Exterior

Interior

Burnt ends

BBQ sauces

*** (3 stars)

If you’re looking for a country western bar with late night live entertainment that happens to serve BBQ, then you’d probably like this place. I was looking for good BBQ food at lunch, and was a bit disappointed.

The problem is partly pricing and partly interpretation. It’s true that you can get a meat and three sides at lunch for about $18, which seems steep, but is probably the way to go. But I wanted burnt ends, and they aren’t one of the meat choices on that deal. So for a bit more I got the burnt ends.

Burnt ends are the charred tips of the beef, and since they are the outside they have the most flavor. At least that’s what burnt ends are supposed to be. In all fairness, Bub City describes them on the menu as the “bacon of beef” whatever that might mean. In fact, they were more like the pork belly of beef–large cubes of layered fat and beef, served in an iron skillet with a thin sauce. The result was a fatty, succulent dish that wasn’t bad, but wasn’t like any burnt ends I ever had.

What do you think Texas Toast is? A thick piece of bread, maybe with some butter and garlic, cooked on a griddle, right? Nope. Not at Bub City. It’s just a piece of bread. I assumed it was a mistake, so I even asked the waiter. Nope, a completely plain raw piece of bread is Bub City’s Texas Toast. What makes it “toast”?

I also received a tiny serving of very good cole slaw and four sweet pickle chips. No other sides came with the almost $20 meal.

On the other hand, Bub City is true to the country theme, with three different BBQ sauces on the table that are all Southern Style and quite good.

If you’re looking for country western music atmosphere, Bub CIty is a good choice. If you’re looking for BBQ, there are better choices in the area.

Bub City
435 N Clark St
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 610-4200
http://www.yelp.com/biz/bub-city-chicago