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    Thomas Magee's Sporting House Whiskey Bar

    3.8 (77 reviews)
    Closed 9:00 am - 12:00 AM (Next day)

    Thomas Magee's Sporting House Whiskey Bar Photos

    Business Info

    THOMAS MAGEE'S SPORTING HOUSE WHISKEY BAR ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups

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    Scotch Whisky
    Judy N.

    Good place to watch fútbol and the service was fast, drinks were fine. It's nothing fancy but my hubby and his friends have gone several times before events since it has a nice dive bar feel (not dive bar prices tho). They open early to watch soccer games and there might be some singing to add to the fun atmosphere. We also noticed a sign saying they air F1 races too!

    Great place to watch sports!
    Amy W.

    We came down for opening day and our plans did not go as expected. We started off at Vivos but he had to leave to attend to some personal stuff so I stuck around and waited for his return. While at vivios a couple of workers from Magees came over for lunch. As I was chatting with them I ended up leaving and going to MaGees. I have been wanting to check it out for the past few years. I was surprised at what a great place this was to watch the game! Tons of TVs! I made some new friends while I was there and unfortunately, did a couple of shots and by the time he got back to me, I needed to go home. Oops. Can't trust me with alcohol. Haha. I also didn't eat all day and they don't serve food so that was an unfortunate series of events. We will definitely be back! We hang out at Eastern Market quite a bit so this is a great location for us!

    three glasses of whiskey
    Mj J.

    We always have such fun time at Thomas Magee's. If you're looking for chill spot to watch sports, meet up with friends, and have a few shots of whiskey...this is the sport for you. Located close to Eastern Market this is a must stop in the area. I've hosted a few events here and they have been awesome accommodating my needs. They don't serve food, but you're able to grab some delicious food from a nearby venue and bring it in to eat. I love bringing over Supinos Pizza to add to our Detroit celebrations! You never know, you just might see me there!

    a bottle and a shot glass

    This is one of the most unique and best single barrel Elijah Craig's I've ever had. Full of oak and vanilla, very soft on the palate =D

    a spider in a plastic cup
    Patricia R.

    We arrive 1 hour before game time and were told just outside seating, will let that slide due to COVID but it must have been 60 degrees and windy and no heaters available. Therefore everyone stood next to the dumpsters/highway rail to keep warm thanks to the sun. Pro of standing all the way back there is that you can at least see the screen better because where the chairs are is to pixelated to even tell players. Cons: stand for 2 hours, smell the dumpster for 2 hours, fight with bees for 2 hours and drink beer with bees. (Picture below) The service ain't great either we were told at 10:40am they had no Coffee and to grab it from another place, also 2 servers and no in bar ordering means you spend the full half time with NO Beer. I am not even bringing up the menu but I can tell you that from many previous bars experiences this is close to bottom which is a sad because I Love Detroit :-(

    Soup of the Day? Whiskey
    Gary B.

    No food service as of our visit, but we were told it was starting very soon. A good small bar just off the end of the Eastern Market area next to a small butcher complex. Good beer and alcohol selection, great old time looking bar and bar back area, and polite staff who chat just the right amount for a friendly time drinking. I am looking forward to the food service. One note, the bathroom has been very dirty on two of our visits.

    Jack Daniels Honey
    Linda N.

    I don't what took me so long to come here!! Love, love, love this place!! I was having such a wonderful time I didn't get a chance to take any pictures but next time I will be sure to. Drinks are great, friendly staff and cool space. Looking forward to checking it out again to see some of the live music.

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    3 months ago

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    10 months ago

    Showed up to the bar at 9 am to watch game. They show online they're open at 7 but arrived and it was closed

    Business owner information

    Photo of Erik O.

    Erik O.

    Apologies, we normally are open. We are incredibly short staffed.

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Kristina is the bar tender in Detroit. Would go here everyday if I lived closer. Whiskey is the soup of the day

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    5 years ago

    Dear owner... bad business to sit at your bar & get drunk and push out the paying gays who live around the corner #Scooter

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Thomas Magee's Sporting House Whiskey Bar

    Review Highlights - Thomas Magee's Sporting House Whiskey Bar

    Wanna catch a sporting event on TV, this is your place to go.

    Mentioned in 3 reviews

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    Parlay Detroit - Smash Burger

    Parlay Detroit

    3.7(86 reviews)
    1.0 miDowntown Detroit

    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.

    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.

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    Parlay Detroit - Seating

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    Thomas Magee's Sporting House Whiskey Bar - sportsbars - Updated September 2026

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