It’s been a tough year for the restaurant industry. Due to the pandemic, more than one-third of Michigan restaurants may not be able to keep their doors or kitchens open. But there are those who, pandemic be damned, managed to make their restaurant dreams come true by opening new eateries, bakeries, coffee shops, and gastropubs despite a crisis, many of which are in the suburbs. Some opened just before COVID-19 hit, others forged ahead with impossible timelines, and some said, fuck it — build it and feed the people and they will come. The only way these new ballsy businesses will thrive in 2021 is if we give them a shot via their curbside, takeout, and delivery options. Who knows, your new favorite restaurant might just be nestled in this list of all the restaurants (that we know of) that opened in metro Detroit suburbs in 2020.

Bucharest Grill Express 30955 Woodward Ave., Royal Oak; 313-965-3111; bucharestgrill.com Popular shawarma chain Bucharest Grill opened in Royal Oak after months of delays, marking the fast-casual restaurant’s first location outside of Detroit. Photo by Lee DeVito
Oak Park Social 14691 W. Eleven Mile Rd., Oak Park; 248-808-6365; oakparksocial.com New American eatery and Bar, Oak Park Social opened for takeout and delivery in December, offering classic takes on American favorites like hand battered chicken tenders, tenderloin tips, fried bologna sandwiches, and baked flatbreads. Photo via Google Maps
Alma Kitchen 15402 Mack Ave., Grosse Pointe Park; 313-771-0771; mialmakitchen.com This highly anticipated Mexican and Chinese-influenced eatery opened for takeout in Grosse Pointe Park offering unique American-fusion dishes such as honey tamarind chicken lollipops, pepper beef lomo saltado, crab rangoons, and Michigan cherry BBQ pulled pork. Photo via Alma Kitchen/Facebook
H2O Seafood 3233 Biddle Ave., Wyandotte; 734-556-3202; facebook.com/H20Seafood Mac n’ cheese, fish and chips, and Maui shrimp are on the menu at Wyandotte’s newest seafood spot via H20 Seafood, which opened in November. Photo via H20 Seafood/Facebook
Mad Crab 13351 W. 10 Mile Rd., Oak Park; 248-965-2120; madcraboakparkmi.com Seafood boil places are cropping up all over metro Detroit like, well, mad crabs, which is exactly what Mad Crab is all about. Opened in September, Oak Park’s Mad Crab invites seafood lovers to combine their choice of seafood (lobster, snow crab, mussels, shrimp, crawfish, and more) with Cajun spices, garlic butter, and lemon pepper. Photo via Mad Crab/Facebook
Motown Philly Cheesesteaks and Fries 23631 Farmington Rd., Farmington; 248-285-9000; motownphillys.com No need to head to the City of Brotherly Love to get your cheesesteak fix. Motown Philly Cheesesteaks and Fries opened in August with a selection of made-to-order seasoned steak, grilled onions, and cheese. Oh, and fries. Don’t forget the fries. Photo via Motown Philly Cheesesteaks and Fries/Facebook
Pumachug 1 E. 14 Mile Rd., Clawson; 248-632-1117; pumachug.com Taking over the former Black Lotus Brewing Company building in Clawson, casual gastropub Pumachug is slinging pulled pork poutine, French Dip sandwiches pizzas, and mains, like pasta primavera, sirloin steak, and rice bowls. They’ve got vegan options, too, and massive desserts. Photo via Pumachug/Facebook
Whiskey Taco Foxtrot 28 S. Main St., Clawson; 248-629-7067; whiskeytacofoxtrotclawson.com No, Whiskey Taco Foxtrot is not a Wilco album. It’s a new spot in Clawson that serves craft cocktails and unique tacos, including the WTF Taco of the Week, Chimichurri steak, Cajun shrimp, fried avocado, and roasted poblano pepper, as well as burritos, botana nachos, enchiladas, and, for dessert, an apple pie taco. Photo via Whiskey Taco Foxtrot/Facebook
Fresh Collective 2752 Coolidge Hwy., Berkley; 248-907-0767; freshcollectivekitchen.com Part market, part grab-and-go food spot, Fresh Collective in Berkley offers sandwiches, soups, quiches, and other bites for those with vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free needs. Photo via Fresh Collective/Facebook
Starters Bar & Grille 25242 Evergreen Rd., Southfield; 248-281-4538; facebook.com/startersbarandgrill.com Billed as Detroit’s original steakhouse and bar,family-owned Starters Bar & Grille opened the doors to their Southfield outpost in December, offering their massive meat-heavy menu to the suburbs. Photo by Lee DeVito
Seven Daughters Coffee 163 W. Maple Rd., Birmingham; 248-617-7776; svndau.com “Coffee, coffee, coffee!” said everyone who overdosed on screen time in 2020 and/or is hoping to caffeinate themselves awake from this nightmare. The chic Seven Daughters coffee shop opened in July and is serving high-end coffee and tea drinks, like lavender honey lattes, cardamom lattes made with spicy goat milk, and rose-infused cold drip coffee. Photo via Seven Daughters /Facebook
Go! Sy Thai Livonia 19710 Haggerty Rd., Northville; 734-550-9601; gosythai.com Go! Sy Thai has added a third location, this time, in the Livonia/Northville area. The popular fast-casual made-t0-order Thai restaurant offers Thai favorites, many of which can be made halal, gluten-free, meat-free, or vegan. Photo via Sy Thai Detroit/Facebook
The French Lady 768 N. Old Woodward Ave., Birmingham; 248-480-0571; facebook.com/zefrenchlady A velvety veggie bisque, stuffed Cornish hen, ratatouille, and, black cherry clafoutis? Oui s’il vous plaît! French lady Claud Pellerin opened The French Lady in October as a way to bring a taste of her home, well, home. The menu, which spans lunch, dinner, and dessert, changes daily but is, as always, très French. Photo via The French Lady/Facebook
Spun Sugar Detroit 10630 Rushton Rd. #6, South Lyon; 248-506-7265; spunsugardetroit.com Willy Wonka who? At Spun Sugar Detroit — which is not in Detroit — you can live out your childhood dreams and your adult nightmare of having to go to the dentist. Specializing in cotton candy made from organic sugar and plant based dyes, Spun Sugar Detroit offers an array of unique flavors like coconut curry, amaretto cappuccino, cherry cola, Rock ‘n’ Rye, S’mores, and honey lavender. Photo via Spun Sugar Detroit/Facebook
Sabbath Coffee Roasters 24 E. 14 Mile Rd., Clawson; 309-722-2284; sabbathcoffeeroasters.com Some people like their coffee black. Clawson’s Sabbath Coffee Roasters is taking the idea really far: the new spot opened on Halloween. The store is the brainchild of husband and wife duo Trevor and Miranda Graham, who met over coffee in 2012. The two are such coffee freaks that they began planning family vacations around must-see coffee shops, according to a press release. The new store occupies an 800-square-foot storefront designed by Grand Rapids-based Megan Weidman. In addition to coffee, the spot serves up cider and slushies. It also features pastries from Cannelle by Matt Knio and dairy from Guernsey Farms. Photo courtesy of Sabbath Coffee Roasters
Koja Sushi 14245 Michigan Ave., Dearborn; 313-914-5071; kojisushi.com Dearborn scored a new casual sushi spot in July. Koja Sushi offers kooky rolls like the White Caste Roll which is baked with white tuna, avocado, tamago, and crab meat topped with scallop, eel, masago, scallion, and white sauce or the Mexican Roll made with tempura shrimp, crab meat, avocado, cucumber, and jalapeño topped with spice sauce, hot sauce, and Koja sauce. They also offer combos and a selection of nigiri, sashimi, noodle dishes, bibimbap, and bento boxes. GoogleMaps
Lala’s 5827 Jackson Rd., Ann Arbor; 734-263-2543; lalasannarbor.com Chef Allie Lyttle launched her comfort food pop-up at Standard Bistro & Larder in Ann Arbor back in July, offering weekend dinners and brunches, including BBQ chicken, poutine, walking tacos, and funfetti pancakes. Photo via Lala’s at the Standard/Facebook
Chapala 211 N. Main St., Ann Arbor; 734-996-1456; getchapala.com Casual Mexican eatery Chapala, which opened in Ann Arbor during the summer with lunch and dinner specials, offers familiar dishes with Latin-inspired flavors and festive drinks. Photo via Chapala/Facebook
Cucina Lab Torino 3960 Crooks Rd. Ste. 200, Troy; 248-525-9098; cucina-lab.com No set menu? No problem. Cucina Lab Torino in Troy opened this year with Italian chef and caterer Elisabetta Balzola, who moved from Italy with her family to bring eclectic Italian fare to metro Detroit. The restaurant prides itself on using local, fresh, and organic produce and meats, as well as importing Italian ingredients. Photo via Cucina Lab Torino/Facebook
Bao Boys 1928 Packard St., Ann Arbor;734-802-1811; facebook.com/baoboysaa From Los Angeles to Ann Arbor, Steven Choi and Brian Kim opened a bao bun-focused food truck in July. The truck offers a curated selection of bao buns, fried rice, and something called a Don Belly, which features Chashu pork belly, Japanese-style poached egg, dashi broth, and white rice. Photo via Bao Boys/Facebook
Campestre Chicken 3419 Fort St., Lincoln Park; 313-914-7522; campestrelp.com Melvin Gamez Sr. and Jr. brought El Salvadorean, Peruvian, and Mexican-inspired charcoal-roasted rotisserie chicken to downriver. In addition to chicken, Campestre offers pupusas, subs, and burritos. Photo via Campestre Chicken/Facebook
Brown Iron Brewhouse 30955 Woodward Ave., Suite 510, Royal Oak; 248-951-2659; browniron.com With a new location in Royal Oak, Brown Iron Brewhouse is known for its fresh foods and craft beers. After popular demand, they have extended their Burnt Ends dish to the new location. Photo via Brown House Brewhouse Royal Oak / Facebook
Got Pho 172 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; 248-850-7449; gotphoferndale.com Got Pho landed in Ferndale in June, offering a variety of pho dishes, including vegan options. The dine-in, carryout, and delivery spot also has Pad Thai, drunken noodles, fried rice, and bubble tea smoothies. Photo via Got Pho/Facebook
Of Rice and Men 312 S. Main St., Ann Arbor; 734-222-0202; ofriceandmen.com Originally a pop-up out of Blue Llama Jazz Club, Of Rice and Men got its own digs in July. The Asian-fusion restaurant headed by Josh Wetshtein offers a modest selection of sushi rolls, as well as dumplings, udon, and items like Korean fried chicken, wok-fired whole fish, and a Vietnamese-style crawfish boil. Photo via Of Rice and Men/Facebook
Tov Bagel 567 Livernois Ave., Ferndale; tovbagel.webflow.io Operating out of the recently opened Ferndale Project, Tov Bagel offers artisan bagels in flavors like rosemary sea salt, black and white sesame, zaatar, and sunflower seed with smears in roaster garlic, strawberry, honey walnut, and others. Photo via Tov Bagel /Facebook
Tapped Coffee & Craft Beverages 39481 Joy Rd., Canton; 734-738-6984; tappedbeverages.com Tapped Coffee & Craft Beverages opened in Canton offering coffee drinks made with CO2 thanks to a commercial draft system. The taste and sensation is described as a “unique, naturally sweet, and creamy mouthfeel.” They also offer doughnuts — and even breakfast sandwiches made with doughnuts. Photo via Tapped Coffee & Craft Beverages /Facebook
Matt & Mo’s Italian Beef 24110 John R Rd., Hazel Park; 248-307-7970; mmitalianbeef.com Windy City meat made its way to Hazel Park over the summer when married couple Matt and Mo Marzulla cozied up in an ice cream stand. Matt & Mo’s Italian Beef opened in Doug’s Delights, a soft-serve ice cream shack in Hazel Park, offering au jus-dipped roasted Italian beef sandwiches, which come with pickled vegetables. Photo via Matt & Mo’s Italian Beef/Facebook
Bobcat Bonnie’s 17330 Hall Rd., Space 195, Clinton Twp; 586-221-4313; bobcatbonnies.com Bobcat Bonnie’s first location was opened on Michigan Avenue in Corktown in 2015, after owner Matt Buskard saw that the space O’Blivions occupied was for sale. It then opened three more locations in Wyandotte, Ferndale, and Ypsilanti. The newest addition is its location at the Mall at Partridge Creek. Photo via Bobcat Bonnie’s Partridge Creek / Facebook
BahDah Sushi 32832 N. Woodward Ave., Royal Oak; 248-556-5444; bahdahsushi.com Casual Japanese and Korean restaurant BahDah Sushi opened in March just before things went to shit. But they’ve managed to stay open at their Royal Oak location, formerly occupied by another sushi spot, with a robust menu offering noodle and rice dishes, as well as sushi. Lots of sushi. Photo via BahDah Sushi/Facebook
Green Lantern Pizza 4033 W. 12 Mile Rd, Berkley; 248-951-9292; greenlanternpizza.com Metro Detroit mini-chain Green Lantern Pizza’s seventh location opened in Berkley this year. The 5,200-square-foot restaurant has a full bar and a menu similar to that at the 15 Mile Road flagship location in Clinton Township. It is Green Lantern’s third sit-down location, and the company expects to add more franchised carryout stores in the future. Green Lantern offers gourmet pizzas, subs, sandwiches, and salads. Photo via Green Lantern Pizza / Facebook
Hook & Reel 7838 Telegraph Rd., Taylor; 313-982-7979; hookreel.com Downriver scored a cajun seafood spot in July via chain restaurant Hook & Reel. Among some of the menu offerings are seafood boils, po’boys, oysters, breaded lobster tail, and coconut shrimp. Photo via Hook & Reel-Taylor/Facebook
The Ebenezer 305 Fleet St., Plymouth; 734-404-5552; theebenezerplymouth.com Offering exotic cocktails and a selection of small plates, including charcuterie boards, jump shrimp cocktail, and vegetarian flatbreads, The Ebenezer is a speakeasy-style atmosphere located in a former bank vault. Photo via The Ebenezer/Facebook
Jams 45709 Hayes Rd., Shelby Twp.; 586-991-6450; a href=”https://www.facebook.com/eatatjams”>Facebook.com/eatatjams A comfort-food restaurant offering breakfast, brunch, and dinner in Shelby Township opened in June. For the brunch crowd, there’s eggs benedict, cinnamon crunch french toast, avocado toast, california breakfast burrito, and crispy chicken and cheddar waffles, shrimp and cheesy grits. For lunch and dinner there are a selection of wraps, burgers, sandwiches, and soups, as well as entrees like salmon, filet, steak frites, and cauliflower pasta. Photo via Jams/Facebook
Stella’s Table 340 Town Center Blvd., White Lake; 248-698-2400; https://www.stellastablemi.com/ Stella’s replaces the former Root Restaurant & Bar, which Suser Restaurant Group took over in 2018. Stella’s menu features a more casual vibe with a Mediterranean-inspired menu that includes pizza, sandwiches, and a stuffed baguette loaf. Photo courtesy of Stella’s Table
The Ferndale Project 567 Livernois Ave., Ferndale; 248-556-5512; ferndaleproject.com The former Axle Brewing Co. Livernois Tap opened as the Ferndale Project earlier this year. The space offers more than a dozen beers on tap, including experimental sours and stouts, IPAs, three ciders, nitro cold brew by Detroit-based Ashe Supply Co., and a house-made root beer. Ferndale Project/Facebook
Casa Pernoi 310 E. Maple Road, Birmingham; 248-940-0000; pernoibirmingham.com As of June, Pernoi — the fine-dining restaurant launched by acclaimed chef Luciano DelSignore last year — is no more. The spot has now rebranded as the casual Italian “Casa Pernoi.” Like many changes these days, the pivot came due to the impact of the coronavirus crisis. Expect classic Italian favorites like a Ricotta Ravioli, Charred Octopus, Baked Orata, and Veal Chop Parmigiano. Photo courtesy of Casa Pernoi
Flavors of Jamaica 406 N. Telegraph St., Pontiac; 947-999-0169; flavorsofjamaicarestaurant.com A native of Westmoreland, Jamaica, Chef Reniel Billups moved to the United States at the age of 9. She had an innate love of cooking growing up in a family kitchen, and later was a lead chef for the United States Coast Guard. The founder of Irie Occasions Catering and Party Planning has been cooking up traditional Jamaican flavors around the metro area for several years. Her Caribbean-inspired pop-ups at hot spots around town like Detroit City Distillery and Lost River Tiki have put her food into the hands and mouths of a growing legion of fans — but it was her year-long Saturday evening pop-up at Brooklyn Street Local in Corktown that truly made Chef Reniel a star. They opened a brick-and-mortar in Pontiac earlier this year. Photo courtesy of Flavors of Jamaica
Planthropie 135 Pierce St., Birmingham; 248-839-5640; planthropie.com Vegans with a sweet tooth, rejoice: we now have a neighborhood all-vegan cheese and dessert bar. Vegans and those with gluten and soy allergies can now find scrumptious treats geared to their needs. The concept for Planthropie was then inspired by the recipes she cooked up at home for her son after she found he was allergic to dairy. Menu items for the new cafe include white truffle cheese, mac nut cheese, cheesecake, and haut chocolate cake latte. Photo courtesy of Planthropie / Facebook
Buddy’s 987 Wilshire Dr., Troy; 248-516-0400; buddyspizza.com/troy Buddy’s, home of the original Detroit-style pizza, continued its expansion in the Midwest and beyond, opening a new restaurant in Troy inspired by the original “Buddy’s Rendezvous” at Six Mile and Conant in Detroit, which opened in 1946. Photo courtesy of Buddy’s
Sidecar Slider Bar, Shift, Slice Pizza Kitchen 117 Willits St., Birmingham; sidecarsliderbar.com/birmingham, shift-birmingham.business.site, and slicepizzakitchen.com Indecisive minds will love this restaurant concept in Birmingham which puts three restaurants under one roof. Sidecar Slider Bar specializes in gourmet sliders and shareables; Shift serves as the space’s romantic cocktail lounge offering with small plates and an extensive wine-by-the glass list; Slice Pizza Kitchen, which serves gourmet pizza and subs. Photo via Sidecar Birmingham/Facebook

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