Booby's (hee hee) has been around since 1961, and it's located in Niles, a suburb just northwest of Chicago. If a place has been around over 50 years, something's got to be going for it. More

I always remembered Carson's to be, well, kind of crappy. But when I entered, the first thing I noticed was that the interior of the place appeared to be recently renovated. I looked over the menu and discovered that everything looked...oddly fancy. I was puzzled. More

If you're in the Windy City and in the barbecue mood, this is something to order by the bucket (and isn't that always fun?). Rib tips. They're one of the top sellers at Lem's Bar-B-Q and it's not difficult to understand why. Each tip points to a deep blend of flavors, merging the powerful tastes of charcoal and hickory smoke with the simple sweetness of pork. Lem's tangy, spicy barbecue sauce adds a molasses-colored kick before the tips find their way into a freshly popped paper bag. More

There are smokehouse inquisitors who would raise an eyebrow at Uncle John's Barbecue, a hole-in-the-wall, South Side smoke joint that serves its aquarium-smoked ribs and rib tips two ways: drowned in barbecue sauce, and drowned in spicy barbecue sauce. More

Note: Every week Nick Kindelsperger visits Chicago's best seatless eateries in Standing Room Only. Have at it, Nick! [Photographs: Nick Kindelsperger] Lem's Bar-B-Q 311 E. 75th Street, Chicago IL 60619 (map); 773-994-2428 The Short Order: Juicy ribs loaded with smoke.... More

"From the sidewalk I saw the rectangular smoker that looked like, yes, an aquarium." Owner and aqua-smoker pitmaster Robert Adams (bottom right). [Photographs: Robyn Lee] We were just off the plane, we were hungry, and we were on our way... More

"There is no polite way to attack rib tips. Dig in with both hands and hope you have enough napkins." [Photographs: Nick Kindelsperger] Uncle John's Barbecue 337 E 69th Street, Chicago IL 60637 (map) 773-892-1233 The Short Order: Saucy and... More