B Spot

I have been here twice now and it is only okay. The menu is decent, but the burgers and fries are on the small side, so I find myself leaving hungry (which shouldn’t happen for a $ 10 burger and $ 4 fries). They don’t have a lot to choose from in the way of ‘already assembled’ burgers and if you make your own, it is going to get expensive fast. A turkey burger with 2 toppings (arugula and avocado, for instance) is $ 11. With that said, they have a nice sized drink menu and I like the milkshakes with booze suggestions. However, there are plenty more places I can go get a better and bigger burger for cheaper.

Best burger in America.
I’ve said that before, but I’ll never say it again, after this place. Trust me, just go. I’m too full to write to tell you why you should go… Just believe me and go.

Great Happy Hour (3−6p) specials. Will be coming back for that soon.
Shakes (with alcohol) sound amazing.
Gobbler turkey burger was cooked perfectly. Lola fries were tasty!!!
But oh, those Pickled Green Tomatoes are phenomenal (if you love vinegar).
Can’t wait to come back.

This place is pretty gross. I have tried a couple times thinking maybe I just got something I didn’t like, but today 3 of us went in and none of us liked our food. We also got a Bloody Mary each which basically just tasted like tomato juice with pepper in it. Not good at all. Service was ok — the only reason I’m giving 2 Stars instead of 1. The onion rings were pretty good, although I asked for ranch with them and was told the owner doesn’t allow ranch in the restaurant. That’s ok, to each their own, but goes along with the theme where the food is mediocre and the owner thinks its amazing.

Ho hum. Nothing and I mean nothing to write or text home about. Server Grizzly Adams was equally nothing memorable (our server didn’t seem interested in making experience enjoyable). I can get a burger anywhere. Thought Symon would at least try to raise the bar slightly even in downtown Royal Oak… yawn!

It’s Saturday night and the wait is 30 min which would be fine if there weren’t 6 empty tables waiting to be bussed. Hostess said they were for call aheads. That was 15 minutes ago and the lobby is full of people ready and waiting to be seated. Food was good but 4 of the 6 tables were still empty when we left over an hour later. Everyone else got fed up and went elsewhere. Poor customer service.

When we were trying to decide on the rating between a 3 or 4, Ken tipped the scale to 4 with the statement «not many places have a fried bologna sandwich.» There you go.
Our first time there, Ken had the Old Time (more traditional fried bologna) and I had the Thin Lizzy burger. Both were delicious. We sat at the bar so we could chat with the bartender. Pickle bar is a nice touch. Very nice beer selection for Ken. I had a boozy milkshake, which was sufficiently boozy but smaller than I’d hoped (but I’m also a lush).
Most recently Ken and I split a smash burger of the month as Stop 1 in our two-​person Royal Oak bar crawl.
We’ve only been to B Spot for weekend lunches but I suspect they get busy at night.

I’ve eaten a lot of burgers. I’ve eaten a lot of burgers at pubs. Do you know how many pubs have gotten «medium well» just right? Two. B Spot is one of them. The beer menu was good. The place was nice. And, Alicia, the bartender that served me was as good as it gets — and that’s why I’m giving B Spot a 5.
One small quibble: the pork cracklings were the really airy, non-​substantial, kind — like the bag-​of-​chips kind not the freshly fried, foodie, kind.

Amazing burgers! If you want pickles, you get to choose from the pickle bar! Tons of different sauces. Amazing French fries… And did I mention the juicy, delicious burgers?! Can’t wait to make a trip back out here.

Royal Oak needs another burger joint like Ferndale needs another indie artist. Something about Main Street attracts beef and bros, so I avoided B Spot like the plague, anticipating an epicentre of all the things I can’t stand. However, a good hard look at the menu on a snowy Sunday softened my position.
The family came here for lunch before the Holiday Magic parade. Staff did a great job wiping down a deep U-​booth for four adults and a toddler to pile in, supplying crayons for the beau and a cup of water with a twirly straw to entertain the little one. Maybe it was the opposite way around. Quick service continued throughout our visit, and the servers frequently stopped by to handle refills, order delivery, and check in. Staff get five stars for their attentiveness.
The restaurant location used to be occupied by the original BD’s where my beau and his sister worked, so they were amused and delighted to see the changes to the architecture. Look up over the bar with a row of mismatched taps at the motorcycle kit that looks like something I’d expect to find in a Kinder Surprise Egg. Open tables fill the front end, while booths are located towards the back.
B Spot’s menu focuses on a variety of different burgers and build your own configuration, featuring choices like The Gobbler (turkey burger featuring sriracha, pico de gallo, and more) and the Atomic Burger (layered with ghost peppers and piles of hot, spicy stuff) to leaner takes on sandwiches that you always wanted to try as a burger. Fat Doug (with swiss cheese, pastrami, coleslaw, and mustard), I’m looking at you. We went wild instead of playing it safe, ordering the above. I am happy to say all choices turned out great.
The burgers are big, juicy, and lavished by generous amounts of condiments. They are still manageable, though, a delicate balance. No skimpy pickle on a dinner plate lettuce leaf here. Sides, like fries, are extra and best split between two people unless you come packing a serious appetite. Note, though, the fries are like crack sprinkled in happiness. Pair with Shasha sauce for a curiously vinegary sweet punch. We had no problem polishing off two servings in record time.
A special note: B Spot does milkshakes. Thick, creamy milkshakes in tempting flavours like vanilla bean, apple pie, and bacon (that’s one flavour, mind) and a dishy root beer shake-​float that needs a bubble tea straw to suck it up. I went with pumpkin pie, their seasonal special, and note I should have saved it for the end because finishing my burger was impossible with a full tummy. Mmm. Pumpkin pie shake of decadence.
Have your Homer moment here. You won’t regret it.

I REALLY wanted to love this place but I just didn’t.
First, I was surprised how small it is. That that it’s a bad thing except for having to squeeze by the wait staff getting food from the kitchen in order to get to the bathrooms. Some booths and some tables. Tables had folding chairs which seemed cheap. And in the middle of the tables is a little Pickle Bar that you can take your burger up to to add pickles to your burger. I just didn’t get it. Why?
I also expected, going to a burger place, that I was going to get a nice thick juicy burger and that is not the case. It’s a thin patty. Meat was very good but thin. I ordered the Lola, the one with the fried egg on it. I didn’t care much for the egg and that’s not their fault. Burger was about $ 10 and fries are another $ 3.
Unfortunately, I wont be clamoring to go back anytime soon.

Omg this place is amazing. Everything about it. The Lola and the Yo are my go tos. I literally CRAVE these burgers. Even without all the toppings, the burgers are juicey and flavorful. I actually like these over a Vinsetta Garage burgers. Thankfully I live close by and can go often. Can’t speak to anything else there because I keep getting the same burgers lol the staff are so friendly too.

A great burger place!
We ordered two Thin Lizzy’s and a Porky burger. They were delicious! The Porky was a nice even balance of beef and pork and the grilled onions on the Lizzy was great. I appreciated the cheddar they melt on their burgers and the brioche-​like buns.
The Lola fries were great and I kept dipping them in the Lola ketchup and the Shasha Sauce. If I could buy a bottle of that sauce and bring it back with me to California, I totally would. It’s a sweet and spicy mustard sauce with yellow peppers that goes great with the burgers and fries.
Did I also mention that they have a pickle bar? Not only does it have pickles but this month they have kimchi. Now is it super authentic kimchi? No, it was super sour, vinegar was probably the main thing I could taste but it was cool to see the different pickles they had.
Overall, I really enjoyed the B Spot. The fries are cooked in lard and they are amazing. For hamburger and fries, it was surprisingly not super heavy. I hope to come back and try the boozy root beer floats.

Bumming around Royal Oak for guys night and this place seemed as good as any to grab a bite. I really didn’t expect B Spot to thrill me but the burgers are definitely worth the trip. I didn’t get too crazy and only ordered a burger with bleu cheese and bacon but what I noticed first was the perfect buns they use to adorn their delights. I was impressed and hooked after the first bite of the soft pillowy briochesque bun with the shiny egg-​washed top and a skewer holding the decadence all together. The burger was a little overdone but it was delicious and thick. The bacon was thick cut also and just south of crispy giving it a little bite and texture. The bleu cheese could’ve been more plentiful but it was certainly quality.
The Lola fries with their rosemary sprinkle were fantastic… add to that the tableside house sauces and you’ve got winners all around. The Shasha sauce was the table favorite… sweet and spicy almost like a salsa verde and don’t forget their Pub Mustard which was my favorite for the burger and the fries.
Service was tip top and the bill wasn’t too harsh for the quality or the atmosphere delivered at B spot. I’m already craving another burger and hope to make it back soon to try some of their more stacked burger adventures, not to mention their loaded dog options.

Pretty solid experience. My first B Spot experience was at the one in Cleveland. I remember the menu having slightly different options there… maybe they’ve changed in the last couple years. I went with the Yo burger. It was very good, but overdone. Ordered medium, came out solidly well done. It happens. Wasn’t totally dried out or anything, just would’ve liked it cooked a bit less.
The fries were excellent and I swear they need to make a drink out of that Shasha sauce. I wanted to rip the lid off and drink it straight from the bottle. Needless to say, lots of the stuff found its way onto my burger and fries. Service was on point. Prices were reasonable. I wanted to give the Vanilla Bean Apple Pie Bacon Shake another whirl, but with a night of drinking ahead, I opted against it. Probably for the best, but if you’re looking for a solid shake… give that one a try. I’m not a vanilla fan. I’m not an apple pie fan. But I’m definitely a Vanilla Bean Apple Pie Bacon Shake fan. So… even if it doesn’t sound like it’s up your alley… you might be wrong.

This has been the best surprise!
–Cool urban industrial interior
–Juicy, delicious burgers
–Lola fries were really good
–could not pick which condiment I liked best LOLA KETCHUP, SHASHA?, or COFFEE BBQ. Are these sold somewhere?
–love the pickle bar, Tony Packo sweet hot and picked green tomatoes favorite
–friendly and engaging staff
We can’t wait to go back and sample milkshakes.
DEFINITELY going to give the Betty Burger some competition.
(Watch out One Eyed Betty. …there is a new B in town!)

finally got over to B-​Spot and I was pleased with my experience. Having gone to other celebrity chef burger joints, I was struck by how small the place was. That being said, I liked the less frills atmosphere. Moreover, the burgers are solid. I have had better, but because of the location, it is definitely worth trying if you are in the area. Also, I am usually no t a fan of shoestring fries, but the Lola fries with rosemary are quite tasty. Finally, any place that serve pork cracklin’s is doing God’s work in my eyes.
In short, a solid addition to an otherwise chain infested town. No offense to all you Royal Oak peeps. I live in Troy which is even worse than your time.

Long before the Food Network, I first learned of Michael Symon from Ruhlman’s book, Soul of a Chef, and admired his commitment to developing a strong food culture in his hometown. So I feel that it is a bit of a betrayal to give this place a lower rating, fair though it may be.
The B-​Spot location in Royal Oak is the second one in Michigan; the other is in Rochester Hills. I had been looking forward to trying this place after my Facebook feed blew up with positive posts and yummy-​looking photos from this restaurant. Unfortunately, my visit was less positive.
The restaurant was half-​full mid-​Saturday morning, just filling up for lunch. There were a number of different choices on the menu which included burgers (meat, chicken, turkey, and veggie), brats, and bologna sandwiches. The combinations sounded creative and interesting. The special of the month was the Kojak, a burger topped with gyro meat. I almost went with that but the server recommended the Lola, a burger with sunny-​side egg, bacon, cheese and pickled onions.
The 6-​oz burger, ordered medium, was unfortunately very dry and the egg was cooked through. The wonderful flavors from the toppings could not make up for the poorly-​cooked patty. The onion rings, however, were amazing. Spiced and flavorful, I loved this side. I also loved the sauces, trying four of the six offered (Coffee BBQ and Shasha sauces were tasty), and the self-​serve pickle bar, sampling six of the eight. McClure’s has raised our expectations for pickles, and B-​Spot was spot-​on in that respect. There was not only the traditional pickle, but also peppers, onions, kimchee, and green tomatoes. Yes, pickled green tomatoes! I was delighted by the selection.
The server was fantastic. He took the time to fully explain the menu and to offer thoughtful recommendations. This place definitely merits a second visit — although I’m leaning towards a brat for the next time around.

I’m a fan. I see myself stopping by B Spot pretty regularly.
I’ve been twice now: once with Boyfriend for dinner pre-​movie, and the other at lunchtime with my Friday lunch work group.
Boyfriend and I stopped in before seeing Birdman at the Main Art. We were a little worried it’d be insanely crowded (just opened, etc.), but we were seated pretty quickly. I started with the Vanilla Bean Shake with Kahlua and vodka (really good), but they also have a really decent beer selection. Boyfriend went with the Smasher’s Special (some kind of jalapeño spicy thing they were featuring last month), and I built my own burger with coleslaw and bacon (basically a Porky’s with bacon. **Note, they don’t do substitutes on the existing burgers, but do allow you to build your own). We split an order of the Lola fries, fries with rosemary. Like most BBQ places, they’ve got a bunch of sauces on the table, but they’re not your ordinary sauces. My favorite was the lola ketchup.
Everything was good. The boozey shake was delicious (and enormous), the burgers were tasty, and service honestly was exceptional. Our waitress was really knowledgeable about the menu and could answer Boyfriend’s beer questions, despite not being a beer drinker herself.
Yeah, the bathroom’s awkwardly located, but I don’t think that’s a reason to stay away. Good drinks, good burgers, good service, pickle bar. What’s not to like?

I’ve never been to this B-​Spot — is smaller than the ones in Cleveland. They made me a fried chicken burger even though it wasn’t on the build-​your-​own menu.
My burger was crispy chicken with bacon, cheddar and a fried egg, and it came out exactly as specified. The chicken was moist and not too heavy, and the rosemary fries were awesome, if a little too salty!
Our waiter was just a little pushy on the upsell, but he was fun enough that we didn’t mind. The waiter ran our card with a mobile machine right at the table!
I love the atmosphere — a little less aggressive than the location in Cleveland.
Glad to see a Michael Symon joint in suburban Detroit!