Bandana's Bar-B-Q is a BBQ restaurant chain with locations throughout Missouri, Iowa and Illinois. The first restaurant opened in 1996 in Arnold, MO. Bandana's commitment to wood smoked Southern Bar-B-Q has remained true as they've continued to expand.

Bandana's sent samples of each of their six sauces and two rubs. I used the first of their sauces, Chicago Sweet, for the smoked chicken thighs that I served at a family cookout. The Chicago Sweet sauce was a bit of surprise. The biggest surprise was that it wasn't all that sweet. When a label suggests "sweet" I usually think of a brown sugar, honey sauce. Bandana's Chicago Sweet has an sweet element provided by the corn syrup, but nothing that really sticks out.

Though I can't say that I've experienced Chicago BBQ, I felt like the sauce was remarkably similar to K.C. Masterpiece. The dark color and thick texture very closely resemble that of Masterpiece (and many other inexpensive commercial sauces). The flavor is pretty subdued in all facets. It's not quite bold, sweet, smokey or spicy enough to stand out

The consensus at the cookout was that the sauce was "familiar," but not exceptional. It's a safe choice for brushing on chicken or ribs, but I can't say that I would recommend it. For more information on Bandana's Bar-B-Q, click the title of this review. You can also see how I rate the Chicago Sweet sauce on the Product Reviews page. Check back here at The "Q" Review for future reviews of additional Bandana's products.