Lillie’s Q

In the top 3 of my favorite barbecues in Chicago. Everytime I’ve been here I’ve had excellent service and amazing food. I’m big into BBQ and this place exceeds my expectations everytime. I’ve gotten several entrees and appetizers from them, with absolutely no complaints. The sauces that you can mix and match are to die for! Will keep coming back. PS: get the sweet tea.

Good knowledgeable server. Fantastic fresh cut fries. Sauces to delight you. Only negative was that the meat on the bun was very light in the weight. If you are going to sell an incredible tasting sandwich, then if you must, charge a $ 1 more and make it great.
I’d come back again.

Nothing exceptional. I had high hopes upon coming to a BBQ joint in Wicker Park, and I was a disappointed. I expected either something unique since it was located in WP or something special in the quality.
It was great for a group of 8 people walking in without a reservation on a Sunday afternoon without any waiting time, but I think I would have been especially disappointed if I went there on a date with my husband for the purpose of enjoying great food. The beers were said to be good by those who ordered them, and there was many sauce options. Overall pretty mediocre. I won’t go out of my way to go back.

Service was bad, the food was undercooked. The shrimp salad was good. I had the half chicken which was supposed to include a side and corn bread. They charged me extra for my side and forgot the bread. I had waited so long to order and again for the food that I didn’t care that it was all wrong. The mac and cheese was flavorless and the noodles were overcooked. My chicken was not cooked al the way through and since there was only one server we just asked for the check and left. The only positive part of the visit was how delicious and fresh their ranch dressing is. This place is a first and last for me

My friends and I walked in to a mostly empty restaurant. Only 3 tables being occupied. The hostess asked if we had a reservation and we didn’t so she said they had a reservation of people coming in at 630 and a another group at 7. We walked in at 6:09. We mentioned we would be quick and finish way before 7 but she refused us and said if we could wait until after the groups came in which would be past 8 o’clock. The place was almost empty and the hostess made us feel unwanted and inconvenient. It was cold and snowing outside and based on the interaction we won’t be returning.

Came by here on New Years Eve and it was packed.
I ordered a southern spiked sweet ice tea and although I’m not a huge fan of bourbon I actually ended up really liking it.
Bourbon, you might just become my new bff after this.
The tri-​tip (½ lb) plate was pretty good and tender, but definitely not as much as I expected. «5 lbs of tri-​tip please.»
Brisket is only offered Tuesdays which broke my heart but the tri-​tip helped mend the poor thing.
The mac was decently cheesy, grits were bland though, and the seasoned fries were awesome. I forgot what the seasoning is called but I would buy that in bulk.
It’s not the best BBQ but still decent enough to check out.
Drink an extra spiked tea for me too, thanks.

I came in on a Wednesday evening with a friend and had an easy time getting a table. The vibe is warm and inviting and there are 6(?) bottles of BBQ sauce on the table so you can try them all. The service was great and our waiter did an awesome job explaining his opinions on everything.
We tried the pulled pork sandwich with Mac n cheese on the side and some beers. The food is so so good but the prices are high for barbecue. Expect to spend around $ 15-​$ 25/​pp. The barbecue sauce is on point though.

Six words: you choose your BBQ, Mac & Cheese
It was a Sunday night, my roommate was home, my friend was in a town, and we were hungry. After spending most of the day holed up inside, marathoning a TV series on Netflix, we were ready to venture out into Chiberia for food. After what seemed like forever, we decided on BBQ and decided to hit up Lillie’s Q.
Right off the Damen stop, this place is hard to miss. Mainly because you just look for a giant white BBQ sign on North Avenue and you’re there. We were seated immediately, probably because it was a Sunday night and the temperature had just dropped, but the restaurant wasn’t empty by no means.
After persuing the menu, we finally opted for an appetizer of buffalo wings and a variety of entrees. I went for the pulled pork sandwich (no slaw) with a side of Mac & Cheese. My roommate went for the baked chicken with a side of Mac & Cheese and my friend went for the pulled pork sandwich with a side of cornbread.
Buffalo wings arrived and were interesting but delicious. The buffalo sauce is not cooked into the wings, instead you get a barbecue wing with stop buffalo dipping sauce and, of course, bleu cheese dressing. Despite the odd appearance, the wings were delicious and we fought over who got to eat the last wing (10 wings in an order, 3 hungry girls — you do the math).
Food arrived shortly after we had demolished the wings and it was amazing. The sandwich arrived dry, which was fine because at the table you’re given 7 different barbecue sauces: 5 Carolina style (think vinegar) and 3 Memphis style (think tomato based). After deciding which sauces tasted best, I doused my food in barbecue sauce and sunk my teeth into one of the most delicious sandwiches I have ever eaten.
I had ordered the Mac & Cheese with the intention of saving it entirely for the next day’s lunch. But it looked so appetizing that I snuck a bite in … and then another. and another. and another … until I had half a side left. I quickly asked for a box but it was a hard decision.
Overall, I found the food to be incredibly delicious. My food was so good I practically inhaled it. I didn’t get to try the chicken but my roommate sang it’s praises all throughout dinner. The cornbread my friend opted for was less amazing. It is incredibly dry and you need to spread butter on it. But if you like dry cornbread, you will probably enjoy it.

I have never been here, I live around the corner too! Finally decided to check it out last Friday.
/​/​Oysters — 18.00 — I dont remember these being delicious but they were good. In hind sight, I probably should not have ordered oysters are a barbecue joint. THATS ON ME!
/​/​Kool-​aid Pickles — 3.00 — these sounded super interesting… i was craving fried pickles but we decided to try these instead… EH. Dont get them. they are interesting but are not good. I was so damn hungry that I ate them anyway but the more I did, the more I disliked them lol. It seemed like the kool-​aid and pickle flavor were totally separate. meh.
/​/​Pork Sandwich — 12.00 — my friend got this, I didn’t try it but it looked really good. lots of food.
/​/​Taste of LQ — 25.00 — this comes with three types of meat and one side. I got french fries because im a sucker for that. They were okay. I really like the pulled pork and the chicken. It was a lot of meat but i finished it all. I recommend ordering this. They have plenty of sides to go with it.
/​/​Pivo Pilsener — 8.00 + Revolution Fistmas — 4.00 = beers. come in mason jars. yum
All in all, I like this place for a quick BBQ spot but it’s not my number one stop. I do recommend the pulled pork and the chicken was pretty good too. I dont know why but It seems more expensive than other BBQ places. maybe it was just want we ordered. Oh yea, they have like 5 sauces at the table and they are all pretty yummy.

I really really really like Lillie’s! The only reason I’m not giving it a perfect 5 stars is because they were missing a few items on the menu that I so desperately wanted to try :((chicken and dumplings, my precious)
But everything else about Lillie’s was honestly great. It’s in a great location in Wicker Park, not too far from the Red Line and a slew of other restaurants/​bars. The interior décor was nice, which is never really a MAJOR note but I like it when things like that «just work», and it did here. I enjoyed everything from the pulled pork sandwich to all of the Carolina sauces they offer but if I were going to make two special notes they would be 1. The Shrimp & Grits and 2. Our server: Marissa
The shrimp & grits wasn’t even my dish, I had to steal a few bites from my friend, but it was easily my favorite item of the night and would say, without hesitation, that they were the best I’ve had anywhere. They were so creamy and full of flavor, it wasn’t like any I’ve had before.
And our server was so sweet. I don’t go into service too much unless it’s completely unacceptable but Marissa’s service was really great and made my experience at Lillie’s a notch higher than it might have been. She made excellent recommendations (the shrimp & grits, for one) and was overall very nice to have in our presence.
The bar isn’t an extremely large area so if you’re coming to sit at the bar I’d expect it to be crowded. The tables work for large groups though as I saw probably 3 tables with 6+ guests seated. Reserve ahead of time.

Minha esposa e eu adoramos. Brasileiros que estiverem com saudade de uma boa porção de carnes, venham aqui! Pedimos o Taste of Lq: trip-​tip (maminha); pulled pork (nosso leitão de panificadora) e ribs, a famosa costelinha suina com molho bbq. Tudo uma delícia. Fora que tem uma seleção de craft beer bem representativa. Pra terminar, uma porção de batata doce frita pra acompanhar mais algumas cervejas.
Sobre o atendimento, excepcional!!!

Let me start by saying I grew up in Tennessee. I’ve been to Memphis in may. I’ve had the best bbq in the world according to the people who do this for a living. This place blew my mind. I don’t know if they’re putting drugs in their sauce and frankly I don’t care at this point. I will be here every opportunity I have for as long as I live. Holy crap.
Try the pulled pork. Try the ribs. Try the mac and cheese. I’m not sure if anything else is good because if those are all I have I’m good.

I wish I could say better things. I’d been meaning to try this place for years, and finally did last weekend.
Boyfriend and I came in fairly early on a Friday evening and saw several open two-​person tables, but the hostess said she was new and wanted to wait for the server to get back before she could seat us. A little weird, but alright.
Ten minutes later we’re seated and order drinks. I got the Michelada and it was excellent. The server explained the different drink and food options, as well as the sauces. We put in an appetizer order for the fried pickles, which were tasty but the portion size was VERY disappointingly small for the price. And of course an odd number. I hate when places do that.
While our food order went in at the same time as the appetizer order, it seemed like we waited almost an hour for the food. We both got the pulled pork sandwiches, nothing fancy, so I’m not sure what the big wait was about.
The pulled pork was lukewarm, completely without any seasoning or flavor, and barely «pulled». It was kinda rough, hard to chew, something I’d take home for my dog. Slathering it in sauce didn’t help.
Sweet potato fries were very good, though.
I was a little put off by the fact that I asked for a side of ranch — and when the bill came I saw a $ 1 charge for it. $ 1 for a tiny little cup of ranch dressing is insane, even for Wicker Park, but my issue was that it wasn’t listed as an extra item anywhere on their menu. If you’re going to charge for something, mention it! I served food for years and they teach you to say «that’ll be 50 cents more, is that ok?»
It’s a lot more respectable than surprising your guests, especially first-​timers (which they knew we were).
Overall, I think there were just too many little weird issues for me to want to go back.

The waiter was very helpful plus his commendations were great he had a lot of knowledge about the sauces., and how to mix and match with the meats and fries. THE mac and cheese was delicious baked TO perfection the meat was cooked just right. The food is a bit pricey but well worth it… the three meat combination is enough for 2 pp n all sides can be shared…
The beverage/​liquor could had been more decent but highly priced again.

Best bang for your buck?
Full rack of ribs.
What’s hyped but semi disappointing?
Fried chicken. 19 bux for 2 pieces of chicken and then you gotta buy a side? Nah. I’ll walk to Harold’s and then pour some honey on top to get that fix fed. Not to be rude. but just don’t waste your money. Unless you’re willing to buy a ton of sides and spend a lot of money. Coz you’re gonna be hungry.
Regardless if you’re there for dinner or drinks, always get the fried pickles and wings to start. It’s absolutely NECESSARY.
They give you a good amount of grits and bacon as a side and holy smokes they are TASTY.
Cornbread is whatever, too dry.
Slaw is creamy and southern style. not my preference but still tasty.
Collard greens, they don’t give you enough but delicious.
Banana pudding is AMAZING. seriously so good.
And being from the south, I am happy to report that the sweet tea is true to southern comfort.
All in all, this place is the best regardless of what you’re getting, my biggest pick is getting the most for the price. Spend a lot and try it all or do some homework and ball on a budget ;)

My boyfriend and I have been coming here for over a year when in the area and we both enjoy the food here. You haven’t lived if you haven’t had their mac n cheese. With or without meat, their mac n cheese is outstanding. Their mac n cheese is flavorful and creamy. I also enjoy their sandwiches and various types of meat here. I haven’t had a bad food experience yet, and hopefully it stays that way.
During my first visit to Lillie q’s in the winter of 2014 I was immediately intrigued by their large selection of moonshine cocktails. I would get one of these during almost every visit to Lillie’s because they were great cocktails. During my most recent visit to Lillie’s this week I learned that they have greatly reduced their amount of cocktail choices on the menu. This is kinda disappointing since I always look forward to starting my meal with one, but as long as their food stays good I will keep on coming.

So I have mixed feelings about this place.
We got the pick-​3 (chose the pulled pork, tri tip, and sausage link), fried chicken, and sides of corn bread and cole slaw.
On the one hand, the food tasted good. The fried chicken was fresh, beautifully battered/​seasoned, and it paired with the honey (presented in a pretty adorable honey pot) fabulously. BUT it was $ 19. It was good, sure, but $ 19-​worth of good? I don’t think so. That seems outrageously overpriced for fried chicken no matter where you go or how good it is, unless it’s battered in diamonds and endangered rhino horns. The cornbread with honey butter was great though — easily the best $ 3 I spent there.
The BBQ that came with the pick-​3 platter were all good, but for $ 20, I expect WAY bigger portions. Smoke Daddy about .5 miles away has a similar platter where you can pick 3 meats PLUS you get 2 sides PLUS bread. No sides included here, we had to get those a la carte.
Conclusion: Food tastes good, but it’s not worth the $$. Go to Q’s or Smoke Daddy.

Lillie’s Q is a great place to hit if you’re looking for barbecue in Wicker Park or Bucktown. I was very pleasantly surprised by this find. Great barbecue ribs and even sauces and service. Our waiter took the time to explain the menu and the sauces to us, which was greatly appreciated. I enjoyed all of their sauces, both tomato-​based and vinegar-​based (with the exception of the mayo-​based Ivory sauce). So you’ll find something to your liking regardless of taste.
I had a half-​rack of ribs with fries and moonshine. The only mistake I made was the moonshine. The ribs were amazing. They somehow managed to be substantially charred while still slipping off the bone — like an obese Midwesterner at North Avenue beach. They and the seasoned «Carolina Dirt» fries were delicious.
Definitely stop by Lillie’s if you want a barbecue fix in this area.

I did like Lillie’s Q, but since the hostess made it clear at my last visit that seating us would be a terrible inconvenience and possibly not allowed, we’ll be taking our business to places we actually feel welcome from now on.
My husband and I wanted to take my mother-​in-​law and sister-​in-​law to Lillie’s Q to try a moonshine drink one late afternoon after walking around the Wicker Park area with our 2 yr old niece. There were only about 3 – 4 tables in use at the time, plenty of space on the patio, in the lull between lunch and dinner. I let the hostess know we’d like a table for just drinks, and she said we could not have a table for drinks only and would have to sit at the bar. Well, I can’t really sit at the bar with a 2 year old, yet meanwhile one of the tables in the front literally has an infant in a car seat carrier on top of their table. The hostess tells me she’ll have to go ask a manager if we can sit at a table in the mostly empty restaurant and order a drink. Really? Don’t bother, sweetie, we’re all set!
1) I was just being courteous letting you know we didn’t need a food menu. Had I just asked for a table without mentioning drinks only, we would have been sat, proceeded to order just a drink anyhow, and what, would have been asked to leave or demanded to order food?
2) If there were an hour wait on a weekend night, I 100% see your point. When the place is practically empty at 2 p.m., what do you care if people sit at a table and have a drink as long as you make money?
I will definitely not be back to a place that can’t be bothered to actually serve patrons, and with so many new BBQ choices in the city, no need to look back!

My boyfriend and I love Green St Smoked Meats, and were planning to have dinner there last Sunday night until someone suggested Lillie’s as an alternative because it was closer. Always up for something new, we took a quick look at Lillie’s on Unilocal and decided to try it. The first positive sign was the great smell of a southern bbq joint that hits you when you walk in the door. The place was very full but we were able to be seated immediately. The Ballast Point grapefruit sculpin was on draft and caught my eye, and we ordered a couple to go with fried pickles as an appetizer. The pickles literally felt like they were on fire (temperature wise) and burned the crap out of my tongue, so much that I was worried I wouldn’t taste the rest of the meal. Word of caution – as much as you’ll want to dive right in, give the pickles a second to cool off! It also would have been nice if our waiter had maybe mentioned they were hot but whatevs.
Hoping to induce an episode of gout, we ordered the sampling of 3 meats for $ 20… Which turned out to be only a pound of meat total, but it ended up being the perfect amount to share. The pulled pork was great (not as good as Fat Willy’s), the tri tip was solid (not as good as Green St brisket), but the roasted chicken was fall-​off-​the-​bone perfect. I know, who gets excited about chicken? This chicken was good though. There are about a zillion sauces at this place but I stuck to my NC roots and mainly used the eastern NC sauce, though they were all tasty. Kinda tough to get out of the bottle though. Definitely a positive that you can go wild with sauces here if you want to.
The sides we had were okay… Collard greens were a little mushy for my tastes but the coleslaw was tight. Would have been nice if they threw a piece of cornbread on the platter to balance out the meal but we aren’t in the south so you can’t always expect exactly what you’re used to. Keep Ballast Point on the menu here and I’ll keep coming back!

I have to say is yummy! We started our meal with some great smoked chicken wings recommended by our waiter. I have to say it was one of the best wings we tried in a long time.
I enjoyed their baby back ribs and the brisket. My wife had the pull pork sandwich with Mac and Cheese and corn bread.
This place had a really nice atmosphere.
The only problem is trying to find parking around the restaurant. I had to park a block and a half a way.
I forgot to mention that I had their sweet tea.
Very good! Not too many have this on their menu. I love me some sweet tea, especially Lillies Q.
I highly recommend this restaurant. I give it a thumbs up! Enjoy! #SeñorFood