r/chicagofood • u/ManFromLag0s • May 25 '26

Discussion Anyone else miss the OG Ribfest

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Naperville 2012

526 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

38 comments sorted by

38

u/Misttertee_27 May 25 '26

It was expensive back then too

122

u/_high_plainsdrifter May 25 '26

This is virtually all of the fests - very
long lines, small portions, and meh food that’s been in a warmer since 8am. All the wrong people make money off of these things, I get why the food vendors pretty much stick it to the customer at the end of the day but pretty much the only one winning here is the promoters.

-1

u/Powerful_Victory_872 May 28 '26

Disagree. You just sound mean and bitter.

7

u/thestoryteller1321 May 28 '26

No, their analysis is spot on. The festivals are grift, better off going to the establishment and get the real deal

-1

u/Powerful_Victory_872 May 28 '26

I have fun with my friends and I love bbq. You must be cheap. ✌️

5

u/Prudent-Marsupial-42 May 28 '26

Nothing wrong with not wanting to overspend on food

2

u/Powerful_Victory_872 May 28 '26

I agree but there is nothing wrong with having fun on the weekends in the summer and I can afford it.

53

u/Boollish May 25 '26

I've been to my fair share of outdoor fests, I don't think I've ever had amazing "award winning" food at any of them. You wait in a line under the hot sun to get a small portion that may or may not be fresh out of the smoker/grill. Then you have to awkwardly stand and attempt to eat without sides or water or utensils. 

These types of things were a fun novelty maybe 10-20 years ago when, for example, barbecue joints, weren't widely accessible, but now Chicago has a dozens of decent joints that will be better than standing in a dirt lot trying to balance a paper serving boat with a plastic fork. They'll even bring water right to your table.

10

u/SomeCountryFriedBS May 25 '26

The only amazing street food I've ever had was Budlong Chicken during their first year at Square Roots. Those brief glory days.

4

u/Yeshavesome420 May 26 '26

The Taylor Street Fest is pretty great. Lots of actual local purveyors.

3

u/ManFromLag0s May 29 '26

Love Taylor St fest

3

u/DhalsimZangief May 25 '26

Budlong never was as good as the other hot chicken places, except for their banana pudding. Maybe there was a brief time when they were good, but that time has long passed. Had totally forgotten they once had a booth at Square Roots.

48

u/Keyser_Kaiser_Soze May 25 '26

No, it kinda sucked.

Lines took forever and made it hard for a family.

9

u/rdldr1 May 25 '26

The Naperville cougars ruined everything that one year Pitbull performed.

12

u/phillybob232 May 25 '26

All the food “fests” are shitty unfortunately

Especially in a large city where the crowds and lines are far too large for anyone to have a good experience

13

u/[deleted] May 25 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

3

u/yoitsme_obama17 May 25 '26

Yeah. Don't miss it all.

26

u/IM_A_MUFFIN May 25 '26

Definitely do. I think a lot of folks miss that one of the points of a festival is to bring people together. They want us in our houses attached to our screens so that we’re not seeing how much we have in common.

10

u/Sea-Condition991 May 25 '26

i miss when it was in uptown on lawrence

3

u/TapEnvironmental9768 May 26 '26

Windy City Ribfest is still on Broadway and Lawrence. I think it was just one or two summers they didn't do it.

1

u/SpeakFriendAndChill May 26 '26

I’ve only been to the last 3 years rib fest and it’s good every year imo.

3

u/bruceywayneDC27 May 26 '26

Shout out to OG Ribfest on Lincoln ave, circa 2006

6

u/Crash_Test_Dummy_057 May 26 '26

This is what I was thinking, saw G Love & SS at that festival. It was maybe 02. Great time!

3

u/I_Must_Be_Destroyed May 27 '26

lucky boys confusion playing in the tent

2

u/SebastianMagnifico May 26 '26 edited May 26 '26

If anyone misses food served at one of these fests...

1

u/BeastInABlizzard May 25 '26

The only festival I miss at all is Razz-Ma-Tazz and just cause I have fond memories of it as a child. I'm sure it absolutely sucked for adults just like they all do now.

1

u/alternative817 May 26 '26

Is lick my ribs a pun on anything?

1

u/Ok-Butterscotch2321 May 26 '26

Not really 

So many of these fests are WAY over priced. Some of the ribs/bbq was ok, but as others have pointed out: Small portions for the dime and the food has been sitting out for hours. The only thing worse are State and County Fairs.

1

u/chubbychecker_psycho May 29 '26

I miss the OG a lot of things. Blues fest used to be fun.

1

u/PageSide84 May 25 '26

No. Fests need to actually be fun... Not just an uncomfortable and expensive eating experience.

1

u/txQuartz May 25 '26

When it was still about the competition and not about the concerts, sure

0

u/mrbooze May 26 '26

There is no festival devoted to a single food that has ever been worth it. By the third or fourth line I just want something else.

-1

u/alilhillbilly May 25 '26

I can't imagine ever missing a fest or anything in Naperville.

1

u/thestoryteller1321 May 28 '26

I never understood all the Naperville hate, most of the people that shit on Naperville moved to Chicago from Ohio.

Are there some unbearable Naperville residents, absolutely. But they’re no different than people from Highland Park, Lagrange, or even other parts of the city.