Uncle John's BBQ was a restaurant that served Chicago-style barbecue. It was founded by pitmaster Mack Sevier after he left Barbara Ann's Bar-B-Que. It closed down in September 2013.
| Uncle John's BBQ | |
|---|---|
| Restaurant information | |
| Closed | September 2013 |
| Previous owner(s) | Mack Sevier |
| Food type | Chicago-style barbecue |
| Street address | 337 E. 69th Street |
| City | Chicago |
| County | Cook County |
| State | Illinois |
History edit
Mack Sevier opened Uncle John's after leaving his job as pitmaster of Barbara Ann's Bar-B-Que.[1] The restaurant was originally located on 69th Street, where it became popular among locals.[2]
Uncle John's served Chicago-style barbecue prepared in an 8x4 foot aquarium smoker, a metal chimneyed, glass-enclosed fire pit used to smoke meat in the cold, urban environment of Chicago.[3] The restaurant was known for its hot links, pork sausages made with Sevier's signature spice mix, and rib tips.[1] Sevier smoked his meat over a combination of hardwoods, including oak, elm, hickory and mulberry.[4] His apprentice, Gary Kennebrew, used hickory, pecan, maple, apple, and ash.[3] The restaurant also served fried and smoked chicken, and sides like coleslaw and white bread.[5]
The restaurant originally served food to customers through a revolving bulletproof glass window[6] as was typical for Chicago barbecue restaurants.[3] It did not have seating, although some customers ate in their cars outside of the restaurant,[1] to provide the food from becoming soggy on the drive home.[3]
Sevier partnered with Darryl Townson, owner of Dat Donut, to open a new location next to Dat Donut in the building that previously housed Leon's Bar-B-Q on 83rd Street.[2] The new location was operated by Townson, who Sevier trained.[7] Townson uses a pellet smoker instead of an aquarium smoker, resulting in less smokiness and char on the final product.[7][8]
The restaurant closed in September 2013[6] after Sevier retired due to health issues.[7] He gave his relatives permission to open other restaurants in his name.[9] Sevier also gave Kennebrew permission to use the Uncle John's name and recipe when he opened his own restaurant.[10] Many Uncle John's restaurants were opened after his retirement,[11] including Uncle J's in Bronzeville, and Uncle John's in the South Suburbs,[10] Richton Park, Greater Grand Park,[12] and Homewood.[13]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b c Cox, Mike Sula, Gary Wiviott, David Hammond, Izidora Angel, Ted (2010-09-09). "Thank You for Smoking". Chicago Reader. Retrieved 2024-04-03.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ a b ABC7. "Doughnuts, barbecue make a great pair on the South Side | ABC7 Chicago | abc7chicago.com". ABC7 Chicago. Retrieved 2024-04-03.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ a b c d Pang, Kevin (2018-02-08). "Chicago Is A City Divided By Barbecue". Saveur. Retrieved 2024-04-03.
- ^ Shahin, Jim (October 9, 2012). "A tip o' the ribs to Chicago barbecue". The Washington Post.
- ^ Reader, Chicago (2008-05-22). "Omnivorous: Shack Season". Chicago Reader. Retrieved 2024-04-03.
- ^ a b "10 BBQ Meccas To Visit Before You Die". HuffPost. 2014-06-12. Retrieved 2024-04-03.
- ^ a b c "The new Uncle John's". Time Out Chicago. 2013-02-20. Retrieved 2024-04-03.
- ^ "Uncle John's". Time Out Chicago. 2016-08-29. Retrieved 2024-04-03.
- ^ Gebert, Mike (2015-05-19). "Chicago's 12 Best North and South Side BBQ Joints Right Now". Thrillist. Retrieved 2024-04-03.
- ^ a b Owens, Hunter (2016-08-03). "Welcome to America's Unsung Barbecue City: Chicago". Saveur. Retrieved 2024-04-03.
- ^ Selvam, Ashok (2016-06-16). "Uncle J's BBQ's Pit Master & Owner Chat About Chicago's Barbecue's Legacy". Eater Chicago. Retrieved 2024-04-03.
- ^ Pang, Kevin (2015-06-17). "Uncle J's BBQ carries on the Mack Sevier legacy". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2024-04-03.
- ^ "Smoked rib tips and hotlinks served up at Uncle John's BBQ in Homewood". ABC7 Chicago. Retrieved 2024-04-03.