Barbecue in Detroit

Anyone can show up here. Detroit's only late night jazz club serving up Cajun catfish and red beans and rice all night long. It's not common to find a bar where everyone seems to know each other and yet newcomers don't feel excluded. Dozens of regulars turn up Thursdays for the open mic jazz jam sessions. Bert's serves the music fans bargain-price soul food from rows of steam tables: meat and two sides for nine bucks, or up to $25 for a whole slab of ribs. In keeping with Bert's bare-bones, working-class atmosphere, their food is more down-home than much of the soul food you find in restaurants, which has often been upgraded from its humble origins.

The decorations are simple because this place is meant to be for carryout only. Big Fellas Barbecue and Bakery wants its customers to keep their focus strictly on the food. Greg and Valena Cade, both food-service veterans, opened Big Fellas to show off their cooking talents while fulfilling the soul food needs of hungry diners on the east side of Detroit. Big Fellas serves barbecued ribs, chicken, seafood, sandwiches, salads, soups and homemade desserts. The owners recommend that first-time diners try their rib snack, soul style wing dings or jumbo butterfly shrimp. To assure freshness and good quality, dishes are prepared right when you order.

A true microbrewery; six to eight microbrews made on the premises. Spacious, high-ceilinged Chicago loft-style decor. Happy Hour Monday through Friday; 60-item menu served 'til midnight (until 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday). Specials include Employee Appreciation Night, Two-fer Tuesdays, karaoke and College Night.

Family sports bar with world-famous Buffalo chicken wings with 12 signature sauces. Large screen satellite TV's, pool tables, darts, video games. Live bands every Wednesday and Saturday.

Chapman's Mill Restaurant & Bar is Rochester Hills' newest casual dining concept. Located just north of the M-59 freeway in the Crooks Corner Shopping Plaza, we offer fresh made comfort food at resonable prices. Around our huge stone fireplace is a comfortable place to enjoy made-to-order burgers, baby back ribs, fish & chips, meatloaf and all of our housemade soups, salads and desserts. We feature great entertainment every Friday and Saturday night in the Mill Bar. During the week, check out our Wii machine for some virtual games, along with cocktails to help improve your score! The bar is a casual place to meet and enjoy 55 beers (14 on tap), 22 wines and a full range of cocktails. A perfect place for your next meeting would be the private dining room, available 7 days a week. In warmer weather, the outdoor patio with 48 seats is a great place to relax and enjoy the weather.

Every customer is treated as if they were a guest at one of Dave’s famous backyard barbeques. The award-winning menu features hickory-smoked ribs and barbequed meats, delicious sandwiches, mouthwatering burgers, tasty salads and homemade desserts.

Filippa's has a wide array of menu options, but prides themselves on their excellent all natural steaks and Boston fresh seafood. Cozy atmosphere during the winter with multiple fireplaces and a patio for beautiful spring and summer days!

An upscale brew-pub offering a variety of entrées from calamari to Gorgonzola beef tenderloin. Try the Grizzly Peak Pale Ale, one of five hand-crafted beers on hand.

A full service bar and restaurant with great food, good people and fun times! Menu includes a wide selection of salads, soups, sandwiches, pasta, burgers, pizza, wings and ribs. Also features a large martini list with daily drink specials.

"Lazybones Smokehouse is one of Metro Detroit's most popular barbeque restaurants. A pick-up and delivery barbeque joint, Lazybones Smokehouse is top notch. Fresh quality meats and chicken are cured and smoked fresh everyday using apple wood harvested right in Michigan. Lazybones Smokehouse is a different kind of barbeque joint, not like any other in the area. Our motto is pig up and pig out!"

Dine in or carryout. Soul food, ribs, burgers, breakfast. Featuring grits, catfish, and much, much, more. Catering for parties of 10 to 1,000.

Steakhouse and bar specializing in Black Angus beef and a large variety of seafood, pastas and sautéed dishes. Variety of beer, wines, cocktails and specialty martinis. Daily lunch specials and banquet room available.

Completely remodeled in 2005. Nikola’s is best known for giant portions of BBQ ribs and chicken. Nikola's now has a 130-seat meeting room available for private functions.

Est. in 1975, Original Seros has been providing Metro Detroit with some of the best Greek food, breakfast and sandwiches around. Open until 4 a.m. every Friday and Saturday.

A little smoke free bar and grill in Troy. Casual and cozy with a fireplace and six flat screen TVs. Hosts Bill and Maria offer a wide-ranging menu featuring everything from buffalo wings to great burgers, authentic deli featuring fresh cooked corned beef, fish, shrimp, steaks and weekend prime rib. The baby back ribs are the best around, and just ask anyone who has the best margarita in the metro area. They will tell you the Parrot Cove!

Serving genuine hickory smoked BBQ to metro Detroit and surrounding areas since 2005! We offer a wide range of BBQ fare for any occasion by providing the very best in sweet, slow smoked Detroit-style barbeque. Each item you choose is carefully selected and rubbed aggressively with Schultz’s Backyard Bar-B-Que Rub. Our unique BBQ sauce complements any meat choice, from chicken to brisket to a whole hog! We provide full-service smoking and grilling in your backyard and any other outdoor venue, or try our party-in-a-box option where we will pre-grill and/or smoke all your favorites, then deliver them to your party piping hot. No matter which option you choose, your guests will not be disappointed! We offer a variety of options to fit any budget. To schedule your next event with us please contact our Director of Event Planning, Stevie Witbeck, at 734–776–4036.

Shield's has been serving its award-winning pizzas, pastas, salads, ribs (and more!) since 1946! Large groups and families are always welcome. Our lounge features happy hour deals and weekend entertainment.

Shield's has been serving its award-winning pizzas, pastas, salads, ribs (and more!) since 1946! Large groups and families are always welcome. Our lounge features happy hour deals and weekend entertainment.

Ann Arbor's only Memphis-style barbeque! Enjoy unique specialties like southern-fried catfish, BBQ chicken, fried okra and jambalaya. Join your friends for happy hour from 3 to 6:30 pm, Monday through Friday. You'll love the southern hospitality complimented by soothing blues music in the background. Think of us for your next catered event or dinner party.

"Art Deco decor, eclectic crowd. Menu ranges from chicken wings to homemade pastas to filet mignon. More than 100 beers; excellent wine list. Wide range of catering packages for any occasion."

Union Street's tremendous reputation as a Detroit landmark is not built on good eats alone. It's true, each dish on the menu is prepared with home-cooked lovin'. And sure, there is a wide selection of flavorful meals – from smoked pork loin foccacia sandwich to "Union Street Jambalaya" or baked brisket to BBQ rib fingers.

But the number of imported beers alone is reason enough to stop by. The long 1920's bar blends a classical spirit of aged hardwood and antique artistry with modern accents of art deco knicknacks, making it a hip place for the young and young-spirited to step up to the counter. Plus, the staff understands "service with a smile" still matters – grinning workers Hali and Jason (pictured) are just happy, not drunk.

Of course, don't let these good looks and traditional values impress you. Someone told these business-savvy gents to give people what they've always wanted in a bistro but rarely asked for – the bonuses. Bonuses like a good meal available until 1 am Sunday morning, for friends who need to catch up. The luxury of wide open spaces and echoing walls, ready for loud venting over an imported ale after work. Or perhaps most importantly, conversation with a friendly bartender to calm first-date jitters. Offer this and you can bet they'll come and be merry. It's a Detroit kind of place... one that makes you feel good when you go. And it makes you want to thank them by going. See... they trick ya.

--Rebecca Mazzei

Perfect for a pre-theater meal, or a post-show toddy, Union Street is a quaint little bistro in the heart of D-town. Opened in the early 1900s, this piece of midtown history is dark and deco, with a welcoming atmosphere that offers the slightest hue of casual. With a savory menu that boasts gourmet burgers, a vegetarian menu to die for, and the ever-famous dragon's eggs (a lightly fried chicken breast stuffed with gorgonzola cheese and spices), an evening at Union Street is always a good time. Try one of their yummy homemade margaritas or an ice-cold martini, or take a dive into their delicious beers and wines. Either way, you will be pleased. Union Street is at 4145 Woodward, Detroit; call 313-831-3965 for more information.
--Eve Doster

Uptown BBQ has been a household name in BBQ for almost 20 years in Detroit. With the new addition of soul food to the menu, this carry out restaurant has some of the best food in town. This family owned business continues to re-invent itself over and over again by developing healthier soul food that retains that traditional soul food taste. Come in and try our signature rib & shrimp dinner accompanied by our traditional soul sides. Get in and out fast with our new cafeteria-style line. Uptown BBQ, Seafood & Soul Food is open late 7 days a week - ideal for those Late night hunger pains. Pork, beef or lamb ribs, BBQ chicken, catfish, shrimp, baked beans, fried corn, collard greens, candied yams and more. Top your meal off with our tasty desserts: peach cobbler, banana pudding & sweet potato pie. We’ll teach you the real meaning of eating good! Uptown BBQ, where you couldn’t do better in your own backyard. Full service catering is also available.