When entering a restaurant helmed by Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of Kiss, should you have “Great Expectations”? Will the menu lean into puns like “I Was Made for Meat-Loafin’ You” or “Hotter Than Ham”? Fortunately for metro Detroit’s Kiss Army members and foodies, the new Rock & Brews location in Royal Oak isn’t nearly as hokey or commercial as you might expect. Opening to the public Thursday, the restaurant is firmly rooted in Detroit music, with nods to the MC5, Iggy and the Stooges, and Toby Redd — just to name a few.
What sets this location apart — the first in Michigan among 19 nationwide — is its genuine devotion to Detroit’s musical legacy. It doesn’t just celebrate the past; it gestures toward the future.
Operated by the same team behind nearby Royal Oak staple Fifth Avenue, the three-floor space is packed with details that will excite fans and musicians alike. Velvet curtains are cinched back with Fender guitar straps, and lamps above the first-floor bar feature full-size Zildjian drumsticks tucked into their design — easy to miss if you’re not looking closely.
The main dining area occupies the first floor, anchored by custom tables bearing full-size images of artists, including Aretha Franklin, Cheap Trick, and, of course, Kiss. As for the food, expectations of standard bar fare quickly give way to something better.
The “Ultimate Burger” stands out — one of the best this writer has had, with patties made in-house. According to development director Frank Arnone, the food and the atmosphere are inseparable.
“We wanted to create an experience where people are sitting down, having a great meal, looking up, and saying, ‘I was at that show!’” Arnone says. “It’s something unique, and it’s not commercial.”
He points to the L.A.-based design team, led by Keith Underwood, as key to achieving that balance. “This was like a Picasso for him and for us,” Arnone adds. “It gives space to nostalgia for old-school rock ’n’ rollers while being a space that can evolve.”
That sense of evolution is intentional. Arnone gestures to blank wall space during our tour — future real estate for memorabilia. “If anyone wants to lend us pieces or sell them, we’re all ears. This is a space that’s never going to be complete.”
Upstairs, the second floor continues the Detroit-heavy aesthetic, anchored by a large stage and a stained-glass installation featuring icons like Jack White and Madonna. This is also the first Rock & Brews location to host a regular live music schedule, with both original acts and cover bands. Opening night will feature the Wildflowers, a Tom Petty tribute act, with a performance by Detroit favorites Sponge already in the works for the near future.
Notably absent are the kinds of gimmicks that often define rock-themed restaurants. There’s no gift shop, no mass-produced wall art, no corporate sheen. In a post–Hard Rock Cafe Detroit landscape, that restraint works in the restaurant’s favor.
Instead, the details feel personal. Detroit artist Mark Arminski’s collection of backstage passes hangs above the bar, while the stairwell is lined with carefully curated flyers — Graystone ads for the Necros, Bookie’s calendars featuring the Motor City Mutants and Iggy Pop.
Just before the second floor, a massive canvas of Sponge’s 1994 debut, Rotting Piñata, signed this week by vocalist Vinnie Dombroski, commands attention. Arnone hopes moments like this can revive a long-lost Detroit tradition: the after-party.
Music runs just as deep in the background. Detroit radio legend Doug Podell teamed up with Drew Lane of The Drew Lane Show to craft the venue’s playlist.
“I basically went through my record collection — from the ’60s through the 2000s,” Podell says. “Everything from the Detroit Cobras to ‘Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man.’ I picked what I’d want to hear as a fan.”
For Podell, the restaurant represents something bigger than a dining destination.
“It’s time for recognition in this city,” he says. “We don’t have a Kid Rock restaurant anymore. We never had Alice Cooper’s. I’m just glad Kiss are finally coming to Detroit Rock City. Why wouldn’t they?”He laughs and adds, “It is Detroit Rock City. We’ve been disparaged — especially with the Hard Rock Cafe gone — and this is just so much better. Go suck it, Hard Rock. We’ve got Kiss.”
Rock & Brews is located at 208 W. Fifth St., Royal Oak; rockandbrews.com.
