The barbecue aroma hits hard. Dry-rubbed, slow-smoked up to 18 hours with a combination of oak and mesquite, Meat Restaurant is indeed all about the meat — beef brisket (lean or fatty), pork ribs, turkey, wings, pulled pork, and Texas hot links.
Location: Meat Restaurant located at 1224 Turner Street, in Lansing, Michigan’s Old Town neighborhood has patio seating available.
Menu: You can order each meat as platters or “meatwiches.”
Noticing the Cherry Bomb Sauce on the Trailer Park Bruschetta, I requested some for the meat. “We used to put it on the table; but, people drank it,” the server explained. “Now it’s served on request. We make everything from scratch except the ketchup,” he boasted. Five sauces offered tableside — coffee-based Black Magic, vinegar-based Vin 666, Buffalo-garlic-infused Hot Garlic, Dijon-spiked Carolina Mustard, and traditional tomato-centered Jazzy Q sauce, sweet and tangy with mild spice.
While you won’t find lettuce or desserts on the menu, there are traditional sides with a twist — creamy jalapeno cilantro coleslaw, balanced bacon and blue cheese potato salad, and made-to-order mac and cheese. Plan for tomorrow’s lunch, the entrée weighs a pound.
Thoughts: Meat’s corrugated metal ceiling lends a rough-industrial feel to the wood panels over painted brown cement block walls. The painted and polished cement floors add to the rustic feel. The recently expanded restaurant has 15 tables and 13 seats at the bar. The restaurant sports a heavy metal Rock and Roll décor.
If you’re up for a contest, you can try their “Ultimate Carnivore Food Challenge.” Eat the Boss Logg Meatwich, with one side, and the made-to-order mac-and-cheese, with two ingredients, you’ll get your meal for free, a free t-shirt, a beer on the house and your picture on the wall! However, understand, eating the Boss Logg itself is no small feat. It’s 18 layers of pork, brisket, two burger patties, bacon, fries, bacon gravy, cheddar, American and pepper jack cheese, hot garlic sauce, jalapenos and a sunny side up egg on a bun.
My favorite dishes are:
- The Trailer Park Bruschetta, potato skins topped with chorizo, housemade pimento cheese spread, diced jalapenos, crispy fried onions and drizzled with cherry bomb sauce. Despite its name, the cherry bomb sauce isn’t overly spicy; the cherries are more of the forward flavor.
- The nachos, hand-cut tortilla chips topped with that 18-hour smoked pork, bacon, and brisket. Smother all of that with cheese, BBQ sauce, and drizzle with sour cream. Finally, onions, tomatoes, jalapenos, and fresh avocado finish the dish.
- The meat plates, which include your choice of two meats. Pulled pork and the beef brisket are my favorites. I request a side of the cherry bomb sauce. Fresh, warm corn bread accompanies each plate. I enjoy the spicy cream corn and jalapeno cilantro cole slaw as my sides; however, be ready for the spice.
Price range: Our dinner for two was about $40. Appetizers range from $7 for an order of smoked chicken wings to $8.50 for a half order of nachos. Entrees range from a $9 for a Meatwich to a meat platter with two types of meat, corn bread, and a choice of two sides for $14.95.
Hours: Meat’s kitchen is open Tuesday through Saturday 11 am – 9 pm while the bar stays open until midnight. Sunday the kitchen and bar is open Noon until 7 pm. Meat closes on Monday. Meat occasionally runs out of food and may close early because they make their food from scratch daily. Call to be sure they are serving.
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