Mutiny Bar — Restaurant in Detroit

Tiki without the Sand

My friend Karen told me about a bar that was highly rated as a fun tiki bar with a great atmosphere and deliciously crafted cocktails. As soon as she said tiki I was in. One of my favorite cocktails happens to be a Blue Hawaii, followed closely by a good strong mai tai. Being a Detroit east-sider, I expected we’d be heading somewhere around the edges of Lake Saint Clair. But no, Karen said this bar was on Vernor near Mexican town. I question the possibility of a tiki bar located in nowhere near water, how could this be? Our group of five decided we needed to check this out.

We visited on a Friday night arriving shortly after the 5 PM opening time. I knew I was right about the location, no boat docks anywhere around 4654 Vernor highway. We parked our car right out in front. There is a small sign above a plain black door identifying the mutiny bar. Once inside my eyes were opened wide to the tropical enchantment. From the fishnets to the multicolored lights hanging from the ceiling. Since it was early my group of five had our choice of seating. Of course, we picked the small table surrounded by rattan chairs which included two large grand queen chairs. Their own website describes the Mutiny Bar as a dive bar, and I smiled as I remembered the dive bar’s that I am myself frequented as a college student at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu in the 1970s. Karen said the decor reminded her of someone’s basement. Growing up in Detroit I certainly didn't know anyone with the basement this enchanting. Studying the menu I was sorry I was no longer that college student who might have been able to sample many of the drinks on the menu in one evening. These days I have my limits. I chose The Privateer, a 9$ combination of fruit juice and tequila for my first course. It was refreshing and a little tart. My next choice was the Blue Hawaii, which 3 of us enjoyed. Now I was feeling the palm trees swaying. We enjoyed the presentation of most drinks being served in different tropical vessels. Someone spent some time hunting these down.

Soon all the chairs at the bar and most of the tables were full. Mostly millennials, with some older folk mixed in as well. I understand they have karaoke some nights, we'll return to...

Finally checked out Mutiny Bar last night and had a wonderful experience! The first thing we noticed when we walked through the door was that it smelled amazing! Weird for a bar, right? The only way I can explain the aroma is if there were such a thing as a chocolate coconut campfire, that's what it smells like. Our bartender was super friendly, very professional and efficient, and fun. We all started with the house shot which was amazing! Get one! I have a severe pineapple allergy which does not bode well for tiki drinks but our bartender was very accommodating and created a delicious cocktail for me with lemon, honey, mint and tequila. All the cocktails are carefully crafted and adorned with beautiful fruit, flowers, and of course colorful paper umbrellas. The one suggestion I have is that if you tend to sip your drinks slowly, you may want to ask for light ice. The cocktails are filled to the top with shaved ice and I imagine they may get watered down if you let them sit too long. The prices are very reasonable especially considering the quality of the ingredients and the time it takes to create each one. I will definitely go back to the Mutiny Bar!! It's a fun break from the...

Let me begin by giving a shout out to the Lady Bartender....AWESOME!!! A REAL SHOW TO WATCH AND REAL POUR DRINKS...bring your DD cause you will need one. This place is a b y o f also known as bring your own food. There are many restaurants in walking distance from this location. Parking is tight and limited so bring your patience when searching for the right parking spot. Now you would think that the the bar what have more of a neighborhood patrons however this bar patrons does not reflect the neighborhood at all or the city so you'll have an enjoyable time however the only downfall to this bar is the lack of sitting area and table area. So don't order food or bring food to you know you got a table or chair for that matter but either case it's so worth it 2...