34 | AUGUST 5 • 2021

NOSH
DINING AROUND THE D

J

ewish and Muslim
(halal) dietary tra-
ditions have one big
thing in common: Pork is
forbidden. At A.B.’s Amazing
Ribs in Dearborn Heights,
staking claim as Michigan’s
only 100% halal barbecue
restaurant, the ribs offered
are hickory-smoked beef
back ribs. After tasting them
and the rest of the menu,
I’d say there is much to brag
about.
I recently watched restau-
rant owner Ali “A.B.” Bazzy
during a cooking segment
on WDIV-TV’s Live in the D
program. When he sliced into
a round of prime grade beef
brisket with a lovely black
char on top, my lunch plans
became a mission to check
out Bazzy’s place.
He opened his restau-
rant-meat market in March

2019 with business partner
Abe Jebahi, a longtime friend.
Both self-taught in the art of
barbecuing, Bazzy started off
making ribs with a smoker in
his garage. Today, he said, the
partners smoke 1,500 pounds
of meat at a time, selling “a
ton of brisket and 400-500
slabs of ribs a week” for car-
ryout, catering and dining in.
Creekstone Farms in Kansas
supplies meat for A.B.’s,
included on several area
“Best Barbecue” surveys.
A store billboard and paper
menus show the array of
from-scratch items. Orders
are placed at a service count-
er, where Hassan Bazzy, 14,
is helping out this summer
— “it gets him away from
videogames,” his dad said
with a laugh. Customers eat
at bare tables in a clean, com-
fortable, 2,500-square-foot

paneled dining room. Before
digging in, they grab their
own wrapped plastic silver-
ware, purchased water or pop
bottles from the cooler and
lots of extra napkins. The
meal will be hands-on, messy
eating because of Bazzy’s
“amazing” house-made
barbecue sauces. The horse-
radish-based white sauce
perfectly complements A.B.’s
brisket. He also developed his
own salad dressings.
So, what’s cooking? The
slowly smoked back ribs,
short ribs, brisket and chick-
en wings can be ordered
individually as “Plates,”
with a choice of two sides:
Mac’n cheese, tangy cole-
slaw, seasoned french fries
and smoked beans with bits
of brisket. The sandwiches,
served with fries, include

Wagyu (Japanese beef) burg-
er and hand-battered North
Atlantic cod.
To try nearly everything, I
recommend “A.B.’s Feast” —
combination platters serving
up to eight diners. My gener-
ous platter for one easily fed
two. Stars of my lunch were
two large, tasty and tender,
bone back ribs; one-third
pound of mouthwatering
brisket; and three sweet and
smoky wings. The biggest
platter also has a whole
smoked chicken, and trays
of side dishes and Greek or
Caesar salad. The cornbread
is good, too.
A.B.’s ships its meat and
other products nationwide
every Monday; order by noon
Sunday.
“We get Jewish customers
here all the time, from Royal
Oak and Southfield,” said
Bazzy, whose business is open
daily, except Monday. Hours
are noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday-
Saturday, and until 6 p.m. on
Sunday “or until we’re sold
out,” he said. “We sell out
every time. The meat never
lasts till our closing time.”

Beef

the
Here’s

ESTHER ALLWEISS INGBER
CONTRIBUTING WRITER

A.B.’s Amazing Ribs
27310 Ford Road
Dearborn Heights, MI 48127
(313) 914-2159
abamazingribs.com
*** ½ out of ****

A.B.’S AMAZING RIBS FACEBOOK