Real BBQ finally found its way to Chicago
Saturday, November 01, 2008
Fat Willy's. I finally found a bbq spot in Chicago that knows what their doing. I have eaten fare from the top spots in KC and Memphis (Central's, Jack Stack, Payne's, Neely's, Gates, etc), and Willy's uses the same cook steps as some of the best I've tasted. The bark on the ribs was the first tell tale sign, you know that this meat spent many hours in a smoker. Not like some of the other ribs I've had in the city where they are just "cooked" over wood smoke. The bright pink color of the meat when you pull apart the bones is pure bliss. The links were another nice suprise. They don't hang out in the smoker for hours, but they are very flavoful and have a crisp skin on the outside. The horseradish sauce that comes with them is very unique, and a perfect compliment of flavor. The 2 negatives here are the uninspired bbq sauce, and the very high prices. There are 2 types of sauce available, the standard sweet sauce and of course a spicy version. They both had a good tangy flavor, but lacked any depth compared to others I've had. I tend not to put a lot of sauce on my bbq so it didn't spoil the whole experience. When it comes to the prices, it is probably the most expensive meal I have ever had at a bbq joint. The quality here is very good, but does'nt justify the cost. It would be very difficult to get out of Willy's spending less than $15 per head, and actually be full. $25-$30 will get you a taste of everything you want and leave with your stomach happy. If you truly want bbq the way it was supposed to be smoked, try Willy's and you'll have a great experience. Don't forget to order an extra side of Texas toast!
Pros: Meats are smoked like real southern BBQ
Cons: High prices aren't justified for what you get