Robinson's No. 1 Ribs

LET ME TELL YALLLLL! THE BEST #1 PLACE TO GET BBQ THATS DONE RIGHT! Every Dime Spent Here Is Well Spent! I Have Been Searching for Good BBQ & Have Ordered From Almost Everywhere But They Fell Short. This Place Takes Their Time With There Food, It's Tender, Flavorful & Seasoned To Perfection. This Is Old School Right Here! You Don't Get Cheated On Hard Left Over Meat or Baked BBQ Trying To Pass As Smoked! I've Fed My Family Here At Least 2 Times A Week Since Discovering Them Again. You Can Taste Love In This Food & Appreciation For Their Customers! OUTSTANDING JOB GUYS! Thank You For All Your Hard Work! Food Like Yours Is Very Hard To Come Across But Once You Find It, You Stick With It! The Peach Cobbler Was Out Of This World As Well :-)

This was our first time ever ordering from Robinson's and we are so glad we did. Everything was so good! We got a bucket of tips and wow. It was more like an entire tray of tips! The tips came dry but that may have been my fault just cause Uber eats is weird sometimes. There was plenty of extra BBQ sauce tho and we just poured it right over the tips and man oh man it was so good!! I had a taste for brisket but not BBQ... i never had a BBQ brisket but this one at Robinson's was delicious. There's so much food I'm pretty sure my husband and I have leftovers for the next 2 days. Lol Oh yeah!! I am super duper picky with potato salad... The only potato salad Ive ever liked, was my mom's*💖RIP🙏🏽, and theirs is soooooo similar!! 🤭 *Sorry Mom!!*😘💖 Thanks so much Robinson's... We'll be back soon!! 👋🏽

I’m not going to be completely dishonest, but there’s no love in the food I got, I mean the Mac n cheese tasted like it was straight out of the can, the food is drowned in sauce not much flavor, I understand about your food cost but atleast capitalize on taste and execution I was recommended to try the food and I am disappointed you guys have great potential, just get it together please everything is just overly saucy and no flavor, feels like I’m eating can food.

Hadn't been here in a minute & out of town visitors wanted ribs ....Nice atmosphere as you walk in...MAJOR DISAPPOINTMENT with food 😞i immediately noticed sauce recipe is not the same and was very skimpy spread on order & the ribs & rib tips were tough as nails...you had to chew each piece to the point your jaws were sore ! Very inedible due to the toughness of the meat. Fries and corn were great, skip the corn bread and coleslaw was a little too much on vinegar side. I found a piece of chicken in my rib tips order that was very old and HORRIBLE...I still can't get the taste out of my mouth. The dining area which is a pleasant setting should have been cleared of dying flower arrangements that were spread around the area. And extremely disappointing waste of my hard earned money...won't be doing this again 😒

There’s a reason why Robinson’s Ribs is #1. The taste is consistently amazing and addicting! They’re very generous with portions. We’ve only ordered carry out but the restaurant looks like a great spot to accommodate large family events.

This is not my first time coming here but will be my last. I used to come as a kid but haven't been in a while. My mom took my husband and I here today and when I tell you, it is not the same. The place was basically empty ( which I'm not use to) and food was not great at all. The mashed potatoes were spoiled and Mac and cheese was overcooked. The ribs were better than the last time I came but still not as good as the first time. The employees were loud while watching a football game with a couple of other guest. And for almost $20 per person for the buffet/ lunch line is crazy if the food is not up to par. I do agree with another review that I read, they do need to shut down and fix it up and redo the menu. I was seconds away from call Gorden Ramsey for a restoration because I really don't want the business and it's legacy to go down the drain.

The restaurant needs a serious upgrade. Everything is outdated and showing signs of wear and tear, from the ceiling to the floor. The vents were filthy. The food is edible, not necessarily nasty, but definitely not delicious. The rib tips were not fresh. The mac-n-cheese was the worst. They need to close the doors, revamp the recipes, and add some touches of tlc.

I recently attended a family event hosted at this venue, and we thoroughly enjoyed our time. The buffet-style food setup was convenient, the staff was attentive, and the atmosphere was perfect. The well-stocked bar and available jukebox added to the experience. The venue was impeccably clean, including frequently maintained restrooms. Thanks for a great experience, great food, and service.

It was so good we went back again. There were 6 of us this time. We had two buckets. 1 for that day and one for leftovers the next day! The sauce was so good and it rewarms well too. We had baked beans, fries, and cobbler... YUM!

Everything and Everyone is always polite and absolutely amazing The food is sooo good and you can tell that's it's made with LOVE

Taste of Chicago super sample short review: I am grading on what I had, the sample provided...and what the vendor thought would be the catch/draw for their restaurant. Robinson is indeed number one...star rating. They are selling public school cafeteria food. I couldn't believe I wasted my calories, and space in my stomach on this terrible "food". They really should be ashamed to show up to the Taste of Chicago, and represent the city with such a half step. More time, more effort if you truly want to be number 1.

Recently had Robinson's ribs at the CFHP. I ordered the turkey tips. What I received was HORRIBLE. Baked (or maybe even boiled) pieces of turkey topped with BBQ sauce. Trash. The meat definitely never touched a grill. I ate some of it but I should have requested a refund. It was that bad.

Shawn made the Long Island Ice tea!!! He took the order also. I have not tasted the food yet but they have turkey options for us that don't eat pork. They have a buffet also with great dessert. People in the restaurant rave about the food. Looking forward to see what they are trying about.

Just ordered turkey tips......don't make the mistake I did! Old tasting, covered in bbq sauce chunks turkey! I did like the sauce but it couldn't hide the old, it's been three weeks after thanksgiving taste! Please don't look for a smoked taste either, it's not present!

Ribs were dry and burnt like hard burnt or maybe I got ribs that were days old... the brisket was salty and hard and gray... the Mac n cheese made Kraft box powered cheese look and taste way better and the baked beans probably straight from a can but reheated over and over again just a thick blob of beans and lastly burnt brown over cooked fries. Will definitely never return not worth my money spent.

We thought that we would try this restaurant out and i was so delighted that they offered side dishes other than fries like all the other restaurants. So I decided to order my favorite collard greens. I was so thrilled I took a bite and was bewildered so I took another bite and to my dismay the greens were sweet. Never have I ever heard of or made col m and greens sweet. I thought that maybe something went wrong so I call the restaurant the next day. I guy that answered the phone informed me that that's how they make their collard greens. At that time I informed him that I will not be coming back to their restaurant. I think that if this is their thing they should inform the customers of this fact when they place their order. I don't rember the ribs being anything special either. So if you want okay ribs and sweet collard greens then this is your place!

So, what happened???! Went in saturday evening. From the front door to the back, floor sticky as all get out. Stayed because hubby suggested we try this place after so many years. Took food to go. EVERYTHING so salty: greens*, bbq chicken, rib tips. Chicken dry. I asked if the greens and *macaroni & cheese were made on site, the answer was yes. Well...*mac&cheese is out of a box, watery, and the cheap stuff. *Greens were 'made' out of a can or frozen. So salty, burned my tongue & they were not even warm. I can't figure how they are still open. Just over one year ago, I attended a function they catered. Salads were from Jewel and the 'meatballs' were so salty they were inedible. Wings were decent.

Wonderful season food. Friendly and clean. Comfortable environment. Have products to sell for at home cooking. Relax and view tv during your visit.

I wouldn't get my hopes up eating there, or takeout. It's a gamble. I spent about $80.00 there earlier part of the year and I was so disappointed with the ribtips and chicken wings! There have been times when the food was just right too. Like I said, "It's a gamble ".

Ordered and paid online for a birthday party. When there to pickup no one there, when someone showed up they said there was no order. Said he would cook it. 45 minutes later received order which was awful. Ribs were dry and practically meatless, fries were not completely cooked. Chicken and beef sandwiches were soggy and tasteless. Terrible experience.

I stopped at Robinson Ribs omw home from a Dr. Appointment at Rush. I have not ate from this restaurant in about 7 years. I was anticipating a good meal. Boy, was I let down! I ordered a large rib tips, with 2 sides potatoes salad and baked beans. The servings came in the size of a shot cup. I ordered a additional side of Mac and cheese and Collard Greens. The greens was clearly glory greens and the Mac and cheese clearly came out of a box! I also ordered a fish sandwich, that was fine.The ribs tasted fine the rest was a disappointment! I wasted $30 minus the $6 for the sandwich on this meal. I gave the meal to my co worker! It wasn't up to standards at all.

I think the Robinsons No. 1 Ribs Restaurant has several locations, this review is for the location in Oak Park, Illinois. I've only tried this restaurant twice (as I don't live in the area), but each time the food has been consistently good. They offer takeout or you can choose to dine in. The staff are polite and friendly. It's a casual, clean facility, in a safe area and the ambiance would be even nicer if they played music. Anyway...the food is why you go there and they offer generous portions of delicious, perfectly barbecued ribs and chicken, greens, macaroni and cheese, baked beans, potato salad, French fries and corn bread. Items are reasonably priced. Parking is in the back.

this place has went downhill so bad. the whole place needs remodeling. the customer service is terrible, awful, sad, no respect, no service with a smile. there's no parking. the food is old, dried, no appealing to the eyes. the smell is not appealing either. please stay away if you want good food and service.

Seriously adding your own $2 tip to my already $7 Dr Pepper at your food truck at the Luke Combs concert. Not even going to give me the option to select a tip or opt out FOR A BOTTLE of DR PEPPER. I hope the next time you have diarrhea you are out of toilet paper.

I lived in Oak Park 35 years ago when I was in training at UIC. I used to love Robinson's ribs as the ribs were meaty and fell off the bone. I hadn't eaten there in 30 years but happened to be in Oak Park and took my wife. Boy has this changed. We went for lunch and the ribs were extremely dry almost to the point where they couldn't be eaten. The links were equally dry. I suspect this meat had been cooked the night before and simply was warmed and smothered with sauce, The service was slow even though there were few people in the restaurant. This was good 35 years ago but it is well past its prime. I just don't see a restaurant with this lack of quality surviving.

I went to Robinson's yesterday. My first mind told me to leave when on a Friday night there were no customers. I was truly disappointed with my order and was to tired to go back and address it. The ribs were fall apart but they did not have a nice bite to them. They also had a burnt flavor that was definitely not pleasant. I have had Robinson's in the past but this was not a quality product. I will choose another restaurant in the future.

Went on fathers's day the BBQ was good, they give you plenty of food. Good taste. The cold slaw was nasty it had way too much vinegar or spices or something. Nice customer service. They also have a sit down restaurant and a section with a bar. That also has a sit down section. Chicken Wings, Rib Tips

Le Sigh... I'd been eyeing their site for a few days because they have Turkey Tips. I finally decided to take the plunge. Unfortunately, I drowned. The tips were basically chopped pieces of meat, no bones. I'm not totally mad at that though. The sauce was subpar. I asked about the baked beans and was told they were good. Yes, they are if you like Campbell's Pork 'n Beans- that's exactly what they were. The corn bread muffin was hard and terrible. The BEST thing about the meal was the order of fries!! They were great!!! Service was mediocre. Will I go back? Nope.

Decent quality meat, but the sauce they use is a cheap, below average sauce. Robinson's has always been one of those places to me that strives for a consistenly average product which isn't bad in itself, but pretty much makes this the McDonald's of BBQ. There are much better places and much worse. This place is the type of place that is almost always brought in for company catering since it's cheap and decent, but doesnt have the WOW factor that you get at better places with much higher prices. 3/5 stars

Not only are the ribs delicious, the folks here went above and beyond to make my order happen for Father's Day. The cornbread, greens, and mac n cheese are delicious compliments to their smoked baby back ribs.

IT WAS SOOOOO GOOD, it really hit the spot and was good, the baked beans, ribs and Mac and cheese was soo good. It fills you up so nicely and it's a cute restaurant. Plz go there it's so good

I do a food review show on YouTube and I ordered Robinson's ribs for last Friday's episode...the rib tips were good...the bbq sauce was tasty...I felt like the portion was small but I think it's because they taste sooo good I just wanted more.the hot link sandwich I had was off the chain delicious...Robinson's has some of ,if not the best hot links I ever tasted...my experience with their bbq was great...I will definitely eat there again...and I will always have to have that hot link sandwich...u can catch my YouTube show every Friday between 12noon-7pm BIG UGLY VS FOOD

Ribs were super burnt and gummy and the sauce was mid. I hate complaining but the Mac and cheese was cheesy but almost craft like bland. Cornbread was old school unsweetened so I won't knock it but the fries were decent but didn't have sauce on them like I thought Wouldn't try again but maybe that's just my opinion cuz I Uber'd it

I placed a fairly large online order (whole chicken, large rib tips, hot links and various sides and extra sauces) with Robinson's #1 Ribs for a specific pickup time. Not only was my order ready when I arrived at the appointed time, it was perfectly packaged. The young man that was on-duty at the time opened the box for me to ensure everything was there, then he carried my order to my car which was very much appreciated by a "mature" woman. The food was delicious, perfectly cooked and plentiful. I don't live in the area, but I will be visiting Robinson's #1 Ribs again!

Got the Thursday special for me and my husband and it was a complete disaster. Ribs taste processed not smoked and chopped like the past and his real BBQ should be. They redid the building and it's more so for parties and the bar which is fine and dandy but the food isn't good. Sauce was changed too. I miss the old Robinson's. I called to complain and the manger asked me what did I want in return. I said nothing because I won't be making a special trip that way anymore. Sorry but no thanks!

Times are changing. I only had the rib tips. They were ok but not the best like years ago. Service was great. Got in and out fast. Ambiance. I used take out. I will try this place again

Mac and cheese taste like imitation Kraft it was watery and terrible. The rib tasted like they were made a week ago and the reheated. The chicken wings were frozen wings absolutely awful even the barbecue sauce tasted spoiled.

Ordered a large rib tip dinner. Waited over 30 minutes. The ribs and sauce had a strange flavor like corn beef and the ribs were tough. I paid $13 for something I could not eat. I called to complain and first told I could come back for a reorder. However I live many miles away and could not make it the next day in addition there was a snow storm. I again to explain and was told just come in when you can. Called again a week later when knew I would be in there area that day I was told I needed to speak to a manager. But that person was not available until the following day. Well- I just gave up at that point because I was not going to use up my gas to make two trips to Oak Park in one weekend. I will just never order from this place again...

I did not grow up with Robinson's ribs. I did have the sauce sometimes from the supermarket growing up. My wife however grew up loving Robinson's ribs and her family loves Robinson's ribs. They stopped going regularly though. So now about once a year they all get a craving for Robinson's ribs and they order Robinson's ribs because they have this nostalgic craving. And every year they're utterly disappointed by it. "It used to be so much better" is a common refrain around the dinner table as they defend their memory. Without nostalgia, I'd say the sauce is good the ribs are good the rib tips are good. I can pass on just about everything else on the menu. If I were ordering it I would pick up some ribs to go and pick up some sides from the supermarket.

Robinsons worked with our budget for our first ever daddy daughter dance at my school. The food was delivered right on time and the delivering men were very polite! We had many people compliment how great the food was. Thanks Charlie for supporting your local communities!

Ordered delivery off DoorDash about 30 minutes before closing and was pleasantly surprised. I saw all the bad reviews on yelp after I had already placed the ordered and was definitely a little nervous prior to receiving the food. For me I got the beef brisket sandwich, collard greens, mac n cheese, and cornbread. My boyfriend got turkey tips, greens, and coleslaw. Both of our food was pretty good, and he's extremely picky, so that's saying a lot. The mac n cheese was creamy and delicious, greens had just enough kick. My only complaint is that I wish the brisket was a little more tender, but I'll definitely be ordering from here again.

My grandmother and I decided to stop in for lunch. We waited at the counter to be seated for over 5 minutes with zero acknowledgment from any staff. There were only a few people in the entire restaurant. A female emerged from the kitchen with a tray of food and served a table patrons that was seated. After she served them, she walked directly past me and said nothing! How do you actually ignore a customer?! I said "excuse me" then asked her a question about the ribs. She did not stop to address me or even look at me. She replied "no" and hastily disappeared into the kitchen. So, my grandmother and I hastily disappeared out the front door! If you treat customers like this when your restaurant is empty, I can only imagine how you treat customers when your restaurant is busy. I should've checked Yelp prior to going. I could have saved myself time and energy. There's a reason there's soooo many 1 star and poor reviews! I definitely do NOT recommend this joint and neither do many other yelpers! You have been warned...

My mom & haven't eaten here in YEARS so during my trip home we decided to give it a go and have lunch here for the first time in forever and that was a TERRIBLE mistake. The food was down right HORRIBLE!!!!! We should have taken the hint when we walked in and didn't smell any sort of of bbq whatsoever. Then the young lady working the register had little to no knowledge of what food was actually in stock and she had to keep going to the back to see what they DID HAVE to serve us. I ordered a 1/2 bbq chicken for us to share with Mac & cheese, greens and okra for our sides. When we FINALLY received our order there still was no smell of bbq coming from the bag. To make things worse, we get home only to discover our food looked as if it was cooked the three days ago and continuously reheated by the day - It DEFINITELY was not fresh. The chicken was clearly days old! It was not properly seasoned and was tossed in some watered down sauce that I can't even really say was BBQ sauce. The okra was mushy and old as well!!! We live in the far northern area and just happened to be in Oak Park and remembered how good Robinson's was back in the day. Boy are those days LONG GONE. We will NEVER eat here again! EVER. I mean that.

The ribs was just OK. The hotlinks were extremely too hot. I wish they had mail as well as hot. The macaroni and cheese was a giraffe it was cheesy but it was dry. The food took 15 to 20 minutes. That's a little scary which means it's not freshly made. I always try to support black businesses. We used to go to ROBINSON's back in the day but they have fallen off. Sadly but for real. We barbecue more at home because there's no great Chicago barbecue house anymore. Where is a farmers Brown's type of BBQ. Where you know without a doubt it's always fresh off the grill. OMG. Fresh is best.

I was introduced to their food by trying it at a Fooda popup and it was great. However this location was the total opposite, this place served some of the worst food I have ever eaten. 1 order of hot links and 1 order of rib tips ran me $26. The hot links were on point, but the tips did not have a barbecue cooked flavor, they tried to camouflage that by saucing over the tips. The Mac and cheese side tasted like Krafts right out of the box. I will never buy from there again. Horrible tasting food and over priced.

BBQ Ribs taste different at different restaurants because of the cooking method and recipes. I recommend that everyone eat here at least once. The ribs are good but everyone has different taste buds so it's a matter of personal appetite. Parking is on the street, so you may want to come at an off peak time to find a spot.

Stopped by to here to get some rib tips to take home, but decided to dine in. Service was friendly, food came out quick and hot. Sauce is very tasty, mac n cheese is very cheesy, collard greens good and corn on the cob buttery. Will definitely be back again soon!

The food was excellent, the location is convenient. I adore the decor, the atmosphere is very chill, We didn't get to stay and enjoy our food, we had to take it to go because they were closing early, so I recommend calling before you go to see how late they are open

The worst experience ever, waited an hour for my food. Then when food came taste and flavor was not what was expected, been to numerous barbecue places and this one wouldn't make my top 50! Manager seemed to not care, we got more help from the cook and a young server who tried her best with the lack of help!

This establishment in Oak Park is great! The food is always fresh! Taste amazing! The staff members are always polite. I have definitely! Recommended my colleagues, family, and friends to come to this restaurant. I even met the owner once, when I was on a date with a lady friend of mines. Great gentleman. He came over to our table and asked us, how are you two? I can't recall a time when the owner of a establishment asked me something like that. I love it. Shows compassion for his customers. I plan on coming back this week. That pie! SMH taste to! Good! I guess that's why I had two of them with my meal. Our team will be back this week. Thank you for the great customer service. 5-Stars Sincerely Dee Chi

there isn't a more authentic southern restaurant in Chicago. period. from their legendary ribs and tips with an incredible array of sides (i'm partial to the collard greens, mac & cheese and peach cobbler) and delicious fried catfish, everything is delicious! a great value and perfect way to feed a hungry crowd. simply the best around.

The only positive I have from my experience is that I received a decent portion for the price. Everything else was bad. The bbq sauce is salty and just not good. The rib tips were dry. The wings have a weird soggy breading. The greens have no flavor and eating the corn bread muffin is like putting flavorless dirt in your mouth. Just trash. I wish I could get my $20 back. I wouldn't eat it again for free.

Long story short, dry, old hard meat , potato salad is literally potatoes with mayo, fries were soggy, could not chew ribs at all..nothing was good at all, and unprofessional staff...never again

I try to reserve my judgement and harsh words because I don't like to complain so just know that the meal I ordered was so terrible I HAD to say something. I ordered the rib & shrimp combo that comes with 2 hot sides and a cold side. For the hot sides I chose mac & cheese and the greens, and the potato salad as my cold side. Upon receiving my meal, the sizes of the sides were my initial disappointment - they were rather small for the price that I paid ($25). They were also BLAND as hell - I had to add seasonings to both dishes. You could tell that they cook the greens without any smoked meat and I imagine that's what hot kale soup tastes like. I took one bite of the potato salad and threw it away - it had a weird metallic taste like it had been sitting in a can somewhere for a few days. The meal also came with some cornbread that made the Jiffy mix taste like the holy grail. The shrimp weren't as fresh as I hoped; I could tell that they were the type that are breaded before they are frozen. The rib tips were good and they had the perfect amount of sauce. Word of advice - just get the meat until they change the recipes of the sides.

I just ordered for the first time. I'm highly upset with the outcome...I ordered "Turkey tips" first off they were not barbecue... they tasted like they were boiled or baked in a lot of salt and pepper... thanks for wasting my money!! Just remove them from the menu

Love the ambiance!! Super chill. The sides were off the chain!! We got fries, potato salad, and macaroni and cheese. The wings were super fatty but the BBQ sauce was bomb. The bartender was super nice and made us special cocktails based on what we like. I will definitely be back!

I come here every few years because somehow I feel like they deserve a second and a third. And a fourth and a 8th chance. Well, after about 25 years and two locations later. I officially detest this place.