The Bronx Bar

I can’t believe I have never reviewed the Bronx before!
The Bronx is conveniently located in the good old Cass Corridor (or «Midtown» as some like to call it these days). Not too big, not too small, not pretentious in the slightest. They serve beer and mixed drinks, and I’d argue that they tend to have a small but mighty number of craft beer options available, in addition to the domestic options you’d expect. Bronx is known for having excellent burgers. They are giant, they are juicy, and they aren’t messing around. On my most recent visit to the Bronx (which was the first time in years, I am ashamed to say!) I actually ordered a BLT, and folks, I wasn’t disappointed… copious amounts of bacon (as you’d hope), perfectly thick slices of tomato, and crispy lettuce.
The only thing to gripe about is parking– being a humble bar, they don’t have a lot, which isn’t really that big of a deal. It has always been busy around these parts, but I spent about 10 minutes hunting down a spot in the rain. There are a few streets in the neighborhood that have free parking zones, but chances are, you’ll be in metered parking– don’t fret if you don’t have coins on you, the meters these days can be paid via credit card.

The food is excellent, the service is a little stiff, and the space is fine.

Because, again, when an out of town friend says «I want to see downtown dive bars», if this isn’t on the list, you’re doing them a horrible disservice. It’s not your stereotypical «oh jesus, where am I?!» dive bar, in that it’s relatively clean and you’re as likely to see hipsters on the porch arguing about who FEELS THE BERN more as you are old guys at the bar arguing about when, exactly, Detroit went to Hell in a handbasket… but that’s just part of the fun of being here.

I love this spot! An amazing Bloody Mary bar on Sunday’s that would rival that of any top notch hotel and a huge, tasty burger to boot. They also have a pool table and those old bowling alley high tops and seats that call for a glass ashtray as garnish. It’s a small hipster bar in the midtown area near Wayne State that pulls no punches. You get in, grab a spot and order a beer, nuff said. I had a really good time here before a Detroit Redwings game on an early Sunday afternoon.
If you haven’t been here go check it out. No frills. Just good drinks and huge burgers! A staple in midtown.

Went on a Sunday. Was told the wait would be 40 – 45 min. We waited an hour and 15 min for a burrito and a sandwich. Told the bartender and then was told that they lost our ticket. Won’t be back. Horrible service.

THE BRONX BAR HAS DELICIOUS FOOD.
Unfortunately like many of the midtown eateries they are not very friendly at the bar.
If this review were based on food alone the review would get a high 5, but when you go somewhere and spend your hard earned money you expect a hello, and if you cannot muster that up how about a smile.
I have eaten here over ten times or more and never once was I greeted with kindness.
If this is part of the new Detroit narrative something else needs to be written.
No the customer is not always right, but they are always the customer and the reason the business can afford to open its doors…
So BRONX continue to make the awesome food and serve delicious drinks…
But lighten up and smile a little.

The burgers here are good but don’t get cheese or bacon on them. You get literally one slice of bacon and one piece of cheese. They only have one IPA on tap too. You’re better off going to Hopcat if you want food or beer. This place would be decent if it existed in a vacuum but compared to the other bars in the area it’s mediocre.

It’s an ok place. A Lot of thirty something douchebags with a similar employee staff who act like they are doing you a favor waiting on you. Had a burger that the bun was huge and the burger was lost somewhere in the bun…

I’ve been coming to this bar for about four years now. This bar is the poster child of Detroit bars. It’s dark, has loud music and solid bartenders. The food is always amazing. The Bronx is known for its blackout burger, but try the bologna sandwich or the black bean burger, if you’re vegetarian or just feel like eating a little healthier. Everyone that works there works hard and can handle giant crowds. They’re not rude, just don’t be a dolt. This is a place to go.
P. S. Amazing brunch and make your own bloody Mary bar on Saturdays and Sundays.

I’m a sucker for dive bars and this one has it all. Small, dark, and broken-​in. Limited but workable tap selection, good bar, and great bar food. Good for local hipsters, college kids, or any one else in Midtown that doesn’t mind an old-​school feel.

The bartender wasn’t very friendly. He didn’t give my girlfriend a beer since I didn’t have ID though she had!!! He didn’t allow me to pay with my credit card and asked us for debit!!!
He was also very unfamiliar with thank you and you’re welcome or any kind of respect. I thanked him both before my burger and after that and he was looking at me like a piece of meat. The burger was good, however; 8 dollar or so + tip for a burger at a local bar with a bartender like that … I don’t recommend.

It’s hard to describe the vibe here. Perhaps it’s because I sat at the bar and a very «mature» (let’s be politically correct here now!) woman was slow as hell waiting on me. I gave her a pass and didn’t complain because she physically couldn’t move fast enough. So I sat in my bar stool & was just patient along with the rest of the hipsters who were waiting in line at the bar. A few of the other wait staff went behind the bar to ask if she needed some help, but she relegated them to other tasks and said, «I GOT THIS!» as she slowly walked back & forth between the bar and the register. The patience of the customers standing in line eventually paid off & slooooooowly, one by one, they were taking care of by the kind (well, not so much, but I was always taught to respect my elders growing up) little old lady behind the bar.
«So what about the food???», you ask? Well, I had a medium well cheeseburger w/​mushrooms & bacon that was actually pretty decent and flavorful. It wasn’t the worlds greatest burger by any means, but for a preppy «dive joint» it was decent. I may even come again if I’m on a Sunday stroll in Midtown, have nowhere to be, & am in the mood to watch the faces of yuppies struggling with whether or not to say something about the slow service of the mature grey haired lady at the bar.

Came on a Sunday and was extremely hungover from a wild night. The Bloody Mary bar ($ 5) was just what I needed. I ordered the corned beef sandwich ($ 8) and was impressed. The corned beef was so tender, juicy, and tasty. My mouth is watering writing this review. The bread was this fresh yummy focaccia stuff. As I was walking out I realized my hangover was gone.
F yeah! Rock on Bronx Bar

Disclaimer: total hole in the wall bar that happens to have great, fast burgers. Stumbled on this place by accident, the venue is definitely that of a dive bar, you order your food at the bar and take a seat. I had the turkey burger which was very good and on the cheap! This was served with shoestring French fries. Beers were good as well. You’ll see a few interesting characters here but overall everyone enjoyed their meals.

I wanted a good burger. I looked up a good place in the area and this is what popped up.
I placed a to go order and the guy was so not friendly and hung up too quick! I had the urge to call him and say I wasnt done talking.
When I arrived at the bar, the food was more expensive than what I read online but the bartender was also nicer than what he was on the phone.
this burger tho. no no. I got it well done which I have heard a lot working in the restaurant «what do they expect, they want it cooked well done»…So I guess cooking it well done means taking out the flavor and juices and allowing it to be rock hard. No. I have had some delicious well done burgers and this is not one of them. The bun was good but way too much bread. The fries were not impressive either.
Skip

I came here during the daytime and it was still extremely dark inside somehow. My wife and I both got burgers and split some fries and onion rings. The portions were huge: giant burgers, an entire bowl of French fries, and a pile of onion rings. The fries and onion rings were pretty plain. They were good but basically tasted like regular old fries or onion rings. The burgers were delicious. Everything was going pretty well until the gut-​wrenching amount of grease hit our intestines. At this point my wife got immediately sick. She couldn’t finish her burger and went home and tossed it back up. I was also feeling the effects of the grease-​ridden food.
All-​in-​all, if you’re used to digesting grease, give this place a try. If you tend to stay away from fast food and the like, I’d try somewhere else. Third Street Bar a block away or Mercury Bar if you want a good burger.

This is a great dive bar close to Motor City Brewing Works. It’s a got a pool table and tables and chairs you would see in the 1970’s, or in a movie about the 70’s. The juke box is the real hero at this establishment, though, because music is the soul of any bar. There’s an eclectic collection, from The Stones to Modest Mouse.
It’s got soul, and I think that’s a prevalent characteristic of many dive bar-​type places. You can just feel some kind of… energy when you walk in and engage with others. Communication is key at a place like this, so get off your smartphones and talk to one another. It’s fun, I swear! This is a good place for human interaction, not to mention some well made drinks and some drunken dancing buffoonery.

I’m going to make this short and sweet. I’ve only been here once. It’s a little weird how they make you pay upfront for the food. The place was pretty empty on a Friday night. The burger was delicious, good sized and juicy but not greasy by any means. I would only come back if I were coming with a large group (that will off-​set the odd ambiance).

I see what all the hype is about now!
Came here for a quick bite while shooting pictures downtown and it has a small but great menu. Think bar food, just really good bar food.
We got the cheeseburger and grilled cheese with grilled tomatoes and a side of avocado. Both sandwiches were huge! I could barely finish the grilled cheese, they stack it.
I can’t say how the cocktails are because I didn’t order one, but they did have a very impressive Bloody Mary set-​up.
As for some of the reviews about service– I saw two guys working, one behind the bar making drinks and taking orders and one guy cooking it all. Even with just the two of them, everything was very prompt with great service.
This may be the first time in years that my lunch before tip was only $ 5 and some change.
The only negatives is that it’s very drafty in there and I had to keep my jacket on the whole time. Plus parking downtown near here was a struggle.

I’d recently heard that the cheeseburgers at the Bronx Bar had developed a loyal following and a bit of a mistique among those searching out the Motor City’s best burger. This proud «dive bar» was even mentioned last fall in the Free Press when it was called out for «doing burgers right».
At the always-​solid reco of Kris G, three of us braved 3 blocks of gritty Second Avenue (parking can be a challenge) to sample their burgers and suck in the unique ambiance that is the Bronx.
As we walked through the door at 11:40 am for a quick lunch on a tight timetable, we caught the bartender, manager and cook by surprise. They had just opened up and snapped back that it would be a few mins. before they would take our order. Being tight on time, I asked the cook to throw three patties on the grill to get them started only to be rebuffed by the manager who said he wouldn’t get a jump start on our order until he got the «order ticket». Really? We got a bit of a chuckle out of the manager’s bedside manor… reminiscent of the all-​in-​good-​fun mouthy feedback you’d expect from the wait staff at Durgin Park in Boston… all part of the local color.
We all ordered the burgers — medium — with American cheese dressed out with lettuce, tomato and a slice of red onion.
Despite the rocky start with the manager, I call this «Old School-​City» at its best… grilled right there as you would expect adjacent to the bar (not in the kitchen in the back). Grilled perfectly, the good quality beef was served on very unique and delicious buns… ones I hadn’t experienced in the Motor City before.
Overall, the Bronx exceeded expectations with one of the best dive-​bar burger experiences I’ve had. I’m throwing them 4 stars.