Porky's BBQ and Catering Arlington Heights, Illinois

"I really wanted to like Porky's. I swear, I really did. But, I found that what I ordered was mostly.....meh. Let's start with the brown butter corn bread. I love brown butter anything; the nuttiness, the richness. However, I found too many things not appealing about this cornbread, first off, the size to price ratio. The cornbread is the size of a min-muffin for $2.50, which, IMHO is far too pricey. But, most importantly the taste -- there's not so much a hint of brown butter as there is an overwhelming flavor of old pan grease; totally unappealing. I was going to re-heat it in the microwave, but after two quick bites, I just gave up. Pass on the cornbread. Next, the braised collard greens, which are probably in the top 2 of all sides that go with BBQ. Now, truth be told, I did see that they are braised with green apples, which should've been a red flag for me. And red flag it was -- far too sweet, without a hint of pork or other savoriness. The apple cider vinegar barely came through, and that should've saved these poor guys from the bin. I had a bite, then pitched it in the bin along with the corn bread. Pass on the collards. Now onto the meat - I got a order of ribs and an order of rib tips. First, the ribs -- smoky, meaty, with the chew of a St. Louis style spare rib; these are not baby-back ribs, and if what you're looking for is "fall off the bone tender", these are not it. The smoke really came through, and overall it was nicely done. Note - what is pictured on the web site and what you'll get are two completely different looking things; caveat emptor. 6 out of 10 I would order again, perhaps earlier in the day when they're first out of the smoker. Second, the rib tips -- also smoky, mostly meaty, with quite a bit of fat. Good flavor, but, the prominent fat that was hidden throughout was a bit of a turn off. If you're expecting rib tips like they serve at Lem's or Honey 1 or any of the South Side aquarium smokers, these will disappoint. Much better sauced up and heated, but, I doubt that I'll order these again. The star of this meal were the sauces. Porky's sauces are really very good. I especially like the Spicy BBQ Sauce, but that Carolina Gold is a very close runner up. I'd buy just the sauce - it's a good quality, high flavor value, and it's house-made, which gives it that edge. Overall, 3 out of 5 stars for the reasons I've stated above. I'm sorry Porky's, I really, really wanted to like you, as supporting the local restaurants is a passion project for me. I did try you once. But, unfortunately, probably not again. I may be in for a bottle of sauce, though."

"Brisket sandwich was fantastic. Ends burnt just right, nice & crispy. Bun has great flavor and is soft. Ask for the 4 sauces and try them all and see what works for you. So good I just went back tot he counter and ordered the brisket chili."

"Ordered the brisket sandwich and it was very delicious. Also some amazing homemade sauces as well. Worth it, to check them out if around the neighborhood."

"Tim & the entire Porky’s team are fantastic! We had them cater our wedding buffet, and everyone absolutely loved the food! I have one friend now even considering doing a buffet for her wedding, even though she never wanted one previously, because this food was just that good! I have a few dietary restrictions, of which Tim was very accommodating. The food was also super fresh, as I even remember taste testing some pickles made from cucumbers grown in Tim’s garden. Tim was also super responsive to emails, which was very helpful during the chaotic wedding planning process. We recommend Porky’s to everyone! Since the wedding, they have catered a work event for us too. We will definitely be ordering from them again."