Unfortunately, this review has no redeeming qualities. Our experience was brutal from the moment we stepped into the bar to the moment we left. We went to the Anchor Bar prior to the Lions 4:35pm start against the Steelers. There were two people working in the entire place. A bartender and a cook. When we arrived, there were probably 20 people there. No service available. The server was working her butt off, but she's only one person. However, she really appeared to be so frazzled that her ability to keep the place in running was really impacted. No vodka available. No pizza. No Coors light. Our food was all ordered together, but half the order was served and then 25 minutes later, the rest of our food came. I ordered a spinach dip which I never received. When I told the server I never received it, she said she would ask the cook. He told her it would be another 30-40 minutes for spinach dip. I asked that it be taken off my bill. It wasn't. She was so frazzled and they were so understaffed that she never took it off my bill. I don't blame the server. I don't blame the cook. I have to blame the management. Staff your bar appropriately. If someone calls off, you have to replace them, or come in and work for them. That's how the industry works. Everyone who was there had an experience that was greatly altered and impacted by a lack of service. Patrons shouldn't bus their own tables, clear glasses, refill items all because the bar is short staffed. We all chipped in, but it was mostly because we wanted to have a few drinks and some food before the game. I don't see myself returning to Anchor Bar. read more

Anchor Bar - Only one wait staff member working on a game day = disaster service - Pubs Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

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The Anchor Bar redone is so much better!!!! Food is great! Burgers, tater tots, homemade soup! Happy is a must! The new menu so yummy! Beautiful new flooring! So cool. All the best of old meets new read more

Anchor Bar - Nice staff - Pubs Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

My friend and I came back to the Anchor due to the great food experienced during our last visit. Once again the service by my new trusty subjects was outstanding and the bar was super clean. I laughed when upon check-in on Yelp I was made the Duke of the Anchor bar. Let me tell you this place is so good I will keep coming back here on each visit to Detroit. As the Duke of the Anchor Bar, I command (LOL, more like wish) the anchor bar to develop a dessert menu and open for breakfast at 6:30am so I can eat here more. It is that good! Keep up the great work. read more

Anchor Bar - Great looking burger - Pubs Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

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Stop by for a quick lunch. Nice place to hangout in downtown. I would say 5 star for service but food is like 2 or 1 star for me. Bartenders were really nice and quick service. But I think food can be better. Fish and chips taste like they pull it out from the freezer at Meijer or Walmart. Maybe I am just picky but I think my picture justified my complaints. Drinks and vibes are very good here. read more

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Truly great bar and restaurant serving some new takes on traditional bar food fare like chicken mittens instead of chicken fingers and nice soups (like their cheesy French onion one). Also they serve Detroit classics like coneys (Coney Island dogs) and they also have a wood fired pizza oven and have an assortment of high quality pies. Excellent service and met a badass bartender named Wolf who used to live in Detroit, moved to NY and was surprised by how much the city has changed in 11 years when he returned. Also a world traveler, I told him about reccs in Asia and the UK. The inside is also pretty cool and spacious, the bar has really cool designs, and there is a nice and swanky back room decorated in blue behind a rear door. Also very close to that $10 parking lot that takes cards. Definitely recommended as a must-see and just check out spot if you are ever in Downtown D-Town (not sure if that's an official nickname but whatevs)! read more

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Place is great inside until they don't have nothing. Wait staff is shit and understaffed.

We had a great time at the Anchor Bar. Great service. The pizza is homemade and cooked in a wood burning stove. The drinks are cold and refreshing. Definitely a great place to check out. Full bar, burgers, pizza, sandwiches and more. read more

Anchor Bar - Wood burning pizza oven - Pubs Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

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Horrible, went after auto show. I asked bartender what she recommended. She told me pizza and the burgers. Ordered a pizza , 25 minutes later she informed me they were out of dough. Out of dough at 9pm on a Saturday. Boo!!! read more

I was excited to try this place- I arrived and they couldn't do pizza, out of pretzel bites and Tito's not sure how that happens... While the bartender was taking my order some other woman walked up and interrupted without apology and pulled the bartender away for a few minutes- very rudely. The bartender was very sweet and apologetic- Leonetta maybe? She's fantastic! I ended up with the cheese fries and Caesar salad: fries were crispy and so was the bacon! Caesar was OK- too much dressing and not a lot of flavor. I want to come back to try the pretzel bites and dirty burger! read more

I've been to the Anchor Bar several times, but never in its current incarnation. It's in the same place, but it's been owned by the owner of Parc since 2018. This is a very good thing. But, bringing the Parc menu would have been jarring, because this is still a bar. It's laid out the same way as before, but it seems...cleaner. Maybe it's the lighting? This is the same place that cops and news people would frequent. I recall seeing staffers from the Free Press here many times. They used to have slot machines in the back room (before gambling was legalized...shhhh!) Now, that room can be booked for events. The beer selection seems better, with decent craft brews alongside the old standbys. The food used to be an afterthought, but now is what I'd describe as great bar food. My wife's chicken bacon wrap was excellent: generously stuffed with good quality chicken and bacon. Her fries were crispy and tasty. I ordered the Cuban Reuben. Not only is it fun to say, but it was really tasty. There is a lot of quality corned beef here. The Cuban part was the ham, pickles, and mustard. It works. I asked for the tots for another $3. Totally worth it for perfectly crispy tots, except they forgot the tots, and I got charged full price for it as a side. Service wasn't bad, even though the bartender had to run between us, 3 other tables, and the bar patrons. The prices are higher than they were before, of course, but it's worth it with the food. There are restaurants that that serve alcohol that have better food. But, this might be the best straight up bar food I've ever had. read more

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We stop in here all the time. The pretzel bites are so unique-we always start with those. Great bartenders and fresh veggies in all their food. Service is great and never crowded read more

Went yesterday around 1:30 before the Lions game, which started at 4:25. One bartender and one cook. The bartender was very vocal about how she couldn't keep up (she tried and was working non stop). I saw the cook come out and talk to her a couple times, and he didn't look happy. We ordered a beer and a pop (I would have ordered a Bloody Mary, but I didn't want to do that to her seeing how busy she was). We then ordered two burgers, exactly the same trying to make it easy. My husband went up the restroom and when he came back he told me it looked the the cook was finishing our burgers. Then we waited. The. A table that came on a long time after us started getting their food. We said something to the bartender and she we to her register/computer and said she or the cook f'ed up. We just told her to cancel the order. By this time we had been there for an hour and they were starting to get busy. I believe a server showed up just before we left, but it was ridiculous to not have more help when there was a lions game and red wings game both in the D. We understand places get busy and pscked, but the fact they were severely understaffed was unacceptable. We will not be back. read more

If you are looking for a relaxed, sports bar atmosphere, with expected bar food, this is the place. We had the burger and tots, and the steak sandwich with tots. Lots of choices of draft beers - very reasonably priced. Kelly was our server and was working so hard tending the bar and waiting on tables. She was helpful, friendly and professional. read more

Simple bar food, but the service sets it apart. Jordan our bartender was excellent and made some cold and weary late night travels feel welcome and right at home. read more

The service is amazing and our waiter Jordan was so cool and very attentive to our needs. big shout out to him!!!

Stopped in here on a Friday evening around 7pm and was quite surprised that the crowd was so light but I assume they get more of a crowd on game days. The inside is a nice set-up with a few tables and you can even play games like jumbo Jenga. If I had one complaint it would be that they can do with adding some more liquor brands such as Jack Daniels Honey and more than one Anejo Tequila brand that cost $20 a shot. I ordered their philly cheesesteak sandwich which was really good with truffle fries..I wish they were regular sized and not steak fries but they were still good. My husband had a turkey burger and it was very good. He had beer and I tried Brown Sugar Bourbon which was good. The service was great and staff was very friendly and helpful. read more

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We returned for food late one night, and I'm glad they were open. There aren't very many options after 10 in the area, and this was solid bar food for a very decent price. We ordered beer and burgers with fries and were happy. We also ordered wings, which are frozen wing dings fried, but are the best version of that with hot sauce and ranch. You 6 wings and a side of chips was only $5. It might be weird if you come in late... You might be the only ones there for awhile at a time... Service may be reluctant... But you'll eventually get what you ask for. And it will be quite decent. Returned to the newly renovated so space on a Friday night; new paint, new furniture, renovated bathrooms, an overhauled menu. The prices increased dramatically, but so did the quality of the food by the looks of things. Michigan beef, Impossible burgers, that kind of thing. And totchos, apparently. We had the wings, which are $7 now instead of $5, but are not frozen wing dings any longer. They're actually pretty great; perfectly cooked with yummy sauce. I'll keep coming back for snacks. The burgers and sandwiches are $10-$13 now though, not my kind of thing. But everything sounded yummy. We'll most likely keep returning. read more

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I rarely write negative reviews but this is deserving. Well I can`t really rate the food or drinks since we never got any service. Went there on a Saturday afternoon and it was probably half full. There were 8 of us and we sat down and waited, and waited, and waited. Over 15 minutes passed without one person coming to our table. The server with long dark hair walked by us at least 5 times and hardly looked at our table. Had a scowl on her face and looked pissed that she was working. The table next to us was walking up to the bar getting their own drinks and said to us. "Server does not give a chit so better walk up and get your own drinks" Since there is not much around there we waited until finally said screw it and walked out! First time I ever did that at a bar or restaurant. Ended up at Nemos where our tab was $170.00 before tip. After we all threw is some cash a $50.00 tip to our server. As soon as we walked into Nemos the staff were all over us filling beers and food orders. I understand if you are busy, just acknowledge your customers and say "Be right with you..or say something!!" Don`t stare like you are mad we came in! Really wanted to support this place but they made it very difficult. read more

This is one of his favorite dive bars. But it's not a dive bar anymore. We didn't really plan the day out until the evening time so a few places we tried were still not open. So when he suggested it I was happy to oblige. I have been here a few times with him, including opening day. Today however was very quiet. Very few people in the bar. We were just stopping in for a beer so can't speak on the food because I can't remember if I have ever eaten here. Any way, this place is quite large and even has a private back room. They get super busy during games etc. It's just a fun spot. We will be back for sure! read more

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Classic, hole in the wall, Detroit bar. Good beer, good food, good times. Go for the tatchos, stay for the beer. There's never a wrong time to go! read more

Came in here with a decent sized group. I had the roasted cauliflower. It was pretty good, great sauce. However, the waitress did say it would be off the menu soon. The service was a little spotty and slow. Took over twenty minutes to get a drink after ordering. Another large group came in after us, ordered after us (same waitress) and got their drinks way before us. The giant Jenga was fun. I'd probably come again, but wouldn't be the first place I'd think of going downtown. read more

Anchor Bar - Giant jenga game - Pubs Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

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We stopped in this place while staying in Detroit for a conference. One of the best hamburgers I've had in a long time. It's a great place to go and socialize with friends while having some good food & a cold beverage. Definitely recommend it if you have a few minutes to spend on a slow afternoon. read more

Nice kickoff to another year of Yelp. The Anchor Bar is impressive interesting to learn when the Joe was around the corner the Red Wings frequent this establishment. Now this is the hit spot for the Lions read more

Anchor Bar - Bar area - Pubs Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

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First time post-pandemic and it is better than I remembered! Great place for after work drinks, excellent service and nice clean draft lines!!! read more

It's time to update my review. I just paid a visit since the remodel and I'm bummed. They have cleaned it up, and while I'm fine with cleaning a place up, they gotta know when to stop! My fave booth is gone, and so are the pool tables! The reasonable prices are gone, and the employees who make you feel like family are gone, too. (I'm sure they have nice people, but I didn't meet everyone on this last visit.) My rum and Coke tasted like water, and it was $7.00! No more $3.75 cocktails, folks. Times they are a-changing. I'm not going to go on and on about how much I used to love the old Anchor Bar, because it is gone now, so I will say what I like about Anchor Bar now. *silence* I won't be back, and they won't miss me. Thanks for the memories. read more

I town for a conference. Great happy hour! Nice atmosphere and well poured drinks. Bar was busy, but Felicia still provided great service. read more

I went to my very first YELP event and it was very nice. I met some wonderful people. The atmosphere was quiet and relaxed. The prices for Happy Hour were reasonable. Nice waitstaff and since it was after 5pm, the parking on the side of tge building was free, as there was no attendant, but you park at your own risk. Otherwise simply park on the street. read more

If you want really bad coney island, oh boy do I have the place for you. Yes, there is a price markup, but unlike many Coney islands, the chips have ruffles and the foods you order have cute names. read more

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Was recommended by our hotel and within walking distance. Had the Anchor burger and tots. Was very good. Bar was clean and service was good. Menu seemed limited but could be due to Covid. Menu online seemed to have more. Will be back for sure. read more

We had a large group of 14. The atmosphere is cool but the service was terrible. I think our waitress had the entire restaurant and she was RUDE and short. We barely saw her. We asked for waters (in addition to our cocktails) and she never brought them. She wouldn't split our tab up, so we had to pay on one credit card and everyone had to Venmo us. What restaurant doesn't split tabs?! The bang bang shrimp tacos were very good though! read more

Anchor bar is the perfect bar for an after work happy hour drink, a tigers/pistons pregame. Or even a Saturday with friends. Great food and great drinks read more

Anchor Bar - Pubs Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

Had good Covid protocol and social distancing in place. Tucked away in the financial district with street parking. Had typical bar fare of nachos and chicken fingers and both were very average at best. read more

Anchor Bar is amazing. The servers are very personable and attentive. Shoutout to Moon! She was awesome! Highly recommend to anyone visiting or wanting a great place for food or beverages. read more

My first visit. What?! Damn shame. This place was so much fun. I went after I completed the detroit half mathon. And it was packed. Not sure how the f they handled the volume of people. But...they did. We found a table and was able to flag a server who was friendly and efficient despite the insanity of dozens of thirsty runners. I was a bit disappointed that the bathroom wasn't stocked. No even one of the stalls had toilet paper and we were there early! read more

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Absolutely amazing! See my full review on the attached pic. This is the place to call you're home town bat read more

Anchor Bar - Amazing experience! Must try... - Pubs Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

Excellent service! Good variety food. Perfect happy hour but the wheel is a cruel mistress!!

We ended up getting chili here late at night. It's a pretty divey place and they were out of most everything (like much of the city then we were there). The chili was not really good, but not bad either. I suppose maybe we should just be thankful something was still open at this point. read more

I love this bar. Your mileage may vary here. Treat the staff with respect, stay calm, don't act like a dick...and you'll be treated pretty well. Come in frequently and treat the staff well, and you'll be treated like a bit like the extended family that you actually want to see during the holidays! This bar has a kickass burger, and the totchos are pretty tasty. The kitchen stays open late-later than most other places in Detroit. They have a fantastic assortment of beer at an even better price. For those who are curious about the pictures above the bar...they're portraits of Anchor regulars who have passed away (if you ask about Reggie, be prepared to tear up a bit at the tales of that man, as he was one of the best people to ever walk into the Anchor; his love of UDM sports, laugh, and music selections were legendary!) This bar can get incredibly busy during the Red Wings season, so if you come in during that time, bring some patience...but also bring your appetite. read more

Wanted to try the totchos. Unfortunately, the poor waitress / bartender was trying to do it by herself, and wasn't able to keep up. And with one grill master, I heard a customer complain that she had waited over an hour and still had not gotten her food order. I waited for a while and finally gave up. Today was not a great day for Anchor Bar. Too bad an owner or manager wasn't around to help out. The place was busy, but lost business because it was understaffed. read more

This is a sports bar. You come here to drink and watch hockey/baseball/football (sorry the Pistons suck now), and generally not eat food and dine in. I like the atmosphere. It's grungy and dirty. It reminds me of college with those bathroom stalls that barely shut and the smell of fresh urine. BUT they have an awesome selection of beers on both draft and in bottle form and everything is ridiculously CHEAP. And did I mention how much they love the Wings here? Look at all of those photos I inserted! And of I think what are Detroit Free Press writers above the bar. Neato! Most importantly, I discovered my love for Short's Brewing Company. IT IS EVERYTHING. Why have I not tried this before?! I asked for a brown ale that tastes good and the bartender lady from the gods hands me over this delicious nectar. Their Huma Lupa IPA wasn't too shabby either. I'm even moreso intrigued what their seasonal and limited edition ales taste like. You can't get this on the East Coast. So this is like a party in my mouth for me. Wait for it, they have a Key Lime mother F**king beer. Peaches & Cream, Strawberry Shortcake, Chocolate Stout, Black cherry, bananas and BLOW cream?! Where the hell have I been and then there are normal beers with insanely creative names. But I need to stop talking about Short's because I'm sure Anchor Bar doesn't have every single flavor of the rainbow on demand but still a pretty damn fine selection. My life has been forever changed. They're also super friendly and they love the Red Wings. What more could you ask for? Well, my friend's car got broken into. Maybe we shouldn't have made this our last stop at like 1am. But anyway, the staff and her boyfriend helped us tape her window back together again so that it was at least drivable and saved the day, as opposed to the Detroit Police that never came. read more

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