Twin Anchors Restaurant & Tavern

This was for ⁶⁄₁₇. We arrived close to 9pm as we were headed to Second City afterwards. Surprised to find it not very busy and certainly no one at the bar. Maybe they all came later. Also we haven’t been in years since moving out of the area. It is still the same. Same friendly service and delicious food. Fall off the bone ribs, tender chicken and surprisingly a delicious cheeseburger. But one of the biggest surprises was the dinner portion Caesar salad which was very ample, fresh and delicious. We sat in the bar and enjoyed 80s tunes but would have preferred some Frank Sinatra. Nice to see that this is the same after all these years.

Went to Twin Anchors for dinner yesterday after my business partner raved about their ribs and told me to try it. Went and got the half chicken and half ribs. I tried to play it safe in case I didn’t care for the ribs, but I should have gotten a full order of ribs. The ribs were amazing. came right off the bone barely touching it. The prohibition sauce is fantastic, don’t bother with the zesty sauce, prohibition is the way to go. My rating is strictly for the ribs, I mean, that’s what they are known for. The chicken honestly was average, a little dry for my liking, but the ribs were great. The service was great, definitely recommend!

My favorite ribs in the city! And I love ribs! Prohibition sauce all the way. You cannot go wrong with fries or onion rings. Buy and keep a bottle of their sauces in the fridge in case of emergency!
I love the feel of the bar when you step in, reminds me of old Chicago, times past. The menu is simple the bar is stocked so just go enjoy some ribs and a drink!

Quintessential rib spot in Chicago. Great place to sit and have a beer, too. Reasonably priced, too. Ribs and a few beers will be around $ 30 per person.

This traditional and well-​known Chicago food stop has been on my list for years. We finally made it there yesterday evening and it exceeded my expectations! Everything was delicious, especially the ribs. Ask for some sauces on the side and you won’t be disappointed. A great, casual atmosphere with a history and tasty barbecue to back it up!

Fantastic experience — filled with history and memorabilia photos –former speak easy-​our waitress had worked there 25 years and the other waitresses ranged from 10 –36 years continuous service at the restaurant — the Rib slabs were tender and wonderful with several sauce options !! Now I want to watch the film ‘return to me’ which was filmed there

Food — They start you off with complimentary bread & breadsticks to tide you over until your appetizers & meals arrive, which as a carbivore I greatly appreciate. Their baked beans were tasty, the chicken tenders were a little rubbery & limp with not as much crispness as I’m used to but the sauces they came with (Prohibition & Honey Mustard in my case) more than made up for it, and the cole slaw offered a nice balance to the spicy flavors. Everyone else at my table ordered the ribs, and they were all very satisfied and had nothing but good things to say about it.
Beer — Good selection on tap, and plenty of quality options in can & bottle form as well.
Ambience — Old-​School Chicago. Welcoming but not trying too hard.
Service — Good. They said there was a 20-​minute wait, and it ended up being 5. I appreciate over-​estimates to under-​estimates. The waitress offered to get me new tenders because the honey mustard spilled all over it. I declined, but I appreciated the offer.
Historical Significance — Harvey «Two Face» Dent drank at this bar in Dark Knight. This is Frank Sinatra’s favorite Rib Joint. Conan O’Brien had a birthday here. Chris Farley, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jimmie Johnson, 80s band Poison, Joan Cusack, and others have all dined here with kind words & reviews from their visits hanging on the walls.
Prohibition Sauce — This sauce is so good that 2 people I came with bought a bottle to bring home. Highly recommend slathering this on whatever you order here.

My father-​in-​law used to come here with colleagues after work forty years ago. He comes with us regularly now and we all enjoy the comfortable, old-​fashioned charm of Twin Anchors. Wonderful atmosphere, mellow, pleasant clientele. Love it that Twin Anchors has figured out how to hold on to the past yet stay current. The food here is not extraordinary – it’s simple but it’s done well. We love the «Soynatra» sandwich, which is a vegetarian sloppy joe, and my father-​in-​law appreciates the good selection of small-​plate starters, since his appetite usually can’t handle an entrée. This place gets packed, so come early. Parking is a pain.

The best ribs you’ll ever have. I grew in Alabama and have had amazing BBQ in my short lifetime but TA is clearly the best. Amazing menu choices but if you’re coming on the weekend, prepare to wait. I wait an hour every time and it’s ALWAYS worth it !!!

When someone tells you this spot is Frank Sinatra’s favorite rib spot you listen.
I never really got a chance to eat in the restaurant as it is much easier to order for pickup and just eat it at the confines of your own home. But whenever I go inside I feel like I am in the dark knight movie with 2 face.
The ribs with the prohibition sauce is. Pulls apart by fork or hand. Nice bark on the outside but soft on the inside. The ribs are kind of small so if I must say just order the full slab. The fries are good but by the time i get home with them they are a little soggy but i am sure its better in the restaurant.
The jumbo shrimps are quite jumbo! They are like little lobster tails. Only comes in 4 pieces but you get like 3 bites from each one. The garlic butter is delish with it.
Rotisserie chicken is the typical rotisserie except you can add their amazing sauces to it making it that much better. Not dry at all btw.
Great food here but I definitely want to dine in next time and experience it fully.

Get the full slab of ribs smothered in Prohibition sauce. Don’t even flirt with the other two, not worth your time or attention.
I had half a slab and I regret that I didn’t do a full one for myself. 5 stars for the ribs and sauce, but the sides were subpar. The spinach side was way too heavy and slightly bland. The baked zesty beans were alright, but I didn’t really touch those either.

A friend raved about the ribs… and so did the Unilocal reviews. But, I gotta say, while they were good, they were not fantastic and I’ve definitely had better. The creamed spinach was really good! As were the baked beans. Prohibition sauce is tasty with a little kick. Zesty sauce is apparently a classic… but I did not care for the cinnamon undertone.

I will say I am not much of a ribs eater but I decided to do it at our work happy hour and glad I did. The ribs were amazing. I got the prohibition sauce and man oh man they were full of flavor. I highly recommend this place for a nice lunch or dinner. The restaurant is old and you can tell but it adds character to the building itself. It’s been used in movies so they have some mentions of that of that on the wall as well. Our server was very nice and was very open to splitting our check 6 ways which is uncommon (goes to show they like to keep the patrons happy). All in all this was a great place and would definitely go back. Make sure to go in earlier than later it was starting to get packed when we were leaving around 6ish on a Thursday night!!!

Best tavern that has great tasting ribs. Together with their homemade bbq sauce, the ribs became the greatest ribs that I ever had. It has this meaty delicious thing about it that I cant stop thinking.
Our server was very personable and took great care of us.
Even the steak are awesome. Checking out this place had made my day great.

The ribs are amazing. Don’t think about it. Just go.

Ribs were a little overdone. Place was slammed, we waited a long time, by the time we ate it felt like they were just mailing it in. Wouldn’t return.

Two things:
1) Get the ribs
2) Prohibition sauce
That’s all you need to know!

I always mean to take a photo of my food here for Unilocal,but always get distracted by the deliciousness that by the time I remember, it’s too late and the plate is empty. There is a reason why there is always a wait here. The food is fantastic! I usually get the half slab with onion rings and prohibition sauce (spicy). But if you aren’t a fan of the spicy, go for the zesty sauce. I’ve also had the chicken here too which is delicious, but nothing beats the ribs. The bartenders are well versed and make a plethora of classic cocktails. The old fashioned is tasty and does the trick on a cold day.
Keep in mind they don’t do reservations over the phone, so if you have a large party, be sure to give yourself at least an hour to put your name in with the hostess and enjoy a cocktail while you wait. They have local craft beers and TVs at the bar.

Best ribs in the city. Located in a residential area, this no frills small joint has been around a while. They don’t take reservations, but it’s definitely worth the wait. Owner, bartenders and staff are all very friendly too. We recently brought my dad here for his birthday, and they treated him and our party of 8 great. Like I said the ribs are phenomenal, and you have your choice of sauce. My favorite is the «prohibition» sauce– nice mix of sweet with a slight kick.

like, well, you have to go.
Delicious & filling at a great price.

I know its not ‘true bbq’ ribs per se (ie the def. from the ‘south’) as its baked in an oven. like Duh. they are not holding it out as smoked southern ‘q’ Double Duh. So everyone take a breath and stop trying to find a smoke ring on oven cooked ribs lmao.
Thing about this place it has history, this is a tradition for me dam-​u. beer selection is pretty good and I like dem ribs. place is often full so tight as all get out and used to be best freakin’ rib deal in the world many many moons ago when I was hittin it regular. not so much anymore but still way okay by me. I def. don’t like the cramped pissers smack dab on the wall side of main joynt area (I told u it was tite gotta go somewhere) but I like this place it’s for realzz and I just like dem bones! They get-​errr done old school style! same wait staff for like my lifetime and im no young bearded hipster with a tite shave and cut lol!
Ps Last time I tried Carsons on Ontario corner I’d say these are literally at least 10x better.
pro tip get the full slab+ rings skip the crinkle cut

A must stop every time I visit Chicago. Who cares that the meats aren’t smoked (and I own a $ 1000 smoker). BBQ can be done many different ways, and Twin Anchors does it their way. Expertly, and not smoked…
If it’s your 1^st visit the rib and chicken combo with prohibition sauce is a must! Great staff, friendly and always at your service. If it’s packed (which it will be), be patient, people come to eat here, not watch sports or mingle.
I gave it 5 starts because I’ve never been disappointed.

Wow. I was here with a tour of the oldest bars in Chicago recently, and this place is … definitely old and cheesy. Apparently it’s very popular for food, but I wasn’t there long enough to try any. The bar/​restaurant itself is not physically impressive — the wood paneling on the some of the walls and accordion doors on the bathroom make it feel like you’re in a camper! But, I would go back to spend more time and see what’s so special about the food if someone asked me to. Just don’t expect a luxe experience!

If this is what Chicago considers their best barbecue then I’d be scared to eat at any other BBQ joint in the city. I read a manager’s reply to a review saying they do not smoke their meat, that this is considered «Chicago-​style» and they are proud of this method.
Wut…
So Twin Anchors is proud their meat has absolutely zero flavor. Zip. Nada. The sauce is ok — we tried all of them — but not nearly special enough to make me forget about the bland meat underneath. Their meat falls off the bone… so much so that when you pick up a rib all that’s left in your hand is the bone as your meat is still on the plate. It’s comical!
Also when we arrived we were told by the hostess that we would be seated «very shortly.» Forty minutes later several parties had been seated ahead of us and we were starving.
Two positives: Our server, Catherine (who shares my name, bonus points), was extremely friendly and attentive, and the baked beans were delicious.
I would most definitely NOT recommend this restuarant to anyone who has ever had BBQ, like, even once in their lives. Such a disappointment.

I don’t get it.
Hearing this was a Chicago staple and had amazing ribs I made my girl accompany me to Twin Anchors on a recent Chicago trip. We arrived and had to wait 40 minutes for a table on a Monday night, the place was packed, and as a BBQ fiend was I was really excited thinking about what a great experience this could be. Then I sat down and got some food.
First off, the cafeteria style seating always annoys me in these older places. I know it’s just how things are, but sitting a few inches from other people (who usually are half-​drunk and yelling) just hurts the dining experience. That plus the wait would have me ordering to-​go if I loved the food and lived in the area. Incidentally though, neither of those things ended up being the case.
I’m from the South. We love our BBQ. One of the key things with BBQ is getting the flavor into the meat. The meat at Twin Anchors is completely flavorless and bland. It is very tender, which seems to be all most reviewers focus on, but tended isn’t all there is to ribs. Ribs should be tender without falling completely off the bone, for one thing, but also they should be smoked or otherwise cooked slow and long with a proper rub or seasonings so the meat has a great BBQ flavor all it’s own. THEN you add sauce to taste. Unfortunately the ribs at Twin Anchors had no flavor, fell completely off the bone in a boiled kind of way and just did nothing in my mouth at all. They honestly tasted like late-​night diner ribs.
The sauces were at least good. The «prohibition» sauce was a brown sugar sauce with a kick and «zesty» was your standard tangy sauce well done. Still, when the meat is worthless the sauce is no savior. Also the fries were standard frozen corporate mail-​ins, and my root beer was half-​flat. My girl loved the baked beans though, so I guess that’s something.
Twin Anchors is filled with framed signatures from «famous» people who loved the ribs, but my tourist self can’t agree. Perhaps Chicago has a different goal with ribs like they do with pizza, but I’ll take flavorful meat properly prepared over bland meat you eat with a fork. Southern BBQ nuts have been warned.

Thank you, Frank Sinatra & Thank you, Labor Day BBQ tradition!
I followed the recommendation from my boss to check out this place b/​c Frank Sinatra loved the ribs here. Hopped on the brown line train from my hotel to Sedgwick, and the restaurant was only a few minutes walk away!
I expected the restaurant to be crowded but there were about 3 empty tables when we arrived. I had forgotten that it was Labor Day and most people probably grilled with friends or stayed at home but I was traveling in a completely new city and I had forgotten that great tradition. The no-​wait was just such a nice, welcoming surprise after I debated so long about whether or not to dine in.
We got the ribs with chicken ($ 16) with baked beans and the pulled pork sandwich ($ 10) with onion rings. Added prohibition sauce for both and did not regret a single thing! The meat on the ribs were so tender that there was no need for a knife and although the chicken was a bit dry, dipping it in the prohibition sauce was probably the second best thing after the ribs. I loved the baked beans and the onion rings were a must! The only thing I didn’t really like was the pulled pork sandwich and now I can’t really remember why.
PS there is a split meal charge of $ 4 if you decide to split an entrée.

A Chicago legend. Whether you live here or are visiting, Twin Anchors should be on your list to check off at least once.
The place is kinda divey, in a nautical kinda way. That adds to its charm in my opinion, but don’t expect white table cloth fine dining. What you can expect, is darn good food! The ribs are amazing, but the chicken is darn good too. If you can’t decide go the combo route like I did… but if you’re a rib lover go with the ribs. They’re THAT good. For a side dish my recommendation is the onion rings — nicely battered, just greasy enough.
Do expect to wait, and I don’t believe they take reservations. If you’re dining on the weekend and don’t wanna wait, try getting there around like 4−5pm. Even then we had a slight wait, but it was very manageable and there was still room at the bar to pony up for a drink while we waited.

Pretty damn good. This place gets packed, so plan accordingly. We got there around 6:30 and we were able to slide into some seats at the bar. By about 7, place was packed till about 8:30. So you have been warned.
Pretty good beer selection and they make some good drinks. Even though there was this old timer complaining about the size of the martini glass. But got a quick Sinatra story out of him, since he said he worked there in the 70’s.
As for the food, just get the wing appetizer with Zesty sauce and prohibition on the side. Then just get a ½ rack of ribs with a baked potato and baked beans. You can thank me later.
Ribs fall of the bone. Beans have some pulled pork in them and the potato cooked perfectly. Make sure you mix Zesty and Prohibition together, little sweet and spicy. Great combo.
Again, thank me later.

I live down the street from Twin Anchors, so my five star review encompasses all of my trips.
In short, their ribs are amazing. The prohibition sauce starts off sweet, but finished with a perfect spiciness. Pro tip, they sell their sauce, and I often by bottles of the prohibition sauce to take home.
The ribs are the way to go. I have dabbled outside of the ribs– from the pulled park to today’s chicken. STICK WITH THE RIBS.
Amazing restaurant. Live eating here on a regular basis.

I have to give it a 5, simply cuz I’m impressed. I had a pulled pork sandwich (it’s been a thing for me lately), and he had ribs. They were very tasty, and the meat was juicy. The Prohibition sauce. Absolutely worth trying! It’s got a smokey heat to it. Too much of it would overwhelm my palate, but it’s definitely complex. For my side, I got the creamed spinach. Honestly, I didn’t care for it, but my cole slaw was enough. And really, it was alot of food!
Service was very attentive. I actually liked that this place had good food, a vintage feel, and was a tad on the quieter side. More intimate. That old Chicago feel. I would definitely come back, and have already recommended it to others.
We paired with wine (i loved the pinot noir I had. He had beer… and there was a plentiful craft beer menu).
For all other foodies, I’d definitely add this place in as a spot for comparison on your Ribs-​list.

I have not been here since before the internet. Okay, There may have been email, but there certainly were no Unilocalers. I returned with my wife recently for my birthday lunch. I remembered this place as being good, but could not recall details.
We both had the famous ribs (I think they are baby back ribs). The full slab is enough food and delicious. The wife ordered a half slab and wanted more. The original zesty sauce is not impressive. It is no better than the sauce you can get at the grocery store, Heinz, etc. I strongly recommend the prohibition sauce.
For some reason, my full slab was cooked perfectly while the wife’s half slab was slightly undercooked.
The sides — baked beans and onion rings were good. Cole slaw was good to go.
I ordered a cup of the chili with cheese and onions. It was good as well.
Service was good. The waiter refilled my iced tea a number of times.

The ribs here are to DIE for. Also, the bar is great – very, very affordable, great beers.
Check it out for sure.

Overall: Great ribs, fun atmosphere, and good service all make for a great Twin Anchors experience.
The good: The ribs were very tender and delicious. The sauce is definitely the highlight. The prices are reasonable and the portions are big. You won’t leave hungry. A lot of other non-​rib options. Service was very friendly and attentive even for our big group. Great (and historic) atmosphere.
The bad: If you aren’t careful, the wait can be VERY long. Not a lot of space. The BBQ, while great, wasn’t the best and didn’t quite live up to the hype.
Atmosphere: ⁹⁄₁₀
Service: ⁹⁄₁₀
Food:8/10