Main Street Smokehouse celebrates regional barbecue
Eddie Moore always knew there were different styles of barbecue across the country. But as he "dove headfirst" into research, he was amazed by the diversity.
The Carolinas alone embrace three different styles of barbecue, he says. In some states, traditions differ from county to county.
And while his new Main Street Smokehouse restaurant in Libertyville can't begin to capture every sauce, rub and flavor in the country, Moore hopes to introduce suburbanites to a few key styles.
Moore, 29, describes Main Street as "quick and casual": Order at the counter, select your sauces and enjoy. We asked Moore about his new restaurant (open since Memorial Day) and his love of barbecue. Here's what he had to say.
Q. Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
A. I got my culinary degree in Florida. While in Florida I worked at some prestigious Palm Beach establishments. I moved back to Illinois in 2004 and started a personal chef and catering company and continued to operate that until May of this year.
I cooked for some NBA players and in the offseason focused on catering. I featured this barbecue menu that got great feedback. I dove headfirst into this barbecue culture.
Q. What sets your restaurant apart?
A. We are doing unique regional barbecue.
Q. What does that mean? Can you give some examples?
A. In Memphis, that is one of the few places in America where you can find ribs that aren't slathered in sauce. So I took that and brought it to downtown Libertyville. We brine our ribs and smoke them for about four hours.
Another example: the Texas-style brisket. In Texas, they traditionally serve brisket dry with just a heavy rub, accented by a lot of pepper which really cuts through the fat.
Q. What is the secret to great barbecue?
A. In my opinion a passion to do it the right way every time. For that it means that we brine the meat, cure the meat and smoke the meat. This is ultimately a three-day process. So in a word ... time.
Q. What is the average tab for lunch and dinner?
A. $8 per person at lunch and $12 at dinner.
Q. What are your most popular items?
A. The pulled pork sandwich and the brisket sandwich, oh, and the sweet potato fries. Those are the most ordered. Our maple chipotle sauce is definitely our most popular barbecue sauce.
Q. What is the most unusual or unexpected item on your menu?
A. The pulled pork quesadilla is probably the most unique or maybe the Alabama white sauce, which is a mayonnaise-based barbecue sauce. I think it goes incredibly well with chicken and beef. It's got horseradish in it and garlic.
All the meat is served dry. We have three sauces that are out for the customer to use and with each chicken or beef entry we'll include a cup of the Alabama white.
Q. Can you describe the setting?
A. We are located in the heart of downtown Libertyville. We have 41 seats inside and 20 seats outside on our patio. We feature a lot of historical pictures of downtown Libertyville.
Q. What kind of special events do you offer?
A. We will be featuring live music in July and offering some amazing local beer selections.
Main Street Smokehouse
536 N. Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville, (847) 247-4330
Cuisine: Regional barbecue
Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Parking: There is parking on the street as well as a parking lot in the rear.