The restaurant industry might have been the hardest hit during the COVID-19 pandemic. As fast as restaurants were closing, new restaurants openings were delayed.

This fall, local favorites are reopening after temporarily shuttering their doors and new restaurant chains are moving into the area.

These are the restaurants we’re most looking forward to coming to the city.

Sloppy Crab 519 E. Jefferson Ave., Detroit; sloppycrabdetroit.com There’s nothing sloppy about this crab. The restaurant takes the traditional seafood boil and ditches the buttery bag in favor of pricier items like Sloppy Crab Prawns, Lobster Crab Cakes, and something called the Sloppy Seafood Pot. Photo by Lee DeVito
Bayview Yacht Club 100 Clairpointe St., Detroit; 313-822-1853; byc.com The 106-year-old Bayview Yacht Club — home of the Hummer, a made-in-Detroit cocktail composed of equal parts rum and Kahlúa, and two scoops of vanilla ice cream — is set to reopen its 86-year-old clubhouse with major renovations. The new design adds 2,700 square feet to the space, featuring a grand new entrance and trophy hall with vaulted ceilings, as well as a new second story bar and deck for dining. Fortunately, the original bar where the famed Hummer was created by bartender Jerome Adams was preserved. Photo by Michael Jackman
Bohemia/Pearl’s Deep Dive 100 S. Main St. Royal Oak; eatatbohemia.com; 248-268-2885 The space on the corner of Main Street and 11 Mile Road in Royal Oak is pivoting again. Once the home of the longstanding Memphis Smoke, it later became Cantina Diablos before the Adam Merkel Restaurant Group bought it and reopened it as Diamond Steak and Seafood in 2018. The new plan involves two concepts on the ground floor: Bohemia, which will have a Mediterranean vibe, and Pearl’s Deep Dive, a casual seafood restaurant. The restaurants were initially expected to open months ago, but we’re hoping they can make it to the finish line before the year’s end. Photo by Lee DeVito
Bonchon 27915 Orchard Lake Rd., Farmington; bonchon.com This Korean food chain will open its first Michigan restaurant this fall. The restaurant specializes in Korean fried chicken, but also offers other fusion foods such as tacos and sliders, and traditional Korean dishes such as potstickers and pork buns. Courtesy photo via Bonchon
Mudgie’s at Rivertown Market 1475 E. Jefferson Ave., Detroit; rivertownmarket.com Lovers of the popular Corktown spot Mudgie’s Deli will soon be able to snag some sammies at Rivertown Market, a small-format grocery store operated by local supermarket chain Meijer. The market, which will offer other local products like Great Lakes Coffee, Pietrzyk Pierogi, and Ma Cohen’s fish, will host Mudgie’s second-ever outpost since the late Greg Mudge opened its flagship deli in 2008. Photo courtesy of ??PublicCity PR
The Red Hook Greenway 2761 E. Jefferson, Detroit; theredhookcoffee.com The Red Hook initially had plans to open two new locations this year, but the pandemic shifted those plans. Instead, the cafe and bakery opened a new location on the Dennis Archer Greenway in Detroit’s West Village. Metro Times file photo
Shake Shack 104 N. Adams Rd., Rochester Hills; shakeshack.com Shake Shack is opening its fifth Michigan location in Rochester Hills this fall. Known for its 100% all-natural Angus beef burgers and, well, shakes, the New York-based chain’s new location will include an outdoor patio and walk-up window pickup. Photo via Shake Shack/Facebook
Townhouse 500 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-723-1000; eatattownhouse.com Townhouse closed the doors to its downtown Detroit home in fall of 2020 due to the pandemic. Now, the restaurant is preparing for its grand reopening this fall. Not only has Townhouse revamped its look, but it’s also changing up some things on its menu. Aside from new food options, Townhouse will be adding a new dessert and coffee bar using coffee roasted by Coffeehaus. Photo via Townhouse/Facebook
What’s Crackin’ Near Seven Mile and Livernois, Detroit Detroit will soon get another tasty outpost from celebrated chef Max Hardy. Hardy, who in 2019 was named by The New York Times as one of 16 Black chefs in America responsible for elevating the culinary scene, will add a seafood boil spot to his catalog of restaurants, which includes the Caribbean-themed COOP at the Detroit Shipping Co., the now-shuttered River Bistro, and the forthcoming Afro-Caribbean spot Honey. For What’s Crackin’, Hardy will team up with Ron Bartell, the former Detroit Lion cornerback and owner of the nearby Kuzzo’s Chicken & Waffles along the Avenue of Fashion. Customers can choose their seafood, sauce, and spices, including a selection of Chef Max Signature Spice Blends, which will also be made available for purchase. Photo via GoogleMaps
Freya and Dragonfly 2929 E. Grand Blvd., Detroit; instagram.com/freyadetroit, instagram.com/dragonflydetroit Freya and Dragonfly were initially expected to open in 2020, but the pandemic postponed those plans. The dual dining experience in the North End area is the next project from Sandy Levine and Doug Hewitt, the owners of Chartreuse Kitchen & Cocktails. Freya will have a 40-50 seat dining area and serve as a fine-dining restaurant, while Dragonfly will focus on cocktails. Photo via GoogleMaps
Sauce 4120 2nd Ave., Detroit; saucedetroit.com Sauce is an Italian-inspired restaurant presented by Heirloom Hospitality, the group behind Townhouse and Prime + Proper. Located inside the former Will Leather Goods in Midtown, Sauce will fuse a taste of California with the traditions of Italy. The space was supposed to open earlier this year, but the opening was postponed. Photo via Steve Neavling

Have something to share?

SEND US A NEWS TIP

Since 1980, Metro Times has been Detroit’s premier alternative source for news, arts, culture, music, film, food, fashion and more from a liberal point of view.