Smokehouse 52 Saline – Restaurant Review
We were eagerly awaiting the opening of Smokehouse 52 Saline since it was first announced. When we heard it was opening on Monday night, we stopped in to try it out.
We arrived for dinner around 7p and were seated immediately
Smokehouse 52 Saline Food
Appetizer
Our favorite BBQ appetizer is Burnt Ends. Most restaurants, including Smokehouse 52 only have a limited supply. Since we ate later in the evening we were happy that they were still available.
These burnt ends were excellent. While there was a full complement of barbecue sauces available that we sampled, they were delicious on their own as well.
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Sauces
Of course an important part of any barbecue is the sauce! Smokehouse 52 offers 5 sauces.
- Hot – 52 Alarm
- Kiss & Vinegar
- Root Beer
- Smokehouse Gold (mustard)
- All-American
My daughter and I tend to not like heat, but could handle the 52 alarm. My favorite sauce is the root beer. It may sound strange at first, but it was a nice complement to our sweet sandwich.
My husband commented that you could tell it was a new restaurant since the sauce bottles were not sticky.
Entrees
My husband went with the barbecue staple of ribs. As one of his sides, he upgraded to smoked sausage. He had seasonal vegetables (root vegetables) as his other side. Not pictured is his corn bread. They forgot it initially but brought a piece out as soon as we asked.
He gave the ribs, sausage, and root vegetables rave reviews.
At 12, my daughter is too old for the kids menu (age 10 & under). My daughter and I often share at barbecue restaurants. I was initially looking at their Piggy Colada Salad (greens, pulled pork, pineapple, coconut vinaigrette). But since it was such a cold night, I wanted something warm. She pointed out the Piggy in Paradise sandwich and suggested sharing that and Macaroni and Cheese. Rather than share a sandwich and a full Mac & Cheese entree, we upgraded the side from fries to Mac and Cheese and ordered a second side of Mac and Cheese. We also added cornbread for each of us.
We enjoyed our sandwich and the macaroni and cheese. The portion size was generous and we both had plenty to eat. In hindsight, we could have shared one order of Mac and Cheese since we each brought half of the mac and cheese home.
Kids Menu
Smokehouse 52 offers a varied kids menu. They have kids classics like Mac & Cheese, Grilled Cheese, and Popcorn Chicken. They also offer Pulled Pork, Ribs, and Chicken and Waffles. One note: the macaroni and cheese is made with cavatappi pasta and not macaroni. While I prefer the cavatappi, when she was younger my daughter was very literal and objected to non-macaroni noodles.
Dining at Smokehouse 52
Smokehouse 52 Saline’s address is 105 W. Michigan Ave, Saline. The location was previously Mangiamos Italian. There is a free parking lot behind the restaurant (entrance west of the building or take Ann Arbor St south one block and go west on Henry St).
During their opening two weeks they are not taking reservations. But, they will start taking reservations soon.
Service
Our service was excellent. There was no wait and we were quickly seated. Our server arrived, took our order for drinks and Burnt Ends. She brought our drinks back promptly and the burnt ends arrived right before her. Throughout the meal, she kept tabs on our drinks and provided refills as needed (water, iced tea, and lemonade). Our entrees also arrived shortly after we finished our burnt ends.
The only issue we had with service was that they forgot to include the corn bread that came with my husband’s ribs. As soon as we mentioned it, our server apologized and had a slice sent out.
We also had a nice chat with Phil, the owner, as he made the rounds of tables.
Dining Room/Decor
Smokehouse 52 offers plenty of seating. There are options for both small and large parties. They are split into 3 rooms. To the right as you enter is the bar which also has seating. Then there is a small room behind the checkin counter, and a room to the left. We were in the room to the left. They have reclaimed the room the was Mickey’s Dairy Twist. However, the back dining room is no longer part of a dining room.
The decor is similar to their Chelsea location. There is a wall alcove with chopped wood for the smokers.
Hours
Smokehouse 52 is now open at 11:30a daily (they operated on limited hours opening week).
Overall Thoughts on Smokehouse 52 Saline
For opening night, it was definitely a successful dinner. We will definitely be returning to Smokehouse 52 Saline. Since the Emagine Theatre opened in Saline, we have definitely been looking for more options in Saline.
We definitely recommend Smokehouse 52 if you like barbecue. Since we live on the eastern side of Pittsfield Township, we are thrilled that the Saline location is open now.
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