Ella’s BBQ

Yikes. I should’ve heeded the warnings from other bad reviews. This food tastes like someone is cooking BBQ against their will. But I ate it because I’m no quitter and didn’t want to waste money. You live and you learn. Order from somewhere else!

Omg this place is so good, great customer service the gentleman that took care of us did amazing job. Brisket nice and juicy like the bartender. Will definitely come back again

This is Southern BBQ if you removed all the flavor. It was… fine. But just fine. The most flavorful thing I ordered was my iced tea 😅 If you don’t have high expectations for bbq, then you’ll probably like this place. But if you’ve had good bbq and want something that is full of flavor, there are much better spots to go to.

It was just OK. Pulled pork was mushy, ribs were good. Breakfast tray including bacon was just so-so. Chicken tenders were nothing special and overcooked. Pulled pork tacos, corn salad and turkey BLT were good but not tasty enough that I’d make an effort to come back. There are many better places for smoked food in Chicago, including my backyard. The experience wasn’t memorable though the employees were very friendly. The interior eating area should be rearranged to move more or bigger tables to the wall of open windows to maximize the view and breeze for people.

Service was amazing we were greeted and helped right away. But food and atmosphere was just ok. We had the ribs, brisket, fries and Mac & Cheese. Mac & cheese, fries and ribs were just ok. Nothing fantastic. The brisket was a little better. My husband had a hamburger that was good. Parking can be tricky. We found parking right away. But there wasn’t much available.

The variety at Ella's is great. The food and drinks are great. The milkshakes are delicious. The service is amazing there is an employee Joe he is extremely helpful and polite and on top of his service. My families table was always clean and the drinks were refilled without us having to ask.

Quality BBQ. Sauces are excellent! Brisket was tender and flavorful. Pulled pork was outstanding, especially with the vinegar sauce. Chicken was perfectly juicy. Friendly staff and quick service. Price appropriate. Music was a little loud, but great selection. :). Highly recommended.

Great sandwiches, burgers and salads 🥗 . I recommend a brisket sandwich or Chicken avocado BLT and tuna burger.

I'm very picky about ribs, and I love them at Ella's! The ribs are meaty and juicy, not dried out like some smoked ribs can be. The bbq sauce is good. Loved the Mac and cheese! Was disappointed in the collard greens, which has a strange flavor to them that I couldn't place and were pretty spicy. Also not a fan of their corn bread, which was very dense and lacked flavor. I ordered delivery and the food packed well, so that nothing leaked or got mushed together. I'd give the ribs and Mac and cheese 5 stars, but the corn bread and greens were 2 stars.

Didn't try bbq so this is a review solely off the sides. Truffle fries are pretty good and remind me of five guys style. Mac and cheese was a bit cold when it was served which was disappointing. Hush puppies were probably the best part of what I tried! Restaurant was very empty on a Monday evening, but definitely an easy spot to stop in for some bbq. Side note: they also serve coffee (even at 8pm) and my friend really enjoyed her latte :) it looked surprisingly really good.

Came here on a whim, and overall enjoyed it. My husband and I both got the brisket sandwich, with a side of mac and cheese and fries. We came during happy hour so we also got $4 truffle fries. The brisket itself was perfect; moist and tender. 10/10. Their house bbq sauce was mid in my opinion. The truffle fries were decent, but the mac and cheese, while super cheesy, lacked any flavor and were completely bland. The people running the place were very sweet and attentive. They place was clean with good seating. I would definitely come back here for the meats.

Was in the Lincoln park area and was hungry for some lunch. The waitress was nice and attentive very bubbly which is always nice. I ordered 2 apps . The bbq shrimp and bbq nachos with pulled pork. Nachos were amazing. It was good they give you a lot of meat. for an app. the bbq shrimp was for my husband as i do not like shrimp anymore as i've gotten older. He said it was good and he really enjoyed the bbq sauce that came with it. The ambiance was nice but seem more fitting for summer vibes not so much winter. What prompted the 3 rating was the drinks. I ordered the strawberry margarita , the 1st one delicious you can taste the alcohol , the 2nd one couldn't taste not one sip of alcohol. I didn't appreciate that lol. Food delicious drinks not soo much.

Frigggg I love this BBQ spot! There's something about getting a pile of meats on one of those metal trays with brown paper that FEELS SO RIGHT. And Ella's always knocks it out of the park w the flavors and textures. I always go for the platter- why not try a little of everything? My fave meat is the brisket, closely followed by the pulled pork. Both are perfectly juicy and the right amount of fatty! I also recently tried the rib tips which were pretty delish. As for sides, the mac & cheese, collards, beans and corn are all 10/10. Every time I've been here, the lady behind the counter has been a total joy. She's super attentive, checking in multiple times and bringing us all the BBQ sauces to taste (I cannot and will not decide my favorite sauce, they're just all sooooo goooooood). But yeah I appreciate her energy. Chicago BBQ aficionados who are hitting up Smoque and Green Street-- you gotta check this spot out! Also I just saw they have catering which sounds like it would be awesome...

Had pulled pork, beans, mac and cheese. All really good. Would order again. Bbq sauce was very thick.

Was craving BBQ in the area and stumbled upon this spot! Got the 4 meat platter and some sides. Great food paired with christmas tunes and great service. Definitely coming back!

If you want overpriced watered down sprite with soggy fries and bland chicken tenders you have to eat here. I have eaten here multiple times and the service just gets worse. The staff is so rude an unprofessional. While you eat your bad food you also have to sit and endure hearing staff yell at customers because they are teenagers. My question is why have a business across from a school and then hate student customers... I miss the business that was in this location previously. Ella's BBQ is a joke.

Ella's is great! It's a neighborhood favorite. The wait is never long and the staff are sweet. I like the mac & cheese!

The ribs were the only decent thing we received in our order. They weren't great, don't get me wrong but ok. Everything else was bland, tasteless and unseasoned. The Mac & cheese tasted like nothing at all, just macaroni in a sauce that looks like it might be cheese. The brisket was thin and so tough! The brisket we received looked nothing like the brisket I see in some other reviews. The bbq sauce tasted exactly like Sweet Baby Ray's which is ok but not when everything was so tasteless. Maybe delivery was part of the problem but definitely not all of it. Extremely disappointed.

The star of the show was the slice of white bread! It was moist and soft. Although I did not eat it, I just know it was good. - brisket - dry, crumbly, bland - ribs - meat was very tough - coleslaw - basically bland shredded cabbage/carrots with a trace of salty white water on the bottom of the container - mac-n-cheese - was this vegan? it was yellow noodles, little to no cheese and a sprinkling of dry raw breadcrumbs. The bread crumbs were not baked atop the macaroni. it was like they sprinkled it on top after it was cooked Very disappointing. I hated that for me.

Delicious nachos. Very cute room. Even though it was inside it felt like we were outside Because the dining room is a converted garage space with the doors open... lovely. Delicious pulled pork sandwich. Cold beer, what's not to like.... Little bit pricey but it seems like everything is now.

I think it is expensive for what you get. I got a 2 item platter with 2 sides. For $30 bucks I got a few ribs and 5-6 pieces of brisket. The Brisket was 50% fat. The ribs were ok. The Mac and cheese was the best thing. I got a green spinach salad that was stuffed into a small dish. Hard to eat. The cornbread was dry and I didn't eat after one bite. My wife had one bite of corn bread and spit it out. It's a good location with mediocre food and not too friendly service.

Agree with others. Solid. Don't be an idiot (like me) and order the salmon. Pulled pork, brisket is the way to go. Good fries. Very good corn. Decent slaw and pickles. Sit outside in summer.

So close to greatness. Really. The meats are 5 stars but the rest was 2 or 3. I had a combination platter with ribs, brisket and their homemade sausage. The meats are the best in Chicago. Smoky and perfectly cooked. Not mushy or held for too long. This was lunch so no idea what it might be like for dinner. I like my ribs a little less cooked but these were good. The sauces are perfect. BBQ isn't spicy and these weren't spicy like do many hipster pretend bbq places. The baked beans had ground beef. Hard no. Put some burnt ends or sausage in them. The greens should have a vinegar hit. These were really unnecessarily spicy. You can always add hot sauce. It's not ok and not how they're supposed to be. The truffle fries are a little soggy and heavy handed. Why cheese? Too much truffle. This happens a lot at bbq places. The pit master can smoke but can't cook. I like that they have salt and pepper grinders at the table. Really smart and a great touch. They have the wrong hot sauce. Tabasco or Louisiana are much much better. The meal is served on trays Great but I really object to the styrofoam and plastics. At least choose something biodegradable. It's time to be responsible and thoughtful about these issues. I hope they'll fix some of these things. The meats here are very good.

I have to say, solid Q. I ordered a pound of rib tips, moist and meaty, not fatty at all. Had the option of request or spicy bbq sauce, I always go spicy and was a little let down, but I can't complain about the regular sauce at all. I wasn't a fan of their slaw, I'm more of a creamy sweet slaw over a vinegar guy, but again, it's what they serve. I could have had any number of other sides. I really liked the fact that they served a nice dense piece of white bread with the Q, bide added southern touch. I ordered to go, and was in and out in under 5 minutes. Service was friendly and quick. I do recommend that you take plenty of napkins. Each table had a roll of paper towels on them, for good reason. Lol They serve beer! Nothing fancy about the inside, but that's how you know the Q is going to be good.

I have been dying to try this place and was SO disappointed. First I want to say everyone was really nice and the inside is cute for a takeout place. The food though is just not good. The ribs were honestly some of the worst I've ever had. They were so dry and there was barely any meat on the bone. The mac and cheese and cornbread sides were so bland and tasteless. The chicken was a redeeming item but you barely get any. The portions are incredibly small on all items. I wish I had more positive things to say but this was a really disappointing mea.

Very good quality smoked meats with lots of flavor and the right amount of cooking time. If it weren't for the sides, which aren't so great, I'd be here all the time. I usually get baked beans and collards with barbecue, but I won't be ordering either of theirs again. The beans had ground beef in them, which was a real turn off for me. I don't object to meat in barbecue beans, but prefer brisket or pork. The collards are too spicy (you can add spice but you can't take it away), and they didn't have any vinegar in them, which is de rigueur with collards in my book. A little vinegar and sugar makes a classic and delicious pot liqueur. I'm inclined to just order the meats to go and make my own next time. Service is spotty and confusing, as the server is also doing counter service in an adjoining room. The space is cold (like literally) and the chairs are hard and uncomfortable. So, 4 stars for the meats.

What a sneak amazing delicious place! These are by far my favorite ribs in the city. They're perfectly smoked and not over seasoned. Theres not a bad thing on the menu thus far! If you miss house of Hugh's ribs these are close.

My wife and I loved it here!!! The food was so good!!! Rib tips were super tender - at other places I've had rib tips that were over cooked, charred and cheery but Ella's were awesome. The brisket and pulled pork were also fantastic. Super flavorful. The different sauces were sweet, spicy, tangy. Mac and cheese and beans were both great. The service here is very friendly, attentive. The woman behind the counter make our experience very welcoming; she was going above and beyond. It's a very clean spot. All tables were spotless. Would definitely come back!!! Great Chicago BBQ joint

Food is really good. We ordered online and picked up inside, pretty painless. The staff at the restaurant are really friendly. Portion size is good. The 2 item platter is definitely more than enough for 1 person. The BBQ sauce is not the best I have had but the meat itself is so good. The brisket is my favorite! I could eat it without any bbq sauce, it's that good. Pulled pork is good too, I'll try the pulled chicken too next time. The Nashville chicken sandwich is too spicy for me. I generally love spicy food, and even I think it is too spicy. Just beware.

amazing food, always fresh! amazing customer service! very kind workers and you don't wait long for your food. i really recommend ellas for dates, fun, anything in general! overall a great restaurant!

Loved the environment, has the feel of a BBQ shack. Food was really good but not the best BBQ in the city, brisket was the best thing we had. Food came out really quick and the staff was really nice. Will go again.

3.5 stars overall. I really like the Beef Brisket, Sausage & Baked Beans. The Pork Ribs & Tips not so much. ..they've been inconsistent. The Chicken Tenders on my first visit were some of the best I've had. The next visit they were just ok. I suggest ordering your food with the sauce on the side. Despite these critiques, when Ella's is on her game the BBQ is the best option in the Lincoln Park/Lakeview area. I'm rating 4 star in part due to the potential I see and the great BBQ I know they're capable of producing. I trust they'll get a hold of the consistency issue.

This spot was pretty banging. We stopped by on a weekday for brunch/lunch, and left with full tummies and pure satisfaction. What'd we order? Breakfast burger, breakfast tacos, and a two meat and side plate! How was it?! Delicious! Breakfast burger was everything you could hope for with a nice runny egg. Breakfast tacos were a sleeper. Absolutely enjoyed those with the bbq meats inside. For the two meats plate, we did the pulled pork and rib tips and thought it was great as well. Price point I thought was spot on for what you're getting and doesn't break the bank. Street parking is $2 an hour, just make sure to pay attention to signs as some of the surrounding streets are permit only. Only other thing to note is that this spot is popular amongst the high schools during lunch hour and did fill up quickly during their lunch hour. So be prepared to come for an early or later weekday lunch if you don't like crowds. 'Til next time, cheers!

Bill was different than the menu prices, not in the good way. Soda was weird off brand, seating area was very cold, portion sizes were small. Would not recommend

My husband and I picked this place because it was nearby an errand we had to do and the yelp reviews seemed decent. I guess I didn't read far enough into the reviews because if I had, I would have chosen someplace else. We were looking for a casual place that wasn't too busy, but sometimes when something isn't busy there is a reason why! (Red flag #1.) I had called beforehand to see if a reservation was available and I was told, "you don't need a reservations," which I guess should have been my red flag #2. Between the 2 of us we had the pulled pork, brisket, ribs, Mac & cheese, potato salad, BBQ beans, and the super greens salad. The pulled pork, brisket, and beans were fine, but nothing to write home about. The salad was good in that it had actual greens in it, but it was a strange combo of toppings-feta, corn, artichoke hearts...I like all of those things separately but together they tasted strange. But good on them for having something besides iceberg or romaine lettuce. The Mac & cheese and potato salad were bland. Actually everything was pretty bland. The staff were nice and they have cocktails. Maybe it would be an ok place for grabbing lunch, but I won't be back for dinner. So many better BBQ places in Chicago.

Very good quality food at a reasonable price. Portions were substantial enough for a family of 3 to split 2 entrees with some leftovers. They added a popup menu with some seafood that is worth trying. The shrimp basket was delicious! They also have a pickup window so you don't have to go inside if you don't want to. Looking forward to trying some other things on the menu!

A 4 stars to this great bbq place. One of the better BBQs in Chicago area. Yes, this is coming from a Texan aka me. I have ordered from this place before. In my most recent order, I had the two meat plate with side of fries and charred corn. Two meat plate: Chicken- the chicken was good ,well cooked, and flavorful. A bit on the drier side, but overall great flavor and texture. The brisket, which is where my obsession with bbq comes, was pretty decent as well. I am from Texas so my standards on brisket are crazy high. This place did good. A bit on the leaner side while I like my brisket on the fattier side. The rub on the brisket was good, and more importantly, it was not smothered in sauce like you see in midwest sometimes. The sauce came on the side, both the vinegar based and sweet bbq sauce. I really like the vinegar based sauce. The fries were a bit soft but this could be due to my delivery order. They tasted good and fresh though. The charred corn was FASTASTIC. A simple yet elegant replica of Elotes, this corn was flavor and it just hit the spot! The food was well packed, and the portion was generous. Good experience overall, will order from here again! P.S. I have ordered salmon from here before when ordering a 3 meat plate and it's fantastic as well. Try it.

Found and loved this place during COVID when you had to order out. Hadn't had in a year or so and ordered tonight via Uber Eats only because of an Uber Eats discount. Extremely disappointed. Got the three meat platter with fries and added Mac and cheese. Thought it was a joke when the food showed up in one container. We're still hungry after the two of us ate the food. Mac was a joke for over a $5 add on. Amazed how many restaurants try to cut corners to save a few bucks instead of treating customers right so they return. I will not. Waste of $40 - and it would've been nearly $55 had I not had the discount. Pathetic.

GO HERE FOR BRUNCH. get the breakfast tacos- they live in my dreams. Haven't had them in months hell maybe even a year but I still dream about them. Their brunch menu is where they shine imo. Also their pulled pork/ chicken, Mac n cheese and beans or coleslaw are great. Can't speak on anything else.

service was not good! Everyone in the group has to order for you sit down and eat!!

We visited Chicago & stayed in the Lincoln Park area just down the street from Ella's. What a great find! The food was fabulous! The service was great -- the neighborhood, family-owned vibe was just what we needed after a long day walking around downtown.

I really like BBQ. I've been to a wide range of bbq establishments. Unfortunately, I think Ella's was one of the poorest BBQ spots I've been to. The brisket. Pretty average. But it was the best thing I had here. The ribs. Very bad. Another reviewer said they were thin and leathery. Yes and yes. I really wanted to like Ella's but I will not be returning.

The great, the bad and the throw away. My order allowed for broad sampling of Ella's food. The brisket and pulled pork were perfect... lean, moist and distinctively flavorful! Loved the baked beans !! The baby back ribs were super thin so there was little meat and were chewy like beef jerky. And the throw away... The dry, flavorless mac & cheese. It's like it was precooked, placed in serving dishes and then refrigerated to be microwaved when needed. It was one bite then to the trash can. Have you ever left remnants of M&C, you'd made from a box that then sat in the kettle at for a couple of hours after turning off the burner? If so, you understand.

Yummy. Never disappoints. Was suprised that they dont make their own pastrami. Really good

I love this place! I eat lunch here several times a month and always look forward to it. Great lunch spot, very big menu and the food is consistently delicious. Service is always good and they do a great job considering they get slammed with kids coming for lunch from the high school across the street. Definitely worth checking out if you're in the neighborhood.

This officially my new favorite place to order food from during quarantine. I shared the 4-item platter with my husband and all of the meats and sauces were delicious, especially the chicken. However, the side of macaroni and cheese was the real stand out. The coleslaw side was average but I would go back for the macaroni alone. Next time we get delivery or eat here, we will make sure to order a double side of macaroni. Tip: there is a promo on Grubhub where you get $5 off your first time ordering delivery from Ella's. Make sure to use it!

This review is one their brisket. I like it juicy and tender I also like that they have the self serve sauce station, Chicago hot and original sweet bbq sauce are on point. I took off 1 star because it is a little pricy . 1 lb of brisket , 1 side, and 1 soda came out $50 after tax and tip. Which seems a bit high for a small restaurant. Lincoln park is a rather expensive neighborhood so I get that cost is high. But it is just that your location right across the high school, you may think this is student friendly but sadly no.

Ordered in tonight at our hotel! I had the brisket sandwich, my husband had the pulled pork! We also shared rib tips and Mac and cheese! Everything was delicious! Will definitely be back!

If you get take-out, check your order before you go! I ordered the salad and a side of mac and cheese. When I got home I found that I received a salad with NO dressing, and a side of fries with 3 bbq sauces. It's a total rip-off because with tip that cost $30!!! When I called to tell them, they "refunded me the fries"... I paid for mac and cheese though so that refund doesn't do much. They didn't seem to care about the rip-off.

Have been here a few times. Great place to eat but nothing extraordinary. Prices are fair. This is the type of establishment that wings it every time and 85% of the time it meets standards. I've had a chance to see that there's no communication between cooks and server; meaning cooks get mad at the server when she asks for something. It's also always packed because of the high school and the server doesn't give times. She'll just take your payment but won't mention a 30+minute wait for a Togo order. I do like their food but it's unimaginative and inconsistent. I've gotten food with a hair in it. Mac n cheese has no flavor what so ever and neither does the corn. I always find one tender that's pink. Bbq sauce tastes like literally any bbq sauce. But hey, good on em for the location. They're making a ton of money serving rich white people with no taste buds.

After spending all day watching Chef's Table BBQ...we needed some goooood BBQ. Ella's hit the spot! I ordered the Brisket Tacos and Mac & Cheese for my side and my boyfriend got Ribs, Pulled Pork and the Baked Beans. All of the food was great...except the Mac & Cheese. It was lacking flavor. Even some salt and pepper could have helped. I just added a little bit of the Memphis Sauce and that helped! We also tried all of the sauces - my favorite was the Memphis (mustard based) and my boyfriend's favorite one was the Chi-town sauce.

Small neighborhood BBQ spot that is absolutely delicious! The rib tips, ribs, brisket, and sausage were all good! (We each got the 2 meat platter with a choice of sides). There are three different kinds of BBQ sauce available (Carolina-tangy vinegar, original, and Georgia-mustardy), all of them were pretty tasty, but nothing special! This place has wonderful customer service! The woman at the counter was so kind and patient with us as we stood there trying to decide what to order because everything looked so good! She even went to clean the tables again just because it's flu season!

Pretty good neighborhood BBQ spot. I've had the 2 item platter a couple of times. The go to is usually ribs and brisket, both pretty solid. I tried the breakfast tacos once and that was more of a meh for me. Pretty quick too!

We picked up Ellas for dinner tonight (yes, 4pm dinner.. quarantine problems) and were pleasantly surprised! We live in the neighborhood and a bbq place is lacking. I got the two meat platter with pulled pork and ribs, and my husband got the three plate platter with sausage, pulled pork and brisket. Our sides were coleslaw and beans, and both came with a pickle slice. Favorites/must Gets: Brisket Baked Beans Pulled pork Mustard bbq sauce Traditional /original sauce The rest was good too ! Will be back for sure

Delicious and quick service! Loved the simple BBQ aesthetic. Definitely would go back!

Found multiple black long hairs in my Cheese Fries, and the service was horrible. They took a long time and had horrible attitudes when ordering my food. Also saw a worker yell at highschool students who wanted to eat outside. Apparently they can't eat inside, or outside even after ordering a meal regardless of weather which i found weird. After that i walked inside and the wooden tables were stained with old food, the floors were sticky, and the bathroom was a sad excuse for a closet. Will never waste money here again

Delicious BBQ at a fair price! Everything we ordered was really good and I loved the outdoor patio seating. We have been here a couple times for lunch on the weekends and have never had a problem getting a table outside.