I will not bore you non-CTA riders with too much detail today. Yesterday was a day of too, too much running around, e-mailing, faxing, copying and over nighting. So it was close to five pm and dark in Chicago when I got off the brown line at Fullerton. The purple and the red also stop there.
I have been wanting for a good while to get to Barn and Company even before meeting Gary at:
The 2014 IBBQA Fall Smokeout
There is a picture from across the three way corner.
There are signs all over saying DePaul this and DePaul that. I was almost tempted to go into the Campus Bookstore but memories came back just in time. Anyone under 40 looks college age to me these days but likely the couple I stopped and asked about The Barn were college students. One seemed to not be from Chicago and stopped as the other took a couple of steps on. The first said I would find it at the three cornered intersection. I liked that since I live at The Six Corners.
The sign you cannot read says Fullerton.
There is the modern entrance.
The obligatory shot of the old school entrance.
A shot of something with a 7-11 and I think a dog park.
If you blow this one up you should be able to see a second 7-11 sign.
Now here is the bag with the brisket, some sauces and au Jeus spilled in the bag. They add au jeus that they make in house to keep the brisket moist.
Tops on.
Tops off.
And on the dessert plate.
Coming home I could smell the smoky goodness even through the plastic bag so first requirement of a great brisket place satisfied. Inside
Barn and Company after going through the much needed extra temporary entrance and taking off my Elmer Fudd syle hunting hat that was pulled around my ears I greeted and was greeted by
Gary Wiviott who captains and pursers this BBQ ship. The interior is very unique with a great dark wood long bar leading to a dining area suitable for traditional Chicago sit down dining and at the back of that a Texas BBQ Shack / Joint scene but at least the front of which is actually there. You will have to go for yourself and explore any of the drinks or depth of that shack.
Those three sauces are great even though only the dark one is, to me, what goes on BBQ. I can easily see myself adding the mustard one to a salad or chicken which of course I do not consider BBQ but which they do smoke and serve here and I will likely love some night when I decide to go have a sit down dinner here. The other tomato based sauce is very tangy and nice so maybe for their pulled pork when I get back to try that.
The slice of brisket I had last night was great. The fat was left in the middle of the brisket so you get all of that flavor. As you maybe can see the slices are thicker than most places slice it. That is the way I slice mine. Slicing it thick though if a brisket is undercooked you will get a sense for that a lot more than slicing it thin. There was only one bite where my teeth gave me that sense and the flavor did not support it. I still might have tossed it back on in foil for fifteen minutes if not for the fact it was so good. You can also see that there is less of a smoke ring than I lay into mine. The rub is also more pedestrian than mine but hey they are serving the public in Chicago. Today for lunch I had a second slice with that third sauce and right now I am a very happy camper. Living close to DePaul could be dangerous to my health. Gary was kind enough to take a quick survey for me on if I should go back the three blocks to Fullerton or continue north on Sheffield to the next Brown line stop. Concensus was return to Fullerton. He also informed me twice that they had not made a mistake in the slicing direction, that, that is the way they slice the point. Enjoy!!!
