Honky Tonk BBQ

Honky Tonk is a barbecue place in Pilsen. Came here for dinner before the Pilsen Art Walk and was pleasantly surprised. They had live music that night. I had the rib tips and they were moist and smokey. My friend had the viking beef short ribs. It was a giant chunk of meat on a bone and was perfectly tender. We both enjoyed the meal and will be coming back.
Street parking wasn’t too hard to find.

Food was superb.
I got bottle of lone star beer, yeah like it very much.
Stay a bit longer to really enjoy the place.
It’s too noisy inside during peak hour.
That’s a bit problem for me.

My husband and I tried their sampler platter and while it was definitely enough food we should have gotten an order of flavor as well because everything on that platter was bland. Even a liberal application of their bbq sauces did not help as they were lacking in flavor as well. Ribs and chicken were dry, pulled pork unremarkable, brisket the winner (and that’s not saying much) and their beans tasted like a can of pinto beans dumped into a cup.
Bacon candy was tasty and the service was good (hence the two stars instead of one).

There is live music some night. Drinks are excellent. Ribs were very tasty. I wanted all the side dishes!

Stopped by on the way to a concert at Thalia Hall and was pleasantly surprised. The flavor of the pork and beef brisket was absolutely incredible. Disappointed that they didn’t serve french fries/​sweet potato fries/​tater tots, etc.

Music good, service good. Bbq was not top notch as I’ve had better from being from the south. But ok for Chicago. Good prices. Drinks were the best!

My husband and I popped in here randomly last weekend to grab some dinner before a show at Thalia Hall, and THE STARS WERE ALIGNED THAT NIGHT, friends. We feasted like kings… Carnivorous kings.
If there are three-​to-​four of you, order the Sampler Platter. If there are only two of you, order the Sampler Platter and brace yourselves. If there is only one of you, order the Sampler and bring a book and stay there all night if you have to in order to enjoy all of the meat blessings about to be bestowed upon you momentarily. This thing is huge, friends. It comes with:
— Half of a chicken. HALF. That’s a lot of meat!
— A rack of ribs!
— Two brisket sliders! (Don’t let the word «sliders» throw you… They’re pretty much full-​sized sandwiches)
— Two sausages!
— Coleslaw!
— Beans!
— Two cornbread muffins with butter!
And we stupidly ordered an extra side of mac ‘n’ cheese to go with this meaty bonanza. And we ate it too.
At this point, I’d like to mention I’m from Texas. I approve of this BBQ. More importantly, I approve of their brisket. And their sauces. Their sauces are legit! And they pair nicely with a crisp Lone Star, WHICH THEY ALSO SERVE!
In conclusion, Honky Tonk BBQ = meat heaven, and you should definitely go there and bring lots of friends. The End.

3.5 Came here on a Sunday around 4 pm. The place seems spacious. There weren’t many customers when we were there but they were slowly strolling in as we ate. Loved the briskets and the huge candied bacon beer was definitely quite interesting. Food came super fast too.

Honky Tonk gets 4 stars overall. As a restaurant alone, they’d probably be in the 3 star range. As a music venue that serves food, definitely 5 stars compared to other venues I’ve been to. The trivia is great too.
As a restaurant, the service is on the slow side, the food is a bit pricey, and the fact everything is a la cart is a bit annoying at the price point. The BBQ is not terrible, but also not anything to write home about. It’s better than ab famous Dave’s, but no where near Smoque. Only exception is the fried green tomatoe BLT. It is by far the best thing on their menu and can go toe to toe with any sandwich in the city and only $ 8.50. The pint and candied Bacon for $ 6 is also a steal.
As a music venue or trivia pub, the food is much better than any other competing place. The prices are lower than most price gouging venues and much higher quality.
Basically, if you’re looking to spend a few hours with friends listening to music or playing trivia (free on Wednesdays 8:15 PM with prizes!) This place is perfect. They don’t make you feel rushed and are infinitely better than the competition.
If you want to grab a meal in 30 minutes and are looking for speedy service and best cost/​quality, this isn’t the place for you.

I’ve been to this place time and time again.
Great décor in the bar area.
Live music on Friday and Saturday nights.
Great meat and sauces.
Awesome salads and green tomato BLT! OMG!
Strong and tasty mixed drinks.
Right at opposite corner of Thalia Hall and great place for a pre-​concert BBQ dinner.
What more could you want?

Full disclosure — as my profile states, I’m a transplanted Southern boy, raised 40+ years on pork barbecue, Carolina collards and Momma’s ‘nanna pudding. So, like a true North Carolina pig pickin’, this might get a bit sloppy.
The menu is pretty simple: an selection of sandwiches featuring pork, brisket or smoked chicken, or try a combination platter of the same, ranging from $ 14 -$ 33, depending on additional sides. There was a token, albeit very tasty, portobello mushroom sandwich topped with collard greens.
Upon arrival, my beef brisket Delux Platter ($ 16) sent off as many mixed signals as the restaurant’s décor — despite no visible smoke ring on the large mound of meat, the two top pieces were perfectly succulent and tender, glistening with just a touch of grease, and sprinkled with a dash of paprika-​tinted rub. Unfortunately, the meat tucked below the trophy peak of goodness was gray and lifeless, impossible to tug apart and void of any discernible flavor, good or bad. The meat on the brisket sandwich our friend ordered looked much nicer, and was, enviously, more juicy. The pulled pork sandwich has subtle smoke flavors, a distinctive smoke ring, but the rock-​hard roll was a simple throwaway.
Unfortunately, not even the barbecue sauces could revive the monotone meats; a hat tip to South Carolina, the mustard-​based sauce was tangy with a hint of honey, white vinegar and a queer note of raw garlic. The two ketchup-​based sauces, while described by the waitress as «one hot, one not», tasted almost identical. I would guess the large squeeze bottle was a tad sweeter, maybe from a dollop of molasses — the second featured more vinegar and maybe a pinch of red pepper.
The side dishes were also a conundrum — both bowls of macaroni and cheese were ice cold on the top, yet steaming hot on the bottom. I not sure what linear shift in the space-​time continuum causes such a temperature inversion, but it made for a lively discussion at our table. Sadly, the béchamel cheese sauce was flour-​y and bland. The coleslaw, however, had a definite tang and crispness. The bowl of collard greens brought the meal to a complete halt. The green’s «pot liquor» had a distinct taste of tobacco, or «bong water», as described by one taster. And while a tobacco leaf in collard pot isn’t completely unheard of, I seriously doubt that was the case.
The service was unremarkable; our food was delivered in less than 20 minutes and the dirty utensils and half-​eaten plates of barbecue were cleared without comment. We’ll give the place another try just to make sure it simply wasn’t an off night for the pit master.

As I literally sit in this place, for probably the 100^th time, I realized I’ve never reviewed it! So here I am. Eating what I’m about to talk about…
This is the one BBQ place in town that I keep going back to. The atmosphere, the food (!), and the service — will all keep you coming back. And the fact that there is great blues/​jazz every Sunday (with The Fat Babies), and really good trivia every Wednesday, there’s reason upon reason to make this a regular spot.
There are a lot of ways I could approach talking about the food, so I’ll just say what you should get when you come here — ideally with two people. First, both of you should have a Bacon & Brew. It’s one of the «not to be missed» (NTBM). Next, one should get the Texas Brisket Chili + Mac & Cheese (aka ChiliMac, with extra/​additional side of the Mac if you’re really hungry); and the other should get The Delux with both meats. The Hot Link is also a NTBM, so you may want an extra one of those. For side, the coleslaw is a little different and good, or the beans (which has more meat, in case you wanna go with the theme of my review). Then I’d breathe, and prepare yourself for banana crack: The Banana Pudding (NTBM). Also the Blueberry Cobbler, if they have it. But for sure, the Banana.
A word on the service, it can get busy, so sometimes you might need to be nice and patient. Other times, just nice. All depends on the day.
Sometimes they do run out of the Bacon Candy and Hot Link on extra busy nights, so be prepared for temporary heartbreak. But that just means you’ll have to come back again, and again, and again, and…

I love that they play live music here. Service was great, we had empanadas and the girlfriend salad. They were off the charts specially the salad. I ordered the ribs since I’m regular at green street smoked meats that was hard to follow my ribs were too dry for my taste. The chicken was great though. Love the banana pudding, definitely a solid 4 stars and it’s in Pilsen which is my neighborhood. Gotta love great food and great live music

I’ve come to the Honky Tonk a couple times, and let me say nothing pleases me more than the name. Any place with vigor in it’s name is worth a visit. The food at the Honky Tonk is to be tried. It’s all BBQ and it’s a great variety of meat to sample. It’s like BBQ and Southern and vintage décor all wrapped into one establishment. The ribs are good, flavorful, and filling. The corn muffins are a smart choice… right on point with flavor and texture. A nice treat or an accompaniment to a meal.
Wednesday nights there is Trivia; throughout the week there is live music as fun background to your meal and company or the main entertainment of your evening. If the music doesn’t draw your eye, step to the back and take a look at the walls; there is a lot of décor to be viewed as sheer kick to the evening. Grab your partner and saunter on in!

I had high hopes, the smell outside is awesome. I wandered in before concert at Thalia Hall. Asked my server if the tips or the brisket was best, he suggested tips, which i love… done correctly. They were dry and tough… a bit overdone to say the least. They wouldnt tear apart… very much like low grade jerky. The sides of greens and garlic mashed were really good so i might suggest keeping the cook of those and getting a new meat chef. Overall, id say half the tips were edible, the rest, would be suitable for my pooch, if I had one, and i was mad at him. Service was good. but I wont be back. my suggestion is the cook should travel the US to find the true potential of smoked meats, because this example was not it. Pass

Honky Tonk is a-​okay – for average, not awesome.
I got the green tomato BLT, which should actually be called the fried green BLT for «fried green (bacon lettuce) tomato» because it’s two fried green tomato patties in slider buns! Genius, brilliant brilliant idea, but delivery fell just a little flat. The fry batter was average – on the onion ring batter spectrum rather than the country fried chicken spectrum. I think it should be the latter. The $ 2 extra goat cheese is goat cheese crumble in a little cup? Not a goat cheese spread on the actual sandwich, which I thought was a little strange and over-​priced.
The mac and cheese is unique. It definitely has a sour spank and spice that makes me think of «buffalo mac and cheese,» but I’m not sure it actually has buffalo sauce in it. It’s definitely different. The maple syrup encrusted bacon is decent, too, but doesn’t come out piping hot. It’s a little cold and dry on presentation, more like a maple syrup glazed beef jerky.
I’m also a sweet tea snob, and their sweet tea tastes like Nestea… not sure if they just need to buy some better tea or what. But definitely on the cheap tea side, which… come on, this ain’t no honky tonk! Oh… wait…
Overall, I would go back for late night dive food, but it’s not like Green Street. Green Street is definitely on a different caliber of high quality, fresh preparation and presentation. Honky Tonk really is… maybe just more like a honky tonk.

VERY NICE
… atmosphere was very enjoyable … loved the music /​band was great! Dancing was added plus!
FOOD WAS A+
… a MUST TRY is the SUPER-​SIZE SAMPLER PLATTER! **Huge sampling of Dry-​Rubbed Ribs /​BBQ Chicken (loved the smoke) /​Smoked Links /​Cole Slaw /​Sky-​High Stacked Pulled Pork Sammies (they didn’t last long on our table of 2 men 3 women). Corn-​Muffin was to die for — yummmmmm!
ALSO TRIED
… RIB TIPS — portion was more than enough to share — loved them! *try sweet BBQ sauce as side splash!
…MAC & CHEEZZEEEE — my grand-​daughters favorite!
… BRISKET — was fabulous!
ONLY DISAPPOINTMENT
… the beans never showed up on our platter!
YES — I’L BE BACK

Honky Tonk is a solid bbq place in the Pilsen area. My coworkers come here every Wednesday for Trivia night, so I decided to come join them yesterday. The restaurant is dark and really long, with a center stage for live music and where trivia announcing takes place. I came here quite hungry and ordered a whole order of smoked chicken. The chicken was moist, and the skin was nice and crispy. Each half chicken was placed upon half a hamburger bun, which I though was kind of odd considering there would be no way to eat it like sandwich (bone and all).
What was odd about their dishes is that none of the smoked meats or sandwiches come with a side. What??? And in order to get a side, you’d have to cough up 3.50 for the regular size which stinks. They should at least offer a side at discount if you order one of those meal plates. Sadly, this is not the case.
Trivia was really fun though. They have some crazy hard questions that require knowledge of current events, with a pretty big focus on literature and geography. Bring your worldly friends and you might stand a chance!

Bacon Candy– must get enough for at least half a piece for everyone, we had a piece for everyone and I was in love but felt like it was crazy
Sampler– crazy huge. Wasn’t crazy about the chicken but the ribs and hot links were delish
One of the salads– meh, could have passed on it
I wanted all of the sweets but didn’t have any space. We all left with some leftovers! The live music is cool but the service isn’t that great. I don’t think I’ll be back but glad we checked it out.

Boot, Scoot & Boogie!
If you’re in the mood for some BBQ & country, saddle up & go to the Honkey Tonk BBQ in Chicago, IL. Honkey Tonk is a low-​key, casual/​divey, neighborhood bar that serves up an appetizing menu of BBQ, brews & specialty house drinks. I guess it has a more countryish theme than your average Chicago bar cuz it’s called «Honkey Tonk,» serves Q & country-​sounding, specialty drinks & plays music that’s not hip-​hop, pop, rock or alternative. But that’s about as country as it gets at HT cuz you’re more likely to find neighborhood locals & a crowd o’hipsters rather than any cowboys. HT is no-​frills & is dark with a bar & wooden booths & has a small stage for live bands.
Nothing at HT really screams «honkey tonk» to me but perhaps the menu gives it southern cred! HT has a whole gamut of traditional BBQ offerings: ribs, brisket, pulled pork, BBQ chicken, sausage & the like. BBQ is my least fave food group to be honest & I really only like ribs from 1 place in Chi & 1 place in Memphis. But I was hungry so I tried food here for the first time on my last visit & got the «Girlfriend Salad.» It’s mixed greens with goat cheese, jicama, berries, walnuts, HT house dressing for $ 8 & I added BBQ chicken for $ 5. The salad was a big portion with ample fresh goodies & I think the chef placed a whole damn chicken on top! The chicky was very juicy & flavorful like a dry-​smoked, BBQ seasoned kinda chick not drenched in BBQ sauce, thank goodness! Giddy-​up! I’d eat this GF again, this was surprisingly one of the best chicken salads I’ve ate in awhile!
The sides are a la carte so I got the small side of portobello mushrooms ($ 3.50) cuz I can’t ever pass up a gemmy bowl o’shrooms! These guys were big & sautéed to a crisp literally, the edges were a lil too crunchy for my preference. Good flava but ease up on the char-​effect perhaps?! I also added on 1 corn muffin for $ 1.50. Presentation was cute but muffie was kinda cold. Kudos for bakin’ it with real corn pieces inside though, was probably betta/​fresha earlier that night but still tasty. I can’t vouch for the ribs or other Q options at HT but based on my gemmy, BBQ chick-​GF salad, I’d wager the other stuff is good too.
FYI: If you’re a fan of all things bacon, you’re in for a treat cuz HT is known for its specialty starter, bacon candy. For $ 11 ya get a plate o’cut-up, caramelized, fried, crunchy bacon strips. I’ve tried it & I’m not a fan but lotsa peeps go hog wild over this shit!
HT has gotta a good selection of beer on tap & cool countryish, house drinks & lotsa liquor. I usually just go straight vodka but I did taste the «Moonshine» house cocktail ($ 8): It’s bourbon, Veev Acai spirit, lemonade & house-​made cherry. It’s too sweet for my bitta blood, but I’m sure it’d only take a couple o’these & I’d be a Mello-​Yello!
Last HT provides free, live musical entertainment for its patrons. The time lapse between my previous visits to HT & my most recent one has been quite awhile but if my memory serves me right, I believe there were blues-​country, hillbilly rock genre kinda bands performing on past occasions. I can’t be 100% certain since every time I’ve been to HT it’s been quite late & drinkin’ straight vodka tends to blur the memory. But on my last to visit to HT, a jazz band was undeniably performing & not the cool, bluesy kinda jazz rather the «I feel like I’m stuck on a GD, packed elevator & I wanna effin’ hang myself kinda jazz!» But ya can’t always get what ya want!
So if you’re in the mood for something a lil off the beatin’ path or are cravin’ some Q & live music in a low-​key/​neighborhood kinda joint, I recommend boot-​scootin’ into the Honkey Tonk BBQ in Chicago! A lotta peeps are supes cray about HT & would prob give it a 4 or 5, but I’m not really into C&W & am usually just ridin’ bitch when I wind up here. HT isn’t really one of my fave watering holes in Chicago but y’all might FUC luv it & I still think it’s a pretty cool place to get some Q, brews & if you’re lucky hear a lil blues!