Reporter Food: Red Wood Grill in Waterford

Reporter Food: Red Wood Grill in Waterford

(Crystal A. Proxmire, Jan. 13, 2022)

Waterford, MI – I recently had a meeting with two County Commissioners who opted to meet in the middle – at the Red Wood Grill in Waterford Township.  Commissioner Bob Hoffman of Highland and Commissioner Charlie Cavell of Ferndale had an insightful bipartisan conversation about redistricting, followed by some tasty BBQ at the recently opened smokehouse.

Cavell had his boxed to go as he was heading to a committee meeting from there and wanted to savor most of it for later. So I didn’t get pictures of his.

But Hoffman had the mac and cheese topped with smoked sausage, which came served in it’s own little skillet, and drizzled with a zesty but sweet bbq sauce.

I wanted something complicated, and that gave me a chance to try a few of their flavors in one gluttonous meal. The Timber sandwich was just the thing.

A soft onion roll with a layer of tender pulled pork, crispy bacon, juicy smoked sausage, Cajun slaw, shredded cheddar and of course BBQ sauce. True to their name, Redwood Grill uses redwood in their smokers, which are out in front of their building all year round. (There’s a tent they can put up in the rain).  The smoking process gave the meats their seasoned flavor.  This meaty feast was as delicious as it was messy.

Red Wood Grill has a nice selection of appetizers and sides to go with their staple brisket, ribs, sausage, and pulled pork choices, including jalapeno cornbread, stuffed mushroom caps, What the Cluck bacon, and brisket egg rolls. I had the mac and cheese.

We chatted with the owner, Denise Beville, who opened the brick and mortar location six months ago after several years doing catering. She and most of the staff had worked together previously at a Mountain Jack restaurant. When that restaurant went out of business, Beville bought some of their old equipment and started her catering business. Opening a restaurant helps them share their skills and their food with more people, while continuing to cater as well.

“Our motto is ‘Smells great, tastes better,” Beville said,  “People come in all the time because the smell is just in the air.  And once they try us, we get a lot of repeats.”

Red Wood Grill is located at 7726 Cooley Lake Road in Waterford Township. Check out more at https://www.redwoodgrill.net/.

White Castle is the Reporter Food sponsor of Oakland County Times, supporting our quest to explore restaurants throughout Oakland County. Find White Castle locations, and more information about all their menu options, at www.whitecastle.com.

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