24 April 2007

Ribs N' Bibs


Rib tips from Ribs N' Bibs are so delicious that I once got caught standing in front of the fridge in my underwear eating them out of a paper bucket at 6:20 in the morning. I giggled, finished my beer, got ready for work, and all day I walked around smelling my fingers, nostalgic for the taste of barbecue sauce.
Just kidding about the beer part. But everything else is true.

I feel no shame about my early-morning indulgence...well, except the fact that I spent a large portion of with my fingers jammed up my nose. And enjoyed it, too. That’s kind of weird. I feel a little embarrassed about that. But who are you to say that you wouldn’t have the same problem? Stop being so judgmental. You’re probably picking your nose right now.

Getting back to ribs, I do wonder what percentage of people eat their leftover Ribs N’ Bibs while standing in front of their fridge in their underwear at 6 in the morning. I bet the number is higher than you think. I doubt that many people have the patience to wait until a proper rib-eating hour of the day to eat their leftover ribs, and then actually take the time to heat them up, let alone put on clothes first.


If you live in Hyde Park, you are probably familiar with the tantalizing aromas that waft from the hickory-burning fires at Ribs N’ Bibs. Their smokestack is but 1/10 of a mile from my house, and every time the wind carries that smell through my windows, I must exercise a considerable amount of restraint to not abandon my own cooking and follow my nose to the South Side Chicago landmark. I wish I could eat there more often! Regrettably, they don’t really serve vegetables, so I can’t justify eating there more than three or four times a year.

Celebrities have been visiting Ribs N' Bibs for years!

It took my husband and I a few years of living in Hyde Park before we ventured over to Ribs N’ Bibs because we had heard so many mixed reviews about it. We had heard that the large slabs of ribs are not the best that you can find in the city. But if you can find a few people to split a bucket of rib tips with, I think that you will be rather pleased. Elated. Addicted.
Rib tips are the tender ends of back or spare ribs that have been trimmed off to make the slabs rectangular. There is a satisfying amount of meat on each small bone, and the perfect amount of fat.
The pulled pork sandwich is a good deal, although I do find myself wishing for more meat on the sandwich. And I haven’t tried the chicken, but people tell me it’s delicious. Someday I will try it. I just can’t bring myself to order chicken when there is the option of rib tips or a pulled pork sandwich!

Good sauce. Good rib tips. Good pulled pork sandwich. Good chicken. Good smells. The only problem is that yesterday was Monday, and already I have had the best meal of the week. What is left to look forward to, if I have already eaten the best dinner of the week?
Why, leftovers, of course!

Ribs N’ Bibs
5300 S. Dorchester Ave.
Chicago, IL

I wish I owned a bib that said Rbn'.

11 comments:

Unknown said...

I would strongly recommend oyu head a bit south and check out the tips at Barbara Ann's or Uncle John's.

Barbara Ann's
7621 S Cottage Grove Ave
Chicago, IL 60619
(773) 723-4780

Uncle John's
337 E 69th St
Chicago, IL 60637
(773) 892-1233

I give the nod to UJ's, which also has truly excellent hot links.

Unknown said...

Oh, get the sauce on the side. You want to taste that smoke.

Anonymous said...

We'll have to visit this joint when we pass through Chicago this summer. Always looking for tasty BBQ restaurants!

emily said...

although i have never eaten at ribs n bibs, i totally understand the urge to eat the cold leftovers in your underwear at 6 in the morning. i do the same thing with leftover spaghetti and meatballs, enchiladas, chicken wings, pizza, pad thai, and sloppy joes, just to name a few.

Anonymous said...

Did getting caught eating the leftovers mean you had to split and share them? Since it is not advisable to awaken a sleepwalker, next time that happens, just shut your eyes, effect garbled speech, and you'll have it all to yourself! Are the pulled pork sandwiches as good as the Smokin' Pig in New Hampshire?

Erielle said...

Gleam, thanks for the info. I will definitely head over to Uncle John's next time I have a hankering for ribs. Mmmmmm...hot links.....

Kristen, how long will you be in town? I could tell you my favorite places to eat.

Emily, leftover pad thai in the fridge brings such joy to my heart! Whenver I know there is leftover pad thai in my fridge, I am 93% happier than when I don't have leftover pad thai in my fridge.

Lover of the Smokin' Pig, I don't think I ever tried the pulled pork sandwiches at the Smokin' Pig in New Hampshire. I was more into the spare ribs then. Those were good times, weren't they? I wonder if it is still there, with the cutout of the reclining pig still on top of the roof. I hope so!

Anonymous said...

Erielle,

Your writing cracks me up! I almost spit coffee all over myself when you said you finished your beer and got ready for work ;-) My husband will eat cold leftover ribs anytime wearing anything! I hope to visit Chicago someday and taste some of those rib tips!

Anonymous said...

i can relate standing in the fridge eating left overs in the dark is a hobby of mine too. i dont know whats wrong w/ him but lucky for me chris wont eat leftovers.

Anonymous said...

Erielle, I feel your pain. Rachel and I moved into our new house last summer, which is only three blocks away from Toronto's best barbecue. We try to limit ourselves to ribs and pulled pork every other month or so, but our friends often consider it dining option number one. You really ought to take the time to visit Memphis. We did so last year, for the Memphis in May BBQ festival, and enjoyed the best ribs ever at Cozy Corner (I posted about it). Of course, we ate so much meat that weekend, we ended suffering from the condition we call "meat blindness." But it was totally worth it.

YDubL said...

Aaaaahhhh....one of the things I miss the most about Hyde Park is Ribs n' Bibs most definitely! I miss smelling like smoke, a delightful parfrum that could only really be acquired during the during the in-restaurant wait for the rib tips. Thanks for the yummy memories!

Anonymous said...

I also live in Hyde Park and love Ribs N' Bibs. Everytime I drive down 53rd street I am greeted by the wonderful smells from the pit.
I am not really a meat eater but when I do decide to go off the wagon I go to Ribs N Bibs. If you're going to cheat you might as well make it worth it by getting an order of small ends with extra sauce.
My mom and her sister live 10 miles from Ribs N Bibs yet they travel to Hyde Park to get their "fix" about once a month for a slab each with extra hot sauce.
Customers are always greeted by
the friendly owners. Unfortunately Vincent Schoenberg owner for over 50 years passed away December 17,2008. We will all miss him very much. But we will be reminded of him always as we drive down 53rd street and smell that aroma from the pit at Ribs N' Bibs.