Lem's Bar-B-Q Is Named One of "America's Classics" by the James Beard Awards

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The James Beard Awards, a respected custodian of Chicago's hospitality industry, have named Chicago's Lem's Bar-B-Q as one of "America's Classics," a category that honors "locally owned restaurants with timeless appeal that serve quality food and are beloved by their communities," according to a press release from the Awards. Among other Chicago spots that have received the honor over the years are Sun Wah BBQ and Calumet Fisheries. We included it in our list of ten iconic Chicago restaurants. 

Lem's is the best-known practitioner of the Chicago-style barbecue that emerged on the South Side as Black migrants from the South settled there and adapted their food traditions. The iconic restaurant draws people in with the scent of smoking from down the block, thanks to its towering smoke stack venting the unique glass aquarium smoker that is key to Chicago-style barbecue. Started by Indianola, Mississippi natives brothers Myles and Bruce Lemons in 1954, the original Lem's featured their version of their mother Anna's tangy sauce for their ribs, which remains a draw today. A third brother, James, opened the current location with its iconic sign (a remnant of its former life as an ice cream parlor) on 75th Street in 1968; it is the only one that remains. James died in 2015, but his daughter Carmen now runs the restaurant along with her friend Lynn and nephews Billy and Kameron.

With no seating inside, people still line up around the bare-bones store for rib tips and hot links, chatting with fellow guests as they wait to order. Plenty eat their food right there on the hood of their car, sopping up the sauce from the ribs with the piece of white bread always placed underneath. Among the celebrities who have been fans are Aretha Franklin, Denzel Washington, and Scottie Pippen, according to the Chicago Crusader, but it's the neighborhood visitors who keep the place alive. 

"Signature flavors, a lasting legacy, and a deep commitment to their community are what make Lem's Bar-B-Q truly special," says the award citation. "For over seven decades, Lem's has not only served an iconic barbecue but also built a reputation for excellence and service that has stood the test of time."

The other restaurants named America's Classics this year are The Pioneer Saloon in Ketchum, Idaho; Sullivan's Castle Island in Boston, Massachusetts; Lucky Wishbone in Anchorage, Alaska; Gaido's in Galveston, Texas; and the legendary Dooky Chase in New Orleans, Louisiana.