Bucktown's Regional Southern BBQ
Lillie's Q on North Avenue is Charlie McKenna's Bucktown Southern BBQ — a regional approach that takes the differences between Carolina pulled pork, Memphis ribs, and Texas brisket seriously rather than collapsing them into a generic American format.
The cooking is regional Southern BBQ with a sauce flight: each region's pork preparation served with its proper sauce, considered sides built around heritage Southern producers.
What to Order
The sauce flight as an opening — Carolina mustard, eastern Carolina vinegar, Memphis sweet, Texas spicy. Pulled pork, ribs, brisket across multiple regional preparations. The mac and slaw are taken seriously.
The Format
The dining room is comfortable and well-scaled for groups; the patio handles warm-evening service. The bar handles a long evening on its own merits.
Best Occasion: Team Dinner
Lillie's Q handles a Chicago team dinner reliably. The BBQ format provides shareable centrepieces; the dining room handles a party of any size; the price point sits in the bracket where the bill is not the headline.