Russell's Barbecue is a barbecue restaurant in Elmwood Park, Illinois. It was established in 1930 and is the oldest continuously operating barbecue restaurant in Chicago.[1]
| Russell's Barbecue | |
|---|---|
 Russell's Barbecue in 2018 | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 1930 |
| Food type | Barbecue |
| City | Elmwood Park, Chicago |
| Country | United States |
History edit
The restaurant was founded in 1930.[2] Jacob and Fannie Bernstein purchased the restaurant from its original owners in 1940, and sold it in 1980.[3] It was originally located on North Avenue, but was moved to Thatcher Avenue in the 1940s.[4] As of 1988, it had two additional locations in Glen Ellyn, Illinois and Rolling Meadows, Illinois.[5] It originally had a limited menu including hamburgers, ribs, barbecue chicken and sandwiches. The restaurant was established before the proliferation of smoked, South Side-style barbecue. Smoked meats were eventually added to the menu in 2011.[4] The restaurant also serves bottled barbecue sauce.[6]
The building is noted for its vintage,[5] Western-style architecture.[7]
In popular culture edit
The restaurant was featured in season two, episode three of The Bear.[8]
References edit
- ^ Block, Daniel R.; Rosing, Howard B. (2015-09-03). Chicago: A Food Biography. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 73. ISBN 978-1-4422-2727-9.
- ^ Haddix, Carol; Kraig, Bruce; Sen, Colleen Taylor (2017-08-16). The Chicago Food Encyclopedia. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 978-0-252-09977-9.
- ^ "Fannie Bernstein: 1909 - 2007". Chicago Tribune. 2007-12-20. Retrieved 2023-10-19.
- ^ a b Elsmo, Melissa (2021-12-08). "Stepping back in time at Russell's Barbecue". Oak Park. Retrieved 2023-10-19.
- ^ a b "VINTAGE RUSSELL'S STACKS TOP-NOTCH BARBECUE MEALS". Chicago Tribune. 1988-07-15. Retrieved 2023-10-19.
- ^ Elbert, Lisa (2017-10-05). "Russell's Barbecue". Thrillist. Retrieved 2023-10-19.
- ^ Chicago. WFMT, Incorporated. 1976. p. 250.
- ^ Pau, Kelly (2023-07-03). "On "The Bear," Sydney's Chicago-wide smorgasbord liberates women from food guilt and girlbosses". Salon. Retrieved 2023-10-19.