Meet & Eat: Queue Up for Barbeque

Whether you like it slathered sweet or savory, the popularity of barbeque just keeps on growing, maybe because so few of us have time at home for the slow-mo cooking it requires.

Here are few group-friendly restaurants from around Michigan who know how to “Q” it right.

>>Rub BBQ Pub, Detroit
Established just this year in downtown Detroit, Rub BBQ offers an urban experience that’s part old-school smokehouse taste, part Detroiter pride. Using local suppliers, Rub  BBQ’s rubs and sauces are mixed from scratch using more than 20 different herbs and spices.

Divided into three major sections, the restaurant offers a dining area, expansive bar and private dining area that seats up to 150 people.  Groups can order off the main menu, enjoy custom menus or be served buffet style.

>>Bo’s Smokehouse, Pontiac
What sells best at Bo’s? “Our ribs are to die for,” says Collette Marie, the restaurant’s event coordinator. Bo’s Smokehouse boasts a longstanding presence in the Pontiac restaurant scene, but only recently the owners decided to change its brewery-and-bistro approach to southern-style-BBQ-and-brewery.

Located  in a historic brick building, Bo’s Smokehouse stands three levels high, with space to host 400 people in its main restaurant and upwards of 100 people in the restaurant’s semiprivate and private dining areas.

>>Blue Tractor Cook Shop, Traverse City
The Blue Tractor’s commitment to using local ingredients and stocking more than 50 Michigan brews has won the restaurant five local awards and a loyal patronage. In addition to pulled pork and beef brisket, classic BBQ beer can chicken is on the menu.

Groups of up to 50 can enjoy the restaurant’s semi-private dining area, where guests can request customized menus. When in doubt, you can’t go wrong with the restaurant’s sponsored brewery-of-the-month and food pairing, making your experience delicious and easy.

>>bd’s Mongolian BBQ // Various locations around Michigan
If you’re looking for a location to stage your next event that provides a personalized dining experience and a whole lot of fun, bd’s Mongolian BBQ fits the grill. With a “you rule the experience” philosophy, your guests create their own stir-fry that is prepared atop a seven-foot grill that cooks at an astonishing 600 degrees Fahrenheit.

Without a set menu, planners need not fret over the allergies or dietary preferences of their guests. bd’s Mongolian BBQ also offers catering in one of its private dining rooms, available at select locations. The Grand Rapids location can host groups as large as 60.

GET CONNECTED

RUB BBQ PUB // Detroit // 313.964.0782

BO’S SMOKEHOUSE // Pontiac // 248.338.6200

BLUE TRACTOR COOK SHOP // Traverse City // 231.922.9515

BD’S MONGOLIAN BBQ // Various locations around Michigan // 616.957.7500