Pork Shoppe ( PorkShoppeChicago.com; 5721 N. Clark St. ) has only been open for six weeks, but with the way it does business and comes through with a delicious meal, it's sure to remain a barbecue staple for years to come.
The interior has a definite barnyard feel to it. The walls' colors are a mixture of browns and whites; hollow barrels hang from the ceiling looking like chandeliers; stacks of chopped up wood provide structure for the bar; and there are even a couple of pig paintings that add to its familial atmosphere.
The menu is quite simple: just a two-sided sheet with lunch specials ( served Monday through Friday at 11 a.m.-3 p.m. ), appetizers, salads, "The Meats" ( sandwich combos on brioche buns served with coleslaw plus fries or potato salad for just $14 ), ribs, a veggie option, half-pound sides and "Add Ons" on the front—and a wide variety of drinks on the back.
By far the best things I had during my visit were the brisket nachos ( served with chips, cheese, beans, chilies and tomatoes, on a flour tortilla ). The reason it's served on a flour tortilla—as our lovely waitress, Amanda, told us—was so the plate could be turned into a burrito in case things got too messy. It's a brilliant idea, and one that sets this dish apart from nachos one might find elsewhere. Well, that, and its exceptional taste: The chips had the perfect amount of crunch, the brisket was tender and flavorful, and the cheese was melted just right.
For the main course I ordered a half-rack of St. Louis-style spareribs, which are meatier and contain more fat than traditional ribs, and the Shoppe Slaw, which is composed of cabbage, raisins ( ! ), pineapples ( !! ), carrots and mayo. The ribs and the slaw together were just $17.
As I expected, the ribs weren't the fall-off-the-bone type. Each bite was like chomping into a pork burger; that's how meaty it was, but it worked for me. It's expected that you glaze your ribs with one of the three sauces provided to you ( either the Southwest Style Wicked Spicy, the Carolina Style Tart and Tangy, or the Kansas City Style Sweet and Sticky ), and I tried all three. The Tart and Tangy was my personal favorite for these particular ribs, but I'd recommend that you give all three a shot. ( Side note: Use the Wicket Spicy with caution; it's no joke. )
The cole slaw was simply impeccable, a wonderful side to an already solid main course. At first I wasn't sure how pineapples would work in this dish, but now I can't imagine cole slaw without it.
The only slight downer with the meal was my drink. I ordered the Shoppe Special, which is composed of W.L. Weller Bourbon, lemonade, muddled strawberry and ginger beer. I'm not a cocktail connoisseur by any means, but I expected it to be sweeter. In fact, it was hard to decipher the individual flavors over the strong taste of bourbon. My dining companion wasn't very satisfied with his drink, either. He ordered the Rose Palmer—basically an Arnold Palmer with alcohol—and admitted that it was a bit too strong for his liking.
That said, I'd give Pork Shoppe a solid "A" in terms of its décor, its waitstaff and, of course, its food.
