25 new and exciting Detroit-area restaurants that have opened (or re-opened) this year

By Metro Times editorial staff on Sat, Mar 14, 2020 at 4:05 am

We get it. It can be scary to try new things, especially when it comes to food. But you can put your anxiety to rest because these metro Detroit restaurants that opened their doors this year are worth a call to your therapist. Italian-style beef sandwiches? Platters of sushi? Vegan Taco Bell-inspired fare? How about a hibiscus-flavored doughnut? The only thing these restaurants, coffee houses, and bakeshops will trigger is your tastebuds. Oh, and for those weary Wendys out there, some of these spots are familiar to the metro Detroit dining scene, but have either re-opened, expanded, or revamped their offerings.

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Flavors of Jamaica

406 N. Telegraph Rd., Pontiac; 947-999-0169; flavorsofjamaicaretaurant.com
Chef Reniel Billup, founder of Irie Occasions Catering and Party Planning, has been cooking up traditional Jamaican flavors around the metro Detroit area for several years. Her Caribbean-inspired pop-ups at hot spots around town like Detroit City Distillery and Lost River Tiki have put her food into the hands and mouths of a growing legion of fans — but it was her year-long Saturday evening pop-up at Brooklyn Street Local in Corktown that truly made Chef Reniel a star. Now, she and her husband Charles have a proper brick-and-mortar serving up a special takeout menu, which includes curried goat, braised oxtail, and jerk jackfruit until they can open their dining room.

Photo via Flavoris of Jamaica/Facebook

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Planthropie

135 Pierce St., Birmingham; 248-839-5640; planthropie.com
Vegans with a sweet tooth, rejoice: we now have a neighborhood all-vegan cheese and dessert bar. The new spot will provide counter service and seats about 20. Planthropie will offer dessert plates and cheese plates throughout the week, with more involved offerings like cheese and dessert menu tours on the weekends.

Photo via Planthropie / Facebook

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Matt & Mo’s Italian Beef

24110 John R. Rd., Hazel Park; 248-307-7970;mmitalianbeef.com
You don't have to visit Chicago just to get a taste of some Windy City beefy goodness. A pop-up and food truck-turned permanent outpost within Hazel Park pop-up shop Doug’s Delight, Matt & Mo’s Italian Beef offers au jus-dipped roasted Italian beef sandwiches made by married couple Matt and Mo Marzulla using a secret family recipe. The beef is roasted in-house four hours before being sliced and topped with pickled veggies. Other offerings include toasted four cheese ravioli, sweet sriracha 1000 fries, and a good old fashioned Chicago-style hotdog.

Photo via Matt & Mo’s Italian Beef/Facebook

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Yellow Light Coffee & Donuts

14447 E. Jefferson Ave., Detroit; yellowlightdetroit.com
Yellow Light Coffee & Donuts has been in the works since October 2019 and is the latest culinary project from Jacques and Christine Driscoll, who co-own successful Detroit eateries Green Dot Stables and Johnny Noodle King. Friend, artist, and coffee roaster Niko Dimitrijevic join Yellow Light, who returned to Detroit after working in Seattle as a glassblower. In addition to in-house roasted brew, their menu offers a selection of uniquely flavored doughnuts, such as Mai Tai, blueberry maple, orange sugar, hibiscus lime, brown butter plantain, and coconut. Oh, and they have a drive-thru.

Photo via Yellow Light Coffee & Donuts/Facebook

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Condado Tacos

634 Selden St., Detroit; 313-638-1530; condadotacos.com
New to Midtown comes another location for Condado Tacos. When you order at Condado, you check off the items you want from a quiz-like menu. Customers can start by adding meats such as tequila lime steak, barbecue pulled jackfruit, Thai chili tofu, homemade chorizo, scrambled eggs, and more.

Photo via Condado Tacos (Midtown) / Facebook

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Brown Iron Brewhouse

30955 Woodward Ave., Suite 510, Royal Oak; 248-951-2659; browniron.com
With a new location in Royal Oak, Brown Iron Brewhouse is known for its fresh foods and craft beers. After popular demand, they have extended their Burnt Ends dish to the new location.

Photo via Brown House Brewhouse Royal Oak / Facebook

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Woodward Corner Market

30955 Woodward Ave #305, Royal Oak; 248-955-1041; woodwardcornermarket.com
While this one is a grocery store, the Fresh and Fast section has soups, salads, and other prepared foods. The market also serves fresh sushi, and Great Lakes Coffee.

Photo via Woodward Corner Market / Facebook

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Jose’s Tacos

2518 Market St., Detroit
Opening a new location at Eastern Market, Jose’s Tacos are known for its classic Mexican fare like fried and soft corn tacos, burritos, and enchiladas — and fans of Jose’s Tacos call its guacamole the best in the city. The second location will also have breakfast service, featuring huevos rancheros, chorizo and eggs, and more.

Photo via Jose’s Tacos / Facebook

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Bobcat Bonnie

17330 Hall Rd., Space 195, Clinton Twp; 586-221-4313; bobcatbonnies.com
Bobcat Bonnie’s first location was opened on Michigan Avenue in Corktown in 2015, after Buskard saw that the space O’Blivions occupied was for sale. It then opened three more locations in Wyandotte, Ferndale, and Ypsilanti. The newest addition is its location at the Mall at Partridge Creek.

Photo via Bobcat Bonnie’s Partridge Creek / Facebook

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Ferndale Project

567 Livernois Rd., Ferndale; 248-556-5512; ferndaleproject.com
Ferndale Project first opened in the winter and has slowly built up its menu since then. Run by chef Garrett McDonald — who used to be in charge of Eastern Market Brewing Co.'s food truck — the taproom offers beer, Detroit-style pizza, pasties, pastries, dog treats, coffee, including a slew of vegan options. Oh, and they deliver.

Photo via 10 of 25

Street Beet

4626 3rd Ave, Detroit; 313-638-1480; streetbeetdetroit.com
The owners of Street Beet, the sustainable vegan pop-up with hours-long wait times that earned a cult-like status for its playful takes on fast-food chains, have found a more permanent home in Detroit's 3rd Street Bar.

Photo via Street Beet / Facebook

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The Congregation

9321 Rosa Parks Blvd., Detroit; 313-307-5518; linktr.ee/thecongregationdetroit
Coffee and sandwich spot The Congregation has been a long time coming. After winning a business grant via Motor City Match in 2017, the Boston-Edison eatery formally took over an abandoned church and opened its doors this year, offering Great Lakes coffee, pastries from local bakeshops, as well as flatbreads, soups, and salads.

Photo via The Congregation/Facebook

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Detroit Masala

4154 3rd St., Detroit; 313-656-4681; detroitmasala.com
Known for having friendly service and good food, Detroit Masala provides Indian and Halal food delivery and takeout in Midtown.

Photo via Detroit Masala / Facebook

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Michigan & Trumbull

1441 w. Elizabeth St., Detroit; (313) 637-4992; michiganandtrumbull.pizza
Detroit-style pizza and its square, deep-dish charm continues to rise in popularity across the country. As part of that movement, a new Detroit-style pizzeria opened in Corktown in late January.

Photo via Michigan&Trumbull / Facebook

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Kuzzo’s Chicken & Waffles

19345 Livernois Ave., Detroit; 313-340-2707; kuzzoschickenaandwaffles.com
OK — so Kuzzo’s is far from new, but it's back after closing for construction along Detroit’s Avenue of Fashion. During that time, owner Ron Bartell invested $350,000 in restaurant renovations. Don’t worry, though, Kuzzo’s menu is as good as ever, maintaining more than 10 waffle combos and Southern favorites, like shrimp and grits, salmon croquettes, and fried catfish.

Photo via Kuzzo’s Chicken & Waffles/Facebook

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Jamaican Pot

3031 W Grand Blvd, Detroit,, Detroit; 313-659-6033; thejamaicanpot.com
Jamaican Pot has a new location in the New Center One building in Detroit's New Center neighborhood. The menu is similar to that at its small carryout spot on Eight Mile Road near Greenfield, with offerings like jerk chicken, barbecue jerk, pepper steak, ox tail, and curried goat. And, of course, it offers what is perhaps the best dish Mama Rose makes, fricassee chicken with veggies in a brown gravy flavored by garlic, onion, scallion, and thyme.

Photo via The Jamaican Pot catering service and take out restaurant / Facebook

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Sloppy Chops

13226 W. McNichols Rd., Detroit; 313-646-2900; sloppychopsrestaurant.net
If you aren’t afraid of a little mess in the name of good food, then try Six Mile’s newest addition, Sloppy Chops. This casual fine dining establishment serves up signature entrees and handcrafted cocktails.

Photo via Sloppy Chops Restaurant

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BASH Original Izakaya

5069 Trumbull Ave, Detroit; 313-788-7208
Metro Detroit’s new Japanese restaurant opens with hopes of expanding to a chain around the Detroit area. In the spring, they are planning on opening up the patio for outdoor seating.

Photo via Bash Original Izakaya / Facebook

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Al Tayeb Dearborn

15010 W Warren Ave., Dearborn; 313-633-1752; altayeb-restaurant.business.site
Al Tayeb, or "the delicious" in Arabic, serves up a lauded Lebanese breakfast. The restaurant started as a sub shop in Garden City back in 2017 and recently expanded to this Dearborn location. You can stop by if you're craving fava beans with tahini, falafel, hummus, and a number of other fresh menu items.

Photo via Al Tayeb of Dearborn / Facebook

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Green Lantern Pizza

4033 W. 12 Mile Rd, Berkley; 248-951-9292; greenlanternpizza.com
Metro Detroit mini-chain Green Lantern Pizza's seventh location opened in Berkley this year. The 5,200-square-foot restaurant has a full bar and a menu similar to that at the 15 Mile Road flagship location in Clinton Township. It is Green Lantern's third sit-down location, and the company expects to add more franchised carryout stores in the future. Green Lantern offers gourmet pizzas, subs, sandwiches, and salads.

Photo via Green Lantern Pizza / Facebook

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