bars near Ford Field

A group and I are headed to the Motor City Bowl in Detroit in a few weeks. The past couple of years we%26#39;ve all met for partying before the game -- one year at Cheli%26#39;s, one year at Hockeytown. They%26#39;re fun, but sooooo overcrowded on that day. Can anyone recommend a decent place, maybe a block off the beaten path, where we could have a group of 20 people gather before the game?

We%26#39;ve also been to the Elwood (too small), but never to the State Bar. Is that big enough, or would it also be packed because it%26#39;s so close to the venue?

bars near Ford Field

The State will probably be packed also.

There is the Town Pump on Montcalm (behind Hockeytown) that might be a little more off the path, but will still be busy. (townpumptavern.com) Good pizza.

Centaur is right across from the Town Pump. It is a more upscale martini type place.

There is also the Park Bar (2040 Park) basically a block behind the State - or a block south of Town Pump/Centaur. Somehow I%26#39;ve missed it all these years and have never been inside. They were not open when I was downtown a couple weeks ago scouting new places for our annual pub crawl, but looked pretty big.

Harry%26#39;s (2482 Clifford) is a block or two west of Woodward, one block north of I-75. It is walkable, but is a bit of a hike and might be pretty cold - I also think they run a shuttle. It is a huge bar, and I think they even have the roof open, yet enclosed for winter. (harrysdetroit.com)

If you head south towards Greektown there are several more places. Coache%26#39;s Corner is a big place, but bad service last time I went in there. Detroit Pub - terrible service everytime I have been there. The Old Shillelagh tends to pack them in also. The Well is a fun dive. Loco%26#39;s has good Mexican food. Harbor House is new (used to be the Cock %26amp; Bull). Seafood restaurant. Only time I was in there it was dead, and smelled like fish - so not a good indication as far as I am concerned.

My personal favorite is The Detroiter. Bit of a dive, but really good burgers. It is on Beaubien south of Greektown across from the Bricktown people mover station. I usually park there to stay away from the major crowd and take their shuttle to Ford Field/Comerica Park. It can be tough to get back on the shuttle after the game, so I usually walk (and bar hop) the way back.

And apparently I spend entirely too much time there as I can type all that from memory.

bars near Ford Field

Depending on the weathere I would check out the bard in Greektwon, depending on your tastes you have a few to pick from: Old Shlillelagh = Irish Pub, I was there last year before the NCAA tourney and it was a lot of fun. There is also The Well and Baltimore Lunch, they are pub/sports bar style and not too bad. Deluxx lounge is across from Old Shellelagh and its more sports bar meets martini bar. There are also some restaurants that have a decent bar, you may want to check out Loco Bar, Pegasus and Fish bones. Ford Field isn%26#39;t too far of walk from Greektown.

http://www.oldshillelagh.com/

Lots of good ideas, I%26#39;ll start checking some of them out. Thanks.

I%26#39;d go with Ole Shillegahs. I%26#39;ve always had good times there.

Nemo%26#39;s will be open, and will be running their shutle bus back and forth to Ford Field. That would be my first choice, probably. Okay, maybe I%26#39;d consider Ivanhoe/Polish Yacht Club if they%26#39;ll be open, but then you%26#39;d be on your own for transportation. Anyway.

Nemo%26#39;s has been running that shuttle forever (okay, since Comerica Park and Ford Field opened), and they know what they%26#39;re doing with sports fan transportation. Nemo%26#39;s is worth going to regardless, but the shuttle is a huge plus.

http://www.nemosdetroit.com/

http://www.yelp.com/biz/nemos-bar-detroit

Detroit Beer Co is close by, but will probably suffer from the crowds you want to avoid. http://www.detroitbeerco.com/

Here%26#39;s an overview someone wrote last spring re area bars people tend to go to before Tigers games. Ford Field is right next door, so the list would be more/less the same.

…metromix.com/events/…content

I%26#39;d add Jacoby%26#39;s and Sweetwater Tavern-- and probably more places, if I thought about it-- to that list.

Here%26#39;s an article about the Park Bar tev9999 mentioned above:

www.modeldmedia.com/features/Belanger81.aspx

Here%26#39;s a resource to find more opinions of various local bars:

http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-park-bar-detroit

I%26#39;d like to put in a vote for Park Bar. The place is only a few years old but is true to Detroit/Michigan --- right down the fact that they have few non-Michigan beers on tap.

If you love beer and good ambiance, no question I would hit the Park Bar!

I%26#39;m going to chime in on behalf of the Park Bar. Seems to be exactly what you%26#39;re looking for - literally, a block off the beaten path (enter on Elizabeth between Woodward and Park), with room to breathe for a group of 20 people. Don%26#39;t miss the in-house Budapest Grill takeout joint. Great sausage and fries to accompany your MI beer.