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BARBECUE BEANS & CORNBREAD The slow-cooked ribs fall off the bone, the chicken is crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, devastating when covered in B & C’s sweet and tangy housemade sauce. The key here is the soulful sides; a mighty mac & cheese, greens and that rarity, Hopping John. BERT’S MARKET PLACE Jazzy yes, but the music isn’t the only thing that cooks. We especially like the Saturday afternoons, when they fire up that monster grill out front and cook for the throngs of Eastern Market shoppers. The ribs are backyard perfect, chicken moist and sloppy and the grapefruit-sized “Oh My...” hamburger is so huge—they may be breaking a commandment with its name. BONEYARD BAR-B-QUE AND GRILL Just so we’re clear, real barbecue has nothing to do with sauce; it’s a slow cooking process to render tough cuts fork-tender. Sauce is an extra: often appreciated, rarely necessary. Boneyard kind of instinctively gets this, and their trademark open-flame rotisserie produces. With four locations around the metro area, there’s always one nearby. CHAMPS ROTISSERIE AND SPIRITS A cozy fireplace makes this a tempting grotto for barbecue in the dead of winter, but year-round, it offers one of the most reliable experiences in the Pointes. It’s a gathering spot for locals who appreciate the quality without worrying about the tariff. Generous cocktails make it the ideal launching pad for any eastside jaunt. LAZYBONES SMOKEHOUSE It’s not a fancy “sit-down” place, but this former Golden Grill is now smokin’. Deni has fired up the applewood and loaded his racks with chicken, cow and pig. Chef-wise, it has scads more finesse than the typical rib joint, and it shows on his house-made sides and sauces. Chicken gumbo and creamed corn are side-options as well; his potato salad is made with Yukon golds and his smoked beans are truly musical. There’s even a few salads, which may scare some of you BBQ bloodhounds until you discover there is smoked swine and chicken in the Memphis Cobb. MEMPHIS SMOKE The scent of slowly cooking pork parts and the sweet tang of the blues mingle far down Main Street; meanwhile, the Memphis Smoke barmaids are unrelentingly pretty and the food appeals to serious eaters as well as to semi-tanked hipsters. This corner cornerstone never appeared to be a market-driven endeavor, so we’re gratified that it’s become a genuine Royal Oak landmark. The massive neon porker outside is a beacon for those in search of the spicy (but still subtle) flavors of dry rubs and similar traditional tastes. MILT’S GOURMET BAR ’B’ QUE In Detroit, the only way you could get away with using the word “gourmet” in your name is if you really weren’t. Milt’s skates that thin line, and, with what loyalists claim are the best ribs ever, maintains a position as a top Detroit-style barbecue where you won’t believe that you can eat so well for so little. OXFORD INN A sentimental favorite and always worthy of recommendation: their barbecue had been rated in the stratosphere even before the area became gentrified and the trendsters discovered it. There’s a lot of good eating to be done in Royal Oak, and nowhere is more tried-and-true than at the Oxford. It’s congenial, well-suited to the neighborhood and a perfect amalgam of friendly pub and fine dining. Up-to-date without being demanding with quick, flexible service and a menu of upscale comfort food. Ribs rule, but try the rest. SLOWS BAR BQ Located in a couple of beautifully restored, turn of the century buildings in historic Corktown, Slows has had people lining up for what most consider “the best damn barbeque in Detroit.... period.” Add to that a fully stocked bar with over 100 kinds of beer and their newly installed patio and it's easy to see why Slows Bar BQ is such an oasis. SOUTHERN FIRES The carry-out king of soul, Southern Fires has been igniting the fancy of Detroiters since owner John Thompson bought Franklin East and opened this smoking little restaurant where they produce baby back ribs that are a benchmark against which all others must be measured. And after all, what more can be said about Southern cooking than world-class ribs, destination-worthy fried chicken and sanctimonious smothered pork chops? TUNNEL BARBECUE Cats look down on us, dogs look up to us, but pigs treat us like equals: that’s why we like pigs. And there is no equal to Tunnel Barbecue, the premier pig processing point among the panoply of pork-pullers east of the Pacific. Opened in 1941, TBQ (as it’s affectionately known) has served generations of pigaholics on both sides of the border. Wonderful barbecue sandwiches and goofily named but delicious combos like shrimpken and shribs. Known for massive portions and miniscule check totals, you need but walk in to know you’re at the core of the Great White North barbecue universe and why, in the area, plenty of barbecue aficionados have tunnel vision. UPTOWN BAR-B-QUE Located on the edge of the University of Detroit campus, the four-inch Plexiglas window between you and the saucy young thing behind the counter will make you feel right at home. But the real magic begins once she hands over the pungent and precious cargo that’ll have you running red lights to tear into. Firm, succulent and oh-so-tender, these meaty bones have found the mightiest men braving the generous weekend hours for that late-night fix. A godsend for true connoisseurs of the other white meat. URBAN WINGS & CO. The bar is high for barbecue across the city, and Urban Wings—in a distinctly non-urban setting (West Bloomfield)—admirably makes the leap. Pat Coleman, proprietor of ultra-popular Beans and Cornbread, has sharpened his focus to present a streamlined, casual and comfortable menu, riffing on the theme of southern home-style cooking. Expect a diversity of ages, incomes, ethnicities and lifestyles when you walk in the doors, but all differences are forgotten once you dig into the namesake high-voltage wings and St. Louis–style pork ribs. YOUNG’S BARBECUE Home cooking for Dixie expatriates, this bling-free storefront plates up tasty southern fare at super-low prices via a family recipe–type menu that includes the usual gang of suspects: ribs, chicken and catfish. Expect to leave with your hands deliciously sticky unless you’re one of those cleanliness fanatics who insist on washing up after particularly gratifying barbecue. © 2008 Guide to Detroit, LLC |