We decided to go on the 4th of July so by the time we arrived the ribs were gone but to be honest they were not missed and only guaranteed a return visit. My brother (ribs lover), who celebrates his birthday every year at Famous Dave's, said this will be the new spot from now on! The star of the show was our server (didn't catch his name but he has 6 kids ranging from 24 - 2!!!) and the pork belly! Just those two alone will be the reason I go back, probably next weekend. However, everything we ate was seasoned well and really tasty. I do agree with some of the other reviews that the brisket was a little dry. I blamed it on the holiday but it seems to be something they may want to address since it wasn't just me. But other than that, the food was pretty durn good. My only other complaint was that there is no seating while you're waiting for your table. I'm sure there's a reason behind it..especially once I saw the carry out line down the seating area. So I would suggest putting you name on the wait list before arriving and making sure your entire party is there before getting out of the car. read more

We were seated on their enclosed patio or sunroom. Brittany is waiting on us and took our order and brought out our food. Campfire nachos with chicken, chicken taco platter with fresh jalapeños, grilled jalapeños, grilled onions, guacamole and red salsa, BBQ platter pulled chicken white meat with coleslaw and potato salad. $63.30 The campfire nachos tastes good and is packed with toppings on top. Would be better if the mozzarella shredding had been melted all of the way though. The chicken tacos aren't too bad, good with the 5 sides. The pulled chicken is good, mostly white meat. Their spicy sauce is the better of the three, 321 and sweet doesn't do much for me. The spicy is still sweeter than I like. The coleslaw is so-so, hubby liked it better. The potato salad is creamy, red skins, it's good. Food flavor. read more

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The food at this barbecue restaurant was a major disappointment. The brisket was incredibly dry and had no flavor at all. It felt like chewing on an old shoe. The ribs were burnt on the outside and very tough to bite into. To make matters worse, the sauce was watery and tasted mostly like plain vinegar. The sides were not any better since the mac and cheese was cold and clumpy. For the high prices they charge, the food should taste much better than this. That is all! Chief :) Fuck SAMA C read more

Bad Brads BBQ - Brisket , ribs, and grits - Barbeque Near Me - Livonia, Michigan

I don't know what happened to managment or ownership. Something changed and food is not the same as it used to be. It was not flavorful as it use to be. I've been back three times thinking maybe they were just having a bad day the food was not as good as it use be , even the sauce seemed watered down the ribs no flavor the pulled pork was dry no flavor the wings not the same , potato salad not the same. There's no consistency anymore and I won't be back. read more

BBQ was great. Burnt ends were the best choice on the menu. Service was fast and pleasant. Table of 9. Got us in quick. read more

Bad Brads BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Livonia, Michigan

We order a carry and has been 2 years later that I am making another review. I order the Brad Pizza Deluxe and side salad, Fritos Pie. The pizza was tasty and crust was good . The sauce was called red sauce, gave a different taste, but not bad a little sweet. Typical side salad. The Frito Pie was not bad, but topping on carry out are all on top, so it is more Fritos than the chili and spicy. They have a lot of options and I would suggest going into the restaurant . read more

So good! The food is the star, but the service and the ambiance are both good, as well. We started with the pig candy - candied bacon - and it was to die for. For entrees, hubby ordered the Edward, which he absolutely loved, and I ordered the taco platter with pulled pork and chopped brisket, which I absolutely loved. We both also ordered two meat platters to go, with pulled pork, brisket, and burnt ends. For sides we ordered cornbread, pit beans, collared greens, and potato salad. Every darn item is delicious. read more

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Wow, the cornbread, the fries, the burnt tips, the nachos, the Mac&Cheese, the ribs. The generous mini-pan of cornbread is buttery with a little heat, the burnt tips are crispy with a sticky sauce, the pork nachos came out on a platter and were layered with flavor. We left with carryout containers and blueberry cobbler to go. Later, when we had room for dessert, the crust was still crispy and the cream had soaked in to the cobbler, it was decadent! The server was busy, but friendly. It is a nice place to eat, a little noisy but is a lot of room between the tables. read more

Best BBQ in town! The interior is rustic with a down home/chic feel. The food is fantastic. They have a wide variety of bbq items along with salads, burgers and even tacos. The service is excellent as well. Th prices are reasonable and the portions are large. A must try if you love bbq. read more

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My husband I went her for the first time tonight and we will definitely be back. The place is nice and large and has a woodsy cabin feel. If there is a wait you are able to put your name on the waitlist from your phone. This saves a lot of time having to wait at the restaurant. They do have a large waiting area although it does not have seats to sit on. Our waitress was super nice. The food was great. We got the pulled chicken. For sides we had collard greens, mac and cheese and sweet potato mash. They were all really good but the mac and cheese was phenomenal. Can't wait to go back. read more

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I can't believe the rating is 4.0 stars. Must be the people working there leaving reviews. It was busy and there was NO seating in the waiting area. 50 MINUTES WE STOOD THERE. The pulled pork and wings were worth having ... and the cornbread but the brisket was DRY AS THE DESERT, the ribs were way over done, the sausage was dry and tasted nasty and the Mac n cheese was TASTELESS and should be called "Cheese with a minimal amount of macaroni in it". I was SO DISAPPOINTED that it was so bad as there was so much foot traffic to eat in AND at their takeout counter. Too bad. read more

We had a wonderful meal here last weekend. It's definitely a popular place, so make sure you go with the expectation that you could be waiting a bit. We had about a 40-minute wait, but it was worth it. Let's start with our server. His name was Seven. I would go back simply because of him. He was attentive, but not too much. FABULOUS personality and very helpful with recommendations. On to the meal. It was delicious. My husband had pulled pork and burnt ends. I had a garlic chicken breast and our daughter had ribs. Not one thing could be changed to make the food better. I would highly recommend visiting this restaurant. read more

Went here for the 3rd time. Most of us didn't want ribs as they saw burgers and pizza. So we shared pizza and a slab. The slabs are market rate so in Oct 2025 it was ~$27 for half/$38 for full. Full meaty ribs. They had the texture of par boiled which isn't my thing but one of us liked. The beans were a no for all of us though they did have some brads meat but not enough. Now the grits were so good. I mean so much that I'd come back for those alone! And i wasn't the only one. The pizza was good. We wanted dessert but they were out of their banana cream pie. We had a sundae but that was vanilla ice cream & chocolate syrup. I'd pass on that. The service is always good. We had Jill today. They handle groups well and the menu will work for almost everyone except vegans. We spent about $75 for us, no drinks,tip,tax which we thought was ok and had leftovers read more

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You can tell a lot by looking at dumpster area and washrooms. Dumpster area has had one of the gates to area laying on ground for over a week. Garbage dumpster always leaves side entrance open good way to attract rodents or other animals. read more

I met up with a friend here on their recommendation. There was a wait for a table and it may have been longer if we were not on the reservations list. It took about 35 minutes to be seated. The waitress quickly gave us menus and explained the foox items and how everything was cooked fresh. I ordered the bbq platter with smoked fried chicken and brisket. My sides were cornbread, greens and baked beans. The meal quickly arrived. The meat was great.. There are 3 types of homemade sauces on the table, sweet, spicy snd a combination. The brisket wss cooked well and had a good taste. The chicken was also good and had a nice smoky flavor. The greens were cooked well and seasoned great. The baked beans were also cooked from scratch. The cornbresd was a nice big slice. It had jalapeños added as a nice touch. The waiter was very attentive and the meal was good and flavorful. I plan on checking this spot out again. read more

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Recommendation from a friend that I value input from. After I ordered they told me they didn't like the sides. I ordered a variety of items. Sides was highly disappointing. Collard greens with black eyed peas. Macaroni was not pleasing to the palate or anything I'd recommend. It ended up the trash. Chicken was fine. Brisket was meh. Pulled pork was not bad. Banana cream pie may be a favorite if you like bananas. I did not like the sliced bananas and it's something better eaten as a dine in dessert. I got it to go and wasn't satisfied with it. The bbq nachos were something I was excited to try. It would be a good meal for a child. I may have been spoiled by trying Full Rack Bbq in St. Clair Shores which is much better overall with sides, desserts and brisket. Positive: Bad Brads BBQ has very professional and friendly staff, but the food was not worth the money spent. Would I go back: no and i normally try something twice before calling it quits read more

Tried Bad Brads BBQ recently, and overall it was a solid experience! We ordered the burnt ends, which were delicious, tender and flavorful, though a bit on the pricey side. I did like that they came with pickles, sides, and tortillas, but still small portion. The two-meat plate was also really good and felt fair for the price. The chicken nachos were a classic crowd-pleaser, something anyone would enjoy. The service was friendly and attentive, even if it was a little slow at first (especially since it wasn't super busy yet). They made up for it by keeping our drinks refilled and checking in to make sure we had everything we needed. The atmosphere was fun and relaxed, kind of like being at a backyard cookout, which fit the BBQ vibe perfectly. A little spendy overall, but for good food and a chill experience, I'd definitely go back! read more

Bad Brads BBQ - BBQ Nachos 2-Meat BBQ Platter - Barbeque Near Me - Livonia, Michigan

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The food here is always great. It can get busy at times for either dine in or carry out. They won't seat a party (even if 2 on a not busy day) if one person isn't there. The meats and sauces are great, the sides are excellent, and their cocktails are great. It can be a little noisy when it is busy. Overall I recommend them for good food and drinks. read more

I've been here a half dozen times in the last few years and both food and service have always been great. My go to order is the pulled pork platter with fries and Mac and cheese. The pork is always moist, smokey, and served in a generous portion. The fries are my favorite side, they are thick and crispy and truly amazing. The interior of the restaurant has an almost industrial feels, and is always clean and welcoming. read more

So I will say that I do absolutely love this place on a normal day. I went there on Father's Day. I was so disappointed. I ordered the ribs and they seem to be so overcooked. I honestly didn't even enjoy them. I understand that this was a busy day for you... But please don't overcook the food. read more

We Door Dashed the food. Everything was hot, flavorful and DELICIOUS! As a home, self proclaimed pit boss chef, the chicken wing were perfect. The 321 sauce was a tangy delight with the chicken wings, market burger and the pork belly. The burger was perfectly cooked and a wood seared flavor was amazing. The pork belly was absolutely melt in your mouth fabulous!!!!! Now for the sides, everything was satisfying and made my taste buds happy as a hog at a feeder trough! Can't wait to eat in..... read more

No reservations...not seated until entire party arrives...no seating in the waiting area Food is OK.. Good size portions... Service is gppd. read more

Everything was fantastic. We loved the burnt ends pizza. The nachos were delicious. The Mac and cheese was great. My least favorite was probably the brisket. The pulled pork was cooked perfectly. The pit beans had a ton of flavor. The service was quick and the workers were friendly. I would definitely come back here. read more

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Our first time and we're impressed! Lots of yummy items to choose from, it was hard to decide. We started with the Bacon Candy!!! Oh my!! Pricey...but worth it! My husband's burger looked really good. I went with the Apple Salad. It was good, but would've preferred something other than Iceberg lettuce as the base. Everyone else had platters of meat and sides...I'll go that way next time! read more

Upon arrival, we were told by the hostess, that 1/2 of our party must be there to be seated, we were a party of 6. There was no where for 74 year old people to sit and wait. Not one seat, odd. When another couple showed up, we were seated. The restaurant was mostly empty. I can understand that policy, but when you are not at all busy and they are older people, good grief, let them sit down. We had a wonderful waiter. Very attentive and very good. The food was "ok", not great, just ok. No wet ones for hand cleaning. Why? it's ribs, pulled pork, etc. No wet ones? Wow! I will not run back there. But, I do think hostess training is important. That set the tone of our evening. read more

Unbelievable Bbq Chicken Nachos Side of corn bread and the butter was probably my favorite side read more

We recently went again with a large group, they do have tables large enough for groups up to 20 even (they push tables together). But note they won't seat your group until everyone is there- even if the restaurant isn't busy. The broccoli side was excellent this time (yay!), we got The Big Pig Gig for 4 people (choose 5 Large sides to share, 4 meats to share (we got chopped brisket, sliced brisket, + 2 pulled pork) plus enough chicken and ribs for each person. Wow, it was honestly a lot of food so it's more than plenty for 4! We were all very pleased, the ribs again were the best meat overall (#1). The collard greens were only okay this time but we really enjoyed the mac&cheese & coleslaw sides. Others got sandwiches (Eddie Cheddar & Chop) which they said they really enjoyed. The dill pickles are quite vinegary (different) but okay with the sandwiches. Another great evening, thank you Bad Brads! We will be back for sure! read more

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We went for an early dinner at 3:00, very few people in the restaurant. We were first sent to the bar area then moved to another section only to be moved again to a booth in a section with no other patrons. Nobody came to wait on us as we watched 3 workers talking amongst themselves. Finally, after about 10 minutes we were asked if someone was helping us. Our whole time there we had 4 different people waiting on us but didn't know who was our actual server. The manager did comp our appetizer. The food was ok but we won't be returning. read more

We visited after a movie on a Thursday evening for dinner. The place is pretty large and had quite a few tables going. We were sat immediately and our waiter (Luke/Luc I believe) was great. My husband and I both opted for 2 meat platters with 2 sides. We both got pulled chicken and pulled pork. He chose corn bread and beans as his sides while I paid 1.50 extra for mac n cheese and see eet potato mash. The mac n cheese is absolutely worth the upcharge! It has a perfect amount of cheese in it and on top of it plus a garlicky breadcrumb topping. Man it was good! The meats were both juicy and flavorful. We did try all of the sauces and one of the specialty mustard BBQ sauces. The house 321 Sauce is our favorite with the sweet and the spicy close behind. The mustard style BBQ sauce was pretty good and I'm not big on mustard. The sour sauce was mostly vinegar, but it still had good flavor. The extra spicy sauce we didn't try, but I overheard others that liked it. We enjoyed every aspect of the meal. We decided to get banana cream pie for dessert (it's one of my husband's weaknesses). To our shock we quickly realized it wasn't just a small slice of pie, but an entire mini pie and brulee-d slices of bananas. It was huge! LOL Everything is scratch made they said and the crust for the pie was even handmade. It was delightful! My husband whispered "If we were at home, I'd lick the plate" We plan to return and try even more options next time. Thanks for a wonderful dinner! read more

Bad Brads BBQ - Pulled pork, pulled chicken, mac n cheese, and sweet potato mash - Barbeque Near Me - Livonia, Michigan

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Everything is delicious and the service is always spot on. The pig candy is amazing. The did recently change their menu slightly.

How? HOW!?! How can this place be so highly rated with the wholly unspectacular taste of food this place is pumping out? Every single thing I had was weak on flavor and horrible on portion size. Not to mention their assortment of BBQ sauces was super overpowering and only memorable in a negative way. As my friend said "the sweet BBQ sauce tastes like the juice off an apple pie," which is not something I want to put on brisket. Probably could have put it on some ice cream, but that was not the goal. I would have given this place a simple 3 stars for not being a stand out, however, I and my friend got sever food poisoning the next day. I would have appreciated the 5 lbs weight loss, but I would have rather run a full marathon for the same results. Will not be going back. read more

If I could have given zero stars I would have. Food was absolutely disgusting. I had ribs, Brad beans,Mac and cheese and I had another side. It was there collard greens. They were also terrible. This was a carry out otherwise I would've sent it back to the kitchen. The service was just as bad. We also ordered the half chicken and they didn't bother to call me to let me know that they ran out of chicken. Waited until I got there to inform me. The place was empty so I should've seen the red flag. Bad brads has BAD FOOD and BAD SERVICE!!! I will NOT go back to bad brads. EVER AGAIN!!! read more

Get the pig candy! Get the cornbread! Get the banana cream pie! Don't get me wrong. I love barbecue. But I didn't expect to love so many aspects of a recent dinner here. Now, I want to bring other barbecue-loving friends here - and soon! I started with the pig candy, bacon marinated in sugar and chipotle, and then smoked. I only had 2 strips but that was because I wanted to save some of my appetite for the rest of the meal. For my entrée, I had the 3-meat platter, where I selected brisket, ribs, and pulled pork, the meat trifecta. The brisket was tender but lacked flavor. That was the same with the pork. This, of course, gave me the opportunity to sample all the sauces. I preferred the sweet and 321! ones more than the others. The ribs were nicely done. Along with all this protein, I selected the cornbread (lovely!) and the server recommended the mac and cheese, which was yum. For dessert, the server suggested the banana cream pie. He did not have to do a lot of convincing - I love banana cream pie. This one was different and even better than what I expected. The crust was thin but did its job cradling the banana mousse, salted caramel, and poofy whipped cream. I loved the brûléed banana accents. I have to mention, the server was fantastic. He anticipated when I would need a refill, doggy-bag containers, etc., made great food recommendations, and did a nice job. I had been waiting for this restaurant to open for a while and am glad I happened on it on the way to sushi. I know, two entirely different flavor profiles. read more

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Usually love our takeout from Bad Brads without complaint but tonight, we tried a new menu item - Chopaguaca. $16.95 for what we got was outrageous!! Disappointed to say the least. $50 for this and an order of fish and chips. Don't recommend the Chopaguaca based on price compared to what you get. read more

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The ambiance and vibe inside and out is very nice. There's a painted mural outside with little metal statues out front, it was bright and open inside, and tables were spread out. I appreciate everything is made from scratch. The brisket was lean and had great flavor, especially that nice smoky taste on the crust. It was not dry, but I wish they were a little warmer. It costs extra for brisket and it's pricy, but they give you a lot. Their mac & cheese comes in a mini cast iron skillet and tasted good: there was herby creamy cheese sauce topped with crunchy panko breadcrumbs. Cornbread: I was not a huge fan, as it was kind of dry and crumbly and tasted weird with the bell peppers inside. Sauces: the 321 sauce was the best (mix of sweet, spicy, and sour) - well balanced and had the right amount of sweetness with a little kick. The sweet sauce was good, but too sweet for my liking...it tasted like there were cloves in it. The sour was weird and didn't taste like any bbq sauce I've had. Spicy was okay, but nothing remarkable. Banana cream pie: the brûlée bananas were really good, but could've been a touch riper. Filling was delicious: not too sweet and had a light banana flavor with delicious vanilla whipped cream. The graham cracker crust was a bit disappointing - it was dry and bland. I wish it tasted buttery because that would make the dessert perfect. Service was good. Our waitress was attentive and knowledgeable. We did feel rushed at the end because one of the managers was staring at us until we left...we just finished our dessert and I was drinking some water - it's not like we were sitting around for 2 hours, so I thought that was rude. This is a solid place for bbq. Not the best I've had, but it was really good. read more

Bad Brads BBQ - Banana Cream Pie - Barbeque Near Me - Livonia, Michigan

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Today I was looking for bbq in the area and Brads came up on my gps as being open. I passed by the location in Livonia many times but they were always closed on Monday so I called just to be sure that they were open. The person over the phone was nice and confirmed that they were open today due to the holiday but are normally closed on Mondays. I thought I would give them a try. I came in and no one came to seat me at the host stand. I saw plenty of staff working but absolutely no one came to seat me. While standing there I noticed a gift card promotion that I was considering buying. After about a total of 3 minutes of standing and watching I began to walk further in and see if they were open or if I was supposed to seat myself. A tall male finally came and apologized saying he got busy doing other things? I was like huh? With all these other people working? Why couldn't they help you is what I was thinking. He asked if I didn't mind being seated at the bar which I declined. He then escorted me to the bar area which had seats across from the bar. At that point I decided to eat in my car because I did not want to sit in a bar area at all so I ordered take out instead. I ordered 3 sides and a small portion of brisket. I was satisfied with the price of everything. After I picked up my order I headed to my car and sampled the food. The beef brisket was a bit dry but worth the value. What I originally wanted to order would have been to pricey and too much food so the take out young lady with glasses helped me order and was correct about her suggestion of getting mustard sauce to complement the brisket. A big thank you to her for the suggestion. Now the rest of the food . The Mac n cheese had way too much cheese. So much so that it overpowered everything else including the flavor. The greens tasted earthy like they were not washed. Could be the flavor from the black eyed peas that was included in the recipe of which i did not know that they came with blackeye peas or any type of meat in them or I would not have ordered. I did not see it listed under the item in the menu. I'm glad that I did not get the gift card or take part in the promotion or I would have been stuck with coming back and I don't think I will be returning. read more

Bad Brads BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Livonia, Michigan

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Nice Food, good service. They don't seem to have Turkey, or corn on the cob. And...NO moist towlettes.

Full of its self with no reservations, will not seat until all is here even if they have tables and will not even take a name. BAD start wouldn't you say. They must think their reputation as one of the best in area gives them the right. PROBLEM is they are not even in my top 50. I have eaten BBQ in many states over 50 years since my father who loved BBQ started taking me as a kid. I even had much better BBQ in the back yards of NW Detroit visiting serious cooks who grew up in the south. While most of us enjoyed our choices, the potato salad is the worst I ever had. Mac and cheese just average like the sauces. Pig candy was much more sweet than spicy which I liked better than most places I have tried. Since they are a dry rub BBQ place, you put the sauce on yourself, you get only about 6 choices. Since I took 2/3 of the beef brisket chopped, I used the Chicken Shack cooking BBQ sauce to make sandwiches. We had to ask them to turn down the music since we couldn't hear the person across the table even. While they are located in the same building as the famous Leather Bottle which I loved, it has been redo into a more rustic place. Even though it is the BBQ place closest to my house, I will not be back. A few others felt the same way. read more

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This was my first time ordering carryout from here, and overall, it was a good experience! My favorite item from the order was the BBQ chicken pizza--if you enjoy a little heat, the jalapeño drizzle adds the perfect kick to the sweet BBQ flavor. The Big Jimmy sandwich was absolutely phenomenal, and the 3*2*1 sauce complemented it perfectly with just the right amount of spice (if you're into spicy food, you'll love it!). The mac and cheese was decent but not my favorite--it was a bit too cheesy for my taste. The cornbread had a unique flavor, and I really enjoyed the seasoning and texture. My only real complaint was the fries--they were tossed into a bag, which seemed odd, and unfortunately, they were far too soggy for my liking. That said, the carryout service was excellent! My food was ready even earlier than expected. Although I was only inside briefly, I loved the decor--it was warm and inviting, with a perfect BBQ vibe. If you're looking for great BBQ flavors with standout sandwiches and pizza, this is definitely worth a try. read more

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I have forgotten to write this review from Memorial Day, until now. This was my first experience here, my boyfriend had food from here before. I was impressed with the ambiance and decor inside, plus there was a nice patio area as well. Our server was Savannah, she was very sweet and informative when we asked questions about the menu. We wound up ordering the 3 meat (chicken, pulled pork and brisket) our sides were mac and cheese and potato salad. We also wanted to try the ribs, so we ordered 1/2 slab and got coleslaw and corn bread. I think my favorite part of the meal was the mac and cheese and cornbread. I remember all of the meats being good (I felt the brisket was tender, but not juicy). The worst thing was the coleslaw, we didn't eat it after our first bite, as it tasted like old cabbage. We didn't want to take it home and I told her I didn't like it. She said I should have told her and she would've gotten me something else. I enjoyed that there was 4 bbq sauces on the table to try, I liked the mustard one and the vinegar one the best (I think they had names, but I can't recall) We were in and out so quickly that day. Service was quick, and Savannah was great. I hope to come back and try out some other items. read more

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