Where I Send My Detroit Guests to Eat

‍ As the owner of a furnished rental in Detroit, I host people who come to the city for many different reasons. Some are visiting family or spending a few days seeing the sights. Whether visitors are attending a conference, starting a temporary work assignment, seeing a Lions Game or considering a longer stay-everyone needs to eat!

A weekend guest usually wants to know where to have a memorable dinner. Someone staying for a month or longer eventually needs something different. They want dependable neighborhood restaurants, comfortable places to eat alone and family spots that do not require an elaborate plan.

When guests ask where they should eat, I recommend places I know and enjoy. These six restaurants cover several parts of Detroit, with a stop in Hamtramck along the way. They also offer a good introduction to the communities and food traditions that shape the city.

Baobab Fare

Baobab Fare brings the food of Burundi to Woodward Avenue and East Grand Boulevard. Owners Hamissi Mamba and Nadia Nijimbere built the restaurant around the idea that food can create a sense of home, even when home is thousands of miles away.

I went with my two boys and a friend who was visiting from Toronto with her son. She is originally from Kenya. Although the restaurant serves Burundian food, many of the flavors were familiar to her. Watching her make that connection gave the meal a different meaning. My youngest son had a less reflective response. He gobbled down everything in front of him in one fast swoop.

The menu centers on stewed and grilled meats served with rice, beans, vegetables and fried plantains. The plates are generous but not overloaded with unnecessary extras. The sauces carry much of the flavor, and the rice and plantains catch every bit of them.

Chicken, beef and fish appear in several preparations, so a group can order according to individual tastes without losing the shared experience of the meal. One person might choose a slow-cooked beef dish while someone else orders grilled chicken with coconut rice and greens. I would add the fried plantains regardless of what else is on the table.

Baobab Fare also works well for guests looking for halal, gluten-free or plant-based food. The dining room is bright and casual enough for lunch with coworkers, dinner with children or a first experience with East African cooking.

For guests arriving from another country, Baobab Fare may also offer a familiar feeling. Its story is specific to Burundi, but the larger idea of creating a home in a new city is one many of my guests understand.

6568 Woodward Ave., Suite 100, Detroit

Yemen Cafe

Yemen Cafe sits on Joseph Campau Avenue in Hamtramck, an independent city surrounded by Detroit. I include it in my recommendations because eating your way through the Detroit area should include Hamtramck.

The first thing to know is that the portions are serious. Lamb and chicken arrive over broad beds of fragrant rice, often with enough food left for the next day. That is exactly what happens to us every time we visit. For a guest staying in a furnished rental with a full kitchen and refrigerator, tomorrow’s lunch is a welcome bonus.

Fresh tanoor bread comes to the table in large, blistered sheets meant for tearing, dipping and sharing. Lamb haneeth is one of the dishes to know. The meat is cooked until it pulls apart easily and is served with rice, soup and a sharp chile sauce that wakes up the entire plate.

Chicken ghallaba goes in another direction, combining pieces of chicken with peppers, onions and tomato. Fahsah may be the most memorable order. The shredded lamb stew arrives bubbling in a hot stone bowl, with bread alongside for scooping. It is rich, savory and best eaten slowly.

Do not skip dessert. Fattah with honey transforms bread into something soft and sweet that pairs especially well with Yemeni tea.

Yemen Cafe is open late, which makes it useful for conference attendees finishing an evening event, travelers arriving after a delayed flight or anyone whose dinner plans started much later than expected.

8740 Joseph Campau Ave., Hamtramck

Michigan & Trumbull Pizza

Visitors expect to eat Detroit-style pizza while they are in town, and Michigan & Trumbull Pizza is one of the places I recommend.

Detroit natives Nathan Peck and Kristen Calverley started the business after moving to Pittsburgh and realizing they could not find the square, deep-dish pizza they remembered from home. They began making it themselves, eventually returning to Detroit and opening a restaurant near the Corktown intersection that gave the business its name.

The restaurant has since moved to the Dreamtroit development on Holden Street. The pizza, however, remains firmly connected to the city. The dough is made fresh daily, producing a crust with a crisp, caramelized exterior and a lighter interior than its appearance suggests.

The Packard Pepperoni is a good first order. It combines pepperoni and pickled chiles with house-made hot honey, so each piece lands somewhere between salty, spicy and sweet. The Long Drive Home uses vodka sauce, sausage and banana peppers.

The white pizzas make choosing more difficult. The Woodward White combines mozzarella, baked ricotta, lemon zest, red pepper flakes and garlic oil. The Farnsworth Funghi comes with roasted mushrooms, whipped goat cheese and arugula.

Michigan & Trumbull makes the kind of pizza that leads to negotiations over the corner pieces. Those crisp, cheese-caramelized edges are valuable table currency. Ordering more than one pizza is the easiest way to keep everyone happy and sample a few combinations.

This is a good first-night meal for a family, an easy group order during a work assignment and a proper introduction to Detroit-style pizza. The restaurant sometimes sells out on weekends, so earlier is better.

1331 Holden St., Suite 100, Detroit

Ima Izakaya

Ima Izakaya is one of the restaurants I recommend when guests need a flexible dinner option in Corktown. It works for a solo bowl of noodles, a family meal or a group that prefers to share several smaller dishes.

The menu includes ramen, udon, rice bowls, house-made dumplings and food cooked over a robata grill. There is enough variety for people with different tastes, but the menu still feels coherent.

The dumplings tend to disappear quickly. Meat and vegetable versions are available, with sauces that bring in ginger, sesame, chile and black vinegar. Ordering an extra plate at the beginning is easier than trying to divide the last dumpling fairly.

Ramen provides the expected comfort on a cold Detroit evening. Udon has a thicker, chewier texture and works especially well with rich or spicy sauces. Rice bowls are there for anyone who does not want soup.

The robata grill adds skewers and vegetables with smoky edges. You can build a full meal from dumplings, grilled mushrooms, bok choy and a few skewers instead of ordering one large entrée.

Vegetarian and vegan diners have real choices here. They are not limited to removing ingredients from dishes designed for everyone else. Ima also has an outdoor patio for the part of the year when Detroit weather cooperates.

For longer-term guests, this is the sort of restaurant that can enter the regular rotation. Come for noodles one evening, return for happy hour another day and order takeout when work runs late.

2100 Michigan Ave., Detroit

Los Galanes

Los Galanes has been part of Southwest Detroit’s Mexican food story since 1967. What began as a small taquería grew into a full-service restaurant in the heart of Mexicantown.

I recommend it to guests who want to explore beyond downtown and spend time in one of Detroit’s best-known food neighborhoods.

The menu covers tacos, enchiladas, fajitas, burritos and combination plates. It also extends into seafood, soups, milanesa and house specialties, so there is a reason to look beyond the first page.

The tacos keep things direct. Choose a filling, add salsa and let the tortillas do their work. Fajitas arrive sizzling and make sense for a family or group that wants to assemble its own plates. The milanesa de pollo offers something crisp and straightforward when tacos are not quite enough.

The Botana Galan is designed for sharing. Chips are layered with beans, cheese and toppings to create an appetizer substantial enough to take over the table. Order it with a group, unless you are prepared to make it most of your meal.

Seafood is another reason to visit. The cazuela de mariscos is a substantial stew filled with shrimp and other seafood in seasoned broth. Margaritas and cantaritos can turn dinner into a longer evening, as can the patio when it is open.

Los Galanes works for different rhythms of a Detroit stay. Short-term visitors can make it part of an afternoon in Mexicantown. Guests here for several months may end up using it as the reliable place for family dinners, drinks with visiting friends or an uncomplicated plate of tacos.

3362 Bagley St., Detroit

Detroit Soul

Detroit Soul brings Southern cooking to East Jefferson Avenue. The restaurant connects its food to the history of Black families who traveled north carrying recipes, traditions and memories with them.

This is food I recognize personally. I grew up eating these dishes, especially when visiting family in Camden, South Carolina.

Fried chicken and catfish are natural places to begin. The chicken has a crisp, seasoned coating that does not need to be covered in sauce. The catfish is fried until golden and belongs beside macaroni and cheese, greens and cornbread.

Baked chicken, smothered pork chops, turkey wings and meatloaf give regulars room to move around the menu. The smothered dishes arrive with gravy that should go over rice or mashed potatoes. Choosing both is perfectly reasonable.

The side dishes are not minor details. Macaroni and cheese, candied yams, collard greens, cabbage, dressing and spaghetti can determine the whole direction of a plate. Dessert might include banana pudding cheesecake, pound cake, caramel cake or another Southern favorite. Availability varies, so I recommend asking what is ready before setting your heart on one choice.

Detroit Soul is a useful recommendation for guests who want a meal that travels well. It works for a night when everyone wants to eat at the rental, a family gathering or a workday dinner that needs to become tomorrow’s lunch too.

For me, it also provides a familiar connection between Detroit and the Southern food I grew up eating.

14300 E. Jefferson Ave., Detroit

Eating Like You Live Here

A short visit to Detroit may begin with museums, sporting events, family gatherings or a work conference. Stay longer, and the city starts to reveal itself through its neighborhoods and everyday routines.

That is why I recommend these six restaurants. They offer Burundian stews, Yemeni lamb and fresh bread, Detroit-style pizza, Japanese noodles, Mexicantown favorites and the Southern food I grew up with. More importantly, they are places connected to real communities and repeat visits. A furnished rental gives guests a place to stay. Finding their own favorite restaurants is one of the ways Detroit begins to feel like home.

Restaurant menus, prices and hours can change. Check with each restaurant before heading out

Written by Mattaniah Yip, owner and local host of HomeBase Stays, I help relocating families, traveling professionals and international guests settle into furnished stays in Detroit and Los Angeles.