We've waxed philosophic about the merits of downtown Wyandotte on many occasions. The strip of West Jefferson that the city refers to as "Biddle Avenue" is replete with adorable stores, ice cream shops, a cigar bar, salons, home decor emporiums, painting pubs, and even a hookah bar. You can dine on sushi, Lebanese, Thai, Mexican, sliders, poutine, cheese steak, fish and chips, pancakes, or pierogis without ever leaving the four-or-so-block radius.
The small district also holds just short of 10 bars that are perfectly distanced for hopping to and from despite the weather. There's Sport's Brew Pub, Captain's, Dotte Pub, Firehouse Pub, Gizzmo's, and The Mitten Pub and each of these places offers something a little unique, be it the atmosphere or the drinks.
And the offerings are growing. Wyandotte recently welcomed a new drinking establishment, and the two-story bar does not disappoint. Whiskey on the Water is located inside a historic building on the corner of Oak and Biddle Avenues, which formerly housed Why Not Costumes. The interior was completely renovated to spectacular effect. Rustic wood paneling, exposed brick, and black industrial piping are the main aesthetics here and it's beautiful. Construction is still ongoing on the second floor.
We visited on a recent Saturday evening was the place was packed before 8 p.m. The bar is outfitted with numerous flat screen TVs and during our visit they all played '90s music videos, which we particularly enjoyed.
While the interior is similar to Captain's, this place is unique to Wyandotte because it offers the kind of craft cocktails you can't find elsewhere in the city. The bar stocks bottles like Woodford Reserve, Glenlivet 12 year old, Angel's Envy, Two James Rye Dog and Johnny Smoking Gun. They don't carry an abundance of locally made liquor, but that may change as the bar matures.
While whiskey is obviously a speciality, they also serve craft brews from New Belgium, Great Lakes Brewing Co., and Goose Island.
Whiskey on the Water also serves a full menu including appetizers, sandwiches, burgers, and entrees. The food's not cheap here, but it's also not your average bar food. We suggest the pulled pork sandwich, or the Ain't No Spring Chicken. Both were served as large portions that filled us up for dinner, but could have easily been shared if we were looking for more of a pre-binge snack.
Perhaps most importantly the service was friendly and fast, despite the place being packed. Our server frequently checked on us and promptly brought us drinks. Our only complaint was that rather than a gin and tonic, we got rum, which didn't taste all the great. But, we'll give her a pass considering the volume the bar was doing that night.
Overall, Whiskey on the Water is an excellent addition to Wyandotte's nightlife offerings, and we're quite certain you'll spot us inside this river-side drinking establishment again soon.
