This is part 1 of a 5 or 6 part series of Chicago reviews.
First up: Carson's on Wells. Their website is ribs.com. That's gotta say something.
I didn't have my camera with me, so these pictures are just random online shots.
It has the feel of a downtown Chicago steakhouse. Which it is.
The signs boast that it is the place for ribs. So I ordered a half slab. It came with cole slaw and choice of potato. I did my homework on yelp and knew to order the au gratin.
The cole slaw came first, as if it was my salad. Strange service. The cole slaw was hyped up and I thought it was good, certainly better than the atrocities served in Memphis. But I'm not sure why so many people raved about it.
The au gratin potatoes came in a oven-safe crock, which meant the ribs came on an island on that plate. Also, they offered me a rib bib. I thought that was in poor taste.
This is not me. The ribs came with a jar of sauce on the side. They weren't dry-rubbed, but they weren't dripping with sauce either. They had been basted with sauce so they were sticky to the touch, but without any excess sauce.
The big question. How did they taste?
Good. Fine. However you say it. There was nothing wrong with them. But they didn't blow me away. Fairly unmemorable.
For a place that claims to be the place for ribs and has the url ribs.com, I expected something amazing. They were cooked fine, and had a good flavor, but is that the bar? I think not. Ribs should be transcendent. I equated this with the slab I had from Rum Boogie Cafe in Memphis.
Ribs: B+
Slaw: A
Au Gratin Potatoes: A+
Overall: A-
A fine meal, but it's not a great sign when the sides outshine the ribs.
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