Ribs at The Patio

#1 Twin Anchors 1655 North Sedgwick Street, (312) 266-1616
Because they’re not smoked and they’re coated in a sauce that has more sugar than a birthday cake. Will celebrities who lived here in the 70s and 80s please stop telling everyone they make the best ribs? Don’t confuse nostalgia with quality.

#2 Carson’s (multiple locations in Chicagoland), (888) 999-RIBS
Just because your parents dragged you here as a kid doesn’t mean they’re any good.

#3 Lem’s 311 E 75th St, (773) 994-2428
Love the history behind it, but every time I’ve been, some teenager who could give a rat’s ass about BBQ pulls some overcooked baby backs off of the aquarium-style smoker and then proceeds to bury them in starchy white bread and mediocre sauce. 

#4 The Patio 7440 S. Kingery, Darien, (630) 920-0211
The “Home of Chicagoland’s Finest Barbeque” may have been around since 1977, but oddly revealing that “flame seared” is the only description they use of their baby backs.

#5 The Fireplace Inn 1448 North Wells Street, (312) 664-5264
Finest ribs in Chicago since 1969? Really? According to whom? Check out tomorrow’s post.