A tips-and-links combo puts rib tips and hot sausage on the same order, giving brisket a little competition for your attention. I love that the pairing lets you explore two Chicago barbecue favorites without making the meal feel like a homework assignment.
Rib tips bring small pieces of pork with bones and cartilage, while hot links add a sausage option to the plate. Across these Illinois barbecue counters, the choices also include turkey tips, chicken, fries, and sauces that deserve a little thought before you order.
The practical details matter almost as much as your appetite, since a takeout counter calls for a different plan than table service. Picking your meal ahead of time leaves more room for the fun decision: tips, links, or both.
I’d start with the pairing that gives this style of barbecue its appeal. Then I’d let the next craving choose the next stop.
1. Lem’s Bar-B-Q, Chicago, IL
The Tips & Links Combo Special makes a pretty convincing case against choosing just one meat. At Lem’s Bar-B-Q, that pairing puts two Chicago barbecue favorites at the center of your order.
Rib Tips N Fries offers another clear starting point if you want to focus on the pork. The menu also includes barbecue ribs, so you can compare cuts rather than simply compare restaurants.
Expect seasoned, smoked rib tips and hot links with some heat, supported by a menu built around barbecue. You can request sauce on the side, which gives you more control over each bite.
That small ordering choice matters when you want to notice the meat before adding more sauce. Try a little first, then decide how much belongs on the rest of your meal.
Coleslaw gives you another option alongside the meat and fries without turning the order into a complicated project. You don’t need a sprawling spread to get a useful introduction to this Illinois barbecue pairing.
Plan around counter service and takeout rather than a sit-down meal, since the restaurant has no seating. Choose where you’ll eat before collecting your food, especially if you’re traveling across town.
The posted schedule keeps Tuesday off the calendar and extends Friday and Saturday service later than other nights. Check the day’s hours before heading over, particularly when barbecue becomes a last-minute evening idea.
Leave some flexibility in your schedule because a wait is possible, and avoid building a tightly timed stop around pickup. Free street parking and a free parking lot are listed options for drivers.
For your first order, the combo keeps your attention on the reason this place belongs on the list. Let the brisket debate wait while tips and links make their own argument on your plate.
Address: 311 E 75th St, Chicago, IL 60619
2. Uncle John’s BBQ, Chicago, IL
Turkey tips give the usual barbecue decision an extra branch at Uncle John’s BBQ. You can stay with rib tips and hot links or take your meal in a different direction.
The Large Rib Tips & Hot Links order directly answers the craving that brings you here. A Half Slab and Hot Link Combo offers another route if you prefer ribs alongside your sausage.
Those choices let you compare combinations without treating the menu like a test you forgot to study for. Start with your preferred pork cut, then decide whether a link belongs beside it.
Small Turkey Tip is another listed option, useful when someone in your group wants something different from pork tips. Half barbecue chicken broadens the choices further without moving away from the restaurant’s main focus.
French fries provide a familiar side, and the restaurant also serves traditional accompaniments. Keep your first order manageable so you can work out which meat deserves more attention next time.
The setup centers on counter service rather than table service, with lunch and dinner among its main uses. You can also choose takeout, delivery, or curbside pickup according to your plans for the day.
Reservations aren’t part of the process, so don’t plan your visit around a booked table. Allow extra time for ordering, even though the restaurant emphasizes a quick, straightforward service style.
Wednesday has an earlier listed closing time than most other weekdays, an easy detail to overlook. Friday and Saturday extend later, making those nights worth checking when dinner slides behind schedule.
Parking may take some patience, so settle your pickup plan before you arrive on Cottage Grove Avenue. Once the logistics are handled, your main job becomes pleasantly simple: choose tips, links, or the combination that refuses to make you choose between them.
Address: 8249 S Cottage Grove Ave, Chicago, IL 60619
3. Honey 1 BBQ, Chicago, IL
Hickory smoke gives Honey 1 BBQ a clear starting point before you even consider the sides. The restaurant pairs that barbecue focus with a casual storefront and counter service on East 43rd Street.
A rib tips and hot links combo lets you keep both featured meats in the same order. Rib tips also come with a house sauce, giving you another part of the meal to explore.
Rather than building an oversized order, choose the combination and add one side that catches your attention. That approach keeps the first meal focused while leaving a reason to return for something different.
Fried okra offers an alternative to the usual fries, while beans and potato salad provide other choices. Coleslaw is another option if your ideal barbecue order needs a vegetable side beside the meat.
Smoked chicken and pulled pork widen the menu for companions who aren’t following your tips-and-links mission. You can share a barbecue outing without requiring the group to settle on the same main dish.
Wood tables are part of the storefront setting, but the service remains casual and counter based. Keep your expectations centered on ordering barbecue rather than a meal organized around a server’s visits.
Takeout and delivery give you ways to fit the food into plans beyond the restaurant itself. If you’re collecting an order, decide where you’ll eat before adding several sides to your bag.
Friday and Saturday have later listed hours than the other days, while weekday service can end earlier. Look over the day’s schedule before making this your destination for a late dinner after work.
Free street parking is listed, and reservations aren’t accepted, so a little flexibility helps with your timing. The reward is a chance to compare hickory-smoked barbecue, links, and sides without letting brisket claim the entire conversation.
Address: 746 E 43rd St, Chicago, IL 60653
4. Alice’s Bar-B-Que LLC, Chicago, IL
A rib tip snack special proves that barbecue doesn’t always need to become a grand production. Alice’s Bar-B-Que LLC gives you that smaller starting point alongside rib tips, hot links, and other choices.
The kitchen specializes in barbecued meats and seafood, so the menu reaches beyond the pairing featured here. Still, tips and links make a sensible first focus when you’re exploring Chicago barbecue beyond brisket.
Rib tips offer the pork option, while hot links give you sausage to compare beside them. Ask about the available order sizes before deciding how much food fits your plans for the day.
Wings and cheeseburgers add options for a companion who wants to take a different route through lunch. You can keep your own order centered on barbecue without turning a shared meal into a negotiation.
Fries and sauce are listed menu choices, making them useful details to consider while you order. Decide whether you want a simple snack or a fuller meal before adding extras to the total.
Counter service keeps the process straightforward, and the restaurant offers takeout, curbside pickup, delivery, and dine-in service. Choose the format that works for your schedule rather than assuming you need to stay.
Catering provides another way to bring the restaurant’s food into a gathering outside its own space. For a group order, work out preferences first so the tips-and-links fans get their share of attention.
Monday is the listed closed day, while Friday and Saturday service continues later than the other evenings. Sunday ends earlier, so that afternoon barbecue idea deserves a quick hours check before you leave home.
Free street parking is listed for drivers heading to the East 43rd Street address. Keep your order as small or ambitious as your plans require, and let the barbecue do the entertaining without needing a special occasion.
Address: 65 E 43rd St, Chicago, IL 60653
5. Coleman’s 2 Ribs & Tips, Chicago, IL
Mild sauce deserves a turn in the spotlight at Coleman’s 2 Ribs & Tips. You can build your order around rib tips and hot links without making extra heat the main event.
This family-owned restaurant specializes in Southern-style barbecue entrees and sandwiches on West Chicago Avenue. Its menu gives your Illinois barbecue search a westward stop rather than keeping the whole trip on one side.
Rib tips, ribs, and hot links form the most relevant choices for the subject at hand. Chicken offers another direction if someone in your group wants to branch out from the pork-focused options.
Start by deciding whether you want tips or a different rib cut, then consider adding links. Comparing those choices can teach you more about your preferences than ordering the largest spread without a plan.
The mild sauce is a useful place to begin if you want sauce without choosing the hottest route. Ask how your order comes prepared so you know what you’re taking home before leaving the counter.
Takeout is the service to plan around here, and delivery isn’t listed among the available options. Choose a place to eat afterward, particularly if this stop sits between other errands or sightseeing plans.
There is no table service, and reservations aren’t accepted, which keeps the visit focused on collecting your food. Give yourself room for a possible wait rather than promising a perfectly timed return to your group.
Sunday is the listed closed day, while Friday and Saturday have later closing times than the weekday schedule. Free street parking is available as a listed option, though you should still allow time to park.
Catering also makes the restaurant an option when your barbecue plans involve more than a single meal. For a first introduction, though, tips, links, and mild sauce provide a clear and pleasantly uncomplicated place to begin.
Address: 5754 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60651
6. Leon’s Barbeque Zone, Chicago, IL
A drive-through can be a useful barbecue accessory when your dinner plans involve staying on the move. Leon’s Barbeque Zone lists that option alongside takeout and dine-in service at its East 106th Street location.
Slow-cooked barbecue anchors the menu, with rib tips, ribs, and chicken among the choices. A Hot Link is also listed, keeping the sausage side of this Chicago food search firmly in view.
Tips and links make a logical pairing when you want to explore both parts of the title. Ask which combination sizes are available before settling on an order for yourself or someone sharing the meal.
French fries and hot barbecue sauce give you more decisions without sending the meal in a completely different direction. Consider your comfort with heat before choosing how much sauce you want alongside the meat.
Wings and chicken tenders provide alternatives for companions who aren’t ready to join your rib tip campaign. That range makes it easier to plan one stop without expecting identical tastes around the table.
Service is counter based rather than organized around table service, so keep the meal’s format casual. If the drive-through is central to your plan, check that service option before making the trip.
A free parking lot and free street parking are listed, giving drivers more than one parking option. The restaurant also lists a restroom, a practical detail if you’re fitting this stop into a longer day.
Monday is the listed closed day, and the remaining days share an earlier evening closing time. Make this a lunch or early dinner plan instead of relying on it for a late-night barbecue craving.
For a group, start with the people who want tips and links, then add chicken choices as needed. You’ll keep the order organized while giving the main pairing enough space to prove that brisket isn’t required for a satisfying barbecue plan.
Address: 3309 E 106th St, Chicago, IL 60617
7. I 57 RIB House, Chicago, IL
Cash belongs on your checklist before sauce does at I 57 RIB House. This cash-only barbecue stop keeps the setup straightforward with counter service, takeout, and a menu that includes fried foods.
Rib tips and hot links supply the pairing you’re looking for, with fries and tangy barbecue sauce alongside. Start there if your goal is to compare Chicago’s tips-and-links options rather than chase a different specialty.
Turkey tips give you another choice, and a Chicken Tip & Turkey Link Combo appears among the menu highlights. Those alternatives help when your group wants a barbecue meal without making the same meat selection.
Keep the different combinations in mind before ordering, since similar names can lead to very different plates. Say which tips and which links you want instead of relying on a quick shorthand at the counter.
The restaurant offers lunch and dinner, with a listed noon opening and evening closing throughout the week. That consistent schedule can simplify planning, but checking the day’s hours still makes sense before a special trip.
Delivery and takeout provide ways to enjoy the food elsewhere without planning a table-service meal. Reservations aren’t accepted, so focus your preparation on ordering and pickup rather than securing a particular dining time.
A wait is possible, making a little spare time more useful than an ambitious minute-by-minute schedule. If you’re collecting food for others, confirm their choices before joining the ordering process.
Free parking options are listed, including a lot and street spaces, which gives drivers a practical starting point. There is no restroom listed, so handle that part of a longer outing before making this stop.
For the clearest introduction, keep your attention on the rib tips, hot links, sauce, and fries. You can explore the turkey and chicken combinations another time without asking one dinner to cover the whole menu.
Address: 1524 W 115th St, Chicago, IL 60643
8. The Slab Bar-B-Que, Chicago, IL
The name points toward ribs, but hot links deserve room in your plans at The Slab Bar-B-Que. Rib tips and assorted grilled meats give this East 71st Street restaurant more than one way to answer dinner.
Start with tips if you’re working through Chicago’s small-cut pork specialty, then consider links as your second choice. Ribs and chicken offer other routes for anyone joining you with a different barbecue craving in mind.
The menu also highlights a Turkey Tip Link & Wing option, adding another combination to consider. Read the choices carefully before ordering so your meal includes the meats you actually meant to request.
A vinegar-based sauce is part of the restaurant’s barbecue offerings, giving sauce-minded diners something specific to explore. Ask about the available sauce choices rather than assuming a familiar name means the same preparation elsewhere.
Fries can accompany the barbecue, making them another part of the order to plan alongside your meat. Decide how much you want before adding multiple combinations simply because the names sound tempting together.
This Black-owned restaurant offers takeout and delivery, which makes an off-site meal a straightforward option. There is no table service, so shape your expectations around a casual barbecue stop rather than a lengthy served dinner.
Catering extends the choices to gatherings, while individual orders suit a lunch or dinner plan of your own. For a group, separate the rib tip requests from the chicken choices before placing the final order.
Saturday has later listed hours than the rest of the week, while Sunday closes earlier than the weekdays. Free street parking is listed for drivers, and reservations aren’t part of the restaurant’s setup.
End your barbecue tour by choosing the cut you most want to understand, not the one you usually order. Brisket can sit this meal out while tips and links handle the delicious business at hand.
Address: 1918 E 71st St, Chicago, IL 60649
Share this story
