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Wilma's Famous BBQ & Tavern, Chicago, IL

Wilma's Famous BBQ & Tavern

4.3
4.3
213 Reviews
$30 and under
Barbecue

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 p.m.

Select a time

Booked 62 times today
  • Great for happy hour
  • Good for groups
  • Good for special occasions
Wilma’s Famous BBQ & Tavern is here for Chicago’s BBQ needs. Located on the second floor of 17th n. Wabash, you can feast on traditional bbq made from scratch while enjoying one of our signature drinks served to you by our friendly staff members.

Order delivery or takeout

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Neighbourhood
    River North (Chicago)
  • Cross Street
    We are just south of the intersection of Washington and wabash
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Public transit
    We are on the second floor of 17 n. Wabash, right off the Washington and Wabash transit platform.
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Delivery, Full Bar, Happy Hour, Indoor Fireplace, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 213 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.3
4.3 based on recent ratings
  • 4.4Food
  • 4.4Service
  • 4.4Ambience
  • 4.3Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Wilma's Famous BBQ & Tavern offers a delightful mix of flavors with standout dishes like "soul rolls" and "hot links." Guests rave about the "amazing food" and "superior service," appreciating the "friendly staff" and "great atmosphere." While some mention long waits, most agree the food makes it worth the visit.
213 Reviews
  1. leandre

    Chicago

    6 reviews

    1.0

    6 reviews

    Dined today

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 2
    The food took a very long time to come and was still very cold. Had to send my food back twice. Horrible experience

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  2. Justin

    Chicago

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 1
    Had reservations for 9:15, and didn’t get our food until 11:20 which messed up our Valentine’s Day plans. The music was loud like we were in the club, which didn’t allow for us to engage in intimate conversation during our extremely long wait. No complimentary items for waiting so long. No refills on drinks after being asked SEVERAL times. By the time they brought our food to us, they ran out of sides. They gave us a SMALL discount and still had the nerve to charge gratuity and I’m not sure what there was to be grateful for. The turkey tips were amazing like I knew they would be, but that was the ONLY highlight to the evening.

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  3. Kay

    Philadelphia

    12 reviews

    2.0

    12 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    First visit to Chicago and this spot. Goggled BBQ places and based on TikTok decided to try this out. It was just ok! Lemon drop over priced for bottom shelf vodka and size compared to other restaurants I visited river north where I was stayed. They had a Jamaican inspired menu but not a variety of rum, no captain just Meyers. I got the jerk catfish ( ok) and rice and peas ( bland and but Americanized) , I wasted my plate. I had to ask for a metal fork after struggling to eat with the food with plastic fork I was given. Boyfriend order wings and said they were not good also ordered a side of Mac and never received it until asking for check,

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  4. Dave

    Milwaukee

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on February 5, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Everything was elite, food was amazing - ambiance was great, staff was friendly. Highly recommend

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  5. Robin

    VIP

    Chicago

    30 reviews

    5.0

    30 reviews

    Dined on February 2, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Super great spot Good for friend gatherings date night or family dining Food was delicious there was a little wait but well worth it because food came out hot and fresh Staff was accommodating friendly and on point Definitely going back HIGHLY recommend

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  6. Niah

    Milwaukee

    3 reviews

    3.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on February 2, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    The staff were very apologetic that our food took 2.5/3hrs to come for half a large party. But it was not okay. Place would be great for small groups seeing as it took so long for food to arrive due to being made fresh.. our server, he was top notch and worked hard! The food was okay.

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  7. Charles

    Chicago

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on February 2, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent love the service and food place is very nice , staff was was awesome

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  8. Erika

    Chicago

    2 reviews

    1.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on February 2, 2025

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 2
    Wouldn’t recommend going on the weekends unless you’re okay with long waits. We waited an hour to be seated and another hour and a half for our food. The appetizers seemed reheated and overcooked, and some of the BBQ was too tough to chew. Our waiter had a bad attitude and even marked us as a no-show for our reservation. The music was so loud we could barely have a conversation. On the plus side, the drinks were pretty good.

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  9. Shautaundria

    Chicago

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 2, 2025

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 3
    I had a reservation for 7:00 PM. We did not get seated until 7:30 PM. They had set us in a section that was reserved for a party. They had remove us somewhere else. We ordered our food and then the waitress told us it was gonna be an hour to a hour and 30 wait. It took 45 minutes for appetizers to come out and when they did come out, there was cold. long story short we left at 9:30 and we still have not eaten . Worst experience ever.

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  10. Kela

    Chicago

    3 reviews

    3.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on February 2, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    The food was good but they need to rework the kitchen staff to get orders out in a timely manner it took us 3hrs for our main course to that’s ridiculous and the wait time was ridiculous especially if you make a reservation period. Definitely was happy to support but maybe during the week but not anytime soon.

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FAQs

Wilma's Famous BBQ & Tavern offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (312) 269-5580.

Wilma's Famous BBQ & Tavern is rated 4.3 stars by 213 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 p.m.

Select a time

Booked 62 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for Wilma's Famous BBQ & Tavern

17 N Wabash Ave fl 2, Chicago, IL 60602-4704

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    We are just south of the intersection of Washington and wabash
  • Neighbourhood
    River North (Chicago)
  • Hours of Operation
    Daily 11:00 am–11:00 pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Barbecue, Soul food, American
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Public transit
    We are on the second floor of 17 n. Wabash, right off the Washington and Wabash transit platform.
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Delivery, Full Bar, Happy Hour, Indoor Fireplace, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
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