Parlay Detroit — Restaurant in Detroit

Let me start off by saying the young ladies at the door were very nice and friendl. The bartender blew it for me! I was really feeling the vibe at this place, as I really wanted to like it. I met my old co-workers here Friday, October 10th. I was the first one to arrive and I was able to get us seats at the bar. The bartender (BT) I didn't get his name, but he is a light complexion black guy with tattoos and had on a Tigers jersey because the Tigers played that evening. Anyhow, thinking back my initial experience with him was a rather weird one. I ordered a lemon drop martini. After BT made the drink, he took a utensil I'm not familiar with, but it was like a giant tweezer so to speak, however, he started flicking something out the drink. There were flies flying around so I didn't know what he was doing to my drink, but he said there were lemon pieces in it. Oh ok, so I received the drink and started drinking. After about 5 minutes I placed a food order. The bang bang rice which is rather good. After about 20 minutes my food was not out, and BT realizes that he did not send the order to the kitchen. Therefore, he explained some issue with the system and how he forgot to make sure it was in and he apologized. I jokingly said so that means it's free. He replied by saying he can't give me the food for free, but my next drink will be free. I thought what if I don't want another drink, that's really not compensating for your screw up, but my old co-workers hadn't made it out yet, so I took him up on the offer. Flash forward my co-workers arrive and along with ny food after another 20 mins. Now it's 3 of us and we all ended up ordering 2 drinks and food. One of my co-workers ordered a virgin drink. She was the first to get her bill and she made a comment on how cheap it was. Then I received my bill, and the other young lady received her bill. I saw her bill, and he didn't charge her for not one drink only her food. Remind you she ordered 2 alcoholic beverages. Ok, great that was so nice of him but when I received my bill it listed a lemon drop martini for $10 and an additional $3 listed for the flavor and the second drink was not listed at all like he promised, but I was charge $13 for one drink. So why am I sitting there with the highest bill? I was polite and kind to the young man we really didn't have much interaction with him, so it really didn't make any sense, and it definitely didn't sit right with me. Why are you hooking up my entire group but excluded me?? It was a weird experience, and I feel like it ir was colorism because BT didn't screw up their orders and sure if you want to show love then show us all some love especially the one person who's order you screwed up. I'm not for sure if I'll give this place another try. I definitely don't want to see this clown of a...

As Detroit locals, we’ve always been excited to support Black-owned businesses like Parlay, especially during Lions season when the energy is unmatched. Unfortunately, our experience here has consistently fallen short, and after today, we’ve reached our breaking point.

We’ve been regular customers, giving this place multiple chances to get it right, but on 4 separate occasions, we’ve dealt with unacceptable issues. Whether it’s waiting over an hour for a reservation made weeks in advance or having our table given away after waiting for hours, the lack of organization and respect for customers’ time is glaring.

Yesterday was the worst experience yet. We, a party of 7 women, arrived hours early to secure a table for the playoff game after confirming our reservation in person earlier in the day. Despite following all instructions, and having our fully party ready 2 hours ahead of our 7pm reservation, our table was given away to an “unknown VIP,” and we - having cancelled reservations at other establishments- were left waiting for over three hours with no accommodation.

Management failed on every level: Communication Failures: We were given conflicting information about our reservation and the “first-come, first-serve” policy and blamed for it. The lack of transparency and consistent miscommunication is unacceptable. Poor Operations: Giving away tables that are already reserved or promised is a sign of disorganization and a complete disregard for loyal customers. Terrible customer service: Instead of acknowledging their mistakes, management was dismissive, condescending, and outright rude. There was no apology or attempt to resolve the situation, leaving us feeling disrespected and undervalued. No Resolution: Despite being longtime patrons, the restaurant made no effort to make things right—no alternate seating, no genuine apology, and no accountability.

It’s disheartening to see such potential wasted due to poor management and operations. We’ve come back time and again because we wanted this place to succeed, but after this pattern of mistreatment and inefficiency, we can no longer justify supporting it. Detroit deserves better, and so do its loyal customers.

Edit to respond to their reply: This is simply untrue. Our full party was present over an hour before our reservation and your full staff can attest to that, as they felt bad for us and gave us a drink as that’s all they had the power to do as consolation. And yes, I addressed your policy change, the fact that you reneged on it, and the fact that our full party was there and checked in twice with the host. The manager, Lee, never cited this as the reason for losing the table, and in fact stated plainly that our table was given to VIPs....

I had an average experience at Parlay in Detroit during a recent visit for my father’s birthday. We had a party of five and, for a venue marketed as a high-end sports bar with a sports betting theme, it missed the mark in several key areas.

First off, the TV setup was disappointing. With pillars scattered throughout the space, many seats had obstructed views—making it a poor choice if you’re actually trying to watch a game. The atmosphere was more nightclub than sports lounge, with loud DJ music blaring to the point where holding a simple conversation across the table was nearly impossible.

Security personnel were patrolling with visible sidearms, which felt unnecessary and more like a tactic to intimidate guests rather than ensure safety. The environment felt chaotic, not elevated. Meanwhile, he had AirPods in his ear, and was more worried about flirting with the waitresses versus actually being alert.

Despite having a 6:30 PM reservation, we weren’t seated until 6:43 PM. Not a huge delay, but it undermines the purpose of making a reservation. On top of that, an automatic gratuity was added to our bill—even though we were only a party of five? It felt a bit presumptive, especially when the server processes your bill directly in front of you using a handheld POS system, rather than the more traditional and discreet check-drop approach.

Cocktail quality was subpar—drinks were packed with ice and noticeably watered down. Parking was another pain point. There’s no valet, and guests are expected to park across the street in a garage with no elevator, at $20 per car. No validation offered, which added unnecessary friction to the experience.

There were several details that pointed to corner-cutting: mismatched, heavily worn silverware; undersized tables that barely accommodated five guests; and a confusing LED ticker scoreboard that ran right-to-left—despite the fact that no one reads that way.

The only standout element was the restroom. Clearly, some money was invested there, but unfortunately, that level of attention didn’t carry over to the rest of the establishment.

Overall, Parlay has potential, but it feels more concerned with aesthetics and nightlife energy than actually delivering on its promise as a premium sports bar. I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone looking for a comfortable, quality game-day...