An Eater’s Guide to Detroit #DetroitFood

There’s more to Detroit’s dining scene than coney dogs. | Shutterstock

Unofficial, highly opinionated information about the Motor City

Diners, prohibition-era bars, shawarma, and locally-grown ingredients — it’s all part of the Detroit food scene. The muscle and minds behind the car manufacturing lines helped shaped Detroit’s early restaurant history, catering to blue-collar workers and upper echelon executives alike while attracting immigrant labor from around the world. But changes in the region’s economy are fostering a new chapter in the city’s food economy. This guide is your primer to navigating that complex, fast-evolving landscape,

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Welcome to the Land of Square Pizza

Outsiders typically know Detroit for two things — car manufacturing and bankruptcy — but there’s so much more to the city than the headlines. The vibrant arts community, small businesses, and a burgeoning young, food scene fueled by a robust urban farming community are points of pride for people living in Detroit. Diners readily take advantage of Michigan’s incredible meat, produce, locally brewed beer, and distilled spirits. These restaurants celebrate the area’s rich multicultural heritage, including Middle Eastern, Vietnamese, Polish, Italian, German, Latin American, and Bangladeshi communities as well as influences from the American South.

Here, many of the pizzas are rectangular rather than round, and hot dogs are a late-night hangover cure topped with chili, onions, and mustard. Lebanese food is also a must, so plan to devote some time and stomach real estate to maza, kibbeh nayeh, and fresh pita bread. Save room for buckwheat chocolate chip cookies and sweet potato pie and don’t pass up a chance to sip cocktails at one of Detroit’s many up-and-coming bars.

Where to Start on Eater Detroit’s Best Maps

Eater publishes boatloads of maps to guide you through all of Detroit’s can’t-miss foods, drinks, restaurants, and bars. The site promotes both the new and the classic restaurants of the city, with a particular eye on quality and experience. Below, find some vital spots for those exploring the city with little time to take a deep dive.

Michelle and Chris Gerard

A view of downtown Detroit.

Essential Restaurants: The Detroit 38 is a vital tool for visitors navigating the Motor City dining scene. It’s hard to go astray with the potato doughnuts, hearty beans and greens, and buckwheat pancakes at East Jefferson’s most charming diner, Rose’s Fine Food. For a sloppy sandwich with a great story, head to Chef Greg’s Soul-N-the Wall.

Bill Addison

Cherry-bourbon pie at Sister Pie.

Hot Restaurants: The Detroit heatmap is designed to help make finding a new restaurant a little simpler. Venture into Corktown for fresh and buttery shrimp rolls and oysters at Mink or grab East African food at Baobab Fare.

Bars: Detroit’s beverage scene is one of the brightest spots in the industry right now, with cocktail bars, breweries, and wine shops coming up in droves. One of the most exemplary destinations is low-key neighborhood cocktail spot Kiesling in Milwaukee Junction. Whether it’s a neighborhood bar, a dive, or a classy cocktail lounge, check out this map for the all-around top spots.

Late-Night Food: For after-hours cravings, look no farther than the late-night dining map. It’s Detroit, so coney dogs are always available.

Gluten-Free Eating: For customers with allergies or gluten intolerance, there’s still plenty of great spots to enjoy a meal in Detroit. From the waffles at Folk to the barbecue at Slows, here’s a guide to some of the best gluten-free bites in Detroit.

Iconic Dishes: The vital intel on this map will guide you through some of the Motor City’s must-try foods, from the ribs at Bert’s Marketplace to New Palace Bakery’s paczki (a filled Polish doughnut that’s popular around Fat Tuesday).

Worthwhile Tourist Traps: Like any major city, there are some restaurants that attract a disproportionate amount of attention from out-of-towners and some are more worthwhile than others. From the barbecue at Slows to the pasta at Selden Standard, here are the dining spots that Detroiters and tourists both love.

Pizza: As you already know by now, Detroit is known for pizza — particularly the square pizzas made with a thick, spongy crust, brick cheese, and sauce on top. For the original recipe, head to Buddy’s Rendezvous on Conant and find a guide here to even more places for Detroit-style pizza. For something more akin to a big-as-your-head New York slice, Supino Pizzeria in Eastern Market or New Center is your best bet.

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Paczki at New Palace Bakery in Hamtramck.

Hot Dogs: Beyond its contribution to the world of pizza, Detroit’s claim to fame is the chili-doused hot dog known as a coney. Detroiters like to debate which Coney Island serves the best rendition, with American Coney Island and its less-flashy neighbor Lafayette Coney Island receiving the most press. However, Duly’s Place in Southwest Detroit and Red Hots Coney Island in Highland Park also serve tube meat with snap. For creative hot dogs (with vegan options), be sure to visit UFO Factory.

Bakeries: Detroit’s large collection of bakeries is pretty impressive. For sourdough breads, look no farther than Ochre Bakery in Core City, which has a full-service lunch menu and a coffee shop. If the day calls for an artful dessert, don’t miss Cannelle by Matt Knio in downtown Detroit or tart queen Warda Bouguettaya’s Warda Patisserie in Eastern Market and Midtown.

Steak: There’s more to Detroit than meat and potatoes but some occasions call for a really good steak. For that, the Motor City offers more than a few options such as luxury hotspot Prime + Proper, which uses only USDA prime beef and lamb that’s dry-aged a minimum of 28 days in house. For something less trendy but still delivering on flavor head to Capers, an east-side institution since 1982. The restaurant offers cuts by the ounce that are cooked to order in a casual bar setting.

Breakfast and Brunch: Start your day on a full stomach at one of Detroit’s excellent breakfast destinations. On the weekend, the metro area offers plenty of brunch spots to nurse hangovers with bottomless mimosas and bloody Marys. If duck and bibimbap hash with beermosas sound enticing, then head to downtown’s all-day brunch destination, Dime Store.

Vegetarian and Vegan: While meat may have reigned for a long stretch, Detroit’s many farms and gardens are sprouting a movement toward more local produce in kitchens, as well as a greater appreciation for veggies on the plate. Soul food gets the clean eating treatment without losing any of the flavor at Detroit Vegan Soul in Grandmont-Rosedale.

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A Detroit-style square from Loui’s Pizza in Hazel Park.

Budget Dining: Dining on a budget isn’t all that difficult in Detroit. The cheap eats guide is a roadmap to the most affordable and delicious bites in town from Bucharest Grill’s filling chicken shawarma to the corned beef egg rolls at Asian Corned Beef. Don’t miss happy hour for the all-around best afternoon specials in town and the half-priced wine map.

Mexican Food: Not many people outside of Detroit think of the city as a hub for great Mexican food, but Southwest Detroit and pockets downriver and in other parts of metro Detroit offer exemplary examples of the cuisine. El Barzon is a high-end favorite for date nights that’s as adept with mole as with Italian ravioli. For street-style tacos, Taqueria El Rey draws in customers with the intoxicating aroma of its grilled chicken. Make sure to sample some of the hot sauces with your taco meal. For something slightly more upscale, Springwells mainstay El Asador Mexican Steakhouse serves tacos stuffed with scallops and lobster.

Burgers: Burger spots in the Motor City are plentiful and offer a mixture of classic Americana like Motz Burgers’ grilled onion topped sliders and new American odes to old-school cheeseburgers like the double stack served at Grey Ghost. For freshly-ground beef and a build-your-own-burger format, Cutter’s Bar & Grill is a solid option during a trip to Eastern Market (the 32-ounce monster burger is not for the faint of heart). The happy hour-only burger at Roast is also a must-try.

Sandwiches: Detroit is a sandwich town. Some of the best and most extensive offerings between sliced bread are served at Mudgie’s Deli, a neighborhood restaurant and bar with family-friendly vibes and an excellent selection of beer and wine. For a taste of Turkish-by-way-of-Germany street food in Detroit, visit Balkan House for döner kebab. Spicy karaage chicken and tofu sandwiches are the most-hyped dishes at Ima in Midtown.

Salads: Sometimes the day just calls for a tasty salad and there’s a guide for that, too. For a refreshing fattoush with crisp pita chips head to Hamido in Dearborn or in Dearborn Heights. For ultra-fresh local greens on a vibrant rotating menu, visit Chartreuse Kitchen & Cocktails.

Coffee: Detroit has dozens of coffee shops sprinkled throughout the city and Eater’s developed a guide to some of the best.

Ice Cream: Chill out with frozen desserts year round with mango and tamarind treats from Mangonadas del Barrio and ice-cream sandwiches from Treat Dreams. There’s also loads of places for soft serve and custard.

Patios: Sure, Detroit is bitterly cold for much of the year, but that just means Detroiters appreciate the sun all the more when it comes out. The metro area offers plenty of year-round patios such as Townhouse Detroit that give patrons the al fresco feel even when the weather isn’t perfect. For gorgeous days, there’s also plenty of great sunny patios to check out — even some on rooftops.

Gorgeous Views: There aren’t as many high-rise restaurants and bars in Detroit as there once were, but there’s no shortage of attractive views. From waterfront classics like Joe Muer Seafood to the charming fountain views at Parc in Campus Martius, don’t overlook these lovely restaurants and bars.

Detroit Food Neighborhoods to Know

Detroit is a massive city spanning 139 square miles — large enough to fit San Francisco, Manhattan, and Boston within its borders — and that’s not even accounting for the metro area. A number of neighborhoods and cities stand out for the density and quality of food options, while others offer a wealth of longtime favorites and emerging restaurant scenes. Below, find a primer on some of the top destinations that food obsessives should know.

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Nemo’s Bar is a popular stalwart sports pub on Michigan Avenue in Corktown.

Corktown

Located just west of downtown and north of the river, Corktown is Detroit’s oldest existing neighborhood, and is often described as ground zero for the city’s current restaurant boom. The area — technically located within the boundaries of Southwest — features a large swath of residential properties and relatively walkable commercial strips along Michigan Avenue, Trumbull, and Rosa Parks.

Here visitors will find the ever-popular original Slows Bar-B-Q, Detroit essentials like Mudgie’s Deli for monster corned beef sandwich as well as award-winning brunch cafe Folk. If warm bowls of udon noodles are in order visit Ima on Michigan Avenue or consider checking out Takoi with its Blade Runner interior and Thai-influenced cuisine.

The neighborhood is also a popular spot for drinking, offering a mixture of cocktail destinations. There’s the craft distillery and all-around best laid-back bar in the city Two James Spirits, the unpretentious MotorCity Wine, beer hall Batch Brewing Company, and 50-plus-year-old icon Nemo’s Bar. Spend a whole visit in this neighborhood without wanting for food.

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The Detroit Institute of Arts in Midtown.

Midtown

Part of the story of Detroit’s resurgence involves gentrification, and for better or worse, the area known as “Midtown” often takes the brunt of that criticism. Part of it has to do with branding. The name is used as a catch-all by developers and newcomers to describe several distinct areas roughly north of downtown along Woodward Avenue, including Cass Corridor, Milwaukee-Junction, the North End, Brush Park, and New Center. The area was one of the first spaces to attract new-wave Detroit businesses, especially surrounding the Detroit Institute of Arts and Wayne State University. The building of the QLine railway alongside the Red Wings arena area and a Little Caesars compound dubbed “the District Detroit” has only fueled the expansion of new restaurants in the area.

Despite these conflicts, the neighborhood delivers quality food and drink. Several worthwhile beer (and pizza) destinations — Jolly Pumpkin Pizzeria and Brewery, Motor City Brewing Works, and 8 Degrees Plato Detroit — are in the Cass Corridor alongside one of the city’s finest bakeshops, Avalon International Breads. New American food and progressive craft cocktails can be had at Chartreuse Kitchen & Cocktails and Brush Park’s Grey Ghost. The area is also populated with plenty of dive bars such as the Bronx Bar, Jumbo’s (3736 Third Ave.), and Old Miami. For classic fine dining, visit Cuisine in New Center or consider checking out Yum Village, a fast-casual Afro-Caribbean restaurant; Baobab Fare, an East African restaurant, or Joe Louis Southern Kitchen, named for the legendary Detroit boxer. Don’t miss nearby Milwaukee Junction’s award-winning cocktail hotspot Kiesling.

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Michigan farms and gardens sell produce inside a shed at Eastern Market.

Eastern Market

Located east of downtown is the food processing and retail hub known as Eastern Market. For more than 125 years, this year-round collection of market sheds has hosted farms and food purveyors. Saturdays are the biggest days for Eastern Market, attracting thousands of visitors every weekend in search of fresh produce and food trucks. The main sheds are surrounded by numerous brick warehouse buildings filled with meat processors and retailers like the meaty Gratiot Central Market.

With this bounty of fresh ingredients in reach and a regular stream of foot traffic, more Detroit restaurants and bars have set up shop right in the market neighborhood. Those who venture to Eastern Market will encounter classic takeout spots like Louisiana Creole Gumbo alongside the more contemporary Italian at Supino Pizzeria. Detroit City Distillery also serves cocktails featuring its signature whiskeys, gins, and vodka on Riopelle Street just a block away from neighborhood beer spot, Eastern Market Brewing Company. For international breads and gorgeously crafted tarts don’t overlook Warda Patisserie inside Trinosophes. Find towering burgers and their more manageable counterparts at Cutter’s bar and grill. And don’t miss the intoxicating aromas of grilled ribs from Bert’s Market Place.

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Pastries are on display at Mexicantown Bakery on West Vernor Highway.

Southwest Detroit

A large Latin American community lives in Southwest Detroit, a group of smaller neighborhoods that stretches across the I-75 freeway toward Downriver. Some of the best Mexican and Central American cuisine in the city can be found here in restaurants and food trucks, alongside Prohibition-era bars, classic Italian, and vegan taco trucks.

In Mexicantown, find a hub of Americanized Mexican eateries, beloved Mexican bakeries like La Gloria and Sheila’s Bakery, and relative newcomers like Neapolitan pizzeria PizzaPlex. One of the best food trucks, Detroit 75 Kitchen, is serving exceptional Mediterranean-inspired street food, just a few minutes away by car to Fort Street. Feast on tacos and grilled chicken at a local favorite Taqueria El Rey off West Vernor Highway or check out the old-school coney dogs and cheap breakfasts at Duly’s Place.

Feast on fresh, crispy pieces of fried chicken at Pollo Chapin and for Salvadorian food — pupusas, massive plates of fried plantains, and more — don’t miss Pupusería y Restaurante Salvadoreño on Livernois. A great date-night pick is El Barzon, where the chef/owner expertly prepares both Mexican and Italian fare.

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Cyclists stop for drinks at the Skip, a cocktail bar in downtown Detroit’s Belt Alley.

Downtown

Home to General Motors, Quicken Loans, and several of the area’s major sports teams, downtown is also where a large proportion of Detroit’s newer-guard dining establishments are, as well as old-school and independently-owned operations beyond the Bedrock-cultivated Gilbertville.

For starters, two of the city’s biggest food-related tourist attractions — American Coney Island and Lafayette Coney Island — can be found here. Detroiters like to pick sides when it comes to which diner serves a better coney dog. The Greektown area (mainly along Monroe Avenue) near the casino serve old-school Greek food from flaming cheese to gyros. The Golden Fleece is a particular late-night favorite and Firebird Tavern is a good bet for bar food. Capitol Park shops like Dessert Oasis and Urban Bean Co. will keep you in caffeine. Spots like the Dime Store are great for brunch.

During the warmer months, check out the daily food trucks in Cadillac Square and then head across the street in the evening for a solid burger and beer at Checker Bar (featuring a second-floor arcade bar). Don’t pass up the exceptional drinks at Standby. Weekend parties often end at Cafe D’Mongo’s Speakeasy, just a block away.

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Good Cakes and Bakes is located on a stretch of Livernois known as The Avenue of Fashion.

Northwest Detroit

The area northwest of Woodward Avenue admittedly covers a lot of ground. It represents numerous neighborhoods with intermittent pockets of businesses interspersed by residential areas. But for those with a little time and transportation, it’s worth paying a visit to the area for its mixture of new and well-established restaurants and businesses serving everything from battered and fried American comfort foods to pastries and Jamaican food.

Perhaps the biggest destination in Northwest Detroit is the Avenue of Fashion, an area just south of Eight Mile, which for decades was the largest Black business district in the country. The strip running along Livernois Avenue boasts several notable spots. Don’t miss a chance to try the gooey butter cake at Good Cakes and Bakes. Make a reservation at the world-famous jazz club, Baker’s Keyboard Lounge, and save room for fried chicken and hot cobbler a la mode for dessert. More restaurants and bars are headed this way soon.

Golden tubers impart flavor into nearly every dish at Sweet Potato Sensations, a family-owned bakery and restaurant in Old Redford across the street from the iconic Redford Theatre. More recently, the area around Lahser Road has also attracted Senegalese flavors from Maty’s African Cuisine.

The residential Grandmont-Rosedale area features delightful stops like Elias Donuts and Public Square. Nearby in Brightmoor off Fenkell Street, Scotty Simpson’s has been frying top-notch fish and chips since 1950.

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Small’s Bar in Hamtramck on Paczki Day 2018.

Hamtramck

An independent enclave surrounded by Detroit, Hamtramck is an old Polish community that’s more recently welcomed immigrants from Bangladesh, Yemen, and beyond. The presence of the newcomers has had a huge impact on the dining scene in the area, which now offers a variety of cuisines as well as great neighborhood bars and cafes.

Stalwart Polish restaurants including Polish Village Cafe and Polonia, keep diners well-fed with pierogi, kielbasa, and dill pickle soup. Hamtramck bakeries like New Palace serve a Fat Tuesday favorite — paczki — along with cakes, cookies, and other sweet treats year round.

Hamtramck’s Bangladeshi community imparts its own Southeast Asian flavors on the city. Try an array of delicious meat, fish, and vegetarian dishes at Bangladeshi mainstays like Aladdin Sweets & Cafe, or order a Bengali-fusion tandoori chicken pie at Amar Pizza. Yemen Cafe is a favorite for huge, fresh-baked flatbreads and lamb alongside Mediterranean restaurant Royal Kabob on Caniff. Balkan House is serving perhaps the most true-to-European-style döner kabob in the region.

Beyond its international offerings, pop-up venues like Revolver and amazing artisan chocolates at Bon Bon Bon. Bars like Bumbo’s keep customers in casual cocktails.

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Hamido in Dearborn.

Dearborn

The largest Arab-American community in the United States resides in Dearborn. Arab immigrants have been coming to Michigan since the late 1800s, according to scholars at the Dearborn-based Arab American National Museum. Some came to work at Ford factories, while others came during times of unrest in their home countries. Whatever the motivations, those communities have had an influence on the overall flavor of many foods in metro Detroit and help Dearborn stand out as a special spot for food in metro Detroit.

The city, located southwest of Detroit, is home to spots like Al-Ameer Restaurant, a popular Lebanese eatery that was named one of America’s Classics by the James Beard Foundation in 2016 and holds a spot on Eater’s National 38. Plan on leaving with a full stomach. The family-style maza meal is a must-try. Hamido is another Mediterranean favorite for takeout or big dine-in platters (don’t miss the garlicky falafel). Sheeba Restaurant offers Yemeni-style feasts and traditional dishes like lamb and potato fahsah served simmering table side. Grab a lunch of roasted sausages, kafta, more at Dearborn Meat Market and save room for a sweets tour of formidable sweets oasis Shatila Bakery, New Yasmeen, and Lebon Sweets. A classic destination Miller’s Bar is also a good choice for burgers, while newer options such as Taystee’s Burgers offer special toppings and halal options.

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Customers eat dinner at Marrow, a restaurant and butcher shop in West Village.

Other Places to Know

A hungry person could spend years doing a big dive into Detroit and the surrounding metro area. For those looking for further culinary adventures beyond the main attractions featured above, here’s a brief primer to a few other neighborhoods and cities of note:

A neighborhood on the eastside of Detroit, West Village features popular cafe the Red Hook, veggie-friendly comfort food spot Detroit Vegan Soul, and one of the best pie shops in the country, Sister Pie. For build-your-own charcuterie and cheese boards or yakitori skewers, visit restaurant-butcher shop combo Marrow.

Just northeast of The Avenue is Ferndale, a suburban city filled with hip restaurants, bars, cafes, and a growing number of breweries. Discover beer paradise with the brews at ever-popular gastropub One-Eyed Betty’s. Sample raw oysters and other briny seafood delights at Voyager, a tiny, but mighty restaurant on the east side of town. Fans of brunch will be right at home at the Fly Trap. Farther to the southeast is another more casual mead favorite, B. Nektar. Don’t miss out on speakeasy-style cocktail bar the Oakland.

The up-and-coming ’burb of Hazel Park boasts attractions like longtime Detroit-style square maker Loui’s Pizza and Top Chef contestant James Rigato’s accolade magnate Mabel Gray.

Madison Heights is a good bet for Asian cuisine. This Detroit suburb offers a lot of Chinese and Vietnamese dining options as well as a big market, 168 Asian Mart, where people can find some of the area’s best Asian street food. Find some tasty Mexican food at Tienda Mexicana as well as a popular brunch spot, the Breakfast Club, in the city as well.

Another Detroit suburb, Royal Oak has a somewhat bro-y reputation, but there is good food to be had there. O.W.L. on Woodward Avenue is a refreshing take on an updated Mexican-American diner and the Red Coat Tavern is a venerable British-American pub with a reputation for great burgers.

Many excellent, higher-end experiences can be had in the northern suburb of Birmingham. Tea fans will definitely find something to like at Eli Tea. Owned by 2017 Eater Young Gun Elias Majid, a shop that develops its own tea blends. Commonwealth is also a favorite for coffee and brunch. For finer dining Lebanese experience and some unexpectedly fantastic ribs go to Phoenicia on Old Woodward. Swanky Madam recently opened in the Daxon Hotel. You could, of course, go more lowbrow and pick up a slider or two from Hunter House Hamburgers.

Detroit Glossary of Terms

Coney Island

No, not that Coney Island. When in Detroit, a “coney” is a term used to describe the many diners peppered throughout the city. They’re often run by Eastern Europeans, though not exclusively, and as such commonly offer Greek salads, gyros, and lemon rice soup. The defining characteristic of any Coney Island, however, is that it serves coney dogs — hot dogs served on a steamed, bun, with loose chili, chopped white onions, and mustard. Some of the best-known ones are downtown, but locals know that really any neighborhood greasy spoon — Detroit One, Duly’s, Red Hots — will do the trick.

Detroit Square

Some will wish to call this a “deep dish” pizza. They would be mistaken. It’s a square or a Detroit-style, and while it’s thicker than many typical slices it’s nothing like that trumped-up pie they serve in Illinois. It’s trendy across much of the nation but Buddy’s Rendezvous originated the Detroit square, baking a spongy Sicilian-style dough in a rectangular blue-pan and layering it with toppings, brick cheese, finally sauce on top. The whole thing comes out hot with crispy caramelized cheese edges and yes, you may eat it with a fork. Other restaurants have since picked up the recipe, developing their own special versions of the square and building friendly rivalries.

Slider

Did Detroit invent the slider? Probably not, but restaurants around here do serve an awful lot of them. Old-school hamburger shacks like Telway and Hunter House serve up the classic greasy mini burgers cooked on a flat grill and often topped with caramelized onions. A bag of burgers will go for just a couple of bucks. For fancier versions, visit Green Dot Stables in Corktown.

Botana

While botana generally just refers to a snack in Mexico, at Detroit Mexican restaurants such as Los Galanes and Armando’s the word takes on a more specific meaning. Somewhat akin to a really good plate of nachos, most versions of the Detroit botana feature melted cheese, beans, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, jalapeños, onions, and sliced avocado over corn chips.

Michelle and Chris Gerard

Botana at Armando’s in Southwest Detroit.

Hummer Shake

The Motor City’s gift to the boozy milkshake world, the recipe was originally developed at the Bayview Yacht Club but now graces menus at spots like Mercury Burger Bar. The recipe is simple: a little rum, a little Kahlua, some ice cubes, and vanilla ice cream. Blend and slurp blissfully through your straw.

Boston Cooler

Another ice cream-based drink — though notably less alcoholic — the Boston Cooler is a Detroit-invented soda float featuring home-grown Vernor’s Ginger Ale and scoops of vanilla ice cream.

The Last Word

A few years ago a bartender in Seattle dug this recipe out of the archives and revived it. Historians believe this green Chartreuse-based cocktail may have been developed at the extremely exclusive Detroit Athletic Club, but you can get it all over town now thanks to the local craft cocktail movement. Limes, gin, green Chartreuse, Luxardo Maraschino liqueur, Luxardo original Maraschino cherries are the basis for the herbaceous drink.

Faygo

A local soda company that’s popular with Juggalos, Faygo comes in a rainbow of flavors from orange to grape to rock and rye. Its Detroit-made status also means it’s a favorite ingredient among chefs looking to add a special touch to recipes including everything from ice cream to chicken wing glaze.

Better Made

Another venerable Detroit brand, Better Made specializes in snacks and its chips are especially favored for adding crunch to dishes like fish and chips and sushi.

Asian Corned Beef

There are a surprising number of corned beef egg rolls on Detroit menus these days but perhaps the best-known ones are served by a mini-chain called Asian Corned Beef. It serves up these sinfully delicious eater fried meat and cheese mashups. The classic is similar to a regular corned beef sandwich, but you can also get them stuffed with fillings like ground beef and hot peppers.

Almond Boneless Chicken

You can find this dish elsewhere but it’s probably most popular at Chinese restaurants in metro Detroit. A Chinese-American invention, the almond boneless chicken meat is battered, fried, drizzled with a brown-colored gravy, and then topped with sliced almonds and scallions because a little green makes it healthy, right?

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Mabel Gray in Hazel Park.

Reservations to Make in Advance

A rapidly evolving food scene and national attention have made Detroit restaurants exceptionally popular. On weekends and some evenings, it’s reasonable to expect a wait — particularly if it’s a recently opened establishment. When in doubt, call ahead.

Some places unfortunately don’t accept reservations or accept very limited reservations such as Selden Standard. Others will reserve space for walk-ins such as Mabel Gray, which keeps its bar open. (Definitely make a reservation here if your party is larger, you want the tasting menu, or you want to score a table.) Grey Ghost in Brush Park is another for which reservations are highly recommended. SheWolf and San Morello at the Shinola Hotel also are hot tickets.

Takoi’s tables can be hard to come by during peak hours, but the returning restaurant is now offering reservations for the Takoi Experience tasting menu through Tock. For those looking to go big on a tasting menu downtown, The Apparatus Room has a 12-seat Chef’s Table that accepts reservations on Tock.

Finally, tickets to dinners at pop-up restaurant Frame in Hazel Park must be purchased online in advance.

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The dome at Belle Isle Conservatory.

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