DETROIT (WWJ) -- A lot have things have changed in Detroit over the years.
The Detroiter Bar hasn’t.
Sitting on the corner of Fort and Beaubien, a few short blocks south of Monroe Street in Greektown, the Detroiter has been serving up burgers and beers with a distinct Detroit style since 1992.
It’s not fancy, but it’s not run-down. It’s not ahead of the trends, but it’s got a little something for everyone these days. You’ll always find all your domestic beers, but manager Tyler Tocco and Co. keep about a dozen rotating taps of the hottest craft beers, most of which are local.
"I like to think it is a dive bar. We're not in beautiful California, we're not in upstate NY, we're not in a modern, upscale city. We're in Detroit. This is what people love,” Tocco told WWJ’s Zach Clark. “You can't put this bar somewhere where it's not going to fit. And this bar fits with the city, which is why we have been so successful.”
The Detroiter House Special has endured over the years. Despite a slight rise in price over the years, you can still get a ½-pound burger, fries and a beer for $10.50 (or a slight price hike for a craft brew) – just about the best prices you’ll find anywhere in the city.
While the massive crowds that used to pack into the Detroiter before Red Wings games at Joe Louis Arena have lightened up a little bit with the new Little Caesars Arena, you can still find the loyal fans putting down a House Special and a few beers before piling into the free shuttle with Tommy, up to the game. Any Sunday before a Lions game, you’ll find nothing but Honolulu Blue making its way into the Detroiter bright and early.
"If anybody's been to downtown Detroit, they know parking is one of the biggest hassles,” Tocco said.
Though they like to stay true to their roots at the Detroiter, they’ve always got a good local selection of trendy craft beers. The craft beer boom in Michigan, and particularly in metro Detroit, has made it easy to support the local industry, Tocco says.
From Kuhnhenn’s Dripa to Old Nation’s M-43 and even Blake’s Hard Cider, there’s always a local flavor on-tap.
“There’s tons of places that have Angry Orchard on draft, you know,” Tocco says, “and we sell our fair share of Angry Orchard, but why not keep Blake’s on? Why not support that kind of local brewery?”
Just as the Detroiter stays true to local businesses, they are even more loyal to their customers. Customers know the bartenders’ names, and vice versa.
"That's something that I think keeps the customers coming in and makes them feel welcome and like at home here," he said.
"Our customers are extremely loyal. The bar is an old-school bar,” Tocco said. “Places are closing down left and right, places are popping up left and right and without our loyal patrons, I don't think we would've been able to make it with the whole restaurant/bar boom that Detroit had within the last five years."
One thing’s for sure about the Detroiter – when you’re there, you feel like you’re in a small town dive bar, not in the middle of a big city in the midst of a revival. It’s always been like that, and it always will.