Soul & Smoke BBQ in Evanston and Avondale

I think Soul & Smoke is a newish BBQ restaurant in Evanston that has been opened in a physical location this past year and was previously inclusively a food truck and a ghost kitchen operation. They are located only a couple blocks away from the famed Hecky's BBQ and in my opinion quality is much better at Soul & Smoke than at Hecky's. Although prices also seem to be a little bit higher at Soul & Smoke as well.

Today I tried the 1lb Rib tips with a 4oz bbq sauce on the side which also come with an apple cranberry slaw which was delicious and not the standby vinegary bland Cole Slaws most are used to at other establishments. The Rib tips had a nice black pepper spice rub on them and a slight Smokey flavor. There is a walk up window outside which you can buzz and someone will come and take your order.




Soul & Smoke
1601 Payne St,
Evanston, IL 60201
https://soulandsmoke.com/
https://www.facebook.com/soulandsmoke/

Tribune Review:
https://www.chicagotribune.com/dining/r ... story.html

Thanks for the opening post. Per their website they have a second location in the Avondale neighborhood - 3517 N Spaulding. Trying to succeed real close to Smoque. I'll have to give the Evanston location a try before long. $33 for a full slab without sides seems high, but if it's as good as Smoque I'll have no problem paying it at all. They've sized up consumers like me well. There's really no discount for a full slab as opposed to a half, but people used to a full slab when getting ribs are very unlikely to scale back even without the value element.

They also come to the Evanston farmers market on Saturdays, although there are only two summer markets remaining. They also have a location right outside their restaurant where they leave free food for anybody that cannot afford it, and they have given away a ton of food during the pandemic. I know when they were doing COVID vaccine administration at the Levy center, Soul and Smoke was distributing free lunches to the volunteers at the clinic. The wife used to post here I heard, and she posts occasionally on the Facebook page of Supporting Evanston restaurants during the pandemic which I have visited a few times. The Facebook group very much wants to help Evanston restaurants though, and they jump all over people who leave a negative review for an Evanston restaurant, no matter how bad the service was. The restaurant is also minority owned too.

They started coming to the Evanston market last year. When the market opened up they could not sell ready to eat food, and so they had to sell a whole slab of ribs or what ever or whole brisket to discourage people from eating it at the farmer's market. They are now allowed to sell single servings of items, but you cannot get anything for less than $15 at the market, which is more than I am willing to spend. Hope this helps, Nancy

NFriday wrote: They also have a location right outside their restaurant where they leave free food for anybody that cannot afford it, and they have given away a ton of food during the pandemic.

Yes, I saw a person drive up and put a couple gallons of fresh milk in the community fridge and another patron taking some items from the fridge/pantry while I was waiting for food from Soul & Smoke.

The Avondale address is a ghost kitchen, so does not compete with Smoque for anything but carryout.

bweiny wrote:Thanks for the opening post. Per their website they have a second location in the Avondale neighborhood - 3517 N Spaulding.

ekreider wrote:The Avondale address is a ghost kitchen, so does not compete with Smoque for anything but carryout.

Confirmed 3517 n spaulding ave is a ghost kitchen for many restaurants via google search.
Google Search 3517 n spaulding ave ghost kitchen

I tried S & S at an event. I liked the brisket but it was ruined by an overbearing bun and thick gummy l*quid sm@ke laden BBQ sauce. I chatted briefly with D’Andre owner/pitmaster and he seemed a sincere knowledgeable fellow.

I should have gone back for a portion of plain brisket but never made it back.

FYI, portions were plated, there was a line and not the place, at least at that moment, for special requests.

ekreider wrote:The Avondale address is a ghost kitchen, so does not compete with Smoque for anything but carryout.

Carry-out seems like 80%+ of the game for this type of cuisine right now. But the ghost kitchen is a good point in that it's minimal investment so not a business plan of sustained competition. I knew the address looked familiar, maybe one of the new Balkan restaurants is out of the space as well.

Edit: It's the Balkan place Mike Sula reviewed 3 weeks ago. https://chicagoreader.com/food-drink/ki ... f-cooking/

bweiny wrote:

ekreider wrote:The Avondale address is a ghost kitchen, so does not compete with Smoque for anything but carryout.

Carry-out seems like 80%+ of the game for this type of cuisine right now. But the ghost kitchen is a good point in that it's minimal investment so not a business plan of sustained competition. I knew the address looked familiar, maybe one of the new Balkan restaurants is out of the space as well.

Edit: It's the Balkan place Mike Sula reviewed 3 weeks ago. https://chicagoreader.com/food-drink/ki ... f-cooking/

Slightly off topic but Bokuchan's, the Japanese curry place by Shin Thompson, was in the same location (but they are temporarily closed while moving to a new permanent location) along what looks to be a dozen other restaurants.
https://avondalesfood.com/

A friend used Soul & Smoke to cater Thanksgiving last year, and highly recommended it, so we got their pulled pork and smoked brisket for BBQ and it was a hit. Sauce came on the side, so no issues for people who wanted to eat theirs plain. We'd definitely use them again.

Barbecue restaurant Soul and Smoke is now open at Rockwell on the River, the event space and marina that’s already home to Metropolitan Brewing, Metropolis Coffee, and J & M Distillery

https://chicago.eater.com/2022/6/10/23162715/chicago-restaurant-openings-reopenings-summer-2022

Soul and Smoke had bottled their BBQ sauce, and they are selling it I think at Mariano's. I think their truck is making appearances at the Ravinia farmer's market on Wednesdays as well as at a few concerts on Evanston. The husband made an appearance on Good Morning America sometime in May.

BBQ restaurant asks $650K in city aid.
https://evanstonnow.com/bbq-restaurant- ... -city-aid/

Dave148 wrote:BBQ restaurant asks $650K in city aid.
https://evanstonnow.com/bbq-restaurant- ... -city-aid/

Soul and Smoke Chef D’Andre Carter says barbecue is about recreating memories through food. Now, after the Evanston City Council gave its approval, the barbecue joint will receive $650,000 in tax increment financing dollars to expand beyond its to-go and catering services to include indoor dining.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/ ... story.html

It never ceases to please how nice of a site Rockwell on the River is, and I hope there is forthcoming peace with tenants including Metropolitan Brewing, which is still putting out great stuff. Judson & Moore has been processing giant crates of orchard apples for brandy all fall. The Metropolis Roasterie has some of the better views and aromas of any factory store.

What I really have enjoyed on the last two visits is taking a tray of Soul & Smoke sides out onto the river seating or into the taproom. The spicy smoked chicken gumbo, collards, and red beans and rice are substantial and make a memorable snack with the homemade pickles. Of the meats which are held at the service counter from wherever they're originally smoked, I've only had tastes of the tips and links, but both were tasty and not overdry with commendable bark.

Santander wrote:It never ceases to please how nice of a site Rockwell on the River is, and I hope there is forthcoming peace with tenants including Metropolitan Brewing, which is still putting out great stuff. Judson & Moore has been processing giant crates of orchard apples for brandy all fall. The Metropolis Roasterie has some of the better views and aromas of any factory store.

What I really have enjoyed on the last two visits is taking a tray of Soul & Smoke sides out onto the river seating or into the taproom. The spicy smoked chicken gumbo, collards, and red beans and rice are substantial and make a memorable snack with the homemade pickles. Of the meats which are held at the service counter from wherever they're originally smoked, I've only had tastes of the tips and links, but both were tasty and not overdry with commendable bark.

Over the summer I also bought some native plants from Red Stem Native Landscaping there, too. Ordered on their website for pickup. Very healthy plants and was happy with them.

Soul & Smoke Returns to Chicago’s West Loop With New Location on February 16th

https://www.chicagofoodmagazine.com/new ... ruary-16th

Soul & Smoke to open first full-service barbecue restaurant in Evanston this summer

https://www.chicagobusiness.com/dining- ... nston-june