Pork Shoppe
| Address: | 5721 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60660, USA |
| Phone: | +1 773-654-1800 |
| Site: | porkshoppechicago.com |
| Rating: | 4.5 |
| Working: | 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 10
HE
Heather Payne
As far as BBQ goes, it is really hard to disappoint me as Im pretty much thrilled to eat any meat that is smoked and I could literally eat bbq sauce by the spoonful. So when I heard about a place in Avondale (the new cool restaurant mecca), I couldnt wait to give it a shot. Let me say at first glance, I really liked it here. First off, its across the street from Kumas; which is genius in terms of location - how many times have you left Kumas because the wait is too long and then tada - heres the solution. A cool bbq joint with a tasty selection of whiskeys and reasonably priced brews. The interior is nothing fancy, but thats fine because I dont expect nor do I want anything fancy at a bbq place. Im not a huge fan of the pig artwork on the walls - call me crazy, but I just dont need to put two and two together right before enjoying my tasty pork meal. Thats just a sidenote. The man working the counter was quite personable and when I couldnt decide on what to order, he was quick with suggestions. So heres the rundown...I got St. Louis style ribs, a brisket taco and the boyfriend got the chili and the brisket basket. Im sad to report that I was most looking forward to the coleslaw that came with my ribs and to my dismay, that was left out of the to-go bag. The ribs were fine. Nothing exceptional, but tasty. As for the sauces - fail! There are three different sauces to choose from and none of them did the trick for me. I liked the taco. The brisket was delish and it was only $2. I probably would have been happier with just a few tacos. Now the brisket basket is like going to a deli and ordering 1/4lb of brisket because thats all it is. Not exactly the deal of the century. Of the entire meal, we both agreed that the chili was the overall winner by far. It was super unique and extremely flavorful. I wouldnt say that this place is bad by any means, but if you dont like the bbq sauce - thats pretty much a done deal in my book when it comes to a bbq joint. If you do go check it out, dont miss out on the chili - it is probably the best Ive ever had.
LO
Loren Dutca
Being big BBQ aficionados, we decided to hit up Pork Shoppe – we live right down the street and have been to everything but this place and BOY have we been missing out. The ambiance of the restaurant is hipster-ish, cutesy cartoonish and rustic, all in one. I am blanking on the waiter’s name (man bun, he’s a distinct man) – who was an absolute joy to have serving us. He explained the menu and details of the meal even if we did not ask. I ordered the BBQ tip with Mac n’ cheese (I will cater this exact one at my wedding, I swear) and fries (you will not find this kind anywhere else, I promise you. My boyfriend got the ½ rack ribs and beans and cornbread. We tried both and were more than pleased with our, and one another’s meals. The meat is slow-cooked and so tender, it melts in your mouth. They have a great three-option sauce: sweet, spicy, and tangy. I mixed the spicy with some mayo and it was delicious. I also have the Apple Mimosa which has apple cider (for fans out there) with cinnamon in it. Dangerous: Does not even taste like alcohol. Would we come back? Again and again, maybe even tonight. Extremely affordable, tasty, and great staff. GO.
AN
Anthony Calek
The Pork Shoppe is real BBQ no doubt. The St. Louis style ribs were expertly smoked, they split with some gentle force, the seasoning was light and let the porks natural flavor shine through, delicious. The cut of meat was less enjoyable however, and in my estimation would/ should have been used for burnt ends rather than a half-slab cut. The Mac and Cheese portion was ample, almost enough to share with another person, yum. The star of the show for me was the cornbread and butter, one of the best in the area. I will go back, I hope they refine their meat offerings a bit.
WO
Wolfgang Muller
Great location and atmosphere, the service is top notch, we really liked their pulled chicken and pulled pork. We didnt get to try their ribs but we hear good things. We started with Chicken Wing Appetizers and they were very average, similar to what you would get a local bar not smoked just basic small wings and sauce. The baked beans came out a little cold and were average. The Kale salad was okay and the kale itself was wilting. We also ordered the Chili which was again average. Overall not bad with some items received very well but most items were average.
A
A Private User
Dont know what good to say about this place very bad first experience... ordered the taco (dry too much onion) tried the beef brisket sandwich (dry as hell and I had a craving for it) the pastrami (dry over smoked and fatty) the chilli (oily) coleslaw (no flavor) potato salad (nasty) last thing the corn bread (was ok had better but did taste it until one hour later didnt come with my order very much soo disappointed..... sorry but I will not recommend this place... but still wish you all well.. great people
AA
Aaron Hartley
We were staying down the street for a short gig weekend and this place made hosting a ton of old friends easy, and whats more the food is awesome! The staff was super friendly on the phone and in person. Reasonable prices for food and drink. This place and the Beer Temple next door make this an awesome area to stay in if youre passing through. I had the 1/2 and 1/2 rib dinner and was able to keep half for lunch the next day. Highly recommend this place. Super tender and delicious pork. Cant beat it.
DA
dan cohen
I thought the ribs + sweet bbq sauce were fantastic. Not "fall of the bone" style but wonderfully smoked. Id get them every time. Big fan of the sliced steak, too. Brisket was good, pulled chicken was ok, didnt love the pulled pork. Chili was fine, beans and burnt ends were good. Slaw was fine. Mac and cheese is good. Taco is a reasonable $2 option. Summary: get the ribs and sliced steak with some baked beans and mac and cheese. And the pork belly pastrami.
MA
Mary Willoughby
Loved the food! Some of the most interesting Cole slaw ever, and that is a positive statement, not snark. We had both pulled pork and beef brisket sandwiches (yea, in spite of the name they do have a few beef and chicken dishes) and one was as wonderful as the other. Great interior, a modern rustic, if you will; even better tunes played by management. The only caveat - arithmetic may not be your servers strong suit, so double check your bill.
ZA
Zac Wong
The Pork Shoppe is a great BBQ restaurant in the Andersonville neighborhood that has a wonderful indoor and outdoor space. The large outdoor eating area is filled with picnic tables and a bocce ball court. The ribs I got were fantastically done and all of the sides stood out. They have plenty of meal deals and events throughout the week so theres always a good reason to go. Service was on point as well with a very considerate wait-staff.
A
A Private User
1. You have to pay extra for a poor quality bun that quickly disintegrates under the weight of the meat. 2. The pork was horribly oily. 3. The beef brisket was very dry. The branding, the concept and the mac&cheese are the only successful things about this place. Good ideas do not equal good food. Go to Smoque on Irving Park instead.
