Dish Flash: Rub BBQ Opens Tomorrow
The barbecuing of Chicago continues, and we’re not talking about the weather. Tomorrow at 11 a.m., Rub BBQ Company (2407 W. Lunt Ave.; 773-675-1410) opens its doors for business.
Rub, located in West Rogers Park, is owned by Jared and Amanda Leonard, who spent three years in the catering business, working out of the shared space at Kitchen Chicago. The couple acquired the Lunt Avenue location on April 1st and did all the rehabbing themselves.
All the barbecue at Rub takes a 14-ingredient dry rub and then goes in the smoker. “We have a custom-built smoker,” Jared says. “It’s an oven built by Imperial. We’ve added a smoking box to the side.” Ribs spend four hours smoking, pulled pork eight to ten, and brisket twelve.
Sides include baked beans with a house-seasoned pork sausage, which the Leonards currently call “meaty beans.” Jared says, “We had a friend and family event here, and one lady called them ‘heavenly beans.’ We might change the name to ‘heavenly beans.’” A custard-filled cornbread (“The only cornbread in the world you won’t need to put butter on,” Jared says), rotini and cheese, and coleslaw are also available.
Amanda makes desserts, including a Texas sheet cake. “It’s kind of like a brownie, but it’s better,” Jared says. The frosting is applied when it’s hot, so the top layer is gooey.
The two also have a two-month-old baby. “I know you think we are crazy, opening a restaurant and having a brand-new baby,” Jared says. Yes. Only slightly more crazy than remodeling a restaurant while eight months pregnant.
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Am I correct in understanding that Rub BBQ Co. in Chicago has no affiliation with Paul Kirk's Rub Barbecue?
No, we are not affiliated with Rub BBQ in New York (Paul Kirk), Rub BBQ Pub in Detroit (Dominic Yono), or Rub BBQ Baltimore (Michael Marx). There are a few restaurants throughout the country that have chosen the name - and we're happy to be Chicago's RUB.