Big Ed’s Bar & Grill

I went here for lunch with a group from work yesterday. I got the pulled pork nachos. They were amazing! I love the charm of the old building. The smoky smell was wonderful! Warning: it’ll stick to your clothes the rest if the day– so worth it!

Visited this bar after a Smokey Robinson concert at the Genesee Theater and man… I’m from California and I have never had such a wonderful experience. Great staff and although I didn’t eat, the food smell was crazy good! If you’re from this area you need to good!

Food was delicious. Staff was friendly. I definitely recommend this place for good BBQ. The chocolate cake was good. I had a half BBQ chicken with French fries and my husband had the pulled pork sandwich. I couldn’t finish my food. I was stuffed.

I was amazed at the rib tips I ordered, also tasted the brisket. I will have to go back just for it.

The key lime pie almost made me cry tears of joy. It was perfect: light and fluffy, and tangy and citrus-​y. Best pie I have had to date!

Maybe it’s due to the fact I’m from The south but I was not a fan of the food. Everyone was super nice, the wait wasn’t long at all, but we tried a little of everything and where so disappointed. So the search is still on for great, even good barbecue.

Have to say, this was delicious! Great atmosphere and amazing help too! I had the Jim’s Pig Salad and my daughter and cousin had the Baby Back Ribs. Ask for Amber as your server and you will not go wrong.

The best BBQ on the north shore.

You will go in hungry and you will come out so full that you will swear you will never eat again. While you are there you will have some of the best barbeque you have ever had. You might also try some authentic southern food like the Shrimp and Grits that are as good as, if not better than, the shrimp and grits you had while visiting Charleston, SC.
The folks working there are super friendly and will make you feel like family. Big Ed is often taking breaks from flipping huge pieces of meat to come out and visit with customers. The guy working the tiny kitchen is a maverick. I don’t know how he manages to keep such amazing food coming out of such a tiny place, but he does, and it’s incredible.
The atmosphere is perfect for a Friday night with a good looking bar, high ceilings, and an overall warm and cozy feeling.
If you are in the area, don’t miss this place. Also, try the chicken wings as an appetizer. Yum.

Didn’t know what I wanted to eat one evening, so I decided to go downtown, and stopped at Big Eds. It was a Friday and as I was arriving, the band which I was familiar with was sitting up. After I saw what the couple setting next to my had order and asked about it, I decided to try their Zita Primavera, which was excellent and the beer was cold. Before I had finished, the band had started, the music was top notch old school and jazz, and as I said, the beer was COLD, Overall, I enjoyed the food, the music and the COLD beer. I have since made Big Ed’s a regular Friday night stop at least a couple of times a month.
Prior to Big Ed opening in downtown Waukegan, I have also patronized his establishment he had in North Chicago, sorry to loose him there. And again met Big Ed at the Taste of Lake County a few years ago where his BBQ took second place, but it should have been first. Needless to say, the first place winner opened a restaurant in Zion and is not in operation any longer. So, if you are looking for some GREAT food and GREAT music, the stop in at Big Eds in Waukegan, and this I fail to mention COLD beer.

Had my birthday dinner at Big Ed s January 2013 great food great service heard the story about how big Ed was started. Snowy night Big Ed spent some time with us very personal we took photos with him. We will visit often great value !
Mike Steinberger
847−367−5475

Very good! I don’t eat pork lol but the beef and chicken are really good and my coworkers that had the pork ribs and really liked them. The half was pretty big!

Amazing staff, amazing food, never go home hungry after eating here. Love it! My mouth just waters even THINKING about this place. Big Ed’s BY FAR tops Hillery’s in terms of BBQ yumminess!

Love this place! We met Big Ed at the Grill Games in Kenosha, Wi last year. For some reason it took us this long to go to his restaurant. So disappointed that we did not go sooner! We started with drinks at the bar. Halfway through our first drink they sat us at a table. We ordered the pulled pork nachos. Delicious! 7:00, queue the live music (on Friday and Saturday) and we are good to go! More drinks, some great music, order your meal and eat. The table next to us offered to share a bite of their dessert. Great chocolate cake! I do hear the pound cake is to die for. Big Ed came out and talked to every table. What A great guy! The food was great and the atmosphere was just what we were looking for. Can’t wait to go back! Thanks for some kick ass food and a great time!
–Mrs. Des

This place and the owners are amazing!
Awesome pulled pork, gumbo, and brisket. Ed knows his stuff!!! Love the old bar and the best damn Bar B Que!
Enjoy and savor it all.

My family decided to try Big Ed’s based on Unilocal reviews and it was pretty good. My husband went with the enormous burger and he liked it, my grilled chicken sammy was a little dry and my daughter liked her burger. The place was drafty (cold) and the only waitress working was not as attentive as we would have liked. Actually our waitress was friendly to what appeared to be all regulars but not us (first and last timers).
If you are a regular than go for it, if not good luck with the service (we went on a week day and there were only about 5 other people in the place besides us).

OMG … If you have a bucket list, this place is «MUST TRY»!
First, the Baby Back Ribs are HUGE. They are dry rubbed by Big Ed then cooked in his slow smoker for 15+ hours. These are the MEATiest Ribs I have ever eaten or seen and the taste is stupendous. Big Ed prepares his own private blend of BBQ sauce … If you really want it. Big Ed and his wife Kim are extremely friendly people. The service is wonderful. Don’t forget to checkout the bar collection.
I couldn’t decide between the «chicken & corn chowder» or the «spicy chili brisket» soup, so at $ 1.99 each I chose to have a cup of each. WOW! That was a great decision. They both were extremely delish and had a chowder consistency.
My wife had the pulled pork. WOW Again. There wasn’t a single piece of fat in the entire sandwich. She said it was the best pulled pork ever.
My wife is connoisseur of key lime pie; I usually take a pass. She will always try a piece from every new restaurant we visit that bends it. I’m glad she decided to take her selection home before indulging. Unbelievable taste. Bid Ed did it again with his homemade key lime pie.
Since Big Ed’s is a 1+ hour drive from our home, this was our first of many many more visits to come.
Big Ed’s Bar & Grill in Waukegan.

We stopped here for lunch. We were on our annual Valentine’s Day trip to Waukegan to pay birthday respects to the late, great Jack Benny. (This was the 80^th anniversary of his 39^th birthday).
We really enjoyed our food. Mom and I had the corn chowder and it was delicious and very filling. I had the pulled pork nachos. I liked it, except I thought the pork was a tad too sweet for my taste. In general though, it was tasty and abundant.
Christopher had the turkey hoagie and Mom had the tuna salad sandwich. Both were very good. My only disappointment was the Merkt’s Cheese Fries. I thought they were rather bland and it did not taste like Merkt’s Cheese to me.
The service was top notch and the place had a a nice atmosphere to it. We would definitely come back in the future. Maybe next Valentine’s Day.

Had another terrific lunch at Big Ed’s today. Started with a bowl of chicken corn chowder: a bowl of nicely cooked (not mushy) kernals of corn mixed with tomatoes, green onions, chunks of chicken and (I think) a little bacon. It was more of a vegetable stew than a soup and I liked it a lot. The chowder, like the gumbo, is a regular menu item, they didn’t have a «soup of the day» today.
Next I had the brisket sandwich, which was even better than the pulled pork sammie I had the last visit. They claim the brisket, some of the best flavored and tenderest brisket I’ve ever eaten, is smoked a minimum of 15 hours – and I believe it. The beef was cut in long strips and piled up on a bun, oozing barbecue sauce along the edges. Fantastic! Today, I was offered french fries as a side, which was nice, unlike my last visit when chips were the only option. But I stayed with their usual trio of slaw, pickle and a little bag of Lay’s, as I was afraid fries would be too heavy beyond the brisket and soup. It’s kind of hard to figure if by offering chips they’re trying to say they’re a down home lunch counter – even though the high quality and careful presentation of the soups and sandwiches belies that – or if they’re trying to be ironic. It’s fine in any case.
Had a pint of the Lake Bluff Brewery draft ale which I enjoyed on my last visit.
Beer $ 4, soup $ 4, sandwich and sides $ 10, with tax before tip $ 19.10.
Much of today’s clientele appeared to be business people from the area, plus at least one guy who was definitely a lawyer lunching with his client (pink tie over British-​style contrasting collar oxford shirt and suspenders with ironic mustache), as the Lake County courthouse is very nearby. Even though Big Ed’s is a bar as well as a grill, many diners were drinking soda pop, having to return to work. I finished work early and was enjoying my end of day beer at noon, having been up since 4:30 AM.
The bathroom was clean. I paid at the end of the bar nearest the entrance with American Express, as a long cash register tape recording the entire morning’s transactions spilled over the bar down onto the floor in a tangle.
Outside, major construction on the street filled the bar with noise and dust every time the door opened, and both waitresses complained about the commotion. Big Ed’s is run by really nice people making a go of it in a dying rust belt city, Waukegan, a place where there once were well paying factory jobs, but no longer. I wish them all the best.

If you’re near Waukegan, or can Get here. DO! I’m not sure what we enjoyed more: the great atmosphere and food here, or our conversation with one of the owners, Kate. We came for our son’s Navy boot camp graduation, and were looking for a place to relax, the night before the ceremony. Great building and décor, an instantly enjoyable ambience that makes you glad you’re there; like relaxing with old friends.
Kate made us some great drinks, and then we shared pulled pork nachos and a chopped salad with chicken. Both plates were generous portions, and the ingredients fresh. We talked with other patrons who entered, and watched as their dinners arrived; a beef sandwich and fries, and cheeseburger, that looked great too. We had no room for dessert, but you’ll want to save room on your trip here, as Kate says they are all made in​-house​.as is everything on the menu. Diverse menu with something for everyone. They also have live music on weekends.
Waukeegan is a short drive from Chicago, so we look forward to our next visit to the area, and definitely enjoying a trip to Big Ed’s!