Dear reader, We…read morestopped into Parlay Detroit after the baseball game and to escape the rain, and it turned out to be a very solid move. The place has plenty of TVs, which made it easy to keep watching games and keep the sports-bar spirit alive a bit longer. The staff was pleasant and friendly, and everything felt easygoing in a way that suited the evening nicely. We got a few pitchers of beer at a great price, which certainly helped morale, and the French fries were an excellent bar bite option. From what others seem to enjoy as well, Parlay does a good job delivering that lively downtown game-day atmosphere without losing the simple pleasures of drinks, solid snacks, and a comfortable place to land. Overall, good postgame stop.

Wow... what a BEAUTIFUL restaurant. At first glance, as I…read morearrived at valet, I was genuinely proud to see this Black-owned brick-and-mortar in person for the first time. Unfortunately, I did not anticipate that it would also be the last. The valet attendant was attentive and professional, and the host staff greeted me as I walked in. So far, so good! The bar wasn't busy, but I figured it was still kind of early and things could liven up. I was meeting friends for a birthday toast, and they were already seated at the bar. When I approached, we were very excited to see one another, so naturally, we took a moment to catch up. I noticed there was one bartender in the service well who was busy making drinks and therefore understandably unable to greet me. There was another bartender conversing with patrons standing next to my barstool and another bartender on the far end. Now, as someone with a background in food & beverage, I naturally exercise patience in casual dining atmospheres because service can be a little laxed--which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I'm not expecting the bartender to teleport across the room because I walked in. However, in this case, after greeting my friends, we wanted to do a round of shots in honor of the birthday girl. After several minutes, we still had not been approached by a bartender. Not to mention, the bartender conversing just to my right was STILL carrying on with the same gentlemen patrons. After a continued wait, the birthday girl decided to flag down the bartender, who acknowledged us with eye contact... ...and then continued her conversation. Ma'am. That was very unprofessional, but we were in such great spirits that we decided to overlook it and try to get the attention of a different bartender. Now, hindsight being 20/20, we should've left right then. This same bartender, standing not even 3 feet away from us, eventually finished her conversation and walked away. She actually ended up standing at the service well in plain sight of us, where she then pulled out her cellphone to devote some obviously much-needed quality screen time. We were in utter shock. Within a few moments, the bartender originally on the far end of the bar had made her way to our side to take a new set of patrons' order who had just appeared to my right. Once again, the birthday girl calls out and asks if it would be possible for her to assist us when she was done. To our dismay, the lady looks at us with absolutely ZERO emotion and simply states, "Yea." Not exactly the response we expected, but hey... it's Detroit. We are natives, although I no longer live locally, so we know customer service isn't necessarily the city's strongest suit. ‍ After Ms. Dead Emotions prepared drinks for the new set of patrons, she followed suit with the previous bartender and walked over to the service well for some R&R with Screen Time Girl. And THAT was the moment we realized these bartenders did not come to work... They came to clock in. At this point, I decided to ask for a manager. The nice woman I approached asked me what it was regarding, and I explained what we had experienced and told her it was disappointing, to say the least. She seemed rational and understanding and offered to send a waitress to the bar to serve us. I thanked her and went back to my seat. It was obvious that the bartenders had been made aware of my grievances because their demeanors and facial expressions suddenly had a LOT to say. At that point, we realized training, support, and customer service may be an unrecognized area of opportunity by upper management. The server was busy with tables but eventually made her way over. She seemed very nice. However, by that point, we had decided we would leave. As we sat there conversing about this unbelievable experience and discussing other bars we could go to instead, a few patrons walked up to our side of the bar to introduce themselves and ask about our plans and whether we would stick around to have a drink with them. When we informed them we were leaving, they asked why. We gave them the short version as we prepared to leave. Sadly, they weren't surprised--but they offered AGAIN to make it right. Imagine customers offering to make it right. ‍ Just before leaving, one of our group stepped away to the restroom. At that point, Screen Time finally walked up and, exasperatedly, asked if we wanted anything. IKYFL. The birthday girl, who is sweet-natured, was understandably disappointed, so I decided, you know what? We'll take a shot for the road. A simple Don Julio Repo shot took longer than it should have... ...but the bill came IMMEDIATELY. And, of course, an automatic 20% gratuity was the cherry on top. At this point, all I could do was laugh. Beautiful restaurant. Great first impression. Unfortunately, the actual experience was a completely different story. WE WILL NOT BE BACK.

We stopped in for a quick nightcap near closing time, so it was pretty quiet and we had great…read moreservice at the bar. The bartender was friendly and patient and gave some good recommendations. We only had one drink each, but I enjoyed my cider -- not too sweet. Nate liked his beer as well. I would be interested in coming back in the future to try some food at this spot as it's in a great location in the heart of downtown.

Came here before Tigers game to get a bite. Locations convenient by the stadiums. They have indoor…read moreand outdoor seating. I would definitely say structure or street parking close by. They have a variety of tap beers to try. It is a smaller spot as they need space for the kegs I think they may be called. I tried a fruit beer called strawberry rhubarb- it wasn't too sweet, but had a nice sour! Also tried the bang bang shrimp and a hamburger and they were fine for what I would expect pub. I could try it again if I'm not going to the game again, but we wouldn't be my first pick.

After leaving The Museum of Illusion on a Tuesday we stopped in for a beer and some chicken from…read morePenny Red's (located at the back). The staff was nice. The beer was really good. The food was good. Only bummer is that previous yelp pics showed the elote cob but I got kernels instead. Chicken was good, slaw was good, the twister fries were amazing, mac and cheese was just ok it could've been more cheesy. The Brakeman had a good amount of space. They had have wood tables with paper towels on them. Some tables were low and they had high top tables as well. It's a cool place to go when you're downtown.

I really enjoyed this place. There was a live DJ that played some good music. The drinks were…read morepretty pricey and not worth it in my opinion. The vibes of the location is what kept me there most of the night. Because it is downtown Detroit street parking on the weekends is always hard to find. So paying to park in the garage I would recommend. There were plenty of tables and seating. We did have to share and wait for some of the games to be available but everybody was friendly and generous with sharing the games. You do have to purchase tokens from the booth located inside to purchase drinks at the bar. The lady in the booth was very friendly and answered all my questions with that being my first time there.

Dear reader, The…read moreDetroiter Bar was a thoroughly good stop before the Tigers game and exactly the sort of place one hopes to find before heading to the stadium. The service was very quick, the staff was nice, and the whole place had an easygoing sports bar energy that made settling in quite simple. They also have a lot of TVs, which made it easy to keep an eye on various games while waiting for first pitch. The food did its part very nicely as well. There were some great bar bites to choose from, and the wings and chicken tenders were both a very good decision. Add in the great prices and the efficient service, and the whole thing felt like a proper pregame success. Overall, a lively, reliable stop and one I would happily make again.

Stopped in here for some beer before the Detroit Grand Prix and glad we did as our beers were very…read morecold in frosted glasses! They have a lot of beers on tap as well. We didn't order any food but some folks next to us did and it looked good. Our bar tender was very friendly and good! Place definitely has a Detroit ambiance to it with cool red wings memorabilia on the walls.

We definitely hit the jackpot with our burger craving today! The best part? You get to create your…read moreown masterpiece--they have so many options, and the bar also has its own unique choices. Plus, the service was fantastic.

BBB was average fare. We stopped by for dinner before a run of The Lion King around the corner, and…read morewe were stuck at a table in the far back of the restaurant. I like the order-taking system with the dry-erase pens and being able to pick out specific items for the burgers...but the burgers were pretty plain, no matter what the toppings were, because the beef was only so-so. (The fries, meanwhile, were pretty solid.) Also, I had to send a milkshake back because it was basically a glass of chocolate milk; the second version was a little thicker, but the flavor was not overpowering. If you are in desperate need of a burger, BBB might do the trick. From a quality perspective, I'm sure you can do better!

Stopped into TAP at the MGM Grand for a late, light lunch. I wanted to take it easy and "pregame"…read morefor a big dinner later this evening, so a salad felt like the right move. Fair to say the Asian Chicken Salad is good, but not great. It's a massive portion with plenty of Napa cabbage and spinach, providing that much-needed crunch. However, the grilled chicken was a bit of a letdown--it really needed more flavor and seasoning to hold its own. The saving grace and clear highlight were the spiced cashews. They actually had some personality and stood out as the best part of the dish. It's a solid enough choice if you're looking to stay on the healthy side while hanging out in a sports bar, but it's not a "must-order. Plenty of screens for sports viewing, and lots of beers on tap (obviously), staff service was good.

I stayed at the MGM Grand Detroit last night after being displaced by a multi‑day power outage, and…read moreI had my 16‑year‑old dog with me. She's in poor health, and in the chaos of leaving home I forgot to bring something to wrap her nighttime medication in. Since TAP has turkey sandwiches on their menu, I explained that I was a hotel guest and asked if they could spare a small piece of turkey - just enough to wrap a pill in for an elderly dog upstairs. A kitchen worker (who was very nice, by the way) offered to check, but the chef refused outright. Not "this is against XYZ policy," not "we're too busy," just a flat no. I was standing right there for the entire exchange. Anyone genuinely suited to a hospitality role would have recognized this as an easy moment to generate some goodwill, but instead, the chef shut it down without a second thought. I spent a lot to stay at the MGM Grand Detroit Hotel, and this interaction left a genuinely negative impression of MGM overall. It made an already difficult day worse. I truly hope the individual who refused this request can one day recognize that hospitality is built on moments exactly like this.

A lovely spot for a drink and a view! I came by in early March knowing it would be a little chilly…read moreon the roof, but the view and vibe was worth it! Really friendly service from start to finish, starting with the doormen all the way to the hostess and then the bartender. Everyone seemed like they were in a great mood, and this was a great spot to kick off my trip to Detroit. I went with the Cigar City Brewing Co IPA and it was crisp and delicious! The inside of the club was nice, but only complaint was they could do with more ambiance/dimmed lighting. It was a little too bright for a club. The rooftop has great views, a small fire pit, and several chairs around it. Probably 180 degrees unobstructed view, so could be great for a nice (panoramic) photo of the city or a selfie. I'll definitely be back on my next trip!

We attended a birthday party for friends. They reserved the front side of the facility. The view…read morewas the only positive aspect of the evening. The valet was overwhelmed and under staffed. We ended up parking in the Z Lot. The bartenders and support staff were too few and slow to respond to dirty plates, etc., The buffet oddly had nuts and other difficult to serve items on platers. Who places nuts on a plater and then provides tongs as the serving utensils. The food was not served in the correct order. There were no napkins to be found anywhere near the food! The food was subpar and underwhelming.

Got the Detroit eight piece pizza really really good. Fabulous flavor very crunchy. I like the…read moresauce. The only thing that didn't make it perfect is that they're a little Skimpy on the toppings Service is great and it's a really cool spot

Can't come to Detroit without trying their style of pizza; especially a few months ago, I was…read morenearly in tears because my local Little Ceasars Pizza wasn't serving it. To me, no other place to go than Buddy's, which has been called one of the five best pizzerias in the United States by the Food Network. Buddy's offers a few pizza sizes: 4-square, 8-square, and 8-square all-corner cheese. My sister and I decided to get the 4-square pizza - each creating our own. Because I am lactose intolerant, I did a mixed cheese blend - Wisconsin brick cheese and Daiya vegan cheese- and for toppings: chicken, spinach, and mushrooms. Wisconsin Brick cheese, a staple in this pizza, is a semi-soft cheese with very low lactose due to its unique production and aging process. It was the best Detroit-style pizza I ever had. How can you get this dreamy slice of heaven? There are 19 locations (5 are carryout only) in MI. * Original location - Six Mile (McNichols Rd) & Conant St on the east side - 17125 Conant St * Nearest people mover location to the location I visited - Grand Circus Park Station - Downtown - 1565 Broadway St