REVIEW: Summit Smokehouse is a must-try for Mount Pleasant residents
The exterior of Summit Smokehouse as seen on March 2 at 3068 Jen's Way.
Mount Pleasant’s new smokehouse restaurant serves the best pork barbecue this city has to offer.
Summit Smokehouse had its soft opening in January. It is located in the new McGuirk storage building on High Street on the west side of town.
Local business owner Jim Holton owns the restaurant that also serves as a bar for the brewing company he owns — Mountain Town Brewing Company.
The smokehouse, located at 3068 Jen’s Way, was intended to bring Mount Pleasant a different style of food that residents are used to. Summit offers a barbecue-themed menu that stands out from other restaurants in town.
I ordered “The Mt. Pleasant,” a clever-named pork barbecue sandwich topped with bacon and coleslaw in an onion bun. The smokehouse offers mac and cheese, waffle fries, potatoes, green beans and potato salad as sides. Being one of the only places I know of having waffle fries in the city, I had to try them.
The food was incredible. Now, it has been a while since the last time I have had any kind of pulled pork barbecue because of the winter months, but this just hit differently.
The sandwich was massive. The bacon perfectly complimented the cold coleslaw and pork barbecue.
Luckily, I was able to try the other barbecue flavors on my waffle fries too. My favorite was the classic “Summit Sauce.”
My colleague Hunter McLaren ordered the “Pig Mac,” a piece of Texas toast buried in mac and cheese and slow-roasted pulled pork. I was jealous.
While pulling into the restaurant’s parking lot, I wasn’t sure what to expect. The brand-new building’s exterior didn’t necessarily match the interior atmosphere, but that didn’t matter in the end after I tried the food.
The service was expected. The dining area had a log cabin-like feel with all wooden chairs and tables. The vibe benefitted from a perfect use of chalkboard special menus and a few indie artists playing in the background.
In the end, we walked out of the restaurant so ready for a nap that I felt like I was turning into my father. Summit Smokehouse is a must-try for Mount Pleasant residents and Central Michigan University students.
The smokehouse is open Monday-Thursday 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday-Saturday 11:30 a.m. to midnight. Sunday hours are from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
