Standby

Delicious cocktails. Great atmosphere, very friendly staff and overall amazing. I’ve been here twice already and have not been disappointed. My friend and I waited over an hour this past weekend and it is honestly worth the wait. The Je né sais quoi and the Fibonacci’s curse (huge pineapple) are my favorite drinks.

This place is great but do not come hungry because you will have to wait a couple hours to get a seat on the weekend. A friend and I were told the wait was 45 minutes. We waited much longer than that for a table but it’s worth the wait! Drinks and food were amazing!
The snake in the grass cocktail was delicious. The cocktail menu does not have any vodka drinks on it. The only vodka they have is kettle one but that wasn’t an issue at all for us. I like how they take their time making the drinks and have a unique way of making each one.
When we finally did get a seat the food took forever to come! The food was delicious. My favorite was the king crab salad. The flavor was amazing and the crab was so fresh. The cheeseburger and fries were very good and the cockles were delicious. The sausage that came with the cockles was also delicious and the sauce that it was in was perfect.
I really enjoyed the atmosphere and ambiance. The music was great and the crowd was fun. I will definitely come back here because everything was delicious but my only complaint was the wait.

I went here after dinner last night with a few of my friends for a cocktail/​beverage and bar snack. We got there about 9:00p.m. and managed to grab a table right before it filled up. The location is very trendy and had great music playing.
I ordered the carrot ginger juice (non-​alcoholic) and my friend ordered the cucumber soda (non-​alcoholic) and we shared them. Both were good! The cucumber soda was amazing and the carrot ginger juice was good, but very overwhelming with ginger.
We also had the duck fat fried almonds with candied cherries and it was fantastic. I would totally order them each time to snack on.
I’d love to go back and grab dinner there soon!

Maybe 3.5? Unilocal — I wish you would allow ½ star ratings :)
Anyway, Sat night my hubbie and I tried it out with another couple. Got seated right away bc we «knew someone», which never happens to us! It would not have been worth it to me to wait over an hour for what we had.
Interesting cocktail menu, but I still find it odd that all these new craft cocktail places dont carry vodka. What is wrong with vodka???
The food was a solid B. The glorified «cheese sticks» as described by the waiter came out cold. The guys loved the steak tartare. The butternut agnolotti was so sweet it tasted like dessert, and the charred romaine was ok. Steak had to be sent back because it wasnt prepared as requested. Not sure charging $ 25 for a small portion of flank steak was right. The best thing on our table was probably the venison dish and my husband said the burger was solid. Excellent, fresh cut fries. Best thing on the menu. Coconut cheesecake was pretty good but it came deconstructed and wasnt described as such. Cant i just get a slice of luscious cheesecake??? Churros were great, but how can you screw up fried dough. Won’t be rushing back.

Standby is a great little spot. Menu is small but you should be able to pick out a few things to your liking. We had the steak tartare which was delicious. Octopus app was great. Shrimp and rice cakes also were good. I went with the cheeseburger and it was above avg. They cooked it exactly how i asked and it was juicy. The atmosphere in this place was amazing. The music was bumping, they were playing old school hip-​hop with some new classics. Drink menu is great! Will go back again.

Honestly… This place is awesome. Great atmosphere, people, and drinks. The vibe is very chill and comfortable. Get the «For my next drink» if you like cucumbers and tequila… It’s great! The only thing that’s annoying about this place is the walk to the bathroom. –get ready to walk up and down stairs.

The atmosphere is small and dark, lit with some type of fluorescent light that actually gave everything a cool feeling. Probably the only time I’ve ever enjoyed fluorescent lighting. Yes, the music was a bit loud, and it was 90s rap, unexpected for the space, but I loved it. The tables are small, so we had no problem conversing over the music. Sat on the bench side, the other had some gorgeous Danish MCM style chairs. The bar area was standing room crowded that occasionally overflowed towards our table, which would have annoyed me in a more formal setting, but didn’t bother me here.
Started with a round of excellent cocktails from their extensive menu and a tasty amuse bouche of some type of green cornbread with a chile unexpectedly brought by our server. Thoroughly enjoyed all the food, we started with the charred romaine, almonds, octopus app with delicious fluffy aerated feta, and truffle focaccia. The first 3 really stood out. Portions were large enough for our group of 4 to have more than enough of each app. For entrees we ordered the steak, burger, tagine, and sturgeon, and everyone was happy, meats cooked just right, food properly seasoned and delicious and creative. The burger and fries is huge. Sturgeon and the tagine stood out as my favorites.
Service was just right, well paced, informative without being overbearing, and the chef came out of the kitchen to stop by several tables, a nice touch. I will be back, and put Standby on par with Selden Standard, Wright and Co, and Chartreuse for creative, modern, standout food in an unpretentious atmosphere, and really enjoyed Standby the most, probably due to the huge fun cocktail list (dried ice smoking drinks and huge shared pineapple drink along with more conservative and classic drinks) and unexpected music.
Note: if anyone is MOBILITY IMPAIRED the bathroom is down a flight of stairs and I’m not sure if it’s accessible via elevator.

Cool as can be. The Freep review was right on. Modern hip space in a restored downtown building right off the alley next to «The Z» parking lot. Now Wright & Co and Seldon Standard have a great new competitor. This place has more the feel of a quite loud nightclub while the other places feel more like modern restaurants/​bars. On my first visit I had the Sturgeon and Charred Romaine. The Sturgeon was especially unique since it was wrapped in chicken skin. That sounds different, but trust me, it is an amazing dish! On my second visit I had the Lacquered Turkey Leg and Winter Squash Agnolotti (pasta). Both were very flavorful but the Agnolotti portion seemed too small. Not to worry, the Turkey Leg portion was very large so I came away quite full. The entrance is a little tricky to find in The Belt alley just off of Gratiot.

Yes yes yes. I am madly in love with this alley (this place is in a hype alley). Décor, art and lighting are brilliant. You’ll find parallels between the décor and the art in the alley. Tartare was too salty. Octopus didn’t taste like octopus. This place is still unreal. A charming Australian brought us an apéritif with white chocolait, pickled raddish and hyssop. It was fucking brilliant. Expect lots of textures and flavours. Cool as fuck.

If you ever get sick, have a Penicillin. It’ll fix you right up. And please have a bourbon discussion with the very knowledgeable bar back, Alton. Granted, I was slightly tipsy. Therefore, I may have screwed his name up. But nice of him to chat me up, as I was sippin by myself that evening. And while I dislike scotch, for real for real… the blood and silk is quite tastee. :)

Hands down, best meal I’ve ever had. The entire experience was flawless. The ambiance was relaxed and intriguing, the staff were so smooth yet didn’t miss a beat, and the food was out of this world. My boyfriend and I came here for New Year’s Eve and opted to share the 6 course tasting and the Moroccan steak. Of exceptional note was the foie gras squash soup, uni, confit of sticking pig, and rare, perfect lamb. The Moroccan steak popped and melted in our mouths. We were so impressed by the chef coming to deliver one of our dishes. Our seat allowed us to watch the mixologists at work – cracking eggs, creating mists, and laying out beatiful concoctions. We really enjoyed the bacon & maple old-​fashioned and the snake in the grass, with nitrogen-​infused muddled mustard greens. The evening was so perfect and we can’t wait to go back. I simply can’t praise it enough!

Really enjoyed this place. Very big fan of the cocktails. My favorite was the Penicillin, which has a dash of Laphroiag Scotch whiskey to give it that smokey, peaty flavor. It blends great with the fresh lemon and honey ginger syrup. I also tried the Bronx Cheer and The Last Straw; both fruity, tart, and refreshing. As far as food goes, I split the Cheeseburger with a friend and was not disappointed one bit. Much of the battle was cooking it properly (many places overcook, but this one was perfect). The bar staff were super friendly and knowledgeable. My only small, minor complaint was the volume of the music. It was a tad loud. That’s just being picky though. I can’t wait to come back and try some more cocktails and some of the other entrees.

Located in The Belt, just past the somewhat hidden entrance door, is this great speakeasy type atmosphere. Inside you will find an intimate bar serving diverse and creative craft cocktails. The place is small and will get crowded pretty fast, but it is definitely a place to experience. The service is exceptional and the menu is very detailed with plenty of options. I did not get the pleasure of trying the food, but everything that came out looked absolutely delicious with very generous portions. I will definitely be back for a dinner soon!

If you are looking for new hand crafted cocktails to try, then head on over to the belt to find this slightly hidden gem. I had two drinks; the Waka Flakka and the Vermillion Fizz. Two drinks in different categories, but so artfully crafted. Waka had some lemon and coffee notes while the Fizz had a sweet grapefruit flavor with a frothy head. The Vermillion Fizz wins out simply because I could have had many more.

A cool spot to go for drinks, but that’s about it. Small space, good drinks, but the food was disappointing. My medium-​well burger was still blood red inside.
Also, the place is loud. I don’t mind too much, but it’s get annoying constantly saying «what?» to someone sitting 2 feet away from you.

Great new craft cocktail spot and they have a decent food menu!
Although Detroit City is still my favorite cocktail spot, Standby gives DCD a run for their money.
You will enter in through a door located in the belt. The establishment is small inside and dark. I think they are going for the speakeasy vibe which they totally nailed in my opinion. They have a HUGE menu of drinks. From drinks made with Agave to Gin to Rum to Whiskey. I love how their menu is set up… all about the details. Next to each drink they show the type of glassware it will be served in and if the drink is shaken or stirred.
I tried to Cold Front and the Corn and oil. Both amazing and delicious. The corn and oil was on the more tropical sweater side. Very smooth and refreshing. The cold front brings the oooo’s and ahhh’s with the dry ice effect. Very elaborate procedure to make the drink. This one had to me a bit of a black licorice taste, but not too much where it over powered the drink. For the two drinks the total came to $ 20 which is a bit below average, in my opinion, for a 2 drink craft cocktail tab.
On another occasion a group of us split the large pineapple drink. This is a drink for multiple people to sip on. I thought it was delicious and fun. We ordered a few items from the menu to munch on over conversation. Everyone raves about the fries, but I didn’t see the big hype over them. Sure, they are good, but they are no crack fries :) Nothing to me really stood out. Now the beef tartar on the other hand was superb. I’d say the best I’ve had. And yes that includes Selden’s beef tartar.
If you’re a fan of the keep, sugarhouse, DCD or Two James, I would strongly recommend this place to you. It is hard to get a table if you’re looking to order food, but if you’re willing to wait an hour (or possibly two) it’s worth it in my opinion. If you’re not into waiting but don’t mind a crowd I would say stop in a grab a drink!

This place is super cute. Love the ambience, perfect size, nice crowd… And the DRINKS!!! Perfection! It IS pricey though… My drink was $ 12… But it was SOOOO WORTH IT… That I had two lolol! Just go check it out!

Great food. Try the sturgeon, it’s wrapped in chicken skin, absolutely epic. Very expansive cocktail list and I enjoyed the Bronx Cheer. All the apps we ordered were good from the rice cakes to the beef tartar. It’s great to see so many new awesome places open in Detroit for us to enjoy!

Well done. Crafty cocktails and a welcoming ambiance for anyone. Classic cocktails are a must… Perfectly crafted. Although if you’re looking to have your senses tantalized by the unique blend of syrups and liquors, try some of those off the wall blends like the penicillin (plug your nose to block out the pungent aroma of the Scottish whiskey to taste the honey and lemon, reminiscent of the traditional hot toddy flavors). I love the perfectly balanced gimlet but don’t be afraid to try something with effervescence and/​or egg whites for a mixologist inspired drink.
If you’re looking for the restroom though, you will want to do so before you have a buzz… Or hold it until your next stop as its not the most convenient maze to follow.
All in all… Thank you standby for bringing your craft to Detroit.

Ugh.
I wanted to love it.
A cute cocktail bar, hidden in the Belt, a few steps from my office, how could I not?
It started great, loved the exterior, interior not bad, super friendly hostess seated our party of 8.
Friendly waiter came out to take our drinks. Ok, this place is loud, really loud– wait, are they playing club music? At a speakeasy type place?
Another waitress dropped off a drink– we passed it around the table– who ordered this? We sniffed it, trying to discern what it was. Waiter came back, scooping it up, saying– this isn’t yours. We watched him walk to the bar, drink in hand, then turn and walk back and deliver it to the single woman sitting next to us. We’re all good people, none of us did anything to it, but really? As a single woman I want to know my drink never left the bartender’s sight before delivering it to me.
The drinks were good– the food tiny, overpriced and just not tasty. The place still SO loud. Guys, this isn’t a nightclub, not at 6pm. But the kicker, the most laugh inducing moment came when one of us ordered whisky on the rocks — was the $ 1 charge for… ICE. Yes, apparently while this place tries to be a spot somewhere (anywhere) but Detroit, it still shows how times are so hard and water so expensive, that you must up charge for ice.
Get over yourself standby, or soon the rest of us will be.