Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Places To Go BBQ To Eat


Here we are again. Sorry this is the last stop for our time together, but hey all good things have to end one day, right? Guess I might as well let you guys in on my secret sauce that I keep bragging about. Here is what you do -- Wait two or three more years and then I will have my business up and running; pull me from the back and I will give you a free taste of that great tasting sauce. I haven’t got an actual name for it yet, but people have been telling me to tie it to football somehow, because that would make for a great marketing strategy. I mean come on, who wouldn’t want to buy some grilled food from a University of Michigan football player, especially if he was one of your classmates or students? You have admit that’s pretty sick. The names people have suggested for my sauce include: “Sack Sauce," “Tackle Sauce” and some other funny yet interesting names. I actually think I'm just going to name it after me, “Sweet and Spicy RJS”. I know you’re mostly thinking man that’s lame, but I'm still working on that name for you. I'm sure it will be out soon though and you'll be able to buy it on shelves in the stores and what not.

But enough about me, you are here to get something out of this last visit. Sorry you’re not getting my sauce yet, but I have something else that can heat your taste buds up and maybe you will actually go try out. Now, you should take my word for this, because as a cook, I would prefer my food to whatever these restaurants have to offer. However, these places in particular are pretty darn good. I think you should try them out when you’re feeling like putting some great food in your tummy.

Outback: For those who have not been, the thing I like best about Outback is that they offer a great atmosphere for their customers. There is always someone nice with a smile to greet you as you come in. The steak is also great, as well as their appetizers. The best one yet is the Bloomin' Onion.
Texas Road House: Texas Roadhouse is also a great spot that you can bring friends and family to. They also have theeeeeee best bread to go with their cinnamon butter. This place is a must try if you have not visited there. They are also opening a new one by the Meijer off of Ann Arbor-Saline road by the way, if you’re serious about giving it a try.

Slows: Slows is also a nice fancy place to bring a date, but you’d better hope she doesn’t bring her friend because the bill can get pretty expensive. Slows is known for their great food and a prime location in Detroit that is not far from Ann Arbor.

Long Horn: Longhorn steak house, mannn… I love their juicy steaks and if you’re looking for a big meal this is the place to go.



As you can see I don’t always go to the same place to get my bbq. This tendency is illustrated by variety seeking behavior. This term is defined as seeking new brands or products to satisfy a perceived need for change (Babin/Harris 252). I sometimes switch up where I go to eat because I love to try different things at different times. In terms of Slows, price and quality differ from the other places I have mentioned. Price is defined as information that signals the amount of potential value contained in a product (Babin/Harris 260). The higher price that Slows charges compared to some of the other bbq options serves as a signal to its customers that the product may be of higher value to them. Quality can be defined as perceived overall goodness or badness of some product. Personally, I think that Slows is of higher quality, and more overall goodness, because of the food and the service they offer (Babin/Harris 260).  For example, their food is different than the other places due to the cooking style they use, which results in softer meat that melts in your mouth. Furthermore, their servers go out of their way to make sure that your time there is memorable.

If for some reason you don't enjoy the places I have talked about in this post, here is a great article about the top bbq spots in Detroit that are worth trying out. 


Source: Babin, J.B., Harris, E.G. CB, Student Edition 7


5 comments:

  1. Royce,

    I'll be waiting for the day that your sauce is in stores or at your restaurant. I will for sure be trying this sauce you claim is so great. Maybe I can try it before it goes into store. You should have an end of the year BBQ for our class. Out of the the four restaurants you suggested. My favorite is Texas Roadhouse. I agree that the bread and cinnamon better is what makes this place great!I have actually never been to slows, I will need to go try it some time. I need to go explore restaurants I'm Detroit more. I hear there are some really good restaurants. Usually when I am deciding where I want to eat, I do not care much about price. I just want something that is great quality and taste delicious. Some times my decisions on what I eat are situational influences like mood (Angel Ch 11). I really enjoyed reading your blog and I look forward to coming to you restaurant one day.

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  2. Hey Royce!

    Since it's the last few days before Thanksgiving, I don't want to buy any more food before I go home and my fridge is very close to being empty...reading your blog has made me hungrier than I already am! I'm also a big fan of Slow's, my favorite is their North Carolina sauce and, of course, their mac and cheese. Instead of going to their main restaurant on Michigan Ave, I usually go to Slow's to Go on Cass in Midtown. From the time you step foot in the door to when you get your food, I've never waited more than 15 minutes...much better than the hours-long wait at the main restaurant! Even though it has "To Go" in the name, there are chairs, tables and counters in the restaurant, so it's easy to eat there as well. When I go to Slow's to Go compared to the regular restaurant, I feel that I gain a lot more value from my experience because I don't have to wait as long (Angell Ch 7). In turn, I also have a much more positive attitude since I am able to spend my time eating rather than waiting and being taunted by the restaurant's great aromas! For now, Slow's will have to do, but I'm excited for the day that I can go to a restaurant run by the one and only Sweet and Spicy RJS :)

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  3. Royce,
    I really enjoyed reading your post! I am a huge fan of good BBQ. My family goes to South Carolina pretty frequently and we have a few fantastic BBQ places that we always like to go to. My favorite thing to get is either pulled pork and brisket. I have found few places in Michigan that can replicate authentic BBQ like what I get in SC, but Slow's is definitely one of them! Another place that I like that's close to Ann Arbor is Union Woodshop in Clarkston, MI. The food there is so good. If you're up for a bit of a drive, I highly recommend it! I know that Slow's tends to get really busy and loud, but Union Woodshop is dedicated to creating a comfortable atmosphere, despite the large volume of customers (Angell ch 7). If you ever go, make sure you get the Mac and Cheese as a side...it is amazing! You can see their full menu here:http://www.unionwoodshop.com/index_2.html

    Good luck with your dream of owning your own restaurant; I'm sure you'll be able to accomplish it!

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  4. Royce,
    I really enjoyed reading your posts about BBQ. Growing up the only BBQ I would eat is my grandfather's BBQ. However, after trying your food and reading your blogs you have motivated me to want to explore the restaurants that you explained above. I have never been to these restaurants but if you say they have good BBQ I will give a few of them a shot next week! Also no matter the price I will not mind paying for the BBQ since they appear to create great value for you maybe they can for me as well.

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  5. Royce,
    I really like your post and the suggestion you made for people to go try some great BBQ. I personally have been to most of those BBQ spots that you suggested. The one that I liked the most has to be the Texas Roadhouse. Seeing that we're teammates and all and I still haven't tasted your " special sauce" I have a little doubts about how good you sauce really is. My family personally has a special BBQ that we make at our BBQ that my family hosts, and still haven't found one better. Hopefully one summer soon I will be able to taste the sauce that you brag so much about and see if its lucky enough to even be compared to my family's special BBQ sauce.

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