Decided to go back for dinner last week and had a nice experience. However, even though we were celebrating a birthday we did not receive a candle with our dessert and we saw other tables getting candles which was a little disappointing. Most of our dishes were very tasty however I would not recommend the walleye panino. It was just ok and thought they were going to reinvent the fish sandwich but there is definitely other items that were very good. We also decided to go back yesterday for happy hour and sat at the bar and Brynn and Kelsey provided the best service I have had in a long time. They made the best martinis and were so fun and friendly! Our friends were celebrating their anniversary and we all had such a great time talking with them. I mentioned that we didn't a candle with our dessert the week before and they surprised us with pistachio gelato with a candle! It was so thoughtful and we were so thankful for the surprise! We definitely will be back for the happy and the great bar service! read more

Yelp considers 3-Stars to be Okay. This visit was a bit better than just okay, but not worthy of four stars. We arrived at 6:24 for a 6:30 resv and were immediately seated. My first impression: Noisy! Lots of hard surfaces. Difficult to hear the hostess, server and my wife. The tables were appropriately spaced for diners and servers to work with no bump & grind. We started by sharing a dozen oysters and the pear/walnuts salad. The oysters were a bit small-ish; but otherwise, excellent. Server took a drink order from my wife, but skipped me. Eh? I flagged down another server to order a Pino. It took a surprisingly long time to arrive. On the plus side, I was offered a taste to insure it was satisfactory - it was. The pear salad w/walnuts was excellent. The pears were sliced paper-thin. One of the joys of eating a properly ripened pear is the juicy explosion and thinly sliced pears defeat the juicy explosion. If the pears were fully ripe, perhaps cube them? Weirdly; the two sides (mushrooms, potatoes) were served before the entrees. The server noticed, seemed surprised and withdrew the sides, returning with our entrees (lamb shoulder, steak). Then the side returned. Both entrees were warm-ish and the sides were hot. The 14-day, dry-aged steak was ordered medium-rare and was seasoned and prepared as ordered. Again; warm-ish, not hot. I expected better beefy flavor for a dry-aged steak. One end was a bit chewy. Tenderness improved as I got to the other end of the steak. I ordered it with horseradish. I will admit to being a weirdo who loves spicy horseradish (and wasabi) that will clean the sinuses - this was "Ohio-spice'd" horseradish ... not creamy, but less spicy than Arby's Horsey sauce. The mushroom and the potato sides were served hot from the kitchen. Both were excellent, no complaints. The presentation of the steak needs improvement. It was a properly prepared, lonely lump of brown, served on a white plate with cracked ceramic glaze. The lamb shoulder was the better entree. For some reason, my wife was expecting Middle Eastern seasoning. The menu did not mention Middle Eastern seasoning and she did not ask, so that's on her, not the kitchen. I thought it was excellent. Gripe: After the entrees arrived, our server did not return to ask if the entrees were satisfactory. She did return later to ask if we wanted a second round of drinks. We did ... We were offered dessert and ordered, but never asked if we wanted coffee or an after dinner drink. Both desserts were excellent. Will we return? Probably ... not. With tip; dinner for two was $286. At this price point I expect better: Less noise, better beef and flawless service. read more

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Wow - what a beautiful restaurant and delicious food. After this Sunday meal, we already booked another reservation to try the Chef's Tasting menu. If everything is as good as what we ordered this time, I can't wait to try more! Firstly, the natural lighting in here is just fantastic, and I really like the layout - you have a bit more space than some of the other downtown restaurants, and it's fairly quiet. Nice cozy booth seating as well as chairs. The gated parking lot is also a huge plus downtown and service was absolutely excellent. We came on a Sunday to try their all day happy hour, and it did not disappoint. $2 oysters meant that we ordered 2 dozen, and while the east coast varieties tend to be our favorite, their west coast selection was also top notch. Just lovely, salty, briny fresh oysters with a great mignonette. We also both ordered dirty martinis, and they're perfect for $8. We also had the focaccia which comes with this amazing tomato pesto - it tasted like pizza concentrated into a sauce. Yum! And the focaccia is perfect - the kind of bread that makes you remember why bread is so good. Pillowy and soft inside, toasted crispy outside; an amazing app. For dinner, we had the squid ink and seafood pasta, the wild striped bass and the lamb. Everything was absolutely so delicious and perfectly cooked. They split the pasta for us, which was very nice, and I just can't get over the delicious unique flavor of that dish. Outstanding. This pasta is the kind of pasta you want to order when you go out. Lots of yummy seafood, perfectly seasoned al dente pasta, savory sauce. The bass was the most perfectly cooked piece of fish I've had in a long time - crispy skin, tender moist flesh, buttery sauce. And lastly, I was super impressed with the lamb - it was tender yet crispy on the edges, savory and satisfying. If a seafood restaurant is doing lamb this well, I've got to see what else they have to offer. Can't wait to try the tasting menu. Even hubby was impressed and had zero complaints about anything, and he's tough to please. What a gem of a restaurant. read more

Oak & Reel - Italian Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

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My friend traveled a long way from San Diego to Michigan, so I decided to go visit her in the long weekend of Labor Day. We spent a day visiting Detroit zoo and we were amazed. It was the restaurant that she booked for us to celebrate my birthday. It has a small entrance facing the road but with a very large parking place. So you do my worry about parking at all. The restaurant offered seasonal French-based menu when we arrived as it was Italian restaurant originally. We ordered foie gras, a dozen of oysters as side dishes and trout as my main dish. The trout is so well cooked and the meat is very juicy and tender. Oysters are very well prepared and fresh. The foie gras I don't like very much as the combo is not the thing I was looking for. Maybe I have an unusually high standard for this dish. Overall, it is a very solid restaurant with plenty of options to choose from. Recommend to anyone who wants a decent dining experience in Detroit. read more

Oak & Reel - Italian Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

Amazing service, delicious food and beautiful ambiance. During my visit in Detroit, I ended up visiting this Italian spot on the way back to Toronto. I visited on a weekend night and highly recommend making reservations in advance. The pasta was amazing quality, the flavours were quite rich and you could tell they put care into their food. The squid ink pasta was my favourite one. I wasn't a big fan of their oysters as they tasted a bit average but it was still a fun try during their happy hour. The prices are a bit steep but totally worth the visit for a special occasion in the city. read more

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Came to Oak + Reel for dinner with my parents and were able to snag an early reservation on a Saturday night. I was worried we would be the only diners at that time (5pm) but shockingly it was fairly busy even at the start of our meal and packed by the time we left. Ambiance is lovely with an open kitchen and good lighting/music volume. Conversation at a normal level is possible but there's definitely an atmospheric undertone. Service was quick and friendly and I appreciated the attention to detail with different utensils for courses etc. We ordered the fritto misto ($18), the pear salad ($17), the lumache ($25), the gramigna ($22), the lamb shoulder ($31), and a side of mushrooms ($10). I hate to say it, but everything was just a tad disappointing. The fritto misto didn't seem to match the description on the menu; there was fried lemon slices in it and seemingly no fennel. The bolognese on the gramigna was nearly flavorless and not ample enough. The lumache was good, but not outstanding. The lamb shoulder, which WAS an excellent size portion to share, was delicious...although it was sat on a pile of the wettest polenta I've ever had. Sauces were consistently unbalanced and there were some weird flavors that I couldn't quite identify. The menu descriptions are vague and don't accurately describe the flavors in the dish. Prices I thought were reasonable-ish for a restaurant of its caliber, but I wouldn't return. Luckily they participate in the Chase Reserve promo so I'll get dining credit on my statement. read more

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Everything was spectacular, from the chic ambiance to the attentive service and every tasty bite in between. I appreciated the vegetarian options, and the Baked Alaska was the best way to top off the meal! read more

Oak & Reel - Baked Alaska - Italian Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

Me and some friends went here for the Sunday all day happy hour and it did not disapoint. The bartenders Brynn and Kelsey seriously made our day, they were so much fun with great conversations and amazing martini making skills. The food we had was so good I can't wait to go back and try more things on the menu. We were just doing drinks but couldn't pass up the amazing deal in the oysters which were a fabulous compliment to our drinks. The fried artichoke and crostini where delicious as well. read more

The food was fresh, flavorful, and beautifully prepared, with a great variety of options to choose from. The atmosphere was welcoming and made for a really enjoyable meal. A special shoutout to our server, Ashley, who provided excellent service throughout our visit. She was friendly, attentive, knowledgeable, and made sure everything was taken care of without being intrusive. Her recommendations were spot-on and really added to the experience. read more

So I have been to Oak and Reel twice and the good: - Really good food I would give the food 4 stars the reason it doesn't get 5. Sloppy presentation. You eat with your eyes first and the steak and fries were thrown on a plate which was just not appealing. - The drinks are fantastic they need to give the bartender a raise. - Beautiful restaurant it's just a great environment. Slight negative it's so loud you can't hear at all. You can't hear the servers. I am fine with it but I can see where others don't like it. The bad: - service is literally never good here. Ever. The poor service lets down the food which is a shame. - long wait times for the servers to acknowledge you. - when they do none of the servers seem to fully understand the menu. - long wait times for food drinks virtually anything. - the peach dessert run away from it. That peach is so bitter it just was a poor job by the pastry chef. If the peach is bitter turn it into a peach ice cream to balance. Even eating it as one bite the peach is so bitter it over powers the meringue. The ice cream. Everything else and makes for a terrible terrible terrible bite. A terrible dessert. They re other restaurants in the area that knock it out the park in both areas. Not sure I'll be back here anytime soon even though the food is amazing read more

Beautiful restaurant in Detroits New Center area. Love that they opened a restaurant on East Grand Blvd! The layout and design is a industrial feel with huge floor to ceiling windows and a great vibe. Heard great things about the food and I'm sure it's good to some, but for me, not so much. I had the Burrata and Spaghetti. Staff was great though. read more

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We were very excited to try oak and reel but it fell a bit flat. In regards to food, we ordered their fresh bread which we were excited about it but it was unfortunately cold. The brussel sprouts were the best thing but they were very tart. The gnocchi was alright but slightly over cooked. I kept my hopes high for the budino but ultimately it did not match the price point. Overall, the food was decent but not worth the price. The service started off good but then we ended up waiting 45 minutes because our waiter was no where to be found. Our meal was done. This is a good place for a first date as long as you're okay paying for the ambiance and not the food. read more

The ambiance and service here is incredible, they have attached parking which is super convenient, and reservations are definitely recommended as they can get busy. To start, we ordered the oysters (quite a bit cheaper with the happy hour deal), brussel sprouts, and burrata, as well as two mocktails, the Tasso di Miele and Sole Rosso (my favorite of the two). For our entrees, we ordered the bucatini and the orata, which was the perfect amount to share between my wife and I. While I thought both were good, they didn't blow me away. We ended with the budino for dessert, that was fantasic, definitely not what I expected, but really enjoyed it. In general, definitely recommend Oak & Reel for a good night out or date night. read more

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Had a lovely meal here for my birthday! We tried the tasting menu, which was fabulous, but there were a couple components I wouldn't choose for myself and didn't enjoy. If I were to return, I'd order a la carte. So be sure to take a look at the tasting options before you decide -- everything may be right up your alley! My favorite items were: - focaccia skewers and fish croquettes as part of the first course. The pesto on the skewers was just incredible. - crab corzetti. I could eat this everyday for the rest of my life. The sauce was DELICIOUS and the pasta had the perfect bite. The pasta is on point here, as you'd expect, all made in-house. - cavolini with rhubarb. Nothing like a pastry with fresh cream, am I right? Such a lovely way to end the meal, and I was stuffed! The portions for the tasting menu were definitely correct. My least favorite thing was the shrimp-stuffed squid -- the texture just doesn't do it for me and it was overall very mildly flavored (intentional, possibly). My partner did the wine pairing, and while many of the wines were lovely, only a couple pairings really stood out and we weren't convinced it was worth the value. I'd love to return here sometime and explore their other pasta. Cocktail/mocktail list also brings a strong game. Cheers! read more

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We went to dinner before Hamilton at the Fisher, and I must tell you they treated us like Royalty! It was my granddaughter's 18th birthday, and they made it special with the best suggestions and spot-on service! I have been a client service professional for over 35 years, and I will remember Oak and Reel for making the start of our evening memorable! read more

Food was good. It took a LONG TIME though. The server wasn't really checking in, I had to request a drink menu. My biggest issue is how DIRTY the light fixtures were. If they're not cleaning that what else is going unnoticed? Every time I took a sip of my beverage the thick dust on the lights stunned me. read more

We went to Oak and Reel for our anniversary and really enjoyed the 4-course meal option. We loved the vibe, and our server was great. The wine list was extensive and helpful. We definitely liked our pasta course more than our meat/fish course, and would probably just get a dinner portion of the pasta if I were to go again. However, we loved the appetizer and dessert options, and enjoyed maximizing our time while out for a date night! read more

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When you see that a restaurant says est. 2020, you have to have mad respect. But owner and Chef Jared Gadbaw clearly knows what he's doing! I've heard good things from friends - from the food as well as the fact that they're very kid friendly. We made a reservation on OpenTable for a Friday night. Our server was fantastic - appreciate that he asked us if we had any time constraints, etc. and we said we didnt' so it was really like we dined Italian style -- unhurried and savored! We had the following PRIMI to start: *OYSTERS - no complaints - they had west coast & east coast oysters. cleaned well. into the mignonette they served with it! *OLIVE FOCACCIA (pesto trapanese) - if you love olives, you'll love these focaccia! It was pretty perfect. *OCTOPUS (stracciatella, radicchio, gremolata, hearth grapes) - just yes. *STUFFED CALAMARI (sausage, capers, preserved pepper) - really incredible and unique! *FUNGHI (roasted hen of the woods, delicata squash, rye berries) - can't go wrong with delicata. great veg dish! Then we made ourselves a lil' pasta flight - it's really hard to chose a favorite as they were ALL so good. The Lumache was the most flavorful and i loved the lumache grooves (catches all the sauce!). But the bucatini and gnocchi (PERFECT little pillows) were pretty delicious as well! *BUCATINI (preserved lemon, walnuts, oregano, pecorino) *GNOCCHI (ricotta, pesto genovese) *LUMACHE (squid ink, shrimp, crab, fines herbes) We were saving room for desserts so we skipped secondi and balled out for zerts - which seriously...save room for dessert! *Budino (dark chocolate custard, espresso, EVOO): this one was recommended by our server. I was on the fence but SOOO glad we ordered it. It was sooo luscious but had the PERFECT touch of savoriness (EVOO and salt). Wow. *Fico (rosemary panna cotta, figs, oats, honey) - another more savory dessert! almost had like breakfast granola vibes - in a great way. This is one of those..."i'm not a dessert person" desserts haha. The panna cotta was a little loose but still tasted great! *Mela (apple frittelle, walnut, vanilla gelato) - this one was so surprising! it was an ACTUAL apple (rather than an apple fritter or donut situation)... like think tempura but tempura'd apple! Loved the temperature (warm frittelle) with the cold vanilla gelato. Delightful and again not very sweet! *Gelato - we got the halloween special which was a chocolate-tahini swirl. It was good but just paled in comparison! They had some great mocktails on the menu also and an awesome NA sparkling cava (a little sparkling grape juice-y for my liking BUT appreciated the option). They did have a tasting menu too which I'll have to come back for! read more

They have their own parking which is always a plus in Detroit. The restaurant has a very relaxed feel. Our waiter was excellent and it seemed as though all the staff worked together to clean and get food out efficiently. The waiter also went through and explained the dishes which I must say was a bit of a relief since we were not experienced with the verbiage of this menu. Overall a great experience. Just wish they had a couple menu items that could gear towards people with a more average taste. The bathroom is downstairs and a bit of a hike. read more

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Very great service and good food . Staff was very friendly and helpful. Customer satisfaction was the main factor in this experience read more

Oak & Reel - The owner of Phazes of Women - Italian Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

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Location: New Center - has ample street and paved parking lot on side (accessible via W Grand Blvd. The restaurant itself is well kept and the interior is lovely. Food: the menu is contemporary Italian and seafood centric with other options also available. We ordered the 4 course prix fixe option. This was a great way to try multiple dishes in manageable portions. We absolutely loved the fritto misto and the octopus (cooked to PERFECTION). Cocktails were also delicious and balanced. Service: we had the pleasure of having Rae be our server. She went above and beyond to walk us through menu items and offer suggestions. read more

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This is one of those places that Yelp should actually allow a sixth star for. The host struck up a conversation with us as soon as we walked in. Made us feel comfortable right away. Our server greeted us, ran through the menu briefly however all I heard was Happy Hour all day on Sunday! Woo - hoo! Simply said. Service was outstanding. Restaurant really had an upscale vibe to it but not pretentious at all. Every dish we had was exceptional! Just spot on in every aspect of dining out. Well done! read more

This is an upscale restaurant in the Milwaukee junction area. They have a parking lot which is a major plus. They do have happy hour with $8 wines and oysters $2 a piece. The look of the place is elegant and modern. Our waitress was nice and friendly. I got the Lumache pasta which had nice size pieces of crab in it. The portion size is smaller but it was perfect for me. It's definitely on the pricy side but a great place for a date night or night on the town. read more

First visit tonight for our anniversary dinner. We arrived early for our 6:00 reservation and seated promptly. Very quiet when we arrived but by the time we left the restaurant was probably 80% filled. We started with the burrata which was fabulous. Bread was served when the burrata arrived and complimentary which is nice with so many restaurants either not offering bread or offering it as a "side". My wife had the spaghetti di mare and I had the Lumache. Both pastas were excellent, cooked a perfect al dente. Decent selection of wines by the glass at typical prices for a restaurant in this category. One minor gripe...my wife ordered an iced tea and had a refill and they charged for each iced tea. I haven't seen that in a long time. Not sure if they do that with coffee as well. Like I said, that's a minor gripe given the outstanding food and service. The restaurant is worthy of the accolades it has received. Oh, also had a side of asparagus which was spot on. read more

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Honestly Everything Food, service, wine, ambiance The variety is fantastic Best octopus My only recommendation (not complaint) would be to try a different coffee roaster We will be back read more

My husband and I visited on Valentine's Day and thus got Oak & Reel's special menu for the evening. Overall, the gnocchi and risotto were excellent. I liked the beef entree I got, but it wasn't to die for. My husband adored his scallops. We both loved the chocolate dessert. All in all, if I were coming back here for a regular visit, I would stick to the pasta and desserts which have always been stellar. read more

This was the most delicious meal made by a Michelin Star Chef Jarod. The presentation, the seasoning, and the food was delectable. We visited Detroit where my son works to celebrate belated Mother's Day. The service and the restaurant atmosphere are amazing. We will visit again when we are in Detroit. Thanks Chef for stopping by to say hello to us. read more

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We arrived for our 5:15 reservation on a Saturday night. There is free parking in a lot next-door. What a bonus. The restaurant is quite open and there are large windows in the front. We were seated by the windows and it was full of light. There was a little "happy birthday" card on our table- nice touch! While we were contemplating the awesome drink menu and whether to have cocktails or wine they brought us each a small serving of champagne, as we were celebrating a birthday. It was a nice start to a magnificent dining experience. The choices on the drink menu were wnticing.One of our diners had the Serpentine cocktail, which our server said was very popular. I had read about it in another Yelp review. It was excellent. It is a tequila drink with passionfruit and just a little hint of spice. Another diner had a 7 and 7. She said it was excellent. A couple of us had a glass of the house Chardonnay. We we were not disappointed. Three of us ordered the four course meal and one of our diners shared the second course as we figured there would be a lot of food. We were not wrong. One of the appetizers was the Crudo, which to me was more like a tartare, but the pomegranate seeds on top -it was just amazing The octopus dish was grilled with grilled grapes. It was also excellent and the fritto misto was a healthy portion, while maybe not healthy because it is fried but the batter is very light and with a hint of honey. I thought it was excellent -crunchy yet delicate. The next course is the pasta course. When we came in, they asked us if we were going to a show and we told them we had a show at 8 o'clock. remind u want to remind you this was 5:15 reservation, they recommended that we had our second and third courses served together to save time. It did not seem like the dinner stretched out forever, but we were there over two hours and it would've been even longer if they had served the second and third courses separately. So it is not a place to dine and dash, but there was really never a lull, nor did we feel rushed. The pace was perfect. it was actually, a spectacular show of service because when our second and third courses came, we must've had six wait staff show up at our table to serve us all at the same time. It reminded me of the old days when you went to an upscale restaurant and they bring the food in a dome and take it off with a flourish! there were no domes involved with us, but the service was amazing. Anytime you got up from the table they would refold your napkin -anyway back to the important part - the food. We had an order of the Tajarin Al Tartufo which is an excellent pasta with butter and park with truffle shaved over the top table side. You don't get many chances to have white truffles. To die for! I had the Bucatini, which is a pasta with lemon, walnut and some oregano pecorino on top and then we also had an order of the Lumache, which is their squid ink pasta. They make their pastas in house and they were all spectacular. I am glad I ordered the Bucatini as it is a thin pasta maybe like a spaghetti but hollow through the center. And of course I love squid pasta. It had a crunch to it that made it flavorful. For our entrées or what they called the second course we ordered the halibut, the Orata and the Dover sole. There was also a chicken and a steak option but we are all fish lovers so that's what we stuck with fish. The halibut, I thought, the star. It was served with a chestnut ragu and underneath there was this little potato purée . The fish was cooked to perfection. The Orata was our least favorite of the fishes. The fish itself was excellent, but none of us were crazy about the salsa Verde that they served it with. It wasn't what I would think of a traditional salsa Verde, but it was still quite good. Well, I say it was our least favorite. There was not a bad thing served to us! We just were not in love with the salsa verde. It was lovely. And the Dover sole, well what is not to like about that? It was spectacular, sweet and tender. Again, cooked to perfection. For the final course, the Dulce course as they call it, one of us ordered the dark chocolate mousse, one of us ordered the Budino and I ordered the fig gelato. The chocolate dessert was very chocolatey and by this time I was pretty full, so I only ate a bite of it. It was flavorful. The fig gelato was spectacular. It had a pastry crust on the bottom, some pieces of cooked fig, and then the gelato - which had a little bit of rosemary, and there was some crème fraîche. It was not too heavy. It was so flavorful. I enjoyed that thoroughly. The Budino was some sort of sweet potato dessert in the center of the bowl, with a granola and some meringue. It was beautiful. It was a little sweet so if you like sweet, that was a good one. It was enticing, the picture does not do it just is. As I mentioned, we were celebrating a birthday so they also brought us a chocolate gelato. It was also very enjoyable. read more

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I have been here a few times just in the dining area however this time I went to a hosted private event utilizing some spaces not open to general dining and it did not disappoint. I started the evening at the downstairs bar and the area was very cute (a little dark) but the host had rented the room with private bar service and the bartenders were lovely! Then we moved to a private dining room which didn't have a bar but had the option to order from a full service bar. There was a set menu with 2 of our own waitresses to help facilitate food, drinks, and questions. The food was delicious (as expected) and overall, I would do come again! I will say it was a little bit pricy but the service was worth it! read more

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The food was fantastic. Nice atmosphere. The service was impeccable. Everyone was very nice. Pasta is made in house and you can tell

Wow. Get the gnocchi. I had an amazing bartender. I got the four course prix fixe with the wine. I would come back. The bar was essentially empty on Sunday night. I am excited to come back . Lovely ambiance great low music lots of chatter excellent lights. read more

Oak & Reel - Italian Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

I've been wanting to visit Oak & Reel for a while and finally had a chance to try it for my birthday dinner. Overall, it was an okay experience but not one that I'm super excited to try again... The service was friendly enough, and the bread they served to start was delicious. However, the bucatini was a bit bland compared to the other food pasta places around here, and the ravioli was comically small (I think it was just 3 little pieces?!) for the price. We also ordered a bottle of wine, which didn't come for a long time and then they told us they didn't have it, so the sommelier came by and we ordered a different bottle. That's sort of fine on its own (minus the wait), but then the bill was wrong and we were being charged for the original (more expensive) bottle we ordered, so I had to fetch someone to fix it. They seemed rather unapologetic about it, almost a bit annoyed that I noticed the mistake on the bill (it was only a few dollars difference, but it's a matter of principle). Still giving it 4 stars because some of my guests enjoyed their meal better than I did my own, the ambiance is cool, and the wine list is good (despite them not having the one bottle I ordered), but I wouldn't rank it among the top restaurants at this price point in Detroit. read more

Elevated plates & impeccable service! What a vibe this place was-- very well decorated and styled. A little mood lighting to fit the vibe... 10/10 for the style. Food was phenomenal. A little different/funky dishes but from what we tried they all worked. The crostini & the brussels were *chef's kiss* Wonderful flavors, beautiful presentation... could have used a bit more out of the portion sizing but I think that's just how the elevated dining scene goes. Nothing was really catching our eye for dessert but our server, Christopher (I will get to him in a moment), brought us 2 options to try-- The Delizie and some gelato. The Delizie in particular... did not sound up our alley but was out of this world! And to round it out with the star of the show, the service from Christopher. He really made the whole experience from the moment we got there. So accommodating and knowledgeable. Friendly and relatable. Really enjoyed our time there and made for a great birthday dinner for my best friend's 40th! read more

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Sat at the bar on an early but busy Wednesday night. Our group shared the crostini which was as delectable as it was beautiful. Our other starter was the strawberry spring veggie salad. The portion was surprisingly large, feeding 3 people. The fried faro was a nice crunchy addition though, there was an aftertaste we couldn't quite put our finger on. For our entrees we ordered the halibut, the lamb shank and the preserved lemon bucatini. The group favorite was by far the lemon bucatini. Fresh lemon flavor and salty pecorino with fresh pasta, what more could you want. I"We all swooned over that dish. The lamb shank was a large portion and so tender. The fregola was so good and balanced the dish perfectly. The halibut had a nice umami flavor and we loved the shave kohlrabi. The only downsides we all noticed were that the bar tender was not very attentive to his customers as he was shelling out drinks as quickly as possible but due to this asking questions or even placing a dessert order was out of the question as it was clear we would be waiting. It also seemed there was a lag between our appetizers and our actual meals. Over all the drinks and food were well worth the drive and price. We would absolutely return. read more

I came here with my fiancé to celebrate our anniversary, and we had a great experience! We had a reservation and were seated right away. Since it was our first time here, the waiter explained the whole menu, noting popular dishes and his personal favorites. We each started with a glass of Prosecco to drink. For food, instead of getting 1 item from each category, we chose to each get an appetizer and a pasta dish. We shared the octopus and the burrata, and both were delicious but the octopus was by far my favorite. It was tender and had great flavor. I went with the lobster spaghetti, and my fiancé chose the blecs. Both were cooked to perfection with incredible sauces. We couldn't stop raving about them! The atmosphere here was great too. It was cozy, comfortable, and upscale. Plus, they had a lot with free parking right next door, which is always a plus. read more

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Oak & Reel is quality! It was recommended by a foodie friend who grew up in the area and it didn't miss. It has an open modern aesthetic with a cute bar. The service was attentive and gave great recs. Highlight for me was the salad and my partners was the lumache (squid ink pasta). We almost never get dessert but don't sleep on it here! The pistachio gelato was chefs kiss and the bomboloni has the softest dough. read more

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This is my favorite restaurant in Detroit! It is a large restaurant and the staff goes out of their way to make you feel welcome. There are a lot of good options on the menu and the portion sizes are fair. The decor feels elegant yet simple. There is a bar that you can dine at if you come in with 1-2 people without much difficulty although I would recommend making a reservation. They have a private, free parking lot. The #1 thing you have to get is the octopus, I do not generally like seafood nor octopus and this dish is to die for. It is roasted so the texture is nit slimy at all. It has such great savory flavor and the sauces complement it so nicely. I like the mezzelune or the bucatini for pasta. The chicken was ok but the steak & sauce was phenomenal (an upcharge if you're getting the prix fixe menu fyi). We got the chocolate mousse and it had some tasty toppings. The bar manager (Christian?) was so charming and was able to make me a mocktail with no issues. He really took care of us since we were eating at the bar. read more

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We celebrated my birthday at Oak & Reel after hearing great things, and it was a fantastic experience! We indulged in the four-course Prix Fixe and chose the crudo, octopus, ravioli, bucatini, roasted chicken, halibut, and a pistachio dessert--all of it was exquisite. The bucatini and ravioli were my favorites! The ambiance felt special, the food was served promptly, and our server was incredibly knowledgeable. We also mentioned we were on a time limit to catch a show, and he was very responsive in making sure we were out on time. Overall, it was a wonderful experience, and I can't wait to go back! read more

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We were super excited about trying Oak and Reel. We were celebrating a special occasion and wanted to try something different. Unfortunately it was a disappointment for several reasons. 1. Food was cold with no flavor. 2. I found a long blonde hair in my pasta apparently be longing to a chef who was not a fan of hair nets. 3. There was an extremely obnoxious table behind us that was so loud the entire rest had to listen to their conversation and heinous laughing (2 women had the nails on the chalkboard laugh). Instead of moving them to the back or asking them to remember there were others dining there as well they let it go. We actually left early without finishing our drinks because we could not hear one another talk. 4. Food was served out of order - 1st course before appetizers...etc.they said it was because of the order it came out...however all dishes came out cold so not sure how that was decided. 5. I ordered the Dover Sole and they were out. I ordered the Lemon tart and they were out. We went on a Saturday night. On a positive note the service was great and they did try their best with what they were working with. There are several epic restaurants in Detroit - this is not one of them. Found them on my Sapphire Reserve cards exclusive reservations app....I can think of several other places that should be included besides this. read more

I celebrated my birthday at Olin & Reel, and everything from start to finish was absolutely wonderful. Our server Cara was a gem, attentive, warm, and checked in at all the right moments without being intrusive. When we arrived, I was greeted with a little "Happy Birthday" tag at the table, which was such a thoughtful touch. We enjoyed the happy hour drink specials and oyster deal, both of which offered a fantastic variety. For dinner, we had the Dover Sole, the Tagliolini, and the Casoncelli , all beautifully prepared and perfectly portioned. Dessert didn't disappoint either: the Bomboloni and Panna Cotta with chamomile were both delicious and the perfect ending to the meal. While I didn't take any photos (I was too busy enjoying the moment!), everything looked as good as it tasted. The space itself is cozy and inviting, I truly don't think there's a bad seat in the house. I've heard there's a speakeasy-style space downstairs that opens during the winter, which sounds like a reason to come back again. Whether you're dining with family or someone special, Olin & Reel is a great spot for an elevated yet comfortable experience. And yes , the wood-fire grill is as impressive as it sounds. read more