Detroit City Guide
Elwood Bar and Grille
Elwood Bar & Grill has been a fixture of downtown Detroit since 1936. Originally built at the intersection of Elizabeth Street and Woodward Avenue, this go-to bar for Detroit sports fans is now located on Adams Avenue across the street from Comerica Park and Ford Field. The classic sports bar, with a 1950s décor look, serves classic bar grub — appetizers, burgers, sandwiches and, of course, Detroit coney dogs — but much better quality. Also, the menu is reasonably priced, with nearly every item under $10. No sports bar would be complete without beer, and Elwood has the standard beer selection to go along with seasonal and specialty beers.
300 E Adams Ave.
Motor City Brewery
This gem of a bar and restaurant is tucked behind a few empty buildings in Detroit’s Midtown district. Most known for their English-style mild ale called the “Ghettoblaster,” their seasonal Oktoberfest beer, and their hard cider, Motor City Brewing Works also has 6-8 homebrewed beers on tap at all times. Having been featured in both major Detroit newspapers, Food Network, GQ magazine and even as a question on Jeopardy!, MCBW has become nationally-recognized. Not to be overshadowed by their beer, the restaurant’s wood brick oven pizzas are equally good. With names like Bronx Bomber, Danimal, Sopla Fuego, The Godfather and Mary Did Have (a pizza featuring lamb) you can tell the restaurant owners like to have fun with their food. MCBW even sells products with their insignia on it, including shirts, pint glasses and their two-volume “Ghettoblaster” CDs, featuring some of Detroit’s best music.
470 W. Canfield St.
Astoria Pastry Shop
With muffins the size of softballs and cinnamon rolls that could be used as Frisbees, the Astoria Pastry Shop features a staggering array of pastries, cheesecakes, cookies, pies, scones and ice creams. The original establishers, George and Mahi Teftsis, visited pastry shops and ethnic restaurants in Chicago, New York City and Greece before setting up the shop in 1971. Award-winning and well-known in the Detroit area, Astoria has over 100 fresh-baked goods for customers to peruse while sipping specialty gourmet roasted coffees. As a Greek-owned pastry shop, Astoria’s baklava is its best-selling baked good, with their cannoli a close second. With the ability to order online, quality baked goods from Astoria’s oven are just one click away.
541 Monroe St.
Detroit Historical Museum
Established in 1928, the Detroit Historical Museum is one of America’s oldest and largest metropolitan history museums. With over 600 historic artifacts from more than 300 years of metro Detroit history, students can get a closer look at the city’s rich history for just $4 with a valid ID. The museum’s largest exhibit is an assembly line re-creation known simply “The Motor City,” with authentic GM and Chrysler cars on the assembly line. In the basement of the museum, guests can go even further back in Detroit lore, with an early 19th Century street scene known as “The Streets of Old Detroit.” The museum’s most popular exhibit, the streets transform from the 1900s and lamppost-lined brick roads to the 1840s and cobblestone streets with oil lamps, all while showcasing authentic Detroit storefront facades.
5401 Woodward Ave.
Pure Detroit
Pure Detroit has been “amping up local culture” since 1998. The apparel and gift stores can be found in three different locations — the Guardian Building, the Fisher Building and the Renaissance Center. Each locale, decorated differently, sells Pure Detroit-brand shirts, hoodies, hats, belts and handbags, as well as more uniquely Detroit items. Pewabic pottery, coffee from The Great Lakes Coffee Roasting Company and Stella International Café, Detroit hot sauces and spices, Sanders ice cream toppings and McClure’s pickles — which have been featured on Food Network’s “Best Thing I Ever Ate” — can also be found in all three stores. For those who want to show their Detroit pride, men’s and women’s shirts cost $24, hoodies go for $32 and hats are $25.??3
Downtown Locations – Guardian Building Lobby, Fisher Building Lobby, Renaissance Center
Loco’s Tex-Mex Grille
Loco’s, located in Detroit’s Greektown district, is just a short walk away from Comerica Park and Ford Field. Known for its homemade salsa and festive atmosphere, Loco’s has an extensive menu to please those looking for classic Mexican fare, including several varieties of quesadillas, fajitas, tacos, burritos and enchiladas. With an on-site bar, thirsty guests can get liquor, beer or wine to wash down their dinner. The food is fairly priced, as everything is around $15 or less — the prices go up if you want to go with the “Tex” part of the menu, as their 14-ounce steaks are $18. The self-proclaimed “Best Tex-Mex in the Mid-West” is open from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Monday through Thursday, and 11 a.m to 4 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. For those looking for an alternative to late night Taco Bell runs, check out this authentic Mexican fare.
454 E. Lafayette Blvd.
Cliff Bell’s Jazz Club
This fully restored art-deco nightclub located in the heart of Detroit’s historic entertainment district feels like the 1930s. That makes sense when you figure that the softly-lit club, which used to be a speakeasy before becoming a restaurant, has been in Detroit since 1935. Performing acts range from spoken-word to hard-bop or vaudeville to the avant-garde, so fans get a little bit of everything. The same can be said about the menu, with traditional soups, salads and entrees, but guests are encouraged to improvise their meals, making it an “a la carte” experience. You might think that with the classy atmosphere and high-end meal items — filet mignon, foie gras, frog legs — that the prices would be astronomical. Fortunately, Cliff Bell’s offers all of their delicious food for under $30, so you can enjoy a good meal and a good show all?at once.
2030 Park Ave.
