Lem's Bar-B-Q

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Lem's Bar-B-Q
Lem's Bar-B-Q, Chicago.jpg
Lem's Bar-B-Q in 2008
Restaurant information
Established1951 (1951)
Owner(s)Carmen Lemons
Lynn Walker
Previous owner(s)James Lemons
Head chefWilliam D. Lemons, Jr.
Food typeBarbecue
Dress codeCasual
Street address311 E. 75th Street
CityChicago
CountyCook County
StateIllinois
Postal/ZIP Code60619
CountryU.S.
Coordinates41°45′29.52″N 87°37′3.49″W / 41.7582000°N 87.6176361°W / 41.7582000; -87.6176361
ReservationsNo

Lem's Bar-B-Q is a barbecue restaurant in the Chatham community of Chicago, Illinois in the United States. The restaurant is known for its rib tips, which Eater has described as Chicago's "most famous rib tips."

History[]

Lem's Bar-B-Q was founded in 1951 by Myles Lemons in the Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood in Chicago. Lemons operated the restaurant with his brothers, Bruce and James.[1] The Lemons brothers were born in Indianola, Mississippi and moved to Chicago in 1948 to pursue careers in the barbecue industry.[2] In 1968, they opened a second restaurant in a former ice cream shop in the Chatham neighborhood of Chicago.[1][3] It was at the second location where they first served their rib tips. The Greater Grand Crossing location eventually closed.[1]

Lem's trademarked their brand in 2006. In 2018, Lem's sent a cease and desist letter to Chicago Brewhouse, when the brewhouse listed "Lem's BBQ Sauce" as the sauce served with its rib tips.[4]

James Lemons, who eventually became Lem's owner and the last brother to remain working at the business, died at age 87 in 2015.[1] In his memory, the Lem's menu features the JBL combo. His daughters Carmen Lemons and Lynn Walker became owners upon his death. William D. Lemons, Jr. serves as chef.[3]

Cuisine[]

Lem's rib tips served with white bread and sides of barbecue sauce

Lem's most famous dish is their rib tips, which were first introduced in 1968.[1] The rib tips have been called "iconic" by Eater and described as "smoky, finger-licking tips with a tangy, vinegary sauce."[1][5] The ribs are smoked in a smoker housed in an aquarium and finished quickly over a hot fire fueled by hickory wood.[3][6] The restaurant sells an average of 360 rib slabs a week.[3]

The Lem's barbecue sauce recipe was the Lemons' mothers recipe. The sauce is prepared fresh daily.[2] The menu also includes fried chicken, barbecue chicken, and hot links.[3][5]

Reception[]

The restaurant has been called a "barbecue icon" in the United States by Eater and a "civic treasure" in Chicago by the Chicago Reader.[1][6] It was named one of Eater's "essential barbecue restaurants in Chicago" in 2019.[1] Lem's has also been named one of the top barbecue restaurants in the country by Time Out and Zagat.[3]

Aretha Franklin used to have her assistant bring her Lem's food when she was in Chicago. The restaurant has also been visited by The Delfonics, The Whispers, The Dells, and Scottie Pippen.[3]

Gallery[]

  • James Lemons in 2008

  • Sign at Lem's

  • The aquarium-shaped smoker at Lem's

  • Rib tips and links in the smoker at Lem's

  • Lem's barbecue sauce

  • Ordering counter at Lem's

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Selvam, Ashok (15 December 2015). "James Lemons, Owner of Lem's Bar-B-Q, Has Died". Eater Chicago. Archived from the original on 10 October 2019. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  2. ^ a b "Lem's Bar-B-Q". Southern Foodways Alliance. 27 March 2008. Archived from the original on 23 June 2019. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Johnson, Erick (12 August 2016). "Lem's turns up the sizzle |". The Crusader Newspaper Group. The Chicago Crusader. Archived from the original on 15 August 2016. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  4. ^ Selvam, Ashok (1 October 2018). "A Barbecue Icon Sent a Cease and Desist to a Riverwalk Restaurant Over Rib Tips". Eater Chicago. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  5. ^ a b Mai, Jeffy (18 June 2015). "The 20 Essential Barbecue Restaurants in Chicago". Eater Chicago. Archived from the original on 27 August 2018. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  6. ^ a b Sula, Mike. "Lem's Bar-B-Q". Chicago Reader. Retrieved 7 June 2020.

External links[]

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