Grand Trunk Pub — Restaurant in Detroit

To be completely honest here, I'm not entirely sure how it's taken me this long to stop in here and have a few drinks. The history here alone, makes for a worthwhile trip.

It's old, it's deceivingly large, and It's probably one of the most beautiful and history rich bars in town. Aside from the history, the incredibly friendly knowledgeable staff, and the sizeable beer selection are worth the trip. This place has one more major thing going for it, and that is location. This place is located amongst many of the things that everyone is coming downtown to partake in, so if that sounds like you, this place should absolutely be added to your itinerary.

When you walk in, the first thing you'll notice is how it opens up into the beautifully historic architecture that you'll see throughout this entire place. Secondly you'll be greeted by one of the super friendly, professional, and knowledgeable staff members that keep this place running. This is a bit of a sidebar, but when I was in, I overheard one of the bartenders recommending all sorts of other places to hang out and drink to a couple of sports fans that were in town for a game. To me, that is awesome that you'd go above and beyond and recommended places that are technically your competition so people can mosey around and have a good time. This place is also deceivingly large, but you probably won't realize that until you make your way to the bathroom. There is a whole separate seating area located on the side where the bathrooms are. While we're on the subject of bathrooms, let's just say that they're not great here. I understand that building is old, and there is only so much to work with, without having to put a bunch of money into the place and then deal with it being historic and all that jazz. All I am going to say is that I am very, VERY glad that I only had to visit the urinal and nothing else. Simply put, it's hot, it's sweaty, it's dingy, and it's very, VERY cramped.

To be completely honest, that is really my only complaint here. The service was great, the beer was cold, and I had already eaten or else I would have taken a dive face first into the fare they offer.

When all is said and done, if you're downtown hopping around to different bars and scoping things out, I would highly recommended popping in here for a drink or three. You most certainly won't regret...

The restaurant decor has the vibe of the ticket station it used to be. The narrow floor plan, long bar, vaulted ceilings, rich wood paneling and millwork, exposed brick, low-lighting give this restaurant a warm, welcoming feel. Parking can be tricky but we got lucky and parked a half-block away on a side street. (free!) Once inside, we got seated and checked out the menu. Because we went on the weekend, we were given the ‘brunch’ menu. A few of the classics from the main menu are served during brunch and there were all the typical dishes we’ve come to expect from an upscale restaurant during brunch. On a side note, they have a very nice selection of brunch cocktails. I ordered a Caesar salad and their Reuben sandwich. The salad was tossed in a LOT of dressing. Too much. Next time I’d ask for the dressing on the side. Their Reuben was very good. The corned beef was tender, flavorful and melted in my mouth. I would have preferred it served on a stronger, heartier rye bread but it was still very tasty. The sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and 1000 island dressing were added sparingly, which actually enhanced the overall taste of the sandwich. It was a little pricey but the quality of the ingredients made it worth it. So now for the service… our waitress was an older lady. She was very nice and attentive. However, when she brought the bill, I noticed there was a credit card processing fee on the tab. Since I was paying with cash, I naively assumed the charge would be reversed when she rang me out. WRONG! She still charged me the fee. Maybe everyone gets charged the fee, I don't know. If so, maybe they should call it something else so people that pay cash don't get irritated. To make matters worse, when she brought my change back to the table, she kept my coins. Granted it was only 11 cents but it was MY 11 cents! I hate when waitresses do that. That slippery move really affected my rating for the Grand Trunk Pub. For decor, I’d give them a 4 or a 5. For the menu and the food, I’d probably give them an a 5. For the service, I’d give them a 0. It's hard to recommend this restaurant. I'll go somewhere...

This is a great pub in a gorgeous historical building, centrally located on Woodward Avenue in Downtown Detroit. It's a very quick walk from the Marriott at the GM Renaissance Centre and many of the other hotels downtown.

There are lots of seating options, both downstairs (two rooms) and upstairs in the loft area, as well as a nice outdoor patio. My friends and I stopped here for drinks after we arrived in Detroit and it was bustling, but had a nice relaxed atmosphere. It happened to be happy hour, and they have fantastic deals. We opted for the Reuben sliders and a couple of local beers - they have an extensive list of local options to choose from, with a few on the happy hour menu for half price.

We sat in the loft and had a birds eye view of the whole restaurant. The service was quick and attentive and the food arrived quickly, fresh and piping hot. The Reubens were absolutely out of this world delicious, and a perfect snack for after a long flight. The smoked meat was so tender and juicy, and the buns were soft and had a delicious toasted buttery crunch. They paired so well with the beers. All of the other food we saw going to other tables looked and smelled fantastic as well!

We loved it so much that we tried to come back the next day. Unfortunately, it was packed as it was a Tigers game day and there was a long wait. It's definitely a popular place!

We had a great experience and it was a wonderful way to start our...