The Charlevoix — Restaurant in Grosse Pointe Park

This is going to be a long review, but it’s not often when a place knocks it out of the “park” in every aspect. I see why Grosse Pointe Park was the city of choice for this gem. First impressions were great, the colors in the decor of the restaurant bring the place to life along with an abundance of natural light. Service was nothing shy of perfect when sitting at the bar on a weekday, or at a table during a busy Sunday Brunch. Now onto the food. Both visits I wanted to be sure to try as many different menu items as I could, even ones I didn’t think I’d like just to be sure to get the full experience. The first dish had to be the Carrot Tostada, which was a messy dish to eat to say the least, however it is such a unique menu item and very delicious. We then moved on to the SPAM Fried Rice. This was not something I thought I’d like at all, yet this was my favorite dish of the night. There were so many flavors that interacted perfectly with each other, I just couldn’t keep my fork out of it. We then finished off with the Smashed Potatoes and Japanese Wings. The potatoes were cooked to perfection and the feta was such a great compliment. The Wings were so unique, you could really taste the wasabi without it being overpowering. Overall an amazing first experience. I then decided to return for a late lunch on Sunday. We started off with the Green Chiliquiles from the Brunch menu. It was of course delicious, however the chips were soggy immediately, and the egg was a bit overcooked. Nonetheless the flavor was still there, and was eaten happily. Next we had to try the Cauliflower Salad, and the Brussels Sprouts Caesar. Brussels Sprouts are my favorite vegetable, but I’m not a big fan of Caesar dressing. It was such a refreshing salad that wasn’t overpowering or heavy on the Caesar. Now the star of the show hands down and without a doubt is the Cauliflower Salad. No questions asked this was the best dish I have tried yet from here. Do not come here without ordering it. The Cauliflower is multicolored as well which I really enjoyed. We finished off with the Kimchee Sliders which came in a paper bag showing they have mastered the art of presentation. They didn’t sell themselves short on the flavor either as it was amazing as well. I washed everything down with The Yellowjacket which is a fantastic craft cocktail. The rosemary made each sip super fragrant and ended our late lunch perfectly. It’s a privilege being able to make eating food an experience, and this place knows exactly what they are doing from the ambience, the service, the unique menu items, and fantastic presentation. You won’t be able to find many of the items they offer at other places, and each unique menu item they have mastered down to a science. I highly recommend this place and cannot wait to return and try more...

AMAZING! I'm the type of person who's not easily pleased, but damn! The Charlevoix exceeded my expectations. I wandered in on a Thursday night with a couple of friends with a very curious taste buds for cocktails, po boys sandwich and wings. When I walked in I was immediately greeted with friendly smiles. We were lucky to arrive on time because the place was nearly packed. The ambiance was chill with good music, that goes along with their trendy paintings and decors.

TRADITIONAL DRINKS: My first order was their bloody mary. It was served very quickly and neatly. They had a variety of hotsauces available with Louisiana Cajun to Mexico's finest. Bar tender made my bloody mary served with bacon and a meat stick. I ate the bacon immediately of course.

FOOD: I followed with up their Salt & Pepper Shrimp. They were JUMBO shrimps served with mint, cilantro, jalapeno, peppercorn, and smoked mayo. Growing up Asian I was use to peeling the skin and pulling the heads of the deep fried shrimps. However, in this case, because the shrimps mixture with salt+pepper and mint, I left no scraps. Out of my years growing up Asian, I never really ate the whole shrimp because in most places their the skin and head is all elastic and difficult to chew. With The Charlevoix, the way the chef cooked it, the skin and head were crunchy and easy to chew! No surprise, I ordered the next shrimp item on the menu. Their Shrimp Po'Boy was absolutely delicious, shrimps weren't the jumbo ones I had earlier, but it was perfect because every bite had at least 2-3 shrimp full. Absolutely delicious. Of course, you can't leave a bar without trying their chicken wings. As a big fan of Chicken Wings I ordered their Salt and Vinegar Chicken Wings. The salt was perfectly caramelized on the skin, and the excess salt on the plate was perfect for that extra rub after my first bite. I warn you if you're a fan of wings, this is the next addicting thing to Lemon Pepper Wings.

COCKTAILS/SHOTS: Lemon drop shots were delicious and refreshing. The lemonade were made fresh, similar to how my mom use to make on a Sunday summer afternoon. Interesting. Lastly, I thought I would try their "Nip and Tuck" Drink because our waitress Kat recommended it. She wasn't wrong about it. It's hard to describe the taste but it was this delicious, wintery, nutty flavor, with coffee. Great mix overall.

ENVIRONMENT: Staff and bartenders were impressionable and friendly. I even requested to talk to the chef, Brandon, to compliment him on the Salt and Pepper Shrimp. Overall great place have a few drinks and dine. Brings the taste of Louisiana Po'Boys locally. Chef Brandon mentioned that they actually get their bread shipped directly from...

The Charlevoix is not your typical neighborhood bar. Most bars seem to specialize in just one or two dishes, but the menu here offers both quality and diversity. Furthermore, the ambiance is hip and welcoming.

I've had two of the cocktails; the Oh, You Again and the Hot Hot Heat. The former reminded me of a mojito, while the latter was a bit spicy for my liking. My go-to dishes are the buttermilk fried chicken mini and the burger. The burger is a Monday only special. In 2024, the Detroit Metro Times released a list of must try burgers, and Charlevoix's made the cut. To say the least, the spot on the list was well-deserved. Although the chicken sandwich is listed as "mini," it's larger than your average slider. It's topped with cucumbers rather than pickles. I initially thought that was odd, but it ended up being a nice touch.

As for some other menu items, the sliders were enjoyable, with the highlight being the French onion cheese. I will say, I do prefer the burger. The fish taco was standard, but worth trying. The fried smashed potatoes had a good mix of flavors. The item's description on the menu provides a better idea of what you'll get than the name alone. The wings are some of the better ones I've had in the Pointes. The spam fried rice was absolutely delicious, as is the pork katsu sandwich. The sandwich is the most hearty of all the dishes mentioned.

The Charlevoix spices things up by occasionally rotating menu items, and by announcing intriguing specials on social media. I do wish the tables had regular seating instead of backless stools. Aside from that minor critique, The Charlevoix has some of the best bar food in the Grosse...