barrett's smokehouse

after several recommendations from friends and family i finally decided to try barrett's smokehouse while visiting sw michigan. the first thing i noticed upon arrival was the propane rack outside of the "smokehouse". however, they must not be using any of their gas to heat the restaurant because it was freezing inside. i'm insulted thisplacecan even claim to be a smokehouse. the food was mediocre, decent priced, but not true bbq.

wanted to like barrett's but just didn't.. planned our anniversary lunch here. thought it was going to be delicious based upon other reviews. when we arrived there was lots of great looking smoked meats, fish, fowl in the coolers. it's more of a store than an eatery. menu didn't include a lunch portion of ribs- strike one! husband ordered brisket on texas toast with mashed potatoes and gravy over the top. i ordered pulled pork but requested potatoes on the side and a cup of barbque sauce and a side of their pea salad. pea salad was great! both husband and i thought our meats tasted like they'd been reheated-strike 2. pulled pork was d-r-y. 4 hearty slices of brisket on husbands plate were 45-50% fat-strike 3. you could see the line down the middle of each slice where fat should have been cut away. ugh. mashed potatoes tasted like reconstituted potato flakes and gravy may have been doctored up jar gravy. very disappointing. however- when i brought husbands plate back to the counter with the lovely fat slices laid across the uneaten texas toast, we were offered our money back for that dish. that was appropriate. truly sorry we had a negative experience. guess barrett's would be fine for buying smoked meats to take home or already made barbqued meats for parties or picnics. just not a goodplaceto dine in.

photos need to be updated! thisplaceis newly expanded and remodeled and it is fabulous. finally, the surroundings match the high quality of the food here. worth the drive, especially for the ribs, of course!

i have a new favoriteplaceto by my meat in kalamazoo, well portage actually but close enough. thatplaceis barrett's smokehouse. everything that i have bought from there has been amazing. earlier this summer i bought 4 different varieties of brats for a camping trip. all of our friends were amazed at how good it was. i buy their cheddar bacon burgers that store in the freezer, excellent for the grill. their bacon and breakfast sausage are excellent.i also buy marinated chicken breasts and even our fresh thanksgiving turkey from barrett's as well. one of my favorite items is their cheese. we love their jalapeno cheddar spread. barrett's also is a greatplacefor lunch too. i go there fairly often for take out. i think my favorite items are their brisket or their smoked chicken salad sandwich. click image to enlarge here is a look at their take out menu on the right. today i got the brisket meal. the meat is flavorful and tender. it comes with a horseradish sauce on the side too. on t

love this place. greatplacefor take out lunch or for buying some of the best smoked meats around.

really great smoked meat!!. this restaurant is only been opened for a year and is adjusting its take away menu. excellent value for the quality of the food. signature dish is the 16 hour apple wood cured smoked pulled pork. i'm from texas and i know and i also now a great beef brisket and they make it on site. it is lean and so tender. two great house made sauces are available. uniqueplacein that they process, cure and package all their meats! tim is following in his dad's footsteps in that his father owned a butcher shop in comstock, mi. tim, his wife luria and daughter larraine have made a great start of it. many interesting beef jerky's and specialty brats are also available here. i do not believe you can find smoked meats of the quality that they are providing at any price in southwestern michigan!!

this hidden treasure between schoolcraft and portage is a greatplacefor good smoked brisket, dry rub ribs and chicken. you can get the daily special or take home your own specialty burgers, sausage or other cut and cook it yourself. i tried samples of jerky and smoked cheeses too. awesome. i'm thinking i'll try a lunch there soon.