About Us

It all started when…

Phillip met a little lady visiting from NYC who loved bourbon and BBQ as much as he does. Akiko and Phillip got married and lived happily ever after…until their restaurant was shut down for the second time in a year due to the pandemic. So, they went back to their first shared love, BBQ.

Phillip is what is known as a fancy-pants chef, but under Akiko’s Tiger-mom like BBQ expectations, has devolved into a pretty decent pit slave. The result is certainly non-traditional, just like EL ideas, but definitely delicious.

EL ideas is dedicated to the elevated subway system in Chicago, so Boxcar BBQ is our love letter to the freight trains that go past our space 24/7. Our intention is to run Boxcar BBQ year-round, whether EL ideas is open or not, and eventually move across the street to the parking lot to a boxcar BBQ shack.