Have been here at least a dozen times and the food never disappoints. It's some of the best bbq around. I usually have left overs for the next day, so I think the portions are what you pay for. The service has also always been lovely. The owner/chef always comes out and checks on his guests and asks how the food is. It's a great atmosphere to have a good bite of food. read more

My friends and I ordered the 3 meat and 2 sides option. We all decided we wanted the brisket, which was an extra up charge of $8. Overall the brisket was pretty good, but not the best. The portion size for 3 people was a bit on the small side. So that up charge seems so unnecessary. When I saw other friend's plates that also got single serving meals of brisket, the brisket was cut super thin. Most other bbq places I've been give a way more generous portion of their brisket. The baked beans were actually pretty good and the Mac and cheese was okay. read more

Route 23 BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - East Tawas, Michigan

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No Vegan menu anymore. I didn't want to leave a bad review because the place looked great and the staff was very friendly. read more

I came here with my kids, my parents, my brother, and his family for my nephew's birthday dinner. They set us up at the middle table, surrounded by all of the fantastic BBQ kitsch and lake tourist goodness. The food was top notch, and the service handled our large group with grace and kindness. Drinks were kept full, questions were answered, food was served, and dishes were taken away, all the service that I could expect. The food, while not the best BBQ I've ever had, was delicious and hit the spot! It came exactly as ordered, and my pulled pork sandwich was EXACTLY as messy as it needed to be. Thank goodness this area has a good BBQ joint! read more

The wife and had dinner here the other night it was a wonderful experience. We ordered the pig platter with the mac 'n cheese and Carolina baked beans and added an extra side of the green beans. The restaurant was busy supporting a large wedding party in the back but our server Kylie was attentive and awesome. Due to the wedding, they had run out of pulled chicken but Kylie doubled up the pulled pork, which was superb! Would.recommend this place to anyone that likes bbq. The meats were all seasoned well, without going crazy and the sides were just spot on. read more

It's cute and kitschy. Our waitress was friendly. The meat Choices were good. Smash burger was really good. Burnt ends tasted awesome, but the fat didn't agree with us. Some more vegetables on the menu would help to cut through the richness of the fatty meat. read more

This is the best restaurant in Iosco county. Don't sleep on the Cobb salad - with brisket.

Food (3.75/5): Ordered quite a few things -Brisket: not bad, not amazing. A bit dry and too smoky, but ate every bite, it was far from a bad brisket -bbq pork: by far the best thing i had. Well cooked, crispy on some parts, delicious -chicken wings: okay, but could be cooked a bit more to crisp up -sides: the beans were great, loved them! The coleslaw was okay, a bit of a weak point. Service (5/5): wonderful service. Waitress was attentive, friendly, and fast. She made sure everyone was happy and well taken care of, and made us feel welcomed. The owner (?) came and checked in to see how we liked the food. Very impressed. Ambiance (5/5): super cozy inside, great decorations and felt nice. Outdoor seating available, everything is clean and well taken care of. Total ((3.75+5+5)/3)= 4.58 Loved it and will be back! read more

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Love this place! Here with friends for a non-fish dinner. Brisket and ribs, the best beans ever, and mustard slaw.

Absolutely best Place to eat in Northern Michigan, very clean kitchen everyone is VERY nice. Food is excellent worth the price! Servers are all very friendly, Fantastic Owner! read more

Stopped in at 7pm on a Saturday night on recommendation from a local friend. Place was still decently busy. They were out of cream corn. Okay, we'll get green beans for our vegetable. 15 minutes later, the server comes back - they're out of baked beans and green beans. The only sides available were pork rinds, mac and cheese, and cole slaw. Okay. The pulled chicken was a bit dry. The ribs were good, but quite a bit of gristle and only three ribs. The pork rinds were half good and half chewy. The cole slaw was very good. I liked the mac and cheese, but my kids didn't, so we grabbed McDonalds on the way home, sad for a meal that cost us over $80 for four people. Service was pretty good. Overall experience was on par with a chain bbq place back home - I will be in no rush to try it again. read more

Don't expect much if you're from the south or the real Midwest. It's the kind of bbq that puts the sauce right on all its meat to compensate. But for Michigan, its decent. The prices aren't high, but the portions aren't big either. read more

Pulled chicken and burnt ends were great. Creamy Coleslaw and Mac were also really good. Staff is very friendly. The restaurant looks great. Look forward to coming back in the summer to eat on the patio. read more

Amazing food! Good selection especially for a GF person as me! Waitstaff was fantastic, friendly and went above and beyond! Highly recommend! read more

Route 23 BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - East Tawas, Michigan

Their hours are short, but their food is good. Staff is always super happy to see you and attentive. Try all the different coleslaw's, delicious. read more

We had the baby back ribs. They were very meaty and I loved the the BBQ sauce. I had the Mac and Cheese. It was the cheesiest! My husband had the hillbilly greenbeans and really liked them. The service was awesome and prices weren't bad. The bathrooms are pretty fancy! I loved the decor...such a cute place. PS - They don't serve alcohol. read more

Route 23 BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - East Tawas, Michigan

We have lived in the area for a while and we finally went after a soccer game. Walking in, the decor and ambiance surprised us. I ordered a lemonade, I was again surprised when it was house made, not the per norm Minute Maid, overall the drink was very good as I had not had good lemonade in a while. Server was very nice and prompt, the food came out very quickly without sacrificing any flavor. Our food was presented like a Guy Fierro show, the burger genuinely looked like a picture. The soups we ordered were excellent, the best around. Lots of brisket options and plenty of others that would make somebody from Nashville salivate. Overall 10/10 please show this place some love. read more

Route 23 BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - East Tawas, Michigan

Would give zero stars if I could, If you enjoy shoe leather with way too much BBQ sauce here is your one stop shop! I have never had spare ribs as tough and flavorless as Route 23 BBQs. Im not usually one to send food back but I sent this one back without a doubt. The owner, I believe his name was Matt, came to my table with quite an attitude. He kept interrupting me when I tried to raise my concerns about the food I was served. The atmosphere was very musty. I wouldn't walk back in there if you paid me to do so. 0/5 I think a nursing home serves better quality food and that's really giving them the benefit of the doubt. WORST MEAL EVER. read more

Amazing everything was done in 10 minutes and served to us Mac and cheese was the best 10/10 would come again!

I just have to say if you're in the mood for an outstanding Smashburger, this place is it! And, of course, all of their barbecue is top-notch. Everything on this menu is awesome! read more

Stopped in for a quick bite to eat. Got seated quickly and the food was amazing. Nice quiet place with a good atmosphere. Clean bathrooms as well read more

Route 23 BBQ - Pulled pork with sweetened corn - Barbeque Near Me - East Tawas, Michigan

The smoked wings w/ Carolina sauce were super good. Service was really great, very nice people. I had the chicken sandwich that is in the photo. It looked exactly the same, which is rare. It was super good as well. Defiantly my favorite restaurant in Tawas. read more

Route 23 BBQ has always been one of the best but now they are even better! They have teamed with the vegan Farmacy and now are offering an in-house plant based menu as well as a to go cooler filled with plant based goodness from breakfast all the way to dessert. My husband and I had the Veggie Wrap and the BBQ Mac & Cheez and both were absolutely amazing! The staff, as usual, could not have been nicer. We can't wait to try the pulled BBQ jackfruit and maybe even a few to go items including dessert. It is so nice to have a restaurant that catered both to traditional BBQ lovers as well as those that love the healthier plant based lifestyle. read more

While this is one of very few bbq's in northern MI it's actually pretty good. Inside servings is southern style, 1 meat, 1 side, 2&2 or 3&3. Sides are very southern, Mac n cheese is smothered in thick, creamy cheese sauce. There is a large variety on the menu and something for everyone even kids. BBQ sauce was ok but comes in different heat levels if you ask for it. Hospitality is again very Southern. If you're gracious they will be too. If you're not well, Bless your heart, but you'll still be welcomed. read more

While traveling on 23, we decided to stop for a bite while enjoying the weather and sitting outside. This place has picnic tables outside as well as a covered porch. The place is decorated perfectly and provides a living room-like feel. The staff provided a friendly welcome and tended to us as if we were family. We even got a warm welcome from the owner during our meal, and as we left. So the food! We all ordered something different, but I settled on the two meat and side dinner. The brisket was outstanding and offered a ton of flavor while still very juicy. Also, those baked beans...very unique, somewhat spicy addition that often times are nothing special at BBQ locations. These were outstanding. A unique addition that isn't often found in Michigan is fresh pork rinds, which was a great addition to the meal. Lastly, my son got the Chicken Strips, which I believe I ate the majority of them due to the fantastic coating and flavor. These were in my top two favorite chicken fingers ever, and my son and wife eat a lot of chicken fingers...that I help myself to. Route 23 BBQ is a must stop not just for the food but for the atmosphere. Great Michigan spot and fills you up for the road ahead. read more

Route 23 BBQ - Chicken fingers...outstanding! - Barbeque Near Me - East Tawas, Michigan

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You won't be disappointed! Stopped by for dinner and we ordered the Pit Platter with fall of the bone ribs, juiciy and tender brisket, pulled pork, pulled chicken, and smoke sausage, creamy cole slaw, hillbilly green bean, and a side of mac and cheese. Even though we had leftovers, it was so delicious we ordered a half rack of ribs and creamy corn for dinner tomorrow. Our waitress was so sweet and keep coming back to check on us. So glad we stopped by!! read more

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Amazing food with many items made from scratch. I had the red beans and rice with the restaurant's special recipe andouille sausage. It was so good!!! Many gluten free items. Great environment and the wait staff is very friendly. read more

Route 23 BBQ - Barbecue ribs with cornbread - Barbeque Near Me - East Tawas, Michigan

Best Barbecue in town! The smoked chicken wings and the brisket is the real deal. We had Big Matt burger. It had brisket on it. Very tasty!

Family of 5 - all loved it. Chicken twnders for kids were hand battered, brisket sandwich was unique and juicy (very rich with the cheese and raspberry jam but so good!). Kids sliders were a little small for my 13 year old but he enjoyed them and also liked my husband's side of macaroni. The two bbq meal came with BBQ sauce on it, so be warned if you prefer it dry. All the food was great. Definitely will be back when driving through town! read more

Simply GREAT food. I'm a fried wing lover but their smoked wings were amazing. The brined boneless chicken fried and tossed in bbq sauce is one of the best you will eat anywhere. We ordered cream corn, Mac n cheese, Creamy Slaw , Hillbilly Green Beans, and Carolina Bean side. Great flavor concepts and execution. Ribs and Brisket were moist and extremely flavor full. To top it off their homemade BBQ sauce was EXCELLENT! If you are in the Tawas area and a flavor lover. This place is a must !!! read more

This is the long-awaited, family-owned, and family-friendly restaurant by Matthew and Angela Barnett Whose names are well known in Northeastern Michigan for quality food and barbecue. Their goal was for Route 23 BBQ is to offer all the warmth of home with the uncompromising great food they're known for, all at a reasonable price. Stay tuned for updates as I make more visits. read more

Amazing BBQ and great service for ROUTE 23 BBQ. We loved every bite and you can tell the food was prepared with precision. We had ribs, pulled pork, mac and cheese, creamed corn, chips, fries, burgers and the most tender brisket ever!! Highly recommend if you're in the area or driving through. ...About the 1 star review about not being open, just a common sense suggestion to maybe confirm a business is open before solely relying on a review page for business hours. This suggestion may help you in other areas of your life. read more

My husband and I ate here in March for his birthday. We still talk about this place, we started with strawberry melon towne club (best soda ever), then I had the brisket sandwich with Mac and cheese and my husband the pulled pork with the most deliciously fresh pork rinds. I can still remember the sound they made when they came out, LOL. Makes me hungry all over again. Also the staff was so friendly, just overall GREAT EXPERIENCE. I couldn't post the snap but almost forgot bout the cookies were so bomb. they came ready to go. Sooo perfect read more

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One of the best spots I've found in East Tawas. Barbecue is perfectly tender and the sweet bbq sauce is delicious. Personally, I prefer the pulled pork to the ribs. Highly recommend the "North" appetizer. Hot & twisted coleslaw is unique and a personal favorite. Decor is sleek and attractive. Bathrooms are clean and have over-the-top amenities. read more

Route 23 BBQ - The "North" Appetizer - Barbeque Near Me - East Tawas, Michigan

The food and service was great! I got the BLT & added brisket (so glad I did, it was delicious!) and my boyfriend got the chicken sandwich. We also shared the north of the boarder nachos which were also amazing. Thank you to the owner for the great hospitality! read more

Route 23 BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - East Tawas, Michigan

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The best BBQ in the area! Their house burger is made from not-frozen fresh high quality meat! They also have a wonderful side macaroni and cheese dish. read more

Camping in East Tawas Michigan & came across Route 23 BBQ quite by accident. We were very impressed with the restaurant. Outside service available & all staff masked up. I had the brisket sandwich with sweet potato fries. Excellent! The brisket was falling apart & the sauce was superb. A glass of home made lemonade to go with...just the right amount of sweet/sour. My husband had the brisket also, but the Mac & cheese as a side. He was happy with it also, especially the Mac & cheese. Just creamy enough. Would definitely return. If you're in the area, stop in & have a sandwich. read more

The food was very good. However, I walked in and ordered the Two Meat and Two Sides dinner. Did not look like the previous persons post. My entire meal fit into one carry out box. It was not the bowl of baked beans and nicely placed brisket as in the photo. Oh and they lost my order so I waited for 40 minutes. Again the food was very good just disappointed in the quantity and service from the kitchen. read more

Doesn't look like much when you drive by but the ribs and cowboy beans and green beans are wonderful!

Great bbq. Sides were many and varied. Lots of food was served. Great service and very reasonable price. Very disappointed no alcohol license so no beer, wine or liquor. read more