Karl's — Restaurant in Detroit

It would be easy, too easy, to call Karl's the little sibling to Chef Kate Williams' flagship restaurant Lady of the House. It is not. Karl's is it's own unique place with a completely different vibe. Approachable would be the first word that comes to mind. The food is well prepared and uncomplicated. I went for weekend brunch and will return very soon despite the downsides. About those...

Parking 🤬 - Yes, not the restaurant's fault but what a pain. Who wants to pay valet for a relaxed meal on an average night or weekend? All I can say is the City of Detroit continues to leave a lot to be desired in the urban planning department (Q Line - complete joke).

Timing - After ascending the narrow staircase to the Siren Hotel's second floor where Karl's is located I ended up waiting in the entryway with another party for a little over 8 minutes. When the hostess finally got around to seating me I was shocked to round the corner to see 4 tables and 6 booths empty. Why the extended wait? If the tables had been occupied these parties would have had to pass me on the way out. I also noted that several tables were not reset or partially reset (cups and placemats but no utensils, placemats only, cups only 🤔) and since the place wasn't slammed didn't make sense. Also my glass of Cava came after my pancakes but before my quiche, all brought to me by different people. Going to chalk all of this up to the staff still figuring out their rhythm.

Back to the food - I sense that you won't leave disappointed regardless of what you order. Bonus is that those glorious, glorious, glorious pancakes available at brunch at Lady of the House are also on Karl's menu. Get them - even if you don't like pancakes, even if you think you'll be too full. One bite and you'll...

Ok let me start out saying the decor and service was absolutely fantastic. We REALLY wanted to like this place and we did love the people and the way it looked.

But beyond that I can say there was nothing positive about it.

I ordered steak and eggs with my steak medium. When the lady brought it out I was stunned, I've never been served a steak that rare. It was literally still red on the OUTSIDE, it looked like they had held it over the grill at a distance for a couple minutes and put it on the plate. So I sent it back, it came out again literally 20 minutes later, sorta vaguely grill marked and still literally cold blue on the inside. I figured I'd just fight my way through it and fight I did, even that rare it was like shoe leather. I will say the fried potatoes that came with it were excellent.

My ladyfriend ordered a patty melt and fries. The fries were great, patty melt very ho hum and bland.

Then we ordered what was supposedly their most requested dessert to split, this cinnamon roll deal. I'm going to be generous and say the roll was three days old. It was hard as a rock and as dry as dust. I mentioned it to the waitress and was told they were "Fresh this morning". Yeah...

For this extravaganza we were presented a bill for $71. If you're gonna charge nice restaurant type prices for diner food you might at least try to make it diner food somebody might enjoy eating. If I wanted something this blah I could have gone to Leo's and paid $24 grand total for the exact same thing.

We'll keep an eye on the reviews and maybe give it one more try if they...

Located on the second floor of the Siren Hotel, dining here felt like entering a time machine transported to a charming art deco style 1950's diner. If you have any appreciation for Detroit architecture, this diner is a must visit. No detail was overlooked. The food was superb. I ordered the frittata of the day and a cup of their signature tomato soup, both delicious. I sampled my companion's Irish Breakfast and have already decided to come back for that dish alone. The service was top-notch and the entire restaurant including the bathroom was so clean I would eat off the floor. And I almost forgot to mention the coffee, among the best roast I have tasted in any cafe in the city. I don't write restaurant reviews often, but this place left a unique impression on me. The atmosphere, cuisine, service and pricing makes this place a real gem. The owners have clearly put a lot of thought into the decor and menu and have a high regard for customer service and...