Smokey Bones Bar & Fire Grill

The lunchtime smokehouse burger is quite a nice deal for $ 8.89. It includes cheddar cheese, LTO, bacon, and mini onion rings for toppings and it also comes with a regular side. I’d say about 4 ½ stars for the ½ lb smokehouse burger lunch here. The wife had their two-​meat power lunch combo for $ 12.78. The meats were BBQ chicken and pulled pork. The pulled pork is served dry and it needs sauce on the side. Overall, the combo plate was in the OK range.

Have visited three times now and I’m not one to usually judge a place on service but it’s terrible. 3 times have they forgot something ordered. Seems that their system isn’t working. The food is above average for BBQ in the area but nothing to really write home about. I’d find someplace else to eat.
Service=1
Food=3
Quantity=2 (9 $ for a small plate of cheese fries)

I dialed down my expectations after reading some of the lukewarm reviews, and the meal exceeded my expectations!
I built my own burger since I wasn’t in a BBQ meaty mood. Angus ½ lb patty + smoked gouda + sliced avocado + LTO = juicy, filling, flavorful meal! I was a happy camper. There are handfuls of sides to choose from. I chose the baked potato, and it was a little overly salted. Also, I guess the side of broccoli is 200 calories bc they steam it in butter?
K and J enjoyed their combo meat platters, which included brisket, spicy sausage, and wings. I like that they have wet wipes at the table too. Other tables had a tablet you could use to pay, but our booth didn’t have one. I’m sure we’ll be back sometime, esp with the convenient location next to the AMC!

We visit Smokey Bones every 2 weeks or so for our lunch break. We always get the burgers. Burgers are half pounders and are on par with other burgers. I always opt for the bbq beans as my side instead of fries. The beans are to die for. Very sweet and so good.
At dinner I always get the full slab of baby back ribs. They have been perfect every time and are one of my favorites in the Chicago area if not my favorite.
The bag of donuts for dessert is a must. Best donuts ever. They are fresh and hot and the dipping sauces are excellent. The sampler appetizer platter was also excellent.
If you do visit, make sure you ask for Desi as your waitress. We’ve had her as our waitress twice now at lunch. Every restaurant needs a waitress like her. Alway smiling, sweet and very attentive. Couldn’t ask for anyone better!

We have eaten here a few times and have never a bad meal. The service has always been courteous and our glasses never went empty. My husband likes the spicy sausage and pulled pork. I’m a Double Trouble kind of woman, enjoying the two different types of ribs. Yummy! Potions are good.
We’ve also ordered for take out. Leaving grad school at 9, having nothing to eat since 11am — picking up from Smokey Bones was fast and convenient. Everything was freshly made and hot.
Not sure why the reviews are bad, but we’re happy customers and will be returning again for dinner soon.

BEST RIBS EVER!!! If you are a food fanatic you need to come here. My son and I were able to split a full rack of ribs that were AWESOME tasting.

Hi guys/​gals!!! Its me DESI, your local firestarter! Come visit ME at Smokey bones and I can guarantee you excellent food and service!!! Just be sure to ask for me at the door ;)
Server suggestions:
Appetizers
The loaded nachos are always a winner!!! They come with pulled pork or pulled chicken, but pork is always the best way to go ;)
Another great option is the Buffalo chicken dip! If your looking for somthing not too filling this great! Who doesn’t love chips and dip!!!
Entrees
The baby back rib are to die for!!! They literally fall off the bone and come with TWO side !! Holy Yum!

Create your own combos are awesome for anyone who loves verity and loves to pick!!! TONS of options!!!
If your not digging BBQ don’t worry!!! We have something for you too!!! We have THE BEST Nutty chicken salad you have ever tasted!!! Not only is it pretty to look at but it’s pretty tasty if I do say so myself :) trust me!!!
Finally DESSERTS!!!
Try the donuts!!! I promise you won’t be dissaponted!!! They are made to order and come out HOT, tossed in cinnamon sugar, and served with chocolate ganache!
Plus they are great for sharing!!!
So come on in and bring the family!!!
I hope to see you all there!!!
Xoxo
Desi

Don’t eat here !!! The service is horrible. This is the second time the same thing has happened to us and this will be the last.
Saturday night of course it’s busy. Everyone is getting their name on a list and getting a vibrating pager. That way when your turn is up you can have a table. Mind you this happened for a second time. A couple comes in and walks right up to a table and sits down. Went around the entire 45 min line. We walked over nicely and explained there is a wait and maybe they didn’t know. As rude as possible they refuse to leave.
We talked to the server, he says he will talk to them. No luck their not leaving. Next we talk to the manager. He says there’s not much he can do. I explained that it’s not right and if he serves them a lot of people will be upset. He says he doesn’t know what he can do.
So I decide to start talking to people in line. Well at least that worked. Multiple parties expressed their displeasure and walked out.
So there you go Smokey Bones. The best part about it is you made my hangry wife really mad and she talks to everyone.
Can I say again this is the second time this has happened at the Mount Prospect Smokey Bones!
The other time we ate here it took an act of congress to get another beer and we all no congress can’t do shit!!!

I was hesitant to go here after hearing poor reviews from family and friends. I heard about their late night menu and after a late night job, stopped in here for drinks and some food. I stuck with appetizers and ordered the buffalo chicken dip and the loaded fries (both off the late night menu). The buffalo chicken dip was fantastic. The loaded fries were ok, they were ironically a little plain. They might be better off if served with a ranch dipping sauce.
The service was great and the bartender always made sure my pint glass was never empty.
Before I left I ordered their skillet cornbread. It was a little dry, but the butter they serve with it basically makes it taste like a cookie.
I’ll be back to smokey bones to try their actual BBQ, but I know I will always be able to count on their service and late night menu!

Even for chain fare, I was pretty let down with this place.
We came on a weekday night, and the crowd was predictably small; it was just us two and another table of 3 in the dining room. But our server was slow with greeting, getting our drink and meal orders, and refills. We ordered medium steaks, and when we got them, they were practically rare. The manager replaced them with smiles and apologies, but the steaks still didn’t taste all that great.
I have a friend that raves about this place, and her experience starkly contrasted mine. So, if you’re truly curious, give them a chance. As for me, I’m out.

Came in for lunch today with my Mom and Grandma and had Desi as our waitress. We have been here a few times before and just love the fried pickles and lunch menu! Desi was awesome and super friendly! She never let our drinks get low and checked in to make sure we had everything we needed. Food tasted fantastic as always! She suggested we try out the donuts for dessert and good thing we did! They were heavenly and now will be a must have every time we come in. Looking forward to the next time we are in and will request Desi!

I’ve had less than stellar experiences with this chain down south, but I wanted to give this place one more try. And I regretted it.
The server was friendly but she was slow. There were not many customers in the place so there’s not much of an excuse for that. The food itself was a bit pricey and did not meet expectations. Both my fiancé and I notice how undercooked the meat was — a medium rare steak somehow became a rare. The manager did come out to apologize to her credit. She mentioned that we were not the only ones this happened to, which was not a good sign.
When it came time to pay I used a credit card. Then I noticed the server dealing with another table while our tender is already being handled. This made us both uncomfortable.
I gave Smokey Bones one more try and unfortunately it didn’t work out. It happens, I guess.

I really anticipated the opening of this place until I found out it’s a chain. And unfortunately, it falls under the stereotype in terms of the quality of its food. The service is good but I’ve been here twice and have left unimpressed.
The Smokehouse chicken was almost inedible… and I would hate to know what that chicken tastes like without the cheese and bacon loaded on top. The St. Louis ribs were much better but mediocre as far as ribs go. I would opt to go across the street to Black Finn for ribs which is disappointing for a place that «specializes» in BBQ. Sides are probably the best thing I’ve had here.
The drinks were fine but comparable to that of a «TGI Fridays.» I also signed up for their email list and there are no compelling reasons/​incentives to come back. I don’t know that I will especially with all the other choices within walking distance of this place.

I really don’t see why at his place has such a mediocre review. I just did not see it. I went in there super hungry. So I went over board and ordered two appetizers.
I got the loaded nachos and the buffalo chicken dip. Both were delicious. Delicious like you are full and your stomach can’t fit anymore but you are forcing the food in because it’s so good. They both came out pretty quickly too. If I had to recommend one of the two, I would say the dip. But you can’t go wrong with either. The nachos came with pulled pork. And it was crazy good. I could easily make a meal out of just that. Barely got to play 3 games of trivia. I’ll mention that later.
The main course came out quick too. I probably got through half off my appetizers before they came out. I ordered the spicy bacon chicken mac and cheese. And OMG!!! It was amazing! I don’t bring leftovers home usually but I made sure to bring this back. The noodles were cooked perfectly. The cheese was gooey but not runny.
The service was great! I love that they have those at the table kiosk things. They have trivia and children stuff on there. So if you have a child, i can see it as a good way to keep them distracted. Our server was Desi. She was a delight. Very attentive but not over bearing. Friendly but not intrusive. She really made the experience that much better. He had great recommendations and it’s because of her I found the delicious Mac and cheese.
Needless to say, I will be returning here.

Isn’t the point of pre-​ordering online that your food will be ready at the designated time? I understand that it’s a busy saturday night, but ordering before I showed up was supposed to be my way of avoiding the fray. As I’m standing here, I’m listening to party after party complain that they were told they’d be next and getting passed over. I’m now 20 minutes past the deadline and still waiting. I hope it’s worth it, but seeing the disorganization, I don’t really have high hopes. Plus, everything I ordered has been cooking for hours. I’m pretty sure everything going in my belly just needs to be packed up neatly in a box.
FYI signing up for their rewards program online didn’t pull up anything when I got there. Consider signing up there or doing it more than a few hours before going in.
***25 minutes later and I’m on my way***
My order has a full slab of St. Louis ribs and a combo of pulled pork and brisket. The four sides are corn, mashed potatoes, baked beans, and coleslaw. The portion of brisket is, well, small (picture attached). It was tender and surprising juicy considering it needed to make a 10 minute trek home. It’s a chunk, not sliced as noted by others. Same goes for the pulled pork. Flavor, though, was lacking in both. The bbq sauce helps, but they’re otherwise devoid of smoke. The ribs were almost fall off the bone (which for me is perfect). Same issue as the other meats in terms of flavor.
The sides didn’t particularly wow me either save for the corn. It was the only item to have any char flavor to it and it was seasoned well. The coleslaw has too much mayo in my opinion. The baked beans were pretty standard and a bit over seasoned, and the mashed potatoes were fine. You can customize your potatoes a bit which is nice. There’s also a piece of toast, but someone else got her paws on it first so no review on that.
Overall, the meal was fine but certainly not worth the wait times that were being quoted to people. If I’m ever craving bbq on a weeknight or non-​game day, I’d still consider this place as an option.

I’d give it 4 ½ stars if I could (few places are 5 stars). This place was a really enjoyable place to get barbeque. Going through the menu, I’d say these guys don’t know what their identity is. Are they a great burger place or are they a pork /​brisket /​ribs place? From what I see on the menu and people’s plates, they are both! I ordered the hand pulled pork sandwich with baked beans and cole slaw. (I had a choice of many other sides, but these two sounded good.) My meat didn’t come with any barbeque sauce because there are 4 or 5 you have available to add at your table — from spicy to mild. If you leave this place hungry it’s because you didn’t order anything off their menu. Their meals are plenty, their food is delicious and their portions are generous. I can’t wait to go back.

If I was able to give 2.5 stars I would have.
I liked the set up of the place. Modern and upbeat. Servers were great.
I got a mojito for a drink and it was not very good. It just tasted like lime seltzer.
For my entrée I got the 2 meat combo which consisted of brisket, ¼ rack baby back, dirty rice and onion rings.
The brisket came in two chunks and was dry. Chunks? The baby backs didn’t have much meat but at least it was tender. The sauces were good but that’s just not what I came for.
The dirty rice? There was nothing dirty about that boxed rice and frozen Texas toast. The onion rings were good. Oh we did get the buffalo chicken dip which was awesome but the portion needs help.
All that said, I will probably not be coming back a second time.

My family loves Smokey Bones. It’s some of the best barbecue in the ‘burbs, in my opinion. I love the four different BBQ sauces and all the menu options, like the create your own combi.
* Fried pickles — awesome dipping sauce and didn’t have too much or too little breading
* Sangria — comes in a mini-​pitcher with a straw, very tasty at a very reasonable price ($ 6.50 for .5L)
* Pulled pork & brisket — very flavorful and melts in your mouth
If you’re looking for a place that pre-​soaks your food in a bunch of BBQ sauce, this isn’t the place. You add your own sauce, choosing from mustard BBQ, vinegar-​based BBQ, spicy BBQ and original mesquite BBQ. All of them are amazing and can be mixed and matched.
Our server was friendly and our food and drinks came pretty quickly even though we were sitting outside, where I feel like service usually drops off. My only confusion was that for a table inside, there was a significant wait… But when we walked through the restaurant, there were TONS of open tables. They need to hire more staff, or staff that can handle more tables so people aren’t waiting around.
Overall: delicious barbecue in a laid-​back environment. A little on the pricey side, but a great addition to Randhurst Village.

So I went in with an open mind, despite some of these reviews.
First, service was great. No issues, and that’s a big part of why I’ve given them 2 stars. Smiling, eager staff that didn’t hover or annoy…
Food: barbequed chicken, a bit flavorless where the meat was concerned and the skin was too sweet.
Brisket: lacked flavor, was a little dry.
Pulled pork: lots of flavor but a little dry.
Corn: sweet and surprisingly good.
Broccoli: so incredubly overcooked I could have turned it into babyfood with my fork!
Burgers: no complaints on flavor.
Most imoortanly, seriously overpriced! Won’t be wastingtume or money there again.

Great experience here on my visit for a weekend lunch, where I had excellent service from BridgetN who brought the table plenty of hand wipes, smiles, food recommendations, friendly small talk, and an overall great experience. She did an excellent job of demonstrating the kiosk, providing alert and attentive service (don’t think my drink ever got low before a replacement refill), bringing out the food when it was still very hot, clearing plates at the appropriate time, and packing leftovers (with gloves and dating the box).
Of course, the best service and the best décor in the world doesn’t earn a 5-​star review unless the food is also excellent. Fortunately Smokey Bones delivers in that regard with consistently well-​prepared food. Here were my thoughts on the dishes I tried:
Smoked wings: Pretty good — mostly moist and slightly marinated chicken that was meaty and had a slightly crispy skin. Slightly inconsistent as the smaller pieces were sometimes overcooked a slightly dry but overall done fairly well.
BBQ sauces: 4 to choose from: Mustard, Carolina, Kansas City, and Chipotle. A little on the light side, but the flavors match well with the food.
Brunswick stew: Delicious soup with a nice hearty flavor of smoked barbeque meat, a bright and tasty tomato broth, and a touch of sweetness from the corn. Good spicy kick to the dish to tie it all together.
Loaded BBQ burger: Packaged neatly in a nice paper wrap, geometrically like a rectangular prism — there’s a lot going in this burger with the onion rings, pulled pork, cheddar, spices, fresh lettuce/​tomato, and toasted ciabatta bun. Really easy to distinguish the individual components and experience a myriad of textures per bite. But I wish the patty could’ve been thicker and more flavorful as it should be the theme ingredient of the dish.
Cinnamon apple: Very addictive, slightly squishy but mostly meaty and perfect if used in a pie.
The Cuban: Fluffy bread with a combination of pulled pork, swiss cheese, and pickles. Even with the mayo and BBQ sauce, the flavor was a bit light but the texture of the bread and meat was definitely on point.
BBQ Chicharrón: Fried pork rind with a mix of BBQ spices served with several dishes. Very nice almost fluffy texture with a tasty combination of flavorings.
Natural fresh cut fries: Hearty texture with a great potato flavor — Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside which was balanced very well.
Loaded mashed potatoes: Soft texture with a good flavor of garlic butter. The bacon was soft but overall the dish was enjoyable.
Pork tenderloin: Extremely tender and juicy, perfectly cooked. Not too salty with a slight char skin — probably the best dish I had of the meal. They probably didn’t use berkshire pork to make this dish, but I could’ve easily been fooled because of the excellent flavor and texture.
Nutty chicken salad: Fresh salad mixed with perfectly grilled chicken and red onions, fresh strawberries, dried cranberries, and candied pecans which is tied together well by the honey mustard sauce. Done as well as any of the local cafes which specialize in salads and sandwiches.
Hot Bag O’ Donuts: Fluffy and hot donuts that are slightly crisp. Delicious way to end the meal, specially with the raspberry sauce. Highly recommended.
Overall, the food is probably closer to a 4 but the great service, unique décor, good variety of bulk ordering options, and overall pleasant experience add an additional star to the rating. I’ll definitely be back soon.