Russell's Barbecue — Restaurant in Leyden Township

Longtime Customer Disappointed by Declining Quality

A Favorite Spot for Years

I have been coming to Russell’s Barbecue in Elmwood Park for many years, and it has long been one of my favorite places to eat. Over the years, I’ve enjoyed countless meals here and even brought friends and family to share in what used to be consistently delicious barbecue. It’s a place full of good memories for me, which makes it all the more painful to write this review. Unfortunately, my recent visits have left me disappointed and concerned about the direction this beloved restaurant is heading.

Recent Visits Have Let Me Down

In the past few months, I’ve noticed a decline in the quality of the food. On my last few visits, several issues stood out: • BBQ Beef Sandwich: The beef, which used to be tender and flavorful, just didn’t taste right this time. It had an off flavor that I’ve never encountered here before, and it lacked the rich, smoky taste I always loved. • Hard, Stale Bun: To make matters worse, the bun for the sandwich was hard and almost stale. It was far from the fresh, soft bun I’m used to getting at Russell’s. Biting into a bun that felt old was really disappointing and took away from the enjoyment of the meal. • Terrible Ribs: A member of my party decided to try the ribs for the first time, and they turned out to be awful. The ribs were dry, tough, and tasted as if they were either leftover from a previous day or overcooked to the point of being inedible. Seeing my friend so unhappy with a dish we were excited to try was really disheartening.

These issues were a shock to me as someone who remembers how great the food used to be. It felt like a completely different Russell’s experience than what I’ve known and loved.

Noticing Fewer Customers and Lagging Service

Another thing I couldn’t help but notice during my recent visits is that the restaurant isn’t as crowded as it used to be. There were plenty of empty tables during times that used to have lines out the door. Sadly, after experiencing the food quality decline, I think I understand why the crowds have thinned out. It’s heartbreaking to see a place that was once bustling with loyal customers so quiet.

On top of that, the service has slipped compared to the past. During our meal, not a single staff member came by to ask if everything was alright or if we needed anything. In years past, I remember staff occasionally checking in to make sure we were enjoying our food. This time, we cleared our own trays and left without anyone saying a word about our dining experience. The lack of attentiveness made the disappointing food feel even worse. While the employees at the counter were polite when taking our order, the absence of any follow-up or care after we sat down was notable.

Some Classics Still Shine

To be fair, there are still a few positives that remind me of the old Russell’s quality. The baked potato we ordered on the side was just fine – it was warm, properly cooked, and served as expected. And the coleslaw remains excellent, just as it has always been. Russell’s coleslaw has always been one of my favorites anywhere: crisp, tangy, and refreshing. I was relieved that at least some things haven’t changed. These side items were a small bright spot in an otherwise disappointing meal. It shows that the kitchen is still capable of getting things right, which gives me hope that the other items can be improved with some attention.

Poor Value for the Price

Given the decline in quality, the meal felt like a poor value. Our dinner for three people (including drinks) came out to about $50, which is not cheap. In the past, I wouldn’t have minded the price because we always left feeling satisfied and happy. This time, however, I walked out feeling let down and genuinely questioned if it was worth it. In fact, I even left thinking that McDonald’s would have tasted better than what we had that night – a thought I never imagined I’d have about Russell’s. That comparison might sound harsh, but it’s honestly how we felt as we discussed our meal on...

Only time I have ever been to this place, I was having a great first time experience last night after the concert. We came in about 34 minutes before close. The workers could have told us no more orders, no dine in. Instead they let us order. Let us sit down. Before we could finish eating they turned the lights off in the dining room we were eating in. There was another family there too trying to eat. What type of establishment does this? Unprofessional. I know they do that at places who are like full bar and only bar and its last call, they turn the lights, so you know its last call. Turning the lights iff and making it dark is Something a young manager would do. What does the owner say, they must allow this, if not why would his manager do that? She even came running in and rudely screamed to us to exit out of the back Door when we were done, which it was OK to exit there, not okay how it was said. Where is the quality professionalism? It's not OK to treat your customers like they are not wanted, like they are not eating fast enough, why didn't they just say we don't want more customers so we can leave right at close. They should put signs up. If you go into another restaurant 32 minutes before close they allow you to eat and drink and talk and be merry until you are done. I didn't know that after waiting almost 15 minutes for our food, after we read the menu because we had never been there, so we didn't know they would be rude, they could have said to go only it's almost close, which we would have been okay with. I would have even brought the rest of my family here to eat (thers about 30 of us, just here in town) I would have become a repeat customer, but, now that I know how you treat customers, I will never do business here. I will tell everyone not to do business here. It won't effect anyone or anything, but I will stick to it. Repeat business is what you want, let the managers and staff know this. Unless, you as an owner do not want repeat business, dp not want repeat customers, or...

They didn't get this far with poor customer service. I paid $2.65 for one large cup of what was supposed to be unlimited refills of their fresh brewed iced around 815 pm tonight. About 830, the manager informed that they ran out of iced tea and would not make any more. Before ordering my drink, I asked what time they closed, and I was told 10pm. So then when I was denied more tea, I was quite upset. While the manager spoke with me, she had a very smart-ass facial expression and tone in her voice. I believe they failed to honor the "unlimited refills" of the drink I paid for and for which I had a reasonable expectation that the drink would be available for the remainder of my meal. I was not even offered a partial refund. I was mad because I didn't get my tea as it is offered on the menu, at the principal of the matter of not getting what I paid for and with the manager's unprofessional demeanor. Buyer beware here! (Note: there is nothing mentioned on the menu that drinks of any kind may run out at any given time and may no longer be available nor was I informed that they were running low on iced tea.) As for the food, the baked beans had good flavor, though the side dish was like soup without any meat. I also ate a cheeseburger there, which was pretty good. (I wanted pulled chicken, but it's white and dark meat mixed, not available separate.) I also ordered 2 crab cakes that were heavily fried but did have good flavor. I ordered them to go. They were given to me on a plain white paper plate with a paper plate on top in a paper bag which also had my salad. The dressing containers were also in the bag and they fell out. Stange way to serve takeout, but whatever. The bathroom was cramped with a stench, as this place is just old and run down. I will go back for a burger when in the area, at least they...