Maccabees At Midtown

My family and I was trying to find a new brunch spot in the city so we came across great reviews on Unilocal for here.
It was our first visit and we were greeted by either the manager or owner. She was very pleasant and sat my family of 5 quickly. It was not crowded and the atmosphere was nice.
The waitress and staff was very nice. I did not give them 5 stars only because I wished the waitress would have asked us if we had dined with them before.
She didn’t pass us menus and assumed we knew about the buffet. We didn’t know to order omelettes and waffles through her. And we only found out the pricing of the buffet when we got the check. Which was very affordable by the way:) She was the only one working the dining area and she did keep a good watch on us.
With me saying that, the food was very good! My husband is very hard to please and he asked to come back for Father’s Day! It’s my hope they do offer some special items on this day.

The food was good, ordered a salmon wrap and Cobb salad with shrimp added, they automatically split our meals between us, without us asking, which was s plus. However, it was practically empty and service was a bit slow. When we entered the restaurant, we were not greeted. We stood there for quite awhile before they acknowledge us. The waitress didn’t come to the table to check on us often enough. Service was slow considering they had no customer.

I stopped in last Sunday with a family member. It looked inviting from the outside, and advertising we’d seen earlier enticed us, so we decided to try it.
Big mistake.
The first thing we noticed was how humid it was in the dining area — there was absolutely no air flow, other than the tiny breeze that flowed in now and again from an open door.
We were seated and a waitress asked us if we’d ever been there before. We hadn’t, so she informed us that on Sundays they are trying a new thing — they are doing a buffet. Initially it didn’t seem so bad. The waitress informed us we made it in time for bottomless mimosas, but neither my family member nor I drink.
We went up to the buffet to see what was being served. It didn’t look too bad — mostly your staple soul foods. I wished there had been healthier options, but I decided to try a few things, keeping my eye on portion sizes (note that I do love soul food, I’ve just been trying to eat better). The only thing that seemed displeasing at first were the rolls –they were rock hard– and open sauces that weren’t on ice.
After sitting down and starting in, I noticed almost everything was lukewarm, and a few items were actually cold. They had little burners under each platter, but clearly they weren’t enough to keep the food at a safe serving temperature.
Most of the food was excessively greasy, and bland. The only dishes that were even mildly pleasing were the breaded, seasoned chicken and the sweet potato pie (and based on the serving containers of the pie, I sincerely doubt it was made in-​house) The greens were downright disgusting, according to my family member (she loves greens; I don’t, so I didn’t try them).
Then my family member noticed the bill had been left on our table.
Each plate was $ 22. So our bill with tax was just over $ 44.
$ 22 dollars for barely warm to cold food that was completely unpalatable. A couple sitting at the table next to ours were even more disgusted about the price than we were (they didn’t drink either), and complained to the waitress. She didn’t do anything about it, and the manager never bothered to come over to either of our tables.
Both my family member and I experienced indigestion not long after eating, and we were both a touch nauseated a few hours later.
If I was able to leave a no-​star review I would.
This experience taught me a valuable lesson — ALWAYS ask about pricing!
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I can confirm a full refund was issued. (5÷8÷2016)

My WSU office took a party of distinguished guests and faculty from the University to lunch at this establishment. The waiter forgot to bring one person his soup, he never received it. Another member ordered a steak rare… and when it arrived medium rare and was sent back the waiter remarks «what do you want me to cut a piece out of a cow’s ass and put it on a plate and bring it to you». Needless to say our Chinese delegates were gracious but it was embarrassing and rude. We brought a party that is from China and were looking to make a great impression. This definitely did not do it. Shame on this waiter. remember sir the customer is always right. He should not be allowed to deal with the public if he cannot present himself accordingly. Did not get his name but he was bald. Very disappointing, we will not patronize this establishment for business functions again.

Fabulous Buffet Brunch! A spread with made to order Red Velvet Waffles and Veggie Omelette’s! As well as the tasty Grits and Shrimp, Greens, the Cheesiest Mac Cheese just for starters!
… live Entertainment with the sounds of Motown Favorites! «Hello Detroit!» «My Girl!» To «Whats Love got to Do with it!» and «Private Dancer.»
My Family from Indiana enjoyed all of the fabtabulous food and live Music!!! They can’t wait to come back!
Great Start to our work week!
I strongly suggest the Sunday Brunch, its like no other!

Great location and atmosphere! Good for a light meal, but they do have more substantial meals. The area is a great part of Detroit! Will even be better when the Woodward streetcars are up and running.

My girlfriends and I decided to check out this brunch spot. First, construction is in the area so parking was bad. Once inside, the place is small and cute. We ordered the veggie omelet, which was good. The bottomless mimosas was ok, there was more orange juice than champagne. The buffet: grits was great, Mac and cheese ok, fried chicken was dry, greens ok, rice not good and the other baked chicken pieces were good but cold. They can add more desserts and fruits, also work on the presentation. Overall, the ambiance was nice and I will go back to try dinner.

A couple of friends and I checked out Maccabees for their brunch on Sunday. One Word: AMAZING. The buffet is $ 21 for all you can eat and it includes UNLIMITED mimosas and either an omelette or waffle. I had heard a lot about the red velvet waffle, but unfortunately, they were not offering it that day so I got the Lemon waffle. It was a good waffle, but the lemon didn’t really dazzle for me. The buffet spread includes macaroni and cheese, greens, grits, fried chicken, rice, and a few other options. I was loving the different soul food options — I am always on the hunt for good, quality stuff. The options are definitely on the smaller side, but this is appreciated due to the high quality and hands down goodness of each dish. I didn’t even like grits prior to eating them here! They are definitely memorable.
I will say that our service was not the greatest, but this may be attributed to the busyness? There was also a very large party. Also, I would have enjoyed more dessert options. The fruit on the dessert was amazing though. I would definitely recommend going to this place for brunch. I can’t wait to get back here to try their regular lunch/​dinner (I hear those are awesome as well).

My husband and I had the Sunday brunch buffet yesterday and walked away extremely satisfied. Everything we tried was very tasty. I thoroughly enjoyed the grits that surprised me with bits of shrimp and a subtle richness. I did have the thought that I was glad I didn’t have a shrimp allergy as there weren’t any food cards on the buffet to describe the dishes. The macaroni and cheese, greens, chicken, waffles and omelettes were great! There’s much more to try and I have to admit that I didn’t have anything that was not good. The Sunday brunch includes unlimited mimosas which is a nice treat. You will pay $ 21/​person, but it was worth it and I am not a big buffet fan.
The service was very attentive and it was a very comfortable environment. I will definitely be going back to try the regular menu.

***Update***
This is an updated review, based on the owner, Pete, reaching out to me and promising to make things right. So I decided to give them another opportunity.
To my surprise, Pete was there and the staff was very pleasant, especially our waitress. She made sure our drinks were kept full, our plates cleared, and our coats stayed off the ground! The food was just as good as I remembered before, especially the Mac n cheese and greens, but this time the service matched the food. I liked that this time, the omelette choice was expanded to include meat and that the waffles were on the buffet bar.
I would like to give Pete and Macabees credit for listening to the voice of their customers. Hopefully the service stays on par with what we experienced today.
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This review is based primarily on the manager’s response to me. Came here with friends for Sunday Brunch. When you check in with Unilocal,a 20% coupon is offered, but found out after eating that you are not allowed to use it on Brunch even though that’s the only thing offered on Sunday’s. That was a major disappointment, especially since the coupon doesn’t mention exclusion items or days. Even after speaking with the manager she would not honor the coupon.
Brunch buffet consisted of your choice of veggie omelette or waffle, bacon, sausage, potatoes, scrambled eggs, shrimp and grits, fried chicken, greens, Mac n cheese, veggie medley, fruit and salad and unlimited mimosas.
While the food was tasty, I will not patronize this restaurant, because customer service is equally as important and taste.
This is my 2^nd time here, and it is never crowded. I wonder if this is representative of the service?

I am visiting from Detroit so first review very friendly to a person dining alone in a new place. Food is great chicken quesadilla excellent.

I tried Maccabees for the first time last Thursday and I must say I was a bit disappointed.
I think business is slowing for them because it was dead in there last night. I called ahead for that very reason. I read a review on here that said that when that person got there it was closed at 8 even though it is posted that they close at nine. The person who picked up the phone when I called confirmed. He said that technically they are open til nine, but the owners said if it is dead around 8 they should close up shop. He sounded very irritable as well and kept me on the phone for a minute to complain about people getting upset when they close before nine. Maybe my called changed something, because even though we planned on 7, we got there around 8 and it was still open.
Any who, our server was very nice. I don’t recall her name, but she was pleasant and attentive. The first thing we ordered was the Café Style Calamari. It was good, but we couldn’t finish it because they put too much sauce on it. The description says lightly tossed in vinaigrette. It was more like someone poured Italian dressing right in the middle. If I ever ordered that again I would be sure to tell my server light on the sauce.
For my entrée I decided to get the lemon chicken. I was excited about it because I love a chicken entrée with a lemon cream sauce. The description sounded amazing to me. The problem here, not the flavor, not the sauce, not the seasoning. It was the meat itself. It was soooo rubbery that I had to take it out of my mouth at one point just to make sure it was done. It was. I don’t know where they get their chicken from, but what they served me was not good. My mom felt the same about her salmon. It sucked because I actually thought the blend of flavors was kind of nice, but the texture made me not want to eat it. Needless to say, I wont be back to Maccabees for dinner.

Went for dinner and had good results. Our group got burgers and a variety of appetizers. The burgers, fries, onion rings were loved by the whole group (7 – 8 people). I have to say I have a mixed opinion on the calamari… it has a strange after taste, but I couldn’t pinpoint what it was…
The service was good but could’ve been a little faster.

We have tried this place three times now and are officially giving up. The first time was on Noël Night, when we wrote off the poor service as a result of the crazy/​busy night. However, I would argue that they should have known how crazy/​busy they were going to be and had more than one bartender on duty.
We came back two more times and each time service was really really slow and the food was mediocre at best. With the competition offered in Detroit dining right now, I would not waste my time at this restaurant. I hope they step up and make a go of it, but I see no evidence that that is the plan.

They have the décor, prices and style of an upscale restaurant but I felt out of place on a Saturday afternoon during an outdoor festival.
The service is quality with attentive, well dressed and fairly informed waitstaff. The tables were all clean and properly dressed. Although my waitress did not know much more about their wine selection than I did, we figured things out. For a place that is attempting to pass as fancy they need to educate their staff on wine pairing and temperatures.
We ordered appetizers because the entrée menu, while appetizing, was too rich for my taste. I wanted the salmon entrée but at $ 26 I wasn’t willing to risk it for something I could have gotten up the street for $ 12.
My caprese salad was fresh, clean and the balsamic reduction tied it all together. My company had sweet potato fries, sliders and steak tips. The fries were well prepared hot and served with honey mustard in a basket. The steak tips were well seasons and served with no accouterments, the sliders were very large and were loved.
My critique is the pricing. Sliders, sweet potato fries in a basket, and steak tips can be had ANYWHERE for much less and on the same plate with the same décor. They need to tone the pricing down. I won’t be returning until then. We all spent at least $ 25 for 2 appetizers that were appealing but not close to satisfying. They are good but nothing was so good or unique that I’m willing to pay their rates.

Great food, great service! Woodward is a pain, but a must on the brunch list for Detroit! Sit back for a leisure brunch. Unusual beat on the common breakfast treats! Staff is really nice, be patience ! Worth the waiter running the food, bar, and other parts!

Had the Sunday brunch today at Maccabees for $ 21. Got a table right away but the place was packed so it was a good vibrant environment. The $ 21 buffet includes salads, comfort food (fried chicken, potatoes, mac-​and-​cheese, grilled chicken, veggies, etc…), fresh fruits, one or two dessert items, made-​to-​order waffles (red velvet was surprisingly good), coffee + non-​alcoholic beverages, and endless mimosas /​champagne. Service was also really good, my waitress came to check on my time and refilled my mimosas promptly
Overall the food/​service/​ambiance was great and I would recommend this Sunday brunch to others. The only reason I gave it 4 stars (and not 5 stars) is because their website advertised a $ 21 entrée brunch (i.e. endless mimosas, dessert/​fruits buffet, plus pick one entrée) and that’s what I prefer and the reason I chose to come in to begin with. I’m not a big fan of comfort food buffets and it was a bit disappointing/​misleading that what their website menu advertises was different from what they actually served.

Maccabees is in a perfect location near the DIA and Wayne State in a beautiful building. It is art-​deco from the ceilings down to the menu and it is a truly beautiful restaurant. The menu has a pretty good variety of options including vegetarian options and more fish options than I’m used to.
The food was overall fresh and tasty but there were quite a few hits and misses. I ordered onion rings but please don’t make that same mistake. They were at least 2 – 3 inches thick and way overcooked. Our waitress even brought us a second order but they came out almost exactly the same.
The sandwiches are a must try especially the ones made with the potato pancakes. I never thought that would be a good combination but it was melt-​in-​your-​mouth, taste overload good. The texture of the potato cake pairs perfectly with the sandwiches! A must!
The calamari was really, really chewy and tough. Skip that and try the sliders or one of their fresh salads! The walleye dish also came with quite a few bones in it pointing out poor filleting skills. The fish was prepared well but I wasn’t able to fully enjoy it as I spent lots of time pulling out bones.
I will be back to sample more highly recommended dishes and their brunch! which boasts an all-​inclusive brunch option with endless mimosas and a dessert variety.

We decided to go here since it was close to a venue. There is parking around the corner but it felt like a long way since it was a cold, snowy night. I had a long island for starters. It was ok. Not the greatest, not the worse. I also ordered the grouper which was also just ok. This was my first but the fish seemed kind of bland. The wait staff was great. She was pretty attentive and friendly. I will visit in the future and try something else.

I love this place for brunch!
Came here with a group of 9 at noon on a Sunday. As soon as we walked in we were greeted by what looked to be the owner or manager. Super friendly and accommodating right off the bat.
The service was great from beginning to end and the food was spectacular. I recommend the Maccabee Turkey. It was flavorful, juicy and filling. It came with a small spinach salad on the side and the dressing was great! The potato pancake, which was used instead of bread or a bun, was soo soo soo good. I’ll salivating just thinking about the sandwich. I also ordered a side of onion rings which were piping hot and crunchy (I hate when the breading is soft and soggy). I had enough to take home for leftovers and eat the next day.
Besides the food menu options I love this place for brunch because you can do an «all-​inclusive» brunch for one price. That allows you unlimited mimosas, champagne and non-​alcoholic drinks, along with the fresh pastries and fruit bar and your choice of one entrée for $ 21. So when it comes to groups you just split the bill evenly. hassle free. Our server automatically gave us separate bills and was great with our group. I don’t any of us ever had to ask twice for a re-​fill or even at all most of the time.
The inside is a great vibe with a rich historic feel and I have never had an issue with parking. Almost every side street allows street parking and on Sundays you do not have to pay a meter if you park at one.
If you’re looking to have a Sunday funday I would consider this place. Great place to bring out-​of-​towners too!