A BBQ company that many people have experienced only through food trucks and time spent at Ribfest is finally getting their own storefront. Bomba's BBQ new location will offer indoor seating and takeout, and will be housed in a location people from Kalamazoo should be quite familiar with. The address is 2814 Portage Street in Kalamazoo and in recent years the building has seen many changes.

Many residents were concerned about their previous location closing but the owners have assured customers that they plan on keeping Bomba's The Shack in Lawton opened. Most recently the restaurant Ramen and Rice resided at this building, but apparently the owner moved to Japan and put the building back on the market. Before them, the East Egg was residing in it, and as you can tell structurally, it was once a Wendy's.

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BBQ Achievments

Bomba's have taken many titles with them along the years including 1st place People’s Choice at the 2021 Mac and Cheese festival, Best Retail at the Downtown Kalamazoo Chili Cook-off, 2019 Judge's Choice at the Taco & Tequila Festival, and of course the 2019 People's Choice at Kalamazoo Ribfest. They're one of the many great BBQ places Kalamazoo has to offer.

When Will It Open?

One man offered his take:

Don't expect it very soon. Opening a restaurant is a lot of work, even in an existing place, and the proposed opening day is never close (usually 6-12 weeks off) to the real opening day.
Bomba's has yet to release an open date but just by keeping an eye on the building. It should be ready at latest by Spring.

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