There’s more than one way to discover the new Westside Barbecue on E. Madison near Fingerle Lumber. Maybe while waiting at the intersection on S. Main you spot the distinctive low brick-red building tight alongside the railroad tracks with the giant “BBQ” lettering and telltale pig and longhorn designs on the walls. Maybe you’re walking or biking nearby and catch a seductive whiff of slow-cooking meat (even some longtime vegetarians say it still smells good to them). Or maybe you’ve been following chef Matteo Melosi’s smoking career as he went from establishing the Wolverine State Brewing Company’s meat-centric menu, to setting up his smoker outside Argus Farm Stop in its first year, to finally getting his own place in that odd little building between the gas station and Fingerle’s. It’s working out great so far for him, Melosi reports from behind the counter.

Convenience issues are not negligible for the Westside dinner customer, because the business is not wedded to regular offerings or closing times. You choose from what Melosi cooked up overnight, unless it’s gone, in which case he’s closed. That’s less of a problem for the lunch crowd, mostly hungry laborers grabbing whichever hot sandwich is ready to go, or settling in for a platter of smoked chicken or baby-back ribs at the one long communal table in the little dining room.

My first experience getting dinner at Westside was quite positive. At five in the evening I stopped for two to-go orders–which turned out to be more than five servings.

A single $14 order of dirty rice, the day’s special, weighed nearly three pounds on my kitchen scale, almost half of it meat, including huge chunks of shredded smoked pork, brisket, chicken, and sausage (on a few of the blackened chunks it was hard to tell which was which), plus nice red peppers and onions, bound more than sauced in a Spanish rice-meets-sour cream base. Like a supercharged jambalaya, it had addictive appeal.

The other order was the $15 half-rack of baby back ribs, which boasted a hefty coating of not-too-spicy rub that melded with juices during the smoking for an almost breading-like thickness. The meat was tasty, tender, and just a bit chewy–it didn’t fall or hang off the bone in the manner of most sauced-up ribs oven-baked at home.

Most Westside entrees come with two sides, and only two were available that day, “cheesy potatoes” and coleslaw. The potatoes were a slab of a super-rich casserole akin to the filling of double-stuffed potatoes. Weight Watchers would surely ban it, but it’s a mellow and appealing complement to the full-flavored BBQ. The slaw was good, too, lightly dressed and bright with kale, carrots, and two colors of cabbage that gave a confetti look to the plate; spicy pickles topped it gratis. Two of us ate our fill for dinner and lunch the next day, with still some leftover dirty rice for a late-night snack.

Little plastic cups of slightly vinegary BBQ sauce come alongside every meat order, but you sense Melosi does it almost grudgingly. He’s a firm adherent to the gospel of no saucing or other “mopping” of the meat in smoking, proselytizing that if the rub and process are right you don’t need it. Careful, however, if you are ever told he’s coming to the end of the day’s supply and it’s just the crispiest “burnt ends” of brisket left. They can be downright unchewable.

Melosi often posts the day’s menu on Westside’s website or Facebook page (as well as on a sign out front), and I got pretty excited as I drove by one early fall Friday at 3:30 in the afternoon and saw brisket, lamb chops, and salmon (which often alternates with trout as the Friday fish special). Having not made it over for lunch as I’d hoped, I was excited to try all these offerings. I called friends to help eat, then finished my errand. I parked on Fourth Ave. and walked down half a block to Westside, which had a kind of foreboding dark look to it. Uh-oh. Yep, closed sign on the door. It wasn’t yet 4:15.

Westside’s website says it’s open till 7 p.m., so after finishing my visits I called Melosi to ask what’s up with his schedule. He told me his website doesn’t give him the option of warning that he closes when the food runs out, but that’s definitely the case–once Jeff Daniels came in and bought up all the meat he had, so he closed at 1:30. But he stressed that he does accept and honor prepaid advance orders–someone will be there at the pickup time even if the “closed” sign is up.

Not yet having learned that trick, I kept circling back in the days that followed. I eventually tried Matteo’s lamb and it’s pretty good, neither over- nor undercooked, and spiced lightly enough for a clean taste. But on reflection, lamb is probably never as good smoked at low heat as it is roasted hot enough to scorch the fat and bring out its distinctive flavor. Melosi’s preparation is more difficult, but if you’re used to roasted or broiled lamb, you’ll barely recognize the subtler flavor of these chops. The same thing can be said for the salmon–I appreciated that it wasn’t oversmoked or overglazed, and it tasted good, but it wasn’t amazing.

The brisket, on the other hand, smoked up awesomely–maybe a little fatty, but still a treat. Michigan baked beans were just right, flavorful with a bit of spicy heat and welcome giant kidney beans and bits of smoked meat in the mix. I’m eager to try the collards, but our schedules haven’t meshed yet.

Once you’ve been to Westside a few times and had opportunities to witness Melosi’s enthusiasm for his culinary quest (the wood-fire cook, working hobo-like along the tracks), a romantic way to think about the venture emerges. You may then see him at odd times day and night, trudging across the tracks near Main St., coffee in hand, to feed cherry and applewood to the always-hungry smokers. Eating when the food’s right and ready, not when the clock strikes a certain hour, may be the deal you’re willing to make.

Westside Barbecue

108 E. Madison

489-3497

westsidebarbecue.com

Sides $4-$6, entrees $14-$24 (full rack of ribs), no dessert.

Open Mon.-Sat. 11 a.m.-until the food runs out. Closed Sun.

Wheelchair accessible.