Metro Detroit: Clarkston’s Union Woodshop & Clarkston Union Bar & Kitchen

It all started in 1995, when Curt Catallo’s parents bought an old church on Main Street in Clarkston to save it from disrepair . . . but they weren’t sure what to do with the place. Curt and his wife Ann Stevenson had an idea, and together, with their opening chef Bill Fortin, they opened the Clarkston Union Bar & Kitchen.

They became popular very fast due to their crazy good Mac & Cheese! It started with chef Fortin’s Bechamel sauce, penne pasta and a variety of cheeses they picked up at Eastern Market (the key being sharp Vermont and mild Pinconning cheddar). Then, the secret ingredient (nutmeg) and finished with Panko bread crumbs. It’s SOOOOOOOO good!

The Union Woodshop (which is 2 blocks north) was their 2nd venture, opened in 2009. It was previously the Clarkston Café - a white linen French/American Restaurant that was victim of the bad economy that hit our area starting in 2008. At first, their thoughts took them toward Italian, and they worked up a menu around “Pizza Coco” which is what they call their pizza oven. They were less than excited about it. They loved the wood fired pizza oven and started talking about wood fired grilling. Before they knew it, they were talking about barbeque, and as they say . . . the rest is history.

Both have also been featured on Diners, Drive-ins and dives on a special Kid Rock episode.

In 2019 they passed the 1,000,000 mark on mac & cheese sold. If you are doing the math that’s a little over 41,500 a year or 114 a day. There is a sign on the wall at the Clarkston Union that shows the current count of dishes served.

The Clarkston Union, while known for the M & C, also offers a nice selection of other “comfort foods” as well. For starters you might try the trio of Mediterranean dips or smoked chicken dip.

If you are looking for a salad, they offer everything from a side salad to a Steak Fattoush salad.

There are a few burgers including a turkey burger and a black bean burger and a number of sandwiches. Anywhere from a grilled cheese to a jalapeno pulled pork and turkey melt with caramelized onions and cranberry chutney.

They have plenty of entrees to choose from as well. They offer a chicken pot pie, homemade meatloaf, and usually have a special or two like Jambalaya or beef and mortadella meatballs tossed in smoky sweet tomato sauce with linguini.

Don’t forget to leave room for dessert. The homemade ice cream sandwiches with caramel sauce are worth the extra calories.

The Union Woodshop is one of my personal favorites for BBQ. We have never had a bad experience here. The food is always cooked to perfection and the service is always good. It may take a little longer when they are busy, but that is understandable. Like BBQ place should, they are rustic in their delivery. They serve all their food on baking or cookie sheets and drinks in canning jars. I think it adds to the ambiance.

The food is delicious! We, of course, have tried a number of items throughout the years. The ribs are smoked to perfection. They offer pork belly burnt ends which makes them worth the trip right there.

They have your traditional smoked meats: brisket, pulled pork, sausages chicken, and ribs.

They also have sandwiches and Pizza Coco pizzas. They have a Chicken Pot Pie pizza and a Chicken Broccoli pizza that look pretty good. However, Teresa thinks that putting non pizza food on a pizza is a crime.

But to me, the star of the show is their Porker sandwich. A house ground pork patty, house made maple bacon, and a Texas hot link with pickled chilis, smoked cheddar and mayo. Needless to say it is not on the heart smart menu. They, as well as all the other Union Joints, also offer the Union Mac & Cheese.