Cafe 1923

I love this place. Perfect spot to do homework, or read… Or socialize! It really is for everyone. Sometimes the staff act like they’re too cool to talk to you but I don’t even care because I love this place so much

I’m really enjoying this spot. Has the quality chill that one hopes to find in a neighborhood café: friendly baristas, cozy ambience, steady wifi and good drink/​food options. The perfect place to read with a hot cup anytime, especially on the couches in their library room.

It’s nice, generally quiet, parking is easy because it’s not downtown, coffee’s great… I’ve done a lot of work on my laptop here
Just a good proper coffee shop

Was as expected. Liked the vintage look of the whole area and coffee itself was delicious. Also, someone had paid everyone’s coffee upfront on that day, so that was an icing on the cake.

Ok, not amazing. Im giving it an extra star because not many real coffee places around anymore. Didn’t like the sating at all. Great service though.

At 1923; atmosphere is excellent. Kale salad certainly worth a try; given that is locally significant (produced at zen center in detroit? Not familiar, but likely hippies or Buddhists; either are typically good at growing stuff). People are excellent… I want to give this place 5 stars, because I like the atmosphere and people a lot. I also like everything I’ve had here… but not the coffee thus far. I am currently drinking their espresso — its like, buy shrimp fried rice from your local Chinese place, have it delivered, light it on fire in the box, dry, roast, grind, brew; 1923…&its a coffee shop… so…oy…I feel somewhat guilty though, because this place is really excellent, but this coffee is not. Long story short, advise 1923, suspicious about the coffee however. Its tops for using the Internet in a passively social environment, and for general conversation. I would’ve given it 3.5, but its not available, so four… if it wasn’t more or less marketed as a coffee house i could give it five, but I gotta try and maintain a sense of objectivity, which, in my opinion, must give weight to the marketed specialty of a restaurant or café… that being said, my average rating on Unilocal is high, but, as of yet, I haven’t bothered posting about the majority of the pack; places i would give 2&3, because they are boring anyway. This place isn’t boring. Its a good interpretation of the café concept, maybe not super exciting, but not transparently faux…

recently my favorite place to study. i’ve been coming here weekly for the past month or two and i almost always get a lot of work done in a great atmosphere. there are a lot of regulars and the people who work here seem to know just about everyone who comes in.
sometimes people are doing social things like hanging out or chatting, but most of the time i’ve been there it’s a studious bunch. (not that i at all mind background chatter.) the music is always good — familiar and not intrusive.
the coffee itself is fine though i don’t know much about good coffee. refills are a quarter. i usually get americanos and i got one here once, but i didn’t like it. i’ve just gotten regular coffee since and my friend usually gets a tea, which never disappoints. the pastries are mostly good, though i’d always get the pinwheel bakery ones to be on the safe side. i’ve never gotten the food, but one time someone did and it smelled good haha.
in the front room where there are tables, the seating along the wall are church pews. i like the aesthetic but they are incredibly uncomfortable as anyone who has recently been to a long catholic wedding knows. when i came here a long time ago, there was a table and chairs set up on a daïs looking out of the window. it’s not there anymore and i hope they don’t bring that back, because the light from that window is pretty.
it’s a few miles out for me, but i like it every time.

The coffee wasn’t bad, and maybe you’d enjoy your time here, but I didn’t. My boyfriend and I came here to have a coffee and reading session. The coffee place itself looks cozy, but you can hear everything including the barista obnoxiously complaining about her job to her customers, which I find very unprofessional. Actually, I think maybe the barista may have been what turned me off to the place entirely. When I came up to the counter to ask for a cup of water she shouted out «nogameofthrones. All lowercase.» I was very confused. She repeated herself, «nogameofthrones. that’s the internet password.» I just found her to be rude. Also I believe it was the barista who subjected us to Ani Difranco on the pandora. How did I know it was pandora? Because while we were sitting there and my boyfriend was trying to concentrate the Pandora commercials would come on suddenly out of nowhere. I could tell he was annoyed just be his facial expressions. Also the wi-​fi didn’t work, which was part of the point of going there. This is not our favorite coffee shop.

Great coffee and solid internet. I don’t ask for much. Would recommend to anyone looking to get in a little reading in or some work done. Quiet relative to other coffee places.

Hamtramck’s signature coffee shop offers an extension of the shabby post-​grunge vibe broadly characteristic of metro Detroit’s most interesting and active enclave. With perfectly acceptable prices on a solid variety of brews, as well as smartly chosen imported baked goods (coupled with home-​prepared lunch offerings I have yet to try), Café 1923 does well enough in comestibles and potables on its own.
Beyond that, it’s not quite clear which direction the coffee shop is trying to go… much like the uncertain future of Hamtramck itself. (Is The Ham going to become America’s greatest hipster hideaway? An immigrant mecca? A preserved Polaroid of postwar Polonia? All of the above at the same time?) Café 1923’s front room is a restored pharmacy or something like it, while the back room looks more like a tired old reading lounge. It’s not quite sprightly enough to feel urban, and not cerebral enough to feel collegiate.
It’s tired, and the staff, while cordial enough, never show enough élan to be called «friendly». While music is always playing in the background, the place still feels sedate and quiet, as through it’s inappropriate to carry on a real conversation… even though nothing would prohibit it. In the end, the place succeeds, thanks to adequate plug outlets and respectable wifi, at being a great place to get work done. And sip some pretty good coffee. A winter hideway.
Café 1923 is just a comfy pair of threadbare winter woolen socks.

This place is great! I usually order the Michigan cherry coffee. Sometimes it can be kind of watered down, but it just depends on what time you go in. The first time I visited I didn’t know it was cash only, so beware of that! They also usually have craft foods for sale. A few weeks ago I got some pickles and they ended up being great!

Coffee was decent, ‘espresso’ tasted like normal coffee that was put in a portafilter and not an actual espresso blend.
Atmosphere was cool, somewhat too relaxed, but a great place to chill and relax for a bit

The building, built in 1923 by polish immigrants Paul and Bernice Zukowski was originally a corner store. The front served as the grocery store while the back was a soda fountain. Now owned by the 4^th generation of the Zukowski’s it is BEAUTIFULLY restored with oak shelving, a wooden cooler, brass meat scale and an old ceiling. Their library is great – full of great books and so wonderfully cozy.
They have some crazy drinks including Snicker’s and Peppermint Lattes (ooooh I’ll have to come back to try those) and a friendly staff. I opted for some green tea though which is in a thermos to the side along with their other coffees. Refills are based on the honor code! .25 cents!
–Green Tea: brewed just strong enough! Finally – no one brews tea long enough for me. It’s nice
FINAL VERDICT: definitely grab a good book or something that will take you hours to do and head over here for a cozy afternoon. It’s literally the only decent place around – old-​school and homey. They got sandwiches to satisfy your hunger.
see blog post + pictures:

This is one of the stand out places in Hamtramck. It’s one of three actual coffee shops in town that are striving to be good in the roasted bean business.
What can I say, it’s a coffee shop, so order a coffee any way you like. They don’t do V60 pour overs but they make a damn good cup of coffee. It’s trendy of sorts and a hipster hangout. No worries, you’ll also see the Polish pastor from St. Florian’s and city council members here too.
They have a sandwich and salad menu that I have never tried nor do I know anyone who has. Coffee is what they do well. The pastries are ordered in; not home made.
It’s cool, casual and comfortable. Play checkers or read a book here. You’ll catch me thumbing through Melville while drinking a café au lait. The coffee part is true, the Melville is not. I don’t apologize for just lying to you.

Fantastic coffee that they roast in-​house (the Michigan Cherry is my favorite! Even just the aroma… mmmmmm…
Café 1923 seems to be the great denominating spot for all of the beautiful, diverse people that live in Hamtramck (and quite a few not from Hamtown, but go out of there way to come here anyway!). All ages, ethnicities, and styles are found here — from the young artistic crowd to the old man reading the newspaper.
They have a nice selection of sandwiches, salads, and baked goods, and the prices are reasonable. It’s a very laid back, home-​like atmosphere… which can lead to the service being a little less than speedy. Still, 1923 is worth the wait. :)

Love the place and such a convenient location!
Great place to hold a study session with friends. They have many kinds of coffee and so many baked goodies! They also sell snacks! There is free wifi and a library in the back, which makes it so easy to study there.
Ive had the muffins and coffee there. Superb! Do pay a visit if you havent!

This might be the best coffeeshop in Detroit proper* for people who want to actually do the coffeeshop thing, and feel (rightly) that they are too local, organic, and grassroots to spend their time in a Starbucks or Caribou. You can definitely get some good coffee here, plonk down, and read/​study/​debate Sartre/​discuss Jersey Shore until your heart’s content.
There are a couple of caveats for people who might come from a more coffeeshop-​centered culture, and so might have some slightly unrealistic expectations. The place is not huge. And by that, I mean that it’s fairly small. The main space is comprised of a front and a back room, each of which probably comfortably seat maybe 10 – 15 folks, if those folks wanted to be packed together and chillin with strangers, which they probably don’t.
The second warning is that there is a premium of comfortable seating, which is all concentrated in the back. Now I, like the next man, struggle on an almost daily basis with the issue of whether to sit in a comfortable upholstered chair or a wooden chair, when I’m in a coffeeshop. The upholstered chair is inevitably filthy (even when you can’t see it… just use your imagination), but oh so comfy. The wooden chair is marginally more clean, but oh so wooden. I usually break the tie based on how much skin is exposed on that day. And, in a close second consideration, how long it is until my next yoga class. Nonetheless, I like to have the choice. At 1923, sometimes that choice is taken out of my hands.
But, overall, good spot. And awesome staff.
* yes, yes, I know that it’s in Hamtramck. Whatever.

Unexpectedly tucked away on Holbrook in a Hamtramck neighborhood Café 1923 is the perfect spot to grab your morning cup of joe, work on that college essay, or meet and chat with friends. The vintagey coffee shop offers a variety of caffeine laden drinks, a selection of teas as well as a pretty solid list of sandwiches and salads. I’ve never eaten any of the sammies, but the salad I had was fresh and crisp. In addition, they offer a tasty selection of foods from the Zen Center like the kale salad and raw kale chips which I am horribly horribly addicted to.
Patrons and staff alike are as friendly as all get out and seem to know when to leave you alone and when to chat about everything from politics to pop culture. You wanna talk about nice? The barista even steamed my soy milk before I added it to my delicious Italian roast coffee. Simple pleasures, people.
Café 1923 is tiny but it packs a hard punch. There is a comfy, library spot in the back of the shop with wooden bookcases filled to the ceiling with amazing reads and cozy chairs. In addition, there is a small patio area which was wonderful on the brisk morning I decided to revisit the joint-​and I’m glad I did.
So to hell with Starbucks and Caribou I pick Café 1923!

I sat here for approximately…9 hours.
9 blissful, independently brewed hours. Sipping Michigan Cherry coffee (delightful, though I think I OD’ed, and thus will never be able to drink it again), sinking into the weathered, comfortable couches. It smells of books.
The front area has a line of small tables, most conducive to one person per table paired with a laptop. They are quite close together. This area houses the barristas (oh! the lovely barristas!), food, coffee and front door. The middle area is more spread out with lower tables, couches, scattered lounge chairs. More available for longer courses of coffee shopping. It also has a door. Lots of escape routes! The back patio area is sparse, but will do just fine for a quick breath of air.
We outlasted the morning gentlemen, who was just as sociable and sweet as the afternoon lad who came to relieve him. Both were very friendly, very willing to provide me with over 10 cups of coffee (refills are a quarter, third cup is full price, and the cyle continues). They made me a salad. I had carrots and hummus and Greek yogurt (all fairly well priced). They ran me a tab. I tipped them well. They were really quintessential coffee men. I liked it.
I’ll likely never return, but you should. To work. To sip. To chat. To read. It’s comfortable, and happy.
*Cash only
*Free wifi

This place is simply perfect in the morning. The sunlight comes in from the east and the coffee is great.
I ordered a large Americano, and my friend a large coffee — the tab was less than $ 5. In the era of spending three dollars alone for an Americano from Starbucks, this is awesome.
It is a converted dry goods store, complete with the monstrous weighing contraption to the right of the register.
The service is friendly.
There are moist baked goods and oatmeal.
And there is a large sitting area in an adjoining room with very comfortable seating.
I’ll be back here when visiting my pal Froh.

I am in love with Café 1923. I love everything about it. The coffee (arguably the most important part) is fantastic. The espresso is too. The pastries are always delicious and always seem very fresh to me. The baristas are super friendly and I’ve never had bad or snooty service here (which is a lot more than can be said for many coffee places in Detroit and Ferndale).
The space is beautiful, inside and out– the back patio/​yard area is the best on a sunny day. I can spend hours in this place and still feel a little sad that I have to leave. It’s pretty quiet, so you can read or study without issue, and other patrons have always been considerate and polite when I’ve been in (e.g. no mouthy douchebags/​loud frat boy types). I agree with all of the lists compiled by voting readers of various local magazines– this is the best coffee house in metro Detroit.

After a sleepless night at The Bell Tower I was in some dire need of coffee. Thank goodness my first meeting of the morning was scheduled at Café 1923.
As soon as we walked in I ordered my usual non fat latte with sugar free vanilla syrup. It’s worth noting that they had lots of other syrups to choose from, but when it comes to sugar free the only options were vanilla and hazelnut.
While placing my order I realized my stomach was growling, which I didn’t think would ever happen again after stuffing my belly to the max at Slow’s BAR-​BQ the night before. Café 1923 had a few food items to choose from. The sandwiches didn’t look too appetizing, but the larger-​than-​my-​head muffins were calling my name. I settled on the apple muffin and it tasted as good as dessert! It also did a good job of filling me up because I didn’t eat again for 5 hours… may just be the longest I’ve ever gone!
Unfortunately, our meeting ended up being canceled, but Café 1923 ended up being a good place to get some work done. Probably not the ideal spot for a conference call though because it got a wee bit noisy during my hour long call. But if you’re looking to set up shop, grab a cup of coffee, and eat a GIANT muffin this is the place!