Real Urban Barbecue to Open Second Location

Only a few months after celebrating its first birthday, Real Urban Barbecue already has plans to expand.

The barbecue spot that opened in Highland Park in November 2010 plans to open a larger Vernon Hills location at Route 45 and S. Milwaukee Avenue in April, according to owner Jeff Shapiro.

Shapiro said he's "beaming with happiness" about the expansion to an area that he says doesn't have any barbecue options.

"We've got an opportunity to come in and really concentrate on what we do and how we do it without any real competition," he said.

The Highland Park restaurant made more than a few top 10 lists in 2011, and Shapiro is hoping its success here will help build an audience for the new place in Vernon Hills. 

"We're becoming a little bit of an anchor in our shopping area," Shapiro said about Real Urban Barbecue's Port Clinton Square location. "We're going to go into Vernon Hills even harder than we went into Highland Park."

Though there's little more than a small sign advertising Real Urban Barbecue's impending arrival at its new storefront, Shapiro says he's already getting calls for more details from future customers.

"We're getting eight to 10 calls a day asking when are you opening," Shapiro said. "We're creating a buzz and we're not even there yet."