Slows Bar BQ in Detroit - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

Too loud, expensive, small portions

Ribs were tough, dry, fatty and too expensive.

Second time coming here in over 10 years ordered the $30 plate that comes with three meats ribs brisket and we chose to get chicken. When the tray arrived I thought more food was coming because there was literally three pieces of rib two dollar pancake sized pieces of chicken and a couple slices of brisket. Barely enough to feed two people. My boyfriend could have ate that by himself. The taste was okay Ive had much better other places. dickeys being my top bbq spot. Overall disappointed wouldn't come here again. they have to keep their lights on somehow so they charge you $30 for less than a pound of meat altogether. And FYI the door is kind of hidden sandwiched between two other doors and faces towards the train station

So glad we finally made it to this Corktown classic. Brought guest from Dallas. Ribs(full slab), YardBird, and pulled pork sandwich. All great. Wonderful server. Definitely recommend for a fun and yummy dinner.

I bought a Half a Slab dinner, the Ribs were old and Nasty 🤢, the worst ever, the Mac and Cheese were old and Dry, the Baked Beans were Very Good, I won't be going back, I wasted $23. For nothing, These Restaurants charge top Dollar for their food, there food Should Taste Top Notch,I was Very Disappointed Not Worth the Money 💰

If you haven't been here, or just visiting.... You owe it to yourself to check out slows. It's a toss up as to which is more amazing, the food or the service. Never had a bad meal and never left thinking the staff could have done more. The apple Bar, sets the bar. I've literally had to fight myself from not drinking from the container they provide. I truly put this as my top sweet BBQ sauce. If they found away to pack some heat (without just mixing it with their hot) I might ask if I can just rent a booth and treat it like an Airbnb. I always go with the 3 fav. and add a link. And it's been flawless every time. Please keep up the great work and already looking forward to my next trip to the mitten.

Not what it used to be. Won't be back.

What a great meal with fantastic service, Terry was amazing, he really made our night with his food and drink recommendations (slows sangria, get the craft) his services was impeccable, seriously a great night. Food could not have been better, the triple threat was not a disappointment and the duce with chicken and pork was also amazing! Can't get over the night, thanks Terry for facilitating a great meal for us!

Slows. Is. My. Happy. Place. Great service and top quality food. It is on the pricey side, but you definitely get what you pay for in quality. You can tell that they don't cut corners with their slow cooked brisket or pulled pork. And whatever you order, THEIR MAC AND CHEESE IS A MUST!!

The atmosphere and service were nice, but the food quality ain’t what it used to be. My brisket sandwich was mostly fat. My daughter was less than impressed by her triple threat. The meat was really dry. They claim GF options, but were out of GF buns. The menus also need to be updated to reflect the true prices. The triple threat is now $1.50 more than what is listed on the menu.

Ordered to go, and I was given cold meat. This was a terrible experience.

10/10 Would not Recommend As a person who has lived with severe allergies her whole life, I know what it’s like to not be accommodated at restaurants and this place was no exception. They had a number of sandwiches with the gluten free symbol next to them and the promise of a gluten free bun with an additional $1.50 charge. They also brought out a selection of five barbecue sauces, one of which has gluten and three others have high fructose corn syrup, one of my other allergens. This left me with one sauce to use which was a vinegary hot sauce, pretty bland and something I could’ve just bought at the store. Needless to say I was disappointed but the adventure was just beginning. I ordered a sandwich with pork, bacon, and ham with a gluten free bun along with a side of fries. Shortly after, the manager came out and notified me that they were out of gluten free buns, cutting my menu options down significantly. I decided to stick with the sandwich I had ordered minus the bun and lo and behold I was presented with a bland pile of meat shavings. As I had no sauces to add besides the vinegary hot sauce, I was stuck eating the vile, flavorless meat with no way to remedy the situation. To top it all off, they gave my fries order to another person in my party, letting them sit right against her gluten bun. At this point, I was trying to hold in my tears as I ate my pile of meat shavings. Once the check came around, I was so done to even care that they overcharged me and the menu prices didn’t match the receipt. I explained to the waitress about the mishap but she just said it was different in the system and her manager had changed it. I was fed up with the excuses so I paid and left. I will NEVER be returning to Slow’s.

Even though the quality of the meat was very good, the temperature was low. I believe it is not only at Slow but restaurants need to find a way to keep the food at a reasonable temperature.

We ate there 8/18/2024. Mostly a nice time. Had Baby Back rids and they were overcooked and tough. Sauces and sides were very good.

What's behind the wood door just never disappoints.

I cannot overstate how horrible this restaurant is.

I’ve been wanting to try the bbq here for years and I will say that I was throughly disappointed. The ribs were so dry and full of fat that they were almost inedible. I’ve had much better ribs out of the refrigerator section at Costco than the ribs I had a slows. The sides were decent and the service was great, but the bbq left a lot to be desired

We got the Slows BBQ Wings, Burnt Ends, and The Big Three combo. Overall my experience didn’t quite meet my expectations. The meats were overall dry and lacked the depth of smokiness, and the burnt ends also didn’t taste like the burnt ends I’m familiar with - not burnt crispy on the outside and juicy tender on the inside; rather it was just a little dry and soaked in the barbecue sauce.

Let me first say our waitress was great we sat at the bar! The Food=T.R.A.S.H. I understand yall not making fresh food but at least make sure it's Hot when you bring it out. Only thing yall probably make fresh is the fries so I don't understand how they come out cold too. Smh. Nothing looked appetizing. Nothing at all. Everything looked old. Rib tips dry, brisket drowned in sauce. We won't be back. A total waste of money. Smh

Loved the food and ambiance , great customer service Beautiful atmosphere

Place is a joke. Waited for 20 mins before walking out. Never spoke to anyone. Thanks for wasting my time. Would have liked to tried the food

From the service to the luke warm food. Never again. I was unfortunately let down on all points of my visit. Worst part being sitting on the wood planks waiting for non hot food... wife's food was warmer than mine thankfully. Definitely not worth the price for the food/experience in my opinion.

Just a southerner in the area for work. I decided to give some Detroit BBQ a try. This is cool hole in the wall place. Service was solid. Wish I could say the same about the brisket. It lacked flavor and it sells at a premium. With that being said the pulled pork was tasty and I recommend you just double up on that for your meal. The spicy sauce was solid but the apple based sauce was different and worth trying. I enjoyed it! As for the sweet mash it was ok. It could be outstanding with a cinnamon honey drizzle. If you are in the area give the pork a try.

A very memorable experience. This was my first visit, and I am glad we dined at this establishment. Service was excellent and the food was delectable. Kudos to the chefs and waitstaff. A+++++

Service was fine. Brisket was a solid 6/10.

Consistently great barbeque and service and large portions. Well worth the money. I usually get the burnt ends starter with a side.

The BBQ is amazingly good, and the service was fast and frequent. The only issue we had was they charged us regular price for all the adult entrees approx 14 dollars (great value for the food BTW) but then charged us 18 dollars to get a kids cheeseburger plain. Not kid friendly.

Great BBQ restaurant!! The beans were outstanding as was all the food we ate. It is amazing to see this area of Detroit booming!

Girls here were great i lost my virginity here

I hadn't been here in 5 years or so and it was disappointing. We were told an hour wait, but we were seated in about 30 minutes. So far so good. We were advised that we could stay only 1.5 hours. Hmmm. It took 45 minutes for our food to arrive. We never got the drink refill we asked for. We asked twice for ketchup, it never came. Food was ok but not amazing. We probably won't go back

I did a door dash and my food was horrible. Ribs were fatty and hard to eat. Definitely not fall of the bone. I ordered a slab only received a small child like aluminum pan of Mac & cheese a very small side of baked beans. Will never patronize this place again!!!

A nice casual BBQ place, I love that they have all their sauces just out on the table so you can try them all and use what you like. Server was quick and very kind. Would absolutely return!

Solid BBQ, service, atmosphere, sides, and drafts!

Slooooowwwwwwwws, I've had better.

Excellent food! We loved every item we ordered. The brisket and chicken were delicious ! Mac and Cheese was tasty and down home casserole style. They have several sauces on every table so you can try everything without asking the server which is nice. You can buy jars of your favorites on the way out for a super reasonable price. Service was also good. Location is super convenient to Roosevelt Park and the restored iconic train station. Take a stroll through historic Cork Town after dinner to visit some great shops and venues.

We were in Detroit for a baseball game and we met some friends here. Wow! What a great meal. Everyone cleaned their plates. The burnt ends were fantastic and the brisket was a hit. The restaurant is clean and roomy. I will definitely be going back. The front door is a bit of a puzzle. I've included a picture. Four stars!!!

Best BBQ I've ever been to! If you haven't tried their triple threat I highly suggest it! Amazing! And they make their own sauces!!

First time at Slows and was anxious to try their barbecue. I sat at the bar and waited approximately 5 minutes before I was greeted by a server and it was not crowded. I was finally greeted and my order was taken. I ordered the 3 meats which included baby back ribs, pulled pork and chicken thighs. My two sides were Mac and cheese and fries. The pulled pork was cold, the ribs were extremely tough and fries were over cooked (fried way too long). My overall experience was unpleasant, the food was terrible and the service was awful. I had to ask for silverware and napkins. I am African American that likes to wear gold chains, a Rolex and Cartier glass. I witness the bartender staff be more attentive to the white patrons. I’ll be going back to Lockharts in Royal Oak where the food and service is to tier.

Tasty tasty food 😋, good drink selection

We love to eat at Slows!! 🌟🌟 The food is delicious, service is always fast and friendly and gluten-free friends can eat with confidence!!🥳👍✅🎉 We ordered the sampler platter which easily feeds two people and gives you a nice variety of barbecue meat options!! 🤩🤩

I've actually heard of Slow's. So when I found myself nearby & hungry, I beelined. Once I figured out where the door was, all was good. I was greeted & seated very quickly. I love the combo of light wood & black metal for the tables. The light color of the ceiling is nice too, keeps the space feeling open and airy, which it is. The dish towels as napkins is quirky and exactly appropriate & appreciated. The music is a touch too loud but, whatever. And putting the hand dryer right next to the urinal is a questionable decision. I like the concrete sink but, maybe a smaller one would've worked better? My server, Alisha, was super nice, jovial even. The pulled pork on The Reason sandwich ($13.00) was astoundingly tender and tasty without sauce. There are 5 sauces to choose from: apple, NC, sweet, mustard & spicy. The spicy could use a bit of punching up but otherwise they are well labeled. The coleslaw (I asked for it on the side) is superb, great flavor & not over-sauced. The one downside was the extremely LOUD dad who swore like sailor at his two young kids. (How dare a child get upset & express himself with tears because he has feelings?) 🙄 I heard every word he said - even when he whispered to his wife - until the door shut behind me. Assuming they aren't slammed and I can find a parking place (and the balding loudmouth isn't there), I'd come back in 30 minutes. OK, 60.

Sweet mash and BBQ beans go really well with the ribs

The service and the staff are friendly and attentive which is why this isn’t one star. The food was the worst BBQ I’ve ever had. It was extremely dry and the sauces were fine but nothing special.

Everything was delightful. Can’t wait to come back ASAP.

It’s always Thee Best service from Alisha when I come down from Ann Arbor . If owned a restaurant I would definitely steal from you guys. WATCH YOUR BACK you got a Gem

Always been a fan of Slow's, and was reminded why on our recent visit. The ribs were on point, the coleslaw and baked beans delicious, the draft root beer perfect. Our food was slow getting out to us, to the point even our waitress remarked on it, but everything else was fantastic.

Alisha, Shannon, and Keith they are all amazing!!! Thank you!!!!

I am Army Disabled Veteran and I have been around the world Slows is the worse food I had. Burned Ribs and Dried Brisket. Service is The worse

Wonderful server and atmosphere. Meats, bbq sauces and sides were all pretty tasty. Kids loved the Mac n cheese. My only issue was that the waffle fries were cold and tasted old. Everything else was great

Excellent lunch after touring Michigan Central Station!

Came about an hour before close. Ribs were a little dry but the brisket hit.

The American Dream sandwich is sublime!

This place has perfectly cooked bbq. With that said, it is under seasoned. They do offer a slew os sauces, but it doesn't make up for well seasoned meat. All in all, the ribs give you the perfect bite, the brisket is tender and juicy, the corn bread and chicken are flavorful and not dry. Also, the drink selection is top notch, great cocktail place. Some bar tenders were super nice, others seemed.... kind of hipster ish if that makes sense.

1 hr and 15 minutes for over cooked and over smoke flavored chicken. Menu isn't completely correct, no kid-tinis or whatever it's called at the bottom of the menu. Sadly it was my son's birthday dinner.😥

Literally can never go wrong getting anything from Slows. Its always incredible! I had their ribs for the first time last time I was there and was blown away. Make to sure to always get the mac and cheese, its the best. One of my fave places to go when I am downtown.

I always have a great experience at Slows. I have eaten in several times and had carry out, all with great attentive service, and delicious food. The chicken is my favorite, and i love the spicy bbq sauce. Yum! The staff is friendly and talented, Shannon and Trevor are great! I went on my birthday and they gave me delicious carrot cake, thanks!

I enjoyed the Yardbird sandwich, and I would highly recommend it. Seems to be a very popular place as it was full during lunch hours.

I’ve been into Slow’s once or twice and I’ve always been AMAZED at the service and quality of the food. The last time I went, my server was Shannon was incredibly kind, courteous and fast despite how busy it was! 5 stars 🤩

food was great but our waitress, shannon, was a bit rude. i asked if they had coffee to which she responds with, “yes but i’d have to brew a fresh pot”, so i just didn’t order a coffee. i found it odd and disrespectful that she felt the need to point that out to me. as a server myself, i would never say that to a customer

Sad to see how bad this has become over the years. Seated for a 730 reservation at a dirty table - someone came and wiped it down leaving it soaked as we stood awkwardly by the table. Don’t bring guests to a table if it’s not ready yet? Placed order within 10 min - server was friendly. Food took nearly an hour to arrive.. 1 order of ribs and 2 sides of meat. The server came out twice to apologize for the delays. Several tables around us, both small and large parties all had the same issue. Quality of food was okay - ribs came out cold? Sweet mash was good. Person who brought out our food dropped half of the sausage plate on our table, cleaned it up but never replaced literally half of the dish and of course I was still charged. She was visibly upset that we asked for silverware, napkins and plates - maybe that was someone else’s job? I was given a dirty napkin but after waiting an hour to get my food and the anger shown for asking for silverware, figured it wasn’t worth asking for a clean napkin. Bartender seemed ANGRY at the customers I did observe him dealing with - any questions about drinks, etc were met with cold answers and attitude and mind you I’m sitting at a table 10 feet away and can see, hear and sense all of this. The only positive was our waitress, who genuinely seemed apologetic of the whole situation - hopefully she can join many of the much better food establishments in Detroit.

I’ve been trying to go to slows for a while they don’t except walk ins I was told there reservation are 2 weeks out

Food was delicious. Prices were low service was good despite the fact that they were short staffed. The waitress was very pleasant although she was being pulled on by so many tables calling on her. I thought that the wait would be very long because they are always so busy but no, the wait was not long 😊. The atmosphere is very pleasant and lively and did I say how great the food is😋. Slows bar BQ has gained a new fan.

Was in town visiting friends and recommend visiting this place. There was a bit of wait to get seated but once seated the service was great. I had the 2 meats option and highly recommend. It’s a little pricier but you’re paying for the quality of the ingredients as they taste amazing. They have a lovely selection of BBQ sauces with the mustard one being my favorite. For sides, I highly recommended the BBQ carrots and Mac

My favorite place to eat before a Lions, Tigers game. Always have to buy a couple jars of their apple BBQ sauce before I leave

This place is an 11 out of 10! Incredible smoke house, wowzer. I tavel and try bbq from all over and this is hands down the best ever. No joke!

Went after train station visit, SLOW is the correct name. Wanted to order carry out and bartender never came by after 15 minutes. Place was half empty on a Tuesday at 4pm. Rude bartender when I asked why she didn't take my order or the party of 4 next to me. All 5 got up and walked out. Lady next to me was waiting for a glass of wine after ordering 15 minutes. She said give me the darn bottle and I will pour it. Last few times, going down hill with service.

Being a bbq fanatic, this is still the best spot to go. Had the triple threat and burnt tips - they were done perfectly. Highly recommend the place if you're in the area!

Got a table just before the Live In Detroit show at Michigan Central Station. Everything was perfect, as I normally go to Slow's To Go, the dine in experience will need to be repeated. Excellent food, exceptional service!

Very busy, but the food was really good

Great food & service every time!

Omg! My sister in law, who eats gluten-free, found this place by searching on Google boy did it not disappoint! The baby back ribs are delicious and so is the barbecue chicken. Go there on a very empty stomach and you’ll leave stuffed! Oh and the drinks are great too!

Solid lunch. Foods always good. Terry gave us great service. Parking was a bit of a challenge due to train station activities.

Food was great on this visit and so was the staff.

2 hour wait today!!! (For indoor seating) We were never informed we could have dined outdoors) E x t r e m e l y S L O W. All 5 of us got brisket with another choice of meat. All came different sizes and cuts of the brisket. When we reported this to the manager, he informed us "everything is weighed out." We all had different portions of the brisket. So how could that be? All of our food was pretty much cold, but we were hungry. Ribs very dry. Coleslaw inedible. The server didn't bring my cornbread out with my meal, like everyone else. When I mentioned this point out with another server, he brought our server out. I told her I didn't get any cornbread. She said, "I'll get you some more. When she finally brought it out to me she said, "here's your extra cornbread." What the heck, I never got one in the first place. Plus, I was pretty much done with the meal. Manager had a bad attitude also. So did most the servers, IMO. None of the employees looked happy to be working there. The ONLY thing that made it worth while was the conversations we had with the other patrons waiting. I won't be back! Not if it was free.

Everything was so so delicious!! I didn't get my servers name, but he was awesome!! The variety of sauces and enjoying the food while the re-opening of the train station was going on was EPIC! THANK YOU for a great experience, we'll be back.

Excellent food, as well as always

Ribs were a little over cooked. The meat was a little tough

Everything is delicious. Love it!!

Saved the day when party of 14 celebrating a birthday with kids turned away from next door restaurant. Great food, service and atmosphere!!

Excellent food! Might be the best BBQ we've had.

Excellent ribs, brisket soso, small portions, definitely not the weight stated, and 40% fat.

This is our go to place when where in Detroit

I've had barbeque across this country, and this one places solidly in the middle of the pack. The sauce game is GREAT and the smoke on their meats was clearly well crafted. If the meat was better cuts, and their sides portioned for adults rather than children, this could be a top tier restaurant. No joke, the corn bread was smaller than my wallet, and a side of fries was legitimately 6 waffle fries. Of all their sauce flavors, it's clear the most consistently utilized was their Weak Sauce

Great customer service. Been coming here for ever it seems. My Mother introduced me. I been hooked!

The food is amazing and Trevor is the world's greatest server.

This was my second time at this restaurant. And the first time was incredible. Only a few months later, This time was a letdown. This place used to be crowded and now it seems like it’s very easy to find a table. Perhaps that should have been a clue that something is off with this place now. The service is prompt and polite. Our waiter was knowledgeable, attentive, and made good recommendations. I had a combination where I tried their baked beans, coleslaw, ribs, brisket, and pulled pork. The brisket was good. The pulled pork was OK. but the ribs were awful. Specifically the ribs seem to be not cooked slow and low enough and we served not quite at the right temperature. It felt like the ribs were left over or not really fresh but certainly not cooked well. The baked beans were a bit sweeter than usual. Cornbread and Coleslaw were fine. Perhaps it was the quality of the meats, but I also did not care much for the various sauces and now I cannot remember if the quality of the sauces has declined or whether it was the quality of the meat that could not be masked by the sauces. Because so many tables were empty, even though it was prime time for dinner the atmosphere was nice. but this is not a quiet place even with only a few patrons around. My first experience was so good, I would likely give this one more shot in a few months. but for now I’ll be staying away

My son has taken me to Slows Bar BQ for Mother's Day for the past seven years, it's our tradition💐🌷🌹

It's possibly the best pulled pork I've had. The sweet potato mash is also top tier.

My son has taken me to Slows Bar BQ for Mother's Day for seven years it's been a tradition for us

We had an overall good experience. No major complaints however, the food was good but cold. All in all had a fun time with the family. It was not over crowded and parking wasn’t bad this time.

The ribs are juicy on the fattier side but kind of dry on lean meat. The sauces are not spicy enough for me. I hope there is a “dry rub” version

Best BBQ in town! Food and service were outstanding.

Apple BBQ sauce is out of this world!

Not Texas BBQ, but great food, service and location. Detroit is really investing in bringing back their downtown and surrounding areas. They hosted the Superbowl and NFL Draft, so that should tell you something.

Fantastic BBQ joint, I've eaten a lot of que in my day and this was right up there with the best. Perfectly smoked ribs, a good selection of some very good sauces, my personal favorite was the mustard sauce. The sides were amazing, specifically the beans and BBq'd carrots, sounds odd but try them, you'll like them. I have honestly never had baked beans this good in a restaurant, pieces of pulled pork added amazing flavor. Their bread & butter pickles were freaking outstanding, I asked our waiter for an additional plate of them they were that good. Mouth is watering just writing this review. Would definitely go back when in Detroit.

I went to Slows when they first opened and they were great. Not sure what happen, but the brisket is dry and over cooked. I will never go again. I guess they think we all like beef well done.

This place was fantastic! Went here on a Saturday night and sat outside. Service was lovely. We ordered the Amish chicken as an appetizer and that was a great idea. It was wonderful! The smoked flavor and the juicy chicken was outstanding. I HIGHLY recommend the CARROT CAKE for dessert. It was better than most bakeries and they make this in house! I have been craving it ever since. The American Dream sandwich was FANTASTIC. It had bacon, cheese, brisket and Texas BBQ sauce. It came together beautifully. I will get this exact sandwich again and the carrot cake next time I’m back. My friend got the Yardbird and he said it was excellent. Definitely recommend this place!!

Ribs and sides were tasty. Service was very good. Dining area was a little loud. Overall happy with the meal. I'd go back.

Food was DELICIOUS! Friendly service too

I was there with a party of 5 and we absolutely loved it. The waiter we had was a Rockstar. He consistently checked on us, filled our drinks without prompting, and took care of our table. I had the Yardbird and a side of Mash, and it was excellent. We had also ordered the bbq sampler and wow! The brisket, pulled pork, wings, sausage, and everything else quickly disappeared! Lol Overall, we had an excellent experience, and I will be back when I'm in town next. Thank you for giving us an excellent experience!