Country Blaze BBQ: 'Try It Before You Buy It' Owner Says

CHANNAHON, IL — If you have not been to Country Blaze BBQ on South Pheasant Drive in Channahon, you are in for a treat. This is not your ordinary BBQ takeout restaurant.

When restaurant owner Troy Johnson is not in the kitchen slicing meat or cooking his rib tips, baby back ribs, pulled pork, chicken, fried shrimp or fish, he is hustling to the front counter delivering a platter of delicious samples for customers to try.

Johnson always has a smile on his face, and he loves to chat with his customers, whether you've been here a dozen times or are a first-time visitor.

Johnson has no problems giving away lots of free samples whenever he's open.

Samples, samples, samples, Country Blaze BBQ is known for giving away a ton of free samples to customers.

"Try it before you buy it," Johnson told me.

Johnson, the owner and operator of Country Blaze BBQ, is a proud former U.S. Marine.

Johnson told me that giving away free samples of his food is part of his recipe for success.

He opened Country Blaze BBQ 17 monts ago inside the Channahon strip mall along Route 6 that includes Pesciolino Osteria.

Clearly, Johnson is doing something right.

Country Blaze BBQ already has nearly 9,300 Facebook followers, and 1,293 people have checked-in to his restaurant on social media.

Johnson likes to talk about his food reviews. Since Country Blaze opened, Johnson has 58 Google Reviews with a near-perfect rating of 4.9 out of five stars.

Here are his three most recent Google Reviews:

"Awesome place to stop and get something to eat! Super friendly and also a fellow Marine Corps Veteran! Would recommend any day."

"You don't see an owner so passionate and so outgoing very often these days. As my first time being there, from the moment I walked in, it seemed as if I was his number one customer. He offered a platter of free samples while I waited for my order to be made fresh. The food was fantastic and the service was just as great. If you want your meat to stick on the bone, go somewhere else."

"Ribs were the best I have had in a long time if not ever. Then we got some chicken nugget samples that were pretty tasty too. Thanks Troy aka Captain Country Blaze."

Johnson said he changes his menu constantly. Some items are staples, like the ribs. Other days, he dabbles with different options such as a Mississippi pot roast, the jerk chicken or Louisiana hot links.

"My menu changes every day," Johnson said.

When I stopped by on a Saturday morning two weeks ago, Johnson was cutting up small pieces of smoked jerk salmon and delivering them to his carryout customers to taste.

Right now, Country Blaze BBQ is available for phone orders and walk-in take out orders.

Johnson said he is in the process of establishing a website for online ordering.

"My customer base has been built by word of mouth, without any advertisements," Johnson remarked.

My advice: if you live in Joliet, Plainfield or Shorewood, making the drive to Country Blaze BBQ on the weekends is worth the trip.

If you are torn between going with the ribs or the rib tips, I suggest the ribs.

But that's me.

During the winter months, Country Blaze is staying open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. The hours are 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Friday, noon to 7 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday. To order ahead, you can call 815-255-7278.

The building address for Country Blaze BBQ is 25445 S Pheasant Drive, Suite K.

I probably never would have found Country Blaze BBQ, if not for my story about Cream-Crunch-N-More. In early January, I covered the grand opening of Cream-Crunch-N-More.

Co-owners Jeff Otte and DJ Ross have partnered with Country Blaze BBQ to share space inside the same storefront, in addition to operating their ice cream truck.

Ice cream and BBQ, isn't that a perfect combination?

One last thing: Johnson reached to Patch on Feb. 19 announcing he has added several seafood items to the menu in honor of Lent.

"Going forward I will have seafood entries on the menu either smoked, grilled and or fried," he said.

The items are: Smoked Teriyaki Salmon $12, Shrimp $12, Catfish Nuggets $8, 2 pc. Fried Whiting Fillet(s) $7, 3 pc. Ocean Perch $6, plus a Cod Sandwich on a Brioche Bun with shredded lettuce, pickle, medium cheddar and tartar sauce.

All seafood orders come with fries, coleslaw and hawaiian roll.

Country Blaze BBQ also has 4 Fried Whole Chicken Wings for $6, 6 Fried Whole Chicken Wings for $8 and Chicken Nuggets of r$6 All orders come with fries and sauce.