Hotel Hickman Chuckwagon BBQ

All I gotta say is WOOOWWW!!! That was the best brisket I've ever had!! Seriously. I absolutely love brisket and I'm a tough critic when it comes to it, but this blew me away! The old school aesthetic, the way the whole place is set up, is a total win for me. From the service, to price, to taste, everything about Hotel Hickman is amazing. We got the brisket and pulled chicken sandwich with mac and cheese, baked beans, and coleslaw. Their bbq sauces were so good, I had to get more! The simplicity of just meat and bread is unbeatable, especially when the meat tastes that good, you don't need anything else. Definitely stop by for some good food when in the area. Highly recommend.

I wish I could give a 3.5 because it wasn't truly a 3 or a 4. The meat was hit or miss. My party had the brisket - which was moist, where I had the pulled pork and it was dry. The BBQ sauce was nothing spectacular, which in my opinion, if you are a BBQ place you NEED BBQ sauce to win over all others. I think a toasted bun and more topping options would be just the little extra kick to make the flavor excel. The sides were also hit or miss, the Mac and cheese was a little bland and the potatoes were a little dry.

Wow. Texas quality BBQ right here in my hometown - what a warm welcome back to Dexter! I grabbed a 1/2 lb of brisket and walked over to the Beer Grotto for a drink. The brisket was tender and flavorful. Friendly, quick service. Will be back to try more! 👍

Very sad, my poor spouse wanted to treat me to a nice birthday dinner but the food was not good. Her beef brisket was very dry and it must have been made a few days ago. My baby back ribs had a funny chemical odor and was not cooked through. Hard to ever go back again....

I had the brisket, Mac and cheese, and the potatoes. Everything was amazing! The brisket was so moist and flavorful, the Mac and cheese was creamy and delicious, and the potatoes were some of the best I have ever had. My husband had the same sides and the pork shoulder, which he said was delicious. We also tried the regular and the blueberry butter cake. It was with the 40 minute drive just for that!

We were in Dexter for another reason and looking for a place to grab lunch. We wanted something local and not your typical sandwiches and brunch items on a Saturday. Hotel Hickman Chuckwagon BBQ popped up on our Google search of places nearby. This place caught our attention because the meats are smoked onsite and the reviews mentioned how good the smoked brisket is along with portion sizes being large. The place is small with 4 chairs to sit at if you want to eat inside but there are picnic tables outside too. We got 2 of the lunch specials - brisket sandwiches, potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and wild berry cobbler. The lunch special comes with a choice of sandwich, a side, a dessert, and a can of soda (if you don’t want the dessert, you can get a second side). There are 2 sauces - regular and mustard. We got the regular and it is more of a tangy and thin. rather than sweet and thick BBQ sauce. The brisket was moist and had a faint smoky flavor. The potatoes are like loaded mashed potatoes and very yummy. The macaroni and cheese was not very cheesy and had a hot pepper taste. The wild berry cobbler had an oat topping and was slightly sweet to end the meal.

I went there to try the brisket and there were all out at 2pm, decided to try their pulled pork instead. The pulled pork seemed like it was sitting in a thin sauce, had a weird taste to it, couldn’t even taste any of the smoke flavor. I’d prefer if the sauce was on the side. It still tasted good and had good flavor. It definitely didn’t taste like the smoked pulled pork I’m used too. Price of the pulled pork seemed really steep to, $19 for a lb of mediocre pork.

Great food at a good price. Friendly staff too!

Wanted to really like it, but just eh. Pretty bland all the way around. Brisket fat was unchewable, but otherwise fine. Cherry cobbler was just bad. Mac and cheese was decent. Service was with a smile and totally awesome. There are a few chairs to eat inside, but there is a park right across the street.

Closed as of Sunday, September 17, according to Mlive ! Sorry that it did not continue.

I really wanted to like this place, it has everything going for it , ambiance, character , authenticity, a great theme, but the food was horrible. I 44 taters had not fixings, ribs were half cooked and steamed with no rub. Cornbread resembled the foam from a lawn tractor seat, Mac and cheese used can cheese. I get costs are high and the restaurant biz is tough but I like others will still pay for good food. Wish them well and hope they can turn it around.

Was there this past Saturday for the Dexter days festival. Had the ribs Very disappointing! The meat was very fatty and tasteless. I had to throw out the entire rack due to undercooking . The place was looking promising but what a disappointment would not go back nor recommend eating there again.

Shared an order of the brisket and smoked sausage. The jalapeño sausage was hands down excellent and much better than the brisket. The portion of brisket served was stringy like a chuck roast. While the brisket tasted good, it had too much fat for my preference, it was not the cut of brisket I was expecting. Sides dishes: the beans were good to average as well as the coleslaw. The biscuit was surprisingly phenomenal. It is unusual that I prefer the biscuit over the traditional sides including a side of chili. The cherry cobbler left had a very poor aftertaste. Had to eat something else to remove the bad taste. Total bill was about 40 dollars. I would order the smoked sausage again.

Solid chuckwagon-style BBQ, even if the sausage sandwich looks plain at first. The pulled pork sandwich (with coleslaw on top) was tender Nad flavorful, and not too salty. Three Mac and cheese was buttery and creamy without too thick a sauce. The smoked sausage (Hotel Hickman flavor) had large chunks of cheese inside, and was wonderfully savory. I was initially put off by the sausage-bun-nothing-else serving; next time I'll see if they have onions or peppers or something. We carried out lunch and ate at the bandstand across the street; probably the best bike-ride lunch I've had in Dexter. Excelent.

Despite the name, you won't find a "Hotel Hickman" on Main Street of this small bedroom community of Ann Arbor. What you will find is a darn good, high quality BBQ joint. We stopped in for lunch on a Saturday and grabbed the $12 special which included any sandwich, one side, a dessert and a drink. My wife chose the Texas style Beef Brisket while I jumped for the BBQ Pulled Pork for my main dish. Both hit the spot and would have no trouble holding their own in either Kansas City or Memphis. We also sampled the Mac & Cheese and the Cowboy Baked Beans as side dishes...both excellent supporting acts to the main courses. The Cherry Cobbler capped my lunch in style. The Hotel Hickman has no rooms to rent but delivers a solid punch for lunch...4 Stars.

LOOOOOOOVVVE their breakfast!!! The best smashed potatoes EVER and the sausage as a little zing to it! Can't beat it with a couple of over-easy eggs and a biscuit smothered in sausage gravy..... THE. BEST. I do love their variety of BBQ sauces for the rest of their offerings and those potatoes ALL DAY, EVERY DAY!

Had a delicious breakfast prepared by some of the most wonderful people, this is the pinnacle of family run businesses. I would recommend this place to anyone.

Holy Chuckwagon! Was looking for something original and good. What an amazing stop! Great value and even better food! Can't imagine what they do with BBQ!

Great location and a fun, funky, old school atmosphere. I love barbecue (both from restaurants and the backyard variety, and I want to love this place, but the food is mediocre. Cheap, but mediocre. It's decent enough for a quick pulled pork or chicken sandwich on the way back from the lake or hiking, etc... and the kids will have fun. But it's just not that good. Sauce is rather bland. Cole slaw passable, but nothing more. I've been steered/scared away from the deserts enough to not try. Plus.. height of the Covid pandemic and cook/counter person with no mask or gloves (and this is very small space, food exposed). So, they don't believe in viruses? I'll have to assume they don't believe in germs, salmonella, cooking food at proper temperature, cleaning kitchen/food surfaces, etc... Their Covid protocols are beyond disappointing.

I used to go here all the time for their great pork, often great brisket, and divine chili. But one of the co-owners who works the register had a bit of an "I don't particularly want you coming to my store" look on his face when I ordered from him, so I started going less and less often and eventually just stopped going entirely. Funny what feeling unwelcome does over time.

We were looking for a hotel and came here LOL. That was quite a disappointment to find there was no hotel but there was a good place eat. Absolute sheer disappointment to find no eating area except for outside in the sweltering heat. I only gave it three stars because they didn't have a lot of variety for me personally. I don't eat bread I don't eat dessert and they didn't have any vegetables but they had a great variety of smoked meat. If you're looking for a pulled pork or smoked brisket boy O boy you came to the right place

Best Local Barbecue EVER. So glad to have them in the community. Breakfast is awesome also with a nice sitting area to enjoy. The mainstay menu of barbecue is fantastic great sides and dessert. Make sure to try the biscuits!

I've never had barbecue with absolutely no flavor, Until I came here. The meat was completely flavorless- that's not an exaggeration. So, we tossed the main course in the trash and moved on to the dessert. The cherry cobbler (which we didn't order- we asked for blueberry) tasted a bit like kerosene on stale bread. One of the worst meals I've ever had. So $45 later, we had an empty stomach, a full trash can, and had to get back in the car and go to McDonald's. We (obviously) won't be back.

Masters of the Smokey arts! First visit today but not the last! Brisket, Jalapeño Sausage, Ribs... all great!

Yum! Took a day trip to the Dexter cider mill & then strolled the streets of Dexter - needing a place for lunch - my husband and I walked past the Hotel Hickman Chuck wagon, it looked like a good place for lunch. Pleasantly surprised the bbq pork sandwich was really yummy & my husband raves about the cowboy beans Outdoor seating was picnic tables - lots of room for distancing.

My family and I have been here before but this visit was not good. We ordered a pound of brisket and a third of it was fat. The cornbread tasted terrible, we also ordered a quarter pound of pulled pork and beans those two things were quite good. I will not be returning to this restaurant ever.

No offense to anyone in the area, but this place definitely exceeded my expectation for a BBQ place in Michigan. The brisket wasn't dry (which is a big plus!), and the pulled pork was tender and flavorful. I generally prefer mayo-based cole slaws, but still enjoyed their vinegar-based one! The mac and cheese could perhaps use a little more salt or herb flavor beyond the cheese. The shop was a little cramped, but I don't think that's something they can change. Also, we took someone's advice on Yelp to bring the BBQ to Beer Grotto across the street, such a good tip! However, I learned Beer Grotto is changing management and they may not allow outside food once the transition is over.

The smell walking by drew us in. Had a hard time reading menu on wall and was a bit confusing. Did not have ribs or brisket available. Pulled pork was good but they drown it in sauce. Guys, Keep it naked and offer some variety of sauces. Beans were good and mashed potatoes were awesome. Lots of food for the price of combo meal. Need to get some beer on site. Worth the stop and I will try to go back and get the sample platter to taste everything. Staff was great and spoke with pit guy.

A very cute place. Spoke to the owners daughter. Great people. The pulled pork was good. Disappointed in the brisket. Not quite done. Chewy. The loaded potatoes were awesome. Cute town as well.

Best Southern BBQ above the Mason Dixon. The jalapeño sausages are amazing flavor and texture. The mashed potatoes are homemade - you can taste the little bits of potato and the seasoning is excellent. You cannot go wrong here. This is not fake BBQ. It's the real deal.

Hotel Hickman Chuck Wagon BBQ in Dexter, Michigan is a fun stop for a meal. We happened upon it and decided to give it a try. We split a pork bbq with a side of mac and cheese and a side of slaw. The sandwich was very sweet with far more sauce than I like. I didn't care for the mac and cheese. The slaw was the winner. You order in one building and then carry your styrofoam box across to the next small building. The historic buildings are fascinating. The person who waited on us was delightful.

We stop in here for breakfast and they have really great food that is pretty inexpensive. I get the eggs, bacon, toast, and hash browns to go and they are always super polite and quick. The restaurant itself is super charming with images of wild west people on the wall and other history memorabilia. Definitely stop in here if you have a chance.

Had this for the first time because it was catered for a business meeting with work. The brisket was dry and tough. It definitely wasn't cooked enough, because the fat cap was still firm and chewy. The pulled pork was flavorless and dry. Not a fan of the sides. Hard pass on a repeat visit from me.

from what we sampled so far, the food gets a 3.5stars, but overall value bumps it to a 4. Note the place is small, its mostly set up for either take out or eating on the picnic benches out front, but inside is for just ordering. In terms of the items we ordered, the pulled pork was overly sweet and vinegary, and the brisket was plentiful and tender, but could use more flavor. I was a big fan of of the potatoes, which they described as similar to a twice-baked potato, where it was more creamy and cheesy tasting. FYI their coleslaw is vinegar based, so there is more acidity than I'd prefer. Over all though, this is a great deal, as their lunch was a sandwich, 1 side, and 1 dessert (or 2 sides if you opt out of the dessert) and a can of soda for only $11.

Hickman Hotel BBQ started by selling BBQ alongside the road at the Dexter Mill, then moved into a tiny storefront in downtown Dexter, and has more recently expanded next door. They are doing well because their food is very good! My favorites are the pulled pork and pulled chicken. The sides are pretty good too (especially the coleslaw and beans). Friday evenings in the summer pick up a meal and go across the street to listen to live music in the park.

My wife and I were out for a ride on Sunday afternoon and decided to stop in and check this place out. What a breath of fresh air! The owner introduced himself to us, chatted us up and told us all about the place. These cowboys are the real deal! We tried a sampler of everything he had. All of the meats were fantastic, but the brisket was simply the best I've ever had. Great smoke ring, moist and crazy tender. The corn breads, beans and cobblers are made in Dutch ovens, old school style. They had already run out of their homemade sausage, otherwise we would have tried it too. Can't wait to get back there to try it. Do yourself a favor and check this joint out!

Opens Thursday to Sunday. They close earlier. Grab a slab with all the fixing to feed 2 to 3 people with all the Fixin, only $30! Take it across the street to the beer grotto and have at it. It's a true dry rub smoked barbecue. We're coming back soon with more friends!

I ordered from Hotel Hickman Chuck Wagon BBQ using Doordash. I got the half slab of ribs dinner. The ribs were so tender they were falling off the bone. They were dry rub and the dry rub had little flavor. I had to go into my cupboard and pull out some Sweet Baby Ray's Hickory and Brown Sugar BBQ sauce and that made them delicious. You get 2 sides so I got the mac and cheese and cowboy beans. The beans were good. The mac and cheese was heavenly and I devoured it. You also get a choice of biscuit or cornbread. I got the cornbread. It was nothing special. It wasn't sweet or anything. It just tasted like basic cornbread. Your meal comes with dessert. I wanted the bread pudding, but Doordash called saying it was unavailable so I picked the bourbon peach cobbler. It literally tasted like peaches mixed with unflavored quick oats that were being stored in a wood cabinet. The oats tasted very woodsy and instant. They lacked the brown sugar that I usually taste in the crumb of the cobbler. I'm also not used to quick oats in my cobbler. I'm used to a brown sugar crumble with the fruit which is how I was taught to make it growing up. I would definitely go back, but I'd have a bottle of Sweet Baby Ray's tucked away with me and if the bread pudding weren't available, I'd pass on the dessert.

We had Hotel Hickman so catering for a recent work party. The pulled chicken, brisket and ribs were very good. Great experience!

Nice guy running the place and it smells great! The food... I had the pork loin. It wasn't bad. It wasn't amazing by any stretch, but not bad. The cherry cobbler was just foul, though. I don't know what the problem was. It tasted oily, like kerosene. The BBQ sauce pretty decent if you like them sweet and no heat or smoke. Seemed to have a bit of fruit to it, too.

Brisket was just OK. Was a bit dry and not tender. Undercooked maybe. Peach cobbler tasted soapy - literally - and it was because of the bourbon. The apple cobbler was great. Super nice staff. Fast service. Really good value.

Really nice people, good service, but meh food. We've been saying we should try this place for a while. Maybe we set our expectations too high? We got the brisket and chicken dinners. The portions were generous, but the flavor was bland. The cornbread was dry and flavorless. The beans were interesting, maybe an accustomed taste? The slaw was ordinary. The cobblers were very syrupy, decent flavor. Overall would we come back? Tough call... We'd have to be pretty hard up. Rather go to any of the other Dexter eateries before going here again.

have returned twice... followed with ribs and chicken... so now three visits and three dreadful meals. The meat always seems very very dry as though it was cooked on previous days and warmed up to order. I dont think they really care about quality of the food they are too busy trying to look authentic. I dont know how they will survive.

If you are wanting some really good, tasty, and affordable breakfast, this is the place to come. $5 gets you two eggs, sausage or bacon, and biscuits with sausage gravy. If it's BBQ, they make some really good ribs. You can taste the smoke on it. They are definitely on my top 3 best places to get BBQ in the area.

Great Job and Delicious Food for our Grad party. I cannot say enough good things about Scott and his food. He just catered our son's graduation party. The food was awesome. We had the pulled pork, pulled chicken, the I-44 potatoes and three different cobblers. We also had the Hotel Hickman and Jalapeno Cheddar sausages. They were all great but those jalapeno sausages were outstanding. Scot came and set up, even though he had a prior commitment. He helped us with how to serve the food, some menu suggestions, etc. People raved about the food and I want to applaud his service as well. Thank you, Scott, for making our event a success.

We ordered takeout from this gem. The beef brisket, coleslaw and beans were delicious!! Portion was pretty good for one dinner, my husband and I were able to split it, but we don't eat a ton, so if you're super hungry or a big eater you may want to order your own. Only one minor negative thing, the peach cobbler was very dry, kind of seemed like oatmeal and brown sugar mixed with a tiny dab of peach. Other than the cobbler, it was absolutely fantastic. I would definitely recommend this place for an enjoyable meal in quaint Dexter.

Wow is all you need to say about this place. The staff is fantastic and the food is out of this world. My wife ordered the brisket sandwich platter with beans and peach cobbler. The brisket was so soft you could rip the sandwich in half with your bare hands. The beans were above average and the cobbler was to die for. She also joked with the gentleman behind the counter when he came to check on us that it would be perfect with a pickle. He proceeded to head to the cooler and bring out home made pickles that were to die for. I had the pork sandwich with I-44 loaded mashed potatoes and the apple cobbler. The sandwich was fantastic, the potatoes were the best loaded potatoes I've ever had and the cobbler was fantastic. We will be going back, what an amazing find in an awesome little town.

One of my favorite BBQ places anywhere! Services provided is excellent and every time I step foot into the place I'm greeted with a smile and amazing hospitality. Haven't had a single thing off the Menu that I don't enjoy. Recommended to anyone and everyone!

Wow! What a great find. Eclectic little place in downtown Dexter. Great food. New inside eat in area next door with picnic tables outside. Ribs are juicy, tender and fall off the bone. I like my ribs natural and not smothered in bbq sauce. Sauce on the side is the way I like it and that's the way they serve them. Brisket sandwiches were terrific. Food ready in just a few minutes. Great family spot. I'd rate this place a solid 5. Wish I lived closer as this would be a regular place to go.

Such a fun place to go for lunch or dinner. If you like BBQ you will love it here. The pulled pork/chicken sandwiches are so delicious. The staff are so friendly and nice!

I have through Dexter many times and love the town. The last 2 times, I have stopped for the BBQ at the Hickman Hotel and really like the people, atmosphere and the Brisket. Couple guys I was ridding with today liked it, as well. I will be back!

Wow! Talk about a great place! I was greeted by a lovely, friendly young lady and the owner , who let me sample the brisket! Oh my gosh, it melted in my mouth. I ordered the dinner with a half slab of ribs, everything was delicious!! The beans are homemade fresh every morning, the 1-44 twice baked potatoes were so creamy and cheesy, yummy!! The biscuits and cornbread were homemade goodness, and the ribs and brisket were the best I ever had! Oh and the owner gave us peach cobbler and coffee on the house as a welcome for our first time!! I love it here!! The BEST BARBECUE ever!!! Hands down!! Oh and everything is homemade from scratch, no prepackaged crap here, just down home deliciousness !! They are wonderful

This place is great! These ribs are the bomb! They are tasty and not smothered in BBQ sauce! I should have taken a picture but devoured them promptly! Anytime I am in Denton I'll be having some baby back ribs!

Friendly service and exceptional value. 8-9/lb makes this ideal for a big gathering. They catered my wedding

Great food!! Very friendly staff. Looking forward to visiting again and bringing my family.

Fantastic hidden gem! We tried beef brisket and pork ribs with a side of awesome potatoes and cole slaw. Everything was very tasty! The guy (who I assume is an owner) was very friendly and sweet. Will totally go back.

Very expensive for what you get. The lunch special $12 sandwich, one side, cobbler, pop. The bun as were stale. Here's my tip, order the meat by the pound and sides separately. We won't go back.

I went back yesterday at lunchtime and tried the pulled pork sandwich. It was not very good. It was very dry (wondering if it was leftover from last weekend) and had no smoke flavor at all. Got some mac and cheese on the side and it was nasty. On the plus side they fixed their bun problem, which makes me wonder if the bun I got last time (also lunchtime on Friday) was leftover from the previous weekend. Will not be back.