The Motor City Brewing Works Review

The Motor City Brewing Works, Detroit, Michigan

Our first stop upon arriving in Detroit was the Motor City Brewing Works.  We had started our day visiting the state capitol building in Lansing and would be completing it later that evening at Comerica Park watching the Tigers play the Mariners.  Having read some positive reviews about Motor City, we decided to go for lunch before heading over towards the ballpark.

The first thing that I noticed about the place was its interesting aesthetic blend: the exterior had a certain modernity to it while the interior was reminiscent of a welcoming local Midwestern watering hole.  Initially, we were seated upstairs in the outdoor eating area.  As it was lunch time, there was a considerable wait for interior seating and so we took advantage of the opportunity to sit down right away.  As soon as we reached the upstairs section, we realized why there were tables open.  The weather that day was beautiful but also scorching; by that point, the temperature was hovering around ninety.  The only seats available were those not covered by umbrellas or located in the shade of the building.  Being that we were exceedingly hungry and thirsty, we decided just to suck it up.

The first thing that I looked at was the beer menu (pictured right).  My palette was raised to full attention by the descriptions of the beers and the sight of so many people enjoying brews in their shaded utopias.  I felt like a shipwrecked sailor, stranded on a deserted island--thirsting desperately for some sort of liquid sustenance while watching a cruise ship filled with intoxicated tipplers passing by, the tiny umbrellas in their fruity libations twirling in their fingers.  In short: I wanted a beer.

My six saviors

We ordered our food and awaited the arrival of my flight.  When it came...let's just say it was like heaven on earth.  The beers were cold and so at first they seemed very good.  As the food came and I returned to a less stimulated state, I realized that most of the brews were actually pretty middle-of-the-road.  Truthfully, they were average at best--enhanced more by the ridiculous temperature than any outstanding flavor notes. 

Still, the place was packed and nearly everyone had at least a pint in front of them.  The beer might not have bowled me over but it had obviously generated enough of a buzz to fill the place in the early afternoon, so I'm chalking it up as just something that didn't mesh well with my palette.

GRADE

I'm giving the Motor City Brewing Works a grade of B+ because of its solid food, decent beer, and great drinking environment.  Given the popularity of the beers with locals, I'm convinced that I just didn't enjoy them under the optimal conditions.  Overall, we had a great time and it's definitely a place that I would go back to if I found myself in Detroit.  I would definitely recommend  scoping it out.

BEERS SAMPLED
Bohemian Lager
Pale Ale
Ghettoblaster
Nut Brown Ale
Honey Porter
Summer Ale
Hard Cider (non-beer)

For further information on the Motor City Brewing Works, please visit their official website here

Cheers!

--Beer Whisperer Matt