Big Ed’s BBQ

Ooh my God. …
Great food, can taiste the love. DID NOT taiste like restaurant food. Excellent.. Great beer on Tap.
By far, one of the best ran businesses.
Operated with heart. EVERY customer treated like friends. I ate like I was at my own house, sauce and all.
I dropped my empty cup, by the time I picked it up off the floor, one of the owners had started my way to give me a fresh cup. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Finally made it in early enough to enjoy Ed’s ribs. He just celebrated his 1^st Anniversary in Waukegan. They graciously offered the first 25 customers a free t-​shirt and 10% off their meal. Anniversary cake was also served for the day.
The Tony Mac, Baked Beans and Yams are outstanding. Ribs are meaty, juicy and flavorful without sauce, but I love a splash of heat.
Get in soon on the weekend for some great live music too. One day soon I’ll have to check out an evening of bbq and jams.

Wow didn’t thing it was possible to find a good BBQ place in the Waukegan IL area. I have been to many of the BBQ capitals and these folks rock! The baby back ribs were fall off the bone, Good smoke ring, slaw and baked beans were among the best. The brisket was absolutely delicious. Ed was there cooking and made you feel at home when you placed your order. Great selection of sauces to please everyone. Reasonable prices so don’t miss this place.

Barbecue so good you can smell it in the carry out menu. I was outside the courthouse in Waukegan for work when somebody hands me a menu and says «stop by if you get the chance.» First thing I do is smell the menu and say …“That is some good BBQ smell on the menu.“
So on my way out of Waukegan I decide to stop and pick up some food to go. First off the line was out the door busy. When I walked in you are immediately greeted by the staff like you are family and came home for a meal. The smells were so amazing my mouth began to water. I ordered the trio of sliders to get a little taste of everything. All 3 meats were moist and tasty. There is not much to see, do or eat in Waukegan but if you have time stop by and get ready for some great food and be treated like family.

We ordered take out since we were visiting someone in the hospital. As soon as I walked in to pick it up I had high hopes. The place smelled great. We were not disappointed. We had brisket and rib tips. Both were very good. The sides were good as well. Highly recommend.

Great food! Rib tip is my favorite here! The beans, mac & cheese, and corn bread muffins are so good! Friendly staff and quick service. A must try!

I used to love frequenting this establishment when they were downtown Waukegan. The new location doesn’t have table service and makes it seem fast food like. When we went in tonight they were out of burgers, sausage, burnt ends and mashed potatoes (that we knew of at 445pm). We stood in line for 15 minutes while staff debated amongst themselves on the pricing of an order. It was so slow that we walked out. Not sure I will be back.

The best collard greens I’ve had in Illinois. The brisket was moist and the burnt ends fantastic. My friend enjoyed the rib tips and pulled pork.

I thought for sure my husband and I could polish off the bucket of rib tips, but dang! Those tips were meaty, tender and DEE-​LICOUS!
Husband also ate the beans and sweet potatoes… Two thumbs up! Mashed potatoes were creamy and tasty!
The place was packed and clean! The staff was friendly and even though busy, took the time to talk to us and joke around.
We’ll be back!

HIGHLY RECOMMEND! Our experience here was so good, definitely going to come back for more!
PLACE: Ambience is very welcoming. Super spacious and clean.
SERVICE: Everyone was so friendly, from the cashier to the servers, to the cooks, just everyone. They made sure that we had everything we needed without being overwhelming.
FOOD: We ordered Big Ed’s Sampler and Big Ed’s Combo Dinner and both were good choices especially for our first time eating here. First off, I love how they gave us the option of when they wanted our appetizers and main dish to come out. This guaranteed that everything was still warm.
The appetizers were delicious. The mozzarella sticks, mushrooms, chicken strips, and wings were cooked perfectly. It’s cool because you can choose what kind of sauce you want on your wings (or if you want them plain).
For the Big Ed’s Combo Dinner, we chose brisket and ribs for our two meats and then Mac and cheese and Mashed potatoes for our two sides and everything was amazing! The brisket and ribs were cooked perfectly with the meat so easy to bite with a good smoky taste. The meat had such good flavor by itself with no sauce, but because this place is SO awesome, they still had a choice of five different sauces, all very yummy in their own way.
Sorry such a long review, but Five Stars for sure!

I love Big Ed’s!!! I’ve tried the pulled chicken, ribs, brisket, lawd ham mercy beans, collard greens, sweet potatoes, Mac and cheese and even their whole roasted pig. Everything was on point and the beans will really make you say «lord have mercy!» Do not pass up the opportunity to try the pound cake. Seriously!!! Best pound cake ever!

This is hands down the best BBQ I’ve had north of Tennessee and honestly, they hold they’re own from what I have sampled in the south. Excellent pulled pork and fantastic brisket. One of my favorite joints. Well done

Southern, smokey, and tender, this place is home cooking! I’m not usually a fan of dry rubs or smoked ribs, but this was done just perfectly.
We bought Rib Tips, Brisket, Chicken Tenders, and Baby Back Ribs, and they were all delicious! Our favorite of the bunch was the rib tips though — kids and all.
We also loved the choice of different BBQ sauces — Memphis and Kansas city came out on top. We loved all the sides: fries, mashed taters, beans, cornbread, mac and cheese, and specialty mac and cheese. There wasn’t a bite left among the six of us. Not a bite people! And that’s with 4 pickey child eaters.
Don’t be fooled by the outside — this is a place to stop and lay down some cash. Well worth every penny.

Ok, when I grow up, I want to run a place like this. (Unfortunately, I am way passed being grown up). This joint rocks! It is the best barbecue I have had… anywhere!
The atmosphere is laid back, the ordering process simple, the staff is great… very friendly and helpful. I like the simple fare… vintage military style lunch trays is how I can best describe them.
I ordered the burnt ends sandwich — sans bun. I wanted more and more and more. I swear, I could have eaten those things all day.
The fresh cut fries were prefect, y cooked and perfectly seasoned.
Based on how good this place was, it will move some as they will need more space.
If you are anywhere near Big Ed’s, you must try it!

We stopped at Big Ed’s for our first time last night. I have to say… we will drive up to 2 hours for a great meal and were very happy to find this place within an hour. I can’t remember the last time that I had BBQ this good! I ordered the half chicken with Mac n Cheese, sweet potatoes, and baked beans. The chicken was so good… the meat had a delicious smokey flavor that I only used some bbq sauce because it was so good without anything on it. The Mac and Cheese was just ok. Nothing special. The sweet potatoes were ok, they had a nice hint of cinnamon but weren’t sweet enough for me. The corn bread could have been a little sweeter. The beans… let me tell you… I have NEVER had beans taste this good! They cook them with green pepper, onions, and pork… not the fatty bacon pieces, CHUNKS of pork, a chunk in almost every bite! I had to take a large order home with me!
My husband ordered the pulled pork dinner, greens, and mashed. He loved the pork and said that the greens were the best he ever had!
The restaurant itself was clean and comfortable. There’s not a whole lot of seating so get their earlier if you are going on the weekend. The owner/​manager came over to check on all of the tables and take dirty trays. It was a nice touch. I felt welcomed and appreciated.
I will be bringing my daughter back soon. Next time though, I’ll order the burnt ends and sweet potato fries and save room for the keylime pie!

Absolutely everything we had was beyond delicious. Everything is homemade from scratch. The service is extremely friendly. The only drawback (and I’m really just grasping at straws here) is that they have Pepsi instead of Coke. 10/​10, can’t wait to go back.

This place is legitimate barbecue. I lived in the south and have had some really, really good barbecue, but I have never eaten barbecue like THIS before!
The outside of Big Ed’s doesn’t look like much, and we weren’t even sure they were still open when we drove by, but I read some reviews on Unilocal and decided I should at least pull into the parking lot to see for myself. Sure enough, they were open.
It looks a lot more like a bar than what you’d expect from a barbecue place but let me tell you, this is the real deal. Even if you already know what you want, you should pick up one of their paper menus and read it for the sheer entertainment value. Whoever wrote the menu deserves an award! I kept a copy to bring home with me to Buffalo.
There were three of us in our party and we tried the ribs, the three mini sandwiches and the pulled pork. We shared French fries, macaroni and cheese, baked beans and mashed potatoes as our sides. The cornbread was freaking amazing too. Best beans I’ve ever eaten anywhere.
The pork was melt-​in-​your-​mouth delicious. The Memphis sauce was SPOT-​ON PERFECT. Those dadgum beans. Oh my gosh. I don’t know what else to say except you really need to try them. Maybe even take a gallon to go if they’ll let you.
The food was so amazing that I cannot believe this place wasn’t bursting at the seams. Is this the best kept secret in Waukegan or something? I mean, why are people flocking to the Willis Tower? They really should be making the drive to Waukegan to line up at Big Ed’s instead. And not only was the food the best barbecue I’ve ever stuffed in my pie hole, but the service was fast and the people were really friendly.
Also, if it matters to you, they have video gaming poker. I didn’t play, but I noticed they have a small section of the restaurant for that sort of thing.
My only disappointment is that Big Ed’s isn’t a chain and I don’t know that I’ll ever have a cause to be back in Waukegan.

Quite possibly the best BBQ I’ve ever had. And I’ve been to A LOT of places all over this great nation. If you’re ever in Waukegan just GO!!!

Saturday was my first visit to this location (I’ve eaten many times at the old North Chicago and Genesee locations). The latest incarnation is located in the old Pizza Hut (from the Lakehurst days).
When you walk in you catch a cool but relaxed vibe. The décor is clean, and minimalist, with splashes of sports memorabilia. Bluesy-​rock music surrounds you, and enhances the experience.
On this visit, as is so often the case: Big Ed was working hard, but greeted most everyone as they walked in. I typically order the pulled pork or beef brisket. Today I ordered the burnt ends — Incredible!
They have about eight different homemade sauces. My favorites are original and Kansas City.
If you love legit BBQ — this is the place.

I’ve had a hankering for BBQ for quite some time. I checked Big Ed’s menu online — and the food really sounded appetizing. So off I went — pulled into the parking lot, did not seem too busy (Sun @ 3pm) — but caught a whiff of smoked goodness. Stepped inside, checked out the menu board — decided on two two-​combo plates for take-​out — this would allow for an assortment of tasty meats.
combo #1 — burnt-​ends and ribs, sides of greens and mac n cheese
combo #2 — rib-​tips and brisket, sides of bbq-​mac, and baked-​beans.
Each combo includes and corn-​bread muffin, and bbq sauces.
The brisket was NOT overly-​smoked — which to me is perfect. I’ve been to the famous BBQ joints in Lockhart, TX, and they were over smoked… not the case here. The ribs were great as well. The burnt-​ends were simply awesome — juicy, full of flavor. If you enjoy cartilage, then order the rib-​tips, while cooked fine, were too little meat. all the sides were excellent.
I believe my go-​to will be the two-​combo, with burnt-​ends, and brisket — sides of beans, and bbq-​mac.
The total cost for the food was about $ 38. Each combo meal could easily feed three people. The business had been located in downtown Waukegan — and this move to Fountain Square had been in the works for over a year. They also have a business in Libertyville — this was my first visit to Big Ed’s.
I’ll be back — please steer clear of the burnt-​ends — they’re mine, all mine!!!