No, we’re not omniscient.
Try we did to ensure that the listings in this week’s barbecue-themed issue pulled in as many barbecue places as we could. Naturally, we couldn’t get them all. Thankfully, however, our readers are an eagle-eyed bunch that wants to share the knowledge.
First of all, we did fall down on one count: Real BBQ is no more, and shouldn’t have been in the listings. Sorry about that, and thanks to “Al Poe,” who posted on our webpage: “Real BBQ in Lincoln Park closed way over a year ago.
Billy Sims BBQ bought the place.” We stand corrected!
On to the gems we missed.
Michael “Mick” McDonald got in touch to praise Ron’s Roadside Barbecue (5850 Pontiac Trail, Ann Arbor; 734-665-4967; ronsroadsidebbq.com), saying “This place is pretty solid too, even for being in the middle of nowhere.”
Speaking of places in the middle of nowhere, we thought back to our favorite roadside joint in Irish Hills, out by the Irish Hills Towers (which are now being dismantled? WTF?), called Randy’s Road Side Bar-B-Que (7305 U.S. 12, Onsted; 517-908-5387; www.randysbar-b-que.com). We’d heard that Randy’s closed at the end of 2012 and got a good scare. Turns out that Randy’s operated two roadside joints, and the trailer is still out along U.S. 12, just before the Stage Coach Stop, serving classic barbecue. Our old pal P.K. Smith tells us, “We just got back from a camping trip there a few weeks ago. Took lots of pics of the towers and the other roadside attractions. If you go to the barbecue next to the Stage Coach Stop on a Sunday afternoon, there is a bluegrass group playing there.” Barbecue and bluegrass, and a last look at the towers? Road trip!
But our favorite suggestion came from chatty Frank Squeo, who gave us a call to add Dan’s Smokehouse to the list. The only thing is, we can’t find the place! Squeo is a charming guy and sort of a fast talker, but we think he said Dan’s was out by I-94 and 26 Mile Road, and that they’ve been open forever, a little place with a smoker out front that opens at 5 a.m. daily to cater to motorists stopping in the morning to get barbecue for later. Squeo raved about the three or four varieties of pulled pork they serve. If you can help at all, please let us know. We’d love to pencil that place in on our next road trip, maybe ending with drinks at the Riviera Restaurant in Marine City. You out there, Frank? Let us know!
"I'd like to recommend a place to eat. I'll give some vague details that will leave you questioning your sanity when you can't find it. Deal?"
Did you have another barbecue favorite we didn’t know about? Let us know! Post right here and we’ll look into it!
