Let's brunch | Detroit restaurant review

I'm so healthy, sometimes I put orange juice in my champagne." -Unknown

One day, I was hungry af and decided that I wanted to do brunch. But where? There are literally a billion brunch spots scattered throughout Michigan. After a quick Google search of “best brunches in Detroit”, I soon discovered that finding the perfect spot would be harder than I thought. There are so many articles out there highlighting the top places to eat and some of the lists didn’t repeat restaurants. Conclusion: I would have to do my own research (yes, it’s that serious). So then it hit me. Based off the lists these random food journalists curated, I would pick three restaurants at three different price points and see which really is the best (& who’s lying).

But thennnn, I moved. So I was only able to visit one. lol

So I hit up my big sis and we were out. My goal was to judge each restaurant based on ambience/atmosphere, cleanliness, service and of course the food. So that’s what I did. And let me tell you, my findings were shocking (jk, I just love drama).

Brooklyn Street Local $

Brooklyn Street Local was the first spot I visited. As described on its website, Brooklyn Street Local “is a restaurant that features fresh, locally sourced ingredients.” They’re dedicated to the environment and offer a lot of vegan and vegetarian options.

As I pulled up, the restaurant seemed super cute outside and I was excited because I didn’t have to pay for parking. There’s a lot right behind the building that houses a few potholes, so be careful.

Any who, the interior was kind of small and tight. “Crouchy” was the exact word I used. The tables were super close together (not good for peeps with hips) and it got a bit noisy when the place was filled. There’s an exposed kitchen, a “bulletin board” of events in Detroit and maybe a three-person bar. Not going to lie, it smelled like bleach and something I couldn’t put my finger on, but I wouldn’t say the place was smelly. Not really any decor, a few chalkboards here and there and some Faygo chilling on shelves. If you ordered coffee, you had your own personalized mug — not like “Aja’s”, but there were a variety of styles, colors and shapes. My guess was thrifted finds. The place also offers free Wifi. (Who doesn’t love free Wifi?)

Overall, I’d describe the ambiance as home-y. We were seated rather quickly which was cool, but it took a minute for us to get menus. I think they were all in use. Once we got menus, I decided I was going to order a grapefruit mimosa. Fun fact: I hate grapefruit. But the drink was called “Ladies who brunch” and was mixed with rosé so why not. To my surprise, it actually wasn’t bad…and it was only $6.

As I browsed the menu, I saw people outside grabbing coffee from a pot the restaurant had sat outside. Very cute idea, but I kind of was like ew. I decided to order the corned beef hash ($11), which consisted of corned beef, roasted veggies, potatoes and two sunny side-up eggs. Another fun fact: I hate eggs, so I scratched those.

The food was actually really good! Nice and hot when it came out (which was exciting) and I personally don’t think it took too long to be served. The waitress wasn’t the best as far as checking up on us, but I wasn’t really hating on that. If I’d needed something I’d probably be slightly irritated though.

For my final verdict, I would return. It was cheap (total bill was $24 including my sister’s) and the food was good. On a 10-point scale, I’d probably say 7.864 just because it was so tight and the waitress was MIA.