After being sold and then closed by the City, Barbara Ann's is back up and running. I stopped in for lunch last week and found that virtually nothing has changed except for the folks behind the counter.
Even behind the counter, actually, it depends on when you go. On at least two
occasions, most of the people behind the counter have been the same as before
too - one guy who cuts up the meat (once theyre removed from the smoker),
and the woman behind the counter, both are old hands from the glory days.
Mack, however, is gone

Had asked the folks about it when BA's opened back up - they said theyd be
trying to keep everything exactly the same if they could, even with Mack's
loss. The menu has stayed exactly the same, with the same prices as you
say. This is not entirely a good thing, maybe, because IIRC the phone number
*has* changed, and the menu's may not reflect it

(The last time I called there
the number didnt work - I ended up looking for and finding the number of the
Motel, calling them, and getting the new number for BA's. Unfortunately I seem
to have misplaced it and so cannot tell you what it is.
Same menu, same prices, same GNR hanging over the register. Best of all, same killer BBQ. Nice dark smoky bark on the rib tips and the same sage and chilli infused, gnarly grind hot links
I will say, based on 3 trips now, that isnt *quite* the same as it was with Mack.
The tips are still great, of course. The links... the last 2 occasions, I ended up there
at the non-busy time (which is my fault, of course). The links were sitting above
the fryer - they werent *in* the fryer (as they once were, when I asked for
"well done", many moons ago), but were sitting above it. They said they did
that to keep it warm - it would dry out too much in the smoker (and the fresh
smoker links would not be ready for more than another hour). I dont remember
this ever happening under Mack - maybe he just judged the rush hours better
and spaced it out more, I dont know.
It is still the best link in Chicago of course - the coarse grind is still the same,
as are pepper flakes in in the link etc. That alone ensures that they remain
the best links in town, by far, IMHO. However, so far, they have not been as
sublime as they sometimes were with Mack - when they could sometimes be
just perfectly done and crispy outside, and beautifully moist, spicy and
flavourful inside. But again, on at least 2 occasions Ive been there at
non-busy times and thus not gotten the perfectly freshly done links yet.
Barbara Ann's BBQ
7617 S Cottage Grove Av.
Chicago
773 723 4780
Hmm. Is this the new number, BTW? I dont quite recall the old number - I
just know the old one changed. Does the menu now reflect the new number
too?
c8w