Real Urban Barbecue chef/owner Jeff Shapiro and his crew at their new Vernon Hills restaurant prepare 700 slabs of St. Louis-style ribs for the Vernon Hills Ribfest. | Rob Dicker~Sun-Times Media

Smokers used by Real Urban Barbecue regularly drop pellets into the burners, keeping the temperature stable. | Rob Dicker~Sun-Times Media

Real Urban Barbecue chef/owner Jeff Shapiro checks a pellet hopper that feeds fuel into a smoker. This smoker uses pellets made from hickory sawdust. | Rob Dicker~Sun-Times Media

Real Urban Barbecue chef/owner Jeff Shapiro bastes slabs of ribs to keep them sweet and moist during the long cooking process the day before the opening of Ribfest. | Rob Dicker~Sun-Times Media

Cook Oscar Gomez rubs huge beef briskets with Real Urban Barbecue's own spice rub. | Rob Dicker~Sun-Times Media

Oscar Gomez grabs a handful of the spice rub while preparing meat for one of the smokers at Real Urban Barbecue's Vernon Hills restaurant. | Rob Dicker~Sun-Times Media

The crowd begins to thicken around 5 p.m. as the band takes the stage at Vernon Hills Ribfest on Aug. 25, 2012. | Rob Dicker~Sun-Times Media

Smoke rises from a slab of Real Urban Barbecue ribs being finished off on the grill at Vernon Hills Ribfest. | Rob Dicker~Sun-Times Media

Juan Acosta cuts in half a slab of Real Urban Barbecue ribs. | Rob Dicker~Sun-Times Media

Juan Acosta cuts a sampler size portion of Real Urban Barbecue ribs at the Vernon Hills Ribfest. | Rob Dicker~Sun-Times Media

Tim Scardina of Chicago, who grew up in Vernon Hills, enjoys a half slab of Real Urban Barbecue's ribs. | Rob Dicker~Sun-Times Media