Openings

What to Eat at Ole Hardwood, Now Open

Ole Hardwood opens in the South Loop.
Ole Hardwood opens in the South Loop. Photo: courtesy UrbanDaddy

As we correctly guessed, Ole Hardwood opened up at 1315 S. Wabash Ave. in the South Loop this past weekend. As befits a “gastro-smokehouse,” it is all about the combination of smoke and meat. That means that most dishes indicate a type of meat along with the precise kind of wood used to cook them. So applewood is used for the pork chops, hickory for the lamb, and cedar for the salmon. As we had heard previously, a few of the meats are cooked on planks, but you better believe that there is some slowly smoked barbecue going on here.

As is apparently a rule in Chicago for new restaurants, they are serving a selection of barbecue, including what we think is the city’s second batch of “competition” ribs after Chicago Q. The limited supply of these babied baby back ribs will set you back $30. They are also smoking beef spare ribs, brisket, and a suckling pig. Check out the full menu below, which General Manager Alexander Carlin notes is still in development.

Ole Hardwood Menu [PDF]
Ole Hardwood Drink Menu [PDF]
Ole Hardwood, 1315 S. Wabash Ave., Chicago, IL 60605; 312-583-9761
Ole Hardwood BBQ and Pork Martinis [Urban Daddy]

What to Eat at Ole Hardwood, Now Open