Pauly's BBQArthur, Illinois (217) 543-2400
Sliced smoked beef brisket with a dark bark and pink smoke ring, served on a board with pickles, slaw and potato salad

“Bite your tongue off and never miss it!”

Real smoke.
No shortcuts.

Award-winning brisket, fall-off-the-bone ribs and pulled pork — smoked low and slow every morning in the heart of Illinois Amish country.

Call to Order See the Menu
Checking hours… 310 E Columbia St, Arthur, IL Mon–Sat · Opens 10:30 AM
Beef Brisket Pulled Pork Baby Back Ribs Smoked Mac & Cheese The Hog Trough Sarah's Cobblers Smoked Turkey The Famous Grilled Cheese
Fresh off the smoker

Today at Pauly's

The menu doesn't change much. The day does — specials, sell-outs and trailer stops all land on our Facebook page first.

On the board today — Thursday, Nov 12

$1 wings all day. After 5 PM: the 1/2 BBQ chicken with 2 sides & cornbread, and the Family Wing Deal — 24 wings ($30) or 36 wings ($40), with family salad & dessert. Today's soups: chili & stuffed pepper.

See today's posts →

When it's gone, it's gone

The smoker only holds so much. If your heart's set on brisket or ribs, call ahead and we'll tell you straight what's left.

Call (217) 543-2400 →

Where's the trailer?

The Pauly's trailer pops up at fairs, car shows and events around the area. Stops are announced on Facebook as they're booked.

Trailer & catering →
Two smoked pig wings on a plate with cornbread and a cup of coleslaw

Pig Wings

A recent addition to the board — smoked pig wings with cornbread and slaw.

The BBQ Stack — cornbread loaded with pulled pork, barbecue sauce and coleslaw on a metal tray

The BBQ Stack

A slice of cornbread loaded up with pulled pork, sauce and slaw.

Two pulled pork tacos topped with coleslaw on a metal tray, with a cup of grapes and pineapple

Pulled Pork Tacos

Topped with slaw, fruit cup on the side — a recent special.

From a recent week at Pauly's — the board changes constantly, and when a special's gone, it's gone. Today's board is always on our Facebook.

Off the smoker

The ones folks drive for

Arthur sits about 35 miles southwest of Champaign — and people make the trip. These are the plates they come for.

Sliced smoked brisket board with pickles, onions and slaw
Award-Winning

Beef Brisket

Deep bark, pink smoke ring, sliced to order. The plate that built our name.

 Glazed smoked ribs stacked on a wooden board with barbecue sauce
Fall-off-the-bone

Baby Back Ribs

Glazed, sticky, and gone by supper most Saturdays.

 Pulled pork sandwich piled with coleslaw on a toasted bun
The Classic

Pulled Pork Sandwich

Fourteen hours in the smoker, piled high, topped with slaw.

 Barbecue grilled cheese sandwich stacked and oozing with melted cheese and smoked meat
Worth the road trip

The Famous Grilled Cheese

The unlikely legend of the menu — griddled, gooey, and loaded with smoke. People write articles about this sandwich.
Close-up of the Pauly's BBQ trailer's side sign — the flaming pig, the menu, and the slogan
Pauly's on the road

Find the trailer

Same smoker, different parking lot. The wood-sided trailer — pig on the side, flames and all — works fairs, car shows, golf outings and town events around the area, concessions and all.

  • Full sandwich menu on the road
  • Stops announced on Facebook as they're booked
  • Book the trailer for private events
Book the Trailer — Call Us Follow the Stops
About us

A hobby, a smoker, and a hometown

Paul Kuhns is an Arthur native who started smoking barbecue as a hobby while installing cabinets for a living. In 2010, he and his wife Sarah turned that hobby into Pauly's BBQ — and it's been a staple of this little Amish-country town ever since.

Paul runs the pits. Sarah runs the kitchen's sweeter side: the cobblers, pies, handmade soups and baked goods folks ask about by her name. Everything is family-made, from the smoked mac & cheese to the last slice of pie.

— Paul & Sarah Kuhns, owners

2010Smoking since
14 hrsOn the pork
6 daysA week, Sun. off
A full pan of golden smoked macaroni and cheese, fresh from the smoker
Homemade peach cobbler topped with scoops of vanilla ice cream
House legend

The Hog Trough

Our most talked-about plate: hobo potatoes buried under pulled pork, cheese and sour cream, with sweet cornbread alongside. Reviewers keep bringing it up by name — usually while planning their next trip back.

  • Small $8.45 · Large $11.95
  • Hobo potatoes, pulled pork, cheese and sour cream
  • Sweet cornbread on the side — built for one hungry person, shared by two, often
$11.95

Large Hog Trough · Small $8.45 — hobo potatoes, pulled pork, cheese and sour cream, with cornbread. Call ahead and skip the line at the counter.

Call to Order a Trough
Word of mouth

What folks say after the drive

★★★★★

“Food portions were quite large and tasted great too. If I only lived closer, I'd go on a regular basis.”

First-time visitor · Google review
★★★★★

“The pulled pork is great, not dry at all… the Mac actually has flavor! I also tried the Hog Trough and the potatoes were nice and soft. Honestly 10/10.”

Food trailer visit · Google review
★★★★★

“Great food whether you're eating in or take out. We get this for a group of about 20–30 at the holidays. It's always a big hit.”

Holiday catering order · Google review
Catering & the trailer

Feed the whole crew

From holiday parties of 20–30 to weddings and town events, Pauly's feeds a crowd the same way we feed the dining room — off the smoker, in generous portions.

Bulk catering

Meats by the pound and sides by the pan, ready for pickup at 310 E Columbia St.

  • Brisket, pulled pork, turkey & ribs by the pound
  • Smoked mac, pit beans & slaw by the pan
  • Sarah's cobblers & pies for dessert
Plan Your Event — Call Us
Close-up of the Pauly's BBQ trailer sign — the flaming pig over Arthur, IL and the slogan

The Pauly's trailer

Watch for our wood-sided trailer — pig on the side, flames and all — at fairs, car shows and events around Douglas County.

  • Full sandwich menu on the road
  • Book the trailer for private events
  • Follow us on Facebook for trailer stops
Find the Restaurant
Contact us

Visit us in the heart of Amish country

About 10 miles west of I-57 in Arthur — an easy detour, and a better lunch than the interstate exit ever gave you. Call ahead for takeout, big orders and catering.

Monday10:30 AM – 8:00 PM
Tuesday10:30 AM – 8:00 PM
Wednesday10:30 AM – 8:00 PM
Thursday10:30 AM – 8:00 PM
Friday10:30 AM – 9:00 PM
Saturday10:30 AM – 9:00 PM
SundayClosed

Holiday hours and special closures get posted on our Facebook page first.

Find us

310 E Columbia St
Arthur, IL 61911

Get directions →

Call ahead

Takeout, big orders and catering questions:
(217) 543-2400

Follow along

Daily specials, sell-outs and trailer stops land on our Facebook page first.

Call to Order Menu