WGN, ABC7 Head to Real Urban Barbecue

For owner , video cameras are beginning to seem as common a sight as brisket or pulled pork.

Last week, two camera crews came into Highland Park's newest barbecue spot to film segments for WGN's "Chicago's Best" and ABC7's "The Hungry Hound."

The "Chicago's Best" segment airs May 15. The next day, Shapiro will head to Chicago to cook in the studio of for a nationally televised news segment about National Barbecue Month. "The Hungry Hound" segment airs May 20. 

"That whole week is going to be really kind of great for us."

The television segments come after a string of favorable press for RUB, which opened last November. The restaurant has been favorably reviewed by The Chicago Sun-Times and mentioned in Chicago Magazine's Hot List. 

The attention isn't entirely due to the food. Shapiro uses a public relations firm to market the restaurant, and will often offer unique holiday deals to make the place stand out. For example, RUB offered carryout Passover feasts for seder dinners in April and a candle-lit dinner for Valentine's Day.

"I've run restaurants for a long time and I think that you need to keep your name out there constantly," Shapiro said. "I want it to be so that when anybody thinks about barbecue, our name is going to be in the forefront."

Shapiro points out, however, that the restaurant's PR firm didn't help with the television interviews because the stations don't accept PR firm pitches.

"All the momentum leading up to it probably helped," he said. "And we're serving a great product."

With National Brisket Day coming up at the end of May, Shapiro is already brainstorming for things to do to capitalize on the occasion. One idea: Chicago's biggest brisket sandwich.

"A lot of it is fueled by my crazy ideas," Shapiro said of RUB's publicity stunts.

During the summer, Shapiro plans to teach cooking lessons outside of RUB and host a call-in show for people with barbecue questions. 

"I want to keep the ball rolling, because you just can't let it die," Shapiro said. "It's got to keep working."