With Elgin Community College so close to being done with the spring semester, and summer almost upon us, the itch for some good barbecue might be upon you. Well, we went to three different places to show you some ways to scratch that BBQ-itch.

First on the list: Chili’s in South Elgin, IL.

Will:

The half slab rib’s at the South Elgin Chili’s were, interesting to say the least. They arrived warm, as if they had been prepared much earlier in the day and were just sitting under a warming lamp waiting to be served. That would have been fine if the ribs weren’t extremely thin with an OK sauce. The meat was tough and nothing to really write home about. The biggest problem with them was that the two outside pieces only had meat on one side. For $12, it won’t break the bank but it won’t impress much.

Ryan:

The first set of ribs that we tried was at Chili’s and they were probably the worst. While the sauce was not too bad, the overall dryness of the ribs were enough to overshadow the sauce. While the size for the full slab does come up to the price, I would have to say pass on these ribs just because of how dry they are. Pass on Chili’s ribs, in general.

Next up: Old Towne Pub in Wasco, IL.

Will:

Old Towne ribs were a bit more expensive but they did deliver. The sauce was very tasty but still a little generic. There was a lot more meat on these bones, which was very welcomed. They were served hot-like instead of coming out from under a lamp, they were just pulled fresh from the smoker. These aren’t the world’s greatest ribs but they will certainly scratch that barbeque itch you might be getting when summer time rolls around.

Ryan:

While more expensive, the ribs were much better than at Chili’s. Old Towne’s ribs weren’t as dry as Chili’s, and the meat on the bone was just as juicy as the sauce. The sauce itself was not anything special but it still was a lot better than Chili’s. The price is a little off-settling but it is worth it at Old Towne. I would recommend the ribs here.

Last but certainly not least: Hawthorne’s Backyard in West Chicago, IL.

Will:

Hawthorne’s Backyard: There’s something about driving to a strange area that makes you find the best ribs. Smoked with a dry rub then finished with a tangy-sweet sauce, Hawthorne’s Backyard was by far the best slab of ribs we tried. The meat was juicy, it fell right off the bone and it melted in your mouth. There’s not much else to say other than if you’ve got the time to head to West Chicago to try these ribs.

Ryan:

In my opinion, these ribs fell right in the middle of the other two places. The meat was good and juicy and it made for an easy eat, however, there was really no sauce to make it good, it just felt like I was eating plain meat off the bone. Thankfully, though, there was extra sauce I could dunk my ribs into our pour over the meat. I would recommend this slab of ribs.

So there you have it, three solid options for some good BBQ this summer! Well… maybe Chili’s isn’t too good, but the others are definitely worth a try.