The dining scene in metro Detroit is off to an impressive start to 2024, with many great new eateries that have opened in the first half of the year. Plus, there are still a number of new restaurants, bars, and cafes to anticipate sometime later this year. Here are some spots to know about that you won’t want to miss out on.

Black Ginger 456 Charlotte St., Detroit The city’s newest Korean-fusion restaurant opened in Corktown in May Credit: Facebook, Black Ginger
Vecino 4100 Third Ave., Detroit; 313-500-1615; vecinodetroit.com This Latin-inspired restaurant with an “agave-forward” bar was intended to open in Midtown in November 2023, but just finally opened in April 2024. Its simple menu merges modern Mexican cuisine with a curated selection of tequilas and mezcals. Read more here. Credit: Steve Neavling
Fixins Soul Kitchen 1435 Randolph St., Detroit; fixinssoulkitchen.com Former NBA All-Star Kevin Johnson is bringing his soul food spot to the D, and the new eatery is expected to be Fixins’ largest location yet, with seating for 325 people. Johnson and his wife Michele have opened three Fixins locations since founding it in 2019: two in California in Sacramento and Los Angeles, and one in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Initial announcements said Johnson wanted to start serving at the new spot by mid-December or early 2024. It hasn’t opened yet, so let’s hope it’s coming soon. Read more here. Credit: Rendering courtesy of GH2 Architects
Nuevo Seoul 220 W. Congress St., Detroit; 313-502-5171; eatatnuevoseoul.com This Korean-inspired fast-casual Mexican street food restaurant opened in downtown Detroit in late April. Brothers Chris and Peter Han, founders of Hanah Steakhouse in Detroit and Osaka Steakhouse in Clawson, are at the helm of the new concept. Its menu merges components of Mexican and Korean flavors to familiar dishes such as bulgogi beef tacos, birria ramen, and kimchi fries. Along with nonalcoholic drinks, Mexican-inspired spiked slushies and signature Agua Fresca cocktails are also available. Read more here. Credit: Google Maps
Sugah Please 150 W. Jefferson Ave., Detroit This spot is bringing a taste of the South to Detroit.The New Orleans-inspired breakfast and brunch restaurant named after the popular Southern term of endearment just opened its doors in the heart of downtown, offering comfort food, craft cocktails, and espresso drinks. Credit: Instagram, @sugahplease
Adelina 1040 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-246-8811; adelinadetroit.com At the heart of downtown Detroit, Adelina fuses Italian and Mediterranean cuisine for unique and innovative flavors. The concept, which opened in March, is a collaboration with renowned celebrity chef Fabio Viviani. Credit: Google Maps
Sheetz Romulus 33380 Wick Rd., Romulus The first ever Michigan Sheetz location opened in August. The Romulus store will include the chain’s 24-7 food and coffee options, as well as indoor and outdoor dining seating and grocery items. The company also touts one of the largest electric vehicle charging networks in the U.S. More Michigan locations are coming soon. Credit: Courtesy photo
Third Street Bar 4626 Third St., Detroit; instagram.com/thirdstreetdetroit After this longstanding Cass Corridor bar closed last summer, fans were sad. Luckily, it just reopened under new ownership. The humble Third Street Bar is now owned by the Detroit Optimist Society, a hospitality group better known for its high-end cocktail bars like Sugar House, Wright & Co., and Bad Luck Bar. But co-owner Dave Kwiatkowski is keeping Third Street Bar the same, with its low-frills shot-and-a-beer kind of vibe that has long been popular with Wayne State University students. Read more here. Credit: Lee DeVito
PUMA 4725 16th St., Detroit; instagram.com/puma_detroit New Argentine restaurant PUMA opened during Movement Music Festival with parties all weekend. PUMA is a more casual sister brand to Chef Javier Bardauil’s upscale Barda restaurant. By night, PUMA transforms into COUGAR, a full-service cocktail bar featuring live DJ sessions. Read more here. Credit: Courtesy photo
Saroki’s Crispy Chicken and Pizza 25005 Dequindre Rd., Madison Heights; sarokis.com This chain, established in 2012 by brothers Curtis and Todd Saroki, just expanded to metro Detroit in late June. The spot has grown a cult following for its fried chicken and New York-style pizzas, and now we get to see what the hype is all about. Read more here. Credit: Courtesy photo
The Jackson 104 N. Adams Rd., Rochester Hills; thejacksonrestaurant.com This new restaurant inspired by the work of abstract expressionist painter Jackson Pollock opened in Rochester Hills in June. The spot’s decor is heavily influenced by Pollock’s groundbreaking work “Number One,” with dishes representing “edible masterpieces.” Read more here. Credit: Courtesy of The Jackson
Sullaf Restaurant 814 W. Seven Mile Rd., Detroit; 313-893-5657 This small Iraqi restaurant abruptly closed around three years ago, but was fortunately reopened by a new owner just a couple of months ago. The spot’s menu includes a range of kabobs, lamb shank, shawarma, chicken cream chop, and several sandwiches. There are also salads and a menu of Iraqi breakfast staples. Read more here. Credit: Tom Perkins
Easy Peasy 1456 Woodward, Detroit; easypeasydetroit.com Opening in late June, Easy Peasy is a neighborhood bar open daily, offering classic cocktails, beer, and wine. It is run by the team behind Collect Beer Bar, Two Birds, and the Huddle Soft Serve ice cream windows. Easy Peasy collaborates with Detroit chefs to offer lunch, dinner, and late-night options, including sushi. During dinner and Saturday brunch, No Sauce BBQ, a Black-owned collective, serves a bar menu featuring burgers, BBQ tacos, and various snacks and sides. Credit: Courtesy photo
Lowkey 1456 Woodward, Detroit; easypeasydetroit.com Located below new bar Easy Peasy, Lowkey is an underground cocktail lounge featuring a rotation of some of Detroit’s best bartenders. In a nod to the storied history of the space (formerly Whisky Disco and Oslo Nightclub), Lowkey also hosts the occasional DJs night featuring some of Detroit’s most established DJs, as well as new and upcoming talent. Credit: Courtesy photo
Pink Garlic Indian Cuisine 18625 Ecorse Rd., Allen Park; 947-948-5680; pink-garlic-indian-cuisine.square.site Oak Park favorite Pink Garlic opened a second location in Allen Park in March, offering both dine-in and carryout. Like the original spot, the new Pink Garlic’s menu features an extensive lineup of Indian and Indo-Chinese staples like chicken biryani, orange chicken, momos, and tandoori chicken. Read more here. Credit: Randiah Camille Green
Café Noir 9405 John R. St., Detroit; instagram.com/cafenoir.det This French-inspired coffee shop recently opened in the space formerly home to Black Coffee, which opened in late 2022. A year before that, the coffee shop was named Kenilworth Cafe. Now, new life has been breathed into the community spot once again. While Café Noir is a play on the name Black Coffee, the space has been heavily reimagined and updated, with a French-inspired menu and ambiance, rather than the Afro-centric vibe that Black Coffee took on. The spot serves up a variety of coffee drinks alongside pastries and sandwiches, aiming to “provide a welcoming space for people to connect, socialize, and build community.” While there’s a lot that is new, the space’s unique and fun outdoor co-working circles, as well as free community WiFi access, are still present. Read more here. Credit: Courtesy photo
Gilly’s Clubhouse 1550 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-651-7050; gillysdetroit.com This downtown Detroit sports bar dedicated to Dan Gilbert’s late son opened in early April. Gilly’s boasts 10,000 square feet with a 120-square foot television, Detroit sports memorabilia, and American fare. The menu includes things like grass-fed beef smash burgers, chicken wings, homemade mac and cheese, and turkey meatballs along with healthier options like grain bowls and salads. A variety of draft beers and specialty cocktails are also offered, as well as classic coffee and fresh-pressed juice. Read more here. Credit: Courtesy photo
Lincoln Yard and little yard 2159 E. Lincoln St., Birmingham; 248-653-5353; eatlincolnyard.com These sister eateries are two new restaurants in one — one dine-in space and one to-go spot — located in a repurposed school bus garage in Birmingham’s Rail District. The concept is led by local restaurant group Union Joints. Read more here. Credit: Courtesy photo
Sexy Steak 1942 Cass Ave., Detroit; 313-403-1000; sexysteakdetroit.com Detroit’s castle-esque Grand Army of the Republic building became home to this new restaurant, featuring a menu focused on steaks and seafood. The new spot is led by Prime 29 Concepts, which also operates Aurora Italiana and Prime 29 Steakhouse in West Bloomfield. Read more here. Credit: Courtesy of Prime Concepts Detroit
Bombshell Treat Bar 2688 Coolidge Hwy., Berkley; 248-845-2125; bombshelltreatbar.com Berkley’s Bombshell Treat Bar opened on April 19, specializing in over-the-top desserts. The spot serves up ice cream, dipped bars, floats, hot pretzels, grab-n-go “packed pints,” ice cream cakes, salt and pepper caramel corn, novelty candy, and other sweet treats. Read more here. Credit: Shelby Dubin
Jollibee 44945 Woodridge Dr., Sterling Heights; 586-544-4090; jollibeefoods.com People were super excited about this famous Philippines-based fast-food chain opening its first Michigan location. Founded in 1978, the chain is known for putting a Filipino twist on American dishes like fried chicken, burgers, spaghetti (topped with a sweet sauce, ham, and hot dog), and peach-mango hand pies. It was originally supposed to open in October 2023, but the opening date got pushed back to winter 2024. Read more here. Credit: Layla McMurtrie
Side Hustle Lounge 1230 Library St., Detroit; instagram.com/sidehustledetroit In early 2024, Detroit’s Mootz Pizzeria + Bar announced a big expansion with the opening of its new cocktail lounge “Bar Mootz.” Ahead of the NFL Draft, the new space opened, now dubbede “Side Hustle Lounge.” The spot offers a menu of cocktails and small plates with Italian and Latin influences, curated by executive chef Angela Georges. Food items include flatbreads, sautéed shrimp, beef empanadas, and charcuterie boards. Read more here. Credit: Courtesy photo
Kitab Cafe and Bookstore 411 W. Canfield St., Detroit; kitabcafe.com Earlier this year, Hamtramck’s Kitab Cafe opened a second location in Detroit’s former Avalon Bakery space. Along with a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere, all usual favorites are available, including La Colombe Coffee, Zingerman’s pastries, and made-to-order sandwiches. Read more here. Credit: Steve Neavling
The Modern Vegan 304 Main St., Royal Oak; instagram.com/themodernvegan.detroit If you’re a vegan who’s always looking for more metro Detroit options, there’s one on the way. This popular Las Vegas vegan spot, which boasts the largest vegan menu in the world, announced in September that it plans to open a Detroit location. While there is no grand opening date yet, the spot is expected to be coming soon. Credit: Instagram, @themodernvegan
Pie Sci Oak Park 8140 W. Nine Mile Rd., Detroit; piescipizza.com In September 2023, Detroit pizza spot Pie Sci, known for its unconventional creations, announced it would be opening a new take-out location in Oak Park. While initially hoping to launch by the end of 2023, the new space ended up opening this February. Read more here. Credit: Lee DeVito
Turkish Village 21931 Michigan Ave., Dearborn; 313-914-2107; turkishvillagecuisine.com Turkish Village came about because some Detroit-area Yemeni businessmen were vacationing and liked what they found. They hired Turks for the kitchen crew, and the restaurant, which opened March 5, was jammed throughout Ramadan with iftar reservations. Outdoor seating is planned, and additional locations in Michigan. Read more here. Credit: Joe Maroon
JJ’s Custard Little Caesars Arena, Detroit; jjscustardco.com Following a successful residency in 2023, this Dearborn-based specialty ice cream shop opened a long-term storefront in Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena. The shop is known for its menu featuring items such as The Sweet Bun, The Wowffle, and Injected Loaded Cones. Read more here. Credit: Courtesy photo
Big Chicken Multiple locations; bigchicken.com In 2023, Michigan-based restaurant operators H&D Group Investments signed a deal with Shaquille O’Neal’s fast-casual chicken chain to develop 20 locations across the state, with plans to open in Ann Arbor, Lansing, Flint, Saginaw, Mount Pleasant, and metro Detroit. The first two locations opened earlier this year in Clio and Hartland. They also have a third location opening this fall in Livonia. Read more here. Credit: Courtesy photo
Aussie Grill by Outback 39707 Ford Rd., Canton; 734-366-1420; aussiegrill.com Outback Steakhouse’s fast-casual spinoff chain got its first Michigan location in January, and there’s a drive-thru to make your life easier. It’s the first Aussie Grill stand-alone restaurant outside of Florida, although the items are available through a “virtual kitchen” in a few other states. Credit: Instagram, @aussiegrillbyoutback
Portillo’s 13004 Middle Belt Rd., Livonia; 248-215-0325; portillos.com This Chicago-based hot dog spot just held its Livonia grand opening in July. Founded in 1963, the chain is known for its Chicago-style hot dogs, Italian beef sandwiches, burgers, crispy crinkle cut French fries, and its signature chocolate cake. The 7,900-square-foot Livonia restaurant can seat more than 175 people indoors and 50 more on a seasonal patio. It also has two drive-thru lanes. Credit: Shutterstock
Base Camp 5060 Jackson Rd., Ann Arbor; 734-882-2882; basecampa2.com This new restaurant is bringing the flavors of the Himalayas to Ann Arbor. Led by a seven-time Everest summiter and experienced chef, Base Camp shares the culinary traditions of Nepal, India, Tibet, and Bhutan. Menu items include momos, curries, biryani, mango lassi, and more. Credit: Facebook, Base Camp
Vertex Coffee Roasters 307 N. River St., Ypsilanti; vertex-coffee.com Since the unexpected closure of Cultivate Coffee and Taphouse in February 2022, Ypsilanti residents were eagerly hoping for some sort of comeback for the beloved cafe. Finally, Ann Arbor’s Vertex Coffee Roasters opened a second location in the space in March. The cafe serves coffee and tea crafted with housemade syrups, as well as 12-ounce and 16-ounce bags of beans straight from the company’s roastery in Milan. Plus, Vertex prides itself on a commitment to sustainability, helping produce less waste by recycling, using all compostable materials, and more. Read more here. Credit: Instagram, @vertexcoffeeroasters
The Ledger 306 S. Main St., Plymouth; 734-984-0020; theledgerplymouth.com Inside of a powerful-looking building, this new downtown Plymouth restaurant serves modern fare and craft cocktails with a focus on quality ingredients. Credit: Facebook, The Ledger Plymouth
La Fonda St. 8016 Kercheval Ave., Detroit; instagram.com/encarnacion New West Village Latin coffee shop Encarnacion held a small soft opening at the end of 2023, then closed to work on its offerings before a grand opening. Now, the space has finally reopened as La Fonda St., a Latin street food spot that includes Encarnacion coffee under the same roof. Credit: Courtesy photo
Toastique 200 E. Washington St., Ann Arbor; 734-585-5965; toastique.com East Coast toast and juice café Toastique recently made its Michigan debut. Since its launch in Washington, D.C. in 2018, the chain known for its health-conscious menu of gourmet toast, smoothie bowls, and cold-pressed juices has grown to over 20 locations nationally, with just as many on the way. Toastique’s menu includes items like Smoked Salmon Toast, Spicy Crab Toast, PB & B Bowl, Green Machine Smoothie, cold brew coffee, and iced collagen lattes. Credit: Courtesy photo
The Peach Cobbler Factory Detroit 1300 Broadway St., Detroit; 313-285-8627; peachcobblerfactory.com Renowned for its super sweet Southern-style desserts, this rapidly growing chain has finally arrived in Detroit. Since opening in early July 2024, it has served celebrities like Mike Epps, Jalen Rose, and former Piston Lindsay Hunter. The menu features a variety of sweet and savory cobblers paired with ice cream, plus banana pudding, cinnamon rolls, Belgian waffles, and more. Specialty drinks include house-made Sweet Peachy Tea and Cold Rush Cold Brew Coffee. Credit: Facebook, Peach Cobbler Factory Detroit
Dave’s Hot Chicken 12993 Hall Rd., Shelby Township;586-254-1260; daveshotchicken.com Popular Los Angeles-based Nashville-style hot chicken chain Dave’s Hot Chicken just opened its seventh Michigan location. The company’s latest spot will serve its signature spicy chicken sandwiches and fries from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week. Credit: Courtesy photo
Elephant & Co. 456 Charlotte St., Detroit; 313-989-4454; elephantand.com Eastern Market Brewing Co.’s latest venture is finally open. Since the company first began leasing the former Founder Brewing Company building in September 2023, the local brewery has been using the location’s kitchen to bake its pizzas while awaiting approval for a microbrewer’s permit. Now, following the successful launch of a Royal Oak location earlier this year, the new spot is open too. The new location boasts 50 self-serve taps with a variety of beverages, including Eastern Market Brewing Co. beer, cider, and wine. It also includes a Dooped Donuts cafe with a robotic barista and a mini-market with local drinks and produce. The large space also offers seating for over 200 people inside and an additional 100 guests outside on an extensive heated patio. Credit: Courtesy photo

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Layla McMurtrie is the digital editor of Detroit Metro Times. She's passionate about art, music, food, and Detroit's culture and community. Her work has been featured in the Detroit Free Press, Between...