Soul & Smoke

Soul & Smoke is a casual Evanston choice for Chicago-style barbecue from chef/owner D’Andre Carter. At about $25 per person with a casual dress code, it suits diners who want smoked meat and sides without a formal occasion. The draw is straightforward: a barbecue-focused stop where planning is more about appetite and timing than ceremony.

The details are direct: this is an Evanston barbecue spot, not a fine-dining splurge. Current listed hours vary slightly across local sources, but as of August 2026 they generally show service starting at 11:00 AM, with Friday and Saturday running to 9:00 PM and other days closing earlier. Think of Soul & Smoke as a daytime or early-evening option first, especially if arriving near the end of service.

Chef-driven barbecue without the formal dinner commitment

Choose Soul & Smoke for Chicago-style barbecue associated with chef/owner D’Andre Carter. The appeal is casual, not dressy, with smoked meats and comfort-minded sides at the center. It fits when the table wants something hearty and specific without the structure or cost of a formal dinner.

Order around the signatures first: Prime Brisket and Smoked Duroc Rib Tips are the anchors, with Three-Cheese Mac & Cheese and Brown Butter Cornbread Muffins supporting them. Those dishes define the experience: smoke and meat at the center, rich sides around it, and a meal built around the restaurant’s known signatures. For casual barbecue in Evanston at about $25 per person, this is the clearest reason to go.

Go when the hours fit your plan

Soul & Smoke’s listed hours work for daytime or evening meals, though closing times vary by day and some local listings conflict for Sunday through Thursday. As of August 2026, Monday is listed as 11:00 AM to 8:30 PM; Sunday through Thursday as 11:00 AM to 7:30 PM, or 8:30 PM according to conflicting local listings; and Friday and Saturday as 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM. Treat the hours as part of the decision, especially for weeknight plans.

Dress casually and plan around posted hours rather than assuming late-night service. The strongest first order stays simple: brisket, rib tips, mac and cheese, and cornbread muffins. That combination keeps the meal focused on what the restaurant is built around and avoids overcomplicating a visit that works best as a direct barbecue stop.

Use it for casual barbecue, not for a quiet splurge

The value case is clear: at about $25 per person, Soul & Smoke makes sense when the table wants Chicago-style barbecue, signature smoked meats, and familiar sides in Evanston. It is not positioned here as a formal destination; the facts point to a casual barbecue meal. Use it for a relaxed, filling meal centered on recognizable signatures rather than a long, quiet, special-occasion format.

For broader Evanston planning, start with Pearl’s Evanston restaurants guide. If the night needs another stop, check Pearl’s Evanston bars guide; for visitors building a full stay, use the Evanston hotels guide. Choose Soul & Smoke when the meal needs to be casual, filling, and centered on Chicago-style barbecue, with enough structure to plan around but not enough formality to slow the night down.