Had a great meal at Smoque today, and asked Barry point-blank when the next Smoque/Cemitas collabo would be.....he said some time in the next month or two, but that they hadn't nailed down a date yet.

Mr. Maki and I went to Smoque this afternoon; it was the first time we'd dined there since they catered our wedding almost 2 years ago. The woman at the register who took our order recognized us- she was one of the servers that lovely night. She said we had one of the nicest weddings she'd ever been present at and was glad to see us; we told her our guests said we had the best food they'd ever had at a wedding.

We were seated at a table next to the people who were in line behind us. It looked like a couple about our age and the husband's father, who seemed to be in from out of town. We overheard him raving about how Famous Dave's is the pinnacle of BBQ for him. Our orders came up at the same time and I overheard the guy tell the guy at the counter that he was going to be comparing them to Famous Dave's. The counter guy gave him a confident, "Okay! Great!"

The guy tasted the beans, said they were "killer" and upon his first bite of the ribs, said, "Well, Famous Dave's may lose this contest."

Well, duh....

abe_froeman wrote:
We were seated at a table next to the people who were in line behind us. It looked like a couple about our age and the husband's father, who seemed to be in from out of town. We overheard him raving about how Famous Dave's is the pinnacle of BBQ for him. Our orders came up at the same time and I overheard the guy tell the guy at the counter that he was going to be comparing them to Famous Dave's. The counter guy gave him a confident, "Okay! Great!"

The guy tasted the beans, said they were "killer" and upon his first bite of the ribs, said, "Well, Famous Dave's may lose this contest."

Well, duh....

I have never been to Smoque. My husband and I tried to go once years ago after they first opened but didn't because of the crowds (Not one to stand in ridiculous lines for food) but after reading this thread about a month ago, we put it on our list to hit. But that's irrelavant. I just wanted to add that although I have never been to Smoque I don't know how that guy could even think about comparing Smoque to Famous Dave's. I have a friend who raves about Famous Dave's and when she took me a couple of years ago I thought it was a waste of money. Bland and generic does not even accurately describe it, although utter crap might. Though I'd never been to Smoque, even I know these two places are on completely different levels. Yep major eye roll. Is there also an emo icon for sigh?

I can't really think of one thing the Smoque does not do way better than Famous Dave's. I consider FD;s in the same way I think of Russells BBQ. They use BBQ in their name, but they do not deliver the real goods.

From Cemitas Puebla's facebook page:

This May 15th we will be returning to Smoque BBQ! If you didn't try The Brisket Cemita the first time, here's your chance! We will be there from 5-9pm. Smoque BBQ is located at 3800 N. Pulaski Chicago IL. For those of you who aren't familiar with them(where you've been) they have the best BBQ in Chicago!

I'm annoyed because Tuesdays are the one evening I can't ever make it!

KajmacJohnson wrote:

abe_froeman wrote:
We were seated at a table next to the people who were in line behind us. It looked like a couple about our age and the husband's father, who seemed to be in from out of town. We overheard him raving about how Famous Dave's is the pinnacle of BBQ for him. Our orders came up at the same time and I overheard the guy tell the guy at the counter that he was going to be comparing them to Famous Dave's. The counter guy gave him a confident, "Okay! Great!"

The guy tasted the beans, said they were "killer" and upon his first bite of the ribs, said, "Well, Famous Dave's may lose this contest."

Well, duh....

I have never been to Smoque. My husband and I tried to go once years ago after they first opened but didn't because of the crowds (Not one to stand in ridiculous lines for food) but after reading this thread about a month ago, we put it on our list to hit. But that's irrelavant. I just wanted to add that although I have never been to Smoque I don't know how that guy could even think about comparing Smoque to Famous Dave's. I have a friend who raves about Famous Dave's and when she took me a couple of years ago I thought it was a waste of money. Bland and generic does not even accurately describe it, although utter crap might. Though I'd never been to Smoque, even I know these two places are on completely different levels. Yep major eye roll. Is there also an emo icon for sigh?

The funny thing was that he had a southern accent. He must have been from Florida, or something though, because I know there's good BBQ in the other southern states.

You should really try to get there, though! We went at about 2:45 on Saturday (and it was nice weather) and there was maybe three people ahead of us.

Famous Dave's is a mega-chain with locations all over, though few in the south. Being shocked that someone would compare Smoque to Famous Dave's is like being shocked that someone likes Macaroni Grill, Chili's, etc. Easy target to make fun of.

thick wrote:I can't really think of one thing the Smoque does not do way better than Famous Dave's.

Bread pudding.

LAZ wrote:

thick wrote:I can't really think of one thing the Smoque does not do way better than Famous Dave's.

Bread pudding.

Does Smoque do bread pudding? I only recall a peach cobbler on the dessert menu.

Darren72 wrote:Famous Dave's is a mega-chain with locations all over, though few in the south. Being shocked that someone would compare Smoque to Famous Dave's is like being shocked that someone likes Macaroni Grill, Chili's, etc. Easy target to make fun of.

I wouldn't say I was shocked to hear someone say it...I was more afraid he could hear my eyes rolling next to him.

aschie30 wrote:

LAZ wrote:

thick wrote:I can't really think of one thing the Smoque does not do way better than Famous Dave's.

Bread pudding.

Does Smoque do bread pudding? I only recall a peach cobbler on the dessert menu.

No, they don't. I'm sure it would be better than Famous Dave's if they did, though!

abe_froeman wrote:You should really try to get there, though! We went at about 2:45 on Saturday (and it was nice weather) and there was maybe three people ahead of us.

Yes, it is definately on our list of places to go so hopefully we will get a chance to hit up Smoque sometime soon. Never ever setting foot inside a Famous Dave's ever again even if they were giving out free samples at the door.

I enjoy Smoque, and get there pretty often. Brisket sandwich with a side of fries and a sausage link, the quality continues. I would add updates, but there is no more data I can offer.

I just fear this thread may have "jumped the shark" when back to back posts include a restaurant comparison from a person who hasn't eaten at one of the restaurants, and a restaurant comparison between a hypothetical menu item Smoque doesn't make.

MelT wrote:I just fear this thread may have "jumped the shark" when back to back posts include a restaurant comparison from a person who hasn't eaten at one of the restaurants, and a restaurant comparison between a hypothetical menu item Smoque doesn't make.

LOL, gotta agree.

=R=

MelT wrote:
I just fear this thread may have "jumped the shark" when back to back posts include a restaurant comparison from a person who hasn't eaten at one of the restaurants, and a restaurant comparison between a hypothetical menu item Smoque doesn't make.

No worries. It's what we do.

We should probably be discussing Smoque's hypothetical bourbon chicken.

Currently at Cemitas Puebla, there is a banner hung low on the counter stating:
"Cemitas night at Smoque!"
Where we will be making the
"Brisket Cemita"
Come & Enjoy One!!!
Tues May 15 from 5-9pm
Smoque BBQ
3800 N Pulaski

Is there any chance of the brisket cemita still being available around 8 pm? That's the earliest I could get over there. In the previous event did it sell out early?

A carry-out lunch from Smoque last week for our office made me a bit of hero with out-of-town visitors who'd never had it . . . and my workmates, as well. St. Louis ribs and brisket were downright spectacular. The ribs had a perfect crusty bark and the unctuous, fatty meat tugged away from the bone beautifully. The perfect slices of brisket were also stellar. It was moist, smokey and tender and had a great bark as well. But hell, everything was sensational, including the chicken, Mikeksa sausages and pulled pork. Baked beans were as good as ever, as were the cornbread and mac & cheese. Even the fries were great after a 15-minute ride back to the office (though, they were even better in the car on our ride back to the office ). Once I learned that we had visitors coming for lunch, I knew just want I wanted to feed them. Not only was it a fantastic lunch, Smoque made me look damned good.

=R=

I really enjoyed my lunch from Smoque the other day. Spareribs were the highlight. Nice smoke and pork flavor and a perfect texture. I had the chili for the first time and really liked it. The only disappointment was the brisket, which both my wife and I found to be pretty devoid of any flavor (except for the bark).

After a long time of wanting to go, I finally hit Smoque over the weekend. It had a line, but they moved through it quickly - they have the operation down pretty well, I must say. We had the spareribs, brisket, mac and cheese and beans.

What I loved:
1. The thickness of the brisket slices - so many places slice too thin and it dries out
2. The sauces - I am generally a molasses based bbq sauce fan, but both sauces I had here I thought had great amounts of vinegar - really liked them
3. The beans - these grow on you - some of the best beans I've had - slightly smokey, slightly sweet, just a well balanced side

What I liked:
1. The smoke on the ribs
2. Tender brisket
3. For a bread crumb type mac and cheese, thought it was well executed - retained its creaminess which is usually the problem
4. The slaw - I'm admittedly not a slaw fan, but this fresh version of vinegary slaw is a great complement to the meat here

What I didn't like:
1. The brisket was more like pot roast to me. It was almost TOO tender, to the point it was falling apart as you picked it up, and was devoid of any smoke flavor. The bark itself was soggy, so it seems the moisture was just too much.
2. The ribs were a bit small and ridiculously tough, bordering on becoming a dried beef/jerky like texture. I'm typically OK with this, though, as I really like dried beef and jerky, especially dipped in delicious bbq sauce But if you're looking for big, juicy ribs, these are not them.

All in all, I actually really enjoyed what I had at Smoque. Eating the ribs and brisket cold from the fridge has also proven to be as delicious as fresh from the smoker.

I've been craving good bbq in Chicago (I miss my Oklahoma Joe's), and I've been fortunate enough to have some good product from Chicago Q and Smoque in the past couple weeks. Now to get to the south side...

Sliced brisket sandwich today at Smoque was one of the best things I've eaten all year. Impossibly tender brisket had just the right amount of both smoke and fat. About halfway through the sandwich I incorporated a little of the cole slaw and sauce, which provided some nice complexity. Won't wait so long for the next visit.

They are doing another Smoque/Cemitas event Tuesday 5-9

Chefcon wrote:They are doing another Smoque/Cemitas event Tuesday 5-9

Is this like, a date 9 months in the future?

Too long! I would like to have another in a month.

I think maybe it means this Tuesday from 5 PM to 9 PM.

[My facetiousness meter is on the fritz so I can't tell if you're being facetious.]

riddlemay wrote:I think maybe it means this Tuesday from 5 PM to 9 PM.

[My facetiousness meter is on the fritz so I can't tell if you're being facetious.]

I am so there! Whew!

It just so happens that 5-9-14 is a Tuesday.

Thanks!

It's been almost two years since anyone posted photographic proof of the excellence of Smoque. I stopped by there today where I learned that, apparently, the Sunday of Labor Day weekend is the perfect time to visit - absolutely no lines when we go there at noon or when we left at 12:45.

Apparently MarlaCollins'Husband has a time machine because you arrived at Bens on North Ave 25 mins before you left Smoque. Great pictures though, got to make it out to Smoque soon

It speaks volumes about the way Smoque runs their operation that they were putting out great product at the restaurant at the same time Barry Sorkin was putting out fantastic ribs at the Windy City BBQ Classic. Their ribs were among the best things I ate at the Classic on Sunday.

=R=

I had dinner at Smoque last night. I haven't been there in about a year but it was the same great service and quality of food as I remember. I brought a friend along who has never been there. She ordered the full rack of baby backs and was impressed with the amount of meat although she thought the sauces were just "OK." When I asked her what are favorite ribs in Chicago, she said she actually likes Famous Daves, particularly the sauce (which I've never had). I also turned her on to Small's Filippino style ribs which she REALLY liked although she felt are a bit on the expensive side for the amount of meat. She also ordered fries, baked beans, and peach cobbler. We both loved the cobbler, especially the nicely broiled crumb topping and the fact that it's baked in your own little serving cup. I ordered the sliced brisket platter with beans and mac and cheese. I love their mac and cheese and the crumb topping. I'm not a big beans fan, but I do enjoy their version which has a great balance of acidity, sweetness, savory, and of course, love the bits of pork. The brisket was very tender, nice fat on the edges. However, i was tempted to add some salt although i just proceeded with dipping it into my sauces. I'm not a saucy kind of girl, and would have preferred more salt in the meat itself, rather than having to dip it into the sauce for my seasoning. Let me declare I am no BBQ expert but compared to other briskets I've had, I was very happy with how juicy it was.

Thank god for whomever was in the parking lot and helped me back out of my spot without crashing into the vehicles around me. I was in a very narrow spot and have a big car. Thank you!