Lem's Bar-B-Q was founded in 1951 by Myles Lemons in the Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood in Chicago. Lemons operated the restaurant with his brothers, Bruce and James.[1] The Lemons brothers were born in Indianola, Mississippi, and moved to Chicago in 1948 to pursue careers in the barbecue industry.[2] In 1968, they opened a second restaurant in a former ice cream shop in the Chatham neighborhood of Chicago.[1][3] It was at the second location where they first served their rib tips. The Greater Grand Crossing location eventually closed.[1]
Lem's trademarked their brand in 2006. In 2018, Lem's sent a cease and desist letter to Chicago Brewhouse, when the brewhouse listed "Lem's BBQ Sauce" as the sauce served with its rib tips.[4]
James Lemons, who eventually became Lem's owner and the last brother to remain working at the business, died at age 87 in 2015.[1] In his memory, the Lem's menu features the JBL combo. His daughters Carmen Lemons and Lynn Walker became owners upon his death. William D. Lemons, Jr. serves as chef.[3]
Cuisine
Lem's rib tips served with white bread and sides of barbecue sauce
Lem's most famous dish is their rib tips, which were first introduced in 1968.[1] The rib tips have been called "iconic" by Eater and described as "smoky, finger-licking tips with a tangy, vinegary sauce."[1][5] The ribs are smoked in a smoker housed in an aquarium and finished quickly over a hot fire fueled by hickory wood.[3][6] As of 2016, the restaurant sells an average of 360 rib slabs a week.[3]
The Lem's barbecue sauce recipe was the Lemons' mother's recipe. The sauce is prepared fresh daily.[2] The menu also includes fried chicken, barbecue chicken, and hot links.[3][5]
Reception
The restaurant has been called a "barbecue icon" in the United States by Eater and a "civic treasure" in Chicago by the Chicago Reader.[1][6] It was named one of Eater's "essential barbecue restaurants in Chicago" in 2019.[1] Lem's has also been named one of the top barbecue restaurants in the country by Time Out and Zagat.[3]
^ ab"Lem's Bar-B-Q". Southern Foodways Alliance. 27 March 2008. Archived from the original on 23 June 2019. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
^ abcdefgJohnson, Erick (12 August 2016). "Lem's turns up the sizzle |". The Crusader Newspaper Group. The Chicago Crusader. Archived from the original on 15 August 2016. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
