Blackwood BBQ - Adams Street
Part time Reviewer · 249 Google reviewsBlackwood BBQ - Adams Street — an american spot in Loop. Order the Bbq. Jacki Meiresonne: "The corn is delicious -- little spicy and creamy, but not caked in cream"
What 221 diners keep saying
What 221 diners keep saying
verbatim, from Google
“This was incredible barbecue. Go early, because they sell out. We had delicious brisket tacos the first time we went, chicken tacos the second. The third time we went right at open to get two meats (brisket and burnt ends) and two sides (mac & cheese and elote). It came with cornbread, pickles, and a bun. The Mac & cheese is among the best we’ve tried, with a wonderful crispy top. The elote was really tasty. The cornbread was also great, sweet, with pieces of corn inside it. Amazing, tender brisket, delicious burnt ends. Loved the bark on the brisket! So flavourful, tender, delicious! Among the best barbecue we’ve had.”
“Blackwood BBQ on Adams (211 W. Adams, Chicago) delivers a strong brisket sandwich: their pasture-raised, hand-trimmed brisket is smoked up to 15 hours and piled high on a buttered brioche bun. Pair it with the Kansas City spicy sauce (a house sauce that adds a good kick) and the combo becomes a standout. Plus, sides like housemade pickles, apple coleslaw, mac & cheese, or baked beans help round out a satisfying meal.”
“First off, customer service outstanding. Greeted by the friendliest staff, have a guest with me from the U.K. had a bit of trouble with her accent and comped our entire meal. 2nd. Everything we had was fire!!!! Brisket amazing, beans phenomenal, and pulled pork next level. Highly recommend”
“I got the tacos, one brisket and one pork, and the side of elotes. So good, debated licking the tray to get all that tasty juices. This is the 2nd location of Blackwood bbq I’ve had; quality holds up across locations. Blackwood bbq has yet to disappoint, can’t wait to come back.”
“Visited this place while in Chicago. So good. Meat was tender and flavorful. Homemade Mac n cheese pickles and coleslaw.”
“Delicious burnt ends sandwich and elote makes a perfect lunch. Jackfruit is a good BBQ alternative when you're cutting meat from your diet. Quick, classic carve-in-front-of-you counter service makes this a great choice for lunch in the loop.”
“Pretty crowded but we got a table for 7 people. I had a light lunch of all sides which were good.”
“Ordered the Brisket Platter with a side of Mac & Cheese, everything tasted great! Portions were a bit small for the price but I will definitely be back to try more!”
“I came here for lunch with some coworkers and had a good time. I ordered the pulled pork platter and the beans with brisket. Both the platter and the side were.... Warm, not really hot. That being said, the pork was very juicy and came apart easily and the beans were soft and had good texture. I think if the pork was hotter it would be better. I had it with the Chicago BBQ sauce and it was very good. Pickles were amazing and was the surprise of the platter, the Cole slaw was rather unspectacular. I would come back though, I did enjoy the low wait time and the BBQ was good.”
“FOLLOW-UP: I am updating this review to note that I followed the owner’s instructions and emailed their support team twice at the address provided to me below by the business. Unfortunately, I have yet to receive a reply. It feels a bit like a "canned" response to look good publicly without actually intending to resolve the issue. If you aren't going to reply to the emails you request, it makes the initial offer to "make things right" feel insincere My love affair with BBQ has blossomed into a full-blown obsession in recent years; it is now the very first genre of food I hunt down in any new city. But beyond the meat, I live by a strict code: I harbor a fervent, almost religious anti-chain sentiment when I travel. In my book, flying far from home only to lunch at the same soulless franchise you can find in your own backyard is nothing short of a cardinal sin. For better or for worse, you must open yourself up to the authentic soul of a local establishment. So, while stranded in the Loop with a spare hour, battling the biting, bone-chilling wind, I refused to settle for the familiar. When I stumbled upon this independent smokehouse, it felt like finding a smoky oasis in a frozen urban desert—my spirits instantly soared. My heart was set on one thing: burnt ends. After a transcendental experience with that "meat candy" in Aurora, CO, I was craving that specific, fatty, caramelized bliss. I walked in vibrating with excitement, only to be met with a crushing reality check. Despite arriving at high noon—the absolute prime time for lunch—I was told they simply didn’t have any to serve. Not that they had sold out (which I could respect), but that they just... didn't have them. For a BBQ joint to miss the mark on such a staple at 12:00 PM was a baffling and profound disappointment. Flustered and pressed for time, I pivoted to the chicken. It was, in a word, lackluster. Completely uninspired. It lacked the depth and soul of the BBQ chicken I’d devoured in Newark weeks prior, which had been juicy and explosive with flavor. This bird was forgettable at best, leaving me filled with nothing but culinary regret. I can only hope that next time around I would be lucky enough to finally find some burnt ends and write a rave commendation in place of this sour review. However, amidst the wreckage of my expectations, there was one glorious savior: the cornbread. It was a revelation—arriving piping hot, structurally perfect, and tasting like a buttery, golden cloud of comfort. It was the only thing that kept me from walking out entirely disheartened. The cornbread alone is enough to make me consider a return trip—perhaps next time the BBQ gods will smile upon me!”
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