Carson's

I ordered 1/2 a slab of ribs and 1/2 a bbq chicken, the ribs were tough, the chicken was decent. My wife had their garbage salad which we literally threw in the garbage, the lettuce was turning brown and the salad was 1/2 canned hearts of palm. We will never order from Carson's again more

Awesome as Always more

Not very good. Ribs were tough and big boned not much meat Very expensive for what I got more

So happy they finally deliver!!! more

Carson's used to be a great restaurant. It is now really, really bad. I wasted $40 on food which was inedible so I ended up having to throw about 90% of it out. I will never order or go to Carson's again. more

I'd order the cole slaw and au gratin potatoes, BUT... not the ribs. Lean and tasty, but chewy and very little meat. Delivery guy showed up without change more

The Deerfield locations is a great place to go if you enjoy the opportunity to have a fire at your table - no, not a fire on purpose, but on accident. While the food here is decent, the ownership is rude and completely insensitive to dangerous situations a customer experiences while frequenting the establishment. Sunday night was one such incident where an exposed flame (table candle) caught a napkin on fire near the table which blew into it as a result of the heating system cycling - the fiery napkin eventually made its way to one of our jackets and burned it to the point its no longer wearable. \r \r The ownership's daughter went on to blame the my mother for the fire - which left everyone around them completely speechless and jaws on the floor. A call to the owner himself (Dean Carson) the next day netted nothing but a bunch of drivel about how great his restaurant is and how its not his fault and he's not doing anything about it. Apparently he says he only makes $5 on a $100 meal - hard to believe one can stay in business with such poor profit margins...I can tell you this - he won't be making anything off us, our family or friends ever again after his ridiculous display if ineptness and callous perspective on a dangerous experience that ocurred in HIS restaurant. Oh - and by the way, he also says he doesn't have insurance for ""that type of stuff"" which would concern me a bit about going back anyhow. Then told us if we want to get a lawyer, go ahead.\r \r The proof is in the pudding, as the next day, the Deerfield Fire Marshall showed up to check the candles and ordered the ownership to replace all of the candle setups in the restaurant with safer ones where the flame does not extend above the glass - hmmm let's see - we give out paper napkins and thin plastic bibs to people and have exposed flames - and don't understand how a fire started...?? Apparently we're not talking about a group of owners who are also members of MENSA. If the Fire Marshall ordering the candle change doesn't prove who's at fault here, not sure what else you need to know. more

The worst dining experience ever. Terrible service. Terrible food. They should not be allowed to call these ribs. The sauce was a disgusting ketchup onion powder mix, the ribs were overcooked and you needed a knife to cut through them. Literally nothing good about the entire experience. We had a group of seven and other than the coleslaw which was decent, but so runny it looked like a soup, not one person liked anything they had. At one point about 20 plates and bowls were stacked on the table for at least 10 minutes and when I asked the waitress to remove them her response was ""That's the busboys job"" The worst $250 I have ever spent. Do yourself a favor and avoid this place like the plague. more

when in Chicago, I asked some locals where to get good ribs/steak. They suggested Carson's, and I couldn't be more grateful!!!\r We got ribs, that comes with a bread basket of unusual and fun selections, coleslaw (definitely a must get) and a potato side. I got the sweet potato fries (they were OK), and my boyfriend got the potatoes au gratin (so wonderful). The prices were reasonable, the people watching was great, and the ambiance was relaxed and fun (they give you bibs when you order ribs...). So worth it!!!\r We also got the tiramisu for dessert, and it was fantastic. A large, LARGE piece that was full of flavor and cream.... yummy.... more

What used to be an istitution in Chicago for BBQ has with out a doubt taken 10 steps back. After a long week I was in the mood for some good BBQ. The food was mediocre and the service was bad. 15-20 minutes to place a drink order is a bit obsessive, the server then told us that she was busy and all her tables are getting up at once and she will be back after she has collected payment. Having dinner with my girlfriend and her mother I did not want to make a big deal about how the server told us that we are less important than the other customers. Unless you have hours to waste and and don't hold service as a high priority, I would suggest that you avoid this place at all costs. Pros: Old Chicago Icon Cons: Service is old and tired more

i think who has written a review and didn't like the food, is crazy. Carson's has incredible ribs, bread, potatoes and coleslaw. And its not pricey at all for ribs. The only thing is the host was rude. more

Take it from a Memphis family of professional BBQ tasters, this place had poor, unfriendly service, they don't take reservations from groups less than six so the wait can be long for a less than mediocre product, and the BBQ is not authentic. You would be better served to order BBQ on-line from a Memphis restaurant and have it shipped to you. Cons: sauce, BBQ, service more

I have always considered carsons to have to best ribs in the Loop. I have been there many times for several years. Ribs are always outstanding. If you want to it ribs you will not be disappointed Pros: everthing Cons: non more

I have eaten at Carsons for over 15 years, and it was formerly GREAT! Now the ribs are tough, and the usually outstanding giant NY Strip steak was overcooked and grissly. BIG dissappointment. The only saving graces here are the BBQ chicken, Pork Chops, and the Liver Pate' on the lounge happy hour table. Don't miss that on a cracker w/ some diced onions. Service has been slow and inaccurate lately, I probably will never return. BTW, saw a big empty plastic pail of Open Pit BBQ sauce sitting out in back of the restaurant. So much for their ""secret"" sauce! ;-) Pros: BBQ Chicken, Pork Chop, Liver Pate' Cons: SLOW service, Steak overcooked, Ribs tough more

After nearly 18 years in Chicago Carson's is still my ""go to"" place for ribs if I'm not making them myself. Went there on my first visit to Chicago in 1984 when I was looking for an apartment for a new job. Now I go but take the wife and 3 kids. Pros: Good Ribs, Kid Tolerant more

Ribs were dry, sauce was wet. The ribs were very ordinary and unimpressive. The sweet sauce is not my taste but would have been ok except it couldn't salvage the ribs. Other stuff on the menu in our party was good but not unique. more

The ribs at Carson's could use a good boiling to tenderize them and remove some fat. The red coating that is applied causes the fat to congeal and the ribs to appear uncooked to most people. Simply broiling the ribs makes them tough and hard. Barbacue sauce is not supposed to look like jello. Cons: Tough, high fat content, high cost more

Delicious BBQ sauce. The ribs were very tasty. BBQ pork sandwich was exceptionally good also. Will be back!! Pros: Nice smoky flavor, Sauce was very smooth, Tender Pork Sandwich Cons: little presentation more

If leather and beef jerky is the way ribs are to taste, then Carson's is the place you want to go. If they cook them any more well done, they'd turn into dust. more

Sorry .. on my way out I did notice that you included Raleigh/Duram in your 'city' list .... Been there too ... much 'Northern' influence from all those college kids that go to school down there .. not the best example of 'Southern BBQ' .... more