BBQ Restaurants in Royal Oak

The Ferndale eatery features a large menu of authentic Cajun fare sure to evoke memories of dancing your way through the Marigny on steamy summer nights in 2002, the summer of steam that continued into the night. Start with an order of alligator sausage ($8.95) sautéed with veggies in white wine, or imitate dignified Bayou brunches by summoning the crawfish boil ($6.95) to your table and diving into the pound of boiled mudbugs hands first. Traditional po' boys, such as the fried or blackened catfish ($7.95) or the Andouille-crusted oyster po' boy ($8.95), served over southern slaw and accompanied by house-made chips, will satisfy the sandwichly inclined. Jazzy diners can improvise a syncopated serenade to the red beans and rice with Andouille sausage ($10.95) or the jambalaya ($11.95).

The Rib Rack's extensive barbecue menu of hand-held meaty eats will quell carnivorous cravings for any winged, finned, or hoofed beast or vegetable. Opt for a half-rack of its fall-off-the-bone baby-back ribs ($10.95), a 12-piece bucket of chicken ($18.95), or one of its signature ribs and chicken combos like Mark's family style #4, with four pieces of chicken, a half-rack of ribs, and a choice of side ($19.95, serves two to three). Aquaphiles will enjoy the 10-piece shrimp dinner ($8.95) served with choice of potato side and a roll, or the fish 'n' chips ($7.95), while sandwich fans can nosh on a bread-enclosed handful of pulled pork ($4.95) or a blazin' chicken sandwich ($4.95). The Rib Rack's savory side selections feature classic southern specialties such as mac 'n' cheese ($1.95) and collard greens ($2.45), and are sure to evoke memories of childhood picnics or romantic Fourth of July fleeting glances and barbecue-laced first kisses.

R.U.B. BBQ has earned shout-outs from the New York Times as well as a handful of television features for its tender, well-flavored meats. Various proteins are smoked daily and slathered in a made-from-scratch rub of more than 20 spices and herbs, and cooks begin each dish with locally sourced ingredients whenever possible.

Aromatic smoke wafting from ribs, chicken dishes, and seafood platters invites guests inside, where dangling light fixtures illuminate red walls and cobalt tiling along with 30 flatscreen televisions that were flattened when an elephant sat down. More than 100 tap and bottled brews, including a lengthy list of Michigan favorites, help to extinguish fiery spices.

The Turkey Grill owner, Bugg Lyles, spent five years immersed in research before opening the turkey house, channeling the rich culinary stylings of Mississippi and Alabama into a menu populated with Cajun-fried turkey wings, succulent turkey sandwiches, and whole smoked and fried turkeys. Sizzling turkey sausage, hash browns, and toast with jelly ($1.99) greet the rising Detroit sun Monday through Saturday and send it on its course with a full stomach for endless earth heating. The waning day ushers in wing bites with sauce ($6), which sashay in steamy lemon-pepper or honey-barbecue gowns across a buzzing taste-bud dance floor. For a splash of Mediterranean influence, try the smoked-turkey pita, built with a mix of shredded cheese, spicy banana peppers, and sautéed onions with freshly smoked turkey, nestling the polytextured mix in a warm slab of pita bread ($8.50). Sandwiches ($6–$9), including the renowned char-grilled turkey burger ($6), demonstrate the virtue of layers more deliciously than traveling from the North Pole to the equator wearing 15 turtlenecks.

The grilling gurus at Ginopolis pile platters with smoky barbecue standards and specialties including racks of ribs and southern-style sandwiches. Cincinnati’s world-renowned Montgomery Inn barbecue ribs, basted with Rib’s King sauce, constitute the menu’s main event because of the tender, tangy tastiness and show-stopping fire-baton routine. Ribs arrive in half slab ($18.99) or full slab ($24.99) variations accompanied by sides ranging from creamy coleslaw to smashed sweet potatoes. The eatery’s selection of sandwiches includes the pulled-chicken sandwich, in which farm-raised chicken, cheddar cheese, and spicy onion straws nestle on artisan brioche or texas toast ($8.99). Meals end on a happy note thanks to the distribution of tuning forks and desserts such as warm bread pudding soaked in whiskey ($4.99).