How Slows Bar B-Q in Detroit Has Kept Corktown Fed for 20 Years | Eater
"Co-founded by Brian Perrone, co-founder and executive chef, who recalls, "When we started, we didn’t have any money," and that "[The location] was just one building amongst others in a row of abandoned buildings that were left to rot. We really went to work." Situated in Corktown — the city’s oldest neighborhood and "often described as ground zero for the city’s current restaurant boom," per Eater Detroit — the barbecue restaurant has, over the past 20 years, acted as both a catalyst for the neighborhood food scene and a local mainstay. Perrone remembers that he and a janitor, Phillip Cooley, began talking about starting a restaurant: "Phil told me that he bought what became the building, and we [realized] we both wanted to start a restaurant," he says, and they ultimately chose barbecue because it "just felt like the right fit for the space and, most importantly, the neighborhood demographic." The spot swung open as an unfussy barbecue joint in September 2005 and became a local favorite for pulled and chopped brisket and other barbecued meats; hearty sides—like beef brisket coney fries dazzled with slices of jalapeño and diced onions, and a macaroni and cheese angered with a host of spices—helped make it a household name. Its marquee menu item became the Yardbird, "a sandwich with smoked chicken, sauteed mushrooms, cheddar, bacon, and house-made whole grain honey mustard barbecue sauce" that "earned so many fans, it was featured on the Travel Channel show Adam Richman’s Best Sandwich in America." "The Yardbird is no longer 'top of the list,'" says Perrone, but he notes it inspired development of the restaurant’s popular pork sandwiches and a streamlined menu after dropping items that felt overly ambitious for a high-turnaround crowd: "I wanted to do a poached pear and crêpe thing, and a bao bun with apple pie filling at one time," he says, laughing, "which was cool, but just too intricate." The team weathered changes—Cooley left the business two years ago—and challenges including COVID-19 while expanding operations with a carryout-and-catering location that opened in 2010 and planning an imminent downtown Berkeley location. Inside, little has changed: the interior still relies on exposed, salvaged, and reclaimed brick and wood materials that both defined the early design and fit the original budget, and the menu remains confident with room to grow. "When we started, we understood that barbecue doesn’t have as high of a food cost as, say, seafood," Perrone says, and he adds that he’s excited to continue experimenting: at the time of the interview his West Coast team was gearing up to serve at a Pride parade in Berkeley and he said, "I can’t wait to spend time out there and get a feel for what [our Berkeley] neighborhood loves" — after all, it’s what the restaurant has always done best. " - Francky Knapp
