Who would have thought that Champaign, Illinois can put out the best barbecue? You lucky UIUC kids, I'm jealous!\n\nLast September, I went to Black Dog for the first time on a double date. We had a 40-minute wait but time flew by in their awesome draft beer selection. They ran out of the famous burnt ends (meat cut from the point half of a smoked brisket) by the time we sat down, but everything else was delicious so I promised myself to go back. And I did, 3 times! It has become a tradition for my boyfriend and me. The quality of their food and beer is amazingly consistent.\n\nThe burnt ends turned out to be perfectly charred, moist and smokey. On top of that, their hot polish and chicken are just mind blowing. I never pick chicken over beef/pork at bbq places, until I reached my fork into my friend's Black Dog chicken platter :P But tonight, we got another surprise...Smoke Duck Special, which has now made Thursday night the best night! Both the duck and the chicken are worth trying. They not too greasy and deliciously spiced.\n\nLast but not least, I have fallen in love with their sides and bbq sauces. You can't go wrong with the sweet potato fries and the vinegar based slaw, also, the cornbread has BRISKET in it! I know the bbq sauce variety does not help your decision making. If you like something with a little \"zing\" or \"kick\", I suggest the Hot Georgia Peach and the mustard.