As you drive down Washtenaw Avenue, you can frequently see and smell the Satchel’s BBQ smoker preparing food. Even if the smoker isn’t going it is hard to miss their pile of wood. They have recently upgraded their interior. If you haven’t been in a while, it is worth the trip.
Satchel’s BBQ offers Counter Service Barbecue. Satchel’s BBQ is one of my husband’s go-to counter service restaurants when my daughter and I are not home for dinner. Since he works at the UM Medical School, this spring he was thrilled to discover that Satchel’s serves BBQ at the hospital cafeteria Wednesdays at lunch time. He has stopped in for lunch a few times.
It has been awhile since my daughter and I had visited Satchel’s so my husband suggested it for dinner on Friday night before attending an event at Barnes & Noble in Huron Village Shopping Center. It was easy to park in the shopping center and walk next door.
Food
Satchel’s BBQ offers Ribs, Pulled Pork, Pulled Chicken, Brisket, and Kielbasa as their BBQ entrees. They have a plentiful array of sides that includes Corn Bread, Cole Slaw (mayo or vinegar based), Mac & Cheese, Mashed Potatoes, Collard Greens, Potato Salad and more.
Yesterday, my daughter and I each ordered a Pulled Pork sandwich with the intention of not having leftovers. Then we saw the size of the sandwich and decided that we couldn’t eat the whole thing in one sitting. We each brought half of a sandwich home. I selected Cole Slaw as my side while my daughter had corn bread.
My daughter and I definitely enjoyed our pulled pork sandwiches and side dishes. Our only observation is that our pulled pork was more in chunks than truly pulled. But, they tasted great. On past visits, they have definitely been more of a traditional pulled consistency.
Since my husband’s informal BBQ club is dining out tonight (at Smokehouse 52 in Chelsea), he opted to get the Kielbasa at Satchel’s BBQ last night. He definitely appreciates that they are one of the few places to offer a smoked sausage or kielbasa option. He also brought half of his plate home for lunch today. He selected Mac & Cheese and Baked Beans as his side dishes.
He enjoyed his Kielbasa with is a treat since we don’t typically make it at home.
If you don’t want any of the meats, they offer a 3 side plate for only $5. While Satchel’s BBQ does not have a dedicated kids menu, the Mac & Cheese side makes a great kids meal and was what we ordered for our daughter before she liked Barbecue. Portions are also quite large so that you could easily share your meal with a small child.
Dining Room
Satchel’s BBQ has recently redone their dining room. When they first opened, they had picnic benches with table cloths. They now have tables and chairs (with backs). The tables are a finished wood so they no longer need the table cloths. The atmosphere is now much more modern.
At the same time that the atmosphere is modern, they maintain the BBQ restaurant convention of having rolls of paper towels and bottles of BBQ sauce on the table.
And, if you or your children are playing Pokemon GO, Satchel’s BBQ has a Pokestop inside.
Satchel’s BBQ is located at 3035 Washtenaw Ave, Ann Arbor.