Rustic Hog Barbecue Bar & Grill — Restaurant in Lake City

If you find yourself on a random road trip or are looking for something specific, I suggest you hit the road in search of a little town called Lake City, MI. My daughters and I were "in search of" that wasn't going as well as planned when they decided it was time to find somewhere to eat. Being unfamiliar with the area, I typed in "restaurants near me" in the Google search bar and was given options. As we drove into town, my daughter noticed a little tiny corner business called Rustic Hog Barbecue. We all agreed that this was our lunch spot. We were greeted immediately by a very friendly waitress (Jennifer, we loved you!) We struggled over decisions and she was so helpful in making choices. It didn't take long and plates and dishes of food were brought to our table. Servings were more than adequate and looked so appealing. As we tried dish after dish, we found that there wasn't one tasty morsel we didn't love. From the burgers the girls chose to the meat sampler platter I chose, to the homemade baked beans and mac and cheese, to the poutine and onion rings, the BBQ sauce and the dipping sauces all had our tastebuds dancing. But then our waitress put our already full tummys to the test with a desert suggestion. If you go there during the season and someone suggests trying the pumpkin cheesecake, TRY IT! You will not be disappointed, it melts in your mouth. I can't wait to make another road trip in that direction, as I will definitely be stopping by the Rustic Hog...

Rustic Hog Barbecue in Lake City, Michigan, is an absolute gem for anyone craving top-notch barbecue. My daughter and I met my parents here for Father’s Day, choosing it as a midway meeting point—and wow, did we luck out.

The food was fantastic. My parents split a full rack of ribs and immediately declared them the best they’ve had in decades. I went with the brisket dinner, and let me tell you, it was incredible—some of the best brisket I’ve ever eaten (and I love brisket). My daughter had the BLT with sweet potato fries, both excellent. But after stealing a piece of my brisket, she decided that next time, she’s going straight for the brisket. We struck a deal: next visit, one of us will get brisket, the other ribs, and we’ll split the best of both worlds.

The sides were just as impressive. The baked beans, made from the owner’s grandmother’s recipe, were rich and flavorful—so good that even my picky mom called them some of the best she’s had. The coleslaw caused a friendly debate between my mom and me: I had the raspberry version, she had traditional, and both were so good we couldn’t agree on which was better.

Beyond the food, the restaurant was spotless, the service was friendly and fast, and the outdoor seating looked inviting—though the weather kept us inside this time. It was such a great experience that we’re already planning to make Rustic Hog our go-to spot for birthdays and holidays. If you find yourself near Lake City, don’t miss it! This is...

My wife and I were up in the area yesterday and decided to stop in and try the barbecue . We ordered plates and an array of sides, so we were able to try pretty much everything Rustic Hog has to offer.

The turkey was excellent -- very moist with great smoke penetration and lots of turkey flavor. Sadly, our experience went downhill from there. The brisket was just plain bad. Our slices looked like they were taken from the far end of the flat, which is admittedly a tricky part of the brisket to get right. The meat was dry, crumbly, and low on flavor. Plus the smoke ring looked like it was induced from a sodium nitrite rub.

The rest of the items were just so so. We liked the sausage well enough, and the pulled pork was nice and moist. But everything was very very sweet for our taste. The pork tasted like it had be rubbed or mopped with too much sugar, and the baked bean were WAY too sweet. I suspect that the Rustic Hog is going for a kind of Carolina sweet flavor profile, which could be great. But the folks who do that kind of cooking really well know how to balance the sugar against vinegar and other acidy flavors. Unfortunately this was just smack-you-in-the-face sweet.

All this being said, I've got to give them kudos for their staff and service. Everyone was extremely friendly and service was fast. I wouldn't suggest that you go 100 miles out of your way to eat at the Rustic Hog. But if you happen to be in the neighborhood, go ahead and...