Two of five nearby barbecue joints made the Chicago Tribune list:
Chicago Culinary Kitchen
St. Louis spare ribs at Chicago Culinary Kitchen in Palatine. (Nick Kindelsperger / Chicago Tribune)
Greg and Kristina Gaardbo launched Chicago Culinary Kitchen as a catering operation in 2016, but the response was so intense they decided to open a permanent restaurant. “I didn’t get into barbecue,” Greg Gaardbo said. “It got into me.”
Gaardbo is particularly proud of the brisket, which is seasoned with salt, pepper and espresso powder. After smoking for hours, the beef is wrapped in peach paper and brushed with tallow. The result is absurdly tender beef with just a hint of smoke in each bite. While I also loved the meaty spare ribs, part of the appeal of Chicago Culinary Kitchen is checking out the daily special, where you’ll find everything from smoked tri-tip sandwiches to Baltimore-style pit beef.
2391 N. Hicks Road, Palatine; 847-701-8243; chicagoculinarykitchen.com
Moontime Smokin’ Que
St. Louis ribs at Moontime Smokin’ Que in Crystal Lake. (Nick Kindelsperger / Chicago Tribune)
Heather and Joe Cummins knew they liked eating barbecue, but it wasn’t until they got married that they learned they loved cooking it. “We got a smoker as a wedding present in 2012, and then we realized we were using it three days a week,” Joe Cummins said. After practicing at home, Joe started smoking meat on Sundays at a bar he worked at, which started drawing big weekly crowds. The couple launched Moontime Smokin’ Que as a catering operation in 2017, before finally opening a permanent location near the Crystal Lake Metra train station last year.
All of the meat is cooked in one of two offset smokers from Primitive Pits fueled only by wood. While they wouldn’t have it any other way, this does require long days and nights. “I’m usually there at 10 p.m. or later to get things started,” Joe said. “It takes dedication.”
88 Railroad St., Unit A, Crystal Lake; 779-994-7119; moontimebbq.com
Read the full Chicago Tribune article here.
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