New metro Detroit restaurants that have opened so far in 2024

Third Street Bar

4626 Third St., Detroit; instagram.com/thirdstreetdetroit

After this longstanding Cass Corridor bar closed last summer, fans were sad. Luckily, it just reopened under new ownership. The humble Third Street Bar is now owned by the Detroit Optimist Society, a hospitality group better known for its high-end cocktail bars like Sugar House, Wright & Co., and Bad Luck Bar. But co-owner Dave Kwiatkowski is keeping Third Street Bar the same, with its low-frills shot-and-a-beer kind of vibe that has long been popular with Wayne State University students.

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Vecino

4100 Third Ave., Detroit; 313-500-1615; vecinodetroit.com

This Latin-inspired restaurant with an “agave-forward” bar was intended to open in Midtown in November 2023, but just finally opened in April 2024. Its simple menu merges modern Mexican cuisine with a curated selection of tequilas and mezcals.

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Nuevo Seoul

220 W. Congress St., Detroit; 313-502-5171; eatatnuevoseoul.com

This Korean-inspired fast-casual Mexican street food restaurant opened in downtown Detroit in late April. Brothers Chris and Peter Han, founders of Hanah Steakhouse in Detroit and Osaka Steakhouse in Clawson, are at the helm of the new concept. Its menu merges components of Mexican and Korean flavors to familiar dishes such as bulgogi beef tacos, birria ramen, and kimchi fries. Along with nonalcoholic drinks, Mexican-inspired spiked slushies and signature Agua Fresca cocktails are also available.

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Adelina

1040 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-246-8811; adelinadetroit.com

At the heart of downtown Detroit, Adelina fuses Italian and Mediterranean cuisine for unique and innovative flavors. The concept, which opened in March, is a collaboration with renowned celebrity chef Fabio Viviani.

PUMA

4725 16th St., Detroit; instagram.com/puma_detroit

New Argentine restaurant PUMA opened during Movement Music Festival with parties all weekend. PUMA is a more casual sister brand to Chef Javier Bardauil’s upscale Barda restaurant. By night, PUMA transforms into COUGAR, a full-service cocktail bar featuring live DJ sessions.

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Saroki's Crispy Chicken and Pizza

25005 Dequindre Rd., Madison Heights; sarokis.com

This chain, established in 2012 by brothers Curtis and Todd Saroki, just expanded to metro Detroit in late June. The spot has grown a cult following for its fried chicken and New York-style pizzas, and now we get to see what the hype is all about.

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The Jackson

104 N. Adams Rd., Rochester Hills; thejacksonrestaurant.com

Thes new restaurant inspired by the work of abstract expressionist painter Jackson Pollock opened in Rochester Hills in June. The spot's decor is heavily influenced by Pollock’s groundbreaking work “Number One," with dishes representing "edible masterpieces."

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Sullaf Restaurant

814 W. Seven Mile Rd., Detroit; 313-893-5657

This small Iraqi restaurant abruptly closed around three years ago, but was fortunately reopened by a new owner just a couple of months ago. The spot's menu includes a range of kabobs, lamb shank, shawarma, chicken cream chop, and several sandwiches. There are also salads and a menu of Iraqi breakfast staples.

Read more here.

Easy Peasy

1456 Woodward, Detroit; easypeasydetroit.com

Opening in late June, Easy Peasy is a neighborhood bar open daily, offering classic cocktails, beer, and wine. It is run by the team behind Collect Beer Bar, Two Birds, and the Huddle Soft Serve ice cream windows. Easy Peasy collaborates with Detroit chefs to offer lunch, dinner, and late-night options, including sushi. During dinner and Saturday brunch, No Sauce BBQ, a Black-owned collective, serves a bar menu featuring burgers, BBQ tacos, and various snacks and sides.

Lowkey

1456 Woodward, Detroit; easypeasydetroit.com

Located below new bar Easy Peasy, Lowkey is an underground cocktail lounge featuring a rotation of some of Detroit’s best bartenders. In a nod to the storied history of the space (formerly Whisky Disco and Oslo Nightclub), Lowkey also hosts the occasional DJs night featuring some of Detroit’s most established DJs, as well as new and upcoming talent.

Pink Garlic Indian Cuisine

18625 Ecorse Rd., Allen Park; 947-948-5680; pink-garlic-indian-cuisine.square.site

Oak Park favorite Pink Garlic opened a second location in Allen Park in March, offering both dine-in and carryout. Like the original spot, the new Pink Garlic’s menu features an extensive lineup of Indian and Indo-Chinese staples like chicken biryani, orange chicken, momos, and tandoori chicken.

Read more here.

Café Noir

9405 John R. St., Detroit; instagram.com/cafenoir.det

This French-inspired coffee shop recently opened in the space formerly home to Black Coffee, which opened in late 2022. A year before that, the coffee shop was named Kenilworth Cafe. Now, new life has been breathed into the community spot once again. While Café Noir is a play on the name Black Coffee, the space has been heavily reimagined and updated, with a French-inspired menu and ambiance, rather than the Afro-centric vibe that Black Coffee took on. The spot serves up a variety of coffee drinks alongside pastries and sandwiches, aiming to “provide a welcoming space for people to connect, socialize, and build community.” While there’s a lot that is new, the space’s unique and fun outdoor co-working circles, as well as free community WiFi access, are still present.

Read more here.

Gilly’s Clubhouse

1550 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-651-7050; gillysdetroit.com

This downtown Detroit sports bar dedicated to Dan Gilbert’s late son opened in early April. Gilly’s boasts 10,000 square feet with a 120-square foot television, Detroit sports memorabilia, and American fare. The menu includes things like grass-fed beef smash burgers, chicken wings, homemade mac and cheese, and turkey meatballs along with healthier options like grain bowls and salads. A variety of draft beers and specialty cocktails are also offered, as well as classic coffee and fresh-pressed juice.

Read more here.

Lincoln Yard and little yard

2159 E. Lincoln St., Birmingham; 248-653-5353; eatlincolnyard.com

These sister eateries are two new restaurants in one — one dine-in space and one to-go spot — located in a repurposed school bus garage in Birmingham’s Rail District. The concept is led by local restaurant group Union Joints.

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Sexy Steak

1942 Cass Ave., Detroit; 313-403-1000; sexysteakdetroit.com

Detroit’s castle-esque Grand Army of the Republic building became home to this new restaurant, featuring a menu focused on steaks and seafood. The new spot is led by Prime 29 Concepts, which also operates Aurora Italiana and Prime 29 Steakhouse in West Bloomfield.

Read more here.

Bombshell Treat Bar

2688 Coolidge Hwy., Berkley; 248-845-2125; bombshelltreatbar.com

Berkley’s Bombshell Treat Bar opened on April 19, specializing in over-the-top desserts. The spot serves up ice cream, dipped bars, floats, hot pretzels, grab-n-go “packed pints,” ice cream cakes, salt and pepper caramel corn, novelty candy, and other sweet treats.

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Jollibee

44945 Woodridge Dr., Sterling Heights; 586-544-4090; jollibeefoods.com

People were super excited about this famous Philippines-based fast-food chain opening its first Michigan location. Founded in 1978, the chain is known for putting a Filipino twist on American dishes like fried chicken, burgers, spaghetti (topped with a sweet sauce, ham, and hot dog), and peach-mango hand pies. It was originally supposed to open in October 2023, but the opening date got pushed back to winter 2024.

Read more here.

Side Hustle Lounge

1230 Library St., Detroit; instagram.com/sidehustledetroit

In early 2024, Detroit’s Mootz Pizzeria + Bar announced a big expansion with the opening of its new cocktail lounge “Bar Mootz.” Ahead of the NFL Draft, the new space opened, now dubbede “Side Hustle Lounge.” The spot offers a menu of cocktails and small plates with Italian and Latin influences, curated by executive chef Angela Georges. Food items include flatbreads, sautéed shrimp, beef empanadas, and charcuterie boards.

Read more here.

Kitab Cafe and Bookstore

411 W. Canfield St., Detroit; kitabcafe.com

Earlier this year, Hamtramck’s Kitab Cafe opened a second location in Detroit’s former Avalon Bakery space. Along with a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere, all usual favorites are available, including La Colombe Coffee, Zingerman’s pastries, and made-to-order sandwiches.

Read more here.

The Modern Vegan

304 Main St., Royal Oak; instagram.com/themodernvegan.detroit

If you’re a vegan who’s always looking for more metro Detroit options, this spot has got you covered. This popular Las Vegas vegan spot, which boasts the largest vegan menu in the world, was announced in September and finally opened almost a year later on August 1.