BYOB at Honky Tonk BBQ
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After a long day of moving couches with my brother, we were up for a big meal. I've been meaning to try Honky Tonk BBQ in Pilsen, and since I live closeby, we were on our way. Being on 18th Street, there was ample parking, and their entrance is definitely an eye catcher- a single door ensconced in red and yellow paint, flames, and bright light. I had a feeling we were in for a meaty experience!
We immediately walked in on their carryout area, and I started to salivate with the smell of spicy barbeque. They have seating in three rooms: a dining room with local paintings, a bar area with booths and live music, and there are a couple of booths near the entrance. Another great feature is they are BYOB- but you better hurry because they have applied for their liquor license! We brought some Bohemia lager, a Mexican beer with a slight malty, hoppy flavor, and a lightness to not overpower the barbeque. Your waitress will bring an opener and icebucket as soon as you are ready to start cracking them open!
Next we were onto the food. We decided on the Sampler Platter: half slab of ribs, half BBQ chicken, pulled pork, beef
brisket, a hot link, 2 corn muffins, cole slaw and baked beans. We also wanted to start with something, so the 
waitress talked us into their chili mac- this was actually our favorite! The chili was thick, flavorful and beefy, with beans, tomatoes, and even some deliciously smokey beef brisket mixed in. It was topped off with mac & cheese- curly pastas coated with sharp and tangy cheese sauce. We loved it. Not soon after, our combo came out. We were in for a big meaty treat as we could sample all that they had to offer. We could pair them with three housemade sauces: a garlic sauce, a tangy sauce, and sweet sauce. I like to mix the garlic and tangy together. The chicken was moist, but the dark meat was undercooked. This can be tricky, as white and dark meat are better at different temperatures. The hot link was excellent- a smokey, spicy
sausage with crisp skin and porky presence. Both the pulled pork and beef brisket were slightly smokey, tender, and full of flavor. The ribs were a bit disappointing, as they were really dry and clinging to the bones, but the dry rub was really nice- the perfect blend of spice and flavor, though I like to make my home rub with a touch of sweetness. I really liked the taste of the baked beans, as they had pork rich flavor, and the touch of sweetness I was looking for. Overall, I think their barbeque is quite good, and I would like to give their ribs another chance.
I really want to go out and check out their space on the weekend when it's rockin' out to some
honky tonk. It looks awful cozy and I'll bet it's a great time! Also, I think I came to the right place, as one of my old friends left his mark- Guy Fieri. I will be sure to look for Honky Tonk featured on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives- it's great to see so many Chicago joints on Guy's radar. Make sure to grab your kids, bibs, and boots for a smokey BBQ time!
