You know you’re overdue for some action if the words “dry-rubbed and smoked low and slow” get you all hot and bothered. Well, keep your clothes on and grab a moist towelette (sorry), because these metro Detroit barbecue joints are doing god’s work: filling our stomachs with brisket, pulled pork, and, yes, burnt ends. So, how did we pick these BBQ spots? Well, we didn’t — but you Yelp users did! Per the Yelp angels: This is an all-time list of the best barbeque restaurants in the Metro-Detroit area according to Yelp. We identified businesses in the barbeque categories, then ranked those spots using a number of factors including the total volume and ratings of reviews. All businesses were marked open on Yelp as of June 9, 2021. When available, all businesses on this list have a passing health score as of June 9, 2021. Oh, and vegans, you’ll have to sit this one out because we’ve got it bad. P.S. Our safe word is “rib tips.”

25. The Kensington BBQ & Grill 30712 Lyon Center Dr. E., New Hudson; 248-437-7077;
24. Hotel Hickman Chuckwagon BBQ 8050 Main St., Dexter; 734-646-6261;
23. J Bird Smoked Meats 1978 Cass Lake Rd., Keego Harbor; 248-681-2124;
22. Club Canton 39651 Michigan Ave., Canton; 734-722-0722;
21. Brown Iron Brewhouse 57695 Van Dyke Rd., Washington Twp.; 586-697-3300; Credit: GoogleMaps
20. K-Block’s Fire Pit BBQ 66880 Van Dyke Rd., Washington; 586-281-6798;
19. AlJoom’s BBQ 8606 N. Telegraph Rd., Dearborn Heights; 313-769-5100;
18. Victory Smokehouse 28950 Mound Rd., Warren; 248-671-6328;
17. Rogue Estate BBQ 600 Woodward Hts., Ferndale; 248-721-4878;
16. C.A.Y.A. Smokehouse Grill 1403 S. Commerce Rd., Walled Lake; 248-438-6741;
15. Beans and Cornbread 29508 Northwestern Hwy., Southfield; 248-208-1680;
14. Red Rock Downtown Barbecue 207 W. Michigan Ave., Ypsilanti; 734-340-2381;
13. Smokehouse 52 125 S. Main St., Chelsea; 734-562-2565;
12. Sharks BBQ 4845 Rochester Rd., Troy; 248-250-6412;
11. Woodpile BBQ 630 E. 11 Mile Rd., Madison Heights; 248-565-8149;
10. Slows BarBq 2138 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-962-9828; slowsbarbq.com “I’ve been going to Slows for many years. You will not find a single restaurant that serves ribs, pulled pork, or brisket in southeast Michigan that is even relatable to the deliciousness Slows has to offer. My favorite is the pulled pork. No, wait… the brisket. Nope. Ribs. Darn it…. they are all AMAZING. 5 stars all around. Additionally they offer GIFT CARDS. I’m not a fan of gift cards, but heck, I’d be elated if I got one for Slows!” — Andrew G. on Yelp Photo via Slows BarBQ/Facebook
9. Jayell Smokehouse 221 1/2 N. Bailey, Romeo; 586-281-3943; jayellsmokehouse.net “This place is the bomb diggity, the meats are all so so good ! The only thing I would change ( and I mean this in the kindest way) is maybe thickening your barbecue sauce. It’s all homemade super yummy but my preference is a little bit thicker sauce. You’ll never have a bad meal here. This place is primo!” — Alisa M. Photo via GoogleMaps
8. Arkin’s Sweet BBQ Pit 30140 Southfield Rd., Southfield; 248-731-7397; arkinsbbq.com “Omg, amazing! I understand why there were so many people waiting to pick up food! This was by far some of the tastiest BBQ I’ve had in my entire life! Such good taste on every single item we got! It’s not even close to our house about a half hour away but we will absolutely be back ASAP! Highly recommend you must give this place a try!” — Kristen B. on Yelp Photo via Arkin’s Sweet BBQ Pit/Facebook
7. Roy’s Barbeque and Hamburgers 25 Wabash St., Milan; 734-439-1737 “This place is my absolute favorite spot to go to when I am in Michigan! It’s a hidden gem and my favorite memories as a kid. They have the best burger and BBQ pulled pork sandwiches! Their Roy secret sauce is seriously the best sauce I’ve ever had and I could drink gallons of it. I wish this place was closer to me and I could visit it more because I am always craving this place! Make sure to get their chili cheese fries, they’re so delicious. Go sit at their counter top, watch them make the food, and have great conversations with the sweet staff. This place offers a fun environment, amazing food, and overall a great little spot to eat at.” — Rachel L. on Yelp Photo via GoogleMaps
6. A.B.’s Amazing Ribs 27310 Ford Rd., Dearborn; 313-914-2159; abamazingribs.com “This place lives up to its name. I have never seen ribs this big or delicious. We ordered ribs, brisket and wings. My husband has lived in Texas for years and he thought this brisket beat them all. The wings were great. The Mac and cheese was delicious as were the baked beans. The cornbread was to die for. The four of us were fully stuffed, fully satisfied and happy. Everyone in metro Detroit who likes ribs should definitely try these. Or any smoked meat for that matter. We had a combination plate for four people and we had so much left over I think all four of us could eat two more meals with the leftovers. The service was great very attentive.” — Carrie P. on Yelp Photo via A.B.’s Amazing Ribs/Facebook
5. A Taste of Soul by Biggie 1004 W. Michigan Ave., Ypsilanti; 734-483-8360 “This is my absolute favorite soul food place. Everything we have tried is on point! The wings, ribs, shrimp, sides like mashed potatoes, beans, coleslaw, green beans, and mac and cheese are all phenomenal. Good prices too for what you get! I HIGHLY recommend you get a slice or two of the lemon pound cake to round off your meal… sooo good. Oh, and you can even get some Kool-Aid to go with everything! The owner is great, too- quite possibly the only man I’ve ever met who is somehow able to say things like “sweetie” without sounding condescending or sexist. Not sure how he’s able to pull that off, but he totally does!” — Blaise b. on Yelp Photo via A Taste of Sou by Biggie’s/Facebook
4. Bad Brad’s BBQ Various locations; badbradsbbq.com “When you’re still thinking about your amazing dinner 24 hours later, that’s when you’ve stumbled upon a gem! My first visit to this restaurant left a lasting memory in what’s sure to be a long romance of cravings! I ordered the single meat dinner and added 1/4 rack of ribs. I was expecting the smoked Turkey to be dry, which was far from the truth! Moist, succulent and divine. The ribs were smoked to perfection and fell right off the bone. Very rich and tender. The menu was so inviting, I decided to order a bunch of the sides to sample them all. Very impressive, each one made with superior ingredients and love. I’ve found my perfect Barbeque fix and look forward to many meals in the future.” — Nancy S. on Yelp Photo via GoogleMaps
3.Smoke Street BBQ 424 N. Main St., Milford; 248-529-6464; smokestreetmilford.com WOW… I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to try this place! This has to be one of the best (if not THE best) barbecue restaurants in the area. Food and drinks were phenomenal, and our server was so sweet and attentive! They have a wide variety of barbecue sauces to choose from – I got the Memphis and it was so good I took 16 ounces home with me!! For food I got the pulled pork sandwich and it was too delicious. The meat was perfectly tender and the sauce put the cherry on top. My fries were crisp and delicious. Everything was amazing and I cannot wait to come back! Thank you Smoke Street BBQ!” — Kennedy D. Photo via GoogleMaps
2. Max & Bella’s Smokehouse 600 W. Ann Arbor Trail, Plymouth; 734-667-5203; maxandbellasbbq.com “Delicious BBQ and super friendly, hard-working owners. Ribs, brisket, and all the sides were all made with care. Not only was all of the food absolutely mouthwatering, but the customer service was top notch as well! Definitely recommend and will be ordering from them again!” — Kate P. on Yelp Photo via Max and Bella’s BBQ/Facebook
1. Ricewood 1928 Packard St., Ann Arbor; 734-436-4163; ricewoodbbq.com “I don’t give out five star reviews very easily. I BBQ myself and I almost question “why” Ricewood is less than two miles from my house and consistently delivers competition-level bbq. Their brisket is top notch and their pulled pork melts in your mouth. And their pork belly burnt ends are almost as good as my own (ok that’s bias theirs are probably better). If you consider yourself serious about food this is every bit as excellent. I lived in Saint Louis for four years and Texas for a year. I can think of one place I put on this level and it’s a legendary bbq shop in St. Louis. Go there, you will not regret it!!” — Dan M. on Yelp Photo via Ricewood BBQ/Facebook

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