A Rib Tip, a Spare Rib and a Hot Link Walk into a Bar...

Tonight, the plan is to bring a bucket of Honey One rib tips into a sports-dive bar to watch some NCAA games. Does anyone have a suggestion as to which bar has the requisite horde of televisions, cheap-as-dirt beer, and mostly importantly, a look-the-other-way policy on Outside Food?

The dive(ier) the better.

Thanks!

A rib tip, a spare rib and a hot link walk into a bar. The rib tip orders a round for the three of them. "I'm sorry, you'll have to leave," says the bartender, "we don't serve food here."

I'm not sure if it meets all your requirements but one decent, moderately scruffy bar where you can watch a game and bring your own food is Jimmy's (a/k/a Woodlawn Tap). Since their reopening 5 years ago there are numerous TVs and, even though it's not really a 'sports bar', there should be plenty of people watching the games. You can get (not particularly cheap) pitchers of beer and they don't mind if you bring in food. If you decide to go to Hyde Park, you won't be too far from Barbara Ann's where you can get excellent rib tips and hot links much better than Honey 1's (I'm a big fan of Honey 1 except for their links).

Jimmy's Woodlawn Tap
1172 E 55th St
Chicago
773-643-5516

Barbara Ann's BBQ (and Motel)
7617 S Cottage Grove Av
Chicago
773-723-4780

No doubt you will get a ton of suggestions, but you might narrow the field by suggesting a specific locale. For my part, I will tout Farragut's on Clark (betw. Berwyn and Farragut). Not exactly divey, but not frou-frou either, and dimly-lit, which for me, is a bonus. Relatively cheap drafts ($3.25) including all the usual suspects (Bell's Amber, Honker's Ale, Guiness, Sierra Nevada) as well as some midwestern standouts (Three Floyds Alpha King and Great Lakes Porter, but alas, no Bell's Two-Hearted).

I show up regularly to take in a post-workout Bulls or Cubs game with a couple of banh mi or baba ghanoush pitas clenched in my mitts. Chew. Swallow. Chug. Repeat.

titus - I'm imagining that the drafts start at $3.25? Because if they are selling pints of draft Guinness for $3.25 I'm going to have to move closer! Nevertheless quality draft at $3.25 is still a good deal.

Rene G wrote:get (not particularly cheap) pitchers of beer and they don’t mind if you bring in food. If you decide to go to Hyde Park, you won’t be too far from Barbara Ann’s where you can get excellent rib tips and hot links much better than Honey 1’s (I’m a big fan of Honey 1 except for their links).

Barbara Ann’s BBQ (and Motel)
7617 S Cottage Grove Av
Chicago
773-723-4780

Seconded, obviously - best hot links in town.

Anyway, just wanted to say - went down to BA's yesterday. Almost every
time Iam there, my regular order is the tip-link combo (huge amount of
tips and 2 links, for 9.50 or so, a great deal - plus fries and slaw, of
course. Too much to finish in one sitting, often). Theyve also had the
"medium links" - 2 links for 6-odd bucks; and "large links" - 4 links for
about 9 bucks IIRC.

Well, yesterday after a long time I changed my order - cos they now have
a "Super Link Special", which is 6 links, fries, slaw, for 11.50 or so (plus
tax), really a very good deal. I did debate this, wondering f I should stick with
tradition and the tip/link order, their tips are very good too, and after all
without tradition our lives would be as shaky as fiddlers on roofs... but then
the woman behind the counter said they were tossing in 7th links if one went
with the SuperLink Special, and I gave in to fate. Sure it might make life
unstable, but how does one turn down an extra BA hot-link? Long may
the special continue (as also the bonus link), even if I do miss the tips.

c8w

Thanks for the rec's--

I actually ended up not going last night. Although, I still find the information useful. Bringing carry-out in to bars is not really something that you want to be a trial and error activity.

trixie-pea

Kman wrote:titus - I'm imagining that the drafts start at $3.25? Because if they are selling pints of draft Guinness for $3.25 I'm going to have to move closer! Nevertheless quality draft at $3.25 is still a good deal.

Kman - Sorry for the late-ish response -- I have change-of-ISP issues. You're probably right re: the price of Guiness at Farragut's. I know that they sell Stella for four bucks -- I imagine Guiness must run about the same. I am absolutely sure though, at this time anyway, that they sell the Anchor Steam, the Honkers, the Alpha King, the Great Lakes Porter, Bell's Amber, and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale for $3.25. That's enough to keep me entertained. BTW, on Tuesdays, drafts are $2.50.

Kman wrote:titus - I'm imagining that the drafts start at $3.25? Because if they are selling pints of draft Guinness for $3.25 I'm going to have to move closer! Nevertheless quality draft at $3.25 is still a good deal.

Kman: Sorry for the late-ish response -- I have change-of-ISP issues. You're probably right re: the price of Guiness at Farragut's. I know that they sell Stella for four bucks -- I imagine Guiness must run about the same. I am absolutely sure though, at this time anyway, that they sell the Anchor Steam, the Honkers, the Alpha King, the Great Lakes Porter, Bell's Amber, and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale for $3.25. That's enough to keep me entertained. BTW, on Tuesdays, drafts are $2.50.

The staff is nice but it's not exactly cheap as dirt - but they have tv's and the drink specials are good.

Black Rock
Damen just north of Addison

They closed the kitchen about 3 - 4 years ago so they will even let you use the phone to order. D'agostino's knows the place very well, as does Chinalite and Siam Noodle and Rice.

titus wong wrote: I am absolutely sure though, at this time anyway, that they sell the Anchor Steam, the Honkers, the Alpha King, the Great Lakes Porter, Bell's Amber, and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale for $3.25. That's enough to keep me entertained. BTW, on Tuesdays, drafts are $2.50.

Any one of those at $3.25 is reason enough to visit. Yet people will be standing in line in a few weeks to pay Murphy ~$5.00 for a can of Bud. Go figure.

I'm putting Farragut's on my list of things to check out. Thanks, titus.

Rene G wrote:If you decide to go to Hyde Park, you won't be too far from Barbara Ann's where you can get excellent rib tips and hot links much better than Honey 1's (I'm a big fan of Honey 1 except for their links).

Rene,

I completely agree, Barbara Ann's tips and links are great, there is something almost magical about the way BA's links interact with the sauce, though I still order sauce on the side and lightly dip the link.

I would, however, like to mention Honey 1 has ever-so-slightly changed their links, not the link itself, just the way they cook them. H1's links are still slow smoked over a wood fire, but whereas before they were a bit on the dry side, H1's links are now juicier which allows the flavor/spice to really come through. H1's sauce is no slouch either.

Man o man, now I'm in the mood for tips and links, but which one, BA or H1, hummmmm, why not both.

Enjoy,
Gary

Honey 1 BBQ
5135 W. Division
Chicago, IL
773-626-5436

Barbara Ann's BBQ (and Motel)
7617 S Cottage Grove Av
Chicago
773-723-4780

Apologies if this is old news.

Today I had occasion to spend a few minutes with the pit man at BA's, who I take it is Uncle John, seeing as he's the guy who came up with the recipe for the links of that name. I was hoping to buy some raw links, but less than the 20lb. pack that is offered. Didn't matter, because none were available. Anyway, we got to talking about the links, and he said that while he used to grind and stuff the links by hand on the premises of the famous smokehouse and hourly motel, the sausages now are made to his specifications by a local meat packer. I mention this because some fans noted a change in the taste of BA's links.

I think they are still pretty darn good (esp. with the hottest hot sauce of any BBQ place). Uncle John is one of the coolest people you'll meet, too.

PS, the BA run was at the end of a meandering drive back from Kankakee, avoiding all interstate highways. Monee, a once notorious roadhouse town full of gamblers, mobsters and cathouses (according to a long time local) didn't reveal any food secrets to me, though the main drag sports a very atmospheric looking Bierstube with a huge beer garden. Not open when I went by, but it looked sort of promising. I have been to many Mexican, Italian and BBQ roadhouses, a Portuguese, and a few Chinese, but this was the first Bavarian roadhouse I can recall.

I then struck out in Chicago Heights and South Chicago Heights, where I went looking for food related remnants of the once thriving Abruzze population there. I found little, though several very old (going back to the 20's according to signs) very tough looking windowless Italian taverns near the tracks looked to hold some memories. Stepped into Carlo's/Lorenzetti's because it's lot was full of cars and ambulances, but the dark, 70's Italian spot had a very generic Chicago Italian American menu.

Down the street in Olympia Fields I took one for the team by grabbing a tip link combo from the Kenny's/Island Jerk Chicken/Dusties Buffet superstore, which is basically the soul food version of the new genre of giant Chicago regional fast food places (Al's/Nancy's is almost next door). Honestly, I've had worse tips and links from places with a better reputation. Commercial gas smokers were in use, and the meat had just come out of the box. So not too bad compared with some of the old reheated crap I've paid for at places such as various Coleman's and Leon's.

PS, Island Chicken, affiliated with the Kenny's chain, should not be confused with the live fire, seriously good Tropic Island on 79th Street.

JeffB wrote:Apologies if this is old news.

Today I had occasion to spend a few minutes with the pit man at BA's, who I take it is Uncle John, seeing as he's the guy who came up with the recipe for the links of that name. I was hoping to buy some raw links, but less than the 20lb. pack that is offered. Didn't matter, because none were available. Anyway, we got to talking about the links, and he said that while he used to grind and stuff the links by hand on the premises of the famous smokehouse and hourly motel, the sausages now are made to his specifications by a local meat packer. I mention this because some fans noted a change in the taste of BA's links.

Jeff,

Not old news, but I am ever-so-slightly confused. Both ReneG and Erik M, two people whose palates I have much respect for, have noted changes in Barbara Ann's links. I was at Barbara Ann's last Thursday with ReneG and Trixi-Pea and did not notice a difference in the links, ReneG thought the links more like the old formula, but possibly a little light on the sage. I did note that the links, when lightly dunked in the sauce, did not seem to 'pop', flavor wise, as in the past, but seeing as how we had hit a number of places prior to Barbara Ann's, it may have simply been a case of palate fatigue.

In regard to Barbara Ann's making their sausage in-house, I can say for sure that it's been outsourced, with their recipe, to Uncle John's for 4-5 years, which is about how long I've been going to BA's. One of the first questions I asked, after tasting the links, was can I buy a few pounds, Mack, the pitman, directed me to Uncle John's for a 20-lb box.

Actually, this brings another minor point of confusion, is the person your are referring to as Uncle John the person I know as Mack? Here is a picture of Mack in action.


To further add to the confusion ReneG mentioned that the store/small production facility where Uncle John's sausage was made is no more. I wonder if the Uncle John's closure coincided with the flavor/taste change in BA's links while either a new sausage maker worked to get BA's recipe to their specs or Uncle John's moved to a new location.

JeffB wrote:I think they are still pretty darn good (esp. with the hottest hot sauce of any BBQ place). Uncle John is one of the coolest people you'll meet, too.

Agreed, Mack is a great guy and the links and tips are in the top two in Chicago, with Honey 1 being my other favorite link/tip.

Barbara Ann's Tips and Links


As an aside, I really love this type of interchange, discussing the finer points of Chicago style hot links at Barbara Ann's. Talk about obsessive, talk about granular, talk about "I've found my tribe."

Enjoy,
Gary

Gary, sorry to add confusion. The pitman, Mack, is the fellow I mistook for "Uncle John" based on his comment that the links are his creation. I've met Mack and I've read about him, but I never put 2 and 2 together. (Plus and old CH review calls him Uncle John, maybe for the same reason/assumption.)

I can only repeat what he told me, which is that at one time he personally manufactured the links for BA's by hand, on premises.

Based on the collective knowledge, I now have to assume that those were the real old days, like the 90's, and not more recently.