Posted on Sun, May 27, 2012 : 3:30 a.m.
Vote for Washtenaw County's entrants in the hunt for Michigan's best BBQ
By Jessica Webster
Angela J. Cesere | AnnArbor.com
Take a moment and vote for your favorite in the poll below, and leave a comment if we've somehow left off your choice. MLive entertainment reporter John Gonzalez will be touring the state in early June, tasting and comparing barbecue across Michigan. Once you've voted, we'll send him to the top two barbecue restaurants in Washtenaw County for a taste test.
Jessica Webster leads the Food & Grocery section for AnnArbor.com. You can reach her at JessicaWebster@AnnArbor.com.
Comments
Katie
Tue, May 29, 2012 : 5:08 p.m.
I've eaten at Red Rock several times since it opened in April (which by the way is plenty of time to have established a reputation check out Yelp if you don't believe that) and it is great. The ribs are by far the best thing on the menu and I dream of them. I don't think it's inconceivable for a 'new' place to do well in a poll like this. Every time I was there it was packed with people and had a wait so that tells you they are serving enough people to win some AA.com poll. I voted for them because I've been there, I love it and in my opinion (hence the term opinion poll) it's the best. If your opinion is different then vote that way but don't call shenanigans because something you either don't like or aren't familiar with is winning or at the very least (since they are currently second as I write this) doing well. Actively running a Facebook campaign is how the world works now (welcome to 2012 we also have cordless phones!) I think it would be an idiot move not to campaign on Facebook because these polls give great press to local businesses that badly need to cement a customer base in a wonky economy. Plus, Ypsi hasn't had a reason to draw people downtown for dinner (other than Haab's) for a long time so they need press and a poll like this to convince people that the food is indeed worth the trip.
Cheryl Weber
Wed, May 30, 2012 : 2:52 a.m.
We have some great food in Ypsilanti. It is not all downtown. Most is locally produced, not shipped in, meeting corporate chain product standards. Red Roc already "won" a larger poll that included many people traveling here from out of town, with no local allegiances. I wonder if our pro smokers even went to try any of what is offered. If they are not running their own establishments; positive suggestion to give someone who is working hard to do it right, a hand up,instead of a beat down,....
tannis
Mon, May 28, 2012 : 4:16 p.m.
The best BBQ I know comes out of my smoker! I'm with Bill on this one, there is no good BBQ in this town.
P. Marie Mason
Mon, Aug 6, 2012 : 7:41 p.m.
I am there with you... and we do BBQ almost 2-3 times a week even in the snow in December and January... no lie!
captain_k
Mon, May 28, 2012 : 2:57 p.m.
what about the smokehouse, formerly the smokehouse blues, on washtenaw?
greg, too
Tue, May 29, 2012 : 4:19 a.m.
It closed and became a steakhouse. I guess it wasn't so good.
stacy
Sun, May 27, 2012 : 11:53 p.m.
Red Rock Downton Barbeque is a stand out because they serve delicious made from scratch food and have an amazing atmosphere. You cannot judge the BBQ until you've had it. They really know what their doing. They opened in April and have proved themselves to be a force to be reckoned with. It's great to see such a positive influence in downtown Ypsi. Please stop by and enjoy some delicious smoked brisket and bring your friends, there's plenty of Ypsi love to go around.
P. Marie Mason
Mon, Aug 6, 2012 : 7:40 p.m.
I just went to Red Rock! I had the Burnt Ends appetizer, the Trifecta, with a side of greens, cowboy beans and cornbread muffins. Yes, the meat was smokey...that's great. But if you par-boil, which is my guess that Red Rock did, all the juice is cooked out of the meat making it dry. If you leave meat on the grill too long, it will become dry. In any case, Red Rock brisket, ribs and pulled pork were dry. The Burnt Ends was dry. The corn bread was awesome! The Cowboy beans were so-so. The collard greens were good. They had a nice atmosphere the evening we went, but it might have had something to do with the free samples of Bells beer they had almost all night. That was good! The BBQ sauces are on the table in squeeze bottles, which ranged from Honey Mustard and Sweet Spicy, to regular BBQ sauce and one other were mediocre at best. We did enjoy the owners hospitality and were happy with the cleanliness of the place. I give Red Rock just 1 star out of 5. Sorry... I do hope they take suggestions and have good luck with the location. We need more of everything to bring back the Ypsilanti area.
greg, too
Tue, May 29, 2012 : 4:18 a.m.
"You cannot judge the BBQ until you've had it. " Problem is, most of the people voting for Red Rock have done this. If they ate there, then are at the other places, the tally would be vastly different. We cannot argue how much a successful restaurant in downtown Ypsi would be a great help to the area. But falsely propping up a place (should be interesting to see what the judge thinks) is not doing it any service.
a2cents
Mon, May 28, 2012 : 6:21 p.m.
reads like a commercial message
Hot Sam
Sun, May 27, 2012 : 12:05 p.m.
Chef Chris! Boogie Woogie! Too bad he's a little out of town, as it seems to have limited his exposure! Number one in my book!!!
Bill Wilson
Sun, May 27, 2012 : 12:46 a.m.
Here's my dilemna: I am a graduate of the Jack's Old South BBQ Cooking school (Myron Mixon's school), the Johnny Trigg and Rod Gray BBQ Cooking school, and the Paul Kirk BBQ Cooking school. Those 3 men (Mixon, Trigg, & Kirk)have 12 World Championships between them. Needless to say, having been trained by 3 World Champions, me and my Backwood's Chubby smoker can outcook almost anyone. This makes it quite difficult to enjoy restaurant BBQ... unless it's as good as mine.
tannis
Mon, May 28, 2012 : 4:18 p.m.
Same here, Bill. Restaurant BBQ can't compete with what we make. Certified KCBS judge in the family! And also, when can I sample some of yours?!
FUVM
Sun, May 27, 2012 : 12:37 p.m.
Oooooohh!
5twentytwo
Thu, May 24, 2012 : 9:12 p.m.
I ate at Red Rock recently and had the half-chicken and brisket. Chicken was dry with no smoke flavor and the seasoning didn't stand out. Brisket was above average and actually tasted better after microwaving leftovers at home. The Cowboy beans were good. I ate at Satchels and had pulled chicken and pork. Both had good smoke but were dry. They had ran out of ribs (on a Saturday afternoon). After one visit at each place, I'd pick Red Rock. I'll come back to try both places again, but to see Red Rock and their groupies try and rig this poll is sad. I would like to join the bandwagon and see how many down votes I get.
greg, too
Sun, May 27, 2012 : 1:37 a.m.
It should be interesting to see what the judge thinks of the place. Hopefully they don't tell Red Rock and Satchels that he is coming so we can get an honest assessment of the places and then post them online from him. It seems that bbq is like politics, music, sports, religion, etc...i.e. it is not something you can change someones opinion on. Maybe I caught them on two bad days (which should not happen), but the food was not only bad for a bbq place, it was just plain bad.
Becky Alliston
Sun, May 27, 2012 : 12:26 a.m.
I have had the pulled pork, brisket, juicy lucy, rueben, sweet potato fries, collard greens, cowboy beans, special cole slaw, mac & cheese and wow the shepherds pie was out of this world - top that off with the corn bread muffins - my next meal will definitely be the ribs! And yes, their friends and fans are encouraging you to vote. Check out the other contestants' webpages and facebook pages, they are doing the same thing. If you have a good think, advertise - I think that is what a contest/election is all about. I would ask all my friends to vote, the same way I ask them to come on down and try this wonderful new place. Red Rock is such a great addition to Ypsilanti.
YpsiLivin
Sat, May 26, 2012 : 7:39 p.m.
Well, since Satchel's is doing the same thing on its Facebook page, I'm not sure what your point is. I've been to both places, and while I find neither one as appealing as Mr. Rib, I'd vote Red Rock over Satchel's.
Ellis Freatman
Sat, May 26, 2012 : 1:50 p.m.
I've eaten at RedRock several times. My feeling is that it is an outstanding addition to the local dining scene.
greg, too
Fri, May 25, 2012 : 3:01 a.m.
Sorry, I gave you a thumbs up (me of the -800 per post). The brisket I had tasted like bad sirloin with no smoke taste at all. The ribs were chalky and too dry to eat. The mac and cheese and waffle fries were great, as was the beer. But the meat, the heart of this place, was bad.
AJL
Thu, May 24, 2012 : 8:23 p.m.
If any of ya'll haven't yet been to Satchel's (on Washtenaw between the Whole Foods and the Arby's - look for the smokers along the road), go give it a try! All the food is made from scratch in-store and the prices are unbeatable. 10-12 bucks will get you enough mouth-watering food to leave you semi-comatose. Plus, most of the recipes are old family secrets and the meat is done RIGHT. Dry rubbed, smoked low and slow, and left bare for you to add delicious sauces as you wish. Get in there! Give it a whirl!
ChrisW
Sat, May 26, 2012 : 3:19 p.m.
I really wanted to like Satchel's ribs, but didn't love the dry rub and they seemed over-seasoned. I've heard their sandwiches are better, so I'll try one of those next time.
LA
Thu, May 24, 2012 : 1:38 p.m.
DeLongs. It was the best. I still can't help measuring every other place to it.
The Picker
Thu, May 24, 2012 : 11:18 a.m.
Mr Rib is sorely missed in this town !!!!
FloydThursby
Sat, May 26, 2012 : 2:21 p.m.
Indeed, he is.
A2GastroBoy
Thu, May 24, 2012 : 12:29 a.m.
JESS: I think the natural progression of this poll is for you to become Ann Arbor's Sponsor of the 2013 Meat Week (http://www.meatweek.com/admirals)
timjbd
Wed, May 23, 2012 : 11:44 p.m.
Whiffletree!!
KMHall
Sun, May 27, 2012 : 10:14 p.m.
That was good food.
ChrisW
Sat, May 26, 2012 : 3:17 p.m.
If we're voting for ex-restaurants, DeLongs would be on my list too.
P. Marie Mason
Wed, May 23, 2012 : 8:56 p.m.
OrchardSmoke BBQ is the best but they aren't on the list yet. When they get there, there gonna smoke the rest right off the list. They're so good that you'll slap yo momma.
P. Marie Mason
Mon, Aug 6, 2012 : 8:01 p.m.
J. Zarman and Jessica Webster; my husband and I only cater to friends family and others who we get referrals for because we usually have to rent a place. We cook at home, and my husband has named it OrchardSmoke because of our secret smoke techniques. We would love to go into business but the market is so risky. When the economy is bad, who goes to eat a restaurant? Please contact Lloyd A. Mason on Facebook for birthdays, anniversary, baptisms... we also let you sample the food if you ask. I'm not kidding; OrchardSmoke is theeeee Best around the Ypsilanti area.
J. Zarman
Wed, May 23, 2012 : 9:32 p.m.
Orchard Smoke is a caterer, reachable through Facebook. Don't know anything about their work, or where they are based. @P Marie Mason, what can you tell us?
Jessica Webster
Wed, May 23, 2012 : 9:13 p.m.
I can't find any info on Orchard Smoke. What city is that in?
treetowncartel
Wed, May 23, 2012 : 8:01 p.m.
Knight's is the best place to have ribs, and that is because it is the best restaurant in the county.
amlive
Wed, May 23, 2012 : 7:39 p.m.
Best BBQ in Ann Arbor is unfortunately only here 1 day a year. Come downtown next weekend for the African American Festival and look for Jimma's trailer. They usually end up parking on Ann west of Fourth, but if you just follow your nose they shouldn't be that hard to find.
truenorth
Wed, May 23, 2012 : 7:32 p.m.
Absolutely love this place. Kinda priced near the top but not expensive. Place has just been redone and has some very unique and exciting BBQ on. Sure it has the great standards, ribs, pulled pork etc but some Asian BBQ is cool. great looking place that smell yummy right when you walk in the door.
Jon Carlson
Wed, May 23, 2012 : 7:29 p.m.
BBQ and Summer- So perfect.
Erich Jensen
Wed, May 23, 2012 : 7:22 p.m.
What about Carlyle's?
Frustrated in A2
Thu, May 24, 2012 : 1:33 p.m.
Supporting you 110% on that one Erich, I love their ribs!!!
applehazar
Wed, May 23, 2012 : 7:14 p.m.
Anybody but Satchels
kalamityjane
Sun, May 27, 2012 : 12:19 a.m.
I was all game to try Satchel's as I had heard good things about them and my brother in law knew the owner... The only thing decent about them was the price. I was baffeld when I was handed my paper plate of bland looking food and just as disappointed when I ate it. Honestly, eating there inspired me to bbq myself as I had to have some good bbq after that. I don't care how nice or handsome someone is, the place is supposed to be "down home" barbecue (which i didn't truly expect from this area) and it was bland. Lie a plate of shredded meat that you squeeze bottled sauce on :/ that's not pulled barbecue to me...
YouAreNotAlwaysRight
Sat, May 26, 2012 : 1:52 p.m.
Totally agreed. Extremely dissatisfied with my experience there. The sides come in a sauce cup and the "sandwich" I ordered to go was merely a pile of meat, no bun, bread or anything. Needless to say I won't be going back. Especially when biercamp is just around the corner and is 10x better in my opinion.
AJL
Thu, May 24, 2012 : 8:20 p.m.
hmmm sounds like someone got burned... trust me, if you had a bad experience there, GO BACK and let the owner, Hugh Morgan know (the super tall awesome dude). He is a tremendously accomadating guy. If it was a staff or food issue, he'll take care of ya. If it was indeed a food issue, I suspect it was a one time mishap. I have eaten there many, many times and I can assure you, everything is made from scratch. It's downhome and absolutely delicious every single time. Don't give up! Go back!
Phil K.
Wed, May 23, 2012 : 6:57 p.m.
If you haven't tried Biercamp's pulled pork sandwich yet, you're missing out. It's as good as Zingerman's, and you don't need wait for your 2nd mortgage to be approved to buy one.
J. Zarman
Wed, May 23, 2012 : 6:29 p.m.
There are only about 3 places in Ypsi that are known for carry-out BBQ ribs, and it is a shame the poll omits one of them: A Taste of Soul, 97 Spring St. Taste of Soul is by the same owner, manager and cook that gave us Biggie's Fine Foods on Washington St., now sadly closed.
CindyY
Mon, May 28, 2012 : 1:34 p.m.
Look again -- it's on the list, 2d from the bottom.
foobar417
Wed, May 23, 2012 : 4:48 p.m.
I want to try that BBQ joint featured in the Five Year Engagement. Apparently it's just off Liberty and Main, but I haven't found it yet.
seldon
Wed, May 23, 2012 : 4:34 p.m.
Red Rock just opened, so it looks like they're actively running a campaign here...
greg, too
Fri, May 25, 2012 : 2:58 a.m.
So, I gave them another try. And I took a friend who knows bbq. And the beer and waffle fries were great. The rest, not so much. I want a place to thrive in downtown Ypsi, and I hope it is this one. But the top in the county? It might not even be the tops in the city...
seldon
Thu, May 24, 2012 : 12:37 p.m.
Not a hater, no strong opinion on who should win this. Just think that the number of votes they've gotten already, along with the number of down-votes I'm getting, suggest that they've got a get out the vote thing going here. I'm sure it's a great place, I just think it's interesting how people use polls like this. (Watch this get voted down)
ahi
Thu, May 24, 2012 : 2:24 a.m.
Hater's gonna hate. Great food with great beer. Far superior to Blue Tractor or Zingerman's.
nuseph
Wed, May 23, 2012 : 9:45 p.m.
Not sure about a campaign, but went to Red Rock a couple weeks back. Nothing special.
seldon
Wed, May 23, 2012 : 9:14 p.m.
I've heard great things about it, and want to get there very soon...
greg, too
Wed, May 23, 2012 : 6:37 p.m.
People in the area are running campaigns on Facebook sites to get more votes. I would take the opinion of people who actually know bbq over people who are just voting to try and keep a restaurant open. While I like the enthusiasm and love of local businesses, it seems to be trumping reality here.
djm12652
Wed, May 23, 2012 : 5:05 p.m.
If you haven't eaten there, you should...it was quite good!
fjord
Wed, May 23, 2012 : 4:10 p.m.
I haven't tried them all, but of the ones I have tried my favorite is the BBQ at Zingerman's Roadhouse. Sadly, it's a bit pricey and you don't get all that much of it, but it IS quite good. If I recall correctly, you can get an assortment of sauces to try on the side, in lieu of ordering only one sauce.