I had the pleasure of visiting Big Ed's last week, where I had an extremely enjoyable experience. Ed, Kim and family could not have been more accomodating or friendly. It just felt good to see folks who were so enthusiastic and passionate about what they were doing. These guys are working extremely hard over long hours to make sure that everything is perfect, and nearly every item served in the restaurant is made from scratch. The business is about a year old but you'd never know that, based on how polished the food, service and rapport with customers was.
Big Ed's BBQ is located at 2501 Martin Luther King Jr Dr in North ChicagoFor many of us north-suburbanites, this is a great location. Even during rush hour, it only took me about 15 minutes to get there from my house in Deerfield.
MenuWhile bbq and traditionally-related items are the centerpiece, the menu is rather large. What impressed me was that even beyond the bbq, many of the other items we tried were excellent.
Since I was with G Wiv, a major BBQ Maven, not only did I get the benefit of overhearing he and Ed talk shop, but I also got to tag along on the tour Ed gave us of his set-up . . .
Aquarium SmokerEd explained to us that he'd ordered this new, 6' aquarium smoker after he took over the former pizza shop space. The aquarium smoker, he told us, is the device in which the bbq he knew growing up on the south side was made.
GaryquariumG Wiv inspects the equipment.
Wood stashEd's burning Royal Oak and hickory logs.
Pork Butt in smokerI had to take a peek and dang, that pork looks good!
We told Ed we wanted to try a variety of items, which unleashed a veritable avalanche of food upon us. We tasted everything pictured below, finished absolutely none of it, but I took a lot of food home. Today, 3 days later, my family was still working through the leftovers.
First up, were a few sides. Normally, cornbread is an option but by the time we arrived, it had been 86'd for the day. No worries, there were several other offerings, all of which are made in-house . . .
Collard GreensI really enjoyed these greens. The flavor was great -- amped up via the inclusion of smoked turkey -- and they were toothsome but not overly so.
Cole SlawNice slaw with a bit of zip (possibly horseradish).
Baked BeansThese beans had some very nice balance, provided by onions, peppers and seasoned ground beef.
Macaroni & CheeseI really enjoyed this. Ed uses a variety of cheeses and there's a little hit of garlic, too, which is very nice.
Next up, the bbq . . .
Big Ed's BBQ PlatterThis platter consists of brisket, pulled pork, rib tips and hot links, which are made in-house. My favorite was the tips but I enjoyed the pulled pork, too. The brisket had nice flavor -- and you can see the smoke ring -- but it was a little dry, which may have just been the luck of the draw with this particular piece of meat.
Hot LinkI thought the flavors here were very nice -- herbacious with good heat -- but Ed himself lamented that these were still a work in progress (he was looking for a bigger die for a coarser grind). I get the feeling that he'll be working this one out sooner than later.
Spare RibsThese ribs were very good -- good smoke, nice textures, and a tasty rub, too.
CheeseburgerI really enjoyed this burger and the array of condiments, which worked together to complelement it nicely. Fries were stellar.
Large HoagyVery nice sandwich, featuring some perfectly-textured Turano bread, which was sturdy enough to hold up to all the sandwich's contents but still tender enough to pull away nicely to the bite.
Catish, Chicken WingsEd's definitely got the fryer thing down pat. Here, fresh catfish, which is breaded and fried in-house, really pleased. The wings that were served with it were mighty nice, too. Served with this were 2 house-made condiments: tartar sauce and (iirc) a chipotle mayonnaise.
Ok, we were stuffed beyond belief but with who can say no to house-made desserts?
Pound CakeKim makes this terrific pound cake, which was rich, buttery and nicely crusty on the edges.
'Bumpy' Chocolate CakeAfter baking, this lighter-than-it-looks chocolate cake is poked with holes into which a confectioners sugar-based frosting with walnuts is poured. The glorious, delectable result is "bumpy" chocolate cake. Pretty sure G Wiv also took a piece of this home for his wife.
So, all in all we had a great meal. It wasn't perfect but it satisfied on so many levels. I look forward to returning -- soon. I really hope these guys continue to catch on because the dedication, care and love they are pouring into their business is apparent, and I love to see people who care this much and work this hard succeed. It was cool how nearly every person who walked into Ed's while we were there was a repeat customer. Ed greeted each of them warmly and even escorted a couple of folks in from the parking lot, after 'official' hours were over. It was obvious that Ed had learned a ton during a 3-year stint as a host at Wildfire. It just so happens that in addition to being a genuine people-person, the man is also a fine cook who knows a tremendous amount about food.
=R=
Big Ed's BBQ2501 Martin Luther King Jr Dr
North Chicago, IL 60064
(847) 578-1901
Same planet, different world