The Grille Midtown

Friendly service and excellent food, in substance and in presentation. The sweet potato fries and regular French fries are unique and delicious.

With all the great restaurants downtown, I’d advise you not to waste your time here. Groups beware.
I chose this place for my birthday dinner back in March because the menu seemed like it was reasonably priced and had something for everyone. I made a reservation and the hostess that helped me at the time was incredibly sweet and cheerful. She’s the reason I’m even giving as many as 2 stars.
I made a reservation for a group of 13 for a Saturday night. The restaurant was fairly slow when we arrived, and after we were seated, it took unreasonably long for the waitress to as much as greet us and take our drink orders. I get that a large group can be a lot of work, but we were all easy going and friendly… and again, the place was slow. I was fine until I could tell that the waitress would make her way to other tables and simply pass us by time and time again. Seriously, it was like she was purposely avoiding serving us. I’ve never been treated like this at a restaurant. I finally had to flag her down to ask if we could order because it was getting late, and dinner was just the start of our evening.
By the time we finally got our food, I was again disappointed. I had a veggie burger (I’m a sucker for a house made veggie burger), and the melted cheese on top had that look that cheese has when it’s been sitting out for a while. I can only imagine how long our food waited in the window before it got to us.
I should also mention that my friend had called to inquire about them doing anything special for my birthday, and they wouldn’t. Oh, and gratuity was automatically added to our checks, so I guess that would explain the awful service. Pretty pathetic.

Absolutely amazing dinner and service. The salmon and steak are amazing. Highly recommended

I went here on Sunday. There were few people, but the location was beautiful: I appreciated the essential furniture, the music and the menu. The food was very good, with big portions, honest prices and really really nice staff!

The Mahi Mahi tacos for an appetizer were amazing!!! We loved them it was perfectly prepared and the sauce on the side was great. Had the Thai shrimp salad for dinner which was super spicy, but good!

I didn’t really know what to expect from this place. I saw the name on the Detroit Restaurant Week list, but missed the opportunity at that time to try out. So when we decided to go to the DIA, this seemed perfect place to try out for dinner after the exhibit. It sits on Woodward and can be found just two blocks away from the DSO. It’s small but not too small that you feel like you’re sitting on top of one another.
We made a reservation in advance and had to wait about 2 minutes for our table, which was no problem at all. I ordered the peaches and feta cheese salad. It was absolutely delicious and just the right portion. I also tried the white wine Sangria which was light, fruity, and very good. My friend tried the burger and boy was it big! The burger could easily be split between two people.
For dessert we split the bread pudding and we were not disappointed. It tasted just like homemade and the ice cream on top was simply divine! If you’re in the midtown area and looking for a place to have great food at a great price, stop in at The Grille Midtown! You won’t be disappointed.

Great Service, even Better Food… My wife LOVED the steak and I was Very impressed with the Lamb! WILL Defiantly be back !!

The Grille is such a wonderful restaurant. I recently attended for Sunday brunch to celebrate my best friends birthday and although the space is small, it’s intimate and quaint. The hostess TeKeyah was excellent. She went above and beyond to make sure we felt welcomed and comfortable. The food was great. The Grand Marnier French Toast and turkey sausage links was to die for. I heard the salmon was an excellent choice as well. The bottomless raspberry sorbet mimosas was especially my favorite. The peach sangria was also a hit amongst our group. I would definitely dine here again and it’s excellent for any type of party or special occasion. A Midtown charm.

I have to confess that I failed to see any real redeeming virtue to this place at all. The dining room feels like a casual diner and was disjointed and underwhelming from an ambience standpoint, aside from the visual interest of the auto design drawings on the walls.
I was hoping that the food would come to the rescue, but to no avail.
We were there on a Sunday for brunch prior to a trip to the DIA, and I had the Shrimp & Grits, which was basic bagged small farm raised shrimp laid atop grits which were forming a skin on top from standing under a heat lamp (I presume), and sprinkled with a very sparse amount of bacon to garnish.
Despite my misgivings about my meal, members in our group also had Jambalaya Hash, which was just a bowlful of potato nuggets tossed with seasonings and chicken and sausage. Nothing special to look at. Diner fare at best.
The pulled pork sandwich was much better looking and generous, and my father-​in-​law seemed to enjoy it.
Overall, the pricing is reasonable, particularly for the bar tab, but there is nothing special about a dining experience here, in an ever increasingly crowded lane for inventive & unique experiences, which we had come into expecting more.

Excellent jambalaya and a very good ribeye. The crab cakes seemed overpriced, and were a bit on the bland side. The décor was clean and hip, with a cool automotive theme.

Went for #detroitrestaurantweek 2015
The calamari and Key lime pie were delicious!!! The other items needed more seasoning
The plating was great, the place is very nice and reasonably priced. This was the only place that included either wine or beer with dinner!

We were able to score a table after the symphony without a reservation, which was really great. The hostess was friendly and seated us far enough away from the door to keep the frigid blast of air from door use out of our way. I had Maker’s on the rocks and it was a generous pour with not too much ice. The wait service was top notch — available when we needed something but not obtrusive.
Now, onto the food. Definitely hit or miss. My burger was good but the bun was stale. The fries were OK, nothing special and had been a little too long out of the oil before i got them. My companion’s salad was fresh, but some of the items hadn’t been quite cleaned up before serving because she experienced a distinctly gritty taste from the greens. We declined dessert.
The biggest gripe I had was that we were seated next to a window and by the time our meal was done we were freezing. For the love of all that’s holy, get those windows re-​caulked before next winter!
All in all, we would come back again.

Loved the menu! Many flavorful varieties. Our party started off with the calamari and later had the roasted vegetable salad with salmon; cheeseburger, alfredo pasta and vegetable quesadilla. We were not disappointed with any of the selections. Location is a bit small, but simply decorated not to feel too small. There was a wheelchair and service animal in our party so we only had the option of sitting a large table by the door. Enough space for us, but it was cramped for those walking by. Service was personable by all and we definitely felt welcomed!

I really like this place. Service was awesome, drinks and appetizers were delish, décor was trendy and I loved the ambiance. It wasn’t too loud either which was a plus so we were able to have a normal volume conversation. My biggest complaints are that there are only single room bathrooms (yes this is a real concern of mine) and the portion sizes are tiny. I thought I was being punk’d when they brought me my plate. Other than that, every one was friendly and knowledgeable and we had a great time. My fiancé really enjoyed his Alfredo and Hurricane. Neither of us liked the gluten free brownie though. We will definitely be back but maybe next time during happy hour. The amount of money we spent didn’t add up for the portions we received. I would have sacrificed the presentation for more food. Overall, great place!

This place has a cool downtown feel. The food was great and the filet mignon was cooked perfectly. Their sweet potato fries were tasty and seasoned just right. They put an interesting twist in calamari by topping it with a sweet and sour sauce, but it is a tiny portion if you are looking to share with others at your table.
Definitely make a reservation if you are coming during dinner because it gets packed.

Suggested this as a dinner destination while on a date based on a previous experience. Loved the ambiance, the service, the food…
Unfortunately, my experience on Sunday evening made me change my mind. Drinks, service, and ambiance were still great. But, after finishing our appetizers and drinks, we waited at least 30 minutes for our entrees. My date had to tell the server to remind those in the kitchen that the kitchen is open and guests could see what they were (or were not doing). Our food then arrived tasting very bland, as if cooked quickly. I had ordered the same thing that I had had previously, so I knew it was not the same.
I really hope the kitchen staff gets their act together. Potentially great restaurant if consistency is maintained.

I liked this place. Have only been here once. I had fish and my husband had ribs. The ambiance is nice, dark and loud. The fish was good but soo dry. The ribs did not have enough meat. The crab cakes were awesome. Very overpriced that’s why it lost a star. I wouldn’t mind coming here again.

I love this restaurant. Great ambience and great bar. They really need to offer some vegetarian choices though. It’s time to update the menu!
Don’t order the Detroit demi sec from Leelenau. It’s a great sparkling wine that is normally great, but ruined because they pull it from a tap.

Ambiance: It has a really cool downtown feel with the exposed brick and modern look to it. I felt like I walked into a restaurant in Chicago.
Customer Service: The staff was very friendly, which made it an even more pleasant experience.
Food: Crab cakes: Crab meat: sweet peppers and Old Bay seasoning, spicy arugula, roasted red pepper tartar sauce. I can start out by saying that crab cakes are my favorite guilty pleasure, and I typically only get them at high end restaurants to ensure quality. The crab cakes here were pretty great, as they were formed and cooked to perfection. The tartar sauce was quite a great addition and I couldn’t get enough.
Mahi Mahi Tacos: Grilled seasoned Mahi Mahi with Napa cabbage, charred green onion, cilantro sauce, white corn tortillas. This was a good, light appetizer, but I wasn’t as impressed as with the crab cakes. I felt that the fish was overcooked by just a minute or less, which is certainly a significant difference between perfection and overcooking.
Drinks: They have an assortment of specialty cocktails in which I will love to try next time, however, I felt like staying a little low key with a nice glass of Tempranillo red wine.
The overall experience has made me want to come back and try their brunch and other menu items. It gives me great hope and more pride that the Detroit area, especially around WSU is being introduced to such great new venues.

Wonderful!
The food and service were both outstanding. The jambalaya had just enough heat to it, and the shrimp tempura were so crisp and light that I’ve been daydreaming about them ever since I ate here weeks ago.
All staff we interacted with throughout the night, from the greeter to our server to the manager who stopped by our table to check in, were incredibly friendly and helpful.
The only gripes would be that I wish they offered more of their wine selections by the glass — I’d say over half of the wine selections are by the bottle only. And also, what is with the classic car bumper coming out of the wall, right upon entrance?! It gives a tacky 50’s diner vibe to an otherwise chic space.
Someone in a previous review inquired about pricing — entrees can run anywhere from about $ 15 – 35, average, depending what you order. When I was there, our bill came to $ 53 for a glass of wine, glass of beer, and two entrees. Obviously, if you’re going for the surf & turf, you’re looking at more. :) And I believe they have a lunch menu, likely with smaller portions and prices.
I’m glad this spot is off to a great start. I look forward to returning soon!