Here’s a summer problem worth solving: Where to go for a beer when you’re also in the mood for ‘cue? Luckily, more than a few bars have caught on to the fact that nothing complements beer quite like old-fashioned barbecue. Before you dig in, study up on the sauces, sandwiches and slabs at these spots.
Risque Cafe
3419 N. Clark St. 773-525-7711
The scene: An Arkansas-bred chef is behind the genuine smoke-house meat at this Wrigleyville spot, but the Southern charm really starts with milk-glass lighting and wall art of cheeky pin-up girls. Add well-edited background rock and corny B-movies for a further departure from the neighborhood norm.
The meat: Slow-smoked brisket rules the roost, arriving as a towering sandwich ($9.95) or an entree big enough for two ($12.95).
The sauce: All the meat is dry-rubbed, so choosing condiments from the three house-made sauces — Georgia-style mustard-based, vinegary South Carolina-style and the ever-popular Memphis-style sweet sauce — is purely personal.
The beer: The beer list features 250 American brews by the bottle and a dozen on tap. That brisket demands body, so opt for O’Fallon Smoked Porter ($5), a bloomy, complex brew from Missouri.
Sheffield’s
3258 N. Sheffield Ave. 773-281-4989
The scene: This classic tavern is a fine jumble of wood, brick and brass, but let’s not play around — this place is all about the beer garden, where rowdy students and locals gather and make their way through the staggering beer list.
The meat: Juicy brisket ($14.95) and tangy pulled pork ($11.95) win top marks, but it’s the dry-rubbed ribs ($19.95) that hit most tables — one-and-a-half-pound slabs of tender goodness, smoked on-premise.
The sauce: Three sauces reflecting regional tastes arrive in a caddy. Texas sauce is spicy, Memphis is sweet and Carolina-style is a vinegary mustard wash.
The beer: With more than 200 options, it’s tough to choose, but Allagash White ($5) — a summery Belgian-style wheat ale — is perfect for washing down sticky barbecue.
The Fifty/50
2047 W. Division St. 773-489-5050
The scene: Good luck getting in on the weekends, when the bar is a frenzied six-deep and a line forms outside. The crowd’s only bound to increase when the patio, with room for 60, is open.
The meat: High-quality, nicely marbled Niman Ranch pork accounts for the richness of the house-smoked barbecue. Melting ribs come in full-($24) or half-slabs ($18), or — get this — in singles ($1.99 each). But the real favorite is tangy pulled pork mounded into a New England roll ($9; left).
The sauce: Sweet and tangy sauces accompany each order. The former is your classic deep-red stuff; the latter features a secret, tropical profile ideal for pairing with pork.
The beer: Pass up a pint for an inventive beer cocktail such as the Georgia Peach ($9), made with peach lambic, peach-mango rum and citrus juice, served in a maple-rimmed glass.
Reggies Music Joint
2105 S. State St. 312-949-0120
The scene: This Near South Side spot is gritty, loud, friendly and affordable — everything a live music venue should be but usually isn’t. Add a killer menu, and this gem satisfies everyone’s inner rocker.
The meat: The succulent pulled pork sandwich ($7) isn’t on the menu, but it’s always available. Sunday nights are the real draw, when the kitchen churns out glistening slabs of ribs ($18.95) from a wood-fired oven.
The sauce: Why mess with a good thing? The sauce is Sweet Baby Ray’s and that’s that.
The beer: A dizzying selection features one real stand out: Lagunitas Lumpy Gravy ($5), a heady American brown ale that can handle smoked meat all night long.
Houndstooth Saloon
3438 N. Clark St. 773-244-1166
The scene: This Wrigleyville bar does brisk game-day business with revved-up Cubs fans, but the kitchen also attracts its share of locals looking for weekday Southern hospitality.
The meat: The tender pulled pork ($7) spends a few minutes on a hot grill before it’s piled high on a doughy French roll, making for the occasional tasty, crisped bit of meat.
The sauce: The kitchen tinkers with Sweet Baby Ray’s for a punched-up version of a tried-and-true classic.
The beer: Drinkable faves such as Fat Tire ($5) and Shiner Bock ($5)
