It's true; the urban barbeque trend has firmly taken hold in Chicago. But, of all the BBQ joints popping up on the North Side, how many can say they have a former Tru sous chef in the kitchen smoking pork shoulders, mixing up secret sauces and baking corn bread? That would be precisely one—Lillie's Q, the newest addition to the urban BBQ circuit.
Chef Charlie McKenna perfected his trade at swanky spots like Tru and Avenues at The Peninsula, but now he's returned to his Southern roots and is serving up South Carolina classics in Bucktown. The space, which was formerly home to the short-lived nightclub Aberdeen, is meat locker meets urban lounge meets down-home Carolina kitchen. The tables are made of reclaimed farmhouse wood and the napkins are folded kitchen towels—sweet Southern touches balanced by gunmetal silver barstools, beveled white subway tiles and real butcher's meat hooks that have been transformed into light fixtures.
The décor is where McKenna's nod to the North ends. The food at Lillie's Q is decidedly Southern—slow, simple and satisfying. There's no need to mess with a good thing! Before you sink your teeth into some finger-licking barbeque, start with some low-country apps. The pimento cheese is creamy and flavorful, and exactly like the kind you'd find on your grandmother's kitchen table—except she'd serve it with Ritz crackers instead of the ( much better ) olive oil crostinis you get at Lillie's Q. The boiled peanuts are a little bizarre if you were born above the Mason-Dixon Line. I couldn't help but think of them as white-trash "edamame," but they are salty and, as it turns out, pretty darn good with moonshine.
That's right—there is house-made moonshine on the menu. My group and I ordered a round of shots ( just to, um, stay in theme ) , and from the smell of the stuff, my friend wondered if she might be able to use the liquor to remove her nail polish. Fortunately, its bark is stronger than its bite. Once you get past the smell, the moonshine goes down quite smoothly. If you're not looking to put any hair on your chest, Lillie's Q has a full bar and dozens of draft and bottled beers, including McKenna's own Lillie's Q Brew, a nice, drinkable copper beer. No snotty raised pinkies here—all of the cocktails are served in mason jars. You can have a dirty martini or a single-malt scotch, but you're having it in a mason jar.
OK, so let's talk meat—messy, marinated meat that's been smoked for hours in a 7' x 6' peachwood smoker. Take your pick of pulled pork, beef, chicken or baby back ribs. Lillie's Q creates a fun, DIY-barbeque experience. McKenna and his team smoke the bejeezus out of the meats and then serve them to you to dress up in one ( or more! ) of five house-made sauces. Yee-haw!
The "Smoky" is a 15-ingredient Memphis-style sweet sauce that goes with the pulled pork like peanut butter goes with jelly. If you order the chicken, try the "Carolina Gold," a sweet-but-tangy mustard sauce. Then there is the "Ivory," a creamy white sauce blended with pepper and herbs that I would like to put on every single thing I eat starting now. Yes, it's that good.
The pulled pork is excellent and served on a soft, warm brioche bun, and the ribs literally fall off of the bone like no ribs I've ever witnessed. But, hands-down, the best thing on the menu is the tri-tip, which is a boneless cut of meat from the bottom sirloin. McKenna's version is tender, salty and flavorful, and is honestly better than the filet mignon you get at a lot of restaurants.
No Southern barbeque is complete without mac & cheese. At Lillie's Q, it is made from big, fat cavatappi pasta drowned in a mild cheddar sauce and topped with bread crumbs. It comes baked in a cast iron pan, and I believe it is intended to be shared, but I cannot, in good faith, advise you to share it with anyone. Other sides include a crisp, vinegar-splashed coleslaw and fresh sautéed green beans. Don't worry, the one healthy green thing on the menu comes with house-smoked bacon.
The "Lillie" in Lillie's Q is McKenna's grandmother, who taught him how to cook. And last time I checked, Southern grandmas are pretty good at desserts, so this is not the place to count calories. The banana pudding is layers of fresh bananas, pudding and Nilla wafers. It's kind of like tiramisu's unpretentious Southern cousin and the perfect cool, creamy ending to a spicy BBQ feast.
Lillie's Q is at 1856 W. North; call 773-772-5500 or visit www.lilliesq.com .
