40 restaurants that opened in metro Detroit suburbs this year

By Metro Times editorial staff on Fri, Dec 18, 2020 at 1:52 pm

It's been a tough year for the restaurant industry. Due to the pandemic, more than one-third of Michigan restaurants may not be able to keep their doors or kitchens open. But there are those who, pandemic be damned, managed to make their restaurant dreams come true by opening new eateries, bakeries, coffee shops, and gastropubs despite a crisis, many of which are in the suburbs. Some opened just before COVID-19 hit, others forged ahead with impossible timelines, and some said, fuck it — build it and feed the people and they will come. The only way these new ballsy businesses will thrive in 2021 is if we give them a shot via their curbside, takeout, and delivery options. Who knows, your new favorite restaurant might just be nestled in this list of all the restaurants (that we know of) that opened in metro Detroit suburbs in 2020.

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Campestre Chicken

3419 Fort St., Lincoln Park; 313-914-7522; campestrelp.com
Melvin Gamez Sr. and Jr. brought El Salvadorean, Peruvian, and Mexican-inspired charcoal-roasted rotisserie chicken to downriver. In addition to chicken, Campestre offers pupusas, subs, and burritos.

Photo via Campestre Chicken/Facebook

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Brown Iron Brewhouse

30955 Woodward Ave., Suite 510, Royal Oak; 248-951-2659; browniron.com
With a new location in Royal Oak, Brown Iron Brewhouse is known for its fresh foods and craft beers. After popular demand, they have extended their Burnt Ends dish to the new location.

Photo via Brown House Brewhouse Royal Oak / Facebook

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Got Pho

172 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; 248-850-7449; gotphoferndale.com
Got Pho landed in Ferndale in June, offering a variety of pho dishes, including vegan options. The dine-in, carryout, and delivery spot also has Pad Thai, drunken noodles, fried rice, and bubble tea smoothies.

Photo via Got Pho/Facebook

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Of Rice and Men

312 S. Main St., Ann Arbor; 734-222-0202; ofriceandmen.com
Originally a pop-up out of Blue Llama Jazz Club, Of Rice and Men got its own digs in July. The Asian-fusion restaurant headed by Josh Wetshtein offers a modest selection of sushi rolls, as well as dumplings, udon, and items like Korean fried chicken, wok-fired whole fish, and a Vietnamese-style crawfish boil.
Photo via Of Rice and Men/Facebook

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Tov Bagel

567 Livernois Ave., Ferndale; tovbagel.webflow.io
Operating out of the recently opened Ferndale Project, Tov Bagel offers artisan bagels in flavors like rosemary sea salt, black and white sesame, zaatar, and sunflower seed with smears in roaster garlic, strawberry, honey walnut, and others.
Photo via Tov Bagel /Facebook

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Tapped Coffee & Craft Beverages
39481 Joy Rd., Canton; 734-738-6984; tappedbeverages.com
Tapped Coffee & Craft Beverages opened in Canton offering coffee drinks made with CO2 thanks to a commercial draft system. The taste and sensation is described as a “unique, naturally sweet, and creamy mouthfeel.” They also offer doughnuts — and even breakfast sandwiches made with doughnuts.
Photo via Tapped Coffee & Craft Beverages /Facebook
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Matt & Mo’s Italian Beef
24110 John R Rd., Hazel Park; 248-307-7970; mmitalianbeef.com
Windy City meat made its way to Hazel Park over the summer when married couple Matt and Mo Marzulla cozied up in an ice cream stand. Matt & Mo’s Italian Beef opened in Doug’s Delights, a soft-serve ice cream shack in Hazel Park, offering au jus-dipped roasted Italian beef sandwiches, which come with pickled vegetables.
Photo via Matt & Mo’s Italian Beef/Facebook
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Bobcat Bonnie’s
17330 Hall Rd., Space 195, Clinton Twp; 586-221-4313; bobcatbonnies.com
Bobcat Bonnie’s first location was opened on Michigan Avenue in Corktown in 2015, after owner Matt Buskard saw that the space O’Blivions occupied was for sale. It then opened three more locations in Wyandotte, Ferndale, and Ypsilanti. The newest addition is its location at the Mall at Partridge Creek.

Photo via Bobcat Bonnie’s Partridge Creek / Facebook
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BahDah Sushi
32832 N. Woodward Ave., Royal Oak; 248-556-5444; bahdahsushi.com
Casual Japanese and Korean restaurant BahDah Sushi opened in March just before things went to shit. But they’ve managed to stay open at their Royal Oak location, formerly occupied by another sushi spot, with a robust menu offering noodle and rice dishes, as well as sushi. Lots of sushi.

Photo via BahDah Sushi/Facebook
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Green Lantern Pizza
4033 W. 12 Mile Rd, Berkley; 248-951-9292; greenlanternpizza.com
Metro Detroit mini-chain Green Lantern Pizza’s seventh location opened in Berkley this year. The 5,200-square-foot restaurant has a full bar and a menu similar to that at the 15 Mile Road flagship location in Clinton Township. It is Green Lantern’s third sit-down location, and the company expects to add more franchised carryout stores in the future. Green Lantern offers gourmet pizzas, subs, sandwiches, and salads.

Photo via Green Lantern Pizza / Facebook
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Hook & Reel
7838 Telegraph Rd., Taylor; 313-982-7979; hookreel.com
Downriver scored a cajun seafood spot in July via chain restaurant Hook & Reel. Among some of the menu offerings are seafood boils, po’boys, oysters, breaded lobster tail, and coconut shrimp.

Photo via Hook & Reel-Taylor/Facebook
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The Ebenezer
305 Fleet St., Plymouth; 734-404-5552; theebenezerplymouth.com
Offering exotic cocktails and a selection of small plates, including charcuterie boards, jump shrimp cocktail, and vegetarian flatbreads, The Ebenezer is a speakeasy-style atmosphere located in a former bank vault.

Photo via The Ebenezer/Facebook
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Jams
45709 Hayes Rd., Shelby Twp.; 586-991-6450; a href="https://www.facebook.com/eatatjams">Facebook.com/eatatjams
A comfort-food restaurant offering breakfast, brunch, and dinner in Shelby Township opened in June. For the brunch crowd, there’s eggs benedict, cinnamon crunch french toast, avocado toast, california breakfast burrito, and crispy chicken and cheddar waffles, shrimp and cheesy grits. For lunch and dinner there are a selection of wraps, burgers, sandwiches, and soups, as well as entrees like salmon, filet, steak frites, and cauliflower pasta.

Photo via Jams/Facebook
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Stella's Table
340 Town Center Blvd., White Lake; 248-698-2400; https://www.stellastablemi.com/

Stella's replaces the former Root Restaurant & Bar, which Suser Restaurant Group took over in 2018. Stella's menu features a more casual vibe with a Mediterranean-inspired menu that includes pizza, sandwiches, and a stuffed baguette loaf.

Photo courtesy of Stella's Table
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The Ferndale Project
567 Livernois Ave., Ferndale; 248-556-5512; ferndaleproject.com

The former Axle Brewing Co. Livernois Tap opened as the Ferndale Project earlier this year. The space offers more than a dozen beers on tap, including experimental sours and stouts, IPAs, three ciders, nitro cold brew by Detroit-based Ashe Supply Co., and a house-made root beer.

Ferndale Project/Facebook

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Casa Pernoi

310 E. Maple Road, Birmingham; 248-940-0000; pernoibirmingham.com

As of June, Pernoi — the fine-dining restaurant launched by acclaimed chef Luciano DelSignore last year — is no more. The spot has now rebranded as the casual Italian "Casa Pernoi." Like many changes these days, the pivot came due to the impact of the coronavirus crisis. Expect classic Italian favorites like a Ricotta Ravioli, Charred Octopus, Baked Orata, and Veal Chop Parmigiano.

Photo courtesy of Casa Pernoi

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Flavors of Jamaica

406 N. Telegraph St., Pontiac; 947-999-0169; flavorsofjamaicarestaurant.com

A native of Westmoreland, Jamaica, Chef Reniel Billups moved to the United States at the age of 9. She had an innate love of cooking growing up in a family kitchen, and later was a lead chef for the United States Coast Guard. The founder of Irie Occasions Catering and Party Planning has been cooking up traditional Jamaican flavors around the metro area for several years. Her Caribbean-inspired pop-ups at hot spots around town like Detroit City Distillery and Lost River Tiki have put her food into the hands and mouths of a growing legion of fans — but it was her year-long Saturday evening pop-up at Brooklyn Street Local in Corktown that truly made Chef Reniel a star. They opened a brick-and-mortar in Pontiac earlier this year.

Photo courtesy of Flavors of Jamaica

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Planthropie

135 Pierce St., Birmingham; 248-839-5640; planthropie.com

Vegans with a sweet tooth, rejoice: we now have a neighborhood all-vegan cheese and dessert bar. Vegans and those with gluten and soy allergies can now find scrumptious treats geared to their needs. The concept for Planthropie was then inspired by the recipes she cooked up at home for her son after she found he was allergic to dairy. Menu items for the new cafe include white truffle cheese, mac nut cheese, cheesecake, and haut chocolate cake latte.

Photo courtesy of Planthropie / Facebook

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Buddy's

987 Wilshire Dr., Troy; 248-516-0400; buddyspizza.com/troy
Buddy's, home of the original Detroit-style pizza, continued its expansion in the Midwest and beyond, opening a new restaurant in Troy inspired by the original "Buddy's Rendezvous" at Six Mile and Conant in Detroit, which opened in 1946.

Photo courtesy of Buddy's

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Sidecar Slider Bar, Shift, Slice Pizza Kitchen

117 Willits St., Birmingham; sidecarsliderbar.com/birmingham, shift-birmingham.business.site, and slicepizzakitchen.com
Indecisive minds will love this restaurant concept in Birmingham which puts three restaurants under one roof. Sidecar Slider Bar specializes in gourmet sliders and shareables; Shift serves as the space’s romantic cocktail lounge offering with small plates and an extensive wine-by-the glass list; Slice Pizza Kitchen, which serves gourmet pizza and subs.

Photo via Sidecar Birmingham/Facebook

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