Hear ye, hear ye! Gather round, good townsfolk, and lend thine ears to this most noble proclamation of feasting and fare! Upon the noontide hour of the twenty-sixth day of April, in the year of our Lord Two Thousand and Twenty-Five, did we, a merry assembly of kin and companion, venture forth to City Barbecue, nestled upon the thoroughfare of 28th Street in the bustling township of Kentwood. With hearty expectation did I partake of the Sampler Platter, wherein rested the venerable pastrami and brisket--each tender and flavorful, a feast most worthy of admiration. To accompany these fine meats, the baked beans, rich and savory, did shine as a beacon of excellence amidst Michigan's smoky halls of barbecue. Yet alas! The green beans, woeful in their mushiness and devoid of vibrance, did fall short of their noble duty. My fair daughter did receive the More Cowbell sandwich, which by her esteemed judgment was most agreeable to the palate. Yet, the coleslaw, bland and uninspired, suffered the cruel fate of neglect upon the plate. Her gallant suitor did brave the Two-Meat Sampler, electing to double upon the pulled pork--a wise choice, for its succulence did earn his highest praise. Yet the macaroni and cheese, though pleasant in taste, did find itself burdened by pasta that hath been overcooked beyond its prime. Lo, a most fortuitous discovery! For in this hall of smoked delicacies did we chance upon Diet Dr Pepper, a rare and cherished libation oft absent from the public houses of our land. Thirsts were slaked, spirits lifted! As the feast drew to its end, my daughter did indulge in the banana pudding, a confection of unparalleled delight, which earned her highest commendation. And though the meal, in temperature, lacked the warmth that hearts desired, its flavors yet prevailed, ensuring our satisfaction. Thus, let this proclamation be known: City Barbecue doth provide a repast both bounteous and delectable, though frailties in heat and select offerings doth mar an otherwise noble table. Go forth, ye seekers of smoky sustenance, and partake if thou dost dare! I give them but know they can achieve higher, and I look forward to seeing that happen. The server at the cash register was quite friendly and helpful. read more

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This place is unreal. Great relaxing and casual atmosphere, great sauces....and oh my the BBQ is excellent. Top it off with some great sides and friendly people. Love it. AAA+++ read more

City Barbeque - 3 meat combo - Barbeque Near Me - Kentwood, Michigan

The breakdown. Food was pretty good but for the price of the platter we paid for it was very small We got the three meat sampler. Our choices of meats were pulled pork, brisket and chicken leg/thigh. Texas toast was over buttered, mac and cheese was amazing especially when you mix the pulled pork one brisket into it. Pulled pork was seasoned well brisket was a little dry but still good, cornbread was okay. As for the chicken it was bland and needed seasoning. Our sodas were very flat. I would come back again but next time it would only be for the pulled pork or the brisket. 6/10 read more

This place has the best brisket especially the sauce added on top makes it very yummy.

It's practically a Cardinal sin in Texas to serve brisket without first asking whether the customer wants lean or fatty. Not only don't they do that here, I'm not convinced that the carver accurately determined how the grain lay before cutting at the lean in. So, while the flavor was OK, it was not juicy and could have been more tender. The pulled pork was just plain dry. They should try a vinegar based finishing sauce after pulling. On the bright side, the greens had a nice punch and lots of pork pieces and the corn pudding was the best thing on the tray. Also, the condiment bins were pretty much out of everything except jalapenos. read more

We love City Barbeque for their great menu options and prices however lately the service has been a little rocky. The team is kind but very slow and often miss your order (they do get a lot of take out orders too). As we waited we saw items from orders trashed because it sat out so long when waiting for the other items. They didn't seem to have a good routine or communication but forward facing to customers they were all kind and somewhat apologetic. We waited a total of 40 minutes for our order which isn't typically normal because they have all the food prepped. Overall the food was good but not consistent in plating or temperature wise. The restaurant was clean and has a lot of seating indoors and outdoors. There is a serve yourself bbq sauce section with lots of sauce options. Given this is a usual bbq spot for us and the first time we have experienced this I am sure we will be back but later on. Hopefully the team figures things out. read more

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The service here is super slow and lackluster. Midday on a Saturday and they were out of pulled pork, turkey, and ribs. I ordered nachos and it took 25 minutes to get them because "we're waiting for the queso to heat up." It's noon. Even then when the nachos came they were cold, the meat wasn't warm and the cheese still cold. It's really not that difficult. This place is run very poorly. read more

I ordered curbside pickup and waited in my car for about 10 minutes because isn't the point of curbside pickup to have your food dropped off at your car? I called the location, and they said my order was ready, so I decided to continue to wait in my car. Another 10 minutes passed, and I ended up walking in and picking up my food at the counter. Upon arriving home, I noticed that I was missing an item from my order. The ribs I ordered were pretty good, even though they were probably sitting at the counter at the location. read more

the food was wonderful! we had a really good experience. The wings were fantastic, our sandwiches were yummy, and the corn hash was so good. We want to come again! read more

City Barbeque - Barbeque Near Me - Kentwood, Michigan

This is a well-run counter-serve restaurant. The cashiers put gloves on to handle food and even food containers. If you aren't sure if you'll like one of the sides, they will give you a small sample to try. That was super helpful! We ordered brisket, which was a little dry (which we expected at the end of the day), but was delicious. The bark was smoky and sweet. Their pulled pork was a nice combination of dark and light meat and was cooked perfectly. We ordered baked beans and potato salad. Both were good--the baked beans a little sweet and the potato salad with a nice crunch from small pieces of celery. The restaurant is clean and the staff friendly. We were really happy with the whole experience. read more

City Barbeque - Interior - Barbeque Near Me - Kentwood, Michigan

First visit here. Food was fantastic. We had the city sample and couldn't finish. Everything was hot and good portions. Staff was friendly and the place was clean. read more

TL;DR: Fine if McDonald's made BBQ; Fast Food BBQ Service is fast because the set up is like Chipotle. BBQ sauce comes in a ketchup-like packet so if you want real BBQ, keep scrolling. read more

More flash than splash. The aroma outdoors is spectacular. Once you get inside you quickly find out that it's more of an upscale fast food place. I'm exaggerating some what but you basically get in line order your food wait for it then go get your own drink and sit down And the biggest disappointment of all is that the ribs were just pretty good. And I'm easy to please when it comes to bbq. Mac and cheese was good The lemonade was great Not a bad place but I was wanting to be wowed and it didn't happen read more

What a great lunch!!! Very relaxing atmosphere and amazing food. I had the not a sloppy joe. It was pulled pork, brisket and ribs together with a semi spicy sauce. It was so good!!! I had the cornbread as a side and that was awesome as well. My wife ordered nachos and they said they would be a little longer so they gave her the choice of some other meat while she waited so she revived a free pulled pork sandwich. The cherry on top, they even had diet Mountain Dew. Will definitely be back. read more

I had such big plans to eat at all these places when out here in Grand Rapids, but after a long day of walking, swimming and wearing myself out, I lost motivation to do much of anything by dinner time, and needed something close to the hotel to fend off the hunger pains. I saw City Barbeque and was so excited because they are truly delicious. I've eaten at City Barbeque before, just obviously not this specific location. Walking in, I already knew what to expect, so that's a bonus. The lady at the register was super friendly and helpful even though I already mostly knew what I wanted to eat. I went with the brisket sandwich, side of baked beans and a beverage. Sadly, they don't offer deals on sides if you order a sandwich, mostly on the entree's but I wasn't going to get an entrée. I think if you get 2 sides you might get a deal, but I didn't want two sides. that's fine. Anyway, I hit the drink/bar area where they keep all their supplies. Their BBQ sauces here are fabulous, and even though I primarily stick with their original sauce, I always grab a few others to see what their like. The sweet sauce was actually pretty good, and I also tried their hot sauce, which was a slow creeper style heat. You know, you put it on the meat, take a bite, think it's fine and then like 30 seconds later your face catches fire?!? LOL. Fortunately, it's not the hottest or most violent BBQ sauce I've tried, but it was a nice surprise none the less. Very good. Overall, a solid meal and I love how they cook the brisket here. It's really goo and I'm never disappointed with it ever. I will gladly return here for the food alone because it's just that good. I just wish they would have thrown in some Texas toast with the meal, ya know? I didn't think about it until I left, but it's really no big deal. read more

City Barbeque - Yes it is - Barbeque Near Me - Kentwood, Michigan

Service needs to be way more organized and food should be way warmer when eating in the dining room

Love the food, but very poor management. I stood at the counter for 7 minutes while the two guys who were supposed to be taking orders stood outside the door and smoked their cigarettes. When they did come inside, they carried on a conversation with someone who looked like they may have been a manager, while I stood there waiting for someone to take my order. The young many then told me that what I was ordering was going to cost $6 extra. When it's labeled on the menu, $3 extra. I've ordered that menu item a dozen times, same price every time. And he continued to defend his error. But this time, lunch would have cost me $24.99 vs the $18.99 I've been paying for over a year now. For lunch!!! I walked out...hopefully they can begin to hire some competent help... read more

Great environment, super inviting atmosphere, and the pudding is absolutely delicious!

We ordered curbside. Did the link and all that. Waited for 20 Mins and NO one came out. Wasn't busy at all. It should have never taken that long for a pickup curbside. Why wouldn't they bring it out City? Would that be because there was no tip involved for them handing me the order, so they decided to screw us over that? Never again. read more

9/29/21 So glad I gave this place a second chance. Updating my review from 2 stars to 4. This time I ordered the Judge's Sampler which comes with: a quarter chicken, half slab of ribs, pulled pork, beef brisket, texas toast, cornbread and two sides (I got hush puppies and collard greens). Very happy with everything this time. The brisket is still my favorite, but the ribs were nice and tender with good smoky flavor. I will be ordering the texas toast again for sure but let's have a moment of silence for the cornbread.....buttery and moist goodness. Now, it's hard for any restaurant to compete with mama's collard greens, but these weren't bad at all. I'm happy to have this place as an option again for a barbeque fix. There are several really good spots in and around GR and they are one of them. read more

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First time getting food here. Got the Judge's Sampler, and my wife and I loved it. We were so happy with the flavors of each meat, and we were even more amazed how non-salty everything was. Such balanced flavors. We will definitely be back for more. read more

Too often out of items like brisket, ribs and turkey...Used to be a regular... Haven't been there in months

I have ordered carry out from this place 6 different times, the latest being last night. The food isn't bad at all, everything I've had has been competently cooked and seasoned, Wings, brisket, pulled pork, ribs, chicken. Sides aren't bad either. But the last five times they have forgotten to put Texas toast in my order - a small thing, but annoying as hell to get home and find it's not there. Also, the attitude of the people behind the counter is more like, "Really?, you want me to get that for you?" Never an apology, just seems like they resent having to get your stuff. I'm tired of it by now. read more

1st time visiting the Kentwood location ... stopped in right after dinner crowd ... Food was excellent ... Atmosphere was nice casual dining .... the young man Yousif took our order and make sure all was to our liking great job to you and the management staff on board that day! read more

The Brisket Chili is perfect on this freezing cold day, paired with a creamy coleslaw makes a great lunch. The servers are friendly making the fine in experience that much better. The atmosphere is casual with self serve drinks and utensils and sauces. read more

City Barbeque - Brisket Chili - Barbeque Near Me - Kentwood, Michigan

My family loves the food at City Barbecue but the service atrocious! We ordered curbside waited ten minutes beyond pick up time only to find out our order was not started. Waited another 15 minutes before it was completed. We love the food but it's not worth the hassle. read more

Lots of free parking, the ribs and Briskets were over the top delicious. I tried all of their sauces and they are all delicious. I cant wait to get back to GR to go again. read more

City BBQ has become our go-to for a lunch/dinner that the whole family can agree upon. Each of us are able to easily find something (or multiple things!) that fit our individual taste buds. The staff is quick, friendly and helpful. My daughter says this is hands down the best pulled pork sandwich she's ever had... mind you this is her most common order wherever we go if it's available, so that's a big win for City BBQ! :) I absolutely LOVE their beef brisket and could seriously eat it all day, everyday. The baked beans are great too... I just tend to be more focused on the brisket! I've also had a small serving of the ribs and they were not my favorite... tough, chewy and hard to get off the bone. Laid back, casual feel. Order at the counter, pick up when your name is called... love it, quick & easy. All in all, this place is a favorite for us and has become a regular stop when we're in town. read more

City Barbeque - Pulled Pork Sandwich, Naked Beef Brisket (no bun), Baked Beans with Brisket - Barbeque Near Me - Kentwood, Michigan

Food was good. However, trash containers were full, sauce containers were filthy, and three guys were standing behind the counter laughing and doing not much work. I do think that many (not all) young people don't understand that people want a restaurant to be clean. That's important in a place where food is being prepared, served, and eaten. Management can change this. read more

This is always a great place for faster food/service; and ultimately really tasty bbq! The photos so park do or themselves but definitely some of the best chicken around. All the sauces are great too I can never pick just one. Marco was excellent to, very friendly and courteous, but that seems typical of all the staff. They also have a little patio area so utilize it on these nice days! read more

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One of the workers has her hair in front and its hanging over the food amd she keeps playing wuth it then serving food not good to see while were eating read more

For a place that appears to be a chain, this was actually surprisingly good barbecue. I'm a bit of a smoked meat snob. I lived in Texas for 15 years, so I've earned the right. And this brisket was better than average. It tasted like smoke and rub, the way it should be. It was cut way too thin, but quality is more important than quantity (although both should be important). It was kind of expensive for the portion size. And they didn't have an option for just ordering meats by the pound, which you would expect to find in any BBQ shop in TX, Memphis, or Appalachia. But for the Midwest? This was decent. read more

Went there to get dirty bird sandwich. They were all out. Got the 2 meat sampler. It took twenty five minutes but they didn't give meal with toast or one of the sides. Was told they would bring out when they were ready. Never got the toast and had to go back up to get side of hush puppies. It's now been 45 minutes. No apology or recognition anything was wrong. They appeared to have plenty of help but none of the help knows what they are doing. It's a crap show in there. I won't be back and would not recommend to anyone. read more

Brisket sandwich was incredible! Very tender brisket and French Fries were hot and fresh. Mixed two different sauces and it made it even better. read more

Excellent bbq in west MI. We had the ribs, brisket, fried pickles, and Cole slaw. Everything was great! I am a sucker for fried pickles and although I prefer the spears, it's hard to find fried pickles at all in Michigan so I was surprised at how delicious they were. The ribs and brisket were cooked perfectly and seasoned great! After living in Atlanta, Houston, and Nashville, I'm always looking for an occasional bbq fix and this place did not disappoint especially for west Michigan. read more

City Barbeque - Basket of Fried Pickles - Barbeque Near Me - Kentwood, Michigan

Caveat: I LOVE bbq. So much so that I tend to drive OUT of my way for brisket. SO it was a little bit of love at first sight, that brisket sandwich of City Barbecue... We attended the soft opening last Friday (they are open now, so GET IN THERE!). Here's what we loved: The meat...of course! We tried the pulled pork and the brisket with horseradish sauce. I don't eat green peppers, and they are made together with the onions, so that was a no go for me. My husband is allergic to cheese, and they TOTALLY cleared and cleaned the grill, before grilling his veggies. I am impressed with this attention to allergies (thank you!). The pulled pork was, by far, the best of the two types of sandwiches for us (gasp!). YES. The pork was really stacked on there, and it was juicy. GET it! The service was incredible. Everyone was kind, thoughtful, attentive, and definitely service-oriented. It's rare to find this in a restaurant, much less a faster dine in experience like this. The BBQ Sauce came in a range of flavors, from mild to spicy. I am a zero-flames kind of person, and was happy with the ones I chose. The sides were delicious! We got the fries with cheese and bacon (an upcharge, and worth every penny), mac and cheese (very creamy), green beans (cooked a long time), and greens (also cooked southern style). The way the restaurant works is that you order and pay, then go down the line and get your food. Find a table, and then go get your sauces, beverages, and accoutrements (pickles, etc.). When you're finished, there are bins for trash, and the trays your food is served upon. Will we be back? You bet. The food was yummy and is a good value for the price. But the real draw is the staff! Great job! read more

City Barbeque - What a staff!!!! Color me impressed...customer service comes first here! - Barbeque Near Me - Kentwood, Michigan

First time at this place and it was a good experience. Ordered the Cowbell (recommended by the cashier) and decided to pair it with Cornbread and Mac and Cheese. The Cowbell was a bit on the smaller side but the meat was juicy. Could've used a little more smokiness and I didn't get that at all. However, they have lots of different sauces that you can add that made it taste delicious. The cornbread was twice as big as I expected and was good with honey. The Mac and cheese was made with Cavatappi pasta which was an interesting twist ~ average tasting though. Service was great. Cashiers were friendly and brought my food out to my table as they said it would take a couple minutes. To go boxes, utensils, and condiments laid out already for easy access. read more

City Barbeque - Mac and Cheese and cornbread - Barbeque Near Me - Kentwood, Michigan

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The people at City Barbecue are super friendly and helpful. We came to the soft opening tonight and man were we blown away by the smiles and the food portions! The staff was eager to explain the set up and food to us and we were excited to try everything! We tried 2 of the platters and everything was delicious. If you like ribs - you MUST order them - so good! The brisket had a good flavor but was a bit dry - if you put bbq all over it, it makes everything better :) There were so many sides to choose from - my favorites were there green beans and the collard greens. For meats, I really liked the sausage and the ribs. They open on Monday so get ready to feast! read more

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Figured I'd try this place today and came away a bit unimpressed w some of it. First off the employee who took our order looked less than pleased to be there. Orders came out in good time though. Service would get a 4/5 for me. The pulled chicken was eh. Mission bbq pulled chicken is way better. This chicken felt watery and like it was frozen and reheated. Honestly, I'd put the chicken at a 1/5. The sauce saved it to a 1. Brisket was good but to me wasn't spectacular. Some really dry parts and some really tender parts. It was super salty too. I'd give it a 3.5/5. Kids both had the pulled pork and it was excellent. I'd give this a 5/5. The potato salad was excellent. Total 5/5 for me. But it's the type I like w mustard in it and creamier. Overall I'd give it a 3 out of 5. I definitely want to come try it again and give it another shot. Feel like maybe I caught them on an off day. read more

Hands down the best brisket I've had! All our sides were delicious too! The baked beans with brisket were phenomenal and the fries were incredibly fresh! Love that they use cavatappi pasta for the mac and cheese too! I would highly recommend this bbq restaurant, we'll be back very soon! Edit: (Fries aren't pictured as we dived right into those!) read more

City Barbeque - Barbeque Near Me - Kentwood, Michigan