Metro Detroit: Royal Oak’s Lockhart’s BBQ
If you know us, you know we are suckers for good BBQ. In the past 15-20 years it seems that a lot of BBQ places have popped up in the metro Detroit communities. Some good and some . . . not so much. The problem that most people have with BBQ is that it can be expensive, and nobody likes to pay top dollar for average food. Well Lockhart’s BBQ in Royal Oak is far from average.
Let’s start at the beginning. In 2006, business partners Rick Ghersi and Drew Ciora, who have a mutual love of good BBQ, started mulling over the idea of a BBQ restaurant while smoking ribs outside their downtown Detroit Beer Company. While Michigan native Rick Ghersi knew his brews (he is co-founder of Old Nation Brewing Co who produces the M-43 New England Style IPA) Drew Ciora, a Texas transplant, knew Texas BBQ as well as beer, having opened the Royal Oak Brewery in 1995.
They started taking trips to BBQ hot spots in Texas, Memphis and Kansas City to check out different styles and flavors. They looked all over for the perfect spot from the far east side to Novi to the west and south into Washtenaw county, before settling into their location at the corner of Third and Williams in Royal Oak, just blocks from the Royal Oak Brewery.
They faced a few struggles to get this up and running. First was that Royal Oak didn’t have any liquor licenses available, but they were able to find one in Novi that they were able to buy. Next was getting city approval, which was initially turned down. After adjusting their business plan, including limiting indoor seating to just 100 people, they got the green light to proceed. They hired Steve “Bubba” Coddington (who also was key to getting Clawson’s Woodpile BBQ up and running), as their pitmaster and they were off and running.
I could go on and on with the history . . . but we are here to talk happy hour, and Lockhart’s has a good one. Happy hour is a good way to get some of their delicious BBQ at a discounted price. Their happy hour runs Monday thru Friday from 3-6 PM when you can get
$3 domestic bottles & well cocktails
$4 select craft drafts, Moscow mules and margaritas
$5 Lockhart bloody Marys
½ off most appetizers
This is one BBQ restaurant that DOES offer traditional burnt ends, which you rarely see, but they are not included in their Happy hours. Don’t worry though there are plenty of other great options to choose from.
Since burnt ends were not on their happy hour menu, we opted for their Smoked Queso Pulled Pork Nachos. It comes served on a ¼ sheet tray loaded with chips, smoked pork, smoked queso, cheddar jack cheese, onions, cilantro salsa, jalapenos and drizzled with a white BBQ sauce. It is definitely a meal on it’s own and plenty big enough to share. BBQ nachos are not a new thing, we have seen them on many BBQ menus but here they are nice and spread out not piled up. This allows all the chips to get some delicious toppings and leaves no naked chips underneath, my biggest complaint when it comes to nachos.
Other appetizers available during happy hour are their smoked bacon made with brown sugar, black pepper and LOVE. Their jumbo smoked chicken wings, smoked whole wings tossed in Buffalo BBQ sauce. A basket of homemade cornbread, chips and smoked queso, and fried pickle chips served with Alabama white sauce.
Now you don’t have to just come for happy hour. They have:
Tuesday Pork & Pint where you get a pulled pork sandwich and a pint of craft beer for just $10
Wednesday you can get their jumbo smoked wings for just $2 each
Thursdays kids eat free with the purchase of an adult meal.
They also offer brunch on Sundays from 11-3 serving up some great BBQ and southern style classics.
The regular menu also offers a wide variety to choose from. Of course there are ribs, brisket pulled pork, smoked sausage, smoked chicken and even beef ribs as well as the sandwiches you would expect to see. Then you have specialty items like their Saddle Brisket Burger which starts with fresh house ground beef and is topped with chopped brisket, candied back=on, smoked provolone, BBQ and crispy fried onions. A must for any BBQ fan. They also offer a variety of salads and soups, chili and one of our favorites Ugly Smoked Gumbo made with smoked Chicken and sausage.
Of course with coming from a Micro-brewery background, the owners have a great variety of Michigan made craft beers to choose from. The first grouping on their menu are their “house beers” and are from the Detroit Beer Company downtown. This of course is where they were when they got the idea of starting a BBQ place. There are a few “guest taps” available as well, and one happens to be M-43 from Old Nation Brewing, who co-owner Rick Ghersi is the co-founder of.
If you haven’t been to Lockhart’s give them a try, especially for happy hour, you won’t be disappointed. Lockhart’s is located at 202 E 3rd Street and is open Daily at 11AM through 9PM, 10 PM on Fridays and Saturdays.
Until next time . . . live well, eat well and enjoy life!
-Keith & Teresa Becker