Once relegated to downtown Detroit, the city’s dining scene has sprawled beyond the center city into neighborhoods deserving of quality eats. This month, we’re rounding up establishments in Milwaukee Junction, North End and New Center, all adjacent neighborhoods, defined by the main commercial corridors of Woodward Avenue and Grand Boulevard. Here, 20 restaurants, cafes, delis and cocktail bars to visit.
Baobab Fare
Detroit’s culinary scene is now home to several restaurants that represent a variety of cuisines across the African diaspora. One of the more noteworthy establishments among them is Baobab Fare, a Burundian restaurant founded by a husband-and-wife duo. Hamissi Mamba and Nadia Nijimbere are Burundian refugees who brought a taste of their home to Detroit’s North End neighborhood with hearty stews, ripe plantains, spiced rice, tart fruit drinks and rich Burundian coffee. Five years in, the business is expanding outside of the North End with Waka, a new location heading to Eastern Market serving East African street foods.
6568 Woodward Ave., Ste. 100, Detroit. 313-265-3093; baobabfare.com
Bucharest Grill (Piquette)
For 20 years, Bucharest Grill has served Romanian and Middle Eastern staples with a fast-casual American approach. Think chicken shawarma served with curly fries, and falafel quesadillas. The restaurant is a go-to in the North End and beyond, with locations from Detroit to Clinton Township.
110 Piquette Ave., Detroit. bucharestgrill.com
Café Noir
Sitting at the corner of John R and Kenilworth, Café Noir brings a small, charming café to the neighborhood. Expect the usuals: drip coffee, espresso drinks, chai and matcha lattes and herbal teas. Or, get adventurous with rotating specials, like a boiled peanut latte or an iced peanut butter and jelly latte. Pinned to white cinderblock walls are works of art by local visual artists, and a small rack near the register is stocked with goods made by North End residents. Grab a t-shirt to wear or a jar of mushroom-infused honey to stir into your next coffee or tea order.
9405 John R St., Detroit. 313-489-1301; cafenoir.coffee
The Kitchen by Cooking with Que
Health is the primary focus at The Kitchen by Cooking with Que. It was chef and owner Quiana “Que” Rice’s ambition to create an establishment where Detroiters could both enjoy healthy meals with a focus on veggie-forward dishes and learn what it takes to maintain a balanced diet. So, in 2019, she opened the New Center space that would become part restaurant, part catering company, part meal-prep service, part event space. On Fridays and Saturdays, guests can order from a menu of acai bowls, breakfast sandwiches with simple ingredients, flavorful soups and vegan pastries. They can also sign up for cooking classes, Rice’s meal-prep services or ongoing events where the space comes to life with live DJs and craft cocktails.
6529 Woodward Ave., Ste. A, Detroit. 313-462-4184; thekitchenbycwq.com
Detroit People’s Food Co-op
Yes, there’s a hot bar, a full-fledged deli and a barbecue serving burgers, hot dogs and other cookout staples all summer long. But Detroit People’s Food Co-Op, unlike the other establishments on this list, is not a traditional restaurant — it’s a grocery store. The Black-led, community-owned grocery co-op located on a busy Woodward Avenue is stocked with shelf-stable goods, dairy products and bakery items — as well as produce grown by Detroit farmers.
8324 Woodward Ave., Detroit. 313-338-3111; detroitpeoplesfoodcoop.com
Freya/Dragonfly
When Executive Chef and Partner Douglas Hewitt and co-owner Sandy Levine opened Freya in 2021, they brought the same level of hospitality you may have experienced at the duo’s first joint restaurant in Midtown to the North End. We’re looking at Chartreuse, a former Free Press Restaurant of the Year, and one of Detroit’s most consistently excellent establishments. Freya, a fine dining New American restaurant offers tasting menu options for omnivores, pescatarians and vegans alike, and it does so with a sense of approachability and ease. Think artful presentations and thoughtful ingredients without dress codes or a stuffy interior. As a companion, the team opened Dragonfly, a colorful cocktail bar with a notable five-dollar happy hour and bar bites that are a step above the usual.
2929 E. Grand Blvd., Detroit. 313-351-5544; freyadetroit.com
Joe Louis Southern Kitchen
No neighborhood is complete without a solid brunch spot. For New Center, it’s Joe Louis Southern Kitchen. The popular eatery is brought to diners by Joe Louis’ own son, Joe Louis Barrow II, as a co-owner, with menu items inspired by his heavyweight champion father. Try a simple plate of pancakes topped with whipped butter and fresh strawberries, or a savory order of buttermilk biscuits smothered in a turkey sausage gravy, also known as The Brown Bomber.
6549 Woodward Ave., Detroit. 313-788-8338; joelouissouthernkitchen.com
JP Makes and Bakes
Jonathan Peregrino brought the flavors of his Filipino upbringing to Detroit by hosting pop-ups at local cafes, bakeries, restaurants and farmers markets for years before opening his first brick-and-mortar in New Center in 2024. JP Makes and Bakes began serving the vibrant ube treats he’d become known for, such as the purple yam cookies, brownies and doughnuts, as well as savory meals like chicken adobo and longaniza, or pork sausage.
6529 Woodward Ave., Suite B, Detroit. jpmakesandbakes.com
Kiesling/ Milwaukee Cafe
Kiesling and Milwaukee Caffee keep the corner of Milwaukee and Beaubien activated from morning to night. By day, Milwaukee Caffee serves espresso drinks, tea and hot chocolate out of a tiny coffee bar that fits just a handful of guests. In the evening, step into Kiesling for a stark contrast to the café’s pastel colors and cheerful staff. Here, the craft cocktail bar is dimly lit and decorated in vintage furniture and Art Deco details. In 2024, both establishments were listed as must-visit stops in Michelin’s Green Guide.
449 East Milwaukee Ave., Detroit. kieslingdetroit.com
MJ’s North End Ice Cream Parlor
MJ’s North End Ice Cream Parlor brightens up the North End neighborhood with its vibrant façade. A mural wraps around the small building, depicting colorful ice cream cups and cones about as bold as the Superman ice cream it serves. Here, hand-packed ice cream is served out of a walk-up window, as well as hot foods, like walking tacos, wings, sandwiches and hot dogs. If you see the red umbrellas open at MJ’s, stop in.
8801 Oakland Ave., Detroit. 313-913-5094; mjsnorthendicecream.com
Northern Lights
Northern Lights Lounge has been a destination for live music and DJ sets for more than 20 years. It’s also a hotspot for lunch and dinner. Try Northern Light specialties like maple whiskey wings, a veggie burger salad, housemade collard greens with smoked turkey or a breakfast burger.
660 W. Baltimore St., Detroit. 313-873-1739; northernlightslounge.com
Oak and Reel
There are a number of Italian restaurants to enjoy throughout metro Detroit, but few bring such refined, polished dishes as Oak and Reel. From chef Jared Gadbaw, who previously helmed the two-Michelin-star restaurant Marea in New York City, Oak and Reel delivers contemporary Italian cuisine with a spotlight on quality seafood. Expect oysters, handmade pastas tousled with crab and fresh herbs from local farms and a selection of fine wines.
2921 E. Grand Blvd., Detroit. 313-270-9600; oakandreel.com
Promenade Artisan Foods
There are few opportunities to dine at a building as historic as the Fisher Building. Promenade Artisan Foods gives guests an excuse to marvel at the craftsmanship at the Fisher lobby. Grab a sandwich, a quiche or a sweet pastry, then admire the building’s intricate mosaics and gilded details.
3011 W. Grand Blvd. Ste. 115, Detroit. promenadeartisanfoods.square.site
See You Tomorrow
If you’re in search of a home-cooked brunch served outside of your own home, See You Tomorrow is a reliable option. It’s a no-frills place for egg scrambles, simple bagels and Southern staples, such as chicken and waffles or salmon croquettes.
7740 Woodward Ave., Detroit. sytdetroit.com
Sepia Coffee Project
Martell Mason, a Highland Park native, opened the first outpost of Sepia Coffee Project on Grand Boulevard, drawing from his time as a coffee trader in places like Ethiopia and Turkey. At Sepia, which triples as a roaster, distributor and café, Mason brings coffee in all forms from Ethiopia and Indonesia, Burundi and Brazil to Detroit’s North End.
2831 E. Grand Blvd., Detroit; sepiacoffeeproject.com
Supino Pizzeria
Over the years, Supino has become a mainstay of Eastern Market, serving thin-crust, New York-style pies to market-goers. In 2021, the restaurant opened a second location in New Center, with the same beloved menu under new lights. Five years later, the place has gained much fanfare among diners taking a break from the city’s beloved Detroit-style pizza.
6519 Woodward Ave., Detroit. 313-314-7400; supinopizzeria.com
Time Will Tell
From Detroit Optimist Society, the hospitality group behind craft cocktail bars The Sugar House and Bad Luck Bar, comes Time Will Tell, a feminine little sister to the existing bars. Bartenders at Time Will Tell serve balanced drinks with the same inventive approach as at Bad Luck Bar and The Sugar House, through a flirtier lens. Try In Bloom, a rum cocktail made with citrusy and floral notes of kumquat, jasmine and eucalyptus, or The Orchard, a milk punch blooming with peach and white tea.
6408 Woodward Ave., Detroit. 313-505-7077; timewilltelldet.com
Yum Village
African flavors and ingredients often share many similarities with Caribbean cuisine. Yum Village fuses the two cultures, serving Afro-Caribbean dishes that pack big, bold flavors into one plate. Try lemon pepper jerk chicken, ginger curry chickpeas and jollof rice, or go for a cocktail. The restaurant is also home to a cocktail bar serving drinks made with Black-owned spirits.
6500 Woodward Ave., Detroit. yumvillage.com
Contact Detroit Free Press Dining and Restaurant Critic Lyndsay C. Green at: LCGreen@freepress.com. Follow @LadyLuff on Instagram and Twitter. Subscribe to the Eat Drink Freep newsletter for extras and insider scoops on Detroit-area dining.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit’s dining scene is sprawling north: 20 places to eat and drink
Reporting by Lyndsay C. Green, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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By Lyndsay C. Green, Detroit Free Press | USA TODAY Network
