My Mom, a CoWorker and I were heading to Royal Oak to see a Musical at the Baldwin Theatre. We figured we'd stop and eat dinner first. I hopped onto Yelp, and choose where we were going to eat from there. I must admit, I was a little worried. The reviews here seem to be on both ends of the spectrum, but not too many in between. I figured we'd give it a shot since I am a picky eater and knew I could handle BBQ. We went at about 6:00 on Saturday of Memorial Day weekend and had called ahead. We were seated immediately, there were several open tables. I looked all over for their call ahead policy and couldn't find it. They accept call ahead reservations for 15-20 minutes prior to when you plan on getting there. About 20 minutes after we got there, the tables were packed, as was the waiting area. We seemed to just beat the rush. We decided to try the jar of pickles as suggested and I highly enjoyed them. They taste similar to bread and butter pickles, but spicy. I also ate one of the carrots, which tasted nothing like a carrot, but much better. I ordered the Brisket and Ribs combo with sides of Hush Puppies and Cornbread. My brisket was fantastic with just the right amount of smoky flavor. It was tender and I barely needed a knife to cut through it. I received a nice amount of meat, with several (maybe 6 or 7) slices. After reading all of the horror "1 slice" reviews here, I was pleasantly surprised. My ribs were also excellent, with the little bit of crispy-like top that I love about ribs. They pretty much fell of the bone. I am not a BBQ Sauce fan, so the dry rub for me was perfect. I have never had Hush Puppies before, so I didn't know exactly what to expect or compare it to. They were nice and crispy on the outside with a soft bready center. I thought they were okay in flavor. Good enough where I ate them, but not sure if I would order them again. Of course, maybe I'm just not a Hush Puppy fan. I did, however, highly enjoy the cornbread and ate it at the end of my meal like dessert. I tried the other main dishes/sides that my table mates got as well. Mom got a 1/2 chicken, which was tasty and moist. I tried her Mac & Cheese, another controversy in reviews and all 3 of us at the table thought it was good. It was gooey and hot. It wasn't dried out as others have mentioned. We could tell that it was made from real cheese and not a package. My CoWorker got pulled pork. I Love pulled pork, but was hesitant to order it. I tasted her pulled pork and it was nothing like the pork described here. It was soft and all meat. It was delicious. My Coworker did comment, however, that if given the opportunity again, she would order brisket and not the pulled pork. We had Stephanie as a waitress and she was fantastic. Our orders came out amazingly quick and everything was as ordered. She often stopped by to check on us and kept our drinks full. Stephanie was pleasant and very knowledgeable about the local beers available and able to make recommendations to us. She could tell us what they were made of, the flavor profiles and how popular they were. Now that I've tried Lockhart's for myself, when I find myself in the Royal Oak area again, I would be happy to visit. read more

Ordered beef brisket, shepherd's pie of brisket and Mac and cheese, corn, garlic mash, Sammy sandwich, and coleslaw. Sammy sandwich was accidentally mixed up with a chicken and provolone sandwich, but all is forgiven, because the food was very good. First off, the delivery packaging was excellent. Very well packed and organized, with compartmentalized boxes for the food. The shepherd's pie was very solid. Meat had nice smokiness to it, and Mac and cheese was not overpowering in its flavor. Coleslaw was a little lackluster, but the garlic mash had some great flavor (albeit a little dry). Overall a solid experience, will get again! read more

My husband and I decided to try Lockhart's and it was decent. I can say I've had better bbq but I've also had worse. First off, those pickles and carrots they give you are really super gross. I'm not sure what flavor they are going for but it's not a good one. Don't eat them. Actually the best pickle I've had is by McClure's so I'm a bit picky when it comes to pickles. We decided to try the burnt ends and my god those are really freaking good!! They kind of melt in your mouth with this fatty bbq taste and it's oooohhhhh soooo good. Yummy!!! I got ribs and they were good. I managed to try every different sauce they had sitting on the table and was pleasantly pleased with the selections. I also got cornbread on the side which was really freaking good but I decided to skip eating the slice of "wonder bread" they give you with your meal. And it is Wonder Bread since the loaves are sitting out in plain view... might want to think about putting those away. My husband did try 2 different beers when he was there and he enjoyed them. Oh yeah we also go there around 5pm-ish on a saturday and it was pretty dead in there so if you go early enough you won't hit the dinner rush. I will say I've been to Slow's and was not impressed with their ribs there at all, so I'm not sure about the comparison to this place at all? Honestly if I want good ribs, I'll go to the Boneyard on Telegraph. Now those are some motherf*in ribs! read more

Another review, another BBQ place. What can I say, I'm a fan of slowly smoked meats lathered in BBQ sauce. Entering this place, I was immediately impressed with the atmosphere. They had a nice selection of MI beers (all listed on a huge chalkboard) and some nice counters to stand around while waiting for your table. What impressed me MOST, however, was the "viewing" window they gave you into the kitchen. The entire kitchen is literally visible from the front door, including an up-and close view at the final meat-prep station. For all of you non-vegetarians out there, this is "meat porn" at it's finest! I ordered the Ribs and Brisket combo. The ribs were absolutely amazing, probably the best that I've had in the Detroit area. The BBQ brisket was, eh, let's just say I wish I had ordered the sausage instead--I tried some of the mild sausage--AMAZING! For my sides, I tried the hush puppies, cornbread, and mac & cheese. They were all solid--with the hush puppies being my favorite of the bunch (how can you NOT like hush puppies?!?!). Another person at my table also ordered the BBQ nachos, which were also extremely solid, although an appetizer is definitely not necessary if you are looking to order a BBQ dinner. One thing that I do wish Lockhart's had was MORE options for BBQ sauce, as I think they only had a regular and spicy sauce available. Other than that, Lockhart's is a really solid BBQ joint, trendy but not pretentious, busy but not uncomfortable, I'll definitely be back! read more

Lockhart's is one of the best BBQ places I have ever been to. All of the meat that they offer is always cooked to perfection. The sauce choices they have also enhance the already perfect meals that come out. Their mac and cheese is also an amazing side to compliment your meat dish of either ribs or brisket. They also have a huge selection of drinks to choose from, whether it is craft beers or their interesting mix drinks, you will not be disappointed. The nice area outside that has a slight enclosure is great to sit in and enjoy your meal when the weather is nice. I really enjoyed the separate bar downstairs that has a type of "hangout" atmosphere to it, let alone there are two actual bar tops downstairs. One being incredibly long and the other being average. Awesome experiences every time I go. read more

I have been a little slow to get to Lockhart's. I tried when it first opened, but I don't do long lines. Somewhat childish, yup...but whatever, time is money people. So we ended up going last weekend when the weather turned nice. The location is great and the outside patio is big for Royal Oak, which is nice. In addition, our waitress was very nice and I was pleased with the service we received at the bar. After ordering many things on the menus for the group to taste I was most impressed with some of the unique sides. I appreciated the jalapeno mac-n-cheese, cornbread, and baked beans. My husband ordered the beef tri-tip, which is a cut you don't see around very often. I always get either ribs or pulled pork at a BBQ joint because I firmly believe that they are the staples. If those rock, I am safe on the rest of the menu. However, other than the couple above pieces, Lockhart's left me wanting. The pulled pork wasn't very pulled and it was a bit dry (yes, I know what a dry rub is). Overall, regrettable Lockhart's isn't high on our list of places to go back to. There are just too many other great places. read more

Really pumped to see a great looking to restaurant (especially BBQ) open in Royal Oak. I came here during the weekend of Arts, Beats, and Eats and I was nervous about a let down. The place itself looks awesome and has a very open feel to it. I'd hate to get all excited about a legit BBQ place and have it taste like Memphis Smoke's disgrace to BBQ. Luckily, I was not let down. They have 4 house sauces (Lockharts, Sweet, Hot, and a South Carolina / Vinegar style) to add to your dish. I went with the half chicken and rib combo. Unless you have a big appetite I would pass on appetizers because my dinner was very filling. There are a whole list of sides you would expect to go with the meal. I chose the Mac & Cheese and the potato salad, both were average, not bad where I wouldn't recommend them, but not so awesome I would feel risky going astray. Onto the meats. First the chicken. A healthy half portion with plenty of delicious white meat to tear off. The good part of the chicken was that once I had all the good parts off the bones, it was really easy to dip it into each of the sauces to try. This helped me try the different offerings of which I have no favorites as of yet because they were all good (except the South Carolina, not my style). Next were the ribs and for me they were the way I like them. A lot of people rate ribs by how easily they fall off the bone. In my experience I've found that meat to be softer, fattier, and more slimy. These ribs were meaty. It came off the bone but if was like biting into a firmer rib and having to slightly tear it away from the bone. This is what I like best so I was happy. It had a nice bark on the outside and went well with the house, spicy and sweet sauces. All said and done, I will be back and I can't wait to try the brisket, pulled pork, and a handful of the other sides. read more

This is an update to my prior review. Things are definitely moving in the right direction at Lockhart's. The brisket was once again very flavorful. My only criticism today is that it could've been a bit moister and there was quite a bit of residual soft fat on the exterior of the slices. I happen to like the fat so that wasn't really a problem for me, but others may not be as easy to please. My guess is a little more time in the smoker and the meat would have been a bit moister and there would have been a little less fat. But, still, very good. The pulled pork was free of the tough fatty pieces we encountered on our first visit and was delightful all by itself or with any of the four sauces. Yum! They were out of the bunt ends which was exceedingly disappointing because I was craving them like crazy. They were the impetus for my return visit after only 2 weeks, instead of the month I promised myself to wait. Minus one very large point.... :( The collard greens were again undercooked and this time lacked the smoky flavor that saved them the first go 'round. It took me longer to chew the greens than the brisket. Not good. The corn on the other hand was unexpectedly flavorful and delicious. The red hot sausage was excellent! Didn't think I would like it but I am definitely a fan! Will order than next time. So all in all, I look forward to going back (If for no other reason but to satisfy my craving for the burnt ends!) read more

Labelled as "real BBQ" on outside of building, so went in with caution. Atmosphere is great, music is perfectly suitable, and hospitality of our server Cassie was terrific. Now for the food... My wife ordered half rack pork ribs and received full rack. They didn't charge us, which is good as the ribs were only decent. Kind of dry, but yet still pinkish (weird). My order was pulled pork (too fatty and a bit bland for our taste) and beef brisket (too heavy crusted on the dry rub and a bit dry). Sauces were good, wine list was decent and micro-brew beer specials were interesting. Keweenan Red Jacket is very good. Not great, but not a ton of nearby options. read more

I've been to Lockharts for dinner and lunch before but never brunch. I heard the brunch was great so I decided to give it a try. I went for Sunday brunch with a group of friends. The one thing I was delighted to enjoy was their Bloody Mary. I'm very picky when it comes to Bloody Mary's and this one was on point. They also gave us a bucket of warm mini doughnuts for free. I thought that was a nice touch. Everybody enjoyed their meal except me. I had a brisket hash. It came out a little watery, thick chunks of meat and big pieces of potato and a lot of it. My boyfriend liked it but it wasn't my cup of tea. I switched it up and got what my sister ordered which was a banana foster waffle and a side of candied bacon. Yes, it was good as it sounds. I ate that in a split second. I recommend coming for brunch and the service is great! read more

Lockhart's BBQ - Brisket Hash - Barbeque Near Me - Royal Oak, Michigan

See all

I have had them several times for carry out. They have wonderful burnt ends. I also went there once. It was nicely decorated. We sat on the patio; unfortunately it was Sunday at 11:30 and they were having brunch. So we decided to wait until the lunch menu at noon. A couple of cocktails later and we were ready to eat. I have to say that I looked being there as much as their carry out. If you get a hcance, go. I would try to make it on an afternoon day when it is not as busy. Thursday, Fri, or Sat night and your wait will be extensive. read more

Get the Lockhart special and eat for two days. We love to in the summer and watch the sunset on the patio. My friend from Texas says its fake BBQ. For a Michigander it's smoked meat heaven. You should decide for yourself. Slows BBQ in Corktown (one on the nations most up and coming communities) is worth the drive. In the summer you can watch folks from the community play ball at the old Tigers Stadium. Get the reason NO substitutions. read more

Oh you tasty meaty flavorful ribs. So much meat I'm looking for the bone! And my God you can taste the meat, that smokey pork, and not just the bbq sauce (which you get to add yourself, or not add if you so choose). The fried green beans are so delicious....plump and long (that's what she said) and bright green! The mac is cheese is tasty, as are the sweet potato fries. The beer selection is great, I'm always excited to have a Final Absolution when I'm in town. Other selections enjoyed by our party were the ham steak, one of the sandwiches (I forget what it was called but I think it was pulled pork, bacon, and Lord knows what else), hush puppies, beans, and corn bread. Our waiter was a little inattentive, and it wasn't that busy, but the food itself more than makes up for it. Eat your heart out Slows. read more

Memphis Smoke can now close up shop. I was so excited to walk by this place during Labor Day weekend on my way to Arts, Beats, and Eats. I honestly had no idea this was coming to Royal Oak. I was so excited, we came here the day after I saw it. The area is very spacious. You can see the smokers as soon as you walk in, which is a nice touch. The pickles they provide upon seating. Good flavor with a nice kick. I went with the Lockhart's Special. Ribs, Sausage, Pulled Pork and Brisket. All were cooked very nicely and had good flavor. The sausage (spicy) was maybe the most lackluster. The spiciness wasn't quite there, to my liking. The casing was crisp and it was very juicy. The pulled pork and the ribs were very flavorful. very nice rub on the ribs. I think the star of the show was the brisket. I've read some mixed reviews on here about the brisket, but this particular day, it was spot on. Very tender, perfect amount of char, etc. They have 4 different types of BBQ sauce. I'm not really a fan of the Carolina sauce, a vinegar based sauce. My favorite was the Hot or whatever it was called, can't remember. Overall. I'll be back. I wouldn't rate this over Slow's just yet, but it is well above the infamous Memphis Smoke. There is no doubt about that. read more

See all

I wasn't sure what to expect with the seemingly mixed reviews, but I was quite impressed with everything. The decor and ambiance is great! Looks like a converted warehouse, open, clean, and rich in the aromas of smoked meat. The restaurant was pretty full, it was about 6:30pm, but we were seated right away. Lots of families and children about so the place was a tad noisy, but not bad at all. Our server was super nice, quick and friendly. They seem to have a million local beers on tap! I ordered the smoked chicken and rib "combo," with mac & cheese and green beans. The chicken was moist, smokey and flavorful; came off the bone easily. The ribs were fantastic - I LOVE dry rub, they were tasty, falling off the bone, with a visible smoke ring and tender. The mac and cheese was okay - nothing special. The green beans were NOT what I expected, but they were good. Normally, at a BBQ or soul food place I expect the beans that come stewed with smoked meat & onions and are usually chopped and cooked to death but VERY flavorful. These beans were VERY al dente (so al dente I ate them with my hands), left whole, but were basted with minced garlic and butter. Not was I expected, but they were fantastic. The portions weren't large compared to other BBQ places (I haven't been to slows). My dad and husband had pulled pork sandwiches and my mom had the brisket and pulled pork combo. The brisket also had a visible smoke ring and looked tender. My husband said the pulled pork on his sandwich seemed "smushy" - as if it had been sitting in a steam bath for a while. The greens he had on the side were different as well - a little al dente with a hint of sweetness. A very nice change. All in all it was a really nice place and we will definitely go back soon. I recommend it. read more

There's sooooo much potential here but no consistency at all. Had the brisket sammy one time and it was heavenly! The meat just melted in your mouth. Had it again the meat was so hard, dry and tough that I had to send it back. The sweet potato fries have come out ice cold and another time piping hot. Service has been mediocre, great and bad. Pickles served with utensil or use your fingers. The music is too loud and if we ever decide on Lockhart's again, it will be carryout only. Their version of shepherd's pie has been different every time. Topped with cheese and breadcrumbs..or not. Nice, thick saucy layer of perfectly cooked brisket...or not even close. Meat has been perfectly flavored with smoke or barely smoked at all. I won't be returning for a very long time. Bummer read more

Finally decided to try this place in spite of the negative things I've heard. I was hoping that maybe everyone was being a little too hard on them. Shame on me for not listening to my fellow yelpers. This place gets 2 stars. 1 for the beer selection and 1 for the homemade jalapeno pickles. I ordered the chili and it was so salty I could feel my blood pressure rising with each bite I took. I also had the lamest side salad I have ever seen and some cornbread that was ok...but how do you screw up cornbread? I should also mention that I had to order the cornbrad separately and I think it should just come with the chili. But that's just my personal opinion. My husband ordered the pulled pork and beef brisket combo. Pork was ok but the brisket was flavorless and had a weird texture. His two slices of white bread were both butts! I'm all about not wasting, but really? Sweet potato fries were ok but cold, cold. We told our waiter and he was back in a flash with a new order, so props to him for that. The whole experience made me sad because the location and atmosphere are perfect. It would be an awesome place to be cozy and enjoy a delicious meal. I want to like Lockhart's, but I just can't They should just shut down the restaurant and turn it in to a jalapeno pickle factory...because those, my friends, are the only delicious thing coming out of that place. read more

I didn't love Lockhart's originally. It was good, but I didn't love it. Slow's used to be my favorite and since this wasn't as good as them, I wrote them off. Since then, Slow's has really fallen from grace in my opinion. Their wait times are really annoying and the attitude of the staff is the worst. I've since revisited Lockhart's several times and have grown to really like their BBQ. They have a great beer selection as well. Their patio looks like a blast in the summer. I will say this, though. Now Union Woodshop reigns supreme in my BBQ world. If you're looking for a new place to try and you have patience for a long wait I'd give them a go. But if you're not up for the drive and/or you don't have patience, Lockhart's is an excellent option. read more

Went for a late lunch on a Sunday afternoon after going to the Auto Show in Detroit. I'd actually never been to Royal Oak, so I was excited to try something new and I'm a big fan of BBQ so this seemed like a no-brainer. First of all, even though I'm a lover of bbq, I am not a fan of smelling like I spent an hour or two in a smoker. I'll definitely be getting my coat dry cleaned after this outing as a result of the smoky atmosphere. My group went all in with the meats...I think we got some of every meat they offer. The favorite seemed to be the pulled pork, which was salty but not too salty and paired especially well with the sweeter sauce. The winning side was the mac and cheese, with the corn muffin coming in as a close second. This mac and cheese was such a hit that my friend finished his and the rest of mine after I got full. Actually, that friend finished the rest of everything I had left over. Really the only downside was the after effects of the meal and I'm not sure if it was the meat or the creamy mac and cheese that betrayed me, but something didn't sit right with me. read more

This is popular place, and I agree. This is not your typical roadside BBQ stand. Its more gourmet and upscale than most places. Its worth trying. There is a big menu, lots of options and combinations. They have Beef, Pork, Chicken, Turkey and sausages options, as well as some fish dishes - catfish. They also have a number of interesting sides, 10-12 of them. They start you out with a small sampling of hot and sweet pickles on every table. These are a nice blend of sweet and hot, with a good snap - more of a new pickle. They also have 4 sauces, House, Hot, Sweet and Carolina Mustard. I went with the Brisket sandwiches, which came on a nice crusty bun, and sharp cheddar cheese. When ordering they gave me an option if I want a lean cut of meat, which I did. The brisket was good, and it allowed me to try their sauces. I thought the house was the best, followed by the sweet. Hot was a little to peppery and mustard was heavy with vinegar. The sweet potato fries were really good. So expect to wait.for your meal, in fact order an appetizer. I don't know if the waiter was in-attentive, but in a half full restaurant at lunch, it still took 30 minutes to take the order for the food to be delivered. Its slow. Parking is also a pain, I guess its a big city problem, but we saw a number o tables running out to put coins in the meter. read more

Sooo ok. Bbq is good. But they stupidly fry their food in the same grease they do their fish. So every other place pays attention to osha allergy requirements, but this place says fuck you to anyone with an allergy because why be bothered with worrying about that when you pretend to be upscale. So fuck this place and their shitty ways of cooking. So if you have any allergy at all. Skip this shitty place who can't figure that out. read more

I love Korean BBQ, but American BBQ is not that exciting to me. I go to American BBQ restaurants on occasion with others, but I would never choose to go to one on my own. Okay, I might have to revise that thought. I went to Lockhart's BBQ last night (after we couldn't get waited on at a bar/restaurant next door), and I ordered....(wait for it)...hot tamales stuffed with smokey chicken and covered in savory mole and melted cheese. OMG! I'm going to be dreaming about these soft cornmeal delights in my sleep! The perfect combination of flavors & textures! Talk about comfort food! The tamales were served with a crock of beans and a mini loaf of fairly sweet corn bread. The entree was enough food for two meals, and everything was delicious. My husband ordered pork nachos. They were good, but they were covered in a sweet BBQ sauce. It was a little much. I couldn't have had more than a few of those chips. Our friends had been to Lockhart's twice previously, and they like it. I don't know about the BBQ, but the hot tamales are out of this flippin' world! I honestly think that if friends and I were discussing where to go to dinner in Royal Oak, I would say, "Hey! Let's go to Lockhart's BBQ!" Who would have ever thought that I'd jump on the BBQ restaurant bandwagon? read more

It is hard not to compare Lockhart's with Slow's. They both have the same vibe, same type of smoked BBQ. The ambience in Lockart's is actually nicer, and you can get a table on a Saturday within 10 minutes, that says a lot..They give you a beeper and you can go sit and have a drink, I like that. Their ribs are delicious, better than Slow's. Brisket was just ok, nothing special. Red hot sausage was ok. I had the sides of potato salad and sweet potato fries and I was just dreaming of the waffle fries with cheese from Slow's while eating these. The potato salad had no flavor really. Macaroni was just ok too. The sauces were awesome, they have the basic, signature, sweet, Carolina, Spicy. The draft beer list is very good, lot's of local michigan craft beer. I like this place, would not drive up here to go to it though..Do I recommend this place to others? Yes if you are in the Royal Oak area looking for barbecue. Service is very good. read more

I realize I'm not in Kansas anymore and it's a challenge to find good BBQ in Michigan. That being said, the wait for the food was long even though it was only half full on a Saturday night. We started with a house salad (blah) and a cup of gumbo (yum). We split a 4 meat combo with sausage (pink), brisket (fatty), ribs (tasteless) and pork (ok). We had the mash sweet potatoes and deviled eggs which were fair. The entire meal was served at room temperature. All 4 of the BBQ sauces were nasty. Not a great experience. read more

Oct 3, 2020 was my first and last visit to Lockhart's BBQ. First, what was suppose to be a surprise dinner for my husband's birthday turned into an unpleasant evening for not only us as a couple but friends and family we invited. Upon being seated before we actually sat down the host rudely asked if we were going to be out before 7 (mind you we were only a party of five, and about 5:30PM) as if it's our responsibility to know if the cooks will have our order out in a timely manner. Secondly, our server's name was Karen (of course) and the name sure did fit the attitude she had when asked a simple question of how hot the Fire BBQ was " Well it's hot, that's why it's called fire.." (It wasn't that hot). Last but not least! This place is just waiting for a lawsuit to happen, NOT ONLY is their frying grease used for fries & chicken wings that they claim are "smoked" but.... you guessed it! FISH too!!!!!! (HOW GROSS!) Thank God I paid attention to how the food looked to see specks of corn meal (used to batter fried fish) in our sweet potato fries because I could have encountered a life threatening allergic reaction not once but TWICE because the supposed "smoked" wings are actually fried in the same fish oil. Now, to the food review... Their bacon is good, ribs are average and mac&cheese is TRASH! Please look elsewhere for an enjoyable evening out, I sure wish I had picked a different place in Royal Oak to celebrate my husband's 35th birthday. read more

UPDATE 20 DEC 2010: Gave this place a second shot, but still feel the same as my last review. Ordered the smoked 1/2 chicken & it was a little dry with only the smoke flavor to taste & no other seasonings. My husband ordered the shepherds pie mac & cheese dish & that wasn't too bad. Jalepeno beans was ok, but nothing to write about. The dirty ugly gumbo soup was pretty tasty with a little kick to it. This place doesn't come as close to being as good as Slows yet. The burnt tip appetizer is definitely a must try. Double smoked & doubled seasoned with drippings to slop up makes this app unavoidable. Carolina pulled pork sandwich is very tender & tasty, but if you want sauce on it this is where I think this place lacks. There's only 4 to choose from & I didn't care for any of them. There's a sweet & hot sauce, sweet BBQ, their signature flavor & lastly vinegar to choose from. Mac@chz was very tasty & oozed with creaminess. Oven baked with a little burnt cheese on top, yum! Dessert was disappointing. Their peach cobbler has a bit of a twist than a typical one you normally order. This one had cinnamon oatmeal like topping that smothered the peaches. On the bottom it looked & tasted like pie crust. read more

This is my second choice for BBQ with a decent beer selection not in the city or way out. This is a poor mans Slows, a very poor man. On the plus side I have had no issue getting seated. If you are looking for pretty good BBQ without the 2+hr wait and do not want to do the Slows take out joint in the Corridor, this is the place. I have been here 3-4 times and I can also say it is more consistent than slows. Sometimes at Slows if you catch them on an off night, or after waiting your 2hrs it's late you can get dried out meat. I have not had that issue here. That said, I would still take Slows in a heartbeat. read more

tons of bbq places have opened up in the past few years. Lockharts is one of the newer ones, tucked in the cushy hipster area we know as Royal Oak. Pros: They make their own pickles. Meat Meat served on butcher paper for that down south authenticity. Meat Great place for large parties Nice look on the inside Tons of Michigan beers. Cons: Greens, they didn't have much flavor to them. Plus I like some meat in my greens. Deviled Eggs weren't too flavorful either. The cons are more like nitpicking really, others might like the flavor of the sides. Also I feel the prices are a little too high compared to other places. but if you do need a bbq fix and are in the royal oak area...there aren't too many options besides Lockharts. It's nice to know that even though it's the only option...it's a pretty solid option. read more

This place is good. It's close and so it's easy for us to just stop in when we are in the mood for bbq. The only reason I just give 3 stars is that our appetizer was served with stale chips, and it seems as though a restaurant would be more aware of when food goes bad. Our server was pleasant and the beer selection was great. A bit more attention to watching when things like stale chips happen would go a long way to increase my rating of this place. read more

Unsuspecting appearance on the outside, but do be sure to stop in. Food takes a little while to come out to the table, but hold tight because it's good and flavorful when it does. Super friendly staff, excellent customer service. Highly recommend trying the burnt ends before ordering a brisket sandwich and peach cobbler for dessert. Carl was super cool and friendly, we will definitely be back! read more

From my experience, the pulled pork and ham are delicious. I decided to try the rib and chicken dinner last time. What a mistake. My ribs were mostly just skin, I can honestly say there wasn't a decent chunk of meat on any of the ribs. The chicken was about as dry as an over cooked turkey on Thanksgiving and there was so much blood that I honestly wasn't comfortable eating it. My friend always gets the brisket, and says it's amazing. He also enjoys the sweet potato mash. I don't personally like either of those things, so I can't comment on them. What happened to the macaroni and cheese? They went from having the best, to literally the worst! They changed the pasta, and the cheese. Now the cheese is so runny that it barely sticks to the pasta and you're left with a bowl of cheese sauce, that has what I'm assuming is entirely too much milk in it. I will say that I am not a huge fan of BBQ, but this place used to be my favorite. I brought all my friends and family here, but after my last experience I don't see myself returning. read more

Lockhart's was ok. Didn't hate it, didn't love it. The meat was pretty good the sides were ok. I definitely have had better and can't say I'd be rushing back. I thought the meat was pretty good. The ribs had nice flavor and the brisket was pretty flavorful. They had 4 sauces that were fine. Nothing amazing. and the sides were just ok. The mac and cheese reminded me of a white cheddar version of kraft shells and cheese. The cole slaw reminded me of KFC cole slaw. Which I happen to like. I did think was expensive for the fare. The service was pretty good and the food came extremely fast so that was nice. After we opted out of dessert the waiter promptly brought the check. Which is some circumstances would be nice, but we were looking to converse and have a few drinks. With the check arrival we felt rushed and unwelcome so off we went and will probably not be back. read more

There's all different styles of bbq, and this just may not be mine. Lockharts style is dry and smokey. That may appeal to some, but I like my bbq to be juicy and the style to enhance the meats not compete with the flavor. I've tried the brisket and the pulled pork, and there was so much smoke on both that you couldn't tell which meat was which. That's a problem for me, but obviously many of you like it since there are plenty of 3 and 4 stars. I don't get it though. There is better bbq out there, enough said. read more

Bottomless drinks with brunch? A million times, yes! The mimosas were fantastic and we definitely got our money's worth! Let's talk about the food though - BBQ brisket with sausage, eggs, potatoes, etc. AMAZING! The atmosphere was cool and our waitress was on top of everything. Definitely want to go back here! read more

Ok so I have been to this places forever as a good support. Bartender and servers are great. Good beer choice until this time I went. Before the bartender and service would be very happy and even offer you a taste or suggestion of the beer. Now I guess the new GM is changing things around. No tasting in expensive beers. How do you define expensive? By the ABV? So if you don't like the beer you can order if and send it back rather then less then few drops of a taste and enjoy it. No definition of what kind of the beer on the board. How do you know if that's what you like? Only by the name. Oh sorry I don't know a lot of them because they charge frequently and are those new to the market too. Not sure there are many place can't taste draft beer on tap, definitely not bottle which I was in the food and beverage industry. But for draft and even wine offered by the glass. It's just a smart business to throw the bait. read more

First off, if you have asthma like I do, avoid this place by all means. The smell is good to most visitors however for people like myself, lack of proper exhaust made me run out to my car and get my rescue inhaler. If I wasn't with family, that would have been my ticket out of this place. The lack of a side salad that is an actual side salad is unacceptable. To pay 5.50 for a side salad that has 3 items total... Really? Like... Really? The joke was on me when I seen it. The cost of the meal was not even worth it. I think if I wanted to pay for quality bbq, I would have went to slows where the reputation is much better. Long story short... Don't waste your time here on an expensive meal that has small portions and a rip off. Lastly, bring your rescue inhaler. You'll need it. read more

Tried again for Matt's birthday. Hasn't improved. Service was slow though nearly empty, (20 minutes to get drinks from a bar with only 3 people at it), sides were tasteless (coleslaw and jalapeño baked beans) Poblano dip was bland. It came with 2 types of chips, one too thin to hold the sauce, they broke off every time and the other a weird flaky chip with no crunch. Employee spent 10 minutes wiping dos high chairs as she bumped into Matt the entire time. I didn't want to go but acquiesced because Matt wanted to go and it was his birthday, good thing is, he nor the couple we went with are going to be pressuring to go again. read more

What a welcome addition to the Royal Oak! We went with a party of seven so i was able to taste a variety of things. We started with burnt ends, which were absolutely smashing. They glistened with sauce and were so tender and flavorful. Our two orders disappeared instantly. For dinner I had sausage (it was hanging by the grill and looked so delicious that I couldn't resist) and ribs. The ribs had a nice crust but were very tender and meaty. The mild sausage had a slight kick and great smokey taste. I also tasted the brisket, which was perfectly smokey. Sides were also excellent. The mac and cheese was creamy and rich, with a nice cheese/bread crumb crust on top. Creamy cole slaw was fine. The hushpuppies were really tasty. I tried the house barbeque sauce and the sweet sauce. Both were excellent if a little thin. The Carolina sauce was very watery. I didn't try the hot sauce. For dessert we tried the lemon cake and the chocolate/Dr. Pepper cake. Both were very good. There is a nice kids menu that is mostly items from the adult menu (rather than crappy hot dogs). There are chicken nuggets too. We had an overall excellent evening. I would suggest that Lockhart's invest in some blinds for the windows -- when we arrived at 6:45 we nearly roasted in the sun. To their credit, our server and another employee helped us shift the table out of the sun rather than make us wait for another table. The waitstaff was very attentive. I'm surprised to hear myself say this, but Lockhart's is every bit as good as Slow's...except that the mac and cheese is better. Good luck to them! read more

Went to Lockhart's on Saturday and it was alright. I have to admit that after living in Texas for a couple years, it's hard to get excited about BBQ in the north. With that being said, I debated between giving them a 3 or 4, but settled on a 3 because of the service we received. Had the burnt ends and they were tasty...had the frito pie and it was very good. My husband ordered the brisket and it was mediocre, though the sausage had a nice kick to it. The sauces were okay and the mac n' cheese was a little bland. However, the list of Michigan beers on tap made up for it. I think they're still trying to figure out the outside seating on the weekends. They use the back deck for a waiting area on the weekends and some people, like us, wanted to sit out there and eat dinner. That confused things and the manager ended up asking a couple waiting for a table inside to give up their table on the deck for diners. The waitress out there was horrible, having to wait on all the tables outside. Our drinks were never re-filled and we waited 40 minutes for our food after we ordered. I would try Lockhart's again...just might need to give it some time as they're still finding their footing. read more

Im not usually that picky when it comes to bbq joints. Pulled pork sandwichs are usually my go to dish. I ordered the Carolina Pulled Pork sandwich. The coleslaw was good, the sauces on the table were all good. But more than half the meat was gross, chunky fat and skin. I understand a little for flavor, but this was disgusting. I dont think ill ever try that again here if i come back. The server tried to make excuses and say the sandwichs are usually served like that, and offered to get me more actual pork. No thanks, nice try. I wanted to try to convince the manager that I shouldn't have to pay full price for the meal, but I just paid and left instead. read more