Holy Smoke BBQ
1876 W. Michigan AvenueYou ever have those days where you’re pretty set that you’re not going to eat out. You need to save some money so no matter how easy or tasty it is, you’re not going to eat out.
I was having one of those days last Friday ahead of the Memorial Day weekend. I wasn’t going to grab lunch…then I realized where I was.
I was in Battle Creek and fairly close to a BBQ place I’ve been wanting to get to since they opened. I told my co-worker if we passed it on the way home, I was going to stop.
My GPS took us home Michigan Avenue to Augusta…so yeah, we passed it.
Holy Smoke BBQ is on West Michigan Avenue Bansill Drive just barely inside the Battle Creek city limits in the Urbandale neighborhood. The restaurant used to be one of two Speedy Chick locations that closed in spring of 2022. Holy smoke remodeled the space and moved in not long after.
The restaurant isn’t very big. It’s mostly counter service carry-out. There’s a window with the very large menu written on chalkboards on either side.
There is a small dine in area as well but it’s only a few tables. Each table has two bottles of BBQ sauce and a roll of paper towels. A must for any good BBQ joint.
When I said the menu is huge, I mean it’s really large. There’s a lot to choose from and it can be overwhelming at first. I grabbed a paper menu off a ledge near the door and took my time. I always tend to rush and miss something. I didn’t want to do that.
It took a little over five minutes for everything to be boxed up and handed to me. Just had to wait for the fries to cook. Before getting on the road, I popped open the styrofoam and added some of the Hot BBQ Sauce. Good BBQ sauce is my ranch when it comes to fries. I love fries as they are but they’re so good with BBQ sauce.
When I got back to the office, I started with those fries right away. The fries are frozen battered fries so the BBQ sauce was a good call. The fries are fine but these particular fries don’t have a lot of flavor. They need to be used a way to get BBQ sauce in your mouth and that’s what I did.
I went to the sandwich next. It’s a simple Texas style smoked brisket on a simple white bun. The simpleness is what makes it delicious. There’s nothing to take the focus away from the meat. The brisket was tender and juicy and a little peppery. Some of the BBQ sauce from the fries got on the bun and I wasn’t made about it. The sandwich didn’t need sauce but the smoky heat from the BBQ just amplified the smokiness of the meat.
I treated the mac & cheese like dessert. The side portion isn’t big but it’s a good size for a side. Very cheese, very pasta-y. There’s a little bit of pepper in the cheese sauce to give the mac a little bit of a peppery kick.
Holy Smoke BBQ is a classic road side BBQ joint. The food is delicious and it’s quick. I had no intention of stopping for lunch on this particular day but the allure of smoked meat is too much. I was finally on the right side of town at lunch time so I had to stop.
SW Michigan Dining 