Slows BBQ Pontiac review, pics, hours info, and menu info – Slows BBQ has been a BBQ staple in downtown Detroit and now has a location in Pontiac MI. Slows BBQ Pontiac is located at 8 N Saginaw St in downtown Pontiac. Parking is available street side at the meters. Slows BBQ Pontiac location is all new…it is clean and themed with a lot of warm woods. It’s not overly rustic, so it’s more modern combined with wood trims.
OAKLAND COUNTY BBQ RESTAURANTS
UPDATE – SLOWS PONTIAC has announced they are closing the location in order to re-tool and return. This was back in November of 2017 and, as of July 2018, I haven’t heard anything about a return
Slows BBQ Pontiac Pics
The Slows BBQ Pontiac staff was great. We had awesome service. The menu at Slows BBQ in Pontiac is not identical to the Detroit location’s menu offerings, but the basics are still there… appetizers such as the brisket enchiladas, fried catfish, and smoked trout spread; a couple of salad options; the infamous sandwiches (served on your choice of either a poppyseed kaiser roll or fresh toast from the local
Zingerman’s) such as the Yardbird – smoked chicken, sautéed in Honey Mustard BBQ Sauce, mushrooms, and Cheddar cheese, topped with applewood bacon, or the Reason – slow smoked pork butt, pulled and bathed in NC BBQ Sauce then topped with coleslaw and dill pickles. Entrees include ribs, brisket, pork, chicken, gumbo, tri tip, catfish, and jambalaya. The sides that are offered are mac-n-cheese, pit smoked beans, coleslaw, sweet potato mash, waffle fries, green beans, and Zingerman’s
cornbread. The biggest differences between the Slows BBQ Pontiac and the Slows BBQ Detroit menus is that there are no Hoagies and no Combination platters at the Pontiac location. Other than that, there’s just a few things here and there that are not at Pontiac.
We ordered the brisket entree and the American Dream sandwich (Sliced brisket, applewood smoked bacon, Hoffman’s Super Sharp Cheddar and Texas Style BBQ Sauce) with a side of mac-n-cheese. We got the sandwich on the Zingerman’s bread so we could give the local a try…the sandwich was great. The mac-n-cheese was also good…it was made with mini shell pasta and served in a crock so it can be baked
with melted cheese on top. We also ordered the waffle fries and green beans for sides. The fries were great and cutely served in a metal cup, the green beans were nothing special. The sauces at Slows BBQ were good, and went great with the fries. There were five to choose from – NC, a thinner vinegar-based sauce with a spicy kick; Sweet, a traditional sauce with only a slight sweetness; SC Mustard, a great
mustard BBQ sauce and probably my favorite; Apple, a very pronounced Apple flavor making it even sweeter than the sweet sauce; and Spicy, a more traditional sauce with only the slightest trace of hot… making it an option for anyone that can handle a small kick.
Ok, so here’s where my review may differ than with the rest of the world…I was not impressed by the presentation of the food, or the brisket itself. Here’s why…when I go out for BBQ, I love how creative they are when they serve the food…it is directly in line with the BBQ theme so it makes it an experience. I’ve
had BBQ on metal trays lined with brown paper and all of the food is served on it…the entree, sides, etc. At Slows BBQ I found it a little odd that they served the food on white porcelain plates. Everything had its own plate so they brought me a pile of brisket on a plate, and each side on separate plates. It resembled a table setting from a buffet dinner. Ok, so that’s a bit picky. Here’s the bigger disappointment…I did not care for the brisket. I understand that brisket tends to be a fattier meat, but the brisket that was served to me was more fat than meat. No joke. I took all the fat off and there was barely any meat left with twice as much fat as meat. Even the waitress said that was pretty bad and she went back to the kitchen to get me more. That’s great service and I appreciated it. But even so, I didn’t find the meat to have the best flavor. The seasoning and the BBQ flavor were extremely faint and you were left to rely on the sauces for flavor.
Maybe it was just an off day, I don’t know. But, if I go back, I won’t be getting the brisket.
Slows BBQ Pontiac
Address – 8 North Saginaw St. Pontiac, MI 48342
Phone – 248-409-5329
Website – slowsbarbq.com
Slows BBQ Pontiac Hours
Sunday 12p-9p
Monday – Thursday 11a-9p
Friday 11a-11p
Saturday 12p-11p
See related posts for more Oakland County BBQ Restaurants
For more info on Slows BBQ Pontiac, visit slowsbarbq.com