“They use fresh meat prepared to order and every bite is always better than the one before it. Great atmosphere, amazing service, doesn’t get much better than that.” — art history senior Lynden Howard
Meat, located at 1224 Turner Street in Lansing, is considered by many as the place to go to when in the city and craving barbecue.
Howard said Meat is the best barbecue restaurant he’s ever been to. He said he typically orders the brisket and homemade macaroni and cheese.
The restaurant features a wide selection of “Meatwiches,” which is a choice of meat served on a Kaiser roll with a side of potato chips. Some of the options include classic chopped brisket, classic pulled pork and smoked turkey.
Another unique item of the menu is the “Meat Mountain,” which is a combination of garlic mashed potatoes, smoked beef brisket, bacon gravy, spicy creamed corn and cheese, priced at $12.
“We are authentic. We do our sandwiches on a grilled flatbread which makes it very unique. (It) holds great, tastes great.” — Owner Susan Johnson
Conveniently located at both 301 South Washington Square in Lansing and 2329 Jolly Road in Okemos, BackYard BarBQ is a family-owned business that’s been around for nearly 20 years.
Johnson said BackYard BarBQ is more of a lunchtime sandwich shop than a full-scale barbecue joint, but the most popular item on the menu is the pulled pork sandwich topped with southern-style coleslaw.
“(It’s a) great franchise. Good food, good atmosphere. I’ve recommended it before,” Howard said.
Howard said he ordered ribs the last time he was at BackYard BarBQ and was pleased with how they turned out.
“I ordered the ribs and brisket. Both were very flavorful and smoky.” — biosystems engineering junior David Olson
Owner Fred Mendoza said his restaurant combines two of his passions — barbecue and helping those in need.
Mendoza said King of the Grill, located at 4400 N. Grand River Avenue in Lansing, has been involved with an organization that helps feed homeless people in the area ever since the restaurant first opened. In addition to that, Mendoza said he strives to keep prices low, so patrons going through a tough time financially can still get a quality meal.
“(King of the Grill) is affordable. I wanna stay true to that fact of it because now people can’t afford to go out every night of the week, (we’re) trying to keep it as affordable as possible,” he said.
Not only does Mendoza strive for cheap prices, he said he also strives to produce delicious meals, even when the process is a bit lengthy. For example, he said the briskets usually take anywhere from 12.5 to 14 hours to cook.
Olson said he thinks the extra effort is worth it. He added that he would love to go to King of the Grill again sometime and recommends it to anyone who loves barbecue.
“A lot of places have a broad stroke menu. When you specialize in one particular thing ... it handcuffs you a bit. You really have to make sure the processes are managed. If you follow steps A through Z, our food sells itself.” — Manager Andrew Root
Graduate student Ethan Dailing said he thinks it takes a lot more than just good food for a barbecue restaurant to be great.
“Cleanliness definitely helps. I always want to feel that the food is safe. Upbeat waitstaff is nice, too. Having a good environment also helps, not too loud or packed,” Dailing said.
Root said Famous Dave’s, located at 2457 Cedar Street in Holt, delivers all that and more.
He said patrons who visit the restaurant get something they can’t get anywhere else in terms of atmosphere. He also said the staff is encouraged to interact with customers, because the restaurant’s goal is to make the customers feel they’re at a good friend’s barbecue.
In addition to striving for friendliness, food is also a top priority for Famous Dave’s.
One of the most popular items available at Famous Dave’s is the Burnt Ends, a cubed brisket that’s sauteed in sweet and zesty sauce. Root said depending on how busy the restaurant is on a particular day, there will be anywhere from 40 to 80 orders of the Burnt Ends alone.
