This is the time of year that not only has us humming holiday tunes as we drive to and from the mall, but also has us sports fans glued to our TV sets to watch the best our favorite teams have to offer. Not all of us have the perfect $5000 home theater system to experience our sports watching, and those of us that do may not have neighbors as understanding to our chosen volume level as we'd like. Fortunately for Detroit sports fans, there is a place where one can experience all the best games live, loud and in HD. That place is R.U.B. BBQ Pub.
R.U.B. BBQ Pub was established in Detroit in July of 2010 and is located at 18 W. Adams St. near Woodward Ave. R.U.B. BBQ Pub is open 7 days a week from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Monday through Saturday and 12 p.m. to 12 a.m. on Sunday (game dependent). Recently the owners have opened up a second location in Warren on 12 Mile Rd. just west of Mound Rd. However, this review will only focus on the downtown Detroit location on Adams St.
Upon stepping through the door the bar smells of BBQ spices, but feels clean, open and airy thanks in large part to the high windows facing Adams St. The interior is well lit and features a long wooden bar, a blue ceramic wall behind the bar, as well as several wooden accents around the bar of varying light and dark shades. Between the bar stools and high-top tables, there are plenty of places to sit in the bar area, but for those just looking for the comfort of a cushy seat, booths are available. There is a second floor seating area as well, but it is used mainly for hosting events and parties. An outdoor patio area exists in the back, but is only open from Spring to Fall as weather permits.
The type of music you'll hear (when you don't hear an important game's audio overhead) will most likely be of a blues/rock type, though top 40 music is played on college night and on some other events. Occasionally there are live acts that are scheduled to play. Most recently, Darren McCarty and his band "Grinder" made an appearance and played a live set for those in attendance.
R.U.B. BBQ Pub offers 30 beer selections on tap, with 20 of them being Michigan brewed, as well as more than 100 bottled beers to choose from. Besides the usual assortment of liquor bottles on display, there is also an extensive wine selection displayed for those in the mood for a red Merlot to match their Wings. Despite having such a comprehensive selection of alcohol available, R.U.B. BBQ Pub would rather be known as a restaurant first, bar second, rather than the other way around. After having sampled the menu, it quickly becomes apparent why they prefer it to be this way.
The name of R.U.B. BBQ Pub carries a dual meaning. While the "rub" is a nod to the process by which the meat has flavoring added to it, the letters R.U.B. are meant to stand for Real Urban BBQ. When it comes to BBQ, R.U.B. is ridiculous good. After eating here, it's hard to bring yourself to ever want to go back to a sports bar that only offers overpriced burgers and way to tiny wings. Everything is made in house including their 6 signature sauces which (except for one) bear the names of the cities in which they were inspired: Apple, Kansas City, Texas, Carolina, Memphis and Detroit. Many menu items carry names as well, but of icons from Detroit's history ranging from those of musicians to athletes to locations. "The Nugent" (a pulled pork and slaw sandwich) and "'The Mighty Mack'" (a smoked black bean vegetarian burger) are two of the most popular items on the menu. Not to be left out are the amazingly good ribs, the awesome mac & cheese (with a portion size so big they had to call it an entree) and the smooth as butter burnt ends (end pieces of beef brisket). R.U.B. even has their own "Man vs. Food" style food challenge, offering a t-shirt and a spot on their wall of fame to anyone who can finish a 5 lb burrito called "Night At The Fill-More". The kitchen closes at 11 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 12 a.m. or later Thursday through Saturday and at 10 p.m. on Sundays. Finally, just for the record, you may have often heard R.U.B. compared to Slows BBQ (another Detroit-based southern BBQ style restaurant/bar), or vice versa, but while the style of food to which they serve is similar, R.U.B. distinguishes itself as very much a sports lovers paradise.
When you walk through the doors of R.U.B. BBQ Pub it's hard to overlook just how many HDTVs there are within eyesight (there are over 30 in fact). This isn't completely out of the ordinary as having this many TVs has become a mainstay of the Buffalo Wild Wings franchise and others like it. But to be in downtown Detroit within a stone's throw of Comerica Park and Ford Field, it's hard to find a bar/restaurant that can accommodate the ability to see many different games at once. Besides the high number of HD offerings, R.U.B. also carries all the necessary sports channels (ESPN, ESPN2, FSN, BTN, NFL Network, etc.) as well as sports packages like NFL Sunday Ticket and NHL Center Ice. Fantasy sports managers will love the opportunity to be able to see just about any game their player is in live, as it happens. R.U.B. even offers a free shuttle service to and from Red Wings home games.
With the holidays rapidly approaching and the NHL, NFL, NCAA basketball and football, and soon NBA all vying for our time and attention, some hard choices need to be made. Getting a ticket to a game is costly. Attempting to eat or drink at said game is even costlier, and often producing unsatisfying results. Do yourself a favor and check out R.U.B. BBQ Pub. You might just realize your new favorite corner sports bar doesn't have to be anywhere near the corner.
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