the day before they went on break).

In general the timings are UJ are fairly ok, usually... its supposed to close at 10pm nowadays (a couple of years ago it used to be 11pm - and before that it was even 1am on weekends - but no longer).. Ive sometimes seen them shut down 10 minutes early if there werent any customers, but in general theyre pretty good with sticking to their timings. (Ive been there at 9:45 pm a couple of times, for instance, and they were still going strong).

Havent been to BA's in a while - have been doing UJ's as my default for ages now. BA's was still just fine the last time I went, of course - their links are still 2nd only to UJ's for me. Iam sure I'll end up there before the month is out.

c8w

May you have scruted correctly.

As part of a pre-birthday Saturday of calorie-positive cycling, I went to Barbara Ann's for the first time. The tips were good, though not worth the ride on their own. The links, however, were in a totally different league - blowing away all hotlinks I've had before (I've yet to make it to UJ's...). Super coarse definition, smoky, herby, with a solid dose of heat. If I lived any closer (it's a 20mi bike ride each way), they'd be in my regular rotation.



The one downside of riding down there is no trunk to eat on, so my dining companion and I sat on the curb and munched away.

As an aside, the folks running the place couldn't have been nicer. The woman running the show was the nicest lady I've ever been separated by bullet-proof glass from.

-Dan

Do any of you have any information as to if/when Barbara Ann's will reopen? How extensive was the fire damage?

I passed it a few weeks ago on a Saturday, it was shut with no hint it may reopen. I didn't notice any fire damage, though I wasn't looking for any.

Regards,

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Cathy2

"You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways, Road Food 2012: Podcast

The cashier at Lem's told me about the fire. I see a tweet from Pigmon from June- but can't seem to find anything else.

Barbara Ann's has been closed for many months, approaching a year I think. I had no solid information, so never posted before. Passing by numerous times since last spring, it always looks the same.

Barbara Ann's, September 2012


Mysteriously, several Yelp reports have appeared since last summer. I suspect they're either fabricated or delayed postings. Someone at Barbara Ann's Motel told me there are plans to reopen the Bar-B-Que but couldn't say when.


It may take more than a promise of great value to lure someone there. Here are the first two sentences from the first and only Yelp review of Barbara Ann's Motel (it gets one star).


Barbara Ann's Bar-B-Que
7617 S Cottage Grove Av
Chicago
773-651-5300 (out of service)

Barbara Ann's Motel
7621 S Cottage Grove Av
Chicago
773-487-5800

I was there on March 13, 2012. I know that date is correct because I was delivering their GNR certificate and picked up a mess of links and tips for a comparison with Uncle John's--and brought samples of same for the Small Household Food Exchange group that met that evening at Sunshine Cafe. No idea when they closed but Rene G's "coming up on a year" sounds like a distinct possibility.

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“The problem with people who have no vices is that generally you can be pretty sure they’re going to have some pretty annoying virtues.” Elizabeth Taylor

So we're not talking about hot links anymore, yes?

I believe I have one slightly more recent data point: I picked up a pan of links for a party with some classmates at Promontory Point over the past summer (June 2012, sometime around then), not that that is much consolation. When it was on, it was as good as UJ's or Lem's.