Sharko'S BBQ — Restaurant in Downers Grove

I think we came to the new location in Downers Grove during the soft opening, and it's different from the one in Lisle. This location is smaller, but we came in the winter, so the patio wasn't part of the deal. Nevertheless, you're not coming here for the ambiance, you're coming here for the smoked meats.

The brisket is one of my favorites. Chopped, sliced or burnt ends, it is seasoned well enough to be eaten by itself without being supplemented with BBQ sauce, seasonings, or other condiments. The Lisle and Aurora (rt 59) location used to do meat by the ounce, the Downers Grove did not appear to offer that. Brisket is what lures us all, but feel free to expand to the pulled pork, or the pulled chicken. On occasion when I want to mix it up, sliced turkey is my next preference!

Pair that with the fries "dusted" and a cornbread muffin and you're good to go. I was full with brisket, fries and a muffin. The dusting on those fries is awesome. Think BBQ dry rub seasonings sprinkled lightly over shoestring fries. Yea, it's phenomenal.

Even the little things taste good. Shark bite BBQ sauce, the honey butter on the cornbread muffin. The homemade lemonade is even good.

The only thing the Downers Grove location is missing is the complementary mini ice cream cones with vanilla soft serve. Sharko's is forever known by my kids as "the place with good meat and free ice cream!!!"

Good luck with the...

Generally I am not a fan of BBQ, especially in the Chicagoland area. My biggest complaints are, the meat is tough as rubber (over cooked), they use liquid smoke (or too much of it - Uncle Bub's) or it's smothered in so much sauce that you can't taste anything else. I was pleasantly surprised with Sharko's. I ordered the half chicken, baked beans, coleslaw and the wife ordered the rib tips, cornbread and lemonade. The pickles were complimentary. Both the chicken and rib tips were very tender and came in healthy sized portions. You could seen the meat, they started with a dry rub, which I believe they have for sale. Both meats were NOT overly sauced, you could actually taste the flavor of the meat. The beans were perfect, with the flavor of the beans coming through. Typically for me, baked beans are overpowered with molasses, the chunks of brisket added to the texture and flavor. The coleslaw was also perfect, not too creamy or too sweet. The wife loved the cornbread. The lemonade was very good with a fresh, homemade flavor. The pickles were not the traditional salty dill pickle variety; they were more like a marinated cucumber with a hint of vinegar, onion and a slight crunch....

Disappointed first time at this DG location. Had Brisket sandwich w/Mac & Cheese and Brisket grilled cheese sandwich. The meat was on the dry side and there was zero smokiness to the taste. Been to Sharko's BBQ Naperville location several times and always enjoyed a "smoke forward" flavor in all the meats. I thought my taste buds were off, but wife had the same feedback about our DG location experience today. The cheese was also dull, need a sharper cheddar or less "fill" in the ingredients. The fresh squeezed lemonade was excellent.

The staff are engaging and friendly. There is really no "atmosphere" to speak of since this is more a carry-out space. They have an outside seating area but a semi delivery truck would have been our view🥴

I'll give this location another try in the future since it is local to me and I know the Sharko family & crew take...