I only come to Max & Bellas around once a year, but I consider it one of the best restaurants in downtown Plymouth. I don't come around often because the hours are odd (they are closed Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday), and the meat goes fast, so by the time I get off from work, a lot of the options are sold out. The last time I was there, I was lucky enough to get the last Brisket Meal, and the guy behind me was bummed out because he wanted it too. I've tried the Dirty Rice (rice with pork, brisket, kielbasa, and chicken), Mac & Cheese, and the Brisket. I highly recommend the Brisket and Mac & Cheese. The meal comes with a pound of brisket, coleslaw, and one side. The brisket is tender, juicy, and delicious, with enough meat in the meal for 2-3 people. They also sell baby back ribs, smoked chicken, and pork shoulder. read more

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First time and unfortunately last at this is his last day being open! He's opening a restaurant in the Caribbean! Food is amazing. Store is a cool vibe. Service is super friendly. read more

Max & Bellas - Pulled Pork Meal with Mac & Cheese and corn casserole. - Barbeque Near Me - Plymouth, Michigan

We were looking forward to ordering barbecue for Thanksgiving instead of traveling to see our family. it was no problem to call the business and answer any questions. The menu looked delicious, but we decided on some good options. We put in the order a week and a half before the holiday and we picked it up on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Heating instructions were given to us, but it did take longer than suggested. The barbecue sauce is perfect not too sweet or spicy. We ordered the beef brisket, the beef ribs, and the smoked chicken. The beef ribs come three to an order, and we ordered three orders. Lots of meat! The flavor was absolutely delicious and the smoky rims of the meat. My husband preferred the ribs while I am all about the brisket. The chicken was delicious though, so we will be ordering that again. Thank you to all the staff for working and we will be back again. read more

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Excellent pork BBQ. Sometimes the pork can be dry - not here. Aaron and Kim know their smoker did not disappoint. I Will definitely return to try the beef and chicken. The coleslaw is of the shredded/vinegar variety. It is a wonderful accompaniment for the pork! The menu includes creamed corn casserole - a comfort food that Grandma served. It was good, but Grandma "seasoned" hers with bacon - lots of very crispy, thick-cut bacon. I almost order the Mac & Cheese, but the recipe is creamy and I am more of a baked/firm kind'a guy. The baked beans smelled wonderful ... next time! Will I return? YES! I will probably grab a carry-out container and enjoy my BBQ in the park. Closed: Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday Go early. Whenever they run out, Aaron and Kim close. read more

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Some of the best barbecue I've had in Michigan. The collared greens might be THE BEST I've had. A little vinegar, chopped very fine. Nicely cooked. Their house-made vinegar slaw is pretty good as well. If you order the brisket meal, be prepared for a lot of meat. read more

Max & Bellas - Barbeque Near Me - Plymouth, Michigan

The reviews are accurate. This place is awesome! I had some of the, if not the best, brisket I ever tasted! Absolutely delicious and highly recommended! Very friendly staff and the area is great! read more

Max & Bellas - Brisket sandwich - Barbeque Near Me - Plymouth, Michigan

Great food. I'm a tough grader but a 4 means I'm definitely going back. A 5 means I'd go oit of my way. If I could give a 4.5 I would. Likely a mild cheat for the keto diet with some sugars, but worth it. I had the brisket with collards. The bark on the brisket was a 10/10. I'd recommend saucing the brisket on site - I took a couple of sauce containers and would have liked more to help out making it a bit juicier. I'd choose something other than collards next time. I live in the Carolina's when I can get some of the best. I did like it a bit more after drizzling some of the vinegar sauce on it. read more

We went today dor the first time since we were in the area. The meats are phenomenal and the creamed corn is must. We will definitely go back soon. read more

Holy WOW marvelous Smoked Meats, a true Southern Smokehouse for 5 years now. The owner a true master of the craft, man's the Smoker daily using Apple n Cherry Woods. He's been around the game for decades having settled in Downtown Plymouth Mi. While he was in Memphis, he worked for a friend whose parents had a barbecue competition team, he traveled with them across the South on weekends and helped them out. He learned a lot about cooking. Small craft Smoked Meats will have you instantly addicted, just Ma n Pa run the place, 75 percent takeout with hundreds of regular customers. Open just 4 days per week at noon until they sell out, Thursday thru Sunday. Had the magnificent Beef Brisket no sauce needed, melting in yo mouth each bite a explosive flavor. Huge thick slices of Brisket with fantastic Vegan Collard Greens and Slaw , one meal is plenty for two. She had the New Pulled Pork Burrito mixed with goodies outstanding Delicious. We had a sample of the Ribs perfection nice mild smoke flavor and beautiful Smoke Ring. They don't advertise, don't need to word of mouth and the Smoke blowing down the main street in Plymouth draws the folks in. It's a long drive for me, plan on going back soon. Dining room upstairs or stools at the window overlooking a large outside dining patio. See the hundreds of 5 star reviews around the web Google Yelp Instagram and Facebook. Follow the Max & Bella Facebook page for specials. @maxandbellasbbq #maxandbellassmokehouse #smokedbrisket #beefbrisket #smokehouse #pulledporkburrito #smokedribs #pitmaster #downriverfriendseat read more

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Max & Bella's Smokehouse sits on one edge of Kellogg's Park, near Wilcox House. My friends and I have strolled past the restaurant, usually later on in the evening when this cute spot is closed. Having seen the photos on Yelp and the positive reviews, I purposefully planned a visit for earlier in the day, when there would be an abundance of choice. The patio was set up for outdoor dining. Indoors, there were a few to-go orders lined up on the counter but no tables for eating in (I think due to covid). The wonderful aroma of barbecue meats, smoked with organic cherry and apple woods, greeted me as soon as I entered. The owners made me feel incredibly welcomed as I scanned the menu. I had wanted the beef ribs but those are only available on Saturdays. One Saturday soon, I silently vowed. However, I was extremely happy with the baby back ribs and brisket that I eventually ordered. The generous portion of brisket was incredibly tender and flavorful. It was served with crunchy, vinegary slaw and a few rounds of house-brined pickles. I selected the cheesy potatoes and corn casserole to accompany the meals. I love corn-based sides and this did not disappoint. The ribs were not fall-off-the bone tender but were delicious nonetheless. Service was friendly and welcoming. read more

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Love me some BBQ/Southern food but unfortunately this just wasn't it. Ordered a Half-Rack of Ribs and Greens for just under $20 and the greens were barely edible. They tasted like they were soaked in vinegar and nothing else, so I only took two bites and didn't finish them. The trip wasn't all bad, the ribs were quite good and the sauce made them especially delicious. The one woman present who I assume runs the restaurant was super kind and knowledgeable about the area! I only had to-go but the restaurant itself was pretty cozy and had nice decorations as well! Overall, if I was to go back it'd only be for the meat. read more

Max & Bellas - Half-Rack of Ribs Collard Greens Coleslaw Spicy Pickles - Barbeque Near Me - Plymouth, Michigan

BBQ is amazing. They don't try to be everything for everyone, just a few select dishes that are way above the norm.

Wow! I consider myself a barbecue connoisseur with a specialty in pulled pork. Max & Bellas pulled pork meal is amazingly delicious. It ranks near the top of the best I've had in Michigan. I received a huge portion of pulled pork, mac & cheese, and coleslaw. Everything was great with the pulled pork being the reason I will return. I didn't know that I work in the office building less than a block away. What?!? Maybe it's a good thing I didn't know this sooner. read more

Max & Bellas - Pulled pork, Mac and cheese, and coleslaw - Barbeque Near Me - Plymouth, Michigan

We made the 1 hour drive back to Max & Bella's to see if it was as good as our first time... The answer is YES! Same amazing food and service that we've been dreaming of.. I remembered to take a pic this time- mid meal. Try it out!! read more

Max and Bella's is amazing 10 stars. The food is delicious, flavorful, juicy and a blessing. The brisket comes with no sauce. If you want it they have a sauce stand you can apply some. Everything I have had there had been top notch. And the owners are BLESSINGS !!!!!! read more

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The brisket was amazing!!! The ribs were not very good. They were dry and did come close to falling off the bone. The sides were delicious. Make sure you ask for barbecue sauce with your order. The service was fast and the restaurant looked clean from the takeout counter. read more

Max & Bellas - Brisket with cheesy potatoes - Barbeque Near Me - Plymouth, Michigan

We were in the area on a Saturday and decided to give this a try. The restaurant has 5 chairs that face the front widow on the first floor and a second floor is loft area that has a large square table with ten chairs that could be used by multiple parties. The overall ambience of the place was rustic and the decor was cool, it was sort of odd that they stored random items upstairs. The process was to order at the front area by the register. They had the typical bbq meats you could order Al a carte, bbq sandwiches and sides. The woman at the front was nice and pleasant and quickly took our order. There were cans of pop and bottled water available in a cooler to the left of the ordering area. I ordered the brisket, it was a very generous portion. But overall the brisket was very dry and lacked flavor. The creamed corn was ok but didn't seem like it had the flavor or quality that you would expect from a dedicated bbq location. The cornbread was also very dry. The last item we ordered was a stew and again I wouldn't even consider it average. I would say I eat bbq approximately 10 times a year at different locations throughout the county. I travel for work very often and I am in charge of finding dining locations for lunch and dinner during these trips. Unfortunately, Yelp let me down on this one and I can't recommended it based on the quality of the food. read more

I don't give 5 stars often, but this place deserves it. The husband and wife that owns the spot are very friendly! Chopped pork and pork ribs smoked to perfection. No need for sauce, but I did try their one sauce and it was good. Sides were a sweet corn casserole and cabbage kale salad topped with pickles. After talking shop they brought me a bit of their dirty rice. It was rice with all the meats. Topped with a little sour cream. Fantastic. And they gave me a bite of the salmon, also fantastic! I need to try my hand with salmon on the grill! It was like butter! #spicemeister died and went to heaven! read more

Max & Bellas - Dirty rice! - Barbeque Near Me - Plymouth, Michigan

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My mom had me pick her turkey up from Max & Bellas in Plymouth. I cant put into words how awesome this bird was. Im definitely getting another one next year. Im very excited to try something else from here when I get time. read more

Max & Bellas - Smoked Thanksgiving Turkey - Barbeque Near Me - Plymouth, Michigan

Yo. Zero hyperbole here, this is hands down the best BBQ I've had in Michigan, no contest. I shook the pit master's hand before I left it was so good. I've been all over southeastern Michigan, I've had bbq everywhere here, this is hands down THE WINNER. I got the brisket dinner, my wife got the pork shoulder. Flavor: 10/10. This is the ONLY bbq spot I've had where I didn't use a single drop of sauce. NOT ONE DROP. It's seriously not needed. I'm a sucker for the bark too, and there was a beautiful nugget of bark and buttery fat hidden under my brisket. This man is a meat wizard. Tenderness: 10/10. I ate the whole thing with a plastic fork, didn't use a knife not once. You could eat here with a blunt rubber spoon and be fine. Portions: 10/10. The box can barely close man, seriously. Most bbq spots in Michigan give you skimpy portions. This place is the literal opposite, absolutely massive! Worth every penny. The staff also offered us a few small samples of sides, I would HEAVILY recommend the dirty rice! Staff: 10/10. A beautiful younger married couple, the woman took our order and was very friendly, the man said he was the pit master, cracked funny jokes the whole time. Said the owners were a married couple as well. All around cute as hell. The establishment itself was clean, the bathroom was clean, we sat right at the window, everything was tidy. They have a really cool hot sauce selection, a put a little Dave's ghost insanity on my Mac and it was perfect. The menu signs were cool hand painted hot rod font. Again, overall, this place decimates the bbq game here in Michigan, from Bay City, to Monroe, to Battle Creek, I haven't had a spot that can hold a candle to this wonderful palace of meaty mastery. I hope this place stays open and killing the game till the end of time. Y'all have a lifetime customer here, and I will bring every single one of my friends and family! IF YOU READ THIS FAR, JUST GO EAT THERE ALEADY! read more

Max & Bellas - Barbeque Near Me - Plymouth, Michigan

We decided to try BBQ this evening. Saw this place and read reviews. Did not expect the facility to be so small but clean and very friendly staff. Had the brisket and pulled pork and Mac N cheese. Brisket was delicious, the pulled pork was good but needed alot more seasoning since they do not sauce it. Mac n cheese was good too. Coleslaw needs to be revamped (not good at all)sorry. We will go back and enjoy the brisket again. read more

This place is simply amazing, from the generous hospitality of the owners, Aaron and Kim, to the absolutely mouth watering food they prepare daily. We have literally tried everything on the menu and we are hooked! My fiancé "thought" she didn't like smoked food until Aaron changed her mind for good! We highly recommend giving this place a try. You will NOT be disappointed in your decision to do so!! read more

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The brisket was fall apart perfect and the owners were extremely warm and welcoming. It was the first time my friend and I visit it and we will be back again for some pretty great barbecue. read more

Food was delicious. Hours are limited but it's worth planning around if you want the best BBQ in the area!

My son and I just finished a wonderful dinner. He had Dirty Rice and Mac and Cheese, I had a taste and he is right, delicious. I enjoyed Beef Brisket and Baked Beans. Moist, tender brisket that I added a splash of seasoned sweet vinegar. We will be back. I forgot to mention the service. It was so friendly, upbeat and genuine I was smiling as we talked and I didn't realize I was. read more

This place is so good! Husband and I having first fully vaccinated date night out and decided to have a picnic in the park; Max and Bella's is amazing! We got the baby back half rack meal with baked beans and the pork meal with cheesy potatoes...this food is perfectly delicious! They are currently carry out only, but don't let that stop you! They are maybe 50 feet from Kellogg Park in Plymouth. I definitely want to come back and try the brisket and corn casserole. Excellent customer service! Call in early in the day because they prepare X amount of food for the day and they are so popular they will run out. You will be asked to pay over the phone before you pick up. Thanks Mac and Bella's! read more

Max & Bellas - Great portion sizes and excellent flavor! - Barbeque Near Me - Plymouth, Michigan

This is the best ribs I've ever had. We typically get take out and it's always so good. Great place to try and you'll never be sorry!

The food was wonderful. We got the brisket and pulled pork to share. We chose cream corn casserole and cheesey potatoes for the sides. The brisket was so tender. The pulled pork was also wonderful along with the sides. The place is was clean. We got carry out. The person who took my order was very nice and helpful. read more

This is a hidden Plymouth gem. Ordered a tray of their dirty rice to bring to a Super Bowl party. Everybody raved about it. Truly a meal unto itself, filled with brisket, sausage, onions and peppers. Will return to order some of their traditional bbq items. Couldn't have been more impressed with my first visit. read more

Max & Bellas - Dirty rice - Barbeque Near Me - Plymouth, Michigan

Awesome barbeque spot right in downtown plymouth. Almost every meat I've tried was awesome. The brisket and ribs are probably my favorite (chicken wing special not a fave). The dirty rice and greens sides are also spot on. You can feed at least 2 people with a meat platter. They also have a Scooby snack which is a smaller version of their sandwich. This is a great deal for lunch! read more

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I hesitate to mention this, because I want this to be my little secret, but I just can't! Max & Bella's has the most amazing, outstanding, incredible barbecued lamb chops! These babies are only available as a special on Sundays, and the description "lamb chops" doesn't do them justice! These are full-blown, rack-of-lamb lamb chops and you get 4 huge chops. Not only that, the meat is redolent with smoky flavor. Despite having spent quite a lot of quality time in a smoker, the meat is five-napkin juicy. It's $21 for this meal, but you'd pay double for these chops in a fancy restaurant. I barely noticed the sides, though the cheese potatoes were very good, and the bite I had of my dad's creamed corn casserole was even better. I didn't care for the vinegary coleslaw at all. I am eager to return to Max & Bella's to try more of their smoked meats, but if it is on a Sunday, I'm getting the lamb chops! read more

I highly recommend this place! Best BBQ you could ask for! Everything we ordered was simply divine! We ordered a full rack of ribs with the macaroni and cheese (soooooo goood!), 1 pound of brisket with cheesy potatoes ( brisket was super moist ) and the elk ribs with the creamed corn casserole ( soooo good! Elk can be super dry since it is a really lean meat, but they made it perfectly- it was comparable to prime rib- oh so good!) They also threw in some dirty rice which was to die for. Not only was the food out of this world, but the staff was super friendly ! Overall it was a fantastic experience, and the price was very reasonable! read more

Max & Bellas - Brisket , cheesy potatoes, and the pickles - highly recommend! - Barbeque Near Me - Plymouth, Michigan

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Quite the amazing carry out meal this past Saturday the owner has been putting the smoker to good use.. this past weekend he smoked rack of venison Can't say enough about this place whether it's the smoke salmon or the brisket and pork it is all good! read more

Max & Bellas - Rack of venison with baked beans and coleslaw - Barbeque Near Me - Plymouth, Michigan

Boy was I surprised when I found this. I didn't even know it existed until I walked the streets of downtown Plymouth recently. I will say the owners are some of the most passionate restaurant owners I've ever met. They really do care about serving a fine product and I was not disappointed. Their portion sizes are extremely generous as well. I got one order of beef brisket to share with my wife and it was enough to feed 3 people easily. The mac n cheese was great and the coleslaw hit just the right notes to complement the fatty brisket which was absolutely juicy and flavorful. Not pictured was the salmon chowder which was outstanding as well. Highly recommend for quality BBQ read more

Max & Bellas - Beef brisket with sides of mac n cheese and coleslaw. Spicy pickles were a nice touch - Barbeque Near Me - Plymouth, Michigan

The City of Plymouth is one of the coolest, most underrated cities in the state of Michigan. We find ourselves frequently driving out there for bars, restaurants, etc. Max & Bellas is a 2-story BBQ joint that opened up in January 2019. Their hours are Wednesday-Sunday 11am-7pm. Get there and order as early as possible because they frequently sell out of food a few hours before closing time. The downstairs is a carry-out counter and one row of stools. The upstairs has one large community table, which seats 10 people. In the outside front, there's an outdoor patio. Out back is Aaron Peggs 5,000 pound smoker! They don't sauce their meat here, so make sure you fill up some cups of the Sweet & Tangy BBQ sauce. PROS - Outstanding brisket sandwich, ribs, mac and cheese! - Get either the half rack or full rack of ribs. Tons of meat on the bone! - The 10oz. brisket sandwich is massive and delicious. Get a side of mac and cheese with it. Their "Scooby Snacks" are 3oz. size sandwiches. - If it's on the menu, get a cup of the Smoked Salmon Chowder Soup. Fat chunks of salmon in there, real good - Dirty Rice = New Orleans style with chunks of andouille sausage. Real good. CONS - Brisket Chili was watery and mediocre - Cornbread is just one big dry square Other than that, everything here is awesome and it's an only location, run by mom n' pop. Support them! read more

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The prices are high but it's a good value because of both the quantity and quality. We went on a Saturday for lunch. Me and my buddy got the short rib, and our sons got the pulled pork. The portions were HUGE! Wow. The short rib was excellent, while the pulled pork was pretty good. The sauces were really good, best I've had in Michigan. The beans were nothing special, and the slaw was not something I would care to eat again. They had sweet tea, which could have been sweeter but was still good. I will go back, as good BBQ is hard to find in the area. When I do, we will share plates. There's just so much food in each portion. The four of us could eat two quality meals for $50, and that's good enough to get me to come back next time I have a hankering for BBQ and don't have the time or energy to make it myself. read more

Max & Bellas - The short ribs are BIG! - Barbeque Near Me - Plymouth, Michigan

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A Sunday afternoon and looking for a new place to try for lunch, Yelp to the rescue. Happened to come across a bbq restaurant that I've never heard of in downtown Plymouth. Read some great reviews so this was the spot. Pulled up to this cute place and were lucky to find parking right out front (cold snowy spring afternoon) not too much foot traffic today. This place oozes BBQ joint, metal tables and chairs on the front porch. Walk in to a service counter and a long window ledge table with 6 chairs, then stairs that lead up to a loft that hosts a 10 seat communal table. Kim (one of the owners) greets us and tells us the specials. We let her know it's our first time there and she is more then happy to explain her menu, sauce bar, about the table upstairs. We order one of the specials, a dinosaur bone with 1.5 lbs of rib meat on it and then the full order of brisket. Each come with a warm side. I chose the creamed corn cassarole-ish something and DH got the cheesy potatoes. The plate also comes with a vinegar based coleslaw and a couple pickles. All drinks are $1 and stored in a cooler (assorted sodas in a can and bottled water). At this time we are fortunate enough to have the place to ourselves and as we wait for Kim to fix our meals we get to chatting about the history of her business. We are going to dine in so window seats are our choice. As soon as we sit down, the people start to come. Guys come in to pick up take outs, guys are first timers like us and sit at the window seats with us. This place is now hoppin! Different guys come in and go upstairs and they sit with strangers. At one point it felt like we were all friends having a get together. We're talking about the great food, suggesting the dino bone to all who enter. The food: excellent!! That dino rib bone was the best thing I've ever eaten at a bbq place, the brisket was tender and no need for sauce (but I love sauce) the cheesy potatoes were well cooked and seasoned, the creamed corn dish was also very tasty. The food is a really good reason to visit this small mom and pop shop but the "feel like family" is what keeps you coming back over and over. Btw the proportions are gigantic so be prepared to have some tomorrow. read more

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MUST TRY BBQ IN DTP!! Visited this place Saturday night 5/11/19. My parents have been here a few times before, but I have never been. We decided to order the smoked chicken and the dirty rice. For the sides we got baked beans and cheesy potatoes. They have an arrangement of different sauces and BBQ sauce as well. It was very quick service and the employees were very friendly. Honestly, the food was amazing. The smoked chicken was tender, perfectly cooked and delicious. The dirty rice is probably my new favorite meal. The cheesy potatoes were very good as well! Their food is cooked so well that you almost don't even need to add any sauce to it. Also, very large portions which I won't complain about that! We were stuffed after finishing the two meals. We will be back!! read more

Max & Bellas - Wild rice with cheesy potatoes side - Barbeque Near Me - Plymouth, Michigan

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Impressed. I'm Impressed. Yesterday, I wanted ribs for dinner. I did a search of restaurants and Max and Bella's restaurant came up. I never heard of the place. I looked at their great ratings and very good reviews. I'm sold. I gave them a call an hour before closing and I got an answering machine. The message told me they were sold out for the day. Even though I was disappointed, I knew this BBQ place made fresh product everyday. Today, I called earlier. Yes ! A lady with a very friendly voice answered the phone so I knew they still have BBQ. I told her what I wanted which was baby back ribs, a Scooby snack( Beef brisket sandwich ), soup( I forgot the name. Made with brisket and beans. ) and dirty rice. Each entree came with sides.. I got Mac-n-cheese and greens for the sides. When I entered the restaurant, I was greeted by a heavenly smoky aroma and a very friendly lady. I asked the lady numerous questions and related some stories. She was kind and answered all my questions. Their ribs come without sauce. That is a very bold move. I've been to a number of places that attempt to hid inferior ribs under an ocean of sauce. No worries here. The ribs are tasty, smoky, tender and moist. There are two sauces. One is Apple cider vinegar based and the other is sweet. I'm am totally sold on their sweet sauce. I can say that I have never have had good brisket at a restaurant anywhere. Even Texas. The only brisket that I had that was good came from backyard barbecuers. Today, the brisket was incredible. When I opened up the brisket sandwich, the meat glistened. You could see how moist the meat was. Before I knew it, half the sandwich was gone. It's all I could do was to put it down and save the remaining portion for my wife. Next I dived into the dirty rice. Oh my. Most excellent. I have not had such outstanding dirty rice since I was in New Orleans. The greens were nice and tart. I thought they could have been made with some sausage for added flavor. The Soup was good with brisket and beans. After all I have said - Will I be back ? You already know the answer. Absolutely ! read more

Plymouth has had a few places in town that Have tried to give you barbecue. But not a single place has focused on barbecue for a long time. This is it! And this is just what we asked for! And this is just what we needed! A place that puts their heart into their craft and makes you just great stuff. Nothing fancy, but you don't want that when it comes to barbecue. Just do the work and make it great and that's what they do. The place has gotten so popular that if you don't call ahead, you're out of luck. We wanted some barbecue for Super Bowl Sunday this year, 2019, and thank God we called three days in advance because they will be sold out well before the game begins. I can't wait. read more