Ron’s Roadside Barbeque

I must admit, I rarely submit reviews of restaurants; it’s rare that I feel compelled to do so. Having said that, this barbeque joint is legit. We ordered the Memphis platter which had BBQ chix, pulled pork and brisket. The flavors were very complementary and subtle All of the meats were very tender with a perfect smoke ring. You can definitely tell the proprietors put a lot of TLC into what they do.

I’ve been here twice now. I was excited to come back after our first visit. We had ordered the Pulled Pork and a Whole Chicken the first time. It was busy that day and we hadn’t called ahead since we didn’t know how things worked yet. We learned quickly… Call ahead next time. Both the Chicken and the Pork were very juicy with great flavor. Not to much smoke flavor, just the right amount. It came with rolls which were amazing!!! So flavorful and soft. We didn’t order any sides so I can’t comment on those.
Second visit, tonight– not the same great experience unfortunately. Called my order in, was rushed on the phone he didn’t even get my name and I wasn’t able ‘to order extra rolls because they were out. Tonight I ordered a whole slab of Ribs and the Pulled Pork. We got there and no one was around. Then we noticed someone out back. We rang the bell a few times with no response. Went to the car to get my phone and call but no one answered. Went back in and finally were able to get our order. Tonight the pork was delicious still, tender and flavorful. The Ribs were really charred which left a bad burnt flavor in my mouth and they were dried out. Also, a lot of smoke which was way over powering. I love BBQ, and I’m not sure if maybe tonight was an off night. The rolls that I so looked forward to splurging on… HARD and crunchy. So disappointed! I must mention that I’ve heard things some talk about the cleanliness of the establishment. Which led me to look things up. Seems they have had a lot of complaints on how food and equipment have been kept. Unsanitary issues on containers being left on the ground, machinery not cleaned etc.. So I guess I will keep that in mind on my next visit as well as checking my food before getting home to make sure my rolls and other things are not burned. With the owner having so many years of great experience behind him I would have expected better food consistency and the utmost care for kitchen and restaurant cleanliness.

Really great barbeque, and they couldn’t be nicer. Massive bark and smoke ring on the brisket, but still really tender, moist and incredibly flavorful. We got there 5 minutes after they actually closed for the evening, but they graciously agreed to open back up and sell us some sandwiches — we tried the chicken, pulled pork and brisket, and they were all absolutely delicious.
Classic roadside bbq joint, and some of the best I’ve ever had. (And that includes many visits to Salt Lick, Slow’s, etc.)

Awesome Mac and cheese. Buttery and creamy.
The beet salad is perfectly seasoned. Crisp and fresh.
The fresh made bread rolls that were complimentary is just awesome.
I am a vegetarian and cannot comment on the meats.

While the inside of this place is not that impressive, the BBQ is worth the trip especially if you’re carrying out. The gf and I ordered the Memphis Throwdown ($ 21), which came with pulled pork, smoked brisket, half rack of ribs, and half of a chicken — the chicken was moist and grilled with a wonderful glaze (had no issues with dryness), the smoked brisket had a great tangy sauce and half moist-​half crispy quality to it, the pulled pork was honestly quite mushy but had a tasty house sauce on it, and the real star of the show was the ribs. The meat was perfectly seared, but just fatty enough to be delicious and the sauce was just amazing.
We also ordered a small side of mac n’ cheese ($ 4) that paired well with the strong flavors of the meat. Even though others may be a bit concerned about the cleanliness, I view it more as a sign of authenticity — it’s more of a BBQ stand then a sitdown place like Satchel’s. However, unlike Satchel’s, Ron’s plates come with a substantial amount of food with flavors that haven’t been watered down by its success.

I really wanted to like this place but sadly will never return. After reading the reviews we decided to stop in to order dinner. First impressions aren’t the greatest as it is dirty are there are flys everywhere. We walked up and tried to place an order. The lobby/​order/​pick up area is extremely disorganized. We honestly waited over 30 minutes standing in front of the window and never even got to order. I left when a women that had been waiting close to an hour checked on her order and they hadn’t even started to make it yet. Very frustrating experience due to not having any type of system for taking care of customers.
Against my better judgement I decided to give them a second chance. We ordered the Memphis Throwdown and a side of Mac and Cheese and potato salad. Here are my thoughts:
–way too much BBQ sauce to cover up for lack of taste.
chicken– worst part of the meal. Honestly the most dried piece of chicken I have ever been served.
Ribs– this was my favorite part of the meal. Well cooked with good flavor
Brisket– very mediocre with not much smoke on the meat.
pork– there was so much sauce on the pork that the meat had a mushy consistency
Sides– pretty decent
Overall I would never spend my money here again. The service was terrible and the food was equally bad.

We drove to a Unilocal event in Northville and couldn’t resist trying this highly rated bbq joint.
The order —
2 Brisket plates ($ 14 each)
Each came with two sides, we got:
American Potato Salad
German Potato Salad
Beet Salad
Mac and Cheese
2 Homemade dinner rolls
Breakdown of the sides:
The potato salads were
. The American one was en pointe, it had wonderful crunchy pieces of celery and onion I believe. The German one could have done with less onions. Beet Salad was very interesting — it was a mixture of beets and onions, in a vinegar based dressing. I wouldn’t say it was my favorite, but I thought it was a very innovative, and give props to Ron’s for that reason alone. The other said that the Mac and Cheese was a bit bland, and he wouldn’t go with it again.
The dinner rolls! I could’ve done w 23 4943x more of these! They were buttery deliciousness and were served warm! No doubts about their homemade origin!
The brisket was also good, but a bit too grisly for my taste. The meat was smoked — with charred bits in certain bites. I appreciate the fact that they don’t douse the meat with tons of barbecue sauce. It allows the smoked flavor to stand on its own a bit. I think I would have been a happy camper if the meat cut was more fatty — but who wouldn’t?
I do think it is a bit pricey for what you get (it’s not a lot of meat, and it’s not a big helping of sides either), but it is a solid place and I would definitely be back again.
PS: It’s a bit in the middle of nowhere — keep your eyes peeled for it!

Get their Memphis throw down! Huge portions of brisket ribs pulled pork and half chicken! Can easily feed 4 people with sides. Found them by accident along our cross country road trip coming from Detroit to Chicago

For the food, I would give 4 stars. It’s one of the better places in Ann Arbor for BBQ. My favorites are the ribs and the pulled pork. Brisket is ok, but can tend towards the dry side. Memphis Throwdown gives a good mix of everything, at a reasonable price.
However, I was told by a friend about health violations they have had in the past. If you look up some of them online, it includes mention of rodents (mouse droppings as well as finding a dead mouse) back in 2012. I assume that they’ve cleaned all this up as future inspections did not report this. However, when you are waiting for your food, you can see the kitchen where all the food is being prepped. It just seems like a place where food safety isn’t a huge priority, watching the staff handle the food without gloves, and on one occasion seeing large trays of food and BBQ sitting out. I’m not a food inspector, but it makes me nervous to see that knowing about its past violations.
With that said, I’ve eaten Ron’s 5 times before looking this stuff up, and never had any problems. It just makes me wary to eat it again

Ron’s is the best BBQ with in 50 miles of Ann Arbor. I’ve tried it all and ron’s doesn’t try to doll it up for looks, it’s all taste. Their buns are even better, all homemade. I’ll get the meat sweats from here anytime.

Bottom line best BBQ in Michigan I’ve ever tasted or heard of. Everything was outstanding! The slaw, the ribs, the pork and brisket also spot on. Nothing fancy about the joint. Just str8 up real deal BBQ at its best. Will be trying to stop in once or twice a week.

I drive by Ron’s often, and was excited to try some bbq.
I got the pulled pork dinner with the intention of trying it that evening. Our plans changed and the only thing we tried the same day was the rolls. I wanted a snack before dinner. They were still warm from when I picked them up and found them to be ok. A little tough. Not a lot of flavor.
We ended up reheating the pulled pork the next day. It was delicious! A nice smoked flavor to the meat and the bbq sauce complimented it very well. The only other side we tried was the potato salad, which my husband said was was pretty good!
They have plenty of options… pork, chicken, brisket, sandwiches as well as cole slaw, mac and cheese and other side dishes.
This place is more of take out than dine in restaurant. I would highly recommend. Prices were very reasonable. Mr. Ron was very cool!!!

May not be much to look at from the outside, but the food is excellent. Ordered the Memphis Throwdown and some sides, and everything was ready very quickly, even on a Friday night. The ribs were melting-​off-​the-​bone tender, and the brisket was flavorful and tender as well. Their BBQ sauce compliments the meats very well. My least favorite was the chicken, but probably more because I personally prefer pulled chicken to bone-​in. Will definitely be going there again!

This the best barbeque I’ve had in the Ann Arbor area. While service is definitely not fancy, it’s a great casual spot. We like to go in the summertime and eat outside, perfect on a nice summer evening. We love getting the ribs and brisket, but really everything is great.

The best ribs I’ve ever had in my life. If you seek bold flavor and hearty servings, Ron’s is the place to go. Be sure not to sleep on the baked beans, either. Ron is the man who will put hot cream in your pants.

We were blessed to have moved a 8 minute drive down the street from this fantastic roadhouse. The ribs and chicken are the BEST I’ve ever had, and it is so incredibly reasonably priced.
We can get a family dinner that feeds our family of four (with leftovers) for about $ 30, and it includes some fantastic sides.
It’s also a great option when we host guests and don’t fee like cooking but still feel like home-​cooked food.
Such a FAN! The staff is also always super friendly and nice!

Note: Check the prices/​website. They recently switched from their old (red/​white) site to a new black background Wix site. If you used the recent Groupon already, the link had the old site and old prices up. Not sure if that’s more Groupon or Ron’s fault. The photo menu currently on Unilocal is outdated and looks like the old website — it’s a buck or so more for everything. Not complaining — still got a deal that made me try a new restaurant — just an FYI.
I was a bit indecisive and wanted to try a bunch of things, so I got the Trio on Brio, three sliders with one pulled pork, one pulled chicken, and brisket. Plus a side of mac and cheese and cole slaw.
Pulled pork — pretty good. Don’t know how you could screw that up.
Pulled chicken — Same as above.
Brisket — pretty unremarkable and forgettable. Covered in sauce to mask the lack of flavor.
Cole slaw — generic slaw with a lot of mayo. Fine, but not a must.
Mac and cheese — disgusting. Blob of noodles piled with half melted string cheese and grease puddle? Nuking it for a bit helped a little, but definitely skip it.
Great BBQ places tend to give you your meat dry because it doesn’t need sauce. It might be better than a Famous Dave’s (never gone, wouldn’t know), but it’s not like a Slow’s, Salt Lick (TX), or Country Hill BBQ (DC from TX). I almost debated giving it a one star, but the pulled pork and chicken were passable and might be worth it if it’s already on your way. There has to be another option on that side of town.

The smoker was off when we pulled up and at first we thought they were closed. Didn’t try the ribs because the smoker wasn’t going, maybe next time if they’ve got fresh ones coming out. My friend and I thought it was a little weird that they didn’t smoke every day, but that didn’t seem to impact what we had.
Tried the pulled pork sandwich, mac and cheese, and coleslaw. All were fantastic! The mac and cheese might be the best I’ve ever tried, the pulled pork sandwich was massive and the meat was tender and flavorful. Coleslaw was great as well! I can’t wait to go back!

So I went back for some more bbq… this time I went with pulled pork sandwich and yes, more brisket — brisket plate with cucumber salad and cole slaw.
The last time I got briskets, I got like 10 small chunks and 2oz sides… this time I got like 5 large thick slices and ¼lb side containers… and was charged for the right price :)
The brisket was excellent as usual, it was tender, juicy and the meat came apart without any big problems. I liked the cucumber salad, but was not a fan of the cole slaw.
As for the pulled pork sandwich, it was okay… the meat was tender, but it was missing some flavors… not sure what though… the buns were warm and put together, it wasn’t bad at all.
Next visit, I’ll try their chicken and other side offerings. But for sure, they have the best brisket in town!

I have had a number people recommend this place, but its a little out of the way — certainly its off the beaten path, but you can’t miss it when you see it. There is not much about it, basically a big kitchen with a front section with a cash register.
The staff was very friendly, Dan the «Alan Lee» look-​a-​like (channel 2) — just ask him.
We went with the Family rib dinner, that included a rack of pork ribs, two sides and 6 rolls. The portions were very generous and the price was right. We went with Mac ‘n Cheese and Beet Salad as our sides.
Our ribs were in consistent. They were falling of the bones, but some of the small ribs were also dry. Other ribs, more in the middle were better. There was a fair amount of sauce, which was pretty good, it had nice blend of sweet and spicy.
The Mac ‘n Cheese was good, it had a nice crust on top, and the cheese blend had some bite/​taste, it was also pretty creamy. The Beet salad was pretty standard.
So would I ran back here? Not on a specific trip. If we were in the mode for BBQ and in the area, then it would be an option. But if I was in the mode for BBQ, there are other places I would drive too.