This Hidden Hole-In-The-Wall Home Of Chicago's Barbecue King Is Illinois' Coolest Foodie Destination

Chicago, one of America's great foodie destinations, competes on every level, including historic authentic eats, fine dining with multiple Michelin stars, and artsy neighborhoods with endless food options. The Windy City even boasts the hottest kitchen drama at the moment with "The Bear." Among this all-star lineup, a hidden hole-in-the-wall on the South Side won the 2025 James Beard Award for "America's Classics." Lem's Bar-B-Q was already the barbecue king of Chicago, and now with an award from the "Oscars of the food world," the 71-year institution is currently the coolest foodie destination in the city.

Emerging from a towering exhaust pipe, the scent of smoking hickory wood is the cue for the lines to start forming, and many people come for its signature dish: rib tips slathered in a smoky, tangy barbecue sauce. One of Chicago's most famous rib tips, the meat is cooked with charcoal, hickory wood, and fire in what the restaurant calls an aquarium barbecue pit. The sauce, made fresh each day, comes from a closely guarded recipe created by the founders' mother, who taught her sons how to cook many, many years ago. In addition to its signature rib tips, Lem's also serves fried chicken, fried shrimp, and its very popular hot links.

While the award brought national attention to the barbecue joint, Chicago foodies have always known about Lem's. Unlike other culinary trends, this has never been an instant ticket to a tourist trap. The local press gave it iconic status long ago, and according to reports, fans have included celebrities such as Aretha Franklin, Denzel Washington, and Scottie Pippen.

When it comes to American-style barbecue, the most famous regional styles are Texas, the Carolinas, Memphis, and Kansas City. Though lesser known, the Chicago style is beloved by many. Lem's helped establish the style and remains its best-known practitioner. The local meatpacking industry and the availability of less expensive cuts of meat had an early influence on the style, which is best known for rib tips, hot links, tangy sauces, and an aquarium smoker with glass panels on the sides. These custom-built metal smokers let pitmasters smoke the meat indoors while a chimney vents the smoke outside.

Many Chicago pitmasters also share a similar journey, namely the Great Migration of the mid-20th century that saw millions of African Americans move from the rural South to big cities in the Northern and Western states. The Lemons family of Mississippi made the move to Chicago where two of the brothers opened the original Lem's Bar-B-Q in 1954. A third brother, James, opened a second location in 1968. He perfected what became their signature dish, and this location in Chatham established the Lem's brand, with the original eventually closing. The restaurant today is run by James' daughters. Three generations of Lemons have helped make Lem's a Chicago institution, and its recent James Beard Award just ushered in a new wave of foodie coolness. You can find this hole-in-the-wall gem at 311 East 75th Street, about 10 miles south of downtown.