Grand Trunk Pub
A genuine Detroit classic where the railroad history is the star and the easy, chill atmosphere keeps it from feeling like a museum.
Grand Trunk Pub is just awesome. The building dates to 1879, became a Grand Trunk Railway ticket office in the early 1900s, and still feels unmistakably old Detroit. The upstairs Whiskey Parlor was a very cool bonus when it was operating, but the history downstairs is what I love most. It is always a chill time.
Grab a Michigan beer, take in the old ticket-office details, and ask whether anything is happening in the former Whiskey Parlor upstairs.
You want a casual downtown drink, an easy meal, or a place where the Detroit history is more than decoration.
You want a sleek new cocktail room or have no interest in historic-bar atmosphere.