Report From the Windy City Ribfest 2010
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People don't always think of Chicago as a destination for ribs, but there is no doubt Chicago takes comfort foods very seriously, and there is no comfort food better than ribs! So, when the Windy City Ribfest set up show on the Northside of Chicago, only a short walk from my home, this event called out to me like a spicy and sweet siren song!
If you are reading this blog there is no doubt you are serious about ribs, so you likely will not be at all surprised at all by my consumption strategy for the event: eat everything within reach! I hit the festival right at dinner time with two like-minded taste-testers that were ready to get elbow deep in some sauce. We sampled ribs from six vendors, and awarded some impromptu, unofficial awards:
Best Ribs (Best Flavor & Best Texture): Texas Thunder BBQ
The more things change, the more things stay the same. Any Chicagoan would fantasize that the single Texas-based operation would show up in the big city, and be sent home having learned a lesson about great food. But that wasn't the case here at all. Texas Thunder BBQ brought the thunder, and it really wasn't even close. The texture, and tenderness of the ribs was without compare at this event, and the flavor was great as well. Any operation that cooks this well in a mobile kitchen deserves respect. Texas Thunder made some great ribs, period.
The beauty of Texas Thunder BBQ ribs
Texas Thunder BBQ banners
Honorable Mention (Best Flavor): Uncle Bub's
Before we sampled the Texas Thunder ribs, Uncle Bub's ribs were the consensus pick for best slab. The sauce was nicely balanced with a combination of sweet and spice, and the hickory smoke flavor was always there, but never over-powering.
Uncle Bub's ribs
Honorable Mention (Best Texture): Famous Dave's
If you like your ribs with a little bit of char, then Famous Dave's has you covered. While the occasional bite was a little heavy on the smoke flavor, there were also some great bites that nicely combined the flavors of the sauce with the smoke, and the texture of the ribs with the char.
Famous Dave's ribs
Best Sauce: Bar-B-Que Bob's
As I picked up my ribs from the smallest, most inconspicuous booth at the festival a part of me really wanted Bar-B-Que Bob's to have the best ribs I had ever tasted. These folks were going up against some big operations. While the ribs were good, where Bar-B-Que Bob's excelled was their sauce. Their sauce was delicious, and it was different than every other sauce at the festival. The sauce had a pronounced vinegar taste, peppercorns, and a light trace of mustard or mustard seed, all adding a nice complexity and tanginess to the sauce that all three of us noticed, and loved immediately.
Windy City Ribfest entrance; grilling ribs
Famous Dave's sauce table with trophies; a pile of seasoned ribs
Chicago BBQ Company Ribs
The carnage after Round One of ribs.
This was a great event, and I'm hoping it gets even bigger next year. If the long lines were any indication, I'm sure all the ribs vendors left well paid, and all the attendees left well fed. If you live in Chicago, I think it is safe to say that the Naperville Ribfest is still the biggest ribs event around town. My mouth is already watering thinking about the 2011 Naperville Ribfest and the 2011 Windy City Ribfest. If you live near Chicago, come on down and eat up!
About the Author:
I'm Trey Muhlhauser and I run HotSaucePlanet.com. I'm pumped that Scott let me guest post on his blog, and give me a great excuse to eat a ton of ribs and to write off the expense! If you ever need some BBQ Sauce that rivals the best of Ribfest, or some great hot sauce check out our website!
Comments
2010-07-21 09:17:50
2010-07-22 16:29:11
Very nice write up.
JR
2010-07-22 18:16:10
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