Ricewood

Had this place for the first time and I am now a fan. If I had to describe this place it's like a barbecue with a hint of Asian flare to it. I tried two things...spare ribs (freaking excellent. I only had the two bones for $7 but was well worth it and had me wanting more). For the main event I had the brisket rice bowl. Love everything about it (even the fatty brisket for which I'm more of a lean brisket guy). Love the bbq sauce the soy vinegar the rice the brisket everything (I believe there is 5-6 protein options). A must try place and I definetely will be back to try more (not a huge menu but more things I gotta try). Also there Detroit fountain pops...greatness.

Stopped here for some brisket as it was recommended based on the reviews I read. Very small place with a simple menu (which I love). I find places that focus on a few items and perfect those dishes tend to have better food. I went with the brisket bowl that included rice, scallions, tomatoes and soy vinegar. I also requested pickled onions and red cabbage slaw. Very good lunch overall which set me back a little over $20. Everything had good flavor and complimented one another, but I think adding the pickled onions and red cabbage slaw made my dish too acidic so I have to keep that in mind for next time. Despite being a little on the dry side, the brisket had good flavor. However the rice was not my favorite if I'm being honest. I dunno what kind of rice is being used, but it just seemed more firm than I expected. Overall these minor issues did not deter from the fact this is quality food, but I definitely have a good sense of how to order from here in the future because it is a great place for some Asian inspired BBQ.

As a longtime customer, I cannot sign enough praise for Ricewood. While many restaurants nowadays are just putting some meat and sriracha mayo on fries and calling it Asian fusion, Ricewood's dishes are truly a marriage of southern bbq and Asian spices and flavors. Some examples include their Szechuan flavoring for their chicken and tufu, add on "Bombs" that are akin to Korean banchan, and presence of pork belly on the menu, which is not a "traditional" bbq meat. While it meatloaf sando may not look that impressive, it certainly packed a punch. The toasted bun was light and airy with a slightly sweet flavor; the meatloaf was thicc, had a nice slightly crunchy exterior, and tons of smokey good flavor; and the onions and blue cheese sauce provided complexity to the flavor and texture of the bite. Overall, I'm happy to continue coming back as a regular customer.

Very similar to the Ricewood I had at York but much more calm and chill. The cashier and employees were all super smiley and friendly. We got the ribs and brisket over rice. While not cheap, they made up for it in quantity. Each bowl comes heaping with rice and in different spice levels. I made the mistake of getting hot, and it is def no joke! The barbecue is super flavorful and yummy. The ribs had a meaty bite, and the brisket was super tender (my favorite meat)! Although, I def had to take regular water breaks because the spice was pretty intense. Don't let anyone tell you Ann Arbor doesn't have good BBQ!

First time at this location, their bbq meat taste didn't change from their original location. What did change was the prices and looks like the veggies that were included is now upcharge. Very simple layout, definitely a take out location, but they have seats along the window for dine-in option. The service was good, ordered and food was ready in few minutes. Wasn't fan of the "tipping" when paying, but I guess everyone has to get one board. I got the brisket, ribs and pork belly with the extra veggies for all (all med), came out to like $64 for three bowls. Favorite was the ribs and pork belly, the brisket was bit dry.

On my recent visit to Ann Arbor, our host gave us a choice of items from Ricewood. an Asian BBQ menu. I went along to see what we were having as it would be easier to serve family style at home with a child to serve too. It was not far from their home which was nice at the time of day to be able to have a quick meal. It seems to be mostly takeout, but the staff was very engaging yet efficient. The servings are large so we got a few bowls which we could share at our own family table on a nice screened porch at their home on an early summer evening. My favorite was the brisket. But we also got the pulled pork and the ribs. Each bowl was ample with veggies and rice underneath the meat. We also ordered three sides, the red cabbage slaw, the spiced cucumbers and the kimchi. My favorite was the cucumbers , but the red cabbage was good too. I did not try the kimchi, since I do not digest any kim chi very well. But our hosts enjoy it regularly. Four adults had all they wanted with these choices and there were even leftovers for snacking later. The BBQ sauce had a really nice flavor and we ordered it as not very spicy which was best for our group. It was zesty, but if you want hot you can get it really hot too. Also the price was very reasonable for the quality and quantity of the items. A truly enjoyable first meal for our visit.

I saw Amanda L's review of Ricewood recently and knew I had to check it out while in town. This location is in a little suburban strip mall type spot, they do have some seating but we saw quite a bit of takeout happening. The guy taking our order was really helpful with suggestions as it was our first time. I went with the brisket rice bowl, medium spice, and added kimchi. Nate got the pulled pork sandwich. We also got the sesame cucumbers and a side of fries. They threw in a drink for free which was really nice. (Although they didn't have any diet options at the time. I just got some soda water and mixed in a little lemonade.) The food came out and I was shocked at the portion of the rice bowl specifically. I got a ton of brisket for $17 and the bowl felt like it weighed five pounds. We definitely could have split it (and probably should have)! The brisket was pretty tender and there were about 7 perfect slices. The rice was cooked pretty well and seasoned nicely and the kimchi was really good. (Better than the kimchi I had at Miss Kim!) The spice level was perfect for me, not too hot but a nice kick. I had some of the pork from the sandwich and it was tender and not dry. The sesame cucumbers were just okay, I don't think we'd get those again. And the fries were a massive portion. I really like the idea of the Korean/BBQ fusion (not to be confused with Korean BBQ) and think this concept would do really well in Grand Rapids. They have vegetarian options - I'd love to try the Szeuchuan tofu!

I've been dying to try Ricewood after all the buzz I have heard about it. I came to the Maple location, which is definitely more of a "to-go" sort of place, with just a few bar counter style seating along the wall and window perimeters of the store. My friend and I were meeting up for a quick lunch though, so it worked perfectly for us! Ricewood's menu is pretty straightforward and simple, which I love to see, because that typically means they know what they're good at and they don't need to bother with anything else and I'm here to CONFIRM that that's the case! I ordered the brisket rice bowl, which is definitely their signature. The brisket is so PERFECT! So tender, easy to pull apart or bite into, without being too mushy. The vinegary rice pairs so well with it and with all the other fixings in the bowl, which you can customize on what you want to add or leave out of it. They give you so much within a bowl of theirs, it's super impressive and I had leftovers to take home with me. Heating it up in the microwave with an ice cube did the trick and it tasted just as good at home! For eating right then and there, they basically have rice bowls with different kinds of proteins (including tofu for vegans and vegetarians!) and sandwiches, which subs the rice for buns and has all the same protein options as well. My friend ordered the sandwich and it was also massive and definitely way more messy, so it just depends on what you're in the mood for! Another super cool thing Ricewood offers is their meats by the pound that you can take to go! I was sooo tempted to get some of their delicious brisket! It's all cooked and glorious and I'm sure they would probably provide reheating/general serving instructions if you asked as you took the meat home, but I definitely think I'll be back to take advantage of this option in the near future! I haven't been able to stop thinking about that brisket!!

Ricewood is an American BBQ Asian fusion restaurant, which sounds a little odd at first, but is actually genius and delicious. It's located in a strip mall and is small with limited indoor seating. We came pretty late in the day so they were out of most of the meats, which wasn't the worst thing in the world because they did have pulled pork. The guy at the counter was very apologetic and went out of his way to make sure the dietary restrictions I have were accommodated. I got a pulled pork bowl with kimchi and pickled onions and was fully not prepared for how big it was. It had to have been 1-2lbs of food in that bowl. I ate maybe half of it before I started going into a food coma and saved the rest for later. It made great leftovers! I'll definitely be back next time I'm in Ann Arbor, but earlier in the day to try some different meats!

This is partly a review for Ricewood (Maple) and partly a review for Ricewood hosted Meogjia pop up events (which I think have happened twice now!). I stopped by here yesterday for the second Meogjia pop up, and am so happy that Ricewood hosts these, supporting local/small businesses - Meogjia who sources from other local/small businesses Q Bakehouse and Dave Makes Pasta. All the food at these pop ups are always a hit. This time I got the Korean Bolognese Lasagna and the Taiwanese 3 Cup Chicken Meatball Sub. Yum and yum. Last time I got a Pimento Cheese Bulgogi Sando and Polenta Cake Dakbokkeomtang. Everything we've tried has been SO tasty with a real depth of flavor. Part of the proceeds also go to Ozone House. Shoutout Meogjia and props to Ricewood for hosting these! The only bummer (though totally makes sense logistically) is that I can't also get Ricewood while I'm there for these pop ups! Would love to take home Ricewood BBQ while I'm at it, as their meat is SO GOOD. The Ricewood Rice Bowls are insanely tasty, and unique compared to other BBQ joints in the area given the Asian flavor fusion. Every meat I've tried has been tasty, but I especially love the tender brisket. And I love all the add ons. Plus the Maple location has waffle fries!! I've also ordered just the meat (priced by weight) to go as well, which has really elevated my at home bowls/salads.