When it comes to the City’s Choice Awards, the “Food & Dining” categories always stir up the most appetite – and the most votes. This year was no exception, and one Downtown Flint favorite truly brought the heat. A repeat winner, Blackstone’s Smokehouse walked away with top honors in six (yes, six!) categories, including Best Barbecue, Best Burger, Best Ribs and even Best Bartender. With a stylish, industrial-modern space, an inventive menu and a passionate team, Blackstone’s clearly has the recipe for success. We caught up with Owner Jerrid Heidel to learn more about the flavors, the vibe and the secret behind their award-winning streak.
What sets Blackstone’s apart from other restaurants in Downtown Flint and beyond?
The history of the building definitely comes through in our aesthetics. From large exposed I-beams, to brick work from the early 1900s – it has the industrial modern feel. In addition, you will find several murals within the space. The large room has so many textures, yet still feels warm and comfortable. In addition to the physical attributes of the building itself, you will find a stage perfectly sized for live music, with an incredible sound and lighting system. It’s exactly the vibe you would come to expect from other large downtowns throughout the country.
How would you describe the overall vibe or experience of dining here?
I think we are just the right balance of being higher scale, yet incredibly comfortable. Our staff are personable and professional. I like to say that we are “elevated bbq” – meaning we don’t serve our high-quality bbq on paper and plastic. We give the art of bbq the respect it deserves, and it shows!
Barbecue, burgers & ribs – what’s your secret to getting these dishes just right?
First, let’s just call it what it is … We are foodies. We love this stuff! We love to create flavors that are not standard. Our sauces, seasonings and meats are all made in-house. We test and taste our ideas over and over until we feel we’ve found the perfect flavor profile that will appeal to the masses. Once we get that dialed in, we train our team to repeat the steps consistently so we always know our guests will get the flavors they expect.
Who’s the creative mind behind the menu, and how often does it change or evolve?
This is absolutely a team think tank! Yes, Chef Jay does much of this. But collectively, we are always bouncing ideas off each other. Whether that comes from me as the owner, one of our service staff, our kitchen team; it all funnels into ideas and creativity. From there, Chef takes the ideas and puts them into a test-type approach. In addition, every 6-8 weeks, we do an event called “Beers & Bites”. This gives us a chance to really stretch our culinary creativity as most items served are not our standard menu items. In a way, that event has turned into a bit of a live test kitchen and guest feedback experience.
You’ve been recognized for your beer selection. Tell us about the variety you offer and how you choose them.
Blackstone’s is blessed to have two of the best bartenders in town who really know the craft of beer. We work with many distributors and breweries to find a selection that is not your run-of-the-mill domestics. We only have 12 handles, the award for Best Beer Selection is surprising. But that is a testament to how hard my guys work to keep our rotation current and creative.
Recognition for “Best Bartender” is no small feat. Tell us about your bar team and what makes them exceptional.
Let me tell you, Zach Smithingell has been Downtown for a long time and he is a bit of an icon, himself. He’s such a likeable person who will go over and above for every guest. He is not only that bartender you want to sit at the rail and chat with, he also brings excellent skills. He is a team player in every way and I think we are lucky to have him guiding our bar service. To be completely honest, I think we have a couple of other bartenders who are just as awesome! I feel honored to have these wonderful people on our team.
What does it mean to you and your team to win six City’s Choice Awards?
Our team is VERY excited! They really love what we do here AND our food! So to hear that we are getting noticed gives them a bunch of pride and shows how their commitment pays off. I would be lying if I didn’t admit that winning six different awards feels a bit glutenous – almost embarrassing, really. However, there isn’t one single category that I can disagree with. It’s our awesome team and people who drive results like this. We have some great recipes, we really do! But our secret ingredient is every single person who is a part of the Blackstone’s family.
