Hogger’s BBQ

Appears to be closed for business.
Come back, I MISS YOU!!!

Decided to try Hogger’s since I pass it on my way home from work each day. It wasn’t worth the convenience. Had a brisket sandwich and noticed that they committed the cardinal sin of pre-​slicing ahead of the order; very dry and no flavor. The sauce was the only thing that saved it, but just barely.

I have been here more than a handful of times. I come back because it is good food, but it shouldn’t be considered barbecue. They don’t smoke the meat (I don’t get how people say the meat is smokey in other reviews???) because they don’t have a smoker. They are flavorful when you slather on one of the many sauces available, and they are meaty and tender.
My favorite thing here is the crispy, crunchy chicken. Some of the best fried chicken I have had, and it has a very different texture than many other places.
As far as the sides go?
The mac and cheese is just pasta shells and liquid «cheese» from a big GFS can.
The collards are decent.
The baked beans are so-​so.
Fries are not hand-​cut… just standard seasoned fries you can get many other places.
The Cajun mushrooms are good.
The alligator is different and worth trying.
I like the place because it is close to home and consistent, not because it is a true barbecue place. I wish they had brisket. And a smoker to smoke it in.

They ran out of ribs, apparently hard to keep those available for a bbq place.
Mac and cheese tasted just better than boxed shells and cheese. Cornbread was great. I ended up getting the chicken strips with honey bbq. They definitely bread their own chicken, but overall it was mediocre. Id probably go back to try out something else, but Lockharts still blows this place out of the water.

Flippin delicious!
I’ve been going here from time to time since this place opened! I, along with everyone I being here loves it!
I see some reviews knocking this because it’s not Slows or Lockarts… very true, best I can say is this is the hole in the wall bar everyone likes going to with great prices!
Will always be a loyal hogger!

There’s an old saying about looks. Sometimes, they can be deceiving. Hogger’s definitely fits into this category. With our recent relocation to the north central burbs, the lady and I have driven past this place about a dozen times. And to be quite frank, we questioned how it could be any good. From the overuse of Comic Sans in their promotional materials to the always seemingly empty tables inside, it just looked like a bad restaurant. So, we passed. And we passed again. Until one night, the desire for barbeque hit.
We decided to do a take out order. She ordered the pulled pork sandwich, and I ordered the rib dinner. Again, the notion about looks being deceiving comes into play. As the cooked reached down and grabbed a partially cooked rack of ribs onto a butane powered stove top. I cringed. «How can that be any good?» I thought to myself. I was wrong. The ribs were tender, and fell right off the bone. Of the sauces, I highly enjoyed the peppercorn BBQ one. It gave the meat a sweet yet peppery flavor. The cherry sauce was also decent, although a little sweeter than I normally like in a barbeque sauce. The sides were also a pleasant surprise, as the mac and cheese wasn’t too dry as is normally par for the course for a local barbecue shop. The lady enjoyed her pulled pork sandwich as well, although she would’ve preferred a better vinegary, Carolina style sauce to top it.
All in all, Hogger’s was a decent enough surprise. It certainly fits a niche when we want barbecue, but don’t want to grill it ourselves or drive further. It’s not perfect. But it’s not bad, either.

Over the weekend we had BBQ, and when we wanted it again 5 days later, we decided to try Hogger’s for the first time. It was a great idea.
We started with the fried gator and an order of boneless wings. Both were great. The sauce that came with the gator made it even better. It was spicy, just how I like it! We ordered the whole slab of ribs meal which came with two sides. We went with baked beans and mac and cheese. The rib meat was falling off the bone and cooked perfectly. I added some of the homemade Michigan Cherry BBQ sauce which was awesome. It was the perfect mix of spicy and sweet. I probably ate at least 6 ribs myself and could have gone for more if I didn’t want to have a food baby on the way out. I don’t like beans, Nick said they were good, and we both thought the mac and cheese was good, but nothing fantastic.
We wanted to try the deep fried oreo, but they were out. So we opted for the deep fried Snickers. I’ve never had one, and if the Oreo is even better, I’m coming back just to try it!
The staff was super nice, and you can tell that they really care about what their customers think of the place. The prices were cheap for the quality of the food. They have awesome specials for lunch, during sports games, etc. Their menu also says that they cater.
We enjoyed our meal, and the only complaint we had was that the restaurant got a little smokey. It wasn’t terrible, but a few customers walked in after us and commented on it. But since we didn’t notice it when we walked in, I’m guessing it isn’t always smokey and something in the kitchen must have happened. I will definitely be back!

I was not impressed — the pulled pork was dry, with sauce that reminded me of something I’d find half off at ALDI. The greens were absolutely terrible — very bitter and overly soaked in lemon. The cole slaw could easily have come from Kroger’s deli counter. I know this isn’t the south, but could we at least put some effort in?
I was pretty impressed by the grease fire in the kitchen as I exited the restaurant, however.

–So so BBQ. Lazybones and Slow’s has them beat.
–Sauces were great.
–Prices were cheap.
–Mac and Cheese was AWESOME. I love the large shells.
–The staff was really friendly.
–Parking was free.
–Pulled pork was slightly overdone.
How I would improve it:
–Bigger portions
–Make the pulled pork a bit more juicier

Had dinner here with my wife two nights ago. If it were closer we would go back more often. Both of us loved our meals. We started off with onion rings. I had half slab of ribs with slaw and beans and my wife had a chicken sandwich with a white sauce and cornbread. Onion rings were very good. My ribs were good and the original sauce was very good. I am not a fan of spicy foods so it was great for me. The beans and slaw were good. My wife’s chicken sandwich was outstanding. Good chicken and a very good white sauce that had just the right amount of heat. Finished with a deep fried snickers for dessert. Too all the naysayers that have reviewed Hogge’rs I say quit comparing it to someplace else. It is what it is, a nice local BBQ place with good food at very reasonable prices. I think you should give it a try.

My wife and I went there on a whim while shopping in Berkley. She ordered the pulled pork, and I ordered the fried shrimp. The shrimp were large and seasoned perfectly. My wife enjoyed here meal as well. She is from Memphis originally, and she is a tough customer when it comes to BBQ. The prices were very reasonable.
The staff were speedy and courteous, and the menu is varied and kid-​friendly.
We’ll be back.

I came here to «pig» out (muahahaha) with my friend Brian B. on the strength of a Living Social coupon I purchased awhile back.
Let me start off by telling you what Hogger’s could do to become a 4 star establishment. First they could add some more options. As Brian B. alluded to they could use some more BBQ staples, one being Brisket dinner, another being a variety of sauces. There was brisket offered on a sandwich, but it was odd there was no dinner. The rest of the menu is good though, they have a lot of things that look appetizing. I also thought it would be a nice touch if they added a TV or two for those dining in.
I thought my Rib/​Chicken combo was solid. The sauce was good, portions were good, potato salad was average, and the garlic bread/​toast was garden variety. I thought the staff was really friendly and the prices were right… they also have Mr Pibb. Oh and how did I forget, the fried pickles. Slowly becoming a must order whenever I see them on a menu. They were definitely good. I don’t know if the quality of the pickle was as good as I’ve had, but the battered was seasoned and had a nice kick… overall I’d get them again… and again… and again.
If you are trolling around Berkley this is a good option for a quick lunch or dinner, and they also offer takeout. Check in the store or online for special deals, they seemed to have a lot. IE. $ 1 sliders on Sunday, $ 30 for a dinner for 4 and other various offers on different days of the week.

Just got back from eating here and overall, not bad. However, I think Lazybones has them beat.
I came here with a friend and we started with the onion rings and fried pickles. I thought both were very good. If you can call breading «light», this would be a decent definition of it. The onion rings were breaded and fried perfectly. I’m becoming a fan of fried pickles and I thought this was a very good rendition of them.
I went with the Rib and Chicken combo. I thought they ribs were better than average and the chicken was just right. The sauce was just OK.
The sides were mehh. I went with potato salad and coleslaw. Both really didn’t have much flavor to me and I ended up not eating most of it.
I think the prices were very fair. For 2 Combos and 2 appetizers, the bill was $ 30. Not bad.
I think this place falls short to Lazybones because of the options. There is no brisket dinner or burnt ends. I don’t really consider chicken fingers and fried shrimp BBQ. At Lazybones, there are 8 – 9 different BBQ options that you can make combos with. I think the sides there are also a bit more flavorful.
Hogger’s does the ribs and chicken good, however, the little things in the menu options and sides is where I have to side with Lazybones a head-​to-​head battle royale.

I love Hogger’s.
— The food is really good. I have yet to have anything I didnt like. And the salads were simple, but really fresh.
— They run great lunch specials.
— They are super community-​oriented.
— The owners are very personable!
— Easy carry out.
Recently, I had a get together. I called ahead of time to get some advice on a carryout order for 10 ppl. We ended up ordering family meals and it was perfect and really reasonable. We got chicken, ribs, and 4 sides. There was PLENTY (more than plenty) of food. It was all good and we paid less then $ 8/​person.
Go.

Oh for the love of Oinkers!
This place surprised me. It’s sort of the fast food of BBQ, in the best way possible. It’s fast, it’s friendly, it’s cheap! They have sit down, but more in a Coney Island sense, not a proper restaurant sense and I like that about it. The atmosphere is a bit rough, just some random Tshirts and BBQ utensils adorning the walls. The food? Well done and even slightly experimental.
I had the Pulled Pork sandwich and got Mac n Cheese on the side. My sandwich also came with coleslaw. My friend had the Buffalo Chicken sliders and I had lunch envy. I’ll order those next time… even though the menu promises that they have crumbled blue cheese on top and they didn’t…the sauce was delicious! The Pulled Pork Sandwich was tasty but nothing mind blowing. I prefer a smoked flavor in my pulled pork and less sweetness, but that’s being knit picky.
My friend also got a side of Onion Rings. Now, I normally don’t go for onion rings, but wow, the breading on those puppies was juuuust right! Light and flavorful and really delicious. They came with the white BBQ sauce to dip, which made a good pairing.
The owner had some new potatoes in a cup that he was going on about, I will have to try those next time. They sound strange, but tasty!
Big Bonus too… they DELIVER!!! Hogger’s: I will be back, oh yes, I will be back!!!

I give this place a solid «meh.»
We arrived around noon to discover they were out of beef brisket and beef tenderloin because they «were really slammed at lunch yesterday.» Huh? You mean your game plan was to serve yesterday’s meat? And you’ve never heard of these things called «stores,» where you can buy MORE beef? Anyhoo, I ended up with the pulled pork sandwich because my options were limited.
Here’s a helpful hint: call your order in ahead of time. I was a complete sucker and placed my order in person. Every time the phone rang the order taker stopped talking to me, answered the phone, and took (and submitted) the caller’s order. Awesome!
I see no evidence of a smoker, either on the premises or in the taste of the meat. It’s just roasted pork with sauce on it. The sauce is just ok. Real sweet, but ok. The kaiser bun was toasted, which was a nice plus.
The mac and cheese tasted like an off-​brand velveeta. Same shells, same neon orange colored cheese sauce. Add a little salt, and you’ve got name-​brand velveeta.
The coleslaw was heavy on the mayo, light on anything else, like seasonings.
The high spot of my lunch was the onion rings. Large, crispy, and delicious.
Would I go back? Maybe if: (1) I wanted some onion rings; and (2) I called my order in.
But don’t bother going for the so-​called «BBQ.»

Stopped into Hogger’s for the first time after reading everyone’s reviews — and I thought it was pretty A-​OK. It’s more towards the fast food end of the spectrum than the full service fine dining… maybe like in the coney island arena… but only barbecue. (Did that make any sense?)
We went with the 2 for $ 17.99 as that seems to be the popular choice. We had the cajun mushrooms for our app — which were brought out steaming hot, and were really really good. The breading that Hogger’s uses is super fantastic, and the chipotle ranch and cajun spice on the mushrooms were doing a little jig in my mouth.
We got one pulled pork and one pulled chicken — I like that the sandwiches came with provolone and onion straws… but they could definitely use more sauce as it seemed a little dry (which is easily put on when you dine in). This isn’t the most amazing pulled pork (or chicken) sandwiches we’ve ever had — but they were okay.
Sides we chose were the onion rings, greens and macaroni and cheese. The onion rings have the same great breading as the cajun mushrooms– but I would suggest not getting both in the same meal. It was over kill after the huge basket of mushrooms and we barely touched the onion rings. The green were pretty decent in their vinegary goodness. The mac & cheese… I ordered it on the side b/​c I love mac & cheese and just wanted to give it a go… I kind of wish I hadn’t. :-/​The coleslaw was not as bad as everyone has made it sound — it definitely could use some jazzing up, but it is definitely edible. To be honest, the taste reminded me of Big Boy coleslaw– but without chopping it up into little tiny pieces.
The food was overall pretty decent — there were a few things on the menu that we’d like to come back to try. I would encourage you to give them a try :)

Hogger’s blew me away. This BBQ joint is much tastier than Kirk’s on Woodward or Memphis Smoke in Royal Oak. The menu has plenty of BBQ dishes (pulled pork sandwich, ribwich, etc.).
What really got me excited were the onion rings. They were crisp, not limp. I’m not even normally a fan of onion rings, but these were phenomenal.
If you’re in to BBQ, I highly recommend Hogger’s. Quick, friendly service and fantastic food.

My boyfriend and I decided to drop in to Hoggers recently being that it’s about a mile from our house.
I’d first like to commend this place for opening up during a trying time in our economy, quite brave! We walked in and liked the casual feel. It’s a counter service type restaurant which was fine by us. We were greeted warmly by one lady and then another lady took our order, she was less than friendly and looked a little bewildered/​annoyed when I asked her questions about things on the menu.
So between my boyfriend and I, we ordered buffalo wings as an appetizer, I got a cup of tortilla soup, and I ordered the pulled chicken salad and the boyfriend ordered a half slab with macaroni and cheese and fries as the side. When we ordered I was pleased that she asked if we’d like our appetizers first before our meal, which is a definite yes.
I got the soup and I must say, the soup was terrible. I really really wanted to like it, but it was just plain watery, with no flavor and it looked like slightly tinted red water. Even the chunks of tomato provided no flavor. It wasn’t hot, in fact the cheese that they put on top wouldn’t even melt in the soup. I would defintely not order the soup again.
The wings on the other hand were delicious. They weren’t tiny, they were nice, meaty and juicy and not overcooked and had the perfect amount of sauce. The only complaint was that we received maybe 6 wings tops for 5.49 cents. I think 8 would have been better.
The salad I recieved was a very generous portion and was served with a piece of garlic bread. The bread was ok. The salad was iceberg, black beans, pulled chicken, avocado, tomatoes, fried onion strings, cheese and I believe cucumber, and I chose the house dressing. The onions were a great idea until I put the dressing on and they lost the crispiness but that’s to be expected, and they were still tasty. The avocado was a little stingy and I could have used more. The pulled chicken itself was delicious and I kept thinking what a great sandwich it probably makes. And the dressing seemed like it was just a vinegar and oil mix, which is nothing special, but I love vinegar and oil so it suited me just fine.
Now the boyfriend ordered the half slab with fries and mac n cheese. He didn’t like the macaroni and cheese and when I tried it, I understood. It was bland and not very cheesy tasting at all. It didn’t taste like anything really. The fries were good, nice and crispy and tasty.
Now on to the ribs. These ribs were fantastic! I’m not a big fan of ordering ribs from places because I find they never live up to what I expect. These ribs were probably the best ribs I’ve ever had outside of making them myself the way I Like them. They were falling off the bone and tender and meaty. They had a delicious rub without being overpowering, and the perfect amount of sauce. The boyfriend agreed in that the ribs were fantastic. I would come back for those ribs alone.
So all in all I would definitely come back, because when it comes to meat, it seems like Hoggers knows what works and what doesn’t. Some of the sides might need some tweaking here and there, but that alone is not enough for me to write off a place because there were plenty of other sides I’m excited to go back and try.
I love supporting locally owned restaurants, and it seemed the owners were out and present during our visit, greeting customers and calling them by name, which is a great thing to see and hear. I definitely know we will be going back.

Have revisited Hogger’s to try a couple other menu items.
Try the pulled pork sandwich – gobs of pulled pork loaded up on a tasty bun, a slice of melted provolone and topped with crispy fried onion strips. Incredible sandwich – great value. Huge sandwich, fries and soda under six bucks. Have also tried the pulled chicken, same way, same great taste. I’ll be back…