Russell’s Barbecue

I can’t even bring myself to call this stuff «food» it was that bad. The thing they called a pulled chicken sandwich was more like mushy, boiled chicken slapped on a wonder bread bun with some runny ketchup. It had bone shards in it. My boyfriends ribs looked like they had been put in an oven for 3 years and tasted like dog food. He returned them for a pulled pork sandwich. What a joke! I think it was sliced grisly turkey on a bun. He returned that too. Even the fries were stale. How has this place been in business since the 30’s? Don’t the locals know what food is? This goes down as one of the most horrible eating experiences of my entire life…

What a great family friendly restaurant! We chose this for my grandma’s birthday party yesterday and it was such a calm, delightful experience — hard to do with 10 people and a 3 year old. Multiple people in my extended family really like this place and since you pay at the counter it makes it really easy to split up the bill. No tipping, no problems.
The food is phenomenal — I had the pulled pork sandwiches with sweet potato fries and tried a bunch of other dishes as well which were all great. The colesaw was more like saurkraut, not creamy at all, but I added some ranch dressing and it was pretty good then. I thought prices were reasonable, especially for alcohol. My mom really liked her Long Island.
We brought in our own dessert with no problems from the staff. The busboy picked up all of our garbage with a smile. Can’t say the same for the counter staff though — high school kids who I think really hate their jobs. But our orders were 100% correct and that always makes me happy.
All in all a great place to take a big group with kids. They give out tokens for a vending machine that gives out little trinket toys for the kids. This kept the three year old in our group very entertained and happy and when the baby is happy, everyone is happy.

This is like the Burger King of Barbecue. It’s not horrible, but it’s rather unspectacular. The customer service needs improvement. When I come in to order, they seem bored or like I’m bothering them (the busboys seemed like the nicest!). I like the low-​lighting and free wi-​fi option, but I pretty much come to eat here when i’m in a hurry and undemanding about my lunch. The sauce is runny, but you know, I still really like it. I feel like the sandwiches need better bread/​buns. The best part is the variety of sides (I’m glad I can get a baked potato somewhere). Plus you can get a glass of beer with your food as well. I usually get the pulled pork, well-​knowing that I’ve had better elsewhere.
I think my two-​star review is harsh because I have come here a few times, and mildly enjoyed the food (broccoli bites are kinda yummy). Good barbecue is really hard to come by these days, and they certainly put effort into their chicken/​pork but it’s also not high quality. The prices are good thankfully, but don’t go out of your way when Sweet Baby Ray’s isn’t too far away. It’s a disappointment, but it’s not the worst I’ve had either.

Bbq chicken is awesome!!! Good prices too.

So here is the deal. I am a BBQ junkie, so I may be a little harsh. I have been hearing about how wonderful the bbq is here and yada yada yada. as a junkie, I had to check it out.
Apparently, Chicagoland folks dont know what good, real bbq is. This isnt bbq. This is like sliced roasted pork, on a bun with a little spiced thinned out ketchup. Yeah. not impressed. Not at all. The customer service was horrible, I asked the girl for a quarter and a nickel inexchange for 3 dimes (so my kid could get a gumball out of the machine). It took me 10 minutes to convincer her that a quarter and a nickel was worth the same as 3 dimes. (this is really no joke. It happened.)
I must say, I enjoyed the Orange soda and the Cole Slaw. The slaw was really good.
Im not saying the food was bad. If they would have said that they were service sliced roasted pork and had labeled the sauce as just sauce, I would be ok with that. But this was really not in the same family as bbq. Its like calling gold plated real gold. Misleading, in my humble opinion.
If you are looking for real bbq, dont go here. If you are looking for ok food, give it a shot. its pretty cheap, and worth giving it a shot, i guess.

Good for a quick sandwich but a bit inconsistent. Sometimes it’s good and sometimes it’s not. Not a bad choice if you want something cheap-​ish and you’re in the area.

Not good. The sauce was a vinegar based sauce. No one was there also… which tells about the place… cuz this place sucks. Had the famous beef sandwich combo… was not world famous in my mouth. Buddies said their food was only okay…(aka) it sucked.

disappointed.
despite mixed reviews, decided to give it a shot with two work buddies.
the place is pretty cool, my one friend said it reminded him of every ski lodge which is pretty accurate.
got a slab of ribs, coleslaw, fries, and a medium drink for almost $ 18, not bad.
the food: not good.
while not terrible, the ribs weren’t that tender and had very little flavor.
fries were whatever, definitely not fresh. the «coleslaw» i originally thought was just a bunch of chopped up onions, was just gross.
here’s what really get’s me: the sauce.
as a barbecue connoisseur i have no idea how this passed as barbecue sauce. very plain, not much flavor at all.
my two friends got the pulled pork and pulled beef and had pretty much the same feelings.
cheap as it may be, i’d rather pay a couple extra bucks and get a quality delicious meal from somewhere else.

When you’re a kid everythings better.
Sadly I came back to Russell’s with such excitement because as I remembered I loved this place.
The ribs weren’t fall off the bone or even tender for that matter.
But I was feelin’ the Chili Cheese Fries and breaded mushrooms with a chocolate cake to seal the deal.
My eyes are clearly bigger than my stomach because there was no way I could finish this all.
I wouldn’t come back for the ribs but the chicken and side dishes are worth it if I’m in the neighborhood.

Thanks for making this ROTD!
We did revisit this place again this past Sunday. Man-​O-​Man, I sure did come back to eat what I initially said I was going to try the «next time» I come back. I went with the full slab of ribs again as well as a Beef Sandwich, Fried Macaroni Wedges, and Cornbread.
Ribs — DELISH. Again, not as great as TGI Friday’s, but still great.
Beef Sandwich — WOW. It’s like a pulled pork sandwich but instead made of BEEF. It was slightly dry, but it was still good.
Fried Macaroni Wedges — do I need to say more? Due to it being a fried item, it did have a strong taste of oil, but what do you expect right?
Other than that, fried macaroni… drool.
Cornbread — Ohh Myy Goshh (like Usher). I can never get enough of cornbread, but this one was different. I order two (psh…who cares about watching their figure!) But, nonetheless, it was SO GOOD. I saved one for later and ended up forgetting about it and was able to eat it two days later and it was STILL moist!
We went home FULL and of course SATISFIED. Yes, it’s sad that I came back here in such a short time. BUT this time it wasn’t my choosing. The BF wanted to go back too!

Oh Russell’s where do I begin? Russell’s is my favorite place for BBQ, whether it be their mouth-​watering ribs or their sandwiches.
Is it the greatest BBQ in the world? I can’t say. I’ll let someone else argue that point. All I can say is I love their ribs first and foremost. At about $ 13 they are tasty, tender, and continue to draw me like a moth to a flame. I like their sauce, not too smokey or spicy and not full of vinegar like some others. Besides, I don’t like, nor see the point of, going out and spending $ 18 – 25 for ribs all around Chicagoland, when I can get these for much less.
Now for their sandwiches. The beef is pretty good but it is the pork sandwich that I love. This isn’t pulled pork we’re talking about, but nice roasted pork like Mom would make. They shread it up and pile it on a bun without sauce. You can add as much as you want then. To me it is just right, not too dry and not too juicy. I will concede that their buns could be better or more substantial to hold up better.
As I am a bit nostalgic, I do prefer the original Elmwood Park location to the Rolling Meadows one, but there is nothing wrong with the RM one, in fact it is closer to us so we go there more. It’s just nice to take a Sunday drive and go to the Elmwood Park one. You can sit outside or indoors and enjoy a nice cold beer with your food. I don’t think they have pitchers anymore so that sucks. The décor hasn’t changed much in the 25 years I’ve been coming here, but that doesn’t bother me. In fact I enjoy some things that never change.
So, if I wasn’t waxing nostalgic, I would give them 4 stars, but since I love this place and it always leaves me with a smile, I give them 5.

I’ve been eating lunch here once a month or so with work colleagues for several years. I have a soft spot for this place because it is the real deal — affordable, basic American food. They didn’t even accept credit cards until recently. And yes, the décor is outdated heavy dark brown. So ugly it’s kind of quaint.
But on a cold winter’s day they have a fireplace burning, and they serve up good heaped sliced pork on buns with applesauce and fries (or baked potato extra). The barbecue sauce is sort of bland but they give you squirt bottles to add as much as you want.
I like that Russell’s hasn’t changed much in decades and is still in business. They must be doing something right.

3 Stars, Unilocal?Really? Seriously? But, but, but…
Meh, I don’t care what you guys say. ***pouts in corner*** Russell’s is worth 5 Sexy Stars in my book. I grew up on this stuff… and by that, I mean that my fam would drive the 35 miles to come here and it was an event– like pick up grandma, this is gonna be a feast. Sure, the ordering, décor, and the way things are served is pretty dank BUT the food, specifically that Russell’s BBQ sauce, changed my life.
In fact, on the last birthday I spent as a meat eater, I requested the BF take me to Russell’s for BBQ pork sandies and fries. We came, We ate, we wore bibs, we were not let down.
Though, the prices have raised significantly through the years, I think it’s totally worth it… even though now my order here is restricted to LOTS of their fries (just the way I like them– long and soggy) and copious amounts of the Russel’s sauce. I like to buy a bottle of it to go, in addition to taking about 20 individual containers from the front counter, so I can pour it on everything at home.
IMO, Russell’s sauce it liquid gold.

It’s an okay BBQ place.
I love their BBQ sauce I always ask for extra condiments.
I’d skip the ribs, anywhere else is better. It’s a little rough and dry.
Other than that everything else is mediocre.

There are a couple reviews here whose author’s opinion I value highly. So I was looking forward to some good food here. But on this visit this food experience was so poor I decided half way into the meal to get up and leave. Can anyone tell me if there is a good dish here? I had the half chicken /​half slab of ribs meal and a friend had the pulled pork. We shared a look of disgust, my meal was the poorest. I’ve had food at restaurants that looked like shanty’s and they’ve served up better fare. Between us we wondered if their food is any better at an earlier time like noon or late afternoon. BUT, if a place has been in business for more than fifty years or boasts that their pulled beef has been a favorite for over 77 years. their food should be good anytime right? The ribs were mostly bones and the meat was overcooked, the color and overall was just ugly. The half chicken was the same, after a few bites that was it. Most times I’ll pack up the food and take it home, tear it apart and work it into a meal. This crap I left behind. Pulled pork sandwich was the same, terrible. Their BBQ sauce is not attractive, I wouldn’t pay for it and if I got it free I’d donate it… would NOT re-​gift it. Seriously, I got ketchup and dipped everything in it. Poor experience and I feel horrible that I wasted close to thirty dollars on it.
I wanted to like the place. but couldn’t. With all the candelabra type chandeliers this could be a great site for a Gulliver’s, I bet kids really dig it. It’s an enormous restaurant with many different seating areas and a jukebox on opposite sides of the restaurant.

OMG! I don’t love this place. I don’t even like this place. I wanted to, I really did. But it was so icky that I couldn’t just sit back and let the nostalgic illusion continue any more.
For those of you that desire to hark back to the days of INSERT CHILDHOOD CAMP NAME HERE, then get in your pickup and drive your toots down here. Seriously, if you had awesome memories of the food served up by Girl Scout/​Boy Scout camp… Russell’s could be your new favorite place.
For the rest of you, there are plenty of tastier, more exciting BBQ joints in the Chicago area (Smoque, Sweet Baby Ray’s, Fat Willy’s, my balcony… etc).
I have give Russell’s 2 chance to make my mouth water at 2 locations (Rolling Meadows and the original location) but nothing clicked with me.
The over-​processed buns were gummy and gross. The meat was not what anyone would describe as traditional barbeque (whether classified as Texas, Memphis, Kansas City, or anyplace else). The meat was tender, yes, but that is not an exceptional quality of a barbecue joint so no extra points can be assigned for it. The watery BBQ sauce tasted more like medicine than a complex concoction of smoky and sweet goodness.
And the fries? Well, I have had better fries as a sushi restaurant.

As a kid, I lived about 4 blocks from Russell’s BBQ in Elmwood Park. I always thought it was a great place from the first time my uncle took me there when I was about 7 years old. The BBQ sandwiches, french fries and the fantastic BBQ sauce were to die for! Their chocolate malts were perfection. I always had one when I went there to eat a meal.
When I was in HS, my friends and I used to stop there on the way home from school nearly every day for a coke & fries, with BBQ sauce to dip the fries in.
Now, living in Palatine TWP, I and several friends that I grew up with in Elmwood Park, met at the Rolling Meadows location, for lunch.
I had the BBQ beef, which another review here, likened to Arby’s. They were right! Only the BBQ sauce was better. The fries weren’t as good as I remembered them to be [they were hand cut from fresh potatoes in the old days]. But the biggest disappointment was the «chocolate malt».
It wasn’t a «malt» at all. It was «soft-​serve» like you get at McDonalds! What crap!
Russell’s was not the great nostalgic experience I was hoping for! Later, I decided to give it one more try. That time I had a BBQ ham sandwich and a Diet Coke.
The BBQ ham was un-​remarkable! On leaving, I bought a bottle or their BBQ sauce, and the following week, I got some thin sliced smoked ham at the deli and a package of Mary Ann buns and made my own BBQ ham at home. It was far superior to the Russell’s product I had the week before.
One of the guys I was with at lunch there, told me that he’s been back to Elmwood Park and went to the Russell’s there. He said it was far better than the Rolling Meadows location.
Will I go there again? Probably, as an alternative to the other 3 fast food hamburger chains, which I generally avoid.

a bit of discussion w Pat W on Russell’s (and BBQ in general) inspired this review. Went here pretty regularly when i worked in the burbs some 10 years ago… I still get out to the area every once in a while and make a point to lunch here when I can.
As I told him, the bbq here (more specifically pulled pork, that’s all I order) is not your typical pulled pork that’s bursting w. smokey bbq flavor. It’s a little lighter and certainly more understated… but it works for me on a whole other level. The tangy bbq sauce is very good and I personally top off each bite w a bit of the stuff from the plastic squeeze bottles that are on the tables… this isn’t the norm w. most bbq, as you don’t want to take away from the flavors of the meat, but again, it works on a different level here.
Fries are good, most plates come w. apple sauce (or cole slaw) which is pretty standard and compliments the whole bbq experience.
Notable sides are some excellent broccoli cheddar bites and well as cheese sticks… again, things that aren’t necessarily common w. bbq joints but at russel’s BBQ, the whole experience, from building aesthetics/​atmosphere (Mark S nailed it) to the queue for ordering (and then wait for) the food itself isn’t necessarily common either… but it’s damn good and definitely worth your time!

I guess the legendary Mark S. described me to a T in re this place. It was my first time here, and though it was good, I was a little disappointed. That said, I’ll definitely be going back sometime to give it another shake.
I had the beef sandwich, which was moist and not the least bit skimpy. The sandwich is served sans sauce, so you’re adding your own. I didn’t find that the beef or the sauce had a heck of a lot of flavor; I was squirting sauce on every bite that I took. The beef was okay, but tasted not dissimilar to Arby’s. I’d like to get back and try the pork sandwich and maybe even the ribs someday.
The décor was strange for a barbecue place; it reminded me a lot of the German restaurant from Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Very comfy and cozy though, and the fireplace is a great touch during these cold, lousy winter days.

My wife has been going to Russell’s since she was a kid and the menu hasn’t changed much and it’s a great place for bbq in the suburbs. We always order the same things: the half chicken dinner w/​fries and sauce on the chicken, ½ orders of onion rings and fried mushrooms.
The great thing is when you eat your chicken dinner there’s a bottle of sauce at every table!