Detroit: Downtown’s Grand Trunk Pub
What we love most about venturing out in Downtown Detroit, and sharing our fun food and beverage finds, is researching and finding out the history behind the buildings or businesses in the buildings. This week’s feature has been mentioned before, back in October of 2019, as a great place to go for a good pour of bourbon or craft beer . . . but not for their food: The Grand Trunk Pub. This place checks all the cool boxes with us: The history, the location is perfect in the heart of the city near Campus Martius and walking distance to almost everything downtown. And of course…the drinks. They always have a great selection of craft beers, ciders and seltzers (currently 57 selections with 35 being Michigan-produced) on tap, and they pour a nice pour of bourbon. Third…the food. The food is a good combination of Irish Pub meets Gastropub. We have eaten here many times and it is hard to pick a favorite item since they are all so good but below are some of the highlights.
Rueben Rolls. Eastern Markets famous Wigley’s corned beef and Swiss cheese eggrolls served with 1000 Island dressing. The Foran Burger which once again is like a Rueben and a burger had a love child. It’s a burger with stout braised sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and dressing…one of my top 5 burgers ever! They offer a Sheppard’s Pie and delicious beer battered chicken & waffles and beer battered fish & chips using local beers from Witch’s Hat brewery in South Lyon and Motor City Brew Works in Detroit. They also do brunch on the Sat & Sun from 10AM-3PM featuring a variety of offerings including a lobster eggs benedict.
The GTP is just a cool bar and we were afraid we had lost it forever due to COVID. It was closed for over a year and finally reopened in the summer of 2021. It is old, has a great history behind it and serves up some wonderful food. GTP is located at 608 and 612 Woodward Ave right next to BESA at the corner of Woodward and Congress. Let’s start with the history behind the building: The main bar area was originally occupied by Traub Brothers Jewelers from 1879 to 1905 when it was sold to the Grand Trunk Railroad to be used as their formal ticket station which included a men’s clothier and shoe stores. Fast forward to 1935 when the boom of the automotive industry caused rail travel to decline. Grand Trunk decided to focus on freight and sold the building to the Metropole Hotel up the street, which needed a kitchen and they thought the elegant ticket counter would be the perfect bar which is still there today. Since 1956 it has been home to Chadwicks Bar & Grill, Vane’s Bar (1970), Shannon’s (1974), Foran’s Irish Pub (1979) and in 2008 Timothy Tharp (who also owns the Checker Bar) purchased the bar from the Foran family. This is from the history page on GTP website “One hundred years later and one decade ago in 2006 my father died and I figured I was going to do some drinking. I stumbled into Foran’s Pub one night and ended up drinking with John Foran Jr. We poured Whisky on the floor for our fathers and I told him that I wanted to buy his bar. Detroit was a sad place then and it suited my mood. It was also a huge part of my father who was always hopeful for the city’s future. Though I was in a dark place I yearned to pull myself and a small part of my Forefather’s city up and out of the ditch. Etched into the operating agreement of the pub is the decree that every glass raised in the establishment is raised in honor of my father.”
This is just a great place through and through, so please put it on your list if you have not been there recently, it is worth the trip. GTP is open Mon from 2-10PM, Wed-Thur 11AM-10PM, Fri 11AM – Midnight, Sat 10AM – Midnight and Sun 10 AM – 10 PM. They are closed on Tuesday. They have a happy hour from 3-6 M-W-T with a selection of discounted appetizers and drinks.
Until next time, live well, eat well and enjoy life!
- Keith & Teresa Becker
