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Freeman’s Sports has been a fixture of the area along the Fox River in Yorkville for many years, a place where locals could pick up some live bait or rent a canoe for an afternoon floating down the river.
Freeman’s still has a location at its building at 129 East Hydraulic Avenue, but last year a barbecue restaurant moved into the building and now takes up much of that space. In addition, Southbank Original Barbecue built a deck and an outdoor seating area in back of the building to allow for al fresco dining along the river.
Southbank Original Barbecue, known by regulars and the restaurant itself by the saucy nickname “S.O.B.’s,” draws people from all over with its selection of wood-smoked pork, beef, chicken, sausages, and more. They have a variety of sides to choose from, along with a variety of homemade barbecue sauces.
The Mystery Diner has enjoyed seeing the various restaurants pop up in downtown Yorkville, a place where there wasn’t much life just a few years ago. Southbank is a real gem, and is a great place to get a tasty meal and enjoy a nice day along the banks of the Fox.
Southbank is open for lunch and dinner, and the Mystery Diner decided to use his lunch break on a recent sunny day to try it out. He was not disappointed in the least, and had enough food to take home in a box.
Southbank’s menu includes unique appetizers, like BBQ pork nachos and something called “SOB pie,” which, according to the menu, is “a bed of corn chips topped with our homemade Brunswick stew, shredded cheddar cheese, and crumbled tortilla chips.” Considering Brunswick stew is basically a stew with barbecued meat, that sounds like a real treat.
They also have a variety of BBQ sandwiches, sausages and other options, as well as entrees that include two side dishes.
Another option is the “Build Your Own S.O.B.,” where you can build an a la carte plate of meat. For $11, the Mystery Diner received four ounces of thinly sliced tri-tip beef, six ounces of pulled pork, and two “lollipops,” which were jumbo-sized smoked chicken drumsticks. To top it off, the Mystery Diner ordered a side of Southbank’s macaroni and cheese.
All of the meat was delicious, moist and full of flavor, and the sauces were a great pairing. The macaroni and cheese was flavorful. All food came hot and ready to eat, and the service was spectacular and friendly.
The Mystery Diner has had barbecue in Memphis, Nashville, and Alabama, and this barbecue holds up to anything he’s eaten in those food capitals.
For a moment, you forgot you were in downtown Yorkville, and instead were in the South along a river, enjoying some unique barbecue flavor. That’s the sign of a great restaurant. The Mystery Diner highly recommends Southbank Original Barbecue for a unique BBQ experience.
• The Mystery Diner is a newsroom employee at the Record Newspapers. The diner’s identity is not revealed to restaurant staff before or during the meal. The Mystery Diner visits a restaurant and then reports on the experience. The Mystery Diner is not intended to be a restaurant critic but does highlight the parts of a dining experience that he/she can recommend.
If you go
What: Southbank Original Barbecue
Where: 129 E. Hydraulic Ave., Yorkville
Hours: Sunday - Thursday: 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.; Friday: 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.; Saturday: 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.
Information: call 630-385-2477 or visit southbankoriginalbarbecue.com