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Everybody knows you don't mess with Texas, but you can certainly bring a bit of its flavor up north. From barbecues to rodeos and shooting ranges, we can keep any cowboy or cowgirl from feeling homesick – deep in the heart of Chicago.
Illinois Gun Works
7229 W. Grand Ave.
Elmwood Park, IL
60707
(708) 452-0040 http://www.illinoisgunworks.com Hours: open daily
Get ready for the great Texan pastime of duck hunting any time of year at this indoor shooting range. The $10 fee gives you access to the 25-yard lanes for an unlimited time, and if you want to switch up and practice on another style, you can rent a gun there. Prepare for the big hunting trip at their shop with a selection of ammunition and gun gear.
Smoque BBQ
3800 N. Pulaski Road
Chicago, IL
60641
(773) 545-RIBS http://www.smoquebbq.com Hours: lunch and dinner Tuesday-Sunday
Take note, patrons of Chicago: This dining experience may make you a little homesick for the Lone Star State, even if you've never stepped foot in Texas. Any smoke-house restaurant that has a BBQ manifesto has an obvious passion for smoked meat. The choices read like this: ribs, brisket, pulled pork and chicken. The sweet apple wood and savory oak that the ribs are smoked with create a dueling sweet/savory sensation only enhanced by the rubbing and sauce. Everything else is authentic, barring the fact that they don't have pickles – but the bold and juicy pulled pork more than makes up for it.
Illinois Gay Rodeo Association
P.O. Box 14878
Chicago, IL
60614 http://www.ilgra.com Hours: seasonal
Since nobody really does a word association of "Texas" and "gay," this may seem a bit ironic. But it's a rodeo, and there aren't many things more Texan than a cowboy slingin' a rope around a steer from the saddle of a horse, bare back bull-riding and wild drag racing. Well, that last event is unique to the ILGA's annual rodeo at Six Guns Ranch & Arena in Crete. The Race is an event that requires a team made up of one cowboy, one cowgirl and one drag (girl or boy) competing for time to release and return a steer to its shoot. Another event you'll only find here: goat dressing. Picture teams competing to see who can dress a goat in a pair of BVDs first. All these good times are brought to you on a volunteer membership basis and all of the proceeds go to various charities like Howard Brown and Direct Aid. Annual membership fees are low and it's all for the love of rodeo and good causes.
Twisted Lizard
1964 N. Sheffield Ave.
Chicago, IL
60614
(773) 929-1414 http://www.kincadesbar.com Hours: open daily
Nothing spells (or slurs) Texas quite like tequila – except maybe great BBQ. Here, you can have both. Specialties like the ranchero beef quesadilla and BBQ or habanero wings will take you deep into the heart of Texas. Wash it down with one of Chicago's best margaritas, blended or shaken with your choice of one of 30 tequilas. That margarita will only run you $4 on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, but take note – there's a cowboy's ration of tequila in each. The environs are as Southwestern as the cuisine: Rustic wooden tables and chairs are surrounded by chili peppers, ponchos and the occasional steer's head.
Horseshoe
4115 N. Lincoln Ave.
Chicago, IL
60618
(773) 549-9292 http://www.myspace.com Hours: open daily
If you're looking for barbecue with a kick and enjoy a more pub-like experience, Horseshoe boasts Texas-style flavor with live music, a pool table, jukebox and full bar. This night spot feels straight out of Austin: full of dark wooden tables, antiqued-metal ceiling fixtures and friendly service with live bluegrass and country music Thursday through Saturday nights. The menu boasts true Texas flavor, focusing on brisket (phenomenal), chicken, links and baby back ribs.
The Texan BBQ
105 W. St. Charles Rd
Lombard, IL
60148
(630) 629-8800 http://www.texanbbq.com Hours: open daily
The simple wood bar, tables and paneling matched by the red-and-white checked table cloths give this joint a down-home feel. When you get a load of the menu, it feels even more like a cook-out. Start out with some Texas hot wings, slurp down some sweet tea and then move on to a second course of chili or Brunswick stew – which you can order as a sample, cup, bowl or a quart. The sandwiches of pulled BBQ pork or real rib meat are tasty, but they're no match for a slab of hickory-smoked BBQ ribs that have been basted for 14 hours. Never mind that the desserts beg for indulgence: Yeah, they're just your run-of-the-mill "famous" funnel cakes and strawberry short cake.
A mainstay for downtown workers, this cafeteria-style steakhouse serves enormous breakfast portions from 7 a.m. until noon, at prices your wallet will barely feel. If a 14-ounce sirloin cooked to your specs and served with two eggs, hash browns and Texas toast for only $13.99 doesn't sooth your carnivorous urges, there's probably nothing that will. Also on hand are plates flanked with two barbecued pork chops, a couple of omelet options and French toast.
Hogs & Honeys
1551 N. Sheffield Ave.
Chicago, IL
60622
(312) 377-1733 http://www.hogsandhoneys.com Hours: closed Sunday
Walk into this Old Town bar an urban Chicagoan, but leave it at the door as you get down to some serious hootin', hollerin' and drinkin' (naturally). You may want to do quite a bit of the latter before releasing your inner cowboy/girl on a mechanical bull. Engage in all things indulgent, southern and just the right amount of juvenile: dollar tacos on Tuesdays, video game tournaments on Thursdays, bull riding every night of the week and, well, honeys galore.
Martini Ranch
311 W. Chicago Ave.
Chicago, IL
60610
(312) 335-9500 http://www.martiniranch.com Hours: closed Sunday
This is no down-and-dirty ranch; it's an urban wear-your-finest-cowboy hat ranch (think the flashy rhinestone hat of the Dennis Rodman variety – he used to sport it here regularly). The festive digs and the classy martini choices will make it difficult to rein in your indulgence. Beware your "morning after" with favorites like the Ranch Style Martini – vodka (or gin) mixed with tequila and garnished with pickled okra. Noshing on a grilled Ahi tuna sandwich or a shrimp quesadilla should offset the damage.
Part honkey-tonk bar, part country and western dance club (disco-era light effects meet line dancing), this spot welcomes both urban cowboys/girls and the late-night (4 a.m.) club crowd alike. From DJs to live country bands to Ms. Cadillac contests, there's something for everyone. The random $2 margarita and $4 Jim Beam specials don't hurt their business either. Come on Thursday for the $8.99 12-ounce New York strip steak dinner at the adjoined restaurant.
Texas de Brazil (Schaumburg)
5 Woodfield Shopping Center
Schaumburg, IL
(847) 413-1600 http://www.texasdebrazil.com
This Brazilian steakhouse chain has the requisite amount of belly-busting meats, plus a huge salad bar with seasonal selections. A new downtown location, at 51 East Ohio, opens this spring.
Alcala's Western Wear
1733 W. Chicago Ave.
Chicago, IL
60622
(312) 226-0152 http://www.alcalas.com Hours: open daily
If the bucking bronco on the facade above the door doesn't clue you in to what's in store inside Alcala's doors, one step inside will do it. The smell of shoe polish and leather wafts through meticulous rows of western shirts, dungarees, cowboy and cowgirl boots and hats from simple to fancy. The aromas come from a mixture of the boots, belts and leather fringe jackets as well as the shoe and boot repair center. Whether you need new soles or just a polish, bring 'em in, and they'll fix 'em up like new – maybe even embellish them with toe tips or spurs. There's also a tailor and a guy who will steam clean and reshape your hat. The choice of bolo ties, belt buckles and "show guns" will delight both the dappler and the true cowboy.
It's all about the tequila at Salud. Well, there's a great menu filled with classics like carne asada, chilaquiles and chili with beef and chorizo. But when you consider the wall-length mural of a cowboy harvesting an agave plant and the 60 tequilas available for your drinking pleasure, it's hard to notice anything else. Oh, except the beautiful people surrounding your table or bar stool.
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Everybody knows you don't mess with Texas, but you can certainly bring a bit of its flavor up north. From barbecues to rodeos and shooting ranges, we can keep any cowboy or cowgirl from feeling homesick – deep in the heart of Chicago.
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