Ann Arbor, MI - Blue Tractor BBQ & Brewery; Not bad BBQ, but not great either, could be so much better. Being their own microbrew, I was surprised that they were out of one of their blond beers. It was nice of the server to bring over a sample of another beer to try, even though I ended up not liking it.

We started with the pickle chips, because I'm a sucker for fried pickles. The chips are nice, but I prefer full pickle wedges. They are nice and tart, stronger vinegar than I normally like. The batter is better than other places. It's a nice beer batter that sticks will to the slices.

I thought the ribs were okay, well seasoned and sauced and importantly tender. However, the pulled pork and brisket were very dried out. The brisket didn't have any of that delicious unhealthy fat to keep it juicy and flavorful. It's all been removed and the meat suffers from this butchery. The pulled pork seemed as though it had been removed from the slow cooking process earlier and pulled apart, then left off to the side to dry out instead of to order. The balsamic beans had a nice flavor to them and I wouldn't do any adjustments there. This also applies for the grits as well, cheesy and a slight gritty texture that grits delivers.

It looks like a neat place to try again and hope that the meats are a little better. I'm hopeful for the pulled pork, but I'm guessing their brisket is going to stay that way because of how they cut it.