Chicago barbecue spot makes New York Times best restaurant list

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A barbecue restaurant on Chicago's South Side made New York Times' best restaurant list.

The folks at Sanders BBQ Supply Co. say they don't take shortcuts in making their food. It's a time-consuming process. Customers can taste that care and attention to detail; it's what helped place Sanders on an exclusive culinary map.

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Soon after Sanders BBQ Supply Co. opened in the Beverly neighborhood in June of 2024, customers started going there on a regular basis.

Robert Fox ordered a lot of takeout.

"You know, barbecue places, once you find out it's really good, people will come from all over the city. They have a great location here. This community itself is going to make them great," Fox said.

The New York Times took notice, too, calling the owner, James Sanders, and asking for pictures of the restaurant.

Sanders only speculated what that was about.

"We were thinking the top 25 restaurants in Chicago, and we didn't make that list," Sanders said.

Instead, they made an even more exclusive list: the top 50 restaurants in America.

It's an honor for Sanders, who has a passion for barbecue, calling it a labor of love.

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"We're a craft barbecue place where we make everything in-house. All of our sauces are made in-house; all of our sides are made in-house," Sanders said. "We have pulled pork, brisket, beef ribs, smoked ox tail. We wanted to bring something different to the South Side of Chicago."

Now, Sanders is in the national spotlight. The Times article prompted the Hochman family to check it out for themselves.

"If it's one of the 50 best in the country, better be really good," Seth Hochman said.

And though they were too busy eating, they gave the food a big thumbs up.

For Sanders, the extra notoriety won't change what he says makes them special: their customer service.

"Every customer who walks in, we consider them family. After two times, you're family," Sanders said.

Sanders is planning on expanding with a retail store at their location and more restaurants in the near future.

Cariño, an upscale restaurant with Latin flavor and influence, also made the list.

It's on Broadway, near Lawrence Avenue, in Uptown.

Just last year, it was awarded a Michelin star.