3 Illinois Joints Among Best BBQ Restaurants In U.S.

CHICAGO, IL — Do you like pulled pork, delicate slices of brisket and burnt ends? Whatever your barbecue preference, you can find it at these three Illinois restaurants, all named to a list of the best barbecue joints in the country compiled by the Thrillist website.

One of the chosen Illinois joints is right here in Chicago, while you'll have to travel a bit to get to the other two. (Get Patched In: Subscribe to free daily email, news alerts, Facebook fun and more from Patch)

The Thrillist authors, who had the tough challenge of sampling tasty meats and sauces across the country, said their job was difficult since a new generation of pitmasters is challenging the old guard to up the stakes of best smoked meats. "We engaged in both aggressive and passive-aggressive arguments about smoked meat. In the end, we settled on these 33 BBQ joints that are continuing America's grand traditions while also pushing them in exciting new directions," the website said.

Related: Illinois Eatery Among Best Southern Restaurants In U.S.

Here's a look at Illinois' vaunted BBQ establishments.

17th Street Barbecue, 32 N. 17th St. in Murphysboro, Illinois, is the first restaurant on the list. Its website advertises "secrets and magic from a first family of barbecue," and its ribs have been ranked among the best in the nation by Bon Appetit and the Huffington Post, while the Daily Meal called it one of the "101 Best Restaurants in the USA." And where is Murphysboro? It's in Jackson County, just a short drive from Carbondale, and was ranked one of the 100 "Most Redneck Towns in Illinois" a few years back. 17th Street Barbecue also has a location in Marion, Illinois.

Thrillist had this to say about 17th Street: "Few figures in barbecue are as revered as Mike Mills and as respected as his daughter Amy, the driving forces behind 17th Street BBQ. Since the early '90s, Mike's cherry and applewood-smoked, magic-dusted baby back ribs have been winning world championships accolades and breaking competition circuit records. People travel from across the country to the small town of Murphysboro to devour them."

Beast Craft Barbecue, 20 S. Belt West, is located in Belleville, Illinois, not far from St. Louis. It bills itself as a "first-come-first-serve smokehouse" and is busy enough that it posts this warning on its website: "Given our space limitations, we kindly ask that you order in line before seating. Our staff will find seating for you. SQUATTING OR STEALING TABLES BEFORE ORDERING WILL NOT BE ALLOWED." Beast Craft offers up a daily menu, bulk meats and sides plus full-service catering, and is the creation of owner/pit master and acclaimed barbecue chef David Sandusky.

Thrillist had this to say about Beast Craft and Sandusky: "There are many paths to achieve the title of pitmaster. These days barbecue is embraced by not just local boys following in family traditions, but fine dining chefs seduced by fire, smoke, and an escape from the pretension of upscale kitchen culture. Beast’s David Sandusky followed that path, bringing chefy meticulousness and a reverence for ingredients to St. Louis’s barbecue scene. Along the way he’s racked up a kitchen counter worth of local and national awards, as well as a radio co-hosting gig on The Budweiser Big BBQ Show."

Lem's Bar-B-Q, 311 E. 75th St., Chicago, offers chicken, tips, ribs, hot links, shrimp and more. It got its start way back in 1954 when two brothers, Bruce and Myles Lemons, realized their dream of opening a barbecue joint. A second location opened in 1968 when brother James, a chef like Myles, also got involved. Customer testimonials on the Lem's website are glowing: "Barbecue as God meant it to be," one fan wrote, adding, "Lem's can beat anything the Carolinas care to offer, or Georgia, or KC."

Thrillist had this to say about Lem's: "The tradition of Chicago barbecue (yes, it's a thing) lost one of its titans a couple of years back when longtime Lem's owner and operator James Lemons passed away, the last survivor of a group of brothers that made a mark on the Chicago meat map that goes back to the 1940s. Nonetheless, Lem's remains an essential destination for anyone looking to dig into a pile of rib tips -- the gloriously gelatinous, slightly cumbersome but worth-the-trouble staple of the Chicago barbecue scene. "

By Deb Belt, Patch National Staff/Shannon Antinori, Patch National Staff, contributed

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