Lem’s Bar-B-Q, the South Side restaurant known for its rib tips and hot links, officially collected one of the highest honors in the culinary world. On Monday night at the Lyric Opera House, the James Beard Foundation named Lem’s one of its 2025 American Classics—an award reserved for independent, locally owned restaurants that serve food with deep regional and cultural roots.
“This is a family legacy that we have continued, started by my dad’s two brothers and my father,” Lem’s owner Carmen Lemons said from the red carpet.
The honor caps off a 70-year journey that began in 1954, when Myles and Bruce Lemons opened the original Lem’s on East 75th Street. Their brother James B. Lemons joined the venture in 1968, helping to build Lem’s into a Chicago institution. Since then, it has been the go-to spot for barbecue lovers from all walks of life, drawn in by its signature sauce and cooked-to-order cuts from a distinctive aquarium-style pit, where hickory wood and charcoal deliver that unmistakable Lem’s flavor.
On stage at the Lyric Opera, Carmen Lemons accepted the award on behalf of her family, flanked by longtime friend Lynn and nephews Billy and Kameron—all of whom help keep the pit fires burning.
This year’s American Classics honorees spanned the country, from Gaido’s in Galveston, Texas, to the famed Dooky Chase in New Orleans. Lem’s stood proudly among them, representing not just Chicago cuisine, but Black culinary excellence and resilience on the South Side.
The James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards, held annually in Chicago, are among the highest honors in the food world. This year’s celebration included a walk-around tasting reception at Union Station, where award-winning chefs served dishes to guests from across the country.
Since its founding, Lem’s has done more than fill stomachs. It has built community, created jobs, and cemented its place in the city’s cultural memory. At a time when family-owned restaurants are disappearing fast, Lem’s reminds Chicago what it means to cook with love, consistency, and soul.
With Monday’s recognition, Lem’s joins more than 100 restaurants across the country that have earned the “American Classic” title since the category’s launch in 1998.
And now, after seven decades of slow-cooked mastery, the world knows what Chicagoans have long celebrated: there’s nothing like Lem’s.
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