Olin Bar & Kitchen — Restaurant in Detroit

Honestly, due to the server Jesse G, my table and i will never return to this restaurant and never recommend it to anyone.

Once being seated, Jesse mentioned to our table that the restaurant was extremely busy that night, and our table of 6 would have to place our entire order, drinks, apps, and entrees, all at once. Okay, not the most relaxing way to start the evening - but we tried to be understanding of the restaurant staff and the reality they were dealing with. he informed us that he was in urgent need of getting us our food and out the door so the next table could be seated, before even getting our coats off! at this point, his constant stressing of getting us out of the restaurant started to make us feel like an imposition. which was surprising considering i made the reservation 3 weeks a head of time and there were multiple empty tables around us at the restaurant. We ordered everything all at once, but asked Jesse if he could make sure that they didnt bring everything all at once. He said that would be no problem!

Once we got our drinks, our entire order came out, apps and entrees included. We barely had enough room for everything on the table! Once Jesse noticed our irritation he brought us some free potatoes to try and smooth things over. We tried to talk to him about how we were not enjoying our experience, and he made excuses stating that he was treating us this way because he had bigger tables that would take precedence over us - never saying sorry, but stating that his behavior was warranted. We tried to enjoy the meal but at this point, we felt like we were being treated very rudely for how much money we were spending.

Once Jesse brought the bill, one of our table members tried to kindly mention that we didnt have a good experience and felt extremely rushed and kind of ruined our evening - as this was our annual girls dinner and we normally plan the whole evening around sitting at a restaurant, enjoying conversation, and buying expensive drinks and food! After trying to explain how we felt, Jesse got extremely hostile and yelled at us that he was done serving us and we could leave. We checked the bill and noticed that 20% tip was included with out our choice.

We tried talking to the manager, as we were shocked having never been treated this way before, and the manager said she was sorry to hear that and we were free to leave.

Again, I placed this reservation 3 weeks a head of time. We showed up 20 minutes before our reservation even started. We got our drinks and ate our apps/entrees, and left the restaurant within 40 minutes, for a table of 6. The restaurant was obviously not overwhelmed due to the empty tables and receiving our food about 10 minutes after ordering. It was painstakingly obvious this restaurant does not care about customer service! Please do...

My friends and I recently visited Olin in Detroit and were impressed with its vibrant atmosphere and great ambience. The service, cold apps, and drinks were fantastic, and we were pleased to find that we could park in the Z deck, which was only a two-minute walk from the restaurant and cost $10 for parking. However, the salad and entrees did not quite match up to our expectations.

Here's how I rated the dishes:

Appetizers:

Focaccia: 7/10 - The focaccia was great and served warm, with just the right amount flavor. Burrata: 9/10 - The presentation was beautiful, and the burrata itself was delicious. Had a sweet kick to it Oysters with tabasco gel: 8/10 - The oysters were decent, and the tabasco gel added a nice punch of heat . Drinks:

Cocktails: 10/10 - Everyone at the table enjoyed their drinks. They were well-balanced and not too boozy. I personally ordered a dirty martini with blue cheese stuffed olives.

Main courses:

Caesar salad: 0.5/10 - Unfortunately, the Caesar salad was a major disappointment. The croutons were grated too finely and lacked crunch, the kale was soggy and not chopped, and the dressing was overwhelmingly musky and way too anchovy-flavored. I had to send it back after just two bites. I order a Caesar salad at every restaurant I go to so this left much to be desired.

Shortrib Burger and fries (one of the most popular dishes): 5/10 - The fries tasted like typical fast-food fries with some parmesan sprinkled on top, and the burger was extremely average. While I appreciated the double patty and smashburger style of cooking, the patties were cooked medium-well and lacked seasoning, so if you prefer your burger cooked differently, this might not be for you.

Overall, Olin had a lackluster food experience, but we enjoyed the appetizers and drinks.

If you're looking for a good Caesar salad or burger, you might want to look elsewhere, but if you're in the mood for some great drinks, cold apps, and friendly/professional service, Olin might still be worth a visit for a night...

Experience, chic, and teamwork are the best ways to frame Olin. Whatever you have in your mind for terms of expectations, this place will just blow them away.

Experience: This place literally opened up and it feels like it has been there for years. Nothing feels out of place and everyone has a rhythm that makes you feel like "Ok, I trust these people and I am excited for a curated experience."

The food is an experience as well. I started off with the Artichoke and Potato Bravas. They were fried but you don't feel ashamed for eating them. Artichoke, as tricky a vegetable it is, was smooth and tasted fresh. The potatoes tasted creamy and nothing was overbearing. Sauce added that pop. I had their short rib burger which was double stacked, and all the layers worked together. This is why I mentioned "teamwork". Every component did not try to outshine the other. I paired this with their Castlebrite Apricot Ale...delicious. I finished off the evening with an incredible Almond lemon Cake. Everything just melted together and that Rhubarb compote made it explode with flavor.. it was the pop the cake needed. And the thyme... Just try it... Won't spoil the surprise but trust me. I paired that with "Your song" which is an incredibly refreshing cocktail. It paired so nicely with the cake and was designed to be enjoyed rather than make you drunk...that's a good thing.

I am totally coming back and excited to try out more small plates (that have that Mediterranean flare) next time! I'll add...