Jim Brady’s Detroit

Great atmosphere. Friendly staff. Been here twice and both times not impressed by the food. First time I got violently sick off the chili. I would stick to drinks here for the 3^rd time for the prices they charge for food. Definitely way better places to get great food in Royal Oak.

Dinner on Sunday evening before heading to a show at Motor City.
Great addition to the Royal Oak dining scene. With that said, I still miss the ribs Oxford Inn use to serve.
We checked in at 5ish and no wait, plenty of parking, but I could see the lot getting tight when the restaurant was full.
The new owners completely revamped and updated the interior. It looks great. In fact when you walk in there is a huge mirror just past the hostess stand and you see how great you look as you walk in.
Two big bars with seating both at the bar and then more bar stools at a long narrow counter in the bar area. Lots of flat screens.
In the dining area, tables and big 6 person booths with local street names and a bonus, coat hooks !
The food, our first visit so 3 of us tried the signature ½ pound Jim Brady burger which came with seasoned fries. All cooked as ordered and very good, us ladies when we first saw how large they were did not think we would be able to finish. Once we bit in, all disappeared.
The 4^th in our group order the chicken nuggets, very good, minimal breading, deep fried, both white and dark meat. Came with a very spicy buffalo sauce and she ordered a side of ranch to balance out.
No room for dessert this visit.
Reasonable pricing, food, 3 coffees, one Bloody Mary and the food, $ 52.00 plus tip
Service was very good, waited or wanted for nothing.
We will be back.

Just moved to the Ferndale/​Royal Oak area. We were looking to check out something new to celebrate our move. Unilocal listed this place as ‘hot and new’…is it ever!!!
I don’t think we were prepared for what lied beneath the mysterious black exterior of this classy joint. It was a weeknight evening and the place was busy. We walked in and the people in front of us asked how long the wait was, the hostess told them it would be 45 mins. They left, but we weren’t deterred by the long wait and gave them our name and number. Jim Brady’s uses texting to notify you when your table is ready. Seriously… no longer than 2 minutes…2 MINUTES… did we get our text! It wasn’t a mistake… our table was ready! Deep down inside, I really feel bad for the people that left… they really missed out.
We were seated and soon thereafter greeted by our waiter, Tony. Tony was super nice and took great care of us, not to mention he had a stellar sense of humor.
For drinks, I ordered the Sigapore Sling and my SO had the Clockwork Orange Margarita. Both of them delicious and boozey enough for our liking.
Now onto the food. Let me start by saying that any menu that has dedicated sections for ‘Tater-​tots’ and ‘Mac-​n-​cheese’ is for me. We decided to have some Mexican style tots, the same goes for the mac-​n-​cheese. Upon tasting both of our appetizers, we were in a full blown spiritual experience. We just kept making sounds and funny faces at each other to exclaim the greatness we had discovered. For our entrée we stuck to our Mexican theme and went for the fish tacos. Now these aren’t your average dainty fish tacos, these were 3 giant, overflowing with tasty fish tacos. We split one entrée and were stuffed by the end of our meal (and we took one taco home).
For one tot, one mac-​n-​cheese, one entrée, and 4 cocktails (don’t judge!) it was $ 71. I didn’t think it was too bad considering I haven’t had food this good in a long time. Can’t wait to visit again, I’m wondering if they have a happy hour deal?!

We visited the newest Detroit (royal oak) location about 3 weeks after it opened. It was a Tuesday evening, pouring rain. The valet walked me to the door with an umbrella over my head. It was crowded but we got a table right away. I love the «street names» on the end of each booth. The bar must have 40 seats!
My husband and I split the shrimp cocktail — 4-​bite shrimp, no skimping there. We also split fish tacos– 3 large tacos. That plus 2 drinks and I was full and happy. We will be back!

Amazing from beginning to end. The food was amazing! The service was excellent and the prices weren’t that bad. I had the chicken poppers and miso salmon. All amazing. Seriously can’t wait to go back. And top off the amazing food & ambience, they had Vernon ‘s ice cream!!!
Can’t wait to taste the complete menu! You won’t regret it!

I was very impressed by this restaurant. We went there for lunch on Saturday. When we walked in the hostess wasn’t there, but a waiter greeted us immediately and said I don’t usually seat but go ahead lead the way to wherever you want to sit and I’ll follow you. So we chose a booth. He brought us waters and said a server would be right with us. Turns out he was our server-​Leo. He did a fabulous job! He was confident and informative. He was very intuitive-​one step ahead of us the entire time!
The environment was very neat– classic older music, tv’s to watch sports, and comfortable spacious seating!
Our food was so delicious. We split the house salad, and it was great-​croutons had a cinnamon taste and the nuts were toasted, both complimented the fruit and vinaigrette dressing very well. I always use condiments, but asked for my sauce on the side. My grilled chicken sandwich was so good I didn’t even need the ranch it came with. Justin was very impressed with his turkey burger as well. I had a Bloody Mary which could have been doctored up more but was still good. Justin had the Irish coffee and enjoyed it. I noticed some great daily specials throughout the week on the menu.
Overall we had a great experience and will definitely be returning. Service and food were 5 stars!

Really good vibe and food
Had the salmon with cauliflower purée and my boyfriend had the Inferno burger (REALLY SPICY) but both very tasty. Highly recommend this place.
Also loooong wait time

Was pleasantly surprised with how much I liked this place. It doesnt feel like your typical Royal Oak restaurant/​bar. Bartender was very knowledgable and friendly. Love the concept of the place-​very 50s inspired and even has old fashioned drinks! The mac & cheese was delightful.

I desperately wanted to love this place, but came here twice and underwhelmed again. The atmosphere is lively. Somewhat of an unusual décor, like old meets weird. There’s a red velvet booth, lots of tv’s and lots of mirrors that reflect those tv’s.
The service has been great, everyone is friendly and prompt. The food unfortunately fails to blow me away. On a previous visit I had the chicken a la Brady– soo salty!
Today I had the fish taco– which were actually good, but I wish it had s kick to it.
My fiancé had the seared tuna but had to send it back as it was just too salty.

Five stars to balance out the moron (s) who gave a one-​star rating their pointless reviews.
I have only had drinks here and they were delicious and potent. If it wasn’t for the abundance of televisions I would say I absolutely love the atmosphere but unfortunately TVs are a necessary evil in most (all)bars in Royal Oak. Nevertheless, that doesn’t prompt me to cast down my judgement into a one-​star review. Somebody is clearly putting their life into this business and it shows. Although I cannot vouch for the menu, it looks like solid, locally sourced comfort food that should by no means deserve a one-​star review short of food poisoning or a knife-​throwing chef!
I plan on eating here soon so I will amend my review if I end up in the hospital after my dining experience. Otherwise, Diamond Jim Brady’s has a neo-​50s panache and a drink menu full of delightful classics as well as a great draft selection.

The best part of this experience was the service! We had an awesome waiter and I wish I could remember his name. Very attentive, friendly and knowledgeable on the menu. He also made us laugh.
We went for happy hour which is a very good happy hour! Half off apps and great drink specials.
The food was good. Not outstanding but definitely good and what we expected for the price and atmosphere of the place. We got the cauliflower, steak points skewer, chicken poppers, caesar salad, and mac and cheese. All were enjoyable. Surprised that the steak skewer only came with one skewer… Kind of hard to share which is weird for an appetizer. I would like to go back and try a burger sometime!
We will be back, especially for happy hour.

Went here last night for dinner. They have a small parking lot for you to park in on your own, the rest is valet. Wait was about 1 hour. Went to the bar to have a drink somehow found 2 seats. Place was packed. Started with the Motown mule which was their version of the Moscow mule. It was delicious.
Sat for dinner at a fairly spacious area. I didn’t feel like we were sitting right on top of others which was nice. With that said, it was still very loud. People were literally yelling at tables nearby.
We split the basil Boursin chicken salad and the bad axe burger. They were both very good. The fries had the perfect amount of crisp.

I figured I’d try out this new restaurant because it has pretty good reviews and it’s new. So I wasn’t surprised that it had such an awesome vibe when I went in! The menu is pretty standard: burgers, salads and then a few other key entrees like steak and salmon. The best part about this place though is the atmosphere. It has an old swanky vibe. They were playing music from the 80s and the décor is very retro. They do happy hour 10pm — 1am on Saturdays! That was enough for them to win me over! The desserts are huge, we ordered the banana split! Yummy! Oh and it has bacon… that should be enough said for anyone to want to try it!

Well, don’t let the full (very small and hard to park if you have an SUV) parking lot fool you. I’m sure it’s busy when you drive by because it’s a new spot in Trendy Royal Oak. I will say, the only reason I stopped in is because of the pretty cool neon Sign out front. That is definitely the best thing about this place.
We entered and I immediately laughed to myself after noticing the ridiculous design (straight out of a cheesy Vegas Bar, complete with a red velvet booth). I’m pretty sure if you wear dragon printed shirts, and those white stitched bedazzled jeans, you’ll actually love this place and make it your new ‘hot spot’.
The headset hostess looked panicked because it was a full house (remember it’s a new opening). We had 3 in our party and she said it was going to be 10 minutes. Well, it was almost 30 minutes, and the other staff buzzed around talking to each other through earpiece headsets like they were secret service. I didn’t mind waiting actually, because I actually enjoyed drinking all the cheesiness in… my wife and I had a field day laughing at this place.
They finally sat us, and no, it wasn’t at the velvet booth either. Just a simple table surrounded by 675 (exaggerated) flat screen TVs. And lots of mirrors in case you wanted to watch the TV behind you (in a reverse image however and I couldn’t quit make out the accurate score to the 4 basketballs games simultaneously being played).
The waitress was rushed and annoyed with her job. Not very friendly. The menu was forgettable. I don’t even remember what I ate. We did have some kind of chips and cheese and the cheese was cold, chips were broken, like out of a crushed Tostitos bag. My teenage son took two bites of his burger, and half of his soggy French fries. My wife and I just looked at each other and laughed. She was reading my mind and I was reading hers… Check please! Never going back, but cool sign out front.

A very nice addition to what is practically a hop skip and jump away from my home. I’ve been here twice so far, as a couple and as a group, and enjoyed both those experiences.
The menu is American with some variations, but lots of classic comfort food as well. The burgers are good, the sandwiches are great, and the salads are varied and delicious. Their warm carrot cake is to die for! There are great specials on Mondays and Wednesdays I believe. These specials include four dollar burgers on Monday (which we took advantage of)! Crazy!
The crowd is varied. They were couples, young guys, groups of young women, and families with small children. All seemed pleased with their meals. Service is excellent! The entry foyer is well appointed — it is a good break when you’re entering from the currently frigid environs! There’s lots of seating, and it is all comfortable. There’s also plentiful parking. The heating in the restaurant is a bit over enthusiastic and that is literally my only gripe with Jim Brady’s. Welcome to the neighborhood — we love you already!

Burgers were amazing and drinks were strong!
GREAT new addition to Royal Oak.

Great place! Sat at the bar and received great service. We started with the popcorn chicken with buffalo sauce we enjoyed them a lot! For entrée we ordered the Kale salad with salmon and the Mac cheese with veggies and chicken (minus the Ritz cracker topping (I don’t care for that topping). Then we had desert the carrot cake and the cream puff sundae. The carrot cake was good the frosting a little sweet for my liking and the sundae ice cream was good I didn’t like the cream puff probably just me but it was hard. Other than that we enjoyed the total experience and will go back.

This is a great addition to Royal Oak and the south side of downtown, especially. The chargrilled sirloin is awesome. The garlic mashed and sautéed vegetables are perfect. The steak Mac ‘n Cheese topped with a unique Ritz cracker crust is the best in the city. The sautéed chicken with zip sauce is delicious.
Be prepared for some salt though, as every dish seemed to have a good amount.
It can be noisy in the main dinner area, so probably not the place for a quiet conversation during peak dinner hour. It’s a little better at the bar, believe it or not.
Otherwise, I’m looking forward to trying more items from the menu in the future.

Checked out the New Jim Brady’s in Royal Oak for dinner around 630 on Friday night. Pretty slammed but that’s how most newer spots are, everyone wants a piece. However they had complimentary valet which is good, since there was nowhere to self park. Upon entry it’s an upscale diner or Coney Island type décor, with two bars along the wall and seating typical of such a diner or the like. It was told to be a 45 minute wait but I think it was more like 25 minutes or so not bad. I gave my name and found an empty seat at the bar.
The best part of the place are the bartenders, namely Jeff and Marissa. Both greeted me and my date quickly, graciously, and asked my name, which most bartenders don’t give a hell to bother with. These two were great; informative, suggestive, and go out of their way to make sure you’re happy. Would happily belly up for drinks and an app at their bar any day. As we waited for our table to open we ordered an app. As it was about to show up, we got our table. Jeff followed us to our table with the app and delivered it to us. Awesome. Great bartenders!
Service was fine and gracious at the table but a bit tardy. Still overall satisfied with the service.
Food was okay. The chicken poppers, which are breaded chicken bites, were really good. Tender and juicy. Two sauces came with it, a sweet bbq type sauce and a ranch like sauce. Neither were great but okay. Decent beer selection in awesome 15 oz or 20 oz glasses or bottles available. Also tried the chili which was a bit ketchup based with a nice spice. Wanted raw onions but got red onions which didn’t really set up the chili. Moved on to the steak and Mac and cheese as the main entrée which I split with my date. Nice hot bowl of cavatappi pasta with mushrooms, three pieces of steak, and small breaded frenchs onions. Gotta say, damn salty! Just so heavy and salty. The steak bits, all three of them, were over seasoned for sure. We ate it but man my sodium levels are probably sky high after that one.
It was okay but probably wouldn’t say it’s a must beyond hanging out at the bar for cocktails. The burgers looked good though from what I observed from others and the tachos (Tater tot nachos) looked good. Wouldn’t rush out to go there for dinner beyond that. Decent place, good staff, and good drinks though!

I was a bit after general dining hours at most places around 9PM, and tried several haunts by phone, with no luck: kitchen was already closed, or would be closed by the time I got there. So I had a thought: I knew that JBD opened yesterday, and what kind of hours did their kitchen keep? I called Diamond Jim Brady’s Novi and asked if they had a phone number for the Royal Oak location, which they did, and I called. Kitchen’s open until 11:50PM. Score!
I want to emphasize how important that is for someone like me. I often (too often) find myself out and about scurrying around for work, and I get hungry while working, and find out too late that it’s «after hours», and choices are few. Here, the kitchen’s open until 11:50PM weekdays, and 12:50AM on weekends, along with Late Night Happy Hour to boot! «Bonus Multiplied».
Service was really, really good. They’ve got a lot of people looking to make a good impression right now, and they did on me. My server Chad was able to answer every single question I posed to him (WiFi password, soup du jour, what type of fish is «Basa», etc.). He’s a great representative for the place, as was every other person I interacted with (yes, VTB: there’s some cute eye candy for you, you dirty old man!). Because it was Late Night Happy Hour, I was able to pop a bit more around the menu than I might normally have done.
Let’s start with that Soup Du Jour, then: mushroom bisque. I was immediately drawn and ordered that ($ 4 cup/​$ 5 bowl… get the bowl, which I ordered!), and also got their Grandma’s Chicken Poppers appetizer, since it was only $ 4 during LNHH.
They are hitting the right notes with that mushroom bisque. Very, very tasty, not too much salt, and the correct amount of mushrooms: they were in every bite, nicely surrounded by broth, and not «in the way» of the spoon. Every bit of a B+ here, which is high praise from me for soup. A very hearty and rich experience, enjoyable to the last spoonful. If it was on offer, I’d get it again. No bread or crackers included, unfortunately, but fair is fair: I didn’t ask for any, either. Perhaps it just needed the asking. Nonetheless: a great example of a fine soup. If you like mushrooms, you’ll be happy. I was, at least.
The Grandma’s Chicken Poppers were better than you (or I) would think they are. They do their *own* meat there in JBD, so that chicken is prepared *by them*. They prepare it themselves, they marinate it themselves in honey and buttermilk, they dip it themselves, and they fry it themselves. Oh, and the five sauces you get to choose one from? All house-​made, too.
What it adds up to is some much-​better-​than-​average popcorn-​style chicken. It’s *light* in comparison to many other different places I’ve had similar preps of chicken, and it’s *very* recognizable as real chicken. It still maintains a great deal of its juiciness, and while it didn’t change my life, it certainly ranks up high with the best of this type of chicken I’ve ever had. Glorified real popcorn chicken. Shareable, too, and at $ 4 during LNHH, I had absolutely no regrets. I’d go elsewhere on the menu in the future, but *not because* these were bad… it’s just not as great as, say, that mushroom bisque. Still, impressive in its own right, for the right reasons. They did this up well.
All told, I think I was out the door with tax and tip for $ 15 – 16 (including a $ 3 Coke, refilled several times by different smiling people), and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I certainly left with a full belly, and was able to easily take in the last period and OT of the Red Wings game. They weren’t terribly busy by that time, so camping at my table for 5 – 10 minutes wasn’t a big deal. Great hospitality.
The one (sort of bad) thing I did notice when I walked in: this place is *loud* with *lots* of hard surfaces. Even with a not-​full place, the noise level was high. Fill the place up? It’s going to be a bit of a decibel nightmare. That might have to be addressed in the future, but for my night, it was no problem at all.
I liked it, and I’ll be going back for certain. Be warned: the menu here and at Novi are *NOT THE SAME* nor are they really similar. They do share some dishes (chili, burgers, etc.), but if you’re expecting the dishes to be the same as they are in Novi, you’ll need to adjust your thinking.
Off to a pleasant start, I’d say!