Lem’s Bar-B-Q

Lem’s Bar-B-Q is a carryout barbecue stand at 311 E 75th St in Chatham, on Chicago’s South Side. The Lemons family has sold barbecue since the 1950s, and the shop cooks rib tips, spareribs and hot links in a glass-enclosed aquarium pit over hickory and charcoal. Orders come over French fries with white bread and a sweet, vinegary mild sauce. Fried shrimp and fried chicken round out the menu.

What to know

• The James Beard Foundation gave Lem’s an America’s Classics award in 2025.
• Carmen Lemons, daughter of longtime owner James B. Lemons, runs the business.
• The glassed-in pit measures about 8 by 10 feet, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
• The shop has no dining room.
• Saveur reported that Lem’s claims to have served the first rib tip and hot link combination in town, in 1951.