Getting barbecue sauce on your shirt can be embarrassing, but only if you forgot to keep an extra dining shirt in your back pocket. Double-check your jeans in preparation for today's deal: for $7, you get $15 worth of savory barbecue cuisine at Brand BBQ Market in Logan Square.

Brand BBQ Market serves slow-cooked, smoked meat made with love and a kick of homemade sauce. Kick off the meatstravaganza with a starter such as the Brandcheezie (venison sausage stuffed with gorgonzola, wrapped in bacon, and topped with over-fried onions, mixed greens, and an earthy brandy-cherry sauce, $8.95). Brand BBQ boasts a bevy of mouth-watering sandwiches, including the Newcity Resto–noted pork-belly confit, a culinary masterpiece that is crispy on the outside, buttery on the inside, and covered in a fried egg and drizzle of maple mayo on all other sides ($10.95). The hearty assortment of burgers and entrees features sinful selections such as the hypocrite burger, a half pound of ground beef layered with smoked portabella, bacon, and horseradish cheddar sauce. Meanwhile, a classic slab of smoked baby back ribs can cure any medium-to-large barbecue hankering (half slab $13.95, full slab $19.95). Folks raised by vegetables need not fear, as Brand offers several vegetarian entrees, such as a grilled portabella-mushroom sandwich with roasted red pepper, mixed greens, and goat cheese ($7.95).

Indecisive diners can ask for sample portions of Brand's most popular dishes ($3.95 each); nonetheless, with seven sauce options, choices are never easy. The wide-windowed West Armitage location is BYOB, though seating is limited. Carryout orders are welcome, but they must be placed in person so as to visually verify a customer's status at the top of the food chain.

Reviews

Newcity Resto listed Brand BBQ Market in its annual Top 5 of Everything awards in the categories of Top 5 Sandwiches (for Brand BBQ’s pork belly confit sandwich), Top Fries of 2009 (for its sweet potato fries), and Top 5 Organ Meats/Charcuterie/Sausage (for its Brandcheezie sandwich). Numerous local online and print publications have reviewed the restaurant, including the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Reader, Daily Candy, Metromix, and Centerstage. More than 130 Yelpers give Brand BBQ Market an average of 3.5 stars, and nearly 1,140 Facebookers are fans:

• The formal training of pit mistress Sweet Charity Smith--a name perfectly suited to barbecue or, for that matter, "adult ballet"--shines on the cheffier portions of the menu. – Gary Wiviott, Chicago Reader
• The crew at the neighborhoody smokehouse works over apple, cherry, and hickory coals to produce flavorful, melt-in-your-mouth meat. – Daily Candy

Customer Reviews