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Slows BarBQ obviously found a niche by offering slow-smoked barbecue in the middle of downtown Detroit. It’s location -- across from the long-abandoned Michigan Central Depot in Detroit's Corktown neighborhood -- screams hole in the wall, yet its atmosphere provides Metro-Detroiters a trendy, casual hangout in which to sample a host of Michigan beers and Southern-inspired, chef-created dishes.
Atmosphere:
Location, location, location?
Located along Michigan Avenue in Detroit’s Corktown Neighborhood, Slows BarBQ doesn’t have a lot of neighbors. In fact, the biggest landmark that can be seen from the restaurant/bar’s front window is the notorious Michigan Central Depot, Detroit’s long-empty but architecturally interesting train station. Parking is also somewhat scarce, forcing most customers to parallel park along Michigan Avenue.
In some respects, however, the Slows location adds to its charm. For instance, the restaurant occupies two storefronts in a building that dates back to the 1880s, which means it has a lot of great architectural elements, including brick walls, wood floors, lofty ceilings and large windows. The restaurant also has a large wraparound bar that juts out into the center of the dining space and divides the restaurant’s line of booths from its main dining room of wooden tables and chairs.
In the warmer months, a large outdoor patio just about doubles the size of the restaurant.
The patio is surrounded by a thick, wooden privacy fence, but lacks umbrellas and therefore shade at lunch time.
Menu:
The menu at Slows is Southern-inspired with a host of “slow”-smoked favorites, including ribs and brisket. There are also southern favorites like Catfish, Okra, Gumbo and Jambalaya, all of which worked to earn the restaurant a national reputation. In fact, Slows had a starring role on the Travel Channel’s “Man vs. Food” in 2009, which of course resulted in a long wait for table in 2010. Some of the hype, however, may be the result of it finding a unique culinary niche and location in Detroit’s restaurant market.
Barbecue:
The ribs at Slows are somewhat hit or miss depending on your personal preference. If you like your ribs swamped in sauce with the meat falling off the bone, you might be disappointed. The ribs are dry rubbed with a variety of 13 spices, which creates a kind of spicy, caramelized crust when slowly smoked over many hours. Compared to the marinade or wet-rub technique (that often involves swamping the ribs in barbeque sauce when cooking) the meat is relatively tough and dry. That’s not to say the ribs have to stay that way. Slows offers five different kinds of barbeque sauce on the table and the choice is yours whether to go with the natural flavor of the meat (as enhanced by the spicy/sweet rub) or swamp the ribs in one or more of the sauces.
The pulled-pork sandwich may be “The Reason” Slows BarBQ has achieved such notoriety. Unlike the ribs, the pulled pork of the sandwich is liberally dunked in barbeque sauce, tasty and tender. The coleslaw and dill pickle are interesting additions and work really well in contrast to make the sandwich memorable. The sandwich is served on either a Kaiser Roll or Texas Toast.
Sides and Dessert:
While Slows takes great pains to make its sides interesting, they are not all completely successful. For instance, Mom’s Green Beans are a little too spicy and sour, while the Southern-style cornbread is dry, gritty and a little bland. The Mac’n’Cheese, on the other hand, is a favorite because it uses shell noodles to create a cheese-filled dumplings, which are in turn served in a casserole dish amid a Cheddar-cheese blend. The sauce, however, is a little too creamy to completely bubble and brown under a broiler.
The Chuck Norris dessert is a brownie/ice cream concoction that utilizes several Detroit products, including Ray’s Detroit Club Coffee Ice Cream and Sander’s Hot fudge. It is a well thought out dessert, if oddly named; but it doesn’t really fit in with the Southern-inspired menu.
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