{"id":12702,"date":"2014-05-01T02:07:15","date_gmt":"2014-05-01T02:07:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/challengedetroit.org\/blog\/thomasschuelke\/?p=50"},"modified":"2014-05-01T02:07:15","modified_gmt":"2014-05-01T02:07:15","slug":"the-best-detroit-restaurants-youve-never-heard-of-that-wont-break-the-bank","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/challengedetroit.builtrare.com\/blog\/the-best-detroit-restaurants-youve-never-heard-of-that-wont-break-the-bank\/","title":{"rendered":"The best Detroit restaurants you\u2019ve never heard of that won\u2019t break the bank"},"content":{"rendered":"

Spring is here at last. After surviving the snowiest winter in Detroit\u2019s history<\/a>, flowers are now blooming, Eastern market is back to full force and streets are coming alive with bikers, joggers and walkers. I too am participating in these spring activities thanks to my wife finding the couch to 5k plan<\/a> (as much as I tell her I am not a runner, she really wants me to be\u2026). Jogging around our Midtown apartment has helped us realize just how many small shops and restaurants exist in Detroit. Every time we go running in a new direction, we always find a bar or restaurant we have heard of but have never been to. Because of these discoveries, I have been inspired to write my first ever \u201cTop X\u201d list instead of my usual post about current events in Detroit.<\/p>\n

One caveat, if you live\/work in Detroit and enjoy restaurants you probably have heard of many of these places\u2014my article is more targeted at Detroit visitors that come in to catch a tigers game at Comerica or an event at Cobo. That being said if you have not visited any of these places you definitely should.<\/p>\n

Without further ado, here is my list of \u201cTop 5 restaurants in Detroit you\u2019ve never heard of that won\u2019t break the bank\u201d.<\/p>\n

5. Cass Caf\u00e9<\/a>\"Cass<\/a><\/h2>\n

Cass Caf\u00e9 was one of the first restaurants I visited after making my move to the D from Ann Arbor, where there is a very vibrant restaurant scene. After my meal at Cass Caf\u00e9, I knew I wouldn\u2019t be missing Ann Arbor restaurants too much. The menu at Cass Caf\u00e9 is varied\u2014I\u2019ve had dishes ranging from char-grilled Ahi Tuna ($15) to black bean quesadillas ($7.50) to vegetable lasagna ($10)\u2014but the variety does not hamper the quality of the dishes one bit. In addition to the great food, Cass Caf\u00e9 serves as an art gallery and a live music venue. Next time your group can\u2019t decide on Italian, Mexican or American food, give Cass Caf\u00e9 a try.<\/p>\n

4. Andrews on the Corner<\/a><\/h2>\n

\"Andrew's\"<\/p>\n

I have only been to Andrew\u2019s once thus far, and the service was rather slow, but I had the best fish & chips here that I have ever eaten at a restaurant\u2014and it was under $10. I ordered the Cajun fish & chips off the specials menu and the freshness was immediately apparent (no \u201cfishy\u201d tastes\/smells here). This meal reminded me of when my Dad would bring home his fresh catch and immediately cook it up for dinner. The fish was very well seasoned, only lightly breaded and clearly never saw a deep fryer. Very few restaurants take the time to pan-fry their fish and Andrews\u2019 dish exceled because of it. The only criticism I have is that the fries were pretty typical fast-food style fare. I highly recommend this restaurant for anyone who loves fish.<\/p>\n

3. La Feria\"La<\/a><\/a><\/h2>\n

A new addition to the Midtown dining scene, La Feria adds Spanish Tapas to Detroit.\u00a0Being relatively new, the restaurant is frequently busy. My wife and I recently went here for a snack at 9:30pm on a Saturday night and there was still a 25 minute wait\u2026but it was well worth it. Our favorite dish was the Patatas Bravas ($4) \u2013 fried potatoes with a spicy tomato sauce. We also enjoyed their seared shrimp and homemade sausage, along with a glass of their house sangria (a great deal in my opinion at only $15 for a pitcher). I really wanted to try the paella they had on their daily special menu, but they had already run out. That will have to wait for another day, but I will certainly be back to try again.<\/p>\n

2. Green Dot Stables<\/a><\/h2>\n

\"Green<\/p>\n

Once you discover Green Dot it\u2019s hard to convince yourself to go elsewhere for a meal out. While it is located a bit off the beaten path, Green Dot is well worth searching for. \u201cGourmet sliders\u201d is the best way I can describe their food offering and everything on the menu<\/a> is $3 or less. Yes, even the drinks<\/a> (including beer, wine and interesting cocktails). Make sure to check out the \u201cmystery meat\u201d slider which changes on a daily (maybe weekly?) basis. I have had everything from a duck slider to a rattlesnake slider and they have all been delicious. The only one I refused to try was the \u201clamb fries<\/a>\u201d slider (warning:<\/i><\/b> only click this link if you really want to know what lamb fries are, and don\u2019t say I didn\u2019t warn you).<\/p>\n

1. El Asador\"El<\/a><\/h2>\n

Having been slightly disappointed with some of the food I had in Mexicantown, I was delighted when I learned that more Mexican restaurants were hidden a bit further from downtown in southwest Detroit. While there are many good, authentic Mexican dining options in southwest Detroit, my favorite is one of their newest\u2014El Asador. Too new to even have a website, El Asador touts itself as gourmet Mexican food and they deliver. From the homemade salsa (be careful with the extra-spicy version) to the tableside guacamole, everything about this place reminds me of my vacation to Mexico where I took lessons with a Food Network chef. My first meal there consisted of one fish taco, one shrimp taco, one scallop taco and one lobster taco and the bill was only $12! Next time you are craving Mexican food, drive a few minutes past Mexicantown to El Asador and enjoy.<\/p>\n

Honorable Mentions<\/h2>\n

I couldn\u2019t in good conscience write an article about reasonably priced, amazing Detroit restaurants without including these four. The only reason they aren\u2019t in my top 5 is because I feel they are too popular to be labeled as \u201crestaurants you\u2019ve never heard of\u201d.<\/p>\n

Slows Bar-B-Q<\/a>\u2014no further comment needed for this one.<\/p>\n

Motor City Brewing Works<\/a> \u2013 more than its name suggests, this place is a microbrewery and has some of the best pizza I have ever eaten (it was even featured in USA Today<\/a> for its pizza). Try the \u201cMary Did Have\u201d.<\/p>\n

Bucharest Grille<\/a> \u2013 located a 5 minute walk from Comerica Park, Bucharest is a pre-tigers game tradition for me and my friends. One quick tip\u2014Comerica Park does not mind if you carry a Bucharest Shawarma (or 6) in with you. I never go without one. You can\u2019t find a better meal for $5.<\/p>\n

Hudson Caf\u00e9<\/a> \u2013 Best breakfast ever. My personal favorite\u2014the Mexican omelet with a side of red velvet pancakes.<\/p>\n

Now that you\u2019ve read my list, I\u2019m very curious to know what you think. What restaurants would you put on this list? Do I have any glaring omissions or do you agree with any of my suggestions? Leave a comment and let me know!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Spring is here at last. After surviving the snowiest winter in Detroit\u2019s history, flowers are now blooming, Eastern market is back to full force and streets are coming alive with bikers, joggers and walkers. I too am participating in these spring activities thanks to my wife finding the couch to 5k plan (as much as […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":331,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12702","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/challengedetroit.builtrare.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12702","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/challengedetroit.builtrare.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/challengedetroit.builtrare.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/challengedetroit.builtrare.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/331"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/challengedetroit.builtrare.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12702"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/challengedetroit.builtrare.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12702\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/challengedetroit.builtrare.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12702"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/challengedetroit.builtrare.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12702"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/challengedetroit.builtrare.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12702"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}