Big Ed's Bar & Grill

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Review

227 reviews

#1 of 6 Quick Bites in Waukegan$$ - $$$, Quick Bites, American, Barbecue

+1 847-473-5333+ Add website

Hours

Mon

10:30 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Tue

10:30 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Wed

10:30 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Thu

10:30 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Fri

10:30 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.

Sat

10:30 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.

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Ratings and reviews

4.5

227 reviews

#1 of 6 Quick Bites in Waukegan

RATINGS

Food

Service

Value

Atmosphere

Details

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CUISINES

American, Barbecue

Meals

Lunch, Dinner, After-hours

FEATURES

Takeout, Seating, Parking Available, Television, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Live Music

Location and contact

Fountain Square 4030 Northpoint Blvd, Waukegan, IL 60085

+1 847-473-5333

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Is this a place where you pay before receiving your order?

Yes

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Details

Manage this business?

About

telephone: 847-782-8772, zip code 60085

CUISINES

American, Barbecue

Meals

Lunch, Dinner, After-hours

FEATURES

Takeout, Seating, Parking Available, Television, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Live Music

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4.5

227 reviews

Excellent

170

Very good

Average

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Terrible

Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.

41christined

Hartland241 contributions

Great Variety of Food

Feb 2020 • none

6 family members had dinner on a Saturday night at 5:00 pm. It was our first time and when we arrived there was a table available for our party. There are few tables and a bar, but the customers are orders to go and also for table dining so they turn over pretty quickly. I was told that the crowds build when the Genesee Theater shows end and everyone heads this way. At aboout 6:00 the place was packed! You order at the counter and have a nice variety of meats and sides and desserts to choose from. If you want Rib Tips get there early because they sell out. With 6 options of sauces at the tables, you can make this meal exactly as you like. And absolutely get dessert- it is the best around. The staff was fantastic! The bartender and a woman who made sure our party was extra fun made the evening great! You need to make this a stop for a BBQ meal. All homemade and fresh, you can't find this type of food easily.

Written February 6, 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Taylor B

Chicago8422 contributions

Chicago's best barbecue

Sep 2021 • none

When it comes to barbecue, Chicago hasn't attained the stature of Memphis, Kansas City, Austin, St. Louis or the Carolinas. But in a town that has built a reputation for hot dogs, pizza and steaks, it is only a matter of time. According to one food magazine's survey, Big Ed's BBQ in north suburban Waukegan is best of all. Located at 4030 Northpoint Boulevard, off Route 41 and Belvidere Road, it is open from 11 to 7 Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and 11 to 9 on Friday and Saturday. It offers pit-smoked baby back ribs, rib tips and pulled pork, spicy smoked brisket chili, home-made key lime pie and a full bar featuring local brews. My wife and I started with BBQ nachos, fried butterfly shrimp, loaded fries with bacon, sour cream, tomatoes, mozzarella and green onions and chopped salad with iceberg and romaine lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, bleu cheese, bacon, pulled pork, BBQ sauce, tortilla chips and bleu cheese dressing. For an entree, my wife had a plate of pit-smoked pulled pork while I had a full rack of baby back ribs. Don't pass up the spicy smoked brisket chili with red and black beans cooked together with chunks of smoked brisket, corn and spices and topped with cilantro, sour cream and tortilla chips and served with cornbread muffins. A highly recommended side is Lawd Ham Mercy Beans, slow cooked with green peppers, onions, spices and chunks of smoked brisket and pulled pork. For dessert, we shared key lime pie and peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream.

Written October 6, 2021

krp1953

Lake Bluff4 contributions

Great Food

Jan 2020 • none

It was my grandson's 9th birthday and he actually wanted Asian food. Since I couldn't find one that had good reviews I was looking for an alternative and happened upon BiG Ed's BBQ. This had the best pulled pork I ever had. It was smoked to perfection and there is a choice of 6 sauces that are sitting on the tables. If you are looking for luxury this is not the place for you but if you appreciate good food, sizeable portions and some good choices that you'll love it.

Written February 11, 2020

Mjt383

Grayslake32 contributions

I really wanted to like this place

Feb 2020 • none

I heard good things so I have been looking forward to going here. I'm not going to list my BBQ bonifides here but I did enter my first Rib contest in 1985. You can read my other BBQ reviews. Anyway, I drove up about 1:00 PM on a Saturday. Cars in the parking lot. I noticed the big smoker and pile of wood out back. Always a good sign. If you go to a BBQ joint and don't see a smoker or smell smoke/BBQ, somethings wrong. Went inside and we ordered a bunch of BBQ. The people were so nice! The staff is so friendly! The place looks like you want to spend time there. The BBQ come out with no sauce on it, which is great. Places that sauce their BBQ are trying to cover something up. I always get the brisket as I know how hard that is to do right. Brisket had a nice smoke ring on it, looked nice. However it was dry and lacked any smoke flavor. The pulled pork was hand pulled not chopped. It was so dry I had to cover it in sauce just to swallow it. The ribs looked good and very meaty. However they were also very dry and almost flavorless. The Burnt ends on the other hand were very good! The collards were good with heavy vinegar. I like vinegar on my collards but my wife hates it. I make collards in Ham stock and serve with vinegar on the side for people to season to taste. The beans were average. Canned beans at best. The peach cobbler was made with canned peaches and seasoning. There was no biscuit material at all. Just a cup of peaches, sugar and spice! I will give it another shot however I am not in a hurry to have average BBQ.

Written February 11, 2020

Bob M

67 contributions

Great rib tips.

Jul 2022 • none

My son and I had lunch at Big Ed's yesterday. The rib tips were as good as always, and the onion rings were also quite good. My only complaint is that the way the food is served on metal trays, the meat gets cold before you can finish it. However, the portions are large enough that I normally take some home for lunch the next day. Their selection of sauces is impressive. My favorite is a combination of the Kansas City and the Original. Big Ed's is just plain good eating!

Written July 16, 2022

greenbow

54 contributions

Great food. Great atmosphere

Jul 2022 • business

I was visiting Waukegan from the UK on business and came across this place by accident. What a find, the place was amazing. Great food, we had the ribs and pulled pork but honestly everything on the menu looked amazing. The staff were really friendly and welcoming, and very helpful explaining what everything is to a couple of Brits who had never heard of burnt ends or rib tips. Thoroughly recommend this place you have to try it.

Written July 27, 2022

Cubs_Fan007

239 contributions

Best BBQ that’s not in Memphis, Kansas City, etc.

Mar 2023 • none

I was not expecting this…..I have been to lots of different BBQ places all across the country and this is definitely the best in IL. It’s all prepared when you order and very fresh. I had the mini trio of sandwiches which is a good way to try a few different meats. It had chicken, brisket and pork…I am still trying to decide which meat I liked best, they were all so good. We also had the rib tips which by the way is a very large portion, along with cornbread and 2 sides of beans and cole slaw. All of which was excellent. I also had a side of fries which are one the best I’ve had at any restaurant. They have a bunch of different sauces all of which were very good, my fave was the chipotle. Sweet tea is also delicious. You can get it to go or they do have a few tables, you place your order at the counter and they bring the food out to you. The staff is very friendly and the prices are quite reasonable for what you are getting. I can’t wait to go back and would highly recommend!

Written March 12, 2023

beetlebaileyCool

Marietta110 contributions

Loved the BBQ and service

Jan 2020 • family

Loved the BBQ and excellent service. The pulled pork sandwiches were huge. Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside fries, and very tasty bbq beans. Corn muffin was a little crunchy on the outside, but tasty. Mac and cheese was cheesy. The best variety of sauces I’ve ever seen. Stop in for great bbq. The staff was friendly, efficient and attentive.

Written January 23, 2020

Jeff D

Indiana90 contributions

Amazing BBQ

Nov 2022 • family

Tried this place for the first time. The bbq is absolutely amazing. The collard greens and Mac n cheese were very good also. The cornbread muffins were the best I've ever had. I definitely recommend this place. It is a little pricey but for the quality of the food it's worth it.

Written November 13, 2022

Aerowing

Monee5968 contributions

Just OK

Dec 2021 • friends

It was ok, not really memorable. Not sure what the hype is about but nevertheless we decided to eat here. Line was long. Ordered burnt ends, bbq nachos, chicken fingers and pulled chicken dinner. Also had a salad and onion rings. The burnt ends were good. The pulled chicken was cold. Disappointing. The sides were good. Beans were tasty. Cole slaw was creamy and delicious.Appreciate the numerous choices of bbq sauce on the table, I enjoyed them all. Friendly service. Not a bad place but I’ve had better and probably wouldn’t go back.

Written December 18, 2021

Lawrence Harris

Stone Mountain9 contributions

First Timer for Lunch at Big Ed's

Apr 2024 • solo

I have been working in Waikegan since January and never went to Big Ed's until today. I literally just left the restaurant. When I entered I was greeted by a pleasant team of young men. They made me welcome and answered all of my questions with ease. I even changed orders midstream and they made a seamless change without any concerns. I tried the rib tip special and the fries were hot and the rib tips were very tender and hot. The kind gentleman with the beard cover came over to explain the sauces and provide and additional assistance if it was needed. After I ate a young lady stopped by to see if I needed anything else and just when I was about to go and grab a to go container for my leftovers, she asked if I needed a co tai er and bag to go. My experience was stellar. My food was hot and delicious! I definitely recommend a trip to Big Ed's if you're in the area. Tell them Lawrence sent ya. Thanks all for a fantastic late lunch today! Thank you for a great customer service experience as well!

Written April 3, 2024

Jon M

12 contributions

Fantastic BBQ, even better people.

Dec 2022 • family

Big Ed’s was recommended as excellent BBQ spot with ‘good people’. The food was outstanding - we had brisket, jerked chicken, and burnt ends. Sides were excellent - mac and cheese, baked beans, cole slaw, and corn bread. Very local feel, get there early at meal time because it fills up quickly. As a family owned and run business, very engaging owner who believes strongly in giving back to the community.

Written December 11, 2022

David C

39 contributions

Great food, huge portions of meat.

Apr 2024 • friends

I was up this way at Six Flags and decided to go to Big Eds as I saw it on Check Please. It's a very casual place with a bar to sit at if you're dining alone, which is nice. You place your order at the register and the staff will bring it to your table. We all had something different, but I got the burnt ends. Oh, man....we're they great. They were so flavorful, juicy, and a huge portion. Others in our party had rib tips and brisket and we all loved what we had. Though the meat didn't need anything, they have 6 different sauces at the tables for something different. The sides we had were mac and cheese, baked beans, cole slaw and fries. All of the sides were really good. I live about 90 minutes away, but I will be back.

Written April 21, 2024

jj1450xl

Waukegan19 contributions

Big Ed's Bar & Grill

Dec 2019 • none

By far the best BBQ restaurant in the Waukegan area. You're always met with a smile when they take your order. I"ve had almost everything on the menu and it was all delicious. For the brisket lover, get there early because it runs out fast. Seems to be the goto place of the local military, and a great place to hang out on Friday night for the music and some great food.

Written February 12, 2020

Cherie O

Yorkville3 contributions

Great meal

Sep 2023 • family

Stopped in for some BBQ before a show. Went off of ratings. Our meal was great. Staff was very friendly. Had burnt ends and the pulled pork. Both were delicious. Mac n cheese & Baked beans were our sides. Loved the beans, great flavor and the Mac was good. Corn bread muffin was a bonus. Picked up the homemade key lime pie to go !!!! Would definitely go again when we are in the area:)

Written September 7, 2023

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