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Food & Fun
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SPORTS BARS 24 SECONDS An upscale but not stuffy addition to the “jockular” bar scene, 24 Seconds is the next-door neighbor of the lager and stout altar that is the Berkley Front. Plenty of plasmas to scope all the pertinent hockey, hoop, gridiron and diamond action. Ridiculing Larry Brown’s carpetbagging ways is encouraged, but there’s no ridiculing a menu that avoids the annoying sports cliches. God bless the shot clock. ANDREW’S ON THE CORNER Downtown’s archetypal drinkatorium. This normally quiet neighborhood bar turns into Partytown, U.S.A. on a hockey night. A good old-fashioned bar menu, with the usual suspects of burgers/sandwiches/fryer foods, makes it the spot for a quick lunch or late bite. BAILEY’S PUB & GRILLE Premium eating and drinking spot smack dab in Ford country. It’s posh by sports bar standards, and even nicer than most restaurants. Great burgers and a menu that goes way beyond your typical pub grub. The beer selection is h-u-g-e; tons of taps and plenty of bottled choices as well. Lively patio and big fun crowds. BOOKIE’S TAVERN This is not to be confused with the legendary punk bar, which did not own a TV and wasn’t even downtown. Occupying the corner sweet spot in the historic Book Building, Bookie’s is a fun place to sit and swill before the game and go those extra innings after. There is even a second floor for you fitness freaks. BREAKTIME BILLIARDS Give yourself a break from the ordinary watering hole. Breaktime has 19 world-class pool tables, darts, big screen TVs, awesome premium bar, the best live local music and a great bar menu in one cool package. What more do you want, sports fans? CHELI’S CHILI BAR Red Wing defenseman Chris Chelios originated this concept in his hometown of Chicago when he was a Blackhawk (and not very popular among Detroit hockey fans). A Stanley Cup and a good bowl of chili make it very easy for his new hometown to warm up to the restaurateur/Norris Trophy–winner. Now Cheli’s has opened downtown, blocks from the stadiums. Along with the signature dish, Cheli’s slings sandwiches, steaks and burgers, including a namesake burger with barbecue sauce, smoked ham, Velveeta and sautéed onions on a kaiser. COACHES CORNER Though Don Cherry and Ron MacLean do not hold court here Saturday nights, the location in East Village–esque Harmonie Park, two blocks from either stadium, makes this a great choice for pre-game chow and casual imbibing. COBO JOE’S The only bar we know of named for a mayor of Detroit and a legendary boxer, CJ’s occupies prime real estate just a now-legal two-line pass away from puck fans mecca. Pre- and post-game revelry is a staple here and the menu offers hearty tavern sustenance way below arena inflated prices. Best of all, you don't have to wait for a shuttle to start quaffing in celebration of a Zetterburg shootout winner. DOC’S SPORTS RETREAT You can spot Livonia’s foray into the major leagues from I-275—it’s that big: 295 seats, 82 TVs and just about that many tap handles and bottles. They do a stellar job on the typical cuisine d’sport; worthy burgers, great pizza and all of the cheese-filled deep-fried stuff you love—plus lots of angus steaks and entree salads on a multi-page menu. DOOLEY’S TAVERN Even though the Irish sport of hurling hasn’t exactly enthralled the globe, the gift of sports gab is alive and well at Dooley's. The bar is big enough to accommodate every guy who assisted on an Yzerman goal in the ’80s, and they throw pajama parties, dammit. Sunday night is mug night, Marty McSorley featuring $1.99 drafts. Insert your “score” joke here. FIFTH AVENUE 2100 Woodward (Comerica Park), Detroit 25750 Novi Rd., Novi Fifth has evolved from its somewhat humble origins as a one-floor pool hall to become a three-location wunderbar known for live music, though the tubes are always tuned to sports for those who wanna check out the 7th-inning stretch while diggin’ the twelve-bar blues. HATCHY’S Everyone knows the Detroit area is more stoked about ice than Liz Taylor, so local NHL hero and Stanley Cup winner Derian Hatcher’s saloon was destined to be a hit. All the de rigeur photos and memorabilia are here, as well as an extensive menu and no-cover live music. Locals love that the staff gives Hatchy’s a neighborhood tavern feel, but if you know anything about Derian’s and brother Kevin’s hockey careers, ya might not want to skate in there with your head down. HOCKEYTOWN Detroit is Hockeytown so it’s only fitting that we’ve got a giant rotating hockey puck snazzing up the Woodward corridor. Packed to the rafters with memorabilia, it is equal parts sports bar and hall of fame. Family friendly, but it might be difficult to keep the kids in the seats with everything there is to check out. It’s definitely difficult to keep the 21-and-over crowd in theirs, with live music upstairs featuring a variety of local acts. The close proximity to Comerica Park and Ford Field makes it a good destination even in the months the Wings are on the golf course. MARGE’S Before the proliferation of the large-screen sports bar, eastside Hockeytowners packed Marge’s for every game, and the tradition lives on despite competition. It’s small, smoky and extremely boisterous on game nights. In short, one of the few places left with an authentic atmosphere. MR. JOE’S Three-quarters of the year it’s a big lunch and sports bar, but when it comes to the holidays, Mr. Joe’s is lit up just like their patrons! We dare you to try and count how many lights are strung while you enjoy one of their Michigan cherry burgers. Heck, maybe Joe will give you a prize if you guess right. Maybe something off their extensive menu? Or better yet, how about a free drink? Either way, Mr. Joe’s is sure to put even the Grinch in the holiday spirit. NEMO’S Though the dear-departed Lindell AC staked their claim as America’s original sports bar, this oft-packed tavern has been Detroit’s pre-game destination for decades. While other Michigan Avenue stalwarts have fallen by the wayside with the relocation of the Tigers, Nemo’s remains a popular destination for families and face-painted fanatics who take advantage of frequent shuttles to Comerica Park and the Joe. Show up early on game nights and chow before you cheer. O’TOOLE’S 205 W. 5th St., Royal Oak 4000 Cass Elizabeth, Waterford You can see the game a lot of places, but where are you going to see servers in schoolgirl uniforms? The food is really good too, surpassing most greasy sports bar pub grub by meters. But more importantly, those schoolgirl uniforms definitely wouldn’t pass the ruler from the knees test. THE POST 22065 Michigan Ave., Dearborn and various other locations. The original on Congress, across from Joe Louis Arena, was a Red Wings post-game hangout, where it was a common occurrence that players would spin records and a goaltender would get behind the bar, contributing to blackouts after shutouts. This kind of hero interaction proved to be a boon to the Wheeler family, who spread the excitement throughout the metro area. Ferndale’s dance floor has more bodies smashed together than an old Broad Street Bullies melee, and the Mt. Clemens location has about the same square footage as Boston Garden, but the Detroit location still takes the Cup for its gritty atmosphere and graffiti-covered walls. ROSIE O’GRADY’S Off Ferndale’s beaten path, this bar makes it on good food alone. Okay, there is TV & pool, too. SCREWIE LOUIE’S South Lyon’s newest bar and grill has proven popular with a tried and true sports theme, lots of TVs, pinball and video games and a most excellent pretzel sandwich. A comfy choice for a cocktail or family dinner while you watch the game. SPECTADIUM TVs nearly blanket the walls in one of Oakland County’s most prominent hot spots for ESPN-o-philes. Good sight lines, made possible by tiered seating, keep the “jock”-y-ing for position to a minimum. Though most of America has yet to embrace soccer, Spectadium has been known to open at 7:00 a.m. for prime international matches. STAN’S BAR & GRILL Its close proximity to the Silverdome makes this a popular meeting place before and after Lions games—oops, the Lions play downtown now. But you can watch the game on one of their big-screen TVs. Pizza and burgers round out the menu. TOWN PUMP While they have never played it up or tried to be a sports bar, the Pump gets pumped-up whenever there is a game. It does not fit the definition of a sports bar: they don’t have 100 giant screen TVs on every wall nor will they take your bets; still, it is wildly popular. We guess it’s just because it is always fun here. ZAMBONI ROOM Built for those who like their bars a little rough on the edges. This tried-and-true, genuine hockey bar is as tough as the sport itself. © 2007 Guide to Detroit, LLC • |