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    American Char

    4.2 (96 reviews)
    InexpensiveBarbeque, Pizza
    Closed Closed

    American Char Photos

    Business Info

    AMERICAN CHAR ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - American Char

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    Sampler with ribs, wings, chicken, pulled pork, brisket, mac and cheese, beans, slaw
    Rhett B.

    At a 4 way stop, in the middle of nowhere Michigan sits a house that has been transformed into a BBQ joint. I feel like American Char should be a new Anthem by Michigan rocker Kid Rock but this house serves up the best BBQ in Michigan! When you pull up, you see the wood and smoker's in the back. There is a porch with tables as well. I love it when a BBQ joint has a sampler and I get to try everything. It comes with ribs, pulled pork, wings, brisket, pulled chicken, and slaw. I added mac and cheese, beans, and cornbread. If I had to pick only one meat that I would have to eat again from American Char, hands down it was the pulled pork. This pork was perfection and some of the best pulled pork I've ever had. It was tender, juicy, and seasoned extremely well. My next choice would be the ribs as they had an excellent rub and they were meaty. I believe the brisket would have been better but they gave me the end of it with too much bark. The wings and chicken were good too but not as good as the aforementioned meats. The sides were elite as well. The slaw was diced fine and was creamy and sweet. The cornbread was moist. The mac and cheese was solid. The cashier recommended the beans to me as they were thick and tomatoey. I'm a sauce-aholic. There are 8 different sauces and I couldn't get enough of all of them. There is a photo I posted with a description of them so I won't go into detail about them. The one thing I believe American Char and most of the Midwest can improve on is their sweet tea. They got the most important part right and that was brewing the tea in-house. But look I'm from Alabama and I can't understand for the life of me how most of the Midwest gets away with calling unsweet tea "sweet tea." I did compare the sweet and unsweet. There was a sliver of difference, but if I was anywhere in the South, the sweet tea would be unsweet tea. If you are going to make sweet tea, make sweet tea - don't just sweeten a gallon of unsweet tea with anything less than a cup and a half of sugar. And don't tell me to add a sugar packet to it...you have to add sugar in the brewing process. Sorry...rant over! I will be making another trip to American Char in the future. This is the best BBQ I've had in Michigan and among the best in the Midwest.

    Mini sampler
    Smittenwith T.

    Food was great amazing! Chicken wings were awesome and the brisket was juicy. Pull pork was great. Sides of potato salad and mac and cheese were great. Just wished for a lighter side like salad or greens.

    Sampler
    Chris H.

    An old Western Saloon atmosphere in this small bump in the road village brings some big Bbq tastes. I ordered the Char Sampler ($28). This includes a tasting of Ribs, Wings, Brisket, Pulled Pork, and Pulled Chicken. It also included the sides pickles and Pickled Slaw. Everything was very pure tasting. Meaning you could taste the high quality meat in every bite. Everything is seasoned, but lightly. This lets the meat speak for itself. The portion size is generous, which makes this a great value. I also ordered a large side of Pork and Beans ($5), because I love bbq baked beans. I kinda consider myself a connoisseur of Baked Beans. Sadly I found myself not liking them. I didn't hate them, but I didn't finish them. It's possible it's because they are vinegar based, so that may be your thing. I also got myself some Cornbread ($3), which should come with a sampler. That being said it was excellent. Moist and very flavorful. The person I was with ordered the Pulled Pork Sandwich ($8) and some cornbread. She loved the sandwich and the cornbread. The only other slightly negative thing is the bbq sauce are only okay at best. I tried the Kansas City sauce and it was acceptable, I used it, but I didn't take any home for my leftovers. The person I was with tried the Carolina Mustard and wasn't a fan. The service is with a smile and tries to be efficient. They need a little work, but it's not by any means bad. Overall a 4 star review. Would I return? Absolutely, it's excellent bbq. If your in the area or are making the rounds of West Michigan bbq this should definitely be a stop.

    Chat Sampler with large mashed potatoes and corn bread
    Amanda V.

    There's not much in the town of Drenth, but it's worth a drive for some good BBQ! My husband and I did the Char Sampler which included a sampling of all the meats available along with pickles, slaw and a couple tortilla shells. We added on mashed potatoes and cornbread. It was delicious and we had quite a bit leftover. The staff were friendly. Atmosphere is casual and they offer indoor and outdoor seating. If you are on the area I recommend stopping in. You won't be disappointed!

    Smokers
    Kathy W.

    We have driven past for years and always wanted to try it but we were always there on Sunday or Monday when they were closed. Finally figured it out and went on a Saturday night and not disappointed. Just a fun place to eat in the middle of nowhere which is pretty cool in unusual. I told the owner 'it's the best restaurant in Drenthe which he replied is the only one! But it's a gem. Great BBQ in the middle of nowhere is how I would describe it. Well worth the trip if u want tasty fall off the bone chicken and ribs. Best pulled chicken I ever had. Loved the many varieties of sauces to try. Just a lovely place surrounded by fields and nature. Fun and friendly staff and owner. Just go..

    Sampler
    Kylie G.

    Love this place! One day, we randomly drove by and I bookmarked it to try. I am pleased to report that this place is excellent. Love the small town vibes. This place is surrounded by residential homes and farms. This is one of the best bbq places in west MI. The brisket was cooked to perfection. I love the charred ends and the sauces were delicious. The chicken was seasoned perfectly and the ribs were fall off the bone slap happy good. We will definitely be back for more!

    The best pickles I've ever had! You must get these as a side when eating here.
    Tiffany V.

    You know the food is going to be good when there is a line to order and the parking lot smells like amazing smoked meat. This place is so popular and the food is so good, that you just might miss out. We've gone before and they're out of something which is bad for us but good for them. The chicken wings are crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. The brisket has a perfect smoke ring, is tender and flavorful. The smoked pulled chicken, pulled pork and ribs are also top notch. They have multiple sauce options for you to choose from that are all made in house. I can't say enough about their homemade pickles! We were disappointed because we had ordered $100 in smoked meats and they didn't want to sell us an entire side of pickles (only the small amount that came with our meat is all we could get). After trying to cancel our order, the owner came out and apologized and gave us a large container of pickles. They do make their own pickles which the supply is limited of course, but we really wanted pickles to go with the large amount of meat we had just ordered. They also serve ice cream and make their own waffle cones and waffle bowls. There are plenty of seats inside as well as outdoor seating. You may have to wait for a table but I promise you will be glad you waited!

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    7 months ago

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    4 months ago

    Very low-key diner kind of ambiance. The food is outstanding! Service was fun and friendly.

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    2 years ago

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    9 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    10 months ago

    Amazing wings and Mac and cheese. 15 and Mac was big enough for 2 people and not too expensive.

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    1 year ago

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    1 year ago

    What a small town delight! They have amazing food, smoked to perfection. Great BBQ!

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    2 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

    The food is always good. The restaurant is cool. Just like every place now a days something's a little pricey.

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    2 years ago

    Good is just so so. Pretty dry. And way way overpriced.The service is just okay. And I don't think I would go back.

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    4 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Legit the best bbq on the area. Hate that it's in the sticks. If it was in Holland I'd eat here weekly.

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    7 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Great BBQ! Sides were good too. First time we've been there, and the entire family loved it.

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    2 years ago

    Service was okay, prices a little high but flavor was good. Out a ways which is nice to get out of the hustle.

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Amazing! High recommend to anyone in the area! Chef Len is truly talented and this place never disappoints.

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    American Char - bbq - Updated May 2026

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