Pork Shoppe

Unless you’re going for a special (like the $ 2 sliders during trivia on Wednesdays) this is an underwhelming BBQ restaurant. The mac n cheese side I had with my pulled chicken sandwich was not any better than boxed Mac and cheese. The baked beans were interesting: they had a smokey flavor and were cooked down to a refried beans texture. The pulled chicken was moist and flavorful, so not bad, but seeing as there so many other BBQs in Chicago I would much rather spend my money there. They have 3 «signature» sauces on the table. The tangy was my preference with a light vinegar tang. The spicy sauce was very similar to the Siracha rooster brand garlic chili sauce. I might come back for trivia but not for the food.

Not sure how you ruin spare ribs but mine were terribly dry and burnt. The sides were good.

We had CHOPPED BRISKET combo, BABY BACK ½, baked bean, fries, chill, seasonal veggie for side. The meat was little dry but side dishes are good. I liked the dining room, out door seating area. Overall, we enjoy the dining experience.
Food: 3-​star
service: 5-​star
Price: 4-​star
Ambiance: 4-​star

After living in the area of Aville, EdWtr, and Rogers Park, I’d passed by Pork Shoppe hundreds of time and thought, «When am I going to eat there?» Last night after the street fair, MidsommarFest, I did. And boy, am I glad I did!
First things first, I am a Texan having lived in Chicago, however, for 10 years. If there is one thing I know and tend to be a little more selective about when eating out, it’s BBQ. In fact, I hardly go to BBQ places or order the bbq dish at any restaurant. That said, putting my bias aside, it was time to sit down and enjoy a meal at PS.
I arrived, walking into a space thoughtfully decorated– chic but not exclusive, rustic, with strokes of modern industrial flair. Exposed bricks, course woods, greys, deep ambers, and the sent of delicious smokes filled the air. Large windows opened the dining area and an inviting mix of the outside wind coursed through the space. The restaurant might kin to an after hours lounge where men and women lay on plush chairs, reclining to the soft sounds and Ella, early Beyoncé, or a mid career Kim Gordon; a calm ambiance, offering sharp lines and visual textures of wall art, rafter contours, and interactive décor pieces. My favorite, the large scale leading to the patio, where we dined. Steve, the host, lead us to a perfect spot just near the sidewalk were passersby could peer inside and vice versa.
Came the menu. We skipped drinks and appetizers, having walked the street fair all day we were full of beer, and various homemade mistakes. But, looking around we were the oddballs. Every table appeared to enjoy signature cocktails or something from the bar. In fact, half way through our meal, a large party ordered a round of drinks that took two waiters to deliver; and a friend we’d seen, grievously admitted to spending a lot on drinks that «were worth it.»
Next reader, comes my confession to you. Menu in hand I was perplex. I couldn’t decipher what I wanted, the choices were broad and many. Instead, Sean, our server, recommend what he believed to be the perfect meal prepared at PS. And, an exact recommendation it was! BBQ brisket, mac and cheese, and cornbread. These are bastions of any American BBQ cuisine. Therefore I agreed to try PS’s version of this classic meal, pushing silent my Texan attitude and expectation.
Timely delivered, the aromas were inciting. A toasted Brioche bun, a large cornbread muffin, and a creamy shell-​style mac awaited. Tender brisket, mildly seasoned bare with no sauce. Instead, the condiments were PS’s own magic three: Spicy, Tangy, and Sweet. I dabbed each onto my tray and decided 2 parts Tangy and 1 part Spicy was as close to home as I was going to get it without having to go into their kitchen myself. I sufficed and was pleased. My favorite part of the trio, was the cornbread muffin! Exceptional, truly. Buttery, dense, hinted with jalapeño, it was the baker’s masterpiece.
Half way through the meal, Steve, our host came to check in. That’s odd? The host came to say hello and talk to us? He’d come to ask about the meal and tell us all about the restaurant. How he’d redone a lot of the design of the restaurant, and how he’d decided to keep the original signage that paid tribute the restaurant before. Steve went into delightful detail about his wife and daughter and how his family was enjoying more time together now that his wife was home more during this time of year. I enjoyed the banter but kept thinking, «if someone walks in, who on Earth will seat them; and how on Earth does the host have such in depth knowledge and financial stake in the business!?» Steve, turns up… was the OWNER. As was made clear, just before he walked away.
The meal was drawing close. Sean, mentioned that the table had been comped any choice of dessert per Steve’s offer. We obliged and enjoyed a delicious slice of decadent and silky peanut butter pie. A perfect end to a hearty and filling meal.
Supreme shout out the Sean, our cute server who expertly paired each of us with thoughtful combinations of meat, breads, and sauces. And, thank you Sean for proving that– yes– the manbun is not only functional fashion choice but can be highly stylish with the right t-​shirt and jeans.
…who’d have thunk, the creepy little Ethiopian place would blossom into something so unique.
08=Ambiance
10=Décor
00=Drinks
00=Appetizers
09=Main course
09=Staff
08=Restrooms
09=Prices
08=Location
09=Recommend to a friend
SCORE = 70 of 80
(Drinks and Appetizers, not weighted)

I’ve been here twice and its just so yummy! I love their potato salad and the way they decorated their bbq sauces is quite clever and cute! They have some real good cocktail drinks as well!

Very good ambiance. Large spaces. Airy, augmented with very large loft windows that can open to their bierhaus type court. Service, fast and courteous, at the end of the day it’s barbecue, no complications there. I ordered «baby back» full rack, wife got pork belly pastrami sandwich with cream of corn, cornbread, baked beans, and chili. Fortunately I’ve had baby backs before and I do not think the ones I had here cannot be the babies of the average swine family. Heartbreaking dry rub, not a lot of rub but a lot of dry. So dry that I was having hard time pulling the meat or separating bones. Bad, bad. When you are economically disadvantaged and still enjoy eating out, these type of establishments are, gently put, a heart break. Oh, side dishes were from meh to bad. Good day.

Looking for great bbq? This is the place. Lots of pork options. 3 kinds of homemade sauces-​tangy, sweet and spicy. Inventive drink options, local beer and a nice setting. Trivia night on Wednesdays. Check this place out– worth the time !

Awesome place. I ordered the brisket sandwich and it was really good. I like their choice of sauces, too. Sometimes that can make or break good BBQ.
Only complaint: bartender was not attentive at all. Really turned me off, luckily the food was great and that saved my experience!

Sorry. This place gave it the old junior college try but missed.
The pork had the taste of that petroleum product used to start charcoal which made me glad that the servings were so small. The brisket was so dry and tasteless. The cole slaw was just weird.
3 sauces on the table. None of them special. I would have rather had Open Pit than any of the three house things.
Two positive things: the mac and cheese was very good and they had a draft beverage special the night I was there so I could cheaply wash away the taste of the food.
Sorry Pork Shoppe. Give it up.
I’m heading back to Smoque.

First time we went the Mac and cheese was gross and the ribs were bland. Second time was on accident (grubhub order). We were really craving bbq and didn’t remember the name. The menu seems like it would be good but the chicken and pickles were dry with no flavor. The fries had no flavor and were mushy and the brisket combo had little amounts of meat with no flavor. Just don’t go there.

Fourth time and I love this place. One reason: it’s still underrated and it’s not so hard to get a seat if it’s not a Saturday night.
Two: food is great. I don’t recommend the by-​the-​pound family style thing – seems overpriced. But sandwiches and nachos with beef or pork were smoky and wonderful. My pulled pork was been smoked and juicy and perfect. I’ve seen some reviews calling things «dry.» My only explanation is that there may be some inconsistency issues? Because what I’ve had has been top notch, and I plan to keep coming back.
Three: atmosphere is well-​done. Older building re-​crafted with great lighting choices, large brick and windows, and painted murals. Enough TVs for good sports watching but not so much that you hate them.
Four: service has been consistently super-​friendly and efficient.
Five: beer! I love a decent craft beer selection, and this place matches the selection quality of many of the Andersonville competition.
Six: they have brunch. What? Yep. Folks were waiting outside of m-​Henry 1 block away and may have missed that this place serves Sat & Sun from 10a with a nice variety of breakfasty-​BBQy options.

Finally checked this place out this past weekend. Very surprisingly, it was super easy to secure a reservation for 10 people on a Friday evening at 7pm… not a good sign, right?
The experience was a pleasant one — I am somewhat surprised by all the negative reviews and the emptiness of the restaurant… there were definitely other patrons there, but the place was far from packed. The food was solid but not amazing. The sauces were great, appetizers yummy (highly recommend the pimento cheese spread) and the meats/​sides we had were good as well. Service was helpful, knew the menu inside and out, but perhaps a little slow to bring drinks and whatnot (maybe the bar’s fault, not his…).
All in all the place is great — atmosphere is nice & fun, and prices seem spot on. I would def go back.

This place is so great… everything on the menu has amazing and the kale salad is my favorite. The décor is warm and inviting. We’ve brought some people who’ve never tried it before and they loved it

I really wanted to like this place considering it was the closest boutique BBQ joint near us.
Service was good. Atmosphere is pretty family friendly which can be good or bad depending on what kind of vibe you’re looking for. A little heavy with the chain-​restaurant-​ish décor…
Food: YIKES. seriously. I saw their ads in Avondale and for a place that touts themselves as serious about pork, they definitely don’t have any idea of wtf they’re doing. The sauce selections couldn’t even save the dry, flavorless pulled pork combo that I ordered. Let’s not even start with the salty mess of creamed corn and Mac and cheese. Shit.
Prices were reasonable and beer selection decent. Still not enough to get me back in here. :/

I’ve eaten here a few times and the three words that best describes their BBQ: dry, salty and SALTY. Even the variety of sauces can’t save it. Also, I’m not sure how you mess up nachos, but I could have done a better job in my microwave (minus the salty mound of meat on top).
Also, on my most recent visit the host demonstrated one of my biggest pet peeves: sending a single patron to the bar. I think it’s fine to say, «would you like a table or would you like to sit at the bar?» But this guy, just simply «You can be seated at the bar.» I could have challenged him, but he seemed pretty firm, and frankly, you shouldn’t put a patron in that position. And let’s be clear: there were plenty of empty tables and the place wasn’t getting any busier. Who was he saving the tables for?
Just because I’m eating alone, doesn’t mean I should have to sit on an uncomfortable bar stool, shoulder-​to-​shoulder with a very loud, drunk person with a constant smoker’s hack. Very appetizing.
There’s been very little buzz in the neighborhood about this place since it opened. Never a good sign.

We went for a late Saturday lunch with a baby and a 3-​year-​old. The ambiance is awesome– it’s warm and not too tightly packed with tables.
Our waiter was fine, but not memorable.
We all had different dishes– breakfast burrito, shredded pork sandwich, pulled park tacos with fries, the kids’ hotdog lunch (with fruit) and the chop salad with chicken and a side of potato salad.
Most of us agreed that the food was okay, not awesome. It all needed a little salt, but there was none on the table.
The pulled pork tacos won the award for the tastiest dish and the breakfast burrito lost– it barely had any scrambled eggs in it, and it was ordered without sausage– it had too many jalapeños for the eater’s liking.
The hotdog lunch was pretty sad– we had to ask for ketchup (I though Chicago was supposed to do good hotdogs?!?)
My chop salad with chicken was pretty tasteless.
The winners at the table? The side of pickles=YUM! And the potato salad was tasty (though it too needed salt).
Overall, it felt like the food was cooked without anyone tasting them to make sure they were right…

I had such high hopes. Who doesn’t love BBQ, right? Great location, plenty of street parking, the staff was great, ambiance perfect, and the Moscow Mules right on. However, the food was just average. I feel that I could have picked up better ribs at Jewel and dined from the comfort of my couch, free of society’s restrictions, belt, pants, etc.
Maybe the owner and chef should check out Smoque or lesser known Rub (Lunt /​Western) to get an idea what pork should taste like. There was a fantastic joint at Foster and Kimball (Smokey Bears) that packed up and moved or possible went out of business. Where’s that chef now? Please track down that master of mesquite and I’d happy give Pork Shoppe 4+ stars

What a great space up at the northern end of Andersonville, open airy and comfortable.
Helpful staff can walk you through the menu if you have any questions as to how to order the food.
Pulled Pork, Beef Tri Tip and a Cornbread muffin followed by some Blueberry pie was a perfect size meal to fill out tummy’s.
Good BBQ for a decent price.

This place is Spot ON. Or, it will be once it gets going, and works a few of the quirks out *cough* service *cough*.
The interior is unrecognizeable from when it was Arkadash nightclub. And this is a good thing, it’s really open and breezy.
The BBQ was great. I love the Carolina sauce, and theirs is delightfully sour, just the way I like it. TANGY!
The drinks are great. I also love that you can nosh on a giant dill pickle snack at the bar.
The service though. .. you could step that up a little, it was way too hard to catch our servers eye at the bar. That said, I’ll be back!

I really wanted to love this place because the décor is awesome and I like the Pig cartoon on the outside… but BBQ here is really disappointing. My boyfriend and I came on a recommendation from friends and I left feeling really confused. Maybe our friends were drunk when they ate here…
Here’s what we had:
Brandade – Good…think a good tasting tuna salad
Mac and Cheese – pretty good… think upgraded Velveeta… however, it was definitely overprice and closer to a ¼ lb than ½ lb as advertised
French Fries – legit, perfectly seasoned, crispy texture on outside with just enough potato in the inside. However not worth the price and definitely not a ½ lb portion
Pulled Chicken – HORRIBLE. The worst chicken I’ve had this year. it was shredded quite finely and seasoned bizarrely: think artificial smoke seasoning along with a heavy spice combo
St. Louis Ribs – The ribs came from an emaciated pig. They were also dry. They also bbq the ribs with bbq sauce on the grill so they were over seasoned (especially for the puny amount of meat on the bones).
Chop Salad: The best Iceberg and egg combo this side of the Mississippi
Sauces:
Carolina: GROSS. Just gross, not balanced at all, but hard to describe beyond that… very vinegary
Spicy: I’m pretty sure that this is just Taco Bell Fire Sauce™ (when my boyfriend tasted it, he literally said «wait…are we having Mexican food?»
KC sauce: The closest thing to BBQ, but the worst version of KC bbq i’ve had… was a decent dipping sauce for the french fries.
Our bill came to $ 70 bucks at the end of the night… this is much more than we’ve paid at BBQ places that we actually like. I definitely will not be back. Looking at other reviews it seems that the issues with the meats are consistent. I’m a little surprised this place can afford a second location.