Briny Swine Smokehouse & Oyster Bar

I went to dinner at Briny Swine on Clark St for Friday date night with my husband. The restaurant was booked but we were able to grab seats at the bar without a reservation. Fun vibes!We tried the oyster deviled eggs for a starter. They were surprisingly delicious! The fish fry special with coleslaw enticed us for our entree. The batter stood out for its flavorful seasoning. The golden fries were crispy, thick cut, and well seasoned. The creamy coleslaw enriched the dish a little too much--a vinegar-based slaw would have worked better.The bartender was friendly and attentive. Our food was run out quickly, including dessert, which was banana pudding with crushed Nilla wafers. Oh my was this dish decadent! We left before the live music began but would love to return another time.

Wanted to love this place so much--but alas, our search for a good smokehouse continues. The fried crispy okra and blue crab hush puppies were pretty great but the meats just weren't there... without the sauces the ribs and briskets were quite bland. The wings were seasoned well and quite tasty, but nobody comes to a smokehouse to get just chicken (if any). Amirite?Service was really great, however! Our server was attentive and super friendly.

We ordered a dozen oysters and hush puppies. They only brought a half dozen oysters at first and no hush puppies. When we brought it up with our server, she said "they f*d up" and our hush puppies were never rung in. We ordered a full slab of ribs and wings. The wings were dry rubbed and had good flavor, but they didn't provide enough sauce. The wings were borderline indelible. They were extremely salty and could not be covered with other salty sauces. Baked beans were sweet, other sides were fine.When we wrapped up, our waitress never asked how everything was to provide feedback and just dropped the check and picked it up once she saw a card was down.

After this place been empty for a real long time, I'm excited to see a new restaurant popping up. The place smells really new. Unfortunately, the overall food flavor/quality was disappointing. We tried blue crab hush puppy, brisket sandwich, meat platter (wings, brisket, and pork belly), she crab soup, and french fries. Despite the fact that the hush puppy only had few blue crab here and there, the overall taste was a lot better than most of the hush puppies I had. But $11 for 5 hush puppies were pricy. Brisket was really dry both in sandwich and meat platter. Chicken wings were not bad. Pork belly was by far my favorite. In fact, it was really good. It melts in your mouth and the sweetness offset the fatty taste. If I ever go back, I may try the BBQ cobb salad (pork belly salad). She crab soup and the dinner roll on the meat platter tasted like they've been sitting for a long time. She crab soup had an overpowering sherry taste and I didn't notice any crab.Overall, food quality doesn't warrant the price.

We really enjoyed our brunch here! The service was very friendly. The food was all really enjoyable. I would strongly recommend the smoked cauliflower! The frose is really delicious too.

Only have done takeout (via Uber Eats) but the food was great and the server that helped us was very friendly. They also have items labeled as gluten free which is awesome for those who need it. The BBQ I've had in Chicago has been pretty mid but this is a great option with a really cool inside if you want to dine-in. Brisket was my favorite but the pulled pork was also very good. Would definitely recommend to anyone looking for good BBQ and good vibes

Delicious meal tonight! If you are a brisket lover you can't go wrong! Best in town for sure!! They have sliced and chopped varieties and you can order a plate or a sandwich! Their sides are so delicious too- I'd recommend the potato salad, beans or potato fries! Service was excellent- servers are so friendly and attentive!! This will be my new "go-to" spot!!!

Finally nice that the old Hop Cat has been filled with a new restaurant. This Carolina BBQ spot is a welcome addition to the neighborhood. We started with their crispy Okra appetizer. This was fantastic! They lived up to their name and the corn topping was a nice addition. While my brisket and pulled pork was tasty, the sauces they provided didn't quite do it for me. They were either too sweet or didn't quite have enough flavor. It seems as they have worked out the early kinks in the service as we were there on a busy Friday evening and were treated well. I do recommend trying this place if you are close by.

Food was great. Portions are big. Brisket was moist and flavorful. Sausage is good, but if you like Texas BBQ it's different. Mac n Cheese was delicious. Baked Beans were sweet but good! Corn Pudding is more like corn bread, but if that's what you expect it was tasty as well. Really enjoyed the atmosphere and service! Would go back!!

Honestly surprised by a lot of the reviews here. Order the 4 meat platter for carry out and got pulled pork, brisket, ribs, and sausage links. All were fantastic but the standout was the brisket. It was incredibly tender and the meat and rub were so flavorful. I also really liked the flavor of the ribs - just an fyi I don't think they were babyback so they're a little different from what I'm used to. Also enjoyed the yellow (mustard?) and vinegar bbq sauces. Will definitely be back / will order again.