We really enjoyed this restaurant. First of all it's a beautiful restaurant and they had live music so the ambiance was great. For appetizers we had the shrimp and the fried pork belly. Loved the pork belly. Shrimp was good but a little salty. I had the roasted chicken for entree and it was delicious I really enjoyed it. For sides the delicata squash was fantastic. The Frida and Diego was my favorite cocktail. Our server was really sweet. I would definitely recommend this place. read more

The Apparatus Room - Roasted chicken - New American Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

Beautiful place and great service, mediocre food at best and just ok cocktails, only local draft and bottle beer. The burger that is not on the menu was great, greasy but great. Will give it a try for brunch but not dinner anymore read more

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I'm extremely disappointed with our experience trying to get a table here. My friends and I were looking for a table for four during brunch, and despite over half of the restaurant being empty, we were told that walk-ins were bar seating only. I completely understand policies like this during peak weekend evenings or busy weeknights. However, this was brunch, the restaurant was visibly empty, and I could clearly see immediate table availability on OpenTable at the exact time we were standing there. After calling first and then coming in person, the hostess reiterated the bar-only policy. When we asked to speak with a manager, they acted as though they were doing us a favor by even considering seating us at a table--again, while more than half the restaurant sat unused. It felt demeaning to have to justify wanting to spend money in an empty dining room. Only after I showed them the open availability on OpenTable were we finally seated, but by that point the damage was done. The overall attitude, lack of hospitality, and dismissive service completely overshadowed the experience. It's unfortunate, because this could have been handled so easily and professionally. Instead, we were made to feel like an inconvenience for simply wanting a table in an empty restaurant. We will not be returning. read more

Very nice ambiance, food was good. I personally don't care too about drinks or ambience, but if I did I might rate them higher. We came in around 9 an hour before closing but they reportedly only had bar space. Came out fairly quickly, pretty much the standard for this type of food. Pasta was al dente, sauce wasn't monotonous. Meat was well cooked, I liked the mushrooms and turnips it came with. If this is your scene, you'll like it. Parking might be hard. read more

Came here specifically for Drinks, I had the Ruth Ellis Martini made with valentine berry blossom vodka, blueberry, limoncello, elderflower, and lemon sugar rim. It was absolutely amazing 10/10. I also tried the ambassador old fashioned which was pretty good and strong. I chose seating in the lounge which was comfy as we were able to sit on couches. The bar also looks pretty comfy with nice seating and nice lighting. Our server was prompt and friendly, we had our drinks within a couple minutes. read more

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I came her for my partner for Christmas Dinner -- it's one of the few nice restaurants in Detroit open on the holiday. The service was amazing, the food was innovative and delicious, and the atmosphere is modern and cozy while paying homage to the space's former use as a fire station. I'm not a vegetarian, but the Trumpet Mushroom main course was phenomenal!! read more

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The Apparatus Room is a old fire station that has been transformed into a beautiful restaurant/lounge! Love the lighting and layout. Started with a glass of the Moscato D'asti which is probably my favorite drink. Then I tried the Salmon Bagel which was ok, but lacked flavor. The Autumn Gateau was amazing! Nice and welcoming staff. read more

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Made a reservation with my dinner club group, about 10 gals. We were given the private room with a very long, larger table. I almost wish it would have been smaller it was hard to see/hear everything... All of our food was absolutely amazing!!! And we will be taking about this peach mocktail for a long time to come! read more

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We were able to get a last minute reservation during the Detroit Free Press Marathon weekend, and we were very impressed! Service was very prompt and everyone who helped us was attentive to our needs. The food was all very well made, and we were quite blown away by how delicious our dishes turned out! The chicken was our favorite, but they were all good. Our only complaint was the high ceilings and lack of acoustic treatment made for a very noisy environment, which took away from our experience. We loved the décor throughout, but it was difficult to hear our server and just have a normal volume conversation for two people. read more

The Apparatus Room - Orechiette and Squash - New American Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

Bright and airy restaurant set in an old historic firehouse. I had brunch with a few friends here which was nice and tasty, but overall pretty standard fare. What stood out here though was the decor and ambiance - the high ceilings, the bright natural lighting, the cozy lounge area, and the clean and sleek open kitchen. There was also a live DJ when we went, who played very relaxed but vibey music. Although the food was just okay, this would definitely be a gorgeous spot for a small event or party. read more

The Apparatus Room - New American Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

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Very nice restaurant located in the Detroit Foundation Hotel with an awesome and stylish interior decor and design. Their strawberry and arugula salad is excellent, as is their homemade potato chips with an amazing aioli dip. Service also very attentive and prompt. Highly recommended as a lunch spot as well! Recommended and check it out! read more

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I've been back a few times in the last few years, both for meals and for hanging in the bar area with a beverage and conversation with friends and colleagues and every visit has been great. The most memorable was the Mother's Day brunch we attended earlier in the year. We came with a group of 6 and were seated at a beautiful table in their private dining room (we weren't the only ones in there, but it was a beautiful space if you're looking for a rental). Fo the table we ordered the pastry board which was a variety of their offerings including danish, croissants, and cookies. We had a reservation later in the day so they were out of a few of the pastries but the board was still delicious. My mom and I couldn't decide on entrees so we decided to split an order of the biscuits and gravy and the chicken and waffles. Both were excellent, though I think I liked the biscuits a teeny bit more. The experience was capped off by a lovely pop up courtesy of Bon Bon Bon (selling their spring collection to treat your mama to a sweet treat) and a local florist with bouquets. Again, we got there a little later so the offerings were a bit picked over but I still thought it was a pretty neat add on for the occasion. read more

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This was the third strike for The Apparatus Room! It's a beautiful restaurant that just doesn't have it together. The food was meh, the service was horrible all three times I've been there! I've tried dinner and lunch...too bad I know people who love it. The waiter thanked us for our patience because they were so busy today, but the restaurant was half empty. I'd hate to see how bad he is with a full section! I won't be back and don't recommend read more

My boyfriend brought me here for my birthday & I was excited because I've been wanting to try this place. We had gotten in a highway accident & had to move our reservations, no issue, lots of availability. We had gotten to the restaurant a little earlier than expected & hung out at the bar. Great drinks, kind of strong. I liked the Raspberry Pavlova & my boyfriend had no complaints about his Old Fashioned. We ended up being sat on the far side of the restaurant against the windows with a full view of the dining room. Really loved being able to see the whole restaurant & our seats were super comfortable. Our server was okay.. this is where things went downhill. For Starters, we had ordered the West Coast oysters & the Pork Belly. We never got our Pork Belly & were given bread instead. The oysters were tasty though. For our Mains, I had the Steel Head Trout. I thought it was delicious, the presentation was neat. My boyfriends Market Steak was ordered Medium & came cooked a bit more than that. The presentation looked nice. I tried a little bit of his steak & I would not have ordered it for myself. We had finished eating & were ready to just get dessert over with but our server disappeared for 30 minutes. I asked other staff members where she was & they didn't seem to know. We were LATER approached & told that she had left for the evening. I don't know if something happened with her personally or whatever, hope everything is okay with her but like how do you leave your table as your finishing up service? Nobody approached our table to let us know she left, to apologize, nothing. The server that ended up taking over was very nice, very helpful. He helped us choose a dessert, The Distance, a cheesecake. Was just okay. Normally, I don't think I would care as much but we were just trying to have a good night since the accident put a damper on my birthday. $150, still tipped good. I work in hospitality & the service was just not acceptable. Won't return. read more

The Apparatus Room - West Coast Oysters! - New American Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

We celebrated a birthday dinner at apparatus room this weekend and it did not disappoint! Cocktails were delicious and the food was excellent. The interior is also very vibey, a nice upscale romantic feel. We tried the steel head trout and the lobster radiatore, both were good but the trout was our favorite. read more

The Apparatus Room - Steel head trout - New American Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

We had a great experience at The Apparatus Room. I'd recommend everything we ordered without hesitation. The dining room is updated and a good vibe. The appetizers were a highlight. The staff seemed a little disjointed, our server seemed relatively new and a manager was talking to him quite a bit. That said, I can't wait to go back. read more

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Lovely brunch here this past weekend. We both opted for the breakfast sandwich, which was delicious. Lovely eggs, great breakfast potatoes, and we got some delicious fries as well to share. The seasoning on them was super unique and really tasty. Beautiful interior, helpful service. Overall a nice visit. A little bummed that their basque cheesecake was out, but we'll have to come back another time for dinner as well. read more

This place has been on my list to visit for quite some time. We were staying just across the street so had to try out their breakfast. They had a good brunch menu and fun cocktails if you're looking for a nice twist to your regular drinks. We walked around a bit before our food arrived to keep my toddler entertained. We checked out the pastry counter and someone popped over to explain that the restaurant has its own pastry chef and to try out one of their baked goods. We had already ordered our meal, but was excited to try the strudel we ordered just moments ago. For breakfast we ordered the pancakes and the sausage strudel. The sausage strudel was the best take on an upscale breakfast sandwich I've ever had. The sausage itself was amazing and the pastry was perfectly crunchy. Everything was absolutely delicious and the service was perfect you speedy for us and our little one. Amazing ambiance and service. I can't wait to come back for a cocktail and dinner the next trip back. read more

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beautiful atmosphere! great service although they wouldnt split plates for us in the kitchen. Menu is a bit limited for my taste but overall really good! read more

I had such a good experience. I ordered the Steal Head Trout, which was very good. The ambiance feels "business casual." The waitstaff were very friendly and attentive. read more

The Apparatus Room - Steal Head Trout - New American Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

went to the apparatus room for my birthday and it was a great experience !! we both ordered the orecchiette and it was amazing. we also got bread service which was great too and our drinks were both very tasty!! the ambience is really what made this place so memorable it is absolutely stunning! our waiter was awesome too and we loved having him! read more

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Loved everything about this restaurant!! Everything was perfect!! The food was delicious, ambiance was totally cool, and service, prompt and attentive. Will be back soon:) read more

DO NOT BOOK EVENTS HERE We were so excited to host our wedding welcome party at Apparatus Room because of its reputation, but working with their private events team turned into one of the most stressful experiences we've had. From the start, communication was a mess. Weeks would go by without replies, and even though we live out of town and kept asking for photos or videos of the space, nothing was ever sent. We offered easy ways to share (Dropbox, Google Drive, WeTransfer), but the response we got was basically, "I don't know how to send videos." In the end, we had to spend our own money to fly to Detroit just to see the space ourselves. We made it clear multiple times that we wanted to book, before and after touring. Despite that, and after chasing them down for weeks, we were told the space had been given away to someone else, with no warning, no honesty about limited availability, NOTHING. The "apology" we got was basically, "sorry you feel this way," instead of admitting how poorly it was handled. That lack of accountability was the final straw. This whole situation left us scrambling to re-plan an event for 60+ guests from out of town, when it should have been an exciting part of our wedding weekend. If you're thinking about booking an event here, please don't. Save yourself the stress and look elsewhere. read more

The Apparatus Room - Borgman Room - New American Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

Was in Detroit for a conference and ended up staying at the foundation hotel. Which ended up being great because the apparatus room is a great spot, especially for a hotel restaurant. Every meal was fantastic from the squid ink pasta to steak and everything in between. Also make sure you don't skip the desserts, they were all top notch. read more

Celebrated a birthday at the apparatus room and has an incredible time! Ambiance was very bright, modern, and chic. My favorite is looking at the beautiful lights they have surrounding the bar - it lights up the whole restaurant! The food was delicious. We started with oysters and tuna tartare which were both so fresh! For our main course, we both had the striploin which was juicy and flavorful. The black garlic truffle just was the perfect touch. We also shared the lamb sugo a la chitarra which was the perfect level of spice with the Calabrian chili. For dessert, we had the peach pie with ice cream, great for fall! Our server was great and recognized that my fiance and I don't drink and had the bar send us a complimentary non alcoholic wine that had an apple cider taste to it - delicious! We also got to enjoy a complimentary cream puff dessert that was light and melted in our mouths. Overall we had a great night and can't wait to come back soon! read more

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The restaurant provides attentive service, high-quality cocktails, and a functional, aesthetic interior. However, the food quality is poor; specifically, the chicken was dry, the potatoes were undercooked, and the steak was tough. Replacement dishes showed minimal improvement. Given the high price point, these culinary failings are unacceptable. Additionally, the rug in the bar seating area should be replaced with a more hygienic alternative. read more

The ambiance is wonderful! Open space, great lighting and just an overall great vibe! The food is also very good with non-alcoholic drink options such as mocktails and dealcoholized wine! The reason for the 4-rating is because of the long wait for food: Came in with a reservation at 2p and ended up waiting quite a while for food. Either it was because of the short staff at that time or the amount of people that were eating all at once. The staff was very nice and tried to accommodate the best they could. read more

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Wow this was a really nice looking bar and restaurant! The decor was really well done. The was they used the old fire hall was worth the visit. We didn't have food, just cocktails. The food looked good and they looked to be open early enough for breakfast. The drinks were very well made and so tasty. They were little pricy but you get what you pay for. Would go back for sure. read more

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This place certainly deserves the awards and five-star reviews. The wait staff was incredibly attentive, allowing my wife and I to course out our meal slowly over two hours due to my dietary needs. The drinks were fantastic, and oysters were fresh and full of flavor. The bread service was simple and the perfect lead-in to our meal. We enjoyed the arugula strawberry salad, which was fresh and well balanced. The star of that dish was the pickled strawberries - we were intrigued by the idea, but the delivery was perfect and the vinegar in the berries really tied them into the rest of the salad and with the vinaigrette dressing. The main course was the Michigan pork, which was a 1.5" thick bone-in pork chop served with accompaniments (faro, crispy Brussel sprouts, an onion reduction, etc). We both remarked on the skillful preparation of the pork, which was absolutely cooked to perfection, without any of the pork showing any signs of dryness. The vibe is really neat here too - you're eating inside the historic Detroit fire station, complete with still-existing fire poles and other artifacts. read more

Really love this place. I always go by chance but I am always impressed. The bar staff are amazing! They are knowledgeable and friendly and full of great advice about the menu. Food is great! Haven't had a bad meal here yet. The ambiance is totally sexy and fun and hip! read more

Beautiful ambiance, excellent service, unique & delicious cocktails, & delicious food. Would recommend the whitefish dip & the burrata on watermelon as an appetizer. read more

The Apparatus Room - Frida + Diego - New American Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

Our team stopped here after a long day at the convention center. The group's sentiment was: good thing we aren't paying with our own money. We had the fried eggplant, burrata, and sourdough as appetizers. The eggplant was bland, but the hummus that came with it was okay. The burrata was a mess of vegetables and fruits that don't go together. The (frozen?) watermelon was a really off-putting texture. The sourdough bread was good. Beer selection is terrible. The first one we got tasted flat. Then we learned at least 2 of the 5 weren't available. Orecchiette is a salt fest with some weird gravy. It's the worst pasta dish I ever ate. My colleagues didn't care for theirs either. The half-chicken was seasoned okay but the skin was chewy. Why would any restaurant serve chewy chicken skin? Desserts menu is uninteresting. It comes off as frozen pieces topped with junk to hide the lack of effort. Thursday was some terrible band that really wishes it was a jazz band but they are anything but. Add the exceptionally slow service and the Apparatus Room is a pass on any future visits. read more

Great place for brunch as it has an upscale look. Love the decor of the place and the history and ambiance - used to be a firehouse!! Not a huge brunch menu but it was good read more

The Apparatus Room - New American Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

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Had dinner here before the Fleat Detroit pop up and really enjoyed the beautiful interior and absolutely superb service. Everything was top notch. Dishes made to perfection and very unique. Who fries celery root and makes crack? Only one disappointment.. we saw a burger walk past us but could not order it because the chef said the grill was too busy. Apparently this is a random menu item but once I saw it it's all I craved. Ceasar salad was delicious. My meat dish was a little dry but the sides, epic. We even ended up coming back to the bar after the even for more drinks and fries. read more

The Apparatus Room - New American Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

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Upon entering I was greeted with the nicest welcoming into this historic building. Everything as of being served my smashed burger and my martinis kinda went left. My first mishap was a hair in my drink. It was changed and was great. I've had my many shares of dirty martinis but to look at my receipt and view that I'm being charged another price for it being prepared "UP" simply throws me . I asked for management and "Peter" explained their reasons why the up charge. Also, stating why " I should know better " on why. EXCUSE ME?!! It doesn't help that being short and cut off during conversation on why I've never seen something as such is beyond me. Simply appalling.. Being a paying customer that has dined at this restaurant many times. I expected a respectful type of conversation between a customer and management ., It solely explained no type of reasonable communication. . All I can say is . I know where I'm not needed. Thanks but no thank you for services. read more

Our server Michael was super helpful and very inviting. He made our drinks to perfection. My old fashion was really good. The overall environment was comfortable, roomy and above average. We ate before we arrived but next time we will have to check out the smash burger. read more

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Lovely bar and easy place to hang for a few hours. Have been here twice and it's easy. Friendly staff and guests. Food is good.

Apparatus Room is a great place to make ruinous financial decisions in dining. Whether it's a great place to make fantastic decisions about gastronomy is perhaps up for debate. We went with a reservation with several friends. It wasn't busy and we were seated promptly. Our server was excellent and the service in general was great. Bread service: excellent! this is fancier than most restaurants that give you free bread. This bread is sourdough. Pillowy dough with a toasty hard crust. 5/5. The menu: A fruity mix of a burrata that was unremarkable. The burrata itself had very little flavor and was watery. The mix of flavors was good, but the dish didn't seem completely unified. A nice combination of fresh basil and cherry tomatos, but also beets and watermelon and I couldn't quite figure out what the culinary intention was. 2-3/5. Arugula strawberry salad that was well-conceived but not as well-executed. 4/5. Steaks-- which I did NOT order- were seared on the outside while managing to be pink and rare on the inside. They had this compound potato brick-- sliced into rectangles and then layered and then deep fried- that was intriguing but the execution wasn't mindblowing. This plate could have done with some accoutrements (other than, like, mushrooms-- maybe something green?). The orechiette was stellar-- I'd say 6/5. Perfect mix of flavors and textures. Gnocchi, though? Not so much-- missing something. And *very* salty. I've been here before but never for a full meal, because it's a really lovely spot for a drink or a couple of appetizers. I may return for those, but probably not for dinner, as this was possibly the most I've ever spent on a dinner and it did NOT blow my mind. Again, our server was great, and there were some highlights of the food, but overall I felt like it was lacking. The service and the special highlights threw it over the 3/5 mark. read more

Only place open on Christmas so we stopped in. Food is way underwhelming even if it wasn't overpriced. The stars I gave were for the service. Otherwise not impressed. Toast was burnt and salmon wasn't cooked read more

I loved the food here! We came for a special occasion with family and everything was enjoyable about our reservation at The Apparatus room. Big mistake on my part was not taking photos of our appetizers ( crispy cauliflower, heritage sourdough, smoked whitefish dip) which were gone quick with how great they tasted! I don't think you can go wrong with any of the cocktails they have available here and the place was fully staffed which made everything come out at a great pace. The old fire station being converted into fine dining/hotel was gorgeous and helps keep the history of Detroit near. Lastly, everyone's food was delicious. You may noticed photos showing space available on the plate because the menu is al carte, but we ordered so much good food we chose to stick to some main events! Check it out here for dinner in Detroit and pair it with a baseball game, comedy show, or something else going on downtown read more

The Apparatus Room - Half heritage chicken - New American Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

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