Honey 1 BBQ
Honey 1 BBQ
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Post #601 - January 8th, 2015, 11:35 amHabibi wrote:Yeah but Smoque sucks. So...
Disgree there!
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Post #602 - January 8th, 2015, 12:54 pmI'm glad they're moving. Current location is too far out of my usual ways. Now just a short hop off the Ryan. Mmmm,mmm,good
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Post #603 - January 8th, 2015, 1:48 pmmidas wrote:As much as I love Honey 1, I have to say that their failure in Bucktown is of their own doing. They didn't want to give the customer what they wanted. They tried to shoehorn into Bucktown the same type of restaurant they had in Austin. They were very late in finally offering brisket on their menu. And to this day they refuse to offer baby backs. And their offerings of side items has been anemic at best. That's what the people in Bucktown expect.
Yeah, the sides were never anything I really was wild about, and very teeny portions at that.
I would have loved some greens and some good mac and cheese. All they have besides coleslaw and fries is like baked beans and fried okra. The okra is Sysco or something. Cobbler??? Helllooooo??
I tried their fish, once. meh. Chicken was nothing I couldnt' get elsewhere.
Decor truly needed an update, and the bathroom is just entirely too shabby and sad looking. Dirty all around the baseboards in there. Always hate a bathroom that faces right into the dining room anyway.
We always got slabs, tips, tip/link combos, with sauce ON THE SIDE. The meat we've had has always been excellent; so good you didn't NEED sauce to enjoy their smokey goodness. I liked the son at the counter, he was always nice and remembered us. But always that damned sports tv. So bread vs. circuses, Bread was great, but it was like they landed there and never upkept or spruced up the interior. The front hall is bleak, dingy, and uninviting.
I'll miss them a lot, but like others mention, you can't just blame the locals here for not supporting them.
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Post #604 - January 8th, 2015, 3:26 pmbarbs wrote:I'll miss them a lot, but like others mention, you can't just blame the locals here for not supporting them.
To the extent that you and many others valiantly supported them, that is true. But to the extent that people didn't support them because they couldn't get Lobster Mac n' Cheese and Negroni Slushies to go with their BBQ, hell yeah I can blame them!
"By the fig, the olive..." Surat Al-Teen, Mecca 95:1"
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Post #605 - January 8th, 2015, 8:45 pmrubbbqco wrote:I've been to H1 5 times, and finally on my last visit I understood the love for their food. 1st 4 times, I was served re-heated tips (pit was cold/not in use) and links. It was acceptable food, if I didn't look too critically, but the service was so poor I wrote the place off as being "ignored" or "tired".
From what I understand, in the early days, guys from LTH would hang out and chat with Robert Sr. - one of the reasons, undoubtedly, that they fell in love with the place and its/his authentic BBQ passion. A large part of your dining out experience has to do with things other than the actual food (like it or not, admit it or not - this is the case for EVERYONE) - the decor, the service, the music, the environment, etc. I was never charmed by my experiences at Honey 1, and twice was so annoyed by the poor service (or lack thereof), my evaluation was knocked down a grade (or two) before I even got my styrofoam box of (delicious) smokey proteins.
When I visited Uncle John's - a take out only joint - that atmosphere played into my experience. Mack and team always (busy) working a Hot, Fiery Pit. Some of the staff always seemed anxious due to the crowd, some of them were always easy going, happy & smiling - but there was absolute soul to the business that you could feel. Honey 1 never gave off that ultra-authentic S. Side divey BBQ vibe (partly because of its location in a very gentrified neighborhood), nor did it play into the yuppie vibe of the customers that lived in the neighborhood..it was kind of lost in the middle.
I hope they do well, I love to see generational BBQ businesses make it - I definitely think they will fit into Bronzeville more than they ever did in Bucktown - another visit from the LTH Matriarchs and Mr. Dolinksy wouldn't hurt, boost the S. Side Pride in the new location.
I'll certainly pay them a visit in their new spot, I may even stop in their old spot 1 more time to bid adieu..
..to answer the comparison upthread of why is Smoque busier - yes, they were on DDD - but they also have top-notch service, are always cooking fresh BBQ, and you feel the soul of their business every time you visit..Why is Smoque packed with customers and H1 isn't?
To be perfectly blunt, white Northsiders might have been uncomfortable with a restaurant that was perceived (rightly wrongly) as a South Side African-American establishment. While many white BBQ enthusiasts flocked to Uncle John's and the like, that was by far the exception rather than the rule. This is why comparing Honey 1 to Smoque is like comparing apples to oranges.
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Post #606 - January 9th, 2015, 7:07 amld111134 wrote:rubbbqco wrote:I've been to H1 5 times, and finally on my last visit I understood the love for their food. 1st 4 times, I was served re-heated tips (pit was cold/not in use) and links. It was acceptable food, if I didn't look too critically, but the service was so poor I wrote the place off as being "ignored" or "tired".
From what I understand, in the early days, guys from LTH would hang out and chat with Robert Sr. - one of the reasons, undoubtedly, that they fell in love with the place and its/his authentic BBQ passion. A large part of your dining out experience has to do with things other than the actual food (like it or not, admit it or not - this is the case for EVERYONE) - the decor, the service, the music, the environment, etc. I was never charmed by my experiences at Honey 1, and twice was so annoyed by the poor service (or lack thereof), my evaluation was knocked down a grade (or two) before I even got my styrofoam box of (delicious) smokey proteins.
When I visited Uncle John's - a take out only joint - that atmosphere played into my experience. Mack and team always (busy) working a Hot, Fiery Pit. Some of the staff always seemed anxious due to the crowd, some of them were always easy going, happy & smiling - but there was absolute soul to the business that you could feel. Honey 1 never gave off that ultra-authentic S. Side divey BBQ vibe (partly because of its location in a very gentrified neighborhood), nor did it play into the yuppie vibe of the customers that lived in the neighborhood..it was kind of lost in the middle.
I hope they do well, I love to see generational BBQ businesses make it - I definitely think they will fit into Bronzeville more than they ever did in Bucktown - another visit from the LTH Matriarchs and Mr. Dolinksy wouldn't hurt, boost the S. Side Pride in the new location.
I'll certainly pay them a visit in their new spot, I may even stop in their old spot 1 more time to bid adieu..
..to answer the comparison upthread of why is Smoque busier - yes, they were on DDD - but they also have top-notch service, are always cooking fresh BBQ, and you feel the soul of their business every time you visit..[/Why is Smoque packed with customers and H1 isn't?
To be perfectly blunt, white Northsiders might have been uncomfortable with a restaurant that was perceived (rightly wrongly) as a South Side African-American establishment. While many white BBQ enthusiasts flocked to Uncle John's and the like, that was by far the exception rather than the rule. This is why comparing Honey 1 to Smoque is like comparing apples to oranges.
Ok, I now have to chime in. What in the name of all that is smokey and good does a person's whiteness or north sidedness have to do with anything? Are you really trying to claim that in a metro area of over 8 million people there is an insufficient number of white people that appreciate quality south side (black I guess) BBQ. Or to the other poster, please direct me to all those BBQ joints that are successful in Chicago because they are serving negroni slushies!
Here is some cold, hard truth folks. For many of us Honey 1 just wasn't that good, and multiple trips to the place - 4 for me over three years - left us completely perplexed about what it's fans saw in the place. I try to make a habit of not saying anything bad about places here, but this ongoing "blame the customers' lack of taste, or whiteness" has forced my hand.
Over the course of my attempts to find what posters here thought was good about H1, I have had the distinct displeasure of dry, tough spares - every visit- tasteless pulled pork, and bad, not worth eating sides. I will say that, somewhat inexplicably, their ribtips were quite good, and hot links reasonably tasty.
I've been all over this great country of ours, eaten in hundreds of BBQ joints, and enjoyed several different styles of BBQ. In addition, I am an accomplished master of my wood burning Peoria smoker, and bet that my Q would smoke that of 95% of anyone in America. So my bonafides are legit. Honey 1 is a middling joint, that appears to have achieved middling success. Where's the mystery in that"Living well is the best revenge"
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Post #607 - January 9th, 2015, 9:00 amHabibi wrote:Yeah but Smoque sucks. So...
Ha! I thought that too when I went! I'd like to hear more about your opinion. I know one day I'll try again, but I sure haven't been in a hurry.I want to have a good body, but not as much as I want dessert. ~ Jason Love
There is no pie in Nighthawks, which is why it's such a desolate image. ~ Happy Stomach
I write stuff.
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Post #608 - January 9th, 2015, 10:49 amPie Lady wrote:Habibi wrote:Yeah but Smoque sucks. So...
Ha! I thought that too when I went! I'd like to hear more about your opinion. I know one day I'll try again, but I sure haven't been in a hurry.
Perhaps opinions about Smoque should be added to the 600+ posts in these two topics:
Opening in December - Smoque BBQ
Smoque BBQ - now with sausage from Texas
rather than here in this topic about Honey 1. Just sayin'...
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Post #609 - January 9th, 2015, 3:33 pmPursuit wrote:
Here is some cold, hard truth folks. For many of us Honey 1 just wasn't that good, and multiple trips to the place - 4 for me over three years - left us completely perplexed about what it's fans saw in the place... I will say that, somewhat inexplicably, their ribtips were quite good, and hot links reasonably tasty.
Ok, I'm at a loss for words as how I can say this, so I'm just gonna ramble.
As a lifelong Chicagoan (at heart,) I have no idea why ppl order anything other than tips and links at Aqua q joints. (They are not "Black" joints, by the way, but after being alive for 40+ years in the U.S., I get why ppl would call them that. The folks at Smokin M's would probably back me up on this.) But anyway, pulled pork? brisket? Those are things you get at Texas or Carolina style cue joints, and NOT at Chicago Aqua que joints. Spares are normally ok at the aqua q joints, if you know what you are getting, which is higher heat, CHICAGO AQUA Q spares, and not Texas spares. I really like Smoque. I go there for Texas q. I really like tips and links, I go to OTHER places for that. I do not expect pulled pork, brisket or Texas style spares at Aqua q joints. I cannot compare the two styles as apples to apples, whether one slab of spares is perceived as having a different skin color or not. I grew up on Ribs and Bibs, and backyard q with tips and links, and spares smoked for two hours in a bar-b-kettle, so maybe I can appreciate and enjoy the differences more. I would never go to a Chicago Aqua q joint and expect anything to be as Texas as Barry Sorkin is slangin. I would also never go to Smoque and expect to get a tip/link combo or spares to be as Chicago Aqua Q as what the Adamses are slangin. As a life long Chicagoan, if you put Uncle John's Next door to Smoque, and took brisket off of Smoque's Menu, It would be a toss up for me. Tip/Link combos are the fkn BOMB. Pulled pork and spares are fine and dandy, but if I'm gonna test what my liver is made of with some greezy bbq, I'ma rock a combo. In my experience, rare is the caucasion that agrees with me, and trying to explain Chicago Aqua q vs Texas q to folks that think a cooked spare should be one way, and tips are little gnarly pointless pieces of garbage, has been a fruitless endeavor. I get it - they put pulled pork and spares on the menu, so it should be the same as <insert name of different bbq style pace here> but I almost don't even think about other things than tips and links when I'm going to a Chicago Aqua Q joint. Ok, no more rambling, sorry.We cannot be friends if you do not know the difference between Mayo and Miracle Whip.
Pronoun: That fool over there
Identifies as: A human that doesn't need to "identify as" something to try to somehow be interesting.
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Post #610 - January 9th, 2015, 4:07 pmseebee wrote:Pursuit wrote:
Here is some cold, hard truth folks. For many of us Honey 1 just wasn't that good, and multiple trips to the place - 4 for me over three years - left us completely perplexed about what it's fans saw in the place... I will say that, somewhat inexplicably, their ribtips were quite good, and hot links reasonably tasty.
Ok, I'm at a loss for words as how I can say this, so I'm just gonna ramble.
As a lifelong Chicagoan (at heart,) I have no idea why ppl order anything other than tips and links at Aqua q joints. (They are not "Black" joints, by the way, but after being alive for 40+ years in the U.S., I get why ppl would call them that. The folks at Smokin M's would probably back me up on this.) But anyway, pulled pork? brisket? Those are things you get at Texas or Carolina style cue joints, and NOT at Chicago Aqua que joints. Spares are normally ok at the aqua q joints, if you know what you are getting, which is higher heat, CHICAGO AQUA Q spares, and not Texas spares. I really like Smoque. I go there for Texas q. I really like tips and links, I go to OTHER places for that. I do not expect pulled pork, brisket or Texas style spares at Aqua q joints. I cannot compare the two styles as apples to apples, whether one slab of spares is perceived as having a different skin color or not. I grew up on Ribs and Bibs, and backyard q with tips and links, and spares smoked for two hours in a bar-b-kettle, so maybe I can appreciate and enjoy the differences more. I would never go to a Chicago Aqua q joint and expect anything to be as Texas as Barry Sorkin is slangin. I would also never go to Smoque and expect to get a tip/link combo or spares to be as Chicago Aqua Q as what the Adamses are slangin. As a life long Chicagoan, if you put Uncle John's Next door to Smoque, and took brisket off of Smoque's Menu, It would be a toss up for me. Tip/Link combos are the fkn BOMB. Pulled pork and spares are fine and dandy, but if I'm gonna test what my liver is made of with some greezy bbq, I'ma rock a combo. In my experience, rare is the caucasion that agrees with me, and trying to explain Chicago Aqua q vs Texas q to folks that think a cooked spare should be one way, and tips are little gnarly pointless pieces of garbage, has been a fruitless endeavor. I get it - they put pulled pork and spares on the menu, so it should be the same as <insert name of different bbq style pace here> but I almost don't even think about other things than tips and links when I'm going to a Chicago Aqua Q joint. Ok, no more rambling, sorry.
I agree with this sentiment wholeheartedly. Aquarium BBQ is all about tips and links, and I've always felt that the other offerings are just to have a menu with more than three choices.
I don't think it is fair to expect Honey1 to have the sides and accouterments that are associated with other styles of BBQ, just as I don't think it would be fair to say that Franklin BBQ in Austin should offer rib tips.
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Post #611 - January 9th, 2015, 4:20 pmgnarchief wrote:I agree with this sentiment wholeheartedly. Aquarium BBQ is all about tips and links, and I've always felt that the other offerings are just to have a menu with more than three choices.
I've never heard the term "Aquarium BBQ" before. What's the definition and why is it some unique thing in Chicago?
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Post #612 - January 9th, 2015, 4:45 pmJohn Danza wrote:
I've never heard the term "Aquarium BBQ" before. What's the definition and why is it some unique thing in Chicago?
History of the Aquarium Smoker?
Some good stuff on this page also: The History Of Chicago Barbecue
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Post #613 - January 9th, 2015, 4:55 pmDarren72 wrote:John Danza wrote:
I've never heard the term "Aquarium BBQ" before. What's the definition and why is it some unique thing in Chicago?
History of the Aquarium Smoker?
Some good stuff on this page also: The History Of Chicago Barbecue
Wow, great reading. I didn't know about this. Now I have to keep on the lookout.
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Post #614 - January 9th, 2015, 5:29 pmSpeaking of "Meathead" and amazing ribs.com. no one here on LTH talks about him or his website, in terms of BBQ. Did he used to be here on LTH and have some history of some sort?
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Post #615 - January 9th, 2015, 5:34 pmgnarchief wrote:Aquarium BBQ is all about tips and links
??? Really. Years back at wood smoked BBQ joints using aquariums I remember you could order "Large end" or "small end" of a slab in addition to tips. Don't hear those two terms anymore. Seems to be just whole and half slab now.
What was the place just North of Cabrini Green on Clybourn that was painted purple, it was a tilting frame building with BBQ pit storefront and apartment upstairs. It was the mom's name. This was in the 80's into the 90's. She died then the kid took over.
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Post #616 - January 9th, 2015, 5:50 pmseebee wrote:Pursuit wrote:
Here is some cold, hard truth folks. For many of us Honey 1 just wasn't that good, and multiple trips to the place - 4 for me over three years - left us completely perplexed about what it's fans saw in the place... I will say that, somewhat inexplicably, their ribtips were quite good, and hot links reasonably tasty.
Ok, I'm at a loss for words as how I can say this, so I'm just gonna ramble.
As a lifelong Chicagoan (at heart,) I have no idea why ppl order anything other than tips and links at Aqua q joints. (They are not "Black" joints, by the way, but after being alive for 40+ years in the U.S., I get why ppl would call them that. The folks at Smokin M's would probably back me up on this.) But anyway, pulled pork? brisket? Those are things you get at Texas or Carolina style cue joints, and NOT at Chicago Aqua que joints. Spares are normally ok at the aqua q joints, if you know what you are getting, which is higher heat, CHICAGO AQUA Q spares, and not Texas spares. I really like Smoque. I go there for Texas q. I really like tips and links, I go to OTHER places for that. I do not expect pulled pork, brisket or Texas style spares at Aqua q joints. I cannot compare the two styles as apples to apples, whether one slab of spares is perceived as having a different skin color or not. I grew up on Ribs and Bibs, and backyard q with tips and links, and spares smoked for two hours in a bar-b-kettle, so maybe I can appreciate and enjoy the differences more. I would never go to a Chicago Aqua q joint and expect anything to be as Texas as Barry Sorkin is slangin. I would also never go to Smoque and expect to get a tip/link combo or spares to be as Chicago Aqua Q as what the Adamses are slangin. As a life long Chicagoan, if you put Uncle John's Next door to Smoque, and took brisket off of Smoque's Menu, It would be a toss up for me. Tip/Link combos are the fkn BOMB. Pulled pork and spares are fine and dandy, but if I'm gonna test what my liver is made of with some greezy bbq, I'ma rock a combo. In my experience, rare is the caucasion that agrees with me, and trying to explain Chicago Aqua q vs Texas q to folks that think a cooked spare should be one way, and tips are little gnarly pointless pieces of garbage, has been a fruitless endeavor. I get it - they put pulled pork and spares on the menu, so it should be the same as <insert name of different bbq style pace here> but I almost don't even think about other things than tips and links when I'm going to a Chicago Aqua Q joint. Ok, no more rambling, sorry.
Ok Mr. Gnarchief, (love that name!) while I would agree with your general thrust I've had decent spares from aquarium joints and even pulled pork, but never at H1. If its on the menu and I'm paying good old American dollars for it I expect a better product. That's all I'm sayin. As for brisket, I don't recall that on H1's menu, and wouldn't have ordered it from there anyway, as the stuff Smoque puts out is pretty damn good for those time between Austin sojourns.
I'll repeat my basic point, don't blame the customer when a middling joint achieves middling success."Living well is the best revenge"
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Post #617 - January 9th, 2015, 5:55 pmThis has the makings of a feel-good story in the end. Bronzeville needs a legitimate Chicago aquiarium smoker and H1 is it. I hope the new digs and local enthusiasm renew H1's mojo, which seemed to be running a little low as of late.
H1 is not the best example of Chicago BBQ (or Great Migration/Aquarium Smoker urban BBQ). It has been inconsistent, even with its core items, but when it's on it's excellent and it is true to the form, same as any good birrieria, seol leong tang spot, or brasserie. It is a particular type of ethnic restaurant not in that ethnicity's neighborhood. Nothing too unusual about that. But the suggestion that it fails (not so clear that is does) because Mr. Adams didn't offer brisket or mac n' cheese in time is a disservice both to the style and the people of Bucktown. It's the same as positing that regional Thai places should all sell sushi and egg rolls because that's what the populace demands. Or that a joint in Eastern NC should sell brisket and dry rub ribs 'cause not everyone wants whole hog 'Q. Seems to me that H1 had a good run, had some ups and downs in a tough strech of Western for any quick serve place, and is moving on to, one hopes, better things.
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Post #618 - January 9th, 2015, 6:01 pmI'll chime in to add that I've directed lots of people to Honey 1 and almost none of them ever ended up visiting. Why? Because, other than one the time I mentioned it, they never heard about it again. I don't know much about how they were marketing their storefront, but in my experience, people simply didn't know about them. Purported barbecue lovers who have visited a dozen north-side barbecue joints hadn't heard of them. People who have taken trips to the south side in search of great barbecue hadn't heard of them.
I've had almost universally good experiences at Honey 1 ordering the tips/links combo and rarely anything else. Good barbecue, like so many things, requires good throughput to maintain a consistent product. I hope Bronzeville brings them the steady stream of customers they need to keep their product as good as possible.
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Post #619 - January 9th, 2015, 6:06 pmPursuit wrote:seebee wrote:Pursuit wrote:a middling joint achieves middling success.
Like many places dear to LTH, there's things you order, and things you don't. You don't go to Mario's for pistachio nuts. Honey 1 is far from what you describe if you stick to the links and tips as stated dozens of times above. It has always been about the tips and links. Robert Adams is the real deal, far from "middling" and deserves better than that comment implies."In pursuit of joys untasted"
from Giuseppe Verdi's La Traviata
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Post #620 - January 9th, 2015, 6:47 pmkenji wrote:gnarchief wrote:Aquarium BBQ is all about tips and links
??? Really. Years back at wood smoked BBQ joints using aquariums I remember you could order "Large end" or "small end" of a slab in addition to tips. Don't hear those two terms anymore. Seems to be just whole and half slab now.
Lem's on 75th http://lemsque.com/menu/
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Post #621 - January 9th, 2015, 6:58 pmkenji wrote:Speaking of "Meathead" and amazing ribs.com. no one here on LTH talks about him or his website, in terms of BBQ. Did he used to be here on LTH and have some history of some sort?
He used to be my art teacher at CHIC, and he really knows his stuff (art- and food-wise). I have a recipe for one of his rib and rub recipes that I like a lot.I want to have a good body, but not as much as I want dessert. ~ Jason Love
There is no pie in Nighthawks, which is why it's such a desolate image. ~ Happy Stomach
I write stuff.
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Post #622 - January 9th, 2015, 7:11 pmPursuit wrote:
Here is some cold, hard truth folks. For many of us Honey 1 just wasn't that good, and multiple trips to the place - 4 for me over three years - left us completely perplexed about what it's fans saw in the place... I will say that, somewhat inexplicably, their ribtips were quite good, and hot links reasonably tasty.
I just don't understand how that would be somewhat inexplicable when that should be the main reason you'd go there. I'm guessing that the common trial run at H1 goes like this:
BBQ! Let's try it!
What's a Rib Tip?
Who cares?
Get the ribs and pulled pork like always, since they don't have brisket.
Hot link? Click on it and see what happens.
Why did they put bread on top of this? It's not even crusty and grilled.
Question:
If Mack Sevier brought his whole operation to Honey 1's space on Western, would it "thrive?"
I'd like to think it would, but the realist in me says, "weeellll....."We cannot be friends if you do not know the difference between Mayo and Miracle Whip.
Pronoun: That fool over there
Identifies as: A human that doesn't need to "identify as" something to try to somehow be interesting.
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Post #623 - January 9th, 2015, 7:53 pmseebee wrote:Hot link? Click on it and see what happens.
This made me laugh so hard!I want to have a good body, but not as much as I want dessert. ~ Jason Love
There is no pie in Nighthawks, which is why it's such a desolate image. ~ Happy Stomach
I write stuff.
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Post #624 - January 9th, 2015, 7:57 pmseebee wrote:Question:
If Mack Sevier brought his whole operation to Honey 1's space on Western, would it "thrive?"
Donuts too?
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Post #625 - January 9th, 2015, 8:58 pmMy Southern-European immigrant dad learned how to make a baked version of tips in his Loop diner, from his MS-born kitchen staff who all moved to Chicago as middle-schoolers in the late 50s and lived between 43rd/87th and east of the Ryan. (We're talking 80s and early 90s here.) He was always careful to make sure that customers knew that it was not a true smoked product, but folks working at the Daley Center and City Hall were appreciative that they could get something somewhat familiar, dare I say "neighborhood food," for lunch or dinner. It worked because people in his neighborhood knew the food. (He was also the first place in the Loop to serve grits after we came across them on a vacation in 1975, but that's a different thread.)
H1 went into a different neighborhood. I can't figure out if they tried to educate and market the neighborhood. Even a nice 18x24 poster summarizing the key points of this thread, the "Aquarium Smoker BBQ is a unique style, this is what we specialize in, this is why you'll like it" would have been some kind of effort. Something. Anything. But I suspect that he would have had a similar challenge if he had tried to go to sections of middle-class predominantly African-American suburbs of Washington DC, where nobody has ever seen an aquarium smoker.
Hopefully H1 will get rid of some of the extraneous items that aren't part of the culture of an Aquarium-smoker place. If Gene N Jude's can get by with hot dogs and the occasional tamale, I'd like to think that the Adamses can find a way to make tips and links and the occasional slab pay off for them."Fried chicken should unify us, as opposed to tearing us apart. " - Bomani Jones
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Post #626 - January 9th, 2015, 9:26 pmPosted yesterday but didn't seem to go through. Learning they were leaving, my son who's been home on break wanted to go one last time, so we drove down Western in the snow for takeout last night. We got 2 xl tips & links, which is what we almost always got anyway, with the exception of the brisket sandwich we also got when it was available.
We were fans, but confined ourselves to what was best. 4-5x/yr. Adams Jr. recognized us last night, which was nice. It was very good last night, and I agree that the links seemed spicier, but I liked them. We'll miss it.
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Post #627 - January 9th, 2015, 10:27 pmThinking about aquarium smokers and BBQ joints....what will be available now after H1 is gone to have an aquarium smoked product and sit at a table inside to eat in a place in Chicago.
Make a list.
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Post #628 - January 9th, 2015, 10:57 pmseebee wrote:Pursuit wrote:
Here is some cold, hard truth folks. For many of us Honey 1 just wasn't that good, and multiple trips to the place - 4 for me over three years - left us completely perplexed about what it's fans saw in the place... I will say that, somewhat inexplicably, their ribtips were quite good, and hot links reasonably tasty.
I just don't understand how that would be somewhat inexplicable when that should be the main reason you'd go there. I'm guessing that the common trial run at H1 goes like this:
BBQ! Let's try it!
What's a Rib Tip?
Who cares?
Get the ribs and pulled pork like always, since they don't have brisket.
Hot link? Click on it and see what happens.
Why did they put bread on top of this? It's not even crusty and grilled.
Question:
If Mack Sevier brought his whole operation to Honey 1's space on Western, would it "thrive?"
I'd like to think it would, but the realist in me says, "weeellll....."
Well, I think I was pretty clear, but I'll try again. It was inexplicable because the tips and links were good, not great, on my visits as I clearly stated, and the rest of the menu was pretty poor. Good + Pretty Poor = middling in my view. Inexplicable because skill was demonstrated in one product, little skill in others, while other joints with similar approaches, in my experience, achieved far better consistency across their menu.
Is that really so hard for you to understand, or are you just so locked on mocking someone with a different view, that you'd rather post a comment that is virtually fact and content free?
Look, this doesn't make H1 a bad place so I'm not sure why you seem to take a view counter to yours so personally. I've dined at most of Chicago's BBQ joints and if not hundreds, certainly a huge number of BBQ joints across the country. If anything H1's inconsistency is fairly typical of a vast majority of places out there. This, in my view, makes it middling, and serves to explain why it didn't thrive in its current location. I always found the young kid at the counter to be a nice guy, and I wouldn't have assumed in a million years that they'd blame their customers for their middling success. So why are their fans here so insulted by a different view? It certainly doesn't reflect well on H1, or candidly, this board."Living well is the best revenge"
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Post #629 - January 9th, 2015, 11:07 pmPursuit wrote:I've dined at most of Chicago's BBQ joints and if not hundreds
Prince of BBQ around town.
We need a new thread about your exploits. Start one.
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Post #630 - January 10th, 2015, 7:50 amkenji wrote:What was the place just North of Cabrini Green on Clybourn that was painted purple, it was a tilting frame building with BBQ pit storefront and apartment upstairs. It was the mom's name. This was in the 80's into the 90's. She died then the kid took over.
That would be Farmer Brown's.
ETA, you might actually be thinking of Edith's. That was little further north on Clybourn.
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