Oh wow... the food is so good. Â No seriously, minus the fries (and who needs extra carbs anyway) the meat is well seasoned, moist and tender. I'm not a link eater but I sampled a piece and oh wow the flavor.
They have many items (BBQ meats) to choose from and all are reasonably priced. The only drawback is the location....but don't let that deter you. Â Place order ahead of time, get your best "mean mugging" face together and walk quickly inside to get your order.
Drive home and ...Enjoy!
Best BBQ I have had in the city. One of theses type of places you have to order by number and cash only. hot links are delish and rib tips were  full of flavor. Turkey tips were a little dry but less bones. Would love to go here more but is way out of my way, but is always worth it when I go.
Review Source:This is for the new location:
I watched the Hungry Hound on ABC Channel 7 on Friday, February 15, 2013. The hubby and I decided to treck into the city to purchase food on Saturday, February 16, 2013. Â I would say that the food was just okay. Â I am not a rib person and I ordered the rib tips, hot links, and chicken for my daughter. My husband says that the chicken wings could of been better.
I agree with Ahminah, the customer service is horrible. It is the same at Dat Donuts which is located next door. The woman that waited on me today was a Hispanic looking woman (didn't get her name). Â She was rude. Â When I asked for sauce on the side, she kept repeating that it is extra. Â I politely told her that I have money. Â I spent almost $50 there. Â I don't know if the customer service that was rendered was because the place is located in the hood. Â I had lived in the area about 22 years ago and it is definitely the hood. Â
Message to the owner: Â You need to train your workers on good customer service. Â I was offended when the woman kept repeating "the sauce is extra" three times like I can't read the signs that were posted ( I have to Masters degrees and work at a college). Â She was very rude, ghetto, and uncouth.
I'll keep this to the point.
Uncle John's has the best links I've ever tried. Not even close.
The tips were good...but it was hard to tell how good as they were covered it what I would call an average bbq sauce at best.
Ton of food for the money (one order is two meals for somebody who doesn't eat to the point that they feel disgusted with themselves) but I don't think Honey 1 has to worry about losing my business. As long as I live in Logan Square and Uncle John's remains on 69th, that is.
Oh wow... the food is so good. Â No seriously, minus the fries (and who needs extra carbs anyway) the meat is well seasoned, moist and tender. I'm not a link eater but I sampled a piece and oh wow the flavor.
They have many items (BBQ meats) to choose from and all are reasonably priced. The only drawback is the location....but don't let that deter you. Â Place order ahead of time, get your best "mean mugging" face together and walk quickly inside to get your order.
Drive home and ...Enjoy!
Everybody got a strange Uncle somewhere. A kooky Uncle that maybe lives in a Winnebago. An Uncle that's an alcoholic and gets trashed at Thanksgiving. An Uncle that was in Vietnam and took acid, or an Uncle that was in a band. How about the Uncle that gave you your first hit a weed? Maybe you even got an Uncle that looks at you in a creepy way every time he's at your house and you're in pajamas.
BUT HOW MANY OF Y'ALL GOT AN UNCLE THAT MURDERS THE 'CUE?!?!?
Uncle John is that Uncle. The scene of his crime is, naturally, in a sketchy part of town where windows are made outta plywood, in a sketchy little hole-in-the-wall with no place to sit, no place to even lean up against, just a bulletproof window and a post-office like delivery system that ejects your paper bowl full a meat when your number is called. Even the smoker looks sketchy. It's got plexiglass walls so you can watch the meat cook. He calls it an "aquarium smoker." Sounds just like something your crazy-ass Uncle would invent, right?? So he don't have to get up every 5 minutes and check the meat.
BUT THE MEAT?!?!?!
People...The meat is out of CONTROL!!!! Uncle John made me a rib tip and hot link combo that I killed before I got more than 10 blocks away. To date, Uncle John's BBQ is the most amazing barbecue I have EVER had!!! The sauce pinches every part of your mouth, too. (Why Uncles always gotta pinch you?!?) Here in NYC, we got a lot of places to BBQ, but most of 'em are pretty average. Even the good ones can be inconsistent. Uncle John's in Chicago been banging out the BEST BBQ for a minute, and I'm able to testify after my trip a few weeks ago.
THANKS, UNCLE JOHN!
(Did you bring that with you?)
excellent fast service, (building does not look very appealing from outside) but the smokey flavors will make your taste buds drool. Also, the prices are not bad at ALL. CASH ONLY but on mondays they have 15$ full rack o ribs is a STEAL anywhere in this city! MACK Sevier is da bomb da best grill master and his gang is terrific. only problem is they closed on sundays, if they were open on sundays they could make a killing especially during football season.
Review Source:Unfortunately, some of the worst BBQ rib tips I've ever had. Â Paid a lot too with out of towners that saw the food network special and they just had to have it. Â No one ate all of their food and we ended up throwing away about 75% of the $75 worth of food we bought. I will give it one more chance at some point. Â My rib tips didn't look as good as those in the pics and i must admit the pics of the ribs look great but next time will be on someone else's dime.
Review Source:Just kill me now - life will never get better than it is when pigging out on on Uncle John's ribs, tips, chicken and even brisket (family and friends ate all the links but I was so stuffed I didn't even care) accompanied by fresh bicolor corn (you gotta provide that yourself). Â
After a couple years of experimentation, I have determined that the best way to tear every inch of flesh off of these meaty ribs - down to the bone - and from these meaty tips - ripping every sliver of meat from between the little bones at the ends - the best way is to get them packed in mild sauce, and then pour the hot sauce on top.
The mild sauce ain't that mild - Uncle Mel's (not Uncle John's) sauce is spicy, combines everything good from pineapple to garlic, and really brings out the flavor from Uncle John's meat. Â And then you pour the hot sauce on top - just slightly spicier, and a different blend of spices - and experience the the fateful fission that took place underneath the racquetball courts at Stagg Field.
There's no better food in the world. Â This remains true as me and my little ol' mom work our way through cold leftovers for the next two days.
This ain't Smoque, ya'll. Â This is IT. Â Get your Neanderthal on and grub like a starving rabid dog who's just discovered a bloody carcass.
They don't barbeque like this in Brooklyn. Â East Coast foodies, get thee to the South Side and find out what barbeque is.
I biked to Uncle John's BBQ with some friends from the north side of Chicago. Â I thought the length of the ride would cause me to build up an appetite, but actually, the heat and dehydration made me feel full almost immediately. Â This has been one of the most unfortunate occurrences of my life. Â I don't think I've ever wanted to eat more food and just physically not been able to.
Uncle John's BBQ is the best BBQ I've had in Chicago. Â It's probably also the cheapest. Â The hot links were great and the rib tips were fantastic. Â The hot sauce all of it was smothered in was perfectly balanced, though not really all that hot. Â I was told that I seriously missed out on not getting the chicken.
There was a line when we got there, but it moved surprisingly quickly. Â They also have one-liter bottles of Squirt, which was my perfect BBQ companion.
Next time I come back here though, I'm driving or taking the train.
I drove down on a Monday for some BBQ. Â I got a pink lemonade hot links and rib tips. Â The meat comes with hot BBQ sauce and French fries. Â The rib tips were chewy but to tooth off the leaner meat is easy enough. Â The hot links were the real treat. Â When I go back its going to be hot links for days. I tipped three dollars. Â As a side note I find a heavy meat load at the beginning of the week makes it harder to take off but I get good distance flying in the coming days.
Review Source:Thanks to all you yelpers for suggesting this place! I had been looking for a BBQ joint on the fair south side and I turned to yelp, and damn if you didn't deliver...rather Uncle John's delivered! Â Had the tips, hot link, and fried chicken...all was very good. Â Warning this place is a joint...don't come here looking for ambiance or sides. Come for the meat and I guarantee that you'll leave happy.
Review Source:Went to a BBQ that had food catered from here. Â It was awesome.
I had a massive spicy pork link (wrapped it in a slice of white bread), smothered in the spicy sauce. Â Delicious. Â And spicy! Â One of those slow heats that catches up with you. Â
Also tried some of the rib tips with mild sauce. Â Yum.
Go here!
You gotta be kidding me if you think this is the best BBQ ever. I got the rib tips and the meat was absolutely flavorless. To cover up the bland flavor, it was drenched in cheap quality BBQ sauce. Not an ounce of smokiness in the meat. But judging from where this place is located, it's no surprise the quality of food is piss poor. I'm no Southerner by any means, but being from NY, the city that has everything, I know what good BBQ tastes like.
Review Source:Some of the best BBQ I've ever had in my life! Â My family from a different state saw this place on some food show and requested that I bring them some. Â Needless to say, they put in an order for a tray of tips just about every holiday now.
Note about ordering trays - get your orders in early because they do get busy around the holidays and will deny you.
You will not find anything better than this on the south side .... The rib tips and hot links will make you slap somebody.... Its just that good! Very addictive, I've been there at least 20 times over the past year.....in fact they're so good that on the weekends the line goes out the door and around the building. So I've started going on Thursday when I have a taste for Barbeque to avoid the lines...................but these ribs are finger licking good
Review Source:I had the rib tips with hot and mild sauce on it - I SAID GOT DAMN! Those tips were smoky, meaty, not tough, and even the leftovers were good after nuking them. Â Their coleslaw, dare I say it, is BETTER THAN KFC'S! And I didn't wait all day for my order (OK, I did go on a Monday afternoon, but still--). Â My foodie buddy that came with me had the full slab with no sauce: I tried one of hers and it was VERY good. Â And that is the true test of ribs -- if they taste good w/o sauce, it's a winner. Â HIGHLY recommended!
Review Source:If BBQ was a drug trade, Ribs were crack, Uncle John's would be my crack dealer. And I need dat fix!
It was a sweltering summer night. My girl and I were at her cousins place, which coincidentally is not that far from Uncle John's. A short drive later and we were there around 9:30-10:00PM, no line, sweeeeeeet. It was probably over 100 degrees inside the place. I like that the newspaper clippings look like they're from 30-40 years ago, along with the interior and well...I guess the exterior of the place too.
We ordered a Full slab of Ribs, Some rib tips, some Fried Chicken (dark meat), and the best, YES DEEEEE BEST!, Hot link I have ever tasted. And some brisket, I gave the brisket to my dog. Sorry Uncle J, not doing that one right at all. HOWEVER! The rest of the meal was finger lickin' good. The ribs are masterfully smoked, the tips are bursting with flavor and ohhhhh soooooo juicy.
The hot link (yeah, it gets its own paragraph). I don't know where to begin, I guess we'll work from the outside on in. There's a great snap from the casing they use. The sausage mixture they have is tender, juicy, and full of heat. You can physically see the crushed red pepper and mixture of other peppers and spices they use within the meat. It even has a nice hint of smokiness that leaves you wanting just one more bite, OK one more, waaaaaait...one more. Shit, it's gone. HEY...YOU! Lemme get a bite of yours!
Uncle John's is absolutely a take out establishment only. Find some time to get down this way and have some of the best ribs, tips, and hot links you can find in this city.
So I think it's the entire experience that makes Uncle John's BBQ so good. Â First off, Â it's a little bit of a trek through an interesting neighborhood until you reach your final destination. Â Once you arrive, you quickly realize this is not a restaurant, rather a small kitchen with an equally small waiting area. Â Don't let the size or 9mm bullet holes through the [supposedly] bullet proof glass fool you, this place it top notch.
I'll be completely honest, I ordered the brisket (which must have weighed at least 3 lbs) and I wasn't impressed. Â It was pretty cheap for the amount of food, but I didn't think the meat was that great and the sauce was...meh.
At this point, I'm thinking to myself that all the awards and publicity was nothing but hype.... Â
...then I tried the the real BBQ....the rib tips, bbq chicken, and the sausage. Â Holy crap. Â Now this is what I'm talking about. Â Spicy sauce, tender meat, amazing flavour, omg. Â Super good. Â
So, next time I will bypass the brisket and go straight for the bbq combo, I would recommend you do the same.
Probably the best bbq I've ever had. Â I will be back.
Do you ever eat something so freakin tasty it makes you want to strip naked, sing on top of your lungs, and dance like you have rhythm?
Well fortunately for me I have rhythm. And dancing while eating BBQ is pretty messy. That's silly.
Anyways. I'd say this is probably one of my favorite bbq places with Hecky's in Evanston coming in second. The links have awesome bold flavor. Love the rib tips. Chicken is pretty damn good too. Ask for the spicy bbq instead of the mild....unless you can't handle it...wimp.
Go with a big appetite because a combo plate is about a few pounds. It's also well worth the price (cheap).
Neighborhood is not so great, but makes eating the food more thrilling. Â Can't wait to go back again.
Ok, im going to get right to it,  4 stars for food  and a solid 0 for location and atmosphere.  There is just something concerning about having your food handed to you thru bullet proof glass.  But aside from the bus depot / corner liquor store decor the food was good.  A whole lot better than that other Chicago favorite (smoque). Â
Rib tips were smokey with a nice bark protecting all that tender meat and fat. Â Sauce had nice balance between heat and taste. Â The best hot sauces in my book are the ones that make you sweat but taste so good you still lick your fingers. Â At Uncle Johns you will be doing a lot of finger licking. Â Hot links were nice and juicy with a unique spiced flavor that made it different from your traditional Italian sausage. Â The only down side is that they completely drowned the entire dish in their sauce, so there is such a thing as to much of a good thing. Â Â Â
I'm not going to review the sides, cause they mine as well not been there. Â For $7 you get enough meat for 2 and neither of us had room to taste the sides.
Smoked over elm, oak, and mulberry, these hot links are the juiciest (and tastiest) in Chicago. So good in fact, when a friend and I decided to put together our own "BBQ Crawl" for fun this was one of the few places we hit up. 100% of the time we go for the hot links, but from time to time it's to chow down on their rib tips.
I've read some of the complaints over the rib tips from out-of-towners and I kinda get it. The rib tip thing is really a Midwest deal, so my advice is if you're not open to digging thru bone and cartilage, this isn't gonna be your thing. Rib tips are chewier and require a bit more gnawing. But the all-around flavors are phenomenal.
So if you're up for it, Uncle John's (and Lem's on 75th) are the best for rib tips in this city, hands down. Both of which have the bulletproof windows and turnstyle. It's no coincidence, it just shows the lengths some of us will go to for good food.
If tastes could kill.
Like many neighborhood rib joints, you have to know what to expect, and equally important, you have to know how to order. Unlike all the rib fests where baby backs are in the spotlight, this place serves up spare ribs (St. Louis cut to be specific) and rib tips. However, they do have a sign posted that they do serve baby back, but they didn't have them when I went down, and I think that the attraction is really the spare ribs and tips. I don't mind as spare ribs have a bit more fat on them and thus are usually more tender and flavorful. Besides, quality neighborhood places almost always serve tips and spare ribs, since they're cheaper. If you want baby back, go to some white person bar/grill/chop house on the northside (not that those places are bad, it's just that that they have different culinary focuses).
Anyway, I'll start by saying what everyone should get when they go down there at the very least:
1. Get a hot link; it's a big, amazingly seasoned sausage with a significantly spicy kick for a sausage and the best snap I've ever experienced. It's just amazing all around.
2. You should also get some tips, but listen closely how to order them. Get them without sauce (sauce on the side) and pack the fries separately. Keeping the fries in the box just makes everything that much more greasy (and the fries suck, but that's to be expected at a rib place like this). Getting the sauce on the side allows you to control how much sauce you want, so you don't have this big soupy mess when you open up the box. Oversaucing also detracts from the smokiness of the meat; you'd be surprised to find that you really don't need that much sauce, if any, and I guarantee that if if you get the sauce on the side, you'll be taking many bites without even any sauce just to savor the smoke, which this place does to perfection and something you'll miss if you have an ocean of sauce.
3. Finally, you must get some spare ribs (just called ribs on the menu). I recommend this especially if you're one who doesn't like gnawing around the bone, gristle, and cartilage of the tips. These are more meaty and less onerous to eat (though not quite as tender and flavorful since they're leaner than the tips). Since these are bigger than the tips (hence take up more volume in the box) ordering them sauced isn't as detrimental, in fact it might even be preferable.
4. Chicken is optional, and I guess for those in your group who are freaked out by the concept of ribs (boo). There are 2 options: fried and sauced and not fried and sauced (although I'm sure you could get the sauce on the side). One person in my group ordered this, and while I certainly wouldn't come down here for the chicken alone, it was respectable. I recommend going with the nonfried option (just called bbq chicken).
Ok, now let's address the sauce. Basically, there are three possibilities: mild, hot, and half hot and half mild. The mild is actual bbq sauce, thick, tangy and sweet. It's damn good, and will best all other sauces you've had (except one - see below). The hot is actually quite hot and consists mostly of Louisiana Hot Sauce (yes, the one from the bottle). The hot should NEVER be ordered alone on the ribs. If you must have some kick, order a half hot and half mild. However, bbq ribs are really not supposed to be hot at all, and, in my opinion, the heat really interferes with the smoke. However, the hot has a use when it's cut with the mild. I'd say my preference is for the mild alone, but half hot half mild also works. Just make sure you DO NOT order all hot. (Ok - I've driven this point home now...)
The sides are a joke, but at quality rib places, the sides are always a joke. I guess people think that there's an inverse relationship between the quality of the sides and how much focus is placed on the meat. In any event, you ain't coming here for the fries; they're just a soggy mess. And you can just toss the slice of wonderbread that comes standard at the best rib places like this one, unless you want to soak up every bit of extra sauce, for which I just use my fingers - they're a mess by the end anyway...
The people behind the glass are exceedingly nice, and I made them smile when I busted out my Southern "yes ma'ams." Overall, this place is worth the trip down. As for the spare ribs and tips (I really don't compare spare/tips and baby back - they're just too different), these are the second best I've ever had, and I grew up in and traveled all over the south. The best was this place in New Orleans (Adam's BBQ). They didn't separate the tip from the spare rib which created this massive chunk of ribby amazingness (their ribs were the most tender I've ever had). They also had excellent sides too, something I've never seen at one of the upper level rib places, and the best sauce period. Alas, Adam's did not survive Katrina, rest in peace. Anyway, this is not a review of Adam's, so for spare ribs and tips, Uncle John's is the best place in existence that I know.
I was SURE I'd be giving this 5 stars. I just KNEW that it had to be as good as I've read from people and articles. I was wrong. Before I go further, I do believe this place has potential for 5 stars...just not from my experience today.
I ordered a full SLAB which I rarely do but wanted to try a few different things. I also got my favorite thing to order, large RIB TIP/LINK. Now, they may not want me to let the cat out but I was there at 12pm and theyre not supposed to open til 1 but the OPEN sign was on and I was walking in! I got my order quickly and also decided to purchase a jar of the mild sauce. Now I dont usually get the SAUCE ON THE SIDE but am glad I did. The mild would be fine to pour over everything but the hot really is TOO HOT. I love spicy with some things but with this, it just takes away from the flavor of the meat.
So I got in the car and wanted to try a little right away. Its a good thing I didnt have anywhere to go because it wasnt long before it was on my chin and shirt. The RIB TIPS were very tasty...at first. But when I got home I realized too many of the tips were dry and too burnt. Now I love little burnt bits but it cant be the whole tip in most the order! Rib tips are my FAVORITE so this was a sad realization for me. Lets move on...
The SLAB I got for later this evening but I had enough to know they were smoked proper. Perfect texture, nice tear off the bone. The HOT LINK was PHENOMENAL! Nice, FAT sausage, wonderful flavor, not dry but juicy with a little bit of a crispy skin.
The sides were sad. I realize all the great places serve flimsy white bread but I couldnt pick mine up without creating a big hole in the slices. The coleslaw is more like soup. Way too creamy. That being said, no one goes for the sides.
I was going to give this 3 stars but the more I wrote, the more I realized it was still 4 stars.
I overheard someone behind the glass thinking I was gonna brag about this being the best bbq I've ever had. Nope! Not gonna happen. But it does have the potential. I may not look like the "typical customer" that walks in but that doesnt mean I'm gonna choke down dry rib tips and slather myself in the leftover sauce while shouting on the rooftop UNCLE JOHNS IS THE MOST BESTEST IN THE WORLD!!!!!
And yes I know thats not a proper sentence. Dont insult me.
I was looking to go out of my way for some serious BBQ today, and after already having eaten at Smoque, Uncle John's seemed a pretty solid "next up" on the list for a try.
It's easy to get reeled into all of these 5-star Yelp ratings, I told myself after getting to the storefront at 12:15... 45 minutes before the place opened. Â And, after killing 45 minutes before being let in, I was like a rabid dog waiting for smoky flesh.
I went for the #7 - rib tips and hot links combo, which were 2 new experiences for me. Â With sauce on the side (a must for any good Q) those tips were punching with flavor. I've truly never eaten anything with that level of smokiness - these ribs set the standard in that department. Â They were burnt crispy in just the right places - awesome texture. Â And, the sauces are amazing. Â I preferred the mild, which is tangy, sweet, and downright drinkable. Cuts the fattiness of the ribs just right. Â The Hot is also great, but HOT - good for an occasional dip, but it would out-muscle the meat if you slathered any food in this stuff, IMHO.
The links were good. Â A little different, but didn't really stand out. Â Spicy, yes. Â A great, crispy snap with each bite. Â Well seasoned. You can really see the peppers inside, and its a complex smoky mix of flavors. But, they just didn't add up in the end. Anyhow, I wasn't really craving more after a few bites.
I'm a slut for side dishes, but I actually really liked the fact that you only get a base of fries, two pieces of white bread, and a mini cup of slaw (w/extra mayo). Â I respect that as a sign of "we take our meat seriously, so you can go shove your truffle-infused 10-cheese mac..."
Wife got the chicken, which tasted like BBQ chicken but with a dose of smoke. Nothing too surprising there.
The only thing keeping this from a 5-star rating is that the last quarter of my rib tips seemed stale, or dried out, or something... Nothing like the succulent morsels I started out with. When I realized that the last few bites were nearly un-gnawable, that was a bit of a let down. I'm hoping it was a rare circumstance.
With so much BBQ popping all over the city, I give Uncle John's a high, totally legitimate, smoky thumb's up, but I'll have to check out some other spots before feeling compelled to go out of my way for a 2nd visit.
I've eaten Smoque. Â I've eaten Honky Tonk. Â I've eaten Fat Willy's.
And now I've finally found Chicago's bbq goldmine.
Ever since going to Uncle John's, i don't just crave it, i dream it. Â The sheer amount of bbq goodness you get for less than $10 is almost comical, but the taste is anything but funny. Â You know you're getting great smokey flavor when you see the smoke clouds rising up from this otherwise inconspicuous joint in south chicago. Â Sure, there may be some people who hesitate to take the trip down here but do yourself a favor and go. Â Nevermind the lack of seating, the bulletproof glass windows, the cold waiting area - this is bbq at it's purest.
I ordered the rib tips and links combo. Â People aren't raving about these sausages for nothing - spicy, juicy, with a nice crisp outer skin to seal everything in. Â The rib tips were so good that I even considered eating the bones as well. Â Ask for half mild/half hot sauce - both were good enough for me to cheat on my low-carb diet and scarf down the bed of fries that the meat is piled upon. Â To take the cake, my single order left me completely full, which (trust me) is a rarity.
I've heard good things about the brisket and regular ribs, which i'll probably try next. Â Remember it's cash only too.
Now that cigarettes are bad for you.... you have to get your smoke on in different ways.
Uncle John's is a veritable feast of meats that will have any vegetarian openly weeping near the bulletproof glass that adorns the order window.
Here's the not so skinny:
Chicken, rib tips and links are absolutely amazing.
What is a rib tip? Rib tips is the lower part of a spare rib and consists of meat and cartilage from the rib bone. The rib tips are usually removed to create St. Louis ribs and are dirt cheap. This is the reason why they are so good for BBQ low slow smoky goodness for the masses.
Biting into the link is a Holy Moly moment. The thing is the size of two Italian sausages with fat bullets and has the awesome porky flavor of smoke and fresh sage.
The ribs are a skip in my opinion, yes smokey, yes fatty, yes not so fall off the bone.
Every order is enough for two people. As the kitchen is small, all accouterments are basically fried, namely fries under every order and wonder bread on top. Heaven
Oh and don't mind the shady neighborhood (thank god not eat-in) and the bullet hole in the bulletproof order window, mystery and danger are the best spices.
Yes, it's in a rough neighborhood. Yes, its only carry-out.
But, I could care less. Because the BBQ is some of the best hands down in Chicago or anywhere.
Not only is the BBQ awesome, the serving sizes are huge and everything is reasonably priced at $9 or less.
I ordered a large rib tip, large Hot Links, and full slab of ribs.
I had food leftover for a week.
Everything was perfectly smoked. The meat had just the right amount of smokiness, which added just the right amount of flavor. The meat was moist and had just enough bite.
the Hot Links were unique and awesome. I've never tasted a Hot Link like this one and I was hooked. I just kept talking a bout them. the spices just jump all over you.
The sauce is a tangy strong chi-town bbq sauce that's so good that the lady in front of me lined up before they opened and bought a whole gallon jug.
I highly recommend calling for their hours and get there early because people do line and up and the line grows fast.
I normally don't like saying one restaurant is better than another, each should stand on its own merits, but the BBQ here blows Smoque and Honey 1 BBQ out of the water. Why? Smoque's meat is only lightly smoked and the flavor of the meat without sauce doesn't hold up against Uncle Johns. At Honey  One, they just over smoke their meat. It ends up tough and hard to chew. Each restaurant have their unique sauces and to each their own, but the meat at Uncle John's hands down is the best representation of Great Chicago BBQ.
If you love BBQ, this is a must try.
Oh my, here we go again with all the spoiled, whiny cry babies complaining about the neighborhood. Never gets old huh guys? I thought we were reviewing the food.........
With that being said the chicken is very good here. The hot link orders are huge. My bf ordered a large and it lasted for a week. The links are also perfectly seasoned and VERY lean. Some places when you cut into the link you can see lots of fat. Not with Johns all you see is pink pork and lots of herbs and spices.
The links are popular so they tend to run out, so call ahead before going. They don't take orders over the phone either. Good, cheap but quality links. Also No one has ever been shot, stabbed or assaulted in here. My best friend lived on this block her mother still does. An old lady can brave this neighborhood but you can't? lol. Grow a pair.
Like Ye L. says, this is a bulletproof glass type of establishment. And there's no place to sit.
Other than that, I thought this one of the best BBQs I have had in Chicago. The ribs had a great smoky flavor and on the meaty side. The sauce was on the sweeter side, but I enjoyed it. I think this place is well worth your money, especially for the flavor and portions you get!
I wasn't too much of a fan of the rib tips. I like rib tips cooked to the point I can easily chew through the cartilage. So definitely, start with the slab of ribs.
These are my favorite ribs. Â I could see the smoke rising above the building several blocks away. Â I went in there and they guided me through the menu. The peoplr working here are *so* nice and friendly. Â I ended up getting half a slab of ribs for only $10. Â It was smoky and not too sweet, nor too tangy. Â
And there was plenty of sauce - I served these ribs with a fork and a spoon.  They served the bread separately, so it didn't soak up all the sauce in the ribs.  And the fries, which were at the bottom, were perfectly  thin and salty and still slightly crisp, even after absorbing the sauce. Â
I like this place a lot more than Lem's.
This place has the best bbq in the whole city. Â It's a little sketchy place - thick glass, bars, and no place to sit to eat or while you wait for your food. Â Look past the aesthetic issues, though, and you will find what might be the best ribs and chicken known to man. Â The sides are decent, fries, cornbread, and smothered in bbq sauce which I found to be tangy and not as sweet as what you will find elsewhere. Â Also, the prices are super cheap! Â No parking, cash only.
I scraped for every piece of meat with every piece of starch to pick up every drop of sauce that I could.
Holy Hot Links!!
We finally made it down the Uncle John's and the Mack is most certainly back. You walk into this humble establishment and stumble up to the bulletproof glass to order (get the tips and hotlinks combo). To your right is likely Mack, who will be working the smoker. He is the pitmaster here and will likely be with you and your clothing for most of the night. The sauce is exceptionally sweet and I prefer to have it on the side. The links were the star of the show. They were porn star sized and were a great mix of the child of spicy sausage and breakfast sausage. Nearly perfect.
Putting it up against the other BBQ joints in the city, the only competition is Smoque. To me, they do different things and they are difficult to compare, but Uncle John's is certainly not to be missed if you like good BBQ..
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