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Best Bbq Restaurants in Avondale & North Center (60618)

4 hand-picked restaurants, critic-reviewed and ranked

Last Updated: June 2026

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Our Top Pick
Soul & Smoke
Chef-driven barbecue and soul food focused on smoked prime brisket and rib tips.

Notable Picks

$ Avondale
Soul & Smoke’s Avondale location at Rockwell on the River is a barbecue and soul food kitchen centered on smoked prime brisket, Duroc rib tips, and hearty sides. Diners rely on it for takeout platters and casual riverside meals built around carefully smoked meats and mac + cheese.
Must-Try Dishes: Prime Brisket Dinner, Smoked Duroc Rib Tips, Meat Sampler
What Makes it Special: Chef-driven barbecue and soul food focused on smoked prime brisket and rib tips.
$$ Irving Park
Wurst Behavior is a craft Midwestern-inspired smoke house and beer garden in Old Irving Park where sausages, brats, and dogs are smoked in-house daily. Guests come for loaded brats, Polish kielbasa, and pierogi-friendly sides that pair well with local beers in a relaxed indoor-outdoor setting.
Must-Try Dishes: Loaded Brat, Traditional Brat, Smoked Polish Kielbasa
What Makes it Special: Polish-inspired sausages and brats smoked in-house with a casual beer garden feel.

Worthy Picks

$$$$ Ravenswood Gardens
Mr E Chef’s Barbecue is a Black family-owned, catering-driven BBQ outfit now operating takeout and delivery from the Rockwell ghost kitchen. The menu leans into Southern-style smoked ribs, rib tips, wings, and sides based on the late Ernest S. Kelley III’s comfort food recipes.
Must-Try Dishes: Smoked Ribs, BBQ Rib Tips, Catfish Nuggets
What Makes it Special: Family-run BBQ and catering focusing on Southern-style ribs, rib tips, and wings.
$$$ Ravenswood Gardens
Big Daddy’s Hawaiian BBQ runs out of the Rockwell ghost kitchen complex, focusing on Hawaiian-style BBQ bowls and plates built around grilled chicken, steak, and rice. It’s a go-to delivery option when you want saucy, charred meats over rice with generous portions.
Must-Try Dishes: Large Mixed Bowl, Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Bowl, Spicy BBQ Steak Bowl
What Makes it Special: Delivery-focused Hawaiian BBQ plates and bowls with big, filling portions.