Dean "Mickey Rourke" S.'s Profile

Meh. That's really how I felt both during and after my Woodbridge Pub visit. The building itself is really cool with some nice artistic interpretations. But...

The menu and the environment don't go together. In reality, the atmosphere is a loud college bar. There are softball fields across Trumbull which produce ample amount of drinking customers all summer long. Which is fine if you're looking for that atmosphere, but the menu seems to be geared a bit classier than that. As does the pricing.

Simple things bugged me after the visit. Fries cost extra with burgers, and the server never even asked about them. The menu is rather small, as is their tap selection (two beers on tap?!?). The service was not very consistent despite the pub being no more than 2/3 full and a full staff working. Our server and the bartender seemed to enjoy their own company rather than that of the customers, which is fine when you're, you know, not working.

The reality is, the food was tasty, and our server was nice. It was just loud, smoky, inconsistent and too pricey for the college bar atmosphere.

Delicious pizza, speedy service, inexpensive prices. What more can you ask for?

The pizza is one of my favorites in the Detroit area for sure. It's pretty traditional pizza (not Chicago style, for example) but they do it really well.

There is no cafe or place to dine in: this is literally take out or delivery. And it is totally worth it.

Hurray for fun places to eat in Detroit!

The atmosphere is incredible. They have been able to make the the entrances and patio their own, with garden boxes and a very natural feel. It's very pleasant to sit outside and will be very popular this summer, I suspect.

Indoors, while small, it has a very homey feel. Staff is very courteous and friendly, willing to answer questions and seeming to enjoy just hanging out at the place.

Menu was fantastic. I won't discuss it too much as others have done a finer job that I, but I will say that I have enjoyed everything I have eaten there so far and will be sure to order everything from the menu over the course of my next several visits.

My only drawback was the coffee (the drip, not the espresso). When I asked one of the staff about it, he said they just "get it from the store" and that it was some sort of blend. Hopefully they will find a higher-quality coffee that they can start using as business picks up.

I really, truly loved the place. I can't wait to go back.

Also, they now accept credit cards.

I realize that I could take a public beating for not giving King Books 5 stars. My Yelp colleagues have thoroughly established the positive qualities to the bookstore, and I heartily agree. But in the interest of full disclosure, there are a few things that potential visitors should be aware of before their first visit.

1. Order is hit and miss, books are categorized...uniquely in some cases, and certain topics (see Religion) are divided and located in multiple places. The building is four stories, and religion is located on floors one and four. Not particularly convenient. And not entirely logical, as one author may have titles on both floors.

2. The upstairs floors can be quite cold. During my most recent visit, it was 65 and sunny outdoors. It was probably 45-50 on floor four. Come properly dressed for the place. You'll be there for 2+ hours easily and shorts and flip flops aren't going to keep your body warm enough.

3. I really want to say something about the prices, but I suppose it is all in the personal value of a book to the buyer. My initial thoughts were that books in some of the categories/sections were overpriced, but I don't know how I would go about determining their value. I will say that there were many titles that I opted not to purchase because of their price.

Look, I love the place. My wife and I are moving into the city from the suburbs next month, and we will become even more-frequent customers that present. Still, if I had never been there before, I'd like to be aware of the hesitations I mentioned, so I hope these help the community enjoy King Books all the more.

Visited there for the office Christmas lunch (not "party" mind you, just an hour-long meal together). Had a really nice meal with above-average service. I wasn't a huge fan of the atmosphere (playing cards on the ceiling because of a magician?) which makes me hesitant to give a fifth star, but if I was in the neighborhood I would definitely eat there again.

As others have mentioned, there is a lot to love about the Bureau. I was there for the first time this evening as they were hosting an opening for photographs from a local Emmy-winning photographer. It was a fantastic event, energetic yet appropriate for the small space of the Bureau. Claire, the owner, was a fantastic host and I bought a few things before I left to be sure and support her.

Within walking distance of Wayne State and other area staples such as Avalon, the Bureau is a must-visit for Detroiters!

Not sure how I hadn't been to Avalon for so long, but it was well worth the visit! The food was fantastic, the staff was very kind, and the coffee was not the worst coffee I have ever had.

I definitely enjoyed the homeyness of the environment. On the other hand, when it gets crowded, it tends to get a bit claustrophobic. The other thing I noticed was that it's a bit dusty behind all of the old furniture which was not a big deal to me, but if you have a serious allergy, you might want to dine in.

My favorite part was the staff. Sure, the baked goods were fantastic, but the friendliness of the staff was what sealed the deal for me. If the staff were jerks, I wouldn't be in a hurry to go back, but their smiles make it totally worth it.

I went there out of need: a group was getting together and chose Java Hutt (hereafter, JH) as their meetup location.

It was relatively easy to find and access, just west of Woodward on 9 Mile. On a Sunday evening, parking was available and free, but I imagine it can be a pain to find parking on busy times in Ferndale.

The barista was friendly.

As a coffee nerd, I was greatly disappointed by the quality of the coffee. I ordered an Americano that tasted extremely stale which means that the espresso body breaks down quickly and the beans used were most-likely old. Either that, or the coffee the use is just bad to begin with. They use Mountain Country coffee from Coffee Express Co. in Plymouth & Chicago.

I followed up the downer with a Harney & Sons black tea which was quality as to be expected.

Unlike Liz, I found the atmosphere to be one of the selling points of JH. The couches made it feel more homey than a corporate looks-like-every-other-one-in-the-chain coffee shop. I suppose it feels somewhat like a collegiate house but I enjoyed sitting and talking.

We also had no problems with the wifi. Looks like they may have gotten those problems resolved.

In summary:

- Homey environment, friendly staff
- Horrible coffee, good tea
- Free Wifi

This B&N is my favorite chain bookstore in the region that I have visited. It's a single story stand-a-lone that has a pretty sufficient selection of books in the genres I read (history, religion, sports, magazines for me).

The staff is typically helpful and easy to access, with the occasional moments where the reference desk is empty.

It has a spacious Starbucks-brand cafe with plenty of room to gather and chat. Chairs are located throughout the store for the casual browsing/reading type. And the louder sections of the store (music, registers) are separated enough to keep a quieter browsing environment for shoppers.

When available I always prefer the locally owned bookstores, but considering that those are not as common in metro Detroit, this Barnes and Noble is a nice place to shop.

Coudln't have had a better experience. Our server was absolutely wonderful. I ordered a porter and he offered to bring me a sample of another one as well (which he did). He brought samples of other beers as well. He was very aware of their menu and was able to provide great explanations and comparisons of entrees and sides.

My wife ordered the pulled pork with green beans and black eyed peas, while I ordered the brisket with baked beans and Mac and Cheese. None of it is the "usual," they take a slightly alternative take on all of the sides. Both of our meals were fantastic.

The service was efficient, despite the fact that it was a home football game crowd. Had we pushed, we could've been in and out in 30 minutes. But we stayed to savor it and it was worth ever penny. We can't wait to go back.