Despite the pandemic, metro Detroit’s dining scene is red hot. Between new restaurants, new locations of existing restaurants, new menus, new concepts, and reopening of familiar restaurants, there are a ton of options to try.

Mister Dips 19 E. Grand River, Detroit; misterdips.com This new burger and ice cream joint is located in Parker’s Alley, near the Shinola Hotel. Mister Dips already has a popular location in Brooklyn, New York, which chef and restaurateur Andrew Carmellini opened back in September 2016. Photo courtesy of Mister Dips
Baobab Fare 6568 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-266-5199; baobabfare.com It’s been a long time coming for casual East African concept and 2017 Hatch Detroit winners Baobab Fare. Owned by refugees Hamissi Mamba and Nadia Nijimbere, Baobab Fare offers a taste of Burundi here in Detroit. Photo courtesy of Baobab Fare
Coriander Kitchen & Farm 14601 Riverside Blvd., Detroit; 313-822-4434; corianderkitchenandfarm.com What was once a vacant marina in the Jefferson-Chalmers area has turned into one of Detroit’s newest waterfront restaurants. Although construction delays and rising water levels threatened the restaurant’s completion, Chef Alison Heeres and farmer Gwen Meyer of Coriander Kitchen & Farm finally opened their waterfront farm-to-table restaurant earlier this year. Photo by Lizz Wilkinson
Barda Detroit 4842 Grand River Ave., Detroit; 248-949-0008; bardadetroit.com Opening in the former Magnet space in Core City, Barda Detroit offers Argentinian fare. Barda Detroit offers a simple bar program (think wines from Argentina and Italian Fernet) and a range of vegetable, meat, and seafood dishes at a variety of price points to avoid feeling too “exclusive” for the neighboring area. Photo courtesy of Emma Sandler
Joe Louis Southern Kitchen 3100 W. Grand Blvd., Detroit; 313-788-8338; joelouissouthernkitchen.com Giving New Center the ol’ one-two punch is an ode to the legendary boxer Joe Louis. The all-day brunch-forward project comes from Johnny Cannon (owner of Sweet Magnolia’s, former owner of New Center Eatery) in cooperation with Joe Louis II. The restaurant features classic southern breakfast staples like, buttermilk biscuits, croquettes and rice, shrimp and grits, country fried steak, pancakes, and New Center Eatery’s speciality, chicken and waffles. Photo courtesy of Joe Lois Southern Kitchen
Madam 298 S. Woodward Ave., Birmingham; 248-283-4200; daxtonhotel.com It was announced last October that the Daxton Hotel, a swanky new 151-room boutique hotel, would open in Birmingham with some high-end dining options. That includes Madam, described on its website as offering “vegetable-forward dishes and classic cocktails with a modern twist,” Madam also promises a “graceful” dining space. Photo courtesy of Joe Vaughn
Louisiana Creole Gumbo 29216 Orchard Lake Rd., Farmington Hills; detroitgumbo.com An Eastern Market institution for decades, Detroit’s Louisiana Creole Gumbo restaurant opened its first non-Detroit location in Farmington Hills in the spring. Photo by Kelley O’Neill
Kura Sushi 736 W. Big Beaver Rd., Troy; 947-218-0707; kurasushi.com Kura Sushi is a Japanese chain in the style of the country’s popular “sushi trains,” where plates of sushi are delivered to customers via conveyor belts. The company is also known for partnering with Japanese brands to offer prizes and small toys. Kura Sushi the only conveyor belt sushi restaurant in Michigan. (There used to be Sushi Nara in Ann Arbor, but that has since closed.) Photo courtesy of Kura Sushi
Toney Island 13000 E. Warren Ave., Detroit; 313-469-7255; toney-island.business.site Detroit rapper Tone Tone opened this coney island-style restaurant earlier this year. Named after the rapper’s 2007 hit, the $10 “Waddup Doe Burger” is a seasoned blend of beef or turkey and comes with lettuce, tomato, pickles, cheese, and “Toney Sauce,” which Tone says is so good “you don’t even need ketchup and mustard.” Sandwiches start at around $6.99, with burgers and heartier entree options ranging from $10-$18.99. Sides and items like the Toney Dog start at $3.99 and Toney’s Secret Seasoned wings start at $5.99 for a six-piece. As a nod to Wendy’s “4 for $4” meal deal and as an affordable offering to Toney Island’s neighborhood, there’s a $4 deal that comes with two Whaddup Doe sliders, fries, and a pop. Photo courtesy of Toney Island/Facebook
Coffee Down Under 607 Shelby St., Detroit; 313-444-6626; coffeedownunder.com This Australian-style coffee bar opened in Detroit’s Financial District in a 400 square-foot space under Brome Modern Eatery. The sustainable coffee bar features espresso roasts from Proud Mary Cafe, a Melbourne-based establishment. It also serves Australian refreshments, including the long black — it’s stronger than an Americano and is created by pouring a double-shot of espresso or ristretto over hot water. Photo courtesy of Coffee Down Under/Facebook
Supino 6519 Woodward Ave., Detroit; supinopizzeria.com The owner of one of Detroit’s favorite — and busiest — pizzerias is now serving its New York-style pies in New Center. Supino Pizzeria owner Dave Mancini secured a building on the same block in 2018, but it’s been a while to get things going. Photo by Lee DeVito
Goblin Sushi Bar 2547 Bagley St., Detroit; goblinorder.com Occupying the recently shuttered Peso Bar space in Southwest Detroit, Goblin Sushi Bar officially made its debut. The sushi bar, which already has a location in Clinton Township, offers a variety of rolls including Philadelphia Roll, Shrimp Nigiri, and BBQ Eel. Photo via Goblin Sushi Bar/Facebook
Detroit Beer Exchange 1260 Washington Blvd., Detroit; 313-638-2361; thebeerexchange.com This bar first opened in 2010 in Kalamazoo, known for its casual environment, pizza and beer combos, and, well, the fact that they operate like the stock market, with fluctuating beer prices and spontaneous market crashes, and now they’re serving downtown Detroit. Similar to their Kalamazoo offerings, Detroit Beer Exchange features dozens of beers, 10 ciders, as well as meads and nonalcoholic beverages. Photo courtesy of The Beer Exchange/Facebook
Promenade Artisan Foods 3011 E Grand Blvd., Detroit; 313-462-8166; promenadeartisanfoods.square.site Trenton-based Promenade Artisan Foods expanded with a second location, situated in the Fisher Building. The Detroit spot opened in time for Fat Tuesday, offering “craczki,” or their take on the Polish favorite using croissant dough. Aside from pastries, the spot serves lunches and grab-and-go dinners. The restaurant takes the space of the former City Bakery, which closed during the pandemic. Photo by Promenade Artisan Foods/Facebook
Oak and Reel 2921 East Grand Blvd., Detroit; 313-270-9600; oakandreel.com Michelin-starred chef Jared Gadbaw’s Italian seafood restaurant opened in Milwaukee Junction in September. The menu changes seasonally, and it’s divided into four sections — primi (small plates), pasta, entrees, and desserts. Choose from three- ($58), four- ($68), or five- ($78) course meals. Plates can be shared, but courses cannot be split. Photo by Tom Perkins
Cafe Alto 3100 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-638-1646; alto.coffee Cafe Alto is a new café shop that opened in Detroit’s Brush Park in the former New Order Coffee space. In addition to roasting their own beans, Cafe Alto serves treats from White Wolf Patisserie and Cannelle. Photo courtesy of Cafe Alto/Instagram
Isla 2496 Metro Pkwy., Sterling Heights; 586-883-7526; isladetroit.com This Filipino restaurant resided in Detroit’s former Fort Street Galley food hall before it shuttered last year, but established a brick-and-mortar on the border of Sterling Heights and Troy this year. Isla’s menu features rice and noodle bowls, as well as Filipino pastries. Photo by Tom Perkins
Saucy Brew Works 2671 John R. St., Detroit; 734-926-8933; saucybrewworks.com It was announced in 2019 that a new brewery would be heading to Brush Park in 2020 by way of Cleveland-based Saucy Brew Works. The pizzeria and brewery takes up residence inside Bedrock’s City Modern development, making it the chain’s fifth outpost. Saucy Brew Works’ catalogue of beer includes canned and bottled options like the Habituale, a kölsch-style golden ale, and the IPA ASAP, an American IPA. Saucy also specializes in Neapolitan New Haven-style pizza. Photo courtesy of Saucy Brew Works/Facebook
Portillo’s 14425 Lakeside Cir., Sterling Heights; 630-954-3773; portillos.com The Chicago based fast-casual chain opened its first Michigan location in Sterling Heights, offering Italian-style beef, Chicago-style hotdogs, chicken sandwiches, and malts. Photo courtesy of Portillo’s/Facebook
The Shelby 607 Shelby St., Detroit; shelbydetroit.com This speakeasy-style spot opened in a former bank vault in Detroit’s Financial District earlier this year, under the same ownership as nearby Coffee Down Under. Aside from cocktails, the space also has a food menu with items like “Escar-No” (vegan escargot, but with mushrooms). Photo courtesy of The Shelby/Instagram
Sylvan Table 1819 Inverness St, Sylvan Lake; 248-369-3360; sylvantable.com This new restaurant opened in a massive, 300-year-old barn that was moved in pieces from Maine. The spot says it’s sustainable, with plans to grow its produce on the three acres of farmland it sits on. Photo courtesy of Sylvan Table/Facebook
James Oliver Coffee 1236 Michigan Ave., Detroit; jamesolivercoffee.com James Oliver Coffee Co. took over the 3,400 square-foot corner building at the former Detroit Institute of Bagels spot, which will serve as the company’s flagship cafe. When it opens this fall, the cafe will offer coffee, espresso, cold brew, nitro, and tea, as well as a pour-over station, and New York-style bagels. The space will also get a facelift and will offer a drive-thru and walk-up window. Photo via James Oliver Coffee /Facebook
Barcade 666 Selden St., Detroit; 313-285-9410; barcadedetroit.com We can finally level up thanks to the New York-based bar and arcade cleverly called Barcade. Touted as the first “arcade bar” hybrid, Barcade debuted in Brooklyn in 2004, with Barcade Detroit being the company’s third bar and arcade concept. Photo by Steve Neavling
Dave’s Hot Chicken 22208 Michigan Ave., Dearborn; daveshotchicken.com A popular Los Angeles-based Nashville Hot Chicken-style chain has expanded to Michigan. The brand was founded in 2017 by chef Dave Kopushyan as a parking-lot pop-up and quickly caught on thanks to their spicy chicken tenders and seasoned fries. Photo via James Oliver Coffee /Facebook
Union Assembly 2131 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 248-795-2483; unionassembly.com Union Assembly is the latest outpost from Union Joints, the restaurant group behind popular eateries such as Vinsetta Garage (Royal Oak), Union Woodshop (Clarkston), and Gran Castor (Troy). The 500-seat, 14,800 square-foot restaurant with a three-season indoor/outdoor terrace occupies the first and second floors of the Little Caesars corporate headquarters. Photo courtesy of Union Assembly
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
Crab Du Jour 18900 Michigan Ave., Dearborn; crabdujour.com Seafood boils have become increasingly popular in recent years, so a seafood boil restaurant opening in Dearborn is very much on trend. Courtesy photo via Crab Du Jour
ImaginATE 401 S. Lafayette St., Royal Oak; 248-633-8899; imaginaterestaurant.com Owned by Chef Omar Mitchell, ImaginATE uses technology and creativity to elevate the fine dining experience. ImaginATE makes dining entertaining with the addition of Le Petit, a digital dining experience that shows animated chefs and characters preparing your order digitally before the server presents your real plated meal. Photo via ImaginATE/Facebook
Metropolitan Bar + Kitchen 8047 Agnes St., Detroit; metropolitanvariety.com; 313-469-0976 Metropolitan Bar + Kitchen is a combination general store, bar, and restaurant located at the former site of Craft Work. The restaurant infuses Latin flavors into it’s American-style cuisine and cocktails, offering items such as Carne Asada Picanha Steak and a Detroit Double Cheeseburger. Photo via Metropolitan variety Store/Instagram
Pearl’s Deep Dive 100 S. Main St., Royal Oak; pearlsdeepdive.com; 248-268-2875 Pearl’s Deep Dive is described as having “an eclectic 1920’s dinner party vibe.” The menu predominantly features seafood dishes, like Oysters Rockefeller, New England Lobster Roll, Crispy Potatoes & Caviar, and Lobster Dumplings. Photo via Pearl’s Deep Dive
The Lobster Food Truck & Pitstop 10405 Ford Rd., Dearborn; thelobsterfoodtruck.com; 313-406-5854 Fans of The Lobster Food Truck’s lobster rolls, lobster mac and cheese, and lobster bisque gained a permanent place to get their seafood fix as the food truck opened a brick and mortar location in Dearborn. Photo via The Lobster Food Truck/Facebook
Statler Bistro and Market 313 Park Ave., Detroit; statlerdetroit.com; 313-463-7111 Statler Bistro is an upscale French-American restaurant located at the site of the former Statler Hotel. The restaurant and market acts as a one-stop shop where customers can purchase packaged meals and groceries, or take one of the 165 seats inside the restaurant. Photo Lee DeVito

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