Robinson's No. 1 Ribs

The ribs tasted good, especially after I added some hot sauce, but I was really disappointed with the portion size for the price. I paid $25 and received only a half slab of ribs, about 10 fries, and one slice of bread. For that cost, I expected a much more generous serving. The food quality was decent, but the value just wasn’t there for me.

My first meal ever in Chicago, I wanted an authentic Chicago staple so I picked their Pizza puff and fries. This did not disappoint, the closest thing I can compare a pizza puff to would be a pizza roll. They're far from the same thing, it's just what I was reminded of. I also got the slaw side and beans. It's like a calzonè and a pizza roll got together type thing. 4 paws up from me!

No 1 ribs, no 2 ribs, maybe 3 ribs, yes 4 ribs….. Make sure you grab some ribs before you get on the train so you can get all barbecue messy. Y’all know you want to be the guy or gal on the train that’s all messy with rib.

All in all, the food is BAD!!!!!!! Bought a meal for my wife and I. We purchased Beef brisket meal and the pulled chicken meal. Fries were cold and wimpy, baked beans tasted like they just scooped it out of a can, and the slaw tasted like it was sitting unrefrigerated for weeks. The chicken wasn't pulled and tough and my wife said the brisket had no taste. My wife said she should have realized the food would be this bad because she didn't see any smokers cooking. Lol. I do not recommend this place. I should have went to Sbarros!!!!

The food was average, nothing to brag about! They skimped me with the fries...the chicken wings were a disappointment, and I should have gotten 3 instead of 2!!..the rib tips,were the only thing that was good! I remember seeing a lower price for the rib tips and wings combo,but got charged a higher price for it!! Not worth it but I was hungry and my train was about to leave!

The ribs have a good flavor. However MOST of the rib tips were burnt. The ones that are not burnt taste pretty good. The greens have a sweet flavor. This is the MOST OVERPRICED food for VERY small portions. I paid $13 for this rib tip combo. They need to increase the portion size a little. This is the flattest skimpiest piece of cornbread I ever seen. My portion looked like someone ate out of it already .

We had two pulled chicken sandwiches at the Bears game. They have a trailer just as you enter at the North gate. Line wasn’t long. Smelled great. Service was okay. Chicken was a bit dry but it’s worth it!

Been to Chicago Union Station many times over the last several years but I had yet to visit Robinsons #1 Ribs until this weekend. I must say I was impressed. I come from a BBQ meat smoking family so I know good wood smoked meat when I taste it. Usually food court places are a toned down version of the larger places and the food is expedited because the staffing is minimal. I was skeptical because I couldn't smell the BBQ aroma in the air as I stepped to the ordering counter. I decided to take a gamble and order the Deluxe combo platter. $28.00. Wings, ribs, baked beans, roll and a smoked sausage. The meal was Doing-The-Darn Thang you hear me!!!!! The ribs were tender and had the backyard lighter fluid taste!! The chicken was fried right and the baked beans were just that but tasty. And....And....And..the best way you can judge good BBQ is when you eat it does it leave that BBQ smoked smell on your fingers . Real smoked meat will, even after washing your hands. Robinsons is legit and I don't co-sign BBQ joints easy I can't wait to visit an actual restaurant one day and not food court.

Review is for their food stand at Mccromick place. This is the best place to eat here, but that's not saying much in this sea of grab and go, pre made junk. I had the rib sandwich. It was fine but not inspiring. It's kind of a shame that there is not better food here, so much empty outdoor spaces that could be filled with food trucks. Oh well, I guess I'll stick with Robinsons when I can't sneak out for a proper meal

Yucks! The burger is cold and so is the sauce. It's gross. Texture of grinded meat. Mystery meat. McRibs tasted 110% better. This is the stall at McCormick place.

Wow. What a TERRIBLE experience. Let's start off with the gentleman half asleep behind the counter, whom I had to startle, in order to place my order. Now I am a chef, currently of a Texas BBQ restaurant, so I like to taste all sorts of BBQ spots when given the opportunity. This rundown shanty of a kiosk inside Union Station, matches the quality of the food it puts forward. GARBAGE. Extremely low quality meat swimming in bottled bbq sauce to cover up the horrendous flavor. Chicken wings. Oof. Fried wings, like they're straight out of a bag from your local supermarket. ALSO SWIMMING IN BOTTLED SAUCE. This place is trash. Avoid at all costs. My restaurant charges a premium for premium foods, this place matches or exceeds my price point, for food a chef would feel guilty feeding to inmates on death row.

This is your best choice in the Union Station food court. You know how much time you have, if it's less than 20 minutes, none of the food court choices will get you on your train in time. They absolutely don't care. At least here if you ask as you're ordering how long it will take, they will give an accurate estimate. Some of what they offer is simmering, ready to hit the grill, and be in a bag in your hand in 10 minutes. The ribs and hot links are good. Don't order the turkey burger under any circumstance. No real vegetarian choices.

Worst service ever. Attended an event and the ribs were cold and stale. It was a NASCAR event and people received cold ribs, and horrible cornbread. There are many more fitting places.

The menu I pretty vast and expansive for such a small shop inside of the union train station so I thought I'd give it a whirl. I paid 14 bucks for a shrimp and wing combo with fries. The food definitely looked better than it tasted. They gave Chinese buffet shrimp and wings that weren't fully cooked. Don't get me wrong the shrimp was delicious but my wings weren't fully cooked. Comes with steak fries which were pretty delicious. I got really good customer service so if I'm in town I MIGHT come back. It's a strong MIGHT.

I ordered a turkey burger, yet was not told that it would take 20 minutes to cook the frozen patty. I only had a limited amount of time to get something to eat. Meanwhile, Others were walking up and ordering pulled pork sandwiches and were walking away within 4 minutes with their completed orders? It would have been nice to have been warned of the wait time. When I expressed concern, I quickly figured out that it was falling on deaf ears. If you go to a Greek restaurant and order the Greek chicken, they quickly warn you that it will take at least 40 minutes. How was the turkey burger? I waited 20 minutes only to receive a patty that was undercooked in the center?!? I threw the center out to avoid food poisoning.

We ordered brisket sandwiches. I have never had a brisket sandwich like this. The meat was more like roast beef instead of brisket. To heat it up it was sliced and put on a grill. It was dry and like leather. BBQ sauce was added but didn't help. The reviews were very good yet I was very disappointed. And expensive too!

Despite the poor reviews for this location, I was hungry and had limited time at the train station. I noted most of the poor reviews came from a festival or something, but was hopeful that the actual restaurant would be okay. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food and how fresh it was. I ordered the 4-wing combo that came with 4 chicken wings, steak fries, coleslaw, and a roll. It took about 15 minutes to get the food because they were out of wings, but they were worth the wait. They came out hot and fresh! I asked for BBQ sauce on the fries...do it...so good. The wings were crisp and juicy. The slaw was a bit too sweet for me, but aside from that the rest of the meal was real tasty. Prices were unbelievably cheap. I would definitely stop here again.

I think they should update their website because I was ready to order until I saw that everything was different. The food was just eh. I added bacon and was disappointed to see the sad strip I got. The fries were kind of cold.

First time trying this location for lunch today and I'd have to say I'm neither disappointed or satisfied. On a positive note, pickup was swift and easy and everything was packed nicely. I tried the pullpork sandwich with fries, and I wasn't pleased with the taste. I was expecting more flavor and it wasn't there. On the other hand the BBQ sauce is pretty good! I wouldn't knock anyone trying it, taste buds differ - but for myself I wouldn't return unless I'm tempted to try something else on the menu.

Got the barbecue pulled pork sandwich with fries and a little thing of coleslaw pulled pork sandwich is really good coleslaw is really good the fries looked like they had been there for 3 days people weren't very friendly But the food was good

Best ribs across the country. We feel so blessed to have a decent meal in the midst of fast food places. One slab feeds two people for dinner n lunch the next day. Great deal.

I was expecting more from Robin'sons no. 1 ribs. Authenticity authenticity and nothing but authenticity! I got overpriced, seasonless wings, although the breading was nice and crispy and the chicken was well cooked the wings where bland. The bread was soggy and tasteless. The fries where acceptable and the no. 1 ribs are not no. 1 on my list. The ribs where well cooked but the barbecue sauce was bitter and the coleslaw had too much onion and doesn't taste fresh. I'm overall disappointed. There is lots of room for improvement.

The food was nasty period, coleslaw was horrible tasted like sour mayo chicken tenders were disgusting I don't recommend it all .

I rarely write a bad review. I just don't patronize the place again. Buuuuuuut I paid $22 before taxes, fees and delivery for what you see in this picture. So here we go. This meal didn't taste good and you can see what it looked like. I'll never order here again. I'll make the drive to Lem's because this was way too much of a disappointment to risk again.

Robinson's is located in Chicago's union station food court. I ate here during a layover while traveling by Amtrak. Counter staff are nice, but Robinson's food does not stack up well against western barbecue venues. The "boneless" bbq rib sandwich is a mystery meat soaked in a sweet, nondescript barbecue sauce and stuffed into a generic, no flavor white bread bun. Not worth finishing. The baked beans and slaw sides were ok, but portions were exceptionally small by western standards. The slaw was typical grocery deli slaw. The beans tasted like canned, but a decent canned brand. I went back during my train layover, since I had time and curiosity, and ordered their smoked tritip. The meat was tender, the flavor, on pieces without sauce, was good. Apparently tritip in Chicago means chopped up ribs. The numerous small rib bones in the tritip were a surprise. The bbq sauce was still not attractive. On second exposure, the sauce tasted like it might have some salad dressing component. I like to try various regional barbecue. However, if Roberson's is Chicago's number 1 bbq, I suggest visitors try one of the many fine non-bbq restaurants in the downtown area during your visit or train transfer layover.

So, this place is inside of Union Station and as I was waiting to catch my train home I decided to give them a try. Pulled Chicken w/Fries. Welp...1 bite of the sandwich and I literally threw the meal away. The chicken tasted like it was out of a can... no smoky flavor, no grill flavor...heck, no flavor! Glad I had time to run to the McDs counter before time to board.

I think a lot of reviewers here have never been south of Cermak or think Real Urban BBQ is the basis from which all BBQ comes from. RUB is great but those who dine on the south side/NW Indiana, and small towns downstate and even in the proper south know that is a very "gentrified" style of BBQ compared to other versions. Robinson's, at least based on my one Union Station visit, is accurately representing that less-corporate-more-family style. I had the smoked sausage sandwich Thursday special and it was grilled fresh and put on a Turano bun with excellent BBQ sauce, a little thinner and less sweet than you may be used to, but with way more character. The steak fries were perfect, and the wait was reasonable for freshly prepared food at weekday lunch hour. Price wasn't bad either, especially considering Gold Coast next door was selling dogs for $4.99! I'm guessing there are legitimate service and quality issues on occasion based on the person serving/managing and the logistics of working an event, but this is not unexpected for a joint like this. Again, I think the raised expectations of tourists and north siders may be playing a role here. Not saying bad food or service is ever acceptable, just that they don't operate like a McDonald's so don't expect the experience to match. I won't hesitate to come again and try other items on the menu.

This place is absolutely disgusting, and if people stop patronizing they would step up the quality of the food. They had a booth at The World of Wheels in Rosemont and it was the most disgusting food I've had in awhile. It was bad enough to sell a $.50 bag of chips for $3.00 and to sell a bottle of soda for $5.00 but the food was absolutely gross. I was literally shocked at how disgusting the food was and I shouldn't be because the food at their locations is disgusting. I've only had their food once before years ago and it was horrible, but I figured they improved but it's worse. If you're looking for great barbecue and service, visit Kirk's in South Holland, Illinois. I have no invested interest in either business but people stop going to Robinson. When you hurt the financial part either they're going to improve their food or close its doors. This place is HORRIBLE!! They serve past due date items, it was literally mold on the buns they were serving boneless rib sandwiches at the World of Wheels. THEY ARE DISGUSTING AND DISGRACEFUL to sell food like that.

It was alright. Good enough for pre train rides. Didn't get my beans, they gave me fries instead so I don't know how those are. The fries were good. Didn't try the slaw, looked a little old.

So...I really like the folks who work here. I have been through Union station about 4-5 times and have visited this location 3 times. They're super cool and accommodating. That's why they get 4 stars. But for what I get, I know I'm getting ripped off. But listen, food options are slim at Union Station right now so they can get away with it. I essentially am paying $25 for a shrimp dinner that is boxed frozen shrimp that you can get at Costco or Sam's, about a cup of steak fries, a teeny weeny 1 oz cup of cole slaw, and a really hard roll. I'm cracking up because as much as I know it's not worth $25, at least they give you a lot of shrimp and it is good considering the situation. Once before I also got the rib tips which were delicious and plentiful! Now, THAT was worth it.

Food is precooked and just warmed up. Food would be good if it was made fresh. Good BBQ sauce.

Had some Robinson's at the Jazz Fest last Friday. Was shocked that a half rack of ribs were only $8. The ribs were tender, a bit too saucy for my taste. Also had some collards which were good. Not bad for food booth fare.

Have been here multiple times over the years because of it's convenience in Union Station, and always regret it. Today's meal was no exception. Today, I ordered the pulled turkey with beans and cole slaw. They make no effort on the side items whatsoever. The beans tasted straight from a can of Bush's, and the cole slaw tasted prepackaged, almost identical to the local grocery store (Jewel). No homemade recipes here. The pulled turkey was a bit mushy and essentially a gut filler. On previous trips, I've had the ribs and they were not memorable. The staff were friendly enough, but go elsewhere when in Union Station. Get a Gold Coast Dog or other place. Sorry, but I swear this is my last time here. Total unremarkable BBQ. Can't see where the "No. 1" comes from. Perhaps Number One repurposed package food.

It's been a few years since I've gone to this location but I now work across the street from it again I'll probably be coming here more than I did. I'm not sure why this place has so many ratings. I order the 4 wing meal that comes with fries, a roll and cole slaw; I gave the slaw away because, yuck. The wings and fries were cooked perfectly and if tasted even better because it was drenched in their really good BBQ sauce. It also didn't take long to receive my order, it probably took about 4 or 5 min after ordering to get my food. No complaints on my end and I'll definitely be visiting this spot again.

When Robinson's opened in the eighty's in Oak Park, they had the best ribs in town, but not now. On 9/7/20 I visited the one at 225 S Canal which is really 444 West Jackson a very difficult plank too find, the directions that was given by the person who answered the phone (male) was horrible. Once I found the place after walking down two flights of dark stairs and received my order, the rib tip dinner was horrible, the tips were tough not like falling off the bone like I remember, also really tough and like they were cooked last week. Now getting too the sauce, the only thing that I could taste was salt, nothing else. If you want salty and tough ribs ribs, then go here, otherwise stay away, you will be only throwing your money away.

I have only eaten the chicken wings but they are BOMB. I've gotten this for lunch a bunch. Usually I grab and go since Union Station is a little too basement lair-like for me to sit inside of and eat. But these wings!!!!!! I highly recommend the four or five piece with sauce on the side. They are large actual wings. Not that tiny stuff you get at some chain like Buffalo Wild Wings. Blah! 5 piece falls just under $8 after tax. Worth.

I tried Robinson's BBQ chicken sandwich since it was one of the few food carts in the Lakeside part of the convention center. The other options were sandwiches, hot dogs, deep dish pizza that were around $15 for lunch versus Robinson's, which was $8.50 for a large chicken sandwich. I was impressed that the bread was fresh, chicken was moist and tender, and sauce was sweet and complementary. It was also a good size and definitely satisfying with friendly service to boot.

Decent ribs but is there a cabbage shortage in Chicago? I have never had a smaller portion of coleslaw in my life. It was like 2 tablespoons in the smallest plastic container but I suspect man makes. Very nice staff.

Went during lunch hour while waiting for my train. Food is slightly below average, nothing worthwhile. My bones rib sandwich was just thrown into the box causing the sauce to splatter all over. The fries were undercooked and the fries portion is very small. I think they were rushing orders because they just took out my fries from the frier causing the oil on them to melt some of the styrofoam box, nothing better than undercooked styrofoam fries for lunch. With so many food options around I'labour this place in the future.

The food was fast and tasty but the best part was the staff. They were so positive and helpful and gave me a few ideas when I wanted to try something new. They made the sandwich extra tasty with some hot sauce and veggies on top. I'll always stop here before my train after this experience.

It's been awhile since I've tried out an actual restaurant devoted to the craft of ribs or bbq. While I was downtown Robinson's seemed like a place worthy of trying out. Walking up I noticed there wasn't a long line (maybe 5-6 people) for it to be near summer time in downtown Chicago and it was around 12pm which is the lunch rush hour. For those who don't know what I'm talking about, if it's lunch time in downtown Chicago and a restaurant isn't packed and/or doesn't have a line going around the corner then something's off. The food looked good, nothing really stood out, but I decide to chomp down on the chicken and rib tip combo. The combo was $15 and came with 2 sides and some bread (2-pieces), no drink. Side entrees consisted of the standard fare of mac 'n' cheese, coleslaw, baked beans, corn, etc. that we've all known to appreciate. I watched the cook as he took a delicious looking half slab of ribs (which was surprisingly big for a half slab) and put it on the grill. After it was done he cut it into tips. He then proceeded to go in the back and grab 3 pieces of raw chicken to freshly fry to my delight. Service was honestly not as fast I as expected. Altogether it took about 15-20 minutes to complete my order which consisted of a half slab of rib tips, 3 pieces of chicken, coleslaw & baked beans. I asked for a receipt and the cashier accidentally pressed the wrong button and couldn't generate one. Obviously 2 people (one of them clearly new) weren't enough for this job so they had to bring in the manager (or owner) to help out. Once he got involved the ball started rolling and orders were coming out regularly. One thing you notice with a lot of these franchises is that some of them are pretty much turning into "school lunches". What this means is in-order for them to cater to the general population they don't do anything special or season anything so nobody gets sick. This leads to bland tasting food pretty much. Robinson's #1 Ribs is the school lunches of ribs. No marinating, no seasoning, nothing special done at all making the ribs about as average as you can get. They weren't even as tender as they could be. Honestly, I've had way better food at family functions and know family members that can easily out cook Robinson's. The bbq sauce wasn't that great as well, there was almost no zing to it leaving you majorly disappointed since they didn't skimp on things at all. At a place like Robinson's you should expect sub-par to decent quality food showered in a great sauce like "Sweet Baby Ray's", but I guess Robinson wanted people to appreciate it's sub-par food more. The chicken, beans, coleslaw were just as average with the coleslaw being unusually spicy for some reason. Pass on this one people. You get some bang for your buck, but in the end you might as well go down to the park and crash someone's family reunion. You'll find better food there and it might even be free.

I'm a proud ribs and BBQ lover and I've come to love Robinson's. I'll never forget my first Robinson's pulled pork sandwich at Jazz Fest '13. And nowadays, every time I have the chance I make sure to get one of their meals. Today I visited the Robinson's at the food court at Union Station and was disgusted with the experience. I asked for a brisket meal. The chef took some old meat slabs and put them on a char-fire grill... since when is Brisket grilled?? It tasted like rejected corned beef and the bbq sauce was generic, not the Robinson's brand. Also, the cole slaw came in a sauce tin... one of the best parts of a BBQ meal is getting enough quantity to feel full. There was no more than 3 tablespoons. The baked beans were watered down and tasted like grade school. cafeteria food. Then at the end of the meal I went back to ask for a wet-nap (since EVERY BBQ place has those) and he offered me some normal napkins for me to "wet myself". HAHA are these guys serious? Everything about this meal was unsatisfying and of poor quality. Is this even a Robinson's restaurant or is it some franchisee trying to cut costs? Pathetic. Maybe I should have ordered the ribs, but this was a horrible experience.

I have visited this location several times and I must say each time is worse. My last visit was Wednesday and I ordered the rib tip dinner. The timing of the food was okay but I noticed here was no BBQ sauce on my food at all. When I asked for some I was charged 25 cents. The BBQ sauce isn't good anyway. It has a slightly ketchupy taste and a little bitter.

This place catered at a flea/antique market event. I got to try their BBQ pulled chicken sandwich, which came with a side of mac and cheese and either cole slaw or potato salad (I chose cole slaw). The sandwich itself was good - the chicken was moist and flavorful. They didn't really distribute the BBQ sauce too well, so some bites had WAY too much sauce, and other bites had none. The mac and cheese was... very soggy and rather bland. the cole slaw was good, but I have never seen such a small serving of cole slaw in my life. They gave it to you in one of those plastic condiment containers, so I literally had 2 forkfuls. Not bad, but not amazing (especially with the sub-par sides).

Great place to grab some BBQ while waiting for a train. I had the brisket sandwich and fries and it was all very good.

Best food in Union Station since Taco Beach closed. Not the best barbecue I have ever had, but solid choices featuring a wide variety of meats and some fish. Prices are very reasonable. Service is fast and efficient. It's my goto eatery when I'm passing thru on the train. Everything I have eaten there is good, though not life changing.

Robinson Ribs was our FIRST Chicago Food TRUCK of the season to visit A Safe Haven & the CHA & VA satellite offices at 2750 West Roosevelt! We are right across street from Douglas Park so it has been standing room only since they pulled up! Crowd is huge - and the Food is fantastic. Rib tips are amazing, inexpensive and huge portions. So glad the truck stopped by, what a great start to the weekend - THANKS!!! Rose S

Possibly the worst food ever. So union station for the most part does not have good food. I get it. This place however is the worst of the worst. The service was alright but the pork was cooked in the same oven and possibly the same tray as the catfish. How can I tell you say? One taste. Everything on the plate tasted and smelled of fish. Except for the fries which tasted of old frying oil. The soda was flat, which wasn't so bad as it tasted like soda at least. So kudos for getting three out of three wrong. To be honest if you like fish flavored pork with indifferent sauce this may be the place for you. Otherwise just stay away.

This is the worst food I have ever tasted. Totally tasteless. I think I'm going to be sick.

I had a layover at Union Station and wanted some food towards the end of the lunch rush. This is the place that sounded the best and had the shortest line. I had the pulled BBQ chicken and fries. It tasted good! Good sauce, good flavor in the chicken. The fries were good albeit not anything special steak fries. The guy working the counter was nice, and my order was ready quick. Oh yeah, the price was awesome. Under $10 for a fairly large meal at Union Station. Overall, if I have another layover there, I'll try another item off of their menu.

DON't eat here! The food is TERRIBLE! I ordered food off grub hub. Ribs and brisket. Both were EXTREMELY dry and salty. If they were selling beef brisket jerky it would be spot on. I called Grubhub to tell them the food was inedible and must have been sitting in the oven for hours before I got it bc it was so dry. When they called Robinson's they refused to send out fresh food or refund the order stating "the bbq ribs and brisket were just cooked moments before leaving our restaurant" ...yea right. Recooked for the 5th time in the microwave maybe. I will NEVER eat here again and have no idea why or how they have multiple locations in the city unless it's to cheat and steal as much money as possible from customers instead of actually serving decent food.

Tried the brisket tastes horrible ! Looks like cat food . Chips are stale and don't even waste your money here . If I wasn't in a hurry for my train would of went back and threw it back so gross ! Tasted like the meat was old . Aghh disappointing !

Ordered from here today and got sick. The food was awful. The pulled turkey isn't pulled at all, it's fake large chunks of what they want us to believe is meat. The baked beans taste like pork and beans from a can. This food was horrible. They need to be reported. We are in a pandemic, how shameful.

This review is for the Fooda popup at my office. Robinson's Rib day is my favorite Fooda popup day! I love the Rib Sandwich and always get Mac and cheese as both of my sides (double Mac!!). The same two guys are always serving and they are so nice and friendly which is such a breath of fresh air when you're day has been kind of crappy! Keep up the good work and the great food!

The catfish sandwich was the best catfish I have had in a while and I love fish. I was very impressed and was not expecting this kind of quality from a "rib joint".

Worst food truck. Was craving a burger, and figured they cook ribs maybe they do a burger. The answer was a resounding no. My horribly burnt hockey puck was disgusting and a complete waste of money. Chicago food trucks that are this bad still exist only because there are not enough good ones at these events.

A great place to get a quick lunch or dinner for the ride home from work, or to have a picnic at millennium park. I love their spicy BBQ sauce and that they have both the spicy and mild BBQ sauce options. I love everything I have had here. The BBQ turkey sandwich is a bit unique and very tasty, I also love the rib and BBQ sandwiches as well. Its hard to go wrong with this Chicago institution and slice of Chicago. The previous posters for Robinson's seem to indicate this is a stand alone location and the pictures indicate that. Based on the address, this would be the Union Station food court location.

I've been a Robinson's addict for the past four years. It's not that it's the greatest BBQ I've ever had, though it is pretty good, it's just when I get a BBQ craving, it must be fulfilled. Sometimes that craving happens at work, and with Robinson's just two blocks away, I wind up eating it a few times more than I'm willing to admit a month. Try the rib tips; there's a stigma that they're a crappy, fatty cut of meat, but you'll only hear that from people who don't know how to eat them. They can be hit or miss because you can't really control the cartilage:meat ratio, but I always wind up having just enough to satisfy my hunger, and if i'm lucky I wind up having a bit more for later.