Quite possibly the best ribs I have ever had. Extraordinary waitstaff. Had a wonderful time.

The Pride of Porter!! What a great time I had at Wagners Ribs. Nestled on the outer reaches of Chesterton Indiana, in the town of Porter is a local hot spot known as Wagners Ribs. I had heard about Wagners from people I know from the area, and they had but great things to say about this award winning Rib joint. I checked into the Best Wester Indian Oaks and made the quick drive to Wagners. I luckily found a parking spot right outside the restaurant and went in. The Restaurant was celebrating Halloween and Halloween decor was hung throughout the bar and restaurant area. I did go outside to check the patio, but the sun was going down and the patio only had a few patrons sitting there, so I ate inside instead. hey have two main sections inside, a bar and seating in that area and a main dining room. I was seated in the main dining room. Wagners serves American Style BBQ and Comfort food, and is known for their BBQ throughout the area. Food and Drink for This Evenings Meal. Starters and Sides A Cup of their Homemade Chilli Haystack Onions - Lightly fried, seasoned and served with a Southwest sauce Mashed Potates and Gravy Main Course Ribs and Shrimp Combo with Jumbo Grilled Shrimp served with melted Butter Beer Yuengling Black and tan The chili was amazing, full of meat and beans, and not too spicy. Those Haystack Onions alone are a worthy starter on their own and perfectly paired with that Southwest dip. Light with a touch of crispiness, you can easily over indulge of those onions.The ribs were smokey, sauced just right and of course fall off the bone tender. Wagners pumps out thousands of pounds of ribs every year, and they have their technique down to a science. The mashed potatoes were a worthy side, and probably the least appealing. Not that they weren't good it's just that I've been spoiled by many a holiday home cooked meal with mashed potatoes. The shrimp were juicy and plump and had a very slight seasoning on them. You could taste the fire and the shrimp without any overpowering added flavours. Wagners is a popular spot for a reason. The food is a culmination of a great kitchen and a great technique. The bar area is lively and dining room is charming. The staff are very friendly and you can feel their smiles and positivity through their masks. There is reason why Wagners is so popular and if you're ever the Dunes/Chesterton/Porter area, you will have to stop in and check it out for yourself.

The best ribs in town! Only non-meat option on the menu (for those interested as vegetarian and vegan) is a build your own macaroni and cheese with lots of choices for add ins! I opted for a salad without chicken and it was very fresh and delicious! Hubby ordered pulled pork sandwich and was also very satisfied. We have been customers for years and love the atmosphere and the hard working staff! Side note that it is not a family restaurant. 21 and over only.

Excellent food. It was extremely busy, but worth the wait.

Showed up early around 1030. Cute, clean space. Friendly staff. Great set up at the table. Their BBQ sauce is very sweet and has a almost a sweet and sour sauce hue look to it, slathered on top of fall off the bone badassery. ALSO THEY GIVE YOU A FROSTED GLASS, I've forgotten how much I've missed that special touch.

The photo says it all! The ribs were outstanding! This was a truly enjoyable culinary experience. Everything was wonderful, and I give Wagner's Ribs my highest recommendation. The atmosphere was cozy and charming, and our waitress was great!

Ribs were phenomenal, Mac and cheese and french onion soup was great! My fiance was sent back to the car for not having her ID on her, even as she wasn't drinking. Waitress was nice and friendly with good recommendations for the food and drinks as well as being fast and efficient

The best place to eat dinner traveling to or from Chicago. A quick detour and kitchen open late. Ribs are to live for. Some call them Texas style. They have the thick meatiness of a St. Louis style cut, and the tender juiciness of a Chicago style babyback, dark sweet sauce. Great sides. Friendly service and fair prices. It's a casual sports bar, so does not have the cocktail game of a supper club, but they'll take care of you. And cool Halloween decor!

Wagner’s Ribs is a staple in the Chesterton and Beverly Shores area for ribs. They truly have the BEST ribs I’ve had anywhere (I go for the classic ribs with fall off the bone meat), amazing bbq sauce and tasty sides. Baked potato. Waffle French fries and slaw are my go to sides!! The service is always friendly, attentive and pretty fast (even when they are busy). I’ve been coming here 20+ years (every summer when I’m back to the region) and fall in love more and more each visit!! My family also loves their steaks but I can’t resist the ribs every time. Get a full slab for one and enjoy leftovers day two.

Maybe on the low side of four stars, but good. The ribs were good, but not great. The asparagus was quite good, and the Mac and cheese was a little lackluster. The staff was very friendly and it was a good place to rest and recharge around the dunes.

Just a southside girl from Chicago who found herself here one evening. These ribs can stand up to any southern juke joint or fancy pants place in the city. The cornbread johnny cakes were sweet savory delights and the green beans were greener than I ever imagined. I will be back. The staff and service were top notch!

Love love LOVE Wagner's ribs and do a takeout order pretty regularly. Had a little extra time today so we stopped in for lunch! Everything was delicious and Jessica was so pleasant! She did a great job taking care of us!

First time here (out of towners); the food was phenomenal!! My husband got a full slab of bbq ribs; I got the bbq pulled pork sandwich. The lemon meringue cheesecake for dessert was the best, too! Aspen, he was our server, and gave outstanding customer service! Highly recommend stopping here! We will definitely be returning here if our journeys ever bring us through this way again.

This used to be a five-star stuff for me but no longer. The restaurant and bar are dirty and noisy. The bathroom is a shambles. The ribs were tender but tasteless and dry. If it wasn't for the delicious barbecue sauce I wouldn't have eaten them. They were out of their cornbread which I normally like, so I ordered tater tots which were served lukewarm and must have been sitting under the heat lamp for a while. I spoke to the waiter and asked to have some hot tater tots fresh and the ones he returned to me appeared to be the same ones that were just dropped into the fryer for a minute or so and then given back to me. It must be short on wait staff because I never saw the waiter again until he brought the check.

We ate at Wagner's while on vacation in the area because it was rated so highly online and in their tourism guide. The food was fine, but the ribs were definitely not fall-off-the-bone terrific. The tater tots were a little undercooked. The only thing that was really good was the slaw, which was unique and very tasty. The restaurant was incredibly busy, so our food took a really long time to arrive. Definitely not worth the wait. We ate at Smokey's the day before and it was much better food and a better experience overall.

I got the ribs Tim's way. It is sauce and then put back on the grill to get some chars. That is the best way I love my ribs. I would come back here every time I was in the portage Indiana area.

Burger was overdone. Bun was not the freshest I've had. The fries were cold. Service was mediocre, but that's because our server had too many tables, and the food wasn't coming out of the kitchen very fast. I used to eat there 3 or 4 times a month, although lived closer. I doubt I'll ever return. My wife and I were both disappointed. P.S. At least the beer was good and cold, ha, ha.

Delicious! Best BBQ sauce I have ever tasted! Ribs were amazing! Cornbread yummy and wedge salad was great. Service was excellent. We bought a pint of BBQ sauce to take home. Planning our next trip to Indiana just so we can come back to Wagner’s!

The amount of money spent here and what you get, you can get better elsewhere. Always busy, standing room only for carryout. If you order ahead of time, when you arrive for the time it says to appear, +10-15 mins, I'm still waiting 20-25 mins. My recent complain, I sent an email to their customer service for the fried onions. These things were so fried, they're less than potatoe shoe strings and tasted like carbon. Down hill for sure, I've lived in the area since high-school, and you can taste what they're cooking, and it's lacking it's luster.

The ribs were probably perfect. I gobbled them so quickly that I failed to take proper notice. Tender, flavorful, & smoky is all I recall. And I should have gotten enough for leftovers. Excellent service, too. I have been back a few times in the past year: Still 5 stars. The most recent trip found me as the passenger in the vehicle and I amused myself by reading aloud the 1-star reviews, mostly complaints about Indiana's liquor laws, over which Wagner's has no control. There are, of course, the cranks who hated the service, or the cole slaw, or the other diners, or their life. I came for the ribs. The waitress was quick and attentive. And the $9 French onion soup was worth every penny -- the best I have ever eaten (sorry, Mom!). My full rack ($27) was prepared "Texas style", but I think I prefer "Wagner's style". I am splitting hairs. The meat was tender and the spicy sauce was spicy. Perfect. My waffle fries were hot & delicious. The corn bread was superb. The real star of the reviews are the responses from the owner of Wagner's. Perfect combination of caring, cynicism, concern, and sarcasm. I am loving life. 5 stars!

This was a recommendation by a local clerk at the Toyota Dealership. I got stuck due to some car issues while passing through. First of all, the food is exceptional, good sized portions for the price they charge. The environment, staff are very warm and welcoming. There was no kids allowed in the restaurant which I applaud. Thank you. Additionally bathrooms were immaculate. Definitely worth stopping for food at this location. 5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Best ribs on the planet. I get mine TIMS style and honestly believe they are the best ribs anywhere. Meaty, crispy, slightly spicy and fall off the bone tender. Waffle fries are my potato of choice. Also love their cole slaw. It’s mild, but excellent with the ribs. I’ve tried other menu items, but for me their baby backs are the star of their menu. Service was friendly and efficient. Restrooms were clean. Easy parking but it fills up fast. Get there early if you want a good spot. I always plan a stop there when I am in the area. It is a 21 and older restaurant as they have a full service bar up front. No children allowed. There is no wheelchair access and the restrooms are not handicap friendly. One thing to note, and maybe it’s just me, but I find their floors really slippery. I always pay attention to my footing while in there. IMO the best ribs out there.

A+ atmosphere, sat on the patio under the shade of the trees. Tables are spaced out well. Ordered ribs, mac&cheese, cornbread cakes. Highly recommend, beer was a good price. Would definitely visit again.

Good food, service could be better. We stopped for lunch twice while we were in town because the ribs are so good! The first time, the cornbread side had to have been made the day before and reheated--not worth eating. But someone ordered it the second time we went and it was much better. It's like a little cornbread pancake. The green beans were fresh and delicious. You have to be 21 to enter (not sure why) and the second day my son was carded. He wasn't ordering an alcoholic beverage so he had to run to the car to get his wallet. The waitress was not too nice about that, or anything else for that matter, and I doubt we would have returned had she been our waitress the first day. The ladies' room faucet only trickles water out--use the wet wipes dropped off with your ribs if your fingers get messy. Neither day was busy for lunch. Definitiely worth a visit.