18 essential Corktown restaurants you should have tried by now

Ima
2015 Michigan Ave, Detroit; 313-502-5959
Mike Ransom’s small Corktown spot is known for serving up savory udon and rice dishes. The chef-owner has taken great pains to make the restaurant as accessible to meat-eaters as it is to vegans.
Photo by Tom Perkins.

Detroit Institute of Bagels
1236 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-444-9342
Head baker Ben Newman makes up to 600 bagels fresh daily — many of them are made into delicious breakfast sandwiches or smothered in sumptious schmear — there’s even a bagel dog option.
Photo via Instagram, Detroit Institute of Bagels.

PJ’s Lager House
1254 Michigan Ave, Detroit; 313-961-4668
This multipurpose establishment (it’s also a kickass bar and music venue) cooks up fresh soups daily, plus Detroit gumbo, fried catfish, and hand cut and breaded chicken strips. They’ve also got mac and cheese, a veggarito, and a tofu bahn mi sandwich.
Photo via Instagram.

Green Dot Stables
2200 W. Lafayette Blvd., Detroit; 313-962-5588
Ah, beloved Green Dot. It’s located on the outskirts of Corktown, and flirts with being designated a Mexicantown joint, but regardless, the restaurant serves up some tasty and indecently cheap sliders and beer. Sliders run between $2 and $3 and come in creative options like catfish, peanut butter and kimchi, and coney dog. Additionally, cocktails are a mere $3 and bottled beer is just $2.
Photo by Nicole Rupersburg.

Bobcat Bonnie's
1800 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-962-1383
Beloved for their brunch menu, Bobcat Bonnie’s is known for crafting inventive gastropub cuisine and serving it up in a fun, eclectic environment. Their menu includes burgers, sandwiches, mac and a vegetarian shepherd's pie. Plus, the service is always phenomenal.
Photo via Instagram, Bobcat Bonnie’s

Bucharest
1623 Michigan Ave, Detroit; 313-965-3111
This sandwich wrap company was born inside Park Bar in downtown Detroit, and quickly grew as locals became increasingly addicted to their savory sandwiches and curly fries. They’ve now got several locations around town, including this shop on Michigan Avenue. Their menu is inexpensive and features shawarmas along with more Americanized sandwiches.
Photo via Instagram, julesannematte

Red Dunn Kitchen
1331 Trumbull Ave. Suite 100, Detroit; 313-887-9477
Chef Jay Gundy, who's worked at Tribute and Cork Wine Pub, among others, sprinkles his menu with precise, if mystifying, nouns: chermoula, cod in swim sauce. Like other chefs who have made the Detroit scene stimulating, he vows to "stay true to all-natural, locally sourced staples." Gundy takes regular pieces of protein (cod, salmon, duck, strip steak, leg of lamb, even chicken) and combines them with inventive touches (pickled cherries, pesto mashed potatoes) to create some over-the-top good dinners. It's all fabulous.
Photo by Tom Perkins.

Lady of the House
1426 Bagley Ave., Detroit; 313-818-0218
Just about everything from the kitchen of chef-owner Kate Williams, formerly of Rodin and Republic, is unusual and satisfying — and above all, titillating — in its combination of flavors.
Photo by Tom Perkins.

Mudgie’s
1300 Porter St., Detroit; 313-961-2000
This beloved Corktown deli serves up huge, filling sandwiches, savory soups, and tons of craft beers. In 2017, Thrillist name it to a list of the best sandwich shops in America.
MT file photo.

Mercury Burger Bar

2163 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-964-5000
While this place probably gets a good deal of overflow from its internationally famous neighbor — Slow’s, of course — this Mercury Burger Bar is great in its own right. Their burgers are inventive and filling, and their poutine is some of the best in Detroit.

Photo via Instagram, ArthurCole

Takoi
2520 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-855-2864
After a devastating fire that forced the restaurant to close for a number of months in early 2017, the Takoi returned to offer incentive Thai cuisine on the outskirts of Corktown. The staff lovingly refer to the joint as “the mothership” and the experience is as immersive as it is delicious.
Photo via Instagram, Takoi

Slow’s Bar
2138 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-962-9828
What is there left to say about Slow’s? The internationally famous barbecue joint is known for their speciality sandwich called The Reason. Legend has it, the slow smoked pork butt sandwich was the catalyst for the restaurant itself to open.
Photo via Instagram, valeebelly

Gold Cash Gold

2100 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-242-0770
After a chef switch-up, Cold Cash Gold has managed to remain a beloved Corktown staple. Not only is the interior — an old pawn shop — gorgeous, the menu is expertly executed. They offer brunch, dinner service, and a full bar with craft cocktails.
Photo via Instagram, Gold Cash Gold

Batch Brewing Company
1400 Porter St., Detroit; 313-338-8008
Not many nanobreweries offer this type of elevated bar food — all food is made-to-order and selections include braised short rib pasties, butternut squash arancinis, and toffee bread pudding.
Photo via Yelp, Paul E.

Brooklyn Street Local
1266 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-262-6547
This breakfast and lunch joint offers locally sourced ingredients — they’re so proud of their work with local companies that they actually list their partners on their website.
Photo via Instagram, Brooklyn Street Local

McShane’s
1460 Michigan Ave, Detroit; 313-961-1960

A holdover from the days before Corktown’s hipster revolution, McShane’s is an Irish sports bar that won’t intimidate you with a gastropub-style menu. Their food is simple bar fare, but it’s delicious and the bar is fully stocked.
Photo via Facebook, McShane's

Ottava Via
1400 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-962-5500
Get homemade Italian dishes in an inviting setting in the middle of Corktown. Ottava Via also offers summertime patio seating and an outdoor Bocce Ball court is available.

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