Blackwood BBQ – Slow and Slow in Central Chicago

By Samantha Shoville

Have I died and gone to…Alabama? Or was it Kansas City? Naw, I’m still in the Windy City. But it really doesn’t feel like it because I’m at Blackwood BBQ; a place where you’ll find the deliciousness of slow­cooked barbeque from around the U.S. right here in Chicago. With two downtown locations existing, and two more soon to open, Blackwood’s brisket and BBQ will have you singing.

We took our host CB’s recommendation of brisket ($9.99 as a platter, or $7.49 as a sandwich), as well as a combination pulled pork and pulled chicken platter ($8.49 as a platter, or $7.49 as a sandwich for both meats), sided with apple coleslaw, mac and cheese, homemade pickles, and every sauce possible (sides are all under $2). While ordering, I thought, “We’ll never be able to eat this all.” How wrong I was.

The meat was tender and flavorful on all three accounts, but believe me, brisket is best. It’s like the top three contenders at the Olympics—all are world­class but someone’s gotta win gold. Brisket stood tall. When you taste Blackwood BBQ’s brisket you’ll understand why slow and low is always a good idea. Paired with the South Carolina Style sauce, a mustard blend from the Lowcountry, you may never want to get up from the table.

The sauces were all unique, and with their own special charm. Blackwood BBQ brings the flavor of many pockets of American BBQ into one place. Sauces range from Chicago Style—the signature sauce, simmered with Old Style Lager—to Kansas City Style, a spicier sauce that was a personal favorite. Memphis and North Carolina are also not to be missed, but it was the Alabama Style I almost overlooked, then was so grateful I had not. The white sauce, flavored with horseradish and honey in a cream base, is traditionally eaten with chicken. I was so glad that I got this insider’s tip, as it proved to be a stand­out from the night.

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And don’t get me started on the mac and cheese! The perfect crispiness of panko topping, the right amount of sharp white and yellow Cheddar with aged Gruyere—well, it was just what this Midwestern girl needed. The apple coleslaw, admittedly the only fruit or vegetable on my plate, was refreshing but not noteworthy. The cornbread, with kernels tucked away into the fluffy bread, divine.

Blackwood BBQ
prides itself on the principal that slow food is the best way to go. As a friend and I settled in for an early dinner, we ran into Pitmaster Dylan, who gave us a run down the process. He had just returned from their pits, a mile or so away. Blackwood BBQ has three pits that if maximized can produce some 3,000 pounds of meat a day. The meat is lovingly prepared for 17 hours before it is driven in a heated truck to the restaurant. Believe me, this is clearly apparent in the taste. Really, there is no other way that BBQ should be done.

Blackwood BBQ was first opened to be a lunch spot. Though I was there on a quiet Thursday evening, lunch is a quick­moving line, often out the door. Currently, the 28 S. Clinton location in the West Loop is the only location offering dinner, although both locations now offer breakfast.

What does breakfast at a BBQ joint entail, you might ask. More meat! Surely, a brisket and gravy breakfast can’t put you off on the wrong foot, but it’s the breakfast hash that is really getting a name for themselves. With a layer of roasted onion, peppers, potatoes, then eggs, and topped with meat, you can’t go wrong.

All in all, I was highly impressed with Blackwood BBQ’s simple, yet straight­forward approach to tasty, affordable BBQ. Put Blackwood BBQ on your map for a meal morning, noon, or night. And keep your eyes out for the two new locations that will be opening soon in Lakeview and on the Mag Mile.

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