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Welcome to Slows Bar BQ

Slows Bar BQ, located in Detroit, is a renowned spot for American BBQ cuisine. With a variety of meat options like ribs, brisket, and pulled pork, paired with flavorful sides like Mac and cheese, coleslaw, and sweet mashed potatoes, Slows Bar BQ offers a satisfying dining experience. The menu also includes unique dishes like the Yardbird sandwich, voted one of the best in America. The restaurant provides a cozy vibe, friendly service, and outdoor seating options. Whether you're a BBQ aficionado or looking to enjoy a casual meal with friends and family, Slows Bar BQ is a must-visit destination.

LOCATIONS

Welcome to Slows Bar BQ, a beloved establishment in Detroit known for its delicious barbecue offerings and laid-back atmosphere. Located at 2138 Michigan Ave, this beer bar and American barbecue joint offers a wide range of options for every palate.

From their mouth-watering ribs, brisket, and pulled pork to their tasty sides like mac and cheese and sweet mashed potatoes, Slows Bar BQ has something for everyone. Their BBQ sauces, including the fan-favorite Apple BBQ sauce, add a flavorful kick to every dish.

Customers rave about the friendly service, cozy vibe, and spacious outdoor patio perfect for enjoying a meal with friends or family. Whether you're looking for a casual lunch or a night out with happy hour specials, Slows Bar BQ has you covered.

Don't miss out on their award-winning Yardbird sandwich or the sampler plate for a taste of everything they have to offer. And be sure to save room for dessert, as their carrot cake and mini cornbread are not to be missed.

With options for pescatarians, vegans, and vegetarians, Slows Bar BQ is inclusive of all dietary preferences. So why wait? Head to Slows Bar BQ for a delicious meal and a memorable dining experience in Detroit.

START YOUR REVIEW OF Slows Bar BQ
Ivan D.
Ivan D.

I ordered THE BIG THREE. All meat choices were delicious. I'd go all ribs on the next visit. If there's a side I would not choose again is the sweet mash. Something about the texture. Enjoyed the variety of BBQ sauces. My favorite was the Apple BBQ sauce. I'll go again when I return to Detroit.

John W.
John W.

Slow's has been a favorite of mine for years, turning out reliably good barbecue. We started with the barbecue wings, which are not the typical Buffalo wings you might expect. These are full wings, nicely barbecued. ($15.). This trip I had the quarter rack, where I chose brisket as my optional second meat (you can also choose pulled pork or chicken). You get two sides (I chose beans and coleslaw), and a choice of either bread or cornbread. ($24.). The ribs are meaty, not fatty, and the brisket is tender and flavorful. While I didn't have it this trip, I would also recommend the Yardbird sandwich. Voted one of the top 3 best sandwiches in America, it has smoked chicken, sauteed mushrooms, cheddar and applewood smoked bacon in whole grain honey mustard BBQ sauce. ($13.50). Also they have great Mac and cheese ($5.). The service is friendly and prompt. There may be a wait at peak times. They also have seasonal outdoor dining.

Scott M.
Scott M.

This is the gold standard for Bar b q in our house. If we try another place we always say "well it's good, but is it as good as Slows?" The anaswer is always no. We love the food, service and general vibes of Slows. Highly recommend this place.

Julie F.
Julie F.

The service was terrific, very attentive. Loved the feeling and vibe in the restaurant. My family loved the Mac and cheese. I thought the 1/2 rack of ribs was super flavorful, and they give you a variety of sauces my fav was spicy , followed by sweet. The sides that I ordered were coleslaw... which was good, and waffle fries which were cold and too crunchy and hard to eat..so that was disappointing but the mini corn bread definitely made up for that. Over all wonderful dinner.

David C.
David C.

I finally tried Slows after hearing so much about it. The pulled pork was just okay, but the beef brisket was really good. The cole slaw was tasty, though I wish I had gotten the mac and cheese instead. I'll definitely be back to try more items!

Jon L.
Jon L.

One of the more recommended places on various sites slows was really delicious. We got the sampler plate which came with ribs, pulled pork, brisket, wings, enchiladas and more. We also got some Mac and cheese which was probably the best Mac and cheese I've ever had. And cornbread. Really worth the trip

Yolande M.
Yolande M.

The Detroit Breast Cancer Awareness Walk this year moved from Downtown Detroit to Corktown. After a day of walking and solidarity, it was time for lunch. Slows Bar-B-Q was a perfect option for our large party to have lunch and not be concerned with moving our cars to find parking a second time. We had two long tables and both of our servers were accommodating of our every need. They even knocked the chill off of my carrot cake back in the kitchen. Our table had plenty of platters and plates with a ton of the menu options. One particular standout around the tables were the mashed sweet potatoes! They were outstanding! I had The Yarbird Sandwich to save room for my cake.

Rob K.
Rob K.

My youngest son and I arrived around 5:15 on a Saturday. We were told it would it would be about 20 minutes for the two of us. It was closer to 25...Not a big deal. We were seated and our waitress was fairly attentive. I wanted to get to the Pistons/Celtics game so I was in a hurry. I ordered the Big Three with chicken, brisket, pulled pork, sweet mashed potatoes, waffle fries and cornbread. My youngest son got the Mac and cheese with 1/2 pound of brisket. We both enjoyed our meals. Once again I preferred the spicy BBQ sauce. It was approximately 20 minutes from ordering to get our meal. This is still a great place for BBQ. Definitely a must visit if you're in Detroit.

Stephen L.
Stephen L.

Solid BBQ although I have definitely had better before. I got The Favorite (one of the combo options) with baby back ribs, beef brisket, BBQ chicken, waffle fries, cole slaw, and cornbread for $30. From the menu, it seemed like a lot of stuff, but turns out it was actually just a bit of each thing. For example, there was literally just one piece of beef brisket (although it was pretty tender and good). The 3 baby back ribs were decent, but slightly on the tougher side and a bit hard to get off the bones. The BBQ chicken was okay - honestly more like normal seasoned chicken than BBQ-like. They gave a good selection of different BBQ sauces so you can try each and use whichever you would like. However, I personally felt like each one was a bit too watery and for someone like me who prefers a thicker sauce, there wasn't really one that I liked all that much (the apple one was best though). As for the rest of the items in the combo, the waffle fries were nicely crispy although not actually that much better than the ones you would get at a fast food place. The one piece of cornbread was average quality, as was the coleslaw. There were also a couple pickle slices on the side. I also tried the Triple Threat Pork sandwich ($13.50). As the name suggests, this has pulled pork, bacon, and ham inside. While it was okay, it definitely could've used some other ingredients inside to complement the meats and provide some different flavors / textures. The food alone would've probably earned this place only 3 stars but I will bump it up to 4 stars because of the nice outdoor patio seating area. It is outdoors yet has a wall around it so it feels private and the road nearby isn't too noisy. Definitely a nice spot to sit and eat if the weather is good. The interior is fairly nice as well with a good amount of seating. The service speed was at times good and at times not as good. The combo came out literally within minutes, while we waited quite a while for the sandwich to arrive. The staff are fairly friendly and helpful. Overall, I would say Slows Bar BQ is a good option if you are looking for a chill spot to hang out with friends and enjoy the outdoor patio area. If you are specifically just looking for good BBQ though, then this might not be as high up on the list, although it still certainly gets the job done.