Honky Tonk BBQ

1213 W 18th St
Chicago, IL 60608
(312) 226-7427

Typically, I am a one woman man. But...variety is the spice of life. So, after I wrote a love letter to my honey, Smoque, I hustled down to Pilsen to get with this saucy tramp I had heard of for a while now. Her name is Honky Tonk. I'd never done anything like this before so I was a little awkward and nervous. She lured me in and made sure my experience was a good one.

It wasn't all my fault, you see. I'd had a hard day. Donna Summer was singing my song and I was exhausted, famished and in need of some bbq. I made the (easy) drive down to Pilsen, bribed the chicle kid to score me a good meter parking spot and walked into what looked like the gates of sheol. Black, flaming and gated, the entrance scared me and I worried about the folly of breaking up my happy home. The place, however, was well lit and full of ceramic pigs. Ceramic pigs can't be wrong, right? The woman at the counter walked me through what was good and what I should skip. Because I like to compare and contrast, I ordered the pulled pork sandwich, mac & cheese and cole slaw. I was getting take out, so I passed on the drink. I paid ($14 and no drink? D@mn, Gina!) and waited. And waited. And waited. It wasn't a particularly busy night. This was pre-Check, Please! and later at night so it was just me and a few other folks. But, wait I did.

Finally, after what I can only imagine was the process of grilling up the ceramic pigs, my food was ready. I hopped in my car and made my way home. I pulled out a frosty honey brown beer to accompany my food and I went to town. The pulled pork sandwich was different from my honey's. It's served in chunks, sauceless, on ciabatta bread. Interesting. The meat is well seasoned and the bread provides a chewy compliment to it. I don't know whether it was the copious amount of sauce (served on the side) I poured on the meat, but the bread disintegrated. Not a big deal. I was at home. In public, that might have been bad. The mac & cheese was perfect - very cheddary and dense. The cole slaw was light on the mayo but it wasn't the all vinegar recipe I prefer.

After I downed the last of my beer, I sat back from the table and grabbed my dead sexy belly and contemplated what I had just done. Yeah, the food was good. Yeah, I'd tell other people to try it. But it was expensive and I had to wait a long time for it. Learning my lesson from Eliot Spitzer, I decided to turn from my wandering ways and go back to my quick & affordable mainstay. Yeah, it tasted good but the extra time and money weren't worth my guilt. These are tough economic times. I can't afford to spend my whole paycheck on an afternoon debite. It was fun, Honky Tonk, but it's just this one time. I'll show myself out.

P.S. I am not really the cheating kind. We were on a break.