Pantry · Chicago, Illinois
Lillie's Q
Southern barbecue sauces from Chicago, rooted in a grandmother's South Carolina kitchen.
- Founded by
- Charlie McKenna
- Based in
- Chicago, Illinois
Their story
Lillie's Q is named for Charlie McKenna's grandmother Lillie, who grew up in rural South Carolina and raised her family in Greenville. Charlie spent summers in her kitchen, and the southern cooking he learned there became the basis for his business.
He built Lillie's Q around a barbecue restaurant in Chicago's West Town neighborhood, later adding counters at Wrigley Field and the United Center and a location in Destin, Florida. The bottled sauces, rubs and kettle chips carry the same flavors home. Grandma Lillie passed away in January 2021.
How it's made
The range covers several regional southern barbecue sauce styles, including a smoky sauce and an Ivory sauce, plus a bourbon barrel-aged sauce introduced in 2018. Recipes draw on the southern cooking Charlie learned from his grandmother, and the line also includes dry rubs and kettle chips.
Why we carry them
We like Lillie's Q for bringing true regional barbecue flavor to a backyard grill or a weeknight sheet pan of chicken. Try a few styles side by side.
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