Joe Louis Southern Kitchen
Joe Louis Southern Kitchen things to do, attractions, restaurants, events info and trip planning
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ALWAYS looking for a great brunch spot and I found this gem in an online article claiming it’s in the top 10 brunch locations in Detroit, of course I did my homework and read all reviews, they were a bit mixed but enough so that we decided to give it a try and for my hubby’s bday so I was crossing my fingers I had a 5 star experience. Well I must say I wish I could give it 6 stars ! Made reservations on the website around 1030am on a Thursday, went in and the hostess was very pleasant and we were seated right away. We had a wonderful host Sherri who greeted us almost immediately and gave us waters and let us know about the menu being online and to use the QR code that is at every table. The ambiance was what really helped! They played nothing but old school Motown jams that I found myself singing most of the time to my hubby’s dismay 😝the whole place was welcoming and looked as if we were sitting on grandmas front porch having a most delicious meal. I got the early bird skillet, better half got Mama Lillies pancakes and we got the creole shrimp and grits to share. Almost fought over it, definitely need my own next time! I was a tad bit sad they were out of the strawberries for the strawberry orange juice but Sherri mixed us up a cranberry OJ concoction that I’m sure was just as delicious! Time wise we were out of there by 12pm so just over an hour total, still had an hour on the meter! It was a unanimous decision and we both agreed, hands down thee best grits we’ve had in a very long time, if ever. Creamy delicious goodness ! Check out the pics & follow me on Tiktok @greedybayees for videos !
Tyko DTyko D
30
I tried to like it. My first time was actually pretty good and I figured this place deserved a second shot but my second fit right in with all of the bad reviews. I understand being "understaffed" (the excuse) but a 40 minute wait outside is unexcusable when there are only 4 people eating in the dining area. I counted 9 empty tables and people are still outside waiting to be seated. I was seated inside and it took an additional 15 minutes to be noticed and greeted. How? Who else is here? I walked out! I tried to return on two diffent occaisions. Once with my family and on that occasion we still had to wait 20 mins outside after they "opened" but were the first people through the door and seated. Service was still slow but the food was pretty good that day. My last visit was on 01/04/22 and I do believe that this will be my final visit for a while (long enough for them to make some necessary changes) because it was another miss. The wait was not too bad but the food totally missed the mark this time. I ordered the same dish that I had on my first occasion thinking it would be the same experience but it wasn't. I really wanted to like this place and I hope that at some point the service improves. Maybe when they hire more people and start taking reservations I'll return. To their credit my food was pretty good the first time but there's just too much to through for food with all of the other options in town. I'll check back on this place because I would like for it to be everything it has the potential to be but for now, this place is on timeout.
NanoNano
20
I believe one person’s bad service should not cause harm to the whole team. But when the person is awful, it MUST be addressed. On 9-16-21 we ordered a take-out of Belgian waffles and chicken, champ chicken sandwich, house potatoes and Brewster salad. The potatoes and raspberry salad dressing was not in the bag. All the food was cold. Waffle was so cold the butter on top did not melt. Have no doubt the food was pre-cooked. Spoke to the manager Rick and he insisted that the food was hot when he bagged the food. I told him we ordered online and took a 5 minute hike to the restaurant. We waited on the food 10 minutes because it was not ready. I could instantly tell from our conversation he was not prepared for this leadership role, and he definitely allowed pre-cooked food to leave his kitchen. He said he knew for a fact the food was Hot. It was not! He said he knew for a fact he put dressing in the bag because they did not have the raspberry dressing. He did not and they did not tell us they were out of raspberry dressing! He said we took a long time to pick up order. Not true because we had to wait on the food. Between ordering online and receiving the food, it took at the most 15 minutes. He did admit to NOT placing the potatoes in the bag, and will refund $5. I really don’t care about the $5. I rather have a well prepared meal and decent customer service. I was looking forward to this being a great place to bring friends and family to dine. I recommend you dine-in only and be sure to ask if Rick is managing before placing your order.
Debra HillDebra Hill
00
*UPDATE* Tried it again...glad we did,, food just as good and service was great! I'm going to have to go back and give it another chance. The food was really good! Chicken was great! The waffle was ok, but seemed like bisquick with a little added vanilla and/cinnamon. The atmosphere was really neat. It was made up like an old Detroit neighborhood, complete with a front porch of a home. I'm not sure what it has to do with Joe Louis, but it was pretty cool. The service, at least our server, was the worst we've had. Asked for drinks, she said, "I'll be back in 5 minutes." Brought them, and we were ready to order, and she again said she'd be back in another 5 minutes. When I looked over, she was in the kitchen eating. A different server had to bring our food, and we had to ask the hostess for refills...twice. at this point, our server was sitting at a table eating. She never checked on us, and we had to run her down...now chit chatting with friends at a different table. Everyone else's service seemed great and we got good service from everyone else, so we will go back and give them another try
Lincoln MilamLincoln Milam
00
My experience at Joe Louis Southern Kitchen was incredibly disappointing. We added ourselves to the waitlist at 10:40 AM, a full 40 minutes before we arrived. Upon checking in, we were told that there were "four parties" ahead of us. However, by noon—nearly an hour and a half later—my husband inquired about our wait time and was told that we would have to wait an additional 30 minutes. Frustrated, I went in to speak with the hostess, only to be informed that the "kitchen was backed up." At this point, we had been waiting for over an hour and a half and decided to leave at 12:15 PM. To make matters worse, the waiting area was unpleasant, with a man experiencing homelessness sitting inside begging for change. There was also a woman outside of the restaurant begging for change. This added to the overall discomfort of the experience. We were really looking forward to trying this place, but unfortunately, the service and atmosphere fell far short of expectations. We won't be returning. Update: We received a message at 12:45 PM that our table was ready. We were happily eating lunch at Bert's.
Nicole MitchellNicole Mitchell
20
This was my first time in Detroit and the first place I selected to eat at. I was immediately impressed with the host upon arrival. The place was packed but she found a way to seat us immediately and was very friendly. The server was patient with us. We spent quite a bit of time looking at the menu trying to figure out what we wanted to order. Everything on the menu looked good. Also, I forgot to mention that we smelled the food outside before we walked in the door. My friend and I both placed our orders and were very impressed. She ordered a turkey leg smothered in gumbo. I ordered a dish called "The Trainer". We both also ordered juice, coffee, and waffles. Everything was delicious. We are now looking forward to stopping here again the next time we are in the city of Detroit. Also, another cute touch was the ambiance. When you walk in, it looks like a restaurant you'd eat in at a small town in Alabama. Isn't Joe Lewis from this state? The pictures of Joe and the decor are beautifully placed. As a lover of Black History, this was definitely another plus.
J. Autumn SandersJ. Autumn Sanders
00
Nearby Attractions Of Joe Louis Southern Kitchen
New Center One
Fisher Building
Fisher Theatre
Ford Piquette Avenue Plant Museum
Henry Ford Medical Center - New Center One
Henry Ford Hospital Parking & Valet
New Center Park
Planet Fitness
Amtrak
Cadillac Place

New Center One
4.3
(1.8K)Click for details

Fisher Building
4.8
(1.3K)Click for details

Fisher Theatre
4.8
(937)Click for details

Ford Piquette Avenue Plant Museum
4.8
(825)Click for details
Nearby Restaurants Of Joe Louis Southern Kitchen
Z's Villa
Baobab Fare
The Turkey Grill
Northern Lights Lounge
Bucharest Grill
Yumvillage
Parks Old Style Bar-B-Q
Zo's Good Burger Detroit
Tony V's Tavern
Supino Pizzeria New Center

Z's Villa
4.4
(758)Click for details

Baobab Fare
4.8
(645)Click for details

The Turkey Grill
3.8
(786)Click for details

Northern Lights Lounge
4.2
(733)Click for details
Basic Info
Address
6549 Woodward Ave, Detroit, MI 48202
Map
Phone
(313) 788-8338
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Website
joelouissouthernkitchen.com
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Reviews
Overview
4.3
(934 reviews)
Ratings & Description
attractions: New Center One, Fisher Building, Fisher Theatre, Ford Piquette Avenue Plant Museum, Henry Ford Medical Center - New Center One, Henry Ford Hospital Parking & Valet, New Center Park, Planet Fitness, Amtrak, Cadillac Place, restaurants: Z's Villa, Baobab Fare, The Turkey Grill, Northern Lights Lounge, Bucharest Grill, Yumvillage, Parks Old Style Bar-B-Q, Zo's Good Burger Detroit, Tony V's Tavern, Supino Pizzeria New Center
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