19 Paul BBQ (CLOSED)

The extensive menu of solidly executed barbecue standards here features names—Beat Cop Basket, Top Brass St. Louis Ribs—that allude to owner Kurrin Beamon’s day job as a Chicago police officer. Try the tender rib tips as well as the brisket, which is shredded rather than sliced (all the better to hold the smoky-sweet house sauce in which it’s tossed) and served up on a fresh brioche bun. Too often mac and cheese is brought down by blandness, but the version here is super flavorful, with a sharp cheddar tang and just a hint of heat that comes courtesy of finely minced chilies.