Review: Grandpa John’s Rib Shack
By Billy Dennis, Peoria Pundit administrator
Grandpa John’s Rib Shack
200 W. McClure, Peoria IL
(309) 685-8902
Three out of five stars
I had lunch with Mom and Dad at this venerable, third-generation rib joint today. They had the beef sandwich, I chose Monday’s daily special: A turkey sandwich with fries and a soda. I should have ordered the beef, as the bun looked empty. Tasty, though, especially with a dab of BBQ sauce. The French fries were delicious, of course.
I noticed one big improvement over my last visit. As Peoria natives know, the BBQ place is located inside a former Hardee’s restaurant (which is, itself, located on the former site of a Sandy’s). The heir’s to Big John remodeled, but they opted to keep the booths and the tables and chairs that were bolted to the floor. This is bad news to a plus-size guy like myself.
Well, they’ve decided to supply guests with free standing chairs. So my parents sat in the booth while I slid a chair over and dined with them. A elegant solution to an uncomfortable problem.
And again, I found the counter staff at Grampa John’s to be down-home friendly and helpful.
Filed under: Section 2
10 Responses to “Review: Grandpa John’s Rib Shack”
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I normally don’t have many good things to say about Peoria since I moved to Woodford County. However, one thing I definitely miss is the variety of restaurant food available in Peoria. Barbecue in Woodford? Fuggetaboutit.
That said, many of my favorite Peoria haunts are gone: Hunt’s, Chad’s Chicken on Main, Brown’s Chicken and Rib Heaven (which I liked better when it was in the old Amoco station at Lake and Sheridan where Red Carpet Car Wash is now than after it moved northwest). Of these, the two I mourn most are Hunt’s and Chad’s. Chad’s may have had the best chicken I ever tasted.
BTW, it was former co-worker Pam Adams who told me about Chad’s way back when.
AExJSer: You are demented. Famous Recipe Fried Chicken (Knoxville and Nebraska and at Wisconsin and Forrest Hill) had the best chicken in Peoria.
Daffy, Red carpet has always been at GLEN and Sheridan. Lake and Sheridan?? What gas station?
oh nevermind, ex jser. The PJS can never get a street right or a location. That explains it.
…I thought the best chickens in Peoria were sitting on the school board.
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AnotherExJSer: you been over to goodfield on friday’s and saturday’s at lunch time to that hillside hidaway place just north of town? There’s an older couple who pull in a big smoker on a trailer and sell pretty good bbq every weekend. They are only there for the summer, just started 2 weeks ago.
Grandpa John’s also does excellent catering.
You are right about the location, Mr. Emert. You should have seen the 120-point headline I wrote for the top of A1 when the Branch Davidian siege began. Fortunately, someone in the composing room — I think Phil Hornung — caught it, and it never left the building. Everybody needs a backup. Is the JS still getting streets wrong, more than a year after I left?
I might have to check out Goodfield, Chief.
I heard GP John’s pork sandwiches blow because they got no smoke (hence they are bought pre-cooked from a purveyor). Heard the ribs be good though so I don’t know if it is true. Why would you smoke your ribs but not your butt?
I work close to Grandpa John’s and we love their food. The problem is they have very slow service. We used to order for the office on Wednesdays when their special is rib tips/fries, but our staff would stand in line for 30 minutes or more. They don’t let you call ahead, they say they’ve had too many people skip and not pick the food up. We offered to guarantee with a credit card and they refused that also, so we had to stop going. It’s sad that they have that mentality, because they do have good food!