Downtown Dexter is less than 10 miles west of Ann Arbor, but it's looking more like Montana if
Hotel Hickman's Chuck Wagon BBQ has anything to say about it. You might recognize the catering and take-out joint, which opened in the former sheriff substation at 8050 Main St. in late November, by the chuck wagon parked out front from time to time.
Owner Scott Thomas does a brisk business cooking up Texas beef brisket and ribs on his 1889 chuck wagon, which also often sits outside the Dexter Feed Mill. He smokes all of his meats and makes everything from scratch – dishes like buttermilk biscuits and gravy, and mac and cheese.
Four people staff Hotel Hickman's Chuck Wagon BBQ, open Friday through Sunday all winter long. The foursome also does Wild West reenactments and cooking for private parties. Thomas plans to hire more staff and add outdoor picnic tables during the busier summer season.
"It's kind of a hobby, a little passion doing a little barbecuing," Scott says.
Source: Scott Thomas, owner, Hotel Hickman's Chuck Wagon BBQ
Writer: Tanya Muzumdar
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.