Detroit's oldest neighborhood, west of downtown on Michigan Avenue. Slows Bar BQ, Takoi, Folk, Batch Brewing, Sugar House cocktails. The old Tiger Stadium site anchors the strip.
Takoi on Michigan Avenue in Corktown serves modern Thai cooking in Detroit since March 2016. Chef-driven, neon-lit room that began as a food truck called Katoi.
Signature: Crispy rice salad, Whole-fried fish
Order: Crispy rice salad and the whole-fried fish with herbs.
Tip: Dinner only, Tuesday through Saturday from 16:00. Reservations open three weeks out.
Slows Bar BQ on Michigan Avenue has anchored Corktown's revival since September 2005. The barbecue room that put Corktown back on the map.
Signature: Pulled pork, Burnt ends
Order: Yardbird pulled-pork sandwich with mac and cheese, plus a Michigan craft draft.
Tip: No reservations; expect a wait at peak hours. Tiger Stadium site is across the street.
Mudgie's Deli & Wine Shop on Brooklyn Street in Corktown serves a New York-style deli with a Detroit wine list since 2008. Late-night menu runs through 22:00.
Signature: Hot pastrami, Reuben
Order: Hot pastrami on rye and a glass off the natural-wine list that doubles as a retail shop.
Tip: Patio is the prime summer seat; the wine shop will pour any bottle for $15 corkage with the meal.
Slows Bar BQ on Michigan Avenue has anchored Corktown's revival in Detroit since September 2005. The barbecue room that put Corktown back on the map.
Signature: Pulled pork, Burnt ends
Order: Yardbird pulled-pork sandwich with mac and cheese, plus a Michigan craft draft.
Tip: No reservations; expect a wait at peak hours. Tiger Stadium site is across the street.
Green Dot Stables on West Lafayette in Corktown serves $3 sliders in Detroit. Forty-plus rotating slider builds, tempeh to lamb to catfish, all under a dollar each above three.
Signature: Sliders, Korean BBQ slider
Order: Order four sliders across categories, the fries, and a $3 cocktail to match.
Tip: Cash and cards; loud and busy at peak. Walk-in only.
Mudgie's Deli on Brooklyn Street in Corktown serves a New York-style deli with a Detroit wine list since 2008. Hot pastrami, patio in summer, the wine list runs the room.
Signature: Hot pastrami, Reuben sandwich
Order: Hot pastrami on rye, a pickle and a glass off the natural-wine list.
Tip: Patio is the prime summer seat; corkage $15 if you buy a retail bottle off the shelf.
Folk Detroit at Trumbull and Bagley in Corktown serves all-day brunch and locally sourced sandwiches in Detroit since 2018. James Beard-nominated room.
Signature drink: Pour-over coffee
Tip: Order at the counter; coffee from a Michigan roaster. Patio in summer.
Folk Detroit on Trumbull in Corktown pours locally-roasted Michigan coffee on a pour-over and espresso bar in Detroit. James Beard-nominated daytime cafe and retail since 2018.
Tip: Pour-over bar in the back; pair the espresso with a slice of the daily quiche.
Sources from: Ethiopia, Burundi, Colombia
How they serve: Pour over, Espresso
Mudgie's Deli & Wine Shop on Brooklyn Street in Corktown pairs a New York-style deli with a natural-wine retail shelf in Detroit since 2008. Corkage runs $15 off the shelf.
Signature pour: Whatever the deli's wine guy is opening
Wine focus: Natural and small-grower wines
Food: New York-style deli sandwiches
Tip: Patio in summer is the prime seat; corkage $15 with the meal turns the shop into a wine bar.
The Sugar House on Michigan Avenue in Corktown serves Prohibition-era craft cocktails in Detroit since 2011. The room that brought serious cocktail bartending back to Detroit.
Signature drink: Prohibition-era classics
Food: Small bites and bar snacks
Tip: Walk-ins Monday through Thursday; Friday and Saturday need reservations. Tin ceiling, old bar.
Two James Spirits on Michigan Avenue in Corktown is Detroit's first licensed distillery since Prohibition. Tasting flights, house cocktails and bottle sales since 2013.
Signature drink: Old Cockney gin and tonic
Food: Bar snacks
Tip: Backyard patio looks at Roosevelt Park and Michigan Central Station. Patio in summer.
PJ's Lager House on Michigan Avenue in Corktown serves Cajun food and live music in Detroit since 1991. The room that runs garage rock seven nights when the calendar is full.
Signature drink: Pabst tallboys
Food: Cajun po-boys and gumbo
Tip: Cover charge varies by act; Pabst is the canonical pour. Cajun po-boy is the deep cut.
Telway Hamburgers on Michigan Avenue has griddled sliders in Detroit since 1944. Cash only, 24 hours a day, walk-up windows on a chrome counter, the original location.
Try: Sliders, fries
Tip: Cash only; order at the window and eat in your car. Cheaper than coneys; sliders are a buck change each.
Green Dot Stables on West Lafayette in Corktown serves $3 sliders in Detroit. Forty-plus rotating slider builds, tempeh to lamb to catfish, all under a dollar each above three.
Try: $3 sliders, Korean BBQ slider
Tip: Cash and cards; walk-in only. Loud and busy at peak.
Batch Brewing Company on Porter Street in Corktown is Detroit's first nano brewery, open since 2015. Small-batch experimentation, scratch comfort food and biergarten in summer.
Tip: Enclosed biergarten in summer; weekday afternoons run quiet for first-pour visits.
Brew Detroit on Abbott Street in Corktown runs a 68,000 sq ft brewery, taproom and kitchen in Detroit. Thirty rotating drafts of Brew Detroit beer, wine, cider and mead.
Tip: Closed Mondays; the rotating tap list runs the room's program. Walk-in only at the bar.
Telway Hamburgers on Michigan Avenue griddles sliders for a dollar change each in Detroit since 1944. The chrome counter and walk-up windows define cheap eats here.
Try: Sliders, fries
Tip: Cash only. Six sliders, a fries and a Vernors comes to under $15.
Green Dot Stables on West Lafayette in Corktown serves $3 sliders in Detroit. Forty rotating slider builds, tempeh to lamb to catfish, all under a dollar each above three.
Try: Sliders, fries, cocktails
Tip: Four sliders, fries and a $3 cocktail comes to under $20. Cash and cards both fine.
Folk Detroit on Trumbull in Corktown serves farm-to-table brunch in Detroit since 2018. James Beard-nominated daytime room with a tight seasonal menu and locally-roasted coffee.
Order: Sweet potato hash and a pour-over
Tip: Order at the counter; pick a window seat for the morning light. Patio in summer.
Telway Hamburgers on Michigan Avenue griddles sliders 24 hours a day in Detroit since 1944. Cash only, walk-up windows, the chrome-counter slider canon.
Try: Sliders, fries
Tip: Cash only; order at the window and eat in your car. Open round-the-clock daily.
Two James Spirits on Michigan Avenue in Corktown serves house cocktails until 01:00 on weekends. Detroit's first licensed post-Prohibition distillery, since 2013.
Try: House cocktails and bar snacks
Tip: Patio looks at Roosevelt Park and Michigan Central Station; closes 20:00 Sunday.
PJ's Lager House on Michigan Avenue in Corktown serves Cajun food and live music in Detroit since 1991. Garage rock and indie bookings seven nights when the calendar is full.
Tip: Cover charge varies by act; the kitchen runs Cajun po-boys and gumbo. Music starts late.
The Sugar House on Michigan Avenue in Corktown serves Prohibition-era craft cocktails in Detroit since 2011. The speakeasy that brought serious cocktails back to the Motor City.
Tip: Walk-ins Monday through Thursday; Friday and Saturday need reservations. Tin ceiling, old bar.
Two James Spirits on Michigan Avenue in Corktown is Detroit's first post-Prohibition distillery with a tasting room. House cocktails, vinyl on the back wall, since 2013.
Tip: Backyard patio looks at Roosevelt Park and Michigan Central Station; the bartenders run tastings.
PJ's Lager House on Michigan Avenue in Corktown is Detroit's garage-rock dive since 1991. Pabst tallboys, Cajun gumbo at the bar, garage and indie rock on the back stage.
Tip: Cover varies by act; Cajun po-boy is the deep cut. Kitchen runs late through 01:00.