Best BBQ in Wheaton, IL – Or possibly all of Chicago

Smoke Ring’z in Wheaton is most definitely the best BBQ joint around….and possibly the best BBQ joint in all of Chicago. Located on Geneva road in Wheaton in the old Butler BBQ location (he had some of the best pulled pork)…it’s in a small strip mall. But as soon as you walk in you can see the smoker and wood that is being used. Every time I’ve eaten here they have been friendly, attentive and always asking how we liked the food.

A few nights ago I came in to order ribs (see below), because it was “fend for yourself” night in our house, and was told they would not be ready for another hour. They offered to check on them while I waited so I walked over to the smoker and they opened the doors on the most beautiful site I’ve seen in a while. Ribs rotating and cooked to a honey brown color. He checked a few of them and turned around and said “nope..not ready..need another 60 minutes”. Now…I’m standing here with cash in my hand and he could have simply sold me the ribs. But no. They weren’t ready..so no..you can’t have them. I love this place.  Now, fries are fries basically…but they have garlic fries (I’ve seen them cook them and it’s just fries with some mega-store garlic salt shook on them…but I don’t care) that are the perfect complement to the ribs.  A little serving of proper “creamy” slaw on the side to cut the tiny bit of heat in the sauce and….oh my…I could just eat here every night.

I’ve eaten BBQ all over the United States, including some of the best (and world famous) joints in Texas. I once eat at 4 different world famous brisket places in the same day. This place can match them all and beat most of them. I’m sure there are individual BBQ masters that don’t have a store front restaurant that cook at competitions that claim they are better…but I can’t drive to their place and pick up ribs whenever I want. And these guys do it right…day after day. Every day.

Smoke Ringz in Wheaton, IL puts the rest of the local places to shame. (And don’t get me started on the “Smoke House” down the street. If you run your ribs through a churro cooker/belt cooker to reheat them and then dunk them in sauce in front of me…I may…I…I’m just speechless. They should take your BBQ card away.)