Chicago's Best BBQ Joint "Smoque" Closes Temporarily After Fire

Chicago Tribune -  A fire at Smoque BBQ on Saturday night has temporarily closed the critically acclaimed restaurant in the Old Irving Park neighborhood, said owner Barry Sorkin. Heat from the stove leaked between stainless steel panels into a wall, that then started smoldering, said Sorkin at the restaurant by phone. “We started smelling subtle things early in the day but it wasn’t anything that was traceable,” he added. “Obviously we’re generating smoke here in the building on a daily basis, so while clearly it was a different smell it was very difficult to pinpoint where it was coming from.”

“Later in the day as it got a little more severe, we were able to figure out where it was, so we called the fire department. They came and tore out a wall and put it out.” The restaurant will be closed on Sunday for clean up, which will continue Monday, when Smoque usually is closed. Sorkin said he hopes to reopen Tuesday.

#1 – I’m very thankful that nobody was hurt.

#2 – I’m very thankful that it sounds like the best BBQ place in the city took minimal damage, and will be back open in a couple days.

I doubt it’ll happen because it seems like it was only a small issue, but I really hope that they don’t pull the old “We’ll be back soon!” gimmick and then never come back again. That’s always the worst. I still have trust issues with this after a car drove through my favorite pizza place while I was in College in Carbondale. They claimed they were just going to patch the hole up and then open back up, but they ended up just shutting it the fuck down. Very sad day.

Anyway, this is also a call to people who have never had Smoque. It’s awesome and for my money is the best BBQ spot in Chicago, although I’ve never had Green Street. It doesn’t matter if you go ribs, brisket, or pulled pork either. All of it is uniquely fire in its own way. Definitely worth your while to travel a little bit west to check it out.

Don’t go all at once though. Be cool and space it out a little bit. Can’t have Smoque getting ruined like Chicago Pizza & Oven Grinder has gotten ruined.