-[Eat]- Fun Meets BBQ at The Smoke Daddy, Chicago
The midwest is no stranger to BBQ. Provide it inside a sports bar with free live music seven days a week, and you know you’re in Chicago. I mean, what better time to eat BBQ when it’s offered along side a selection of mixed drinks and beer, while the Blackhawks are playing Game 1 in the playoffs on one TV, and the Bulls fighting for their 50th season win on another… the ambiance was exciting.
Going into the menu, a friend and I started with two mixed drinks that were recommended by the waitress while we looked through a variety of food options. Drink number one was The Wicker Sparkler, a mix of Hendrick’s Gin, St. Germain, fresh lemon and cucumber topped with Sparkling white wine, it was refreshing. Drink number two was the Strawberry Lemonade shaken frosty with White Rum, Strawberry Puree and lemonade. Two drinks made for a warm day.
Now here’s comes the better part, we were accompanied with Sales Manager, Tony Mills, who gave us some inside scoop on some of the best options on the menu. Starting with the “Munchies” (appetizers) we were delighted with their Pimento Cheese Hush Puppies, crispy fried pimento cheese balls with a side of green chili jam. Going into bigger options, our first recommendation was The Daddy-O, one of Smoke Daddy’s specialty sandwiches, containing sliced brisket, smoked provolone and onion rings. And not to be confused, the onion rings aren’t a side, they are in fact inside the sandwich creating one mega-sandwich. Of course all sandwiches do still come with one side, so you have a lot to choose from. Next was one of the Smoke Daddy Platters, which in our case were 2 smoked meats, brisket and a Paulina Meat Market hot link, accompanied with a side of Mac-N-Cheese and Smoked Pit Beans. If that wasn’t enough, I got to personally order the Cajun Fish Sandwich, the fillet was delightfully crispy on the outside while remaining tender on the inside.
Of course there’s a lighter side to the menu as well, and a great option is the Wrightwood Salad, a toss of rotisserie chicken, tomatoes, craisins, avocado, goat cheese, corn, almonds, topped with citrus vinaigrette and cornbread croutons.
And now for what many claim to be the most important part of good BBQ: the sauces. Smoke Daddy provides three options that they keep to the side of each table: The Smoke Daddy Original, Smoke Daddy Sweet & Smokey, and Smoke Daddy Mustard Q, all worth trying.
As if all this wasn’t enough, we were offered a dessert, but after sampling all of this goodness I had to throw in the towel… sadly. I definitely plan to try their famed Iron Skillet Cookie or Granny R’s Banana Puddin’ in the future though.
All in all, this is solid BBQ and being placed in Wicker Park, one of the city’s most electric neighborhoods, the building is steadily busy but never too crowded, full of entertainment provided from a swell group of owners. And lastly, Tony was pleased to inform that the team is going to open a steakhouse, called Remington’s, on Michigan Ave. at the end of May 2015. Definitely check it out.