Lillie's Q will bring award-winning competition BBQ and elevated Southern favorites to the former Aberdeen space in Bucktown by early August. The completely gutted and redesigned Lillie's Q restaurant (located at 1856 W North Ave; 773.772.5500) will serve lunch and dinner seven days a week.
Lillie's Q owner/chef Charlie McKenna, a former sous chef at both Tru and Avenues, co-owns and co-opened Lillie's Q in Destin, Florida, with his parents in July 2008. The Lillie's Q team (McKenna, his father, and two friends) won numerous awards on the competition BBQ circuit including ones at Memphis In May -- which is widely regarded as the world championships of BBQ. All of Lillie's Q's marinades, sauces, and its signature 15-ingredient "Carolina Dirt" rub were created by McKenna over the past five years and are used at the Lillie's Q in Destin, FL, on the competition BBQ circuit, and will be used in the Lillie's Q Chicago location.
Lillie's Q took first place in the Memphis in May pork shoulder category in 2007 and also took first place in the Memphis in May tomato sauce category in 2006. Lillie's Q has placed in the top ten in the Memphis In May pork shoulder category the last five years (2006-2010).
Lillie's Q is named after two of McKenna's family members. Lillie refers to his maternal grandmother who taught him how to cook Southern favorites as child while visiting his grandparents numerous times a year in Greenville, SC. While the "Q" stands BBQ, it's also a homage to McKenna's father, Quito, who first immersed McKenna in the art of BBQ in the late 70s.
Lillie's Q has five signature housemade sauces: Smoky (15-ingredient Memphis-style sweet sauce), Hot Smoky (15-ingredient Memphis-style hot and sweet sauce), Carolina (15-ingredient Western Carolina-style vinegar and tomato base sauce), Ivory (15 ingredient Alabama-style white sauce with a vinegar and pepper kick), and the Carolina Gold (15-ingredient South Carolina-style mustard base sauce). All five sauces and two rubs will be for sale at Lillie's Q.
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