Love Brisket? Get To Windy City Smokeout Early For Best In Fest Eats

CHICAGO — We came to see Willie Nelson take the stage at Windy City Smokeout Thursday night, the first of four days of country music in the United Center parking lot.

No offense to the 89-year-old country music troubadour, whose seated serenade felt like a family jam session in a Lone Star State-sized backyard.

But the Texas-style brisket — served alone, atop elotes and inside fajitas, to name a few — stole the show.

That said, skipping out on Slab's Tri Tip with chimichurri sauce because some cynical barbecue nerd bad mouths the restaurant's Los Angeles address would be a terrible mistake.

Here's some advice for the casual country music fan with foodie tendencies: Show up early, immediately take a left.

This way, you won't get stuck in a ridiculously long beer line — and the brisket won't be sold out before you get a taste.

Don't worry about missing the music.

At Windy City Smokeout, there's little reason to rub shoulders with strangers thanks to conveniently placed video monitors and speakers that extend beyond the soundboard at the single-stage music fest.

Unlike, say Lollapalooza, you can enjoy the show with cold one and a plate of tasty grub at the same time without getting elbowed by an over-enthusiastic music fan.

So, explore the perfectly curated taste of American fare and craft beer and, for rum lovers like me, the Three Dots and a Dash tiki bar — which was a reminder that Chicago-based Lettuce Entertain You restaurant group had a lot to do with the Smokeout's first Country Music Awards "Festival of the Year" win.

Our city knows how to throw a party.