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