Yardbird Smoked Meats

Adult approved kids not so much ours weren’t fans but that’s okay we will just put it on the list of places we go when they are in school! Meat sampler was killer brisket was the bomb and the pulled pork the sausage not so much but I don’t care for sausage anyway. Baby back ribs were great great flavor Mac n cheese was great also

Used to love the food here until recently when I ordered a carry out. The service has always been sub-​par here, but seemed better as I waited for my order of loaded tots. I got my order, tipped well on the bill and took my food home. I started eating it, and after about 6 bites, I found… something…in there. It was about 5 inches long, about the shape, size and consistency of a dress shoe string. I called and mentioned it, and the host (some young man with a blonde/​red beard) replied with «do you want me to drive you out another order?», he sounded as if he were being facetious. I told him I didn’t want anything for free, and my appetite was pretty much gone after this discovery, I just want them to know what went out the door. He seemed to not believe me about my find, so I asked for a phone number or email I could send a pic to. He gave me a phone # and I texted over a pic of the object in the lid of the order. I got a call back over an hour later which went to voice mail, from a manager saying they wanted to make it right, but really, who wants more of something you just found a clearly foreign object in??? I will never again eat their stuff.

Hm. Im torn.
The food? Amazing!
The service? not great.
Ive been a server. i get it. I sat near the bar; the bartender never checked on us, hardly saw us, others ran our food. If there was a problem, it wouldnt have been handled. I liked the food so much, but i really despised the service. The bartender who took care of us on a wednesday night had nothing to do, i watched him, all he did was flirt with the servers. He wasnt busy… at all… come on man!
So if you dont care about service, come here by all means. But if that bugs you, this place will bug you.
and our food was slightly cold.

I’ve been here a couple of times now and I’ve always found the staff to be friendly and the food to be of pretty darn good quality. I think the quality of BBQ compares favorably with Slows downtown, better in some respects. It’s certainly the best barbecue I’ve found in Oakland County so far. I’ll definitely be coming back to Yardbird.

Not as good as Woodshop, but it’s aiight. I really like the sliced beef brisket. The onion rings are good too.
The beer is warm, I don’t like that.
For some reason they have the lights turned way up, it’s like eating in an office building. I don’t care for that. Why they do that? I’m tired. Anyway, I’m sick of taking, or typing, or whatever… I oddly like it here. I’ll keep coming back. I’m pretty sure.

Waited fifteen minutes to be acknowledged. Then a different server came to take our order. Waited another fifteen minutes for our drinks. Mini sandwiches were good, but we would have appreciated separate plates to eat them from. My chili arrived before my salad and was cold. Sent back. My husbands smoked meat plate also arrived cold. Sent back. You can see the potential but staff really needs some help. Won’t be back. So glad we didn’t wait in line for this.

So my wife and I have been back recently, and they definitely have gotten it right! Entirely new waitstaff since the last time we were there after they first opened. Andrew, our bartender/​server, was fantabulous! We wanted bourbon sours & they had no sour mix. No prob. Andrew whipped up a craft cocktail by mulling limes, oranges & a touch of simple syrup. Delish!
Their brisket made my wife very happy as did the spare ribs — dry — for me. Sides are all pretty great as well. The smoked chicken is great, as are the trio of sliders, which she had the other time we went back. I really dig their onion rings — might be my imagination, but I swear they were pretty smokey as well. My only disappointment was in their sauces. I don’t really discern much difference between their 3 red sauces. Mixed in a dash of their Keego Fire or whatever they call it with the Memphis sauce & it was better, but would love to see them come up with a bit more authentic or flavorful sauces.
Delighted at their improvement overall & will continue to go back.

First trip here, based on a co-worker’s recommendation. We ordered the Yard Chips as an appetizer; think barbecue-​inspired nachos. Very tasty; well-​presented and a VERY generous portion. We ordered them plain (no meat), but they were fully loaded with beans, cheese, jalapeños and a zesty sauce. All in all, a good starting choice.
My wife, not being a big barbecue fan, ordered a signature Yard burger. This picky eater loved this burger, stating it was easily the best burger she had tasted in years. My brisket sandwich was good, if a little crisp around the edges, but the real star of the meal was the Mac and cheese side order. Easily rivals some of the more famous versions from Clarkston. We will definitely be making a return visit soon.

To start the service is impeccable and the ambiance is cozy. What better than to get out of the cold and grab some in house smoked meats either at the bar or by the toasty fireplace. It’s a family feel kind of place and is able to accommodate any situation. Their goal is to make everyone’s experience a lasting one.
Don’t come here if you are snooty because you should expect a casual comforting dining experience.
The mason Dixon salad is my favorite! It’s full of fresh veggies and a side of homemade vinaigrette that is light and refreshing. Can’t go wrong with slipping in a side of sweet and smokey fries and maybe a gin diesel! Mmmmmm

This place has REALLY improved since it has first opened, still needs some work on the menu in terms of variety (everything kind of sounds the same)
The mac and cheese is killer, fried chicken is a hit, cornbread is awesome, décor is the BEST.
Service is always a hit or a miss, I either have a awesome bubbly server, or an uninterested and forgetful one.
However, definetly worth a go and happy to see it in the neighborhood.

Had the brisket sandwich and it was very salty. Wife had ribs that were nothing special. Mac and cheese was decent. Service was a bit hit or miss. Sat there a long time waiting for a server but they were accommodating and let us move tables to the outside once they came.
I liked the ambiance/​décor of the restaurant and nice patio but not sure I would make a return trip because the brisket was not good. Maybe I got the wrong thing?

By far, the worst smoked meat restaurant I have every had the opportunity to visit. The food was overpriced (but that was the least of the issues). The chili was horrid. It tasted as though it had sat in a cardboard box for a week. The fries (so called «fresh cut») were soggy and seasoned with a sweet seasoning (on fries???). The brisket was so salty I couldn’t eat it. Trust me, there are many far superior establishments out there.
Then, it took the waitress 10 minutes to take our order. At the end, when she asked if we needed boxes, I told her no, the food was horrible. After she took payment, she then asked «anything I can do to make the situation better?». Now wouldn’t you ask that before you have the customer pay?

Love their food. The drinks are good, it’s affordable and good service. Got sat right away got our food quickly.
I absolutely love the pig cakes they are delicious.

We had a hands-​down, five star barbeque dining experience last night.
Our first time at Yardbird, the three of us each ordered something unique to sample the widest variety.
First up we shared a bowl of ‘loaded’ chili. Great flavor, chunky, no beans and hot temperature-​wise. Excellent. I’d have avoided the sour cream had I known about it.
Brisket was warm, very moist, nicely smoked and very flavorful. Add-​on quarter slabs (3) of St. Louis ribs very, very good without any sauce. Smoked salmon was moist, nicely smoked; pulled pork was tender, moist, nicely smoked mild in flavor so best with one of the seven or eight sauces.
Prompt, friendly excellent service by Casey who made great suggestions and was generally a mind reader. I’ll be back shortly!

Very cool place with awesome wait staff but very marginal food. Meat was pretty dry. Sauces were nothing to write about. Fried green tomatoes were almost all bread. Mac and cheese was blah. Onion rings were the best. Fun to visit but won’t make this a regular stop.

Yum! I wasn’t disappointed.
We got the pig cakes for an appetizer and I thought they were good but small. The appetizer only came with two cakes and some coleslaw.
For my meal, I got the southwest salad, which is kind of a bbq take on a taco salad. It was delicious. My only complaint about it is that the vinaigrette it comes with doesn’t have much flavor. I added bbq sauce to it, which I really enjoyed because I wanted to try all the sauces anyway.
As is usual with many bbq restaurants these days, they have a bunch of different sauces on the table to try. They were all good.
Their desserts sound delicious, but I didn’t have room. Next time.

I live so close to this restaurant, I want it to be just perfect so I can make it my local hang out. Sadly, I struggle to enter because I know the food will be hit or miss and the service lackluster.
I generally order a few things pretty regularly, usually happy with the results. The wings are fabulous, no sauce necessary. The yard chips are a wonderful invention and a must order. The pulled pork is well done, and never disappoints.
When entering, and sitting at the bar, I hope to be greeted with a warm smile and service, however, I sit staring at many employees just hoping someone wants to take my money! I don’t relax until my food arrives and I hope that after that they don’t forget about me. It does not matter whether a busy night or slow gathering, service is the same. sub-​par!
I am not a fan of their sauces, but again, growing up in the mid-​west I would say I am spoiled.
I hope you try the place because you could feel different about the food as well as the service, I just strike out. I only return because it is close to home.

I was expecting to be blown away here based on all I’ve heard but was sadly disappointed. We had the Pig Cakes appetizer and it was nothing more than pulled pork meatballs topped with slaw and a splash of BBQ sauce. Pulled pork entrée with fried green tomatoes and slaw was underwhelming. The pork a bit dry, the tomatoes bland, and the slaw was bitter. No jalapeño flavor in the cornbread either. I also had a side of mac and cheese and it seemed like they used Velveeta for the base. The sauces didn’t stand out with one of them tasting like a grainy watered down French’s yellow mustard.
I liked that they scratch-​bake their cakes but the lemon poppyseed had no lemon flavor and was covered with frozen strawberries. Frozen? Really?
I’ve had much better Q and wouldn’t go out of my way for this place. It’s beginner BBQ and will most likely sink once Slows opens in Pontiac if they don’t step up their game.

With all the bad reviews we were tempted not to give this place a try but I’m sure glad we did because the food was great! We had fast service and for MI it was pretty amazing BBQ!
We started with the tater tots smothered with pulled pork, cheese and BBQ sauce. Normally cole slaw is on top as well but we opted to get that on the side. They were pretty good! The tater tots on the bottom were huge so if they were smaller there would maybe be a little more crunch to them as they seemed more like big hash brown balls but the dish was still amazing.
We then got ½ rack of ribs, brisket, and tried the Mac and cheese, smashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and bacon baked beans as our sides along with the corn bread. We loved everything with the exception of the green bean casserole. (I don’t think we were a fan of the onions on top as they seemed stale) but aside from that one side dish we were a fan of all of it. The brisket was really juicy and the ribs were thick cuts of meat (baby back style). The corn bread was good but nothing amazing. The Mac and cheese and smashed potatoes were ridiculously good. So was the bacon beans. (That’s a hard one to get me to like too!).
We stuffed our faces with all this food and washed it down with water and a coke (thank you for not serving Pepsi!) :) We couldn’t even think about dessert we were so full! Perhaps next time we will go for drinks and a dessert as they looked like they had a few good options.
The dinning area was a little tight so if they took out a table or two there could be more space for guests to enjoy their food but I’m guessing when they open up the doors in the summer time things get a little more spread out.
Bottom line: Don’t let bad reviews scare you from a place. Most of the bad ones on here look like it was bad because of the staff when they first opened. Give it a try yourself and see what you think!

I apologize for the poor photo focus, but it was too dim for my tablet’s camera to focus properly.
A foodie-​friend invited me to accompany him for an early dinner at Yard*Bird (formerly Jeremy’s). I was curious, as Jeremy’s kitchen never Wow!‘d me. Then there was their dining room with a few too many tables (fixed). And the valet-​thing (fixed).
The bldg has been gutted and re-​done in the spirit of Vinsetta Garage. The garage doors open to an enlarged patio. Sadly; the patio is only a sidewalk away from Cass Lake Road. But if you are dining with good company, it is not a problem.
The remodel has introduced a lot of hard surfaces. There is also a TV (or was it music?) adding to the cacophony. As other dinner guests arrived, the noise level increased noticeably. Having a conversation at a 2-​top became increasingly difficult. When the screaming two year-​old arrived … we left.
The qty of tables and chairs is appropriate for the space. Plenty of room for guests to move about and servers to do their jobs. The chairs’ back brace, squeezes the butt. Uncomfortably so.
The chili. I’m from the school of, «anybody that knows beans about chili, knows that there are no beans in chili.» It was not intended as a criticism, but the server mistakenly took it as criticism. I think I was able to convince her that it was simply another regional difference. Not bad. Just different. Pleasantly so.
YB’s chili has a few unanticipated ingredients. The recipe uses pinto (?) beans. Nicely firm, not the typical soft/​mush chili bean. +1. Sweet corn in chili? Yup. I’ve only seen this done once before. It works for me. +1. The meats include chuck, brisket & ground beef. +2. The base? Thin and nicely seasoned. Not the typical thick tomato-​y base common to SE Michigan. +1. The bowl was appropriately sized and only $ 4. For another $ 1, YB will add salsa, jack cheese, sour cream and pickled jalapenos. No. Thank you. The chili was a pleasant surprise and does not require accoutrements.
I chose their sampler for my entrée — $ 17. Pulled pork, sausage & brisket. I loved the pulled pork. Smokey, tasty and not over-​salted — hurray! The sausage was a miss. A bit over-​cooked (?) and dry. I’m not a brisket guy, but this was good brisket. Good flavor profiles. Not over-​salted. Moist.
The sauce; the best sauce was the one that we both expected to underwhelm: Harbor Heat, made with beer, vinegar and chili. Thin, spicy and sour. I think it also includes minced garlic. Loved it. I forgot to ask about buying a bottle to take home.
The entrees include two sides. I chose cornbread and mac & cheese. The cornbread portion was a wee bit skimpy. Otherwise; it did not disappoint, nor did it wow. I like the way that Beans & Cornbread, does cornbread. I will not order again. The mac & cheese? Y*B’s recipe is not what I prefer. I like my mac & cheese the way that Beans & Cornbread does mac & cheese — thick, not creamy. I will not order again.
The portion sizes were appropriate, not over-​sized.
The BBQ was served on butcher paper, directly on the tray. Both simple and low-​cost. Not keen about this touch. Not even a little bit.
The server was prompt, knowledgeable and attentive.
WiFi? They have it. I could not get it to work using the WPA key they provided, «JeremyRes».
The business seems CCW friendly and the food: liquor mix does not seem to disqualify CCW. But KHPD’s interpretation and routine (mis)behavior is unpredictable enough that I won’t risk it. How unpredicatable? In KH, wearing a ballcap backwards will get you a VERY stern lecture about violating the (non-​existent) Gang-​Wear Ordinance. You’ve been warned.
Website:
— Not a typo: it’s a dot-​cool site
— Works fine in IE.
— Works fine in Chrome.
— Does not work in my Firefox v31 installation.
Will I return? Yes. Primarily because I’m willing to give them another chance. They are considerably more convenient for me than LazyBones, Slows or CAYA. Next trip? Ribs and other sides. I’m a sucker for good tots.