Metro Detroit: Lakeport’s Lakeshore Smokehouse
This week’s Fun Food Friday was featured in our posts, back in 2019 and again in 2022. So much has changed there, since then, so we felt the need to give them another shout out. It is absolutely one of our favorite places for some delicious smoked meats, which you can tell are cooked with pride. Lakeshore Smokehouse in Lakeport, MI just north of Port Huron. It is a great place to take the family for not just some good food, but an afternoon adventure. There are tons of things to do and it is even dog friendly!
In 2011, in the height of the foreclosure crisis, Gary and Vicki Brown purchased this property, which at the time was a small landscaping company call Northland Gardens. They already owned landscaping and lawn service companies and thought it would be a nice addition to their businesses. In 2012, they decided to add a little trailer, selling some smoked ribs, brisket and pulled pork, to attract some tourist drive-bys and people from the state park across the street…thus Lakeshore Smokehouse was born. At first glance, this unique eatery might not catch your eye. In fact, you might have driven past Lakeshore Smokehouse during previous trips without taking a second look.
The smokehouse boasts a rustic yet relaxing outdoor setting. It takes your BBQ experience to a new level. You will definitely want to go back again and again. There are cute little gardens throughout the property, fun games, Koi pond with waterfall, and lots of fresh air. It’s basically impossible to have a bad time. Lakeshore Smokehouse also has a stage and is home to frequent live music performances.
Of course COVID changed the way we all do EVERYTHING, and Lakeshore was not immune to this. In order to survive the crowding or people waiting in line (and there could be long lines during peak times) they switched to drive through ordering only. It is a pretty cool set up. First it makes you drive all the way around their property to get in line for the drive through. This is cool because you get to see everything they have going on. When you get to the front you place your order, pay, and then they deliver the food to your car. From there you can park and sit anywhere to eat and there are a lot of places to sit. When finished, you can walk around and check everything out. You can easily spend a couple of hours here.
Having visited Lakeshore over a dozen times in the past 10 years we can say we have tried all most everything on the menu. They have all the basics, pulled pork, brisket, St. Louis style ribs, mac & cheese, beans and cole slaw. There are a good selection of sandwiches and even campfire nachos. They also offer a number of additional items like jumbo smoked turkey legs, smoke fried chicken wings and my favorite Poutine which is a big hit being right across the lake from Canada. This year they are offering a few new items like the loaded colossal baked potatoes and a Smokehouse spring salad.
The ribs, which are dry rubbed and smoked to perfection, are always meaty and delicious. The pulled pork and brisket are also very tender and juicy which makes for some delicious sandwiches. You can get the brisket and pork a number of ways, they have classic sandwiches and some specialty sandwiches. You can also get it on the loaded spuds, loaded fries or on top of your mac and cheese. They make a brisket and pulled pork Rueben, which is one of our favorites, we usually get it with brisket. It is made on grilled rye bread with Swiss cheese, slices of melt in your mouth brisket and cole slaw.
Rueben not for you, maybe try the Smokehouse Cuban, the Brisket Philly or the Piggy Mac Melt the pulled pork sandwich topped with their baked mac & cheese. The campfire nachos are also very good and enough to share with every one. A generous amount of tortilla chips topped with pulled pork, cheddar cheese, black olives, pit beans, diced tomatoes, jalapenos and onions. And then there’s the Poutine, my favorite, NOT TERESA’S. Fresh cut French fries topped with cheddar cheese and rich brown gravy…sooo good!
Oh, and they also have ice cream, soft serve and hand dipped as well as flurries, sundaes, shales floats and Malts. Did we mention you could spend a few hours here?
Until next week…Live Well, Eat Well! Enjoy Life!
- Keith & Teresa Becker