Sibley Gardens

Outstanding atmosphere, borderline fine dining. No complaints. We are in a private room, so there isn’t any background noise. Good food, great bartenders as well.

Extremely disappointed
My review from opentable was removed so I decided to post it here.
I wanted to take my grandmother here for her birthday and it was a disaster
I requested seating in the quieter room days in advance. We arrive and the room is full and we were seated in the room to the right which was loud and had two servers tag teaming every table except our table seemed to always be forgotten.
House chianti was cooked
Pasta was average. I should’ve gotten lobster
Soup was average
Grandmother enjoyed her chicken
Will drive to Ann Arbor next time we want quality food and SERVICE when visiting relatives from downriver.

The bone in ribeye (cowboy steak). OMG, the best steak I ever had hands down. I even ordered this during lunch so not sure if it was even the night chef, but came out perfectly done. I wanted it rare but not cold inside and was told it might be a little over rare, but came out perfectly done. Also asked for it to be topped with garlic butter. I don’t know how they do it but it was pure heaven. Will definitely be back when I have that kind of room again. NICE!

One of the greatest places on earth, fourth generation family owned, my kids favorite restaurant, great family memories made here. Food is a parade of one dream dish after another… Staff has a rare trait, PRIDE, & are always warm, pleasant and professional…

I have been going here for years and it is wonderful. They have the BEST seafood and steaks downriver. Treat yourself one evening and have dinner there. I PROMISE you won’t regret it.

It’s a tradition. My Dad was just tonight telling me a story about how the original owner (an Italian of course) started out with a hot dog stand on the «wrong end of Jefferson». His food was so delicious, he earned enough to build a restaurant. No idea about their name being generic but make no mistake about it– this food is authentic Italian (Sicilian Italian I believe) — it is incredible! I made a special stop tonight to get take out.
The tradition of great food lives. And the atmosphere here is pure Sinatra– vintage 70s vibe. I love it. I live in Chicago (no stranger to great Italian food), but still long for Sibley Gardens :)

Food was average, portions were large. Minestrone soup is excellent. Twice baked potato is good as well. Service I thought you was average.

Well, I’ve been here a couple times and my last experience has led me to write this review. This place is well known in the area, it’s been around a long while and generally is known for good food. However, my experiences here the food has just been ok. Nothing to write home about especially when you are dropping big $$ for a meal. Especially my last meal here, I ordered the Sibley Burger and it came out in the shape of a hot dog. Very strange. Not sure who came up with that brilliant idea, but there is a reason that hamburgers are flat, it’s very hard to keep your toppings (in my case – lettuce, tomato, onion) on the hot dog roll without it falling apart. My dinner was literally falling apart in my hands.
My husband is a bourbon fan and ordered a shot of bourbon. It was way overpriced for a mediocre bourbon and tiny pour. Also, he ordered the filet medium. It came out very rare – like almost raw. He sent it back as it was too rare for his taste. It came back a second time cooked a bit more but still bloody in the middle. The server (I forget her name) had the nerve to argue with him about what is medium and what is rare. My husband stated that no blood should be coming out of the meat if it is cooked medium, it should be pink. She rudely replied, «Well, how much blood do you want?» Regardless of what she thought medium was or is, she should have taken it back graciously with no hassle instead of giving him attitude. It ruined our entire meal and all the other servers were walking by giving him dirty looks.
This place may be «legendary» in the downriver area as another Unilocaler stated, but I can’t say there really are very many excellent restaurants downriver. So not sure there’s much of a comparison. I’ve lived here for 3 years now and can’t say that I’ve found one restaurant that is consistently great with excellent service and food. I don’t think I’ll be going back here, it’s way overpriced for the quality of service and food.

I can’t even begin to explain how wonderful my family’s experience was. I had an extremely small ceremony and we needed a nice place to eat afterward. The person who took my reservation on the phone was kind and accommodating. The hostess who sat us was just the same. The room they put our 17 person party on was beautiful, quiet, and had a perfect set up. Our server, Nikki, was an absolute pro and we were NEVER without the essentials. She was quick, efficient, and so pleasant. She made us feel like we were the only people in the restaurant and did such a careful and fantastic job cutting our cake. Our food came out quickly, despite the place being pretty packed, with not even the slightest mistake-​not to mention it was absolutely delicious. I definitely recommend the Sonoma chicken and my husband’s veal was cooked perfectly. The bussers were so quick and polite when taking our plates, they even packed our food up for us. When we got the bill, it was not nearly the price I thought it would be for the quality of food and service. I hope people read this and decide to go here so they can be in business for years to come!

The food is not bad. It’s not the most amazing food ever, though, so I’m not sure I can give it as high of ratings as everyone else is giving them.
The décor is dated and as another reviewer pointed out, the place smells of mildew or something old. The service was good but not very attentive to refilling drinks or getting guests additional adult beverages. Overall, it was OK but I don’t think I’d go out of my way to come back.

I’ve been eating at Sibley Gardens since I was a kid, heck my dad found out my mom was pregnant with me at the bar at Sibley’s! I no longer live in the area so I haven’t been there in a few years and my return visit was NOT a disappointment. 7 of my cousins and I were there on Saturday for dinner together and everything was amazing. The calamari and cheese ball (not on the menu but ask for them!) appetizers we shared were delicious. I ordered the eggplant Parmesan which I’d never had there before. I love eggplant parm and have had it in amazing Italian restaurants and make it pretty well myself but I have NEVER tasted it any better than I did on Saturday night. I’ve been thinking about it ever since. I can’t wait until I make another trip to MI so I can go eat it again.

Was in town here for a few days from Pittsburgh, I trusted the Unilocal app and the reviews to find a nice place to eat with my daughter and this place was a home run. The food and service was top notch and the atmosphere just right.

Walk into this quaint little place, and it’s like you have taken a turn back in time! I half heartedly expected to see the Goodfellows sitting in one of the booths. The décor, surprisingly, has been well maintained and looks classy, not cheesy. The food was phenomenal! I had the scallops which were cooked to perfection! My associate has the steak. He said it was possibly the best steak he ever had. The prices were great and they had a fantastic wine list. A must if you are visiting the Motor City! Don’t forget to tip your waitress… or you might end up sleeping with the fishes!

In my 5 years of using this app, I have never once felt compelled to write a review on Unilocal,and before this past meal, I was inclined to believe that trend would continue.
Needless to say, that ended today.
One thing ordered – the Bone-​in-​Steak.
Everything devoured – one of the best I’ve ever had (and I’m a carnivore).
So what are you wasting your time reading this for?
Dine here. Tender meat. Juices abound. Excellent service, great all around.

Sibley’s is legendary in the downriver area and beyond for a reason. They offer great service, with ownership almost constantly on site for your needs, and great waitstaff that has been there for 10, 20, 30 years +.
The food is consistent, and if there is anything wrong — they never hesitate to take it back and try to get it right.
Here’s the top items to mention
Drinks — when they are busy (very often) we like to sit at the bar while waiting for a booth on the ‘bar side.’ Without a reservation, you can be waiting a long time… but thats the fun of going out… have a couple drinks at the bar and relax. The drinks are reasonable and ALWAYS strong enough. They give a heavy pour, you 100% get your value out of the drinks. Vodka selection is really great — they have probably 20+ to choose from.
Appetizers — escargot are the best. traditional garlic butter, but topped with a little scallop, bacon, and a mushroom. They are awesome. We like getting them a little more well done.
Soups/​Salads — Caesar Salad and Michigan Cherry are both good. Minestrone is their house soup… usually consistent, some days better than others.
Entrees — Sibley’s is known as an italian steak house… their pastas and italian choices are great, but my favorite items are their steaks and chops. The New York Strip medium rare on a «sizzle platter» (special request) is excellent… in fact, all their steaks and chops are very good. Get a special baked potato too (this I like well done with a crusty top… gives it a great flavor)
Sometimes their specials are unique and different… but really, their menu has been relatively the same for quite a long time. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but sometimes places need to change things up.
Décor — slightly updated steakhouse feel, with quite a bit of darkness/​low lights.
Great place to go locally downriver, we are there once a week easily.

There was a time when the food was the best around, those days are gone. The décor is dated and so is the food. Some redeeming qualities but not like it was.

The food here is excellent. Home made Italian specialties and awesome steaks and chops. Very reasonable prices for the high quality of both product and service.
I was also impressed by the variety on the menu. Tons of salad choices, a wide range of appetizers and awesome pasta choices.
It is truly a local gem! Eat here if you have a chance… you’ll be glad you did!

I was very impressed with this restaurant, it is kinda hidden in the middle of nowhere. The ambience reminds me of Good Fellas. I ordered the cheese pasta with gorgonzola Alfredo and spinach. It was delicious and fresh. I honestly can not stop thinking about it. The bread that they brought to our table was fresh Italian. My salad, all fresh mixed greens with creamy garlic dressing that was very yummy. For dessert, I ordered the Tiramisu, it was good they used kahlua instead of coffee which I prefer in tiramisu. The kahlua made the dessert a little to sweet, but still good. Everyone I went with said that they really liked there entry’s. I would go here agian for sure.

This restaurant is a perfect example of why you should never judge a book by its cover. I drive by this place quite frequently as I work nearby. I’ll take Jefferson Ave. to hop over to Wyandotte from Trenton. I always see Sibley Gardens gently nestled in the midst of… what else? A huge abandoned warehouse, industrial type buildings, broken windows across the street, and pretty much no other businesses for a couple miles. But amongst this, there is a simple red sign and a small brick building with dual parking lots on each side. «Sibley Gardens»
I was looking for a place to have a nice dinner near my work. I hit Unilocal and this place popped up and it struck me as odd. I knew exactly the establishment being mentioned in the other reviews but couldn’t believe what people were saying about the food/​décor.
Well, thanks Unilocalers! I took your advice and tried this restaurant this past weekend. I am so happy!
Food = Amazing
Service = Way above average
Drinks = Well blended
Wine List = Extensive
Décor = Dim Light, Large Table Space, and Private (Perfect)
Parking = Easy and close
Neighborhood = Safe (despite it’s appearance across the street)
And did I mention the food was AMAZING! The bread served was fresh and free flowing (with a tasty oil/​season blended dip).
The apps were filling and perfectly cooked (Tenderloin tips) and came with a garlic bread.
By the time I had bread, drinks, apps, and the salad that came with my entrée (note: salad was awesome too), I was pretty much full.
I received my fettuccine alfredo and only managed to take 3 bites. I was full. There was a huge portion of pasta but I couldn’t force another bite. Which totally sucked because it was soooooooooooo friggin’ good.
I got my dinner boxed up, we paid the bill (which was reasonable for all that we ordered), and left completely satisfied. :-)
Bonus…I still have a huge box of pasta in my fridge awaiting me. I actually cannot wait til later when I dig into my leftovers. YAY LEFTOVERS!

If you’re following your GPS, don’t be alarmed. You’ll be passing right by a plant that has closed down, windows broken, rusty looking, then you arrive. Don’t let the neighborhood give you an uneasy feeling you may have made the wrong choice for lunch/​dinner.
You’ll get the feeling you travelled back into the 60’s or 70’s when you walk in the door. The lights are down a little low and give you a downriver romantic moment. This restaurant brings back a ton of memories from when I was a little boy. This was our family «special» place to celebrate an event. When I walked in the door I turned twelve again.
I wasn’t dissapointed by the meal.
Lunch portion Lake Perch with rice, bread and salad.
Lightly breaded and pan fried. Good taste, not overpowering.
Throw in a glass of wine and this was a nice relaxing lunch.
The only problem was that I had to go back to work.