I recently was driving down Sheridan Road and saw a no-frills, little restaurant that had a sign that read, “Rib King Soul Food Catering.” A lot of times these modest little joints turn out to be real hidden gems. So let’s go to this gem and see how it shines!

Okay, here we are at the Rib King on Sheridan Road.

It's funny, I was just asking someone the other day what Dan Quayle was up to and here's my answer, he must be making signs for the Rib King here in Peoria.

The sign says it's open, so let's go in and see what's happening at The Rib King!

It's nice and cozy in here, certainly a no-frills joint and that makes it all the more comfortable in here, in my humble opinion.

And here's the host and server for today, Alonzo. Alonzo's a great guy and we had a nice discussion about Peoria, work, family and other topics the whole time I was there. The Rib King certainly has a friendly vibe to it.

If you're getting your food to go, there's chairs to sit in at the front of the room, and if you're staying, there's a nice booth to sit at.

I had to try the rib tips, but on my next visit I may get the deep fried southern gizzards. I love chicken gizzards and have never seen them on a menu before.

Here's more of the menu and I see here they also serve up Polish sausage, something you don't see on too many menus as well. I think a return visit is in the works for MBIP!

If you need a catered meal, they can pull it off for you, just give them a call.

Here's a view of Sheridan Road from the front window.

If you order enough food at the Rib King, you get special offers from the Tire King. Hmm, I'm wondering if these two kings are related?

Okay, I've ordered, let's go hang out at the counter and wait for the food to arrive.

Check it out, there's free snacks here, and it's a great mix! They must employ a board-certified snackologist here.

There's a flat screen TV behind the counter which would make Gene of the BBC happy!

And here's the food! I got the rib tips with cole slaw and macaroni and cheese. The portions here are huge and it looks and smells wonderful. Let's dig in!

The rib tips were beyond tender and really delicious! They know how to barbecue at this place!

It was a great meal, but no way could I finish all that food in one setting, so I got the rest of it bagged up and will eat it after work tonight. If you're in a soul food/barbecue mood, you need to check out the Rib King!

My Meal

It may be a small restaurant, but Rib King offers up a giant-sized menu! Some of the choices include ribs, Polish sausage, deep fried southern catfish and a burger that they call, “The Great Peoria Barbeque Hamburger.” A few of the sides include: Cole slaw, macaroni and cheese, greens and southern sweet potatoes. There’s always a variety of fresh cakes for dessert if you can still eat after one of the massive meals here, the portions are pretty big, so come hungry!

I got the rib tips and the meal comes with two choices of sides, so I went with the macaroni and cheese and cole slaw. The food came quickly and it did not dissapoint. The rib tips were so tender, you almost didn’t have to chew them. They smoke the meats here for over five hours and it pays off when the meat hits the tastebuds. Smoky, tangy, succulent are just a few adjectives that came to mind as I savored the meaty bites. The sides were good, my only small complaint would be that the macaroni and cheese was just a little on the bland side, but the rib tips were so good, it really didn’t matter.

As I was eating my meal, I told Alonzo about eating chicken and waffles at Sylvia’s, the legendary soul food restaurant in Harlem and he said he’d suggest the dish to Tink, the owner. If they add that to the menu, I’ll definitely post it. Thanks to Alonzo for being such a gracious host and server and putting up with my hijinx and picture taking. I will return!