Porkchop

Reviews 3

TO

Tony Moy

Tried three dishes... the Mac n Cheese with Pulled Pork, a full slab of ribs and the southern fired chicken. The Full slab and chicken being indicated on their menus as their "specialty" items. While the pulled Pork seemed pretty good (probably the best part of the meal) the Mac itself wasnt anything special, and definitely was not worth the $11 price tag. It came in an average sized bowl/portion and it tasted like any Mac and Cheese I could make at home. It wouldnt have taken much to make the dish taste like it costs, bake it a little, pop in a few other types of cheese ... done and Im a happy camper. (or cut the price down and Id be better) The Ribs were solid. Not great fall off the bone juicy deliciousness, but very solid. A good dry rub complemented by a decent tangy sauce. There isnt much I could say that was bad about the ribs, but for being the house specialty, there isnt much I could say that was memorable about it. Wasnt the juiciest, wasnt the dryest, wasnt the tastiest, wasnt the worst. For $24 for the full slab, I expected to gain as much satisfaction as I would have for a $24 steak at Mortons, unfortunately I did not. The sweet potato fries that came with the ribs werent the tastiest either, they were a bit soggy and the color of them (along with the fried chicken) led me to believe the oil was a bit dirty. As we packed up the leftovers at the end of the night, I was surprised that I didnt take the fries home, because I normally take EVERYTHING home.... =) The southern fried chicken, came out looking quite dark. and worried for a few moments that it was burned. They definitely added some custom spices to the batter, but I couldnt tell if the oil was dirty or thats the way they were suppose to look because, the chicken skin was quite dark. Barring that, the chicken was quite tender and juicy and very well cooked. and all three pieces were a decent size. The breading was crunchy and had a unique flavor, but I could definitely take bites where all I got was the breading. It reminded me slightly of Browns chicken, if anyone remembers that. I enjoyed the green bean and potatoe sides, but then again Im a sucker for green beans. I was really looking forward to some beans and rice, but they ran out that night. The sweet potato fries were definitely soggy and a bit narsty, possibly serving it smashed underneath a slab of ribs could have done it in. At the end of the evening, I left wishing I had gone with the pulled pork sandwich. The mixed bourbon drinks were strong, but for some reason the Manly sounding Bourbon Smash was presented to the table, and made me feel like I needed an umbrella to drink it. Overall the food seemed solid. There wasnt anything I could say that made me think it was horrible or bad, but for the price, I felt I should be saying how awesome or unique it was. The staff was more than friendly and helpful, The decor was a fun western farmy kinda feel. You can hold a conversation and it wasnt too loud or cramped. But either cut the prices to match the quality, or up the quality a bit more. I easily felt there were some simple things that could have been done to make me feel I spent a worthwhile check.

TO

Tony Moy

Tried three dishes... the Mac n Cheese with Pulled Pork, a full slab of ribs and the southern fired chicken. The Full slab and chicken being indicated on their menus as their "specialty" items. While the pulled Pork seemed pretty good (probably the best part of the meal) the Mac itself wasnt anything special, and definitely was not worth the $11 price tag. It came in an average sized bowl/portion and it tasted like any Mac and Cheese I could make at home. It wouldnt have taken much to make the dish taste like it costs, bake it a little, pop in a few other types of cheese ... done and Im a happy camper. (or cut the price down and Id be better) The Ribs were solid. Not great fall off the bone juicy deliciousness, but very solid. A good dry rub complemented by a decent tangy sauce. There isnt much I could say that was bad about the ribs, but for being the house specialty, there isnt much I could say that was memorable about it. Wasnt the juiciest, wasnt the dryest, wasnt the tastiest, wasnt the worst. For $24 for the full slab, I expected to gain as much satisfaction as I would have for a $24 steak at Mortons, unfortunately I did not. The sweet potato fries that came with the ribs werent the tastiest either, they were a bit soggy and the color of them (along with the fried chicken) led me to believe the oil was a bit dirty. As we packed up the leftovers at the end of the night, I was surprised that I didnt take the fries home, because I normally take EVERYTHING home.... =) The southern fried chicken, came out looking quite dark. and worried for a few moments that it was burned. They definitely added some custom spices to the batter, but I couldnt tell if the oil was dirty or thats the way they were suppose to look because, the chicken skin was quite dark. Barring that, the chicken was quite tender and juicy and very well cooked. and all three pieces were a decent size. The breading was crunchy and had a unique flavor, but I could definitely take bites where all I got was the breading. It reminded me slightly of Browns chicken, if anyone remembers that. I enjoyed the green bean and potatoe sides, but then again Im a sucker for green beans. I was really looking forward to some beans and rice, but they ran out that night. The sweet potato fries were definitely soggy and a bit narsty, possibly serving it smashed underneath a slab of ribs could have done it in. At the end of the evening, I left wishing I had gone with the pulled pork sandwich. The mixed bourbon drinks were strong, but for some reason the Manly sounding Bourbon Smash was presented to the table, and made me feel like I needed an umbrella to drink it. Overall the food seemed solid. There wasnt anything I could say that made me think it was horrible or bad, but for the price, I felt I should be saying how awesome or unique it was. The staff was more than friendly and helpful, The decor was a fun western farmy kinda feel. You can hold a conversation and it wasnt too loud or cramped. But either cut the prices to match the quality, or up the quality a bit more. I easily felt there were some simple things that could have been done to make me feel I spent a worthwhile check.

MA

Marshall Stokes

Too good to describe with words. I dont live in Chicago, but I work in West Loop regularly. Ive been dining and drinking at Porkchop for a couple of years now, and its only become better as theyve refined their recipes, drinks, and menu. Service is always spectacular. Everything BBQ-related they make is incredible. In fact, while I havent actually tried every last item on the menu, Ive probably had ~80% of it and there isnt a single option I havent enjoyed. My favorites: * Fried Ribs * Red beans & rice * Black & Blue burger * Chicken & Waffles * Blackened Catfish Drinks are all fantastic. They have an excellent whiskey selection (Few, Koval, even some Van Winkles if thats your thing, plus plenty of other unique options), and the bartenders are always wonderful. They also keep their on-tap beer selections interesting and updated, too. While the food is a big part of what brings me back to Porkchop every time Im in Chicago, the service is what turned me into a loyal regular. Always friendly, always helpful, always welcoming. Porckchop has become my own personal Cheers, with much of the staff having actually taken the time to learn and remember my name despite my relatively infrequent visits (since Im in Chicago less than a dozen times a year). There are loads of dining options on Randolph St., many of which are excellent choices (I have tried them all), but my advice is to walk right by all of them and go straight to Porkchop if you havent already discovered this little gem a few blocks west of Halstead.