A Local's Guide to Eating in Detroit

The world's largest food fight is "La Tomatina" in Spain, where 20,000 people hurl tomatoes at one another. However, if you want a similar outbreak of passion, just ask a local about the best places to eat in Detroit. If you are itching for a fight to break out, offer an opinion on Coney dogs or square pizza.

Other cities may have their specialties, but Detroit has a unique food culture that prizes hearty, well-seasoned food. The Motor City is famous for cars and music, but its vibrant food scene is the reason to plan a visit.

Read on to learn more.

It's Dog Eat Dog

New York might claim Nathan's hot dog as their own but the Detroit staple, the Coney Dog, is the real deal. Neighborhood rivals American Coney Island and Lafayette Coney Island both serve Detroit's original version with mildly spicy but highly aromatic chili (sans beans), sunny yellow mustard and crunchy raw onions.

Stop in and make your own judgment as to the most authentic dog. Just be careful who you share it with!

Best Places to Eat in Detroit at 1 am

The most inveterate barflies know the right spots to fill their post-binge bellies. Try Bucharest Grill for late-night shawarma. For a more Detroit-centric specialty, the hefty Sicilian square at Como's is sure to please.

Detroit pizza is its own thing. It's not the folding lavash of the New York pie, or the moving casserole that Chicagoans call pizza. It's an airy deep dough topped edge to edge with a hefty amount of Wisconsin brick cheese and two racing stripes of marinara. It's baked in a tray and thick slices come out square.

Get Your Meat to Eat

Steak and BBQ are food groups of their own in Detroit. No visit to a Detroit shrine to beef is complete without trying Zip sauce. A heady mixture of butter, au jus and spices makes this condiment unique. Andiamo at Riverwalk is the place to go. Order a dainty filet mignon or hearty ribeye to enjoy.

If it's BBQ Restaurants you crave, there's no shortage in Detroit. Venerable hole-in-the-wall joints like Vicki's serve pork ribs and fried shrimp in the Southern tradition. New-fangled, modern BBQs like the gluten-free, soy-free, pork-free BBQ of Fort Street Galley are making their mark too.

Don't Go Dry

No culinary exploration of the best places to eat in Detroit is complete without a choice beverage or two. The craft brew movement is in full swing and you can get the IPA, Blonde Ale, or Stout you crave (with some pretty stellar food) at Midtown's Jolly Pumpkin.

B. Nektar Meadery in Ferndale is worth a stop to try their excellent meads, ciders, and ales on tap. Bring your own food, though. The taproom pours generously but does not have a kitchen.

For those looking for a non-alcoholic treat, Detroit's specialty is the Boston Cooler- a scoop of vanilla ice cream blended in Vernors Ginger Ale. Try Stroh's Ice Cream Parlor for the real deal.

Looking for more locals-only tips? Keep reading our blog!