Rock City Eatery

Thoroughly enjoyed our meal at this Eatery. Very unique dishes. Presentation is outstanding. Very casual fun atmosphere. Not your average food. This is for the fun adventurous guest. There is something for everyone. Do small plates and share.
Super fun

Ohhhh, You have to give this a try if you like trendy fun food. Not the average menu. Be a little adventurous and you will be thrilled.
Very casual fun atmosphere. Very interesting décor. Try small plates and share so you can try all the interesting dishes.

The RCE Burger is delicious! the appetizer Sprout has so many level of spices in it, out of this world! I would definitely come back again!

One of a kind place. Great food, good drink selection with no pretense. It’s like a throwback hippie joint with mismatched dishes, comfortable seating in a raw unfinished room with service by real pleasant down to earth waitstaff. Been there three times now and had great food each time at reasonable prices. Only bad experience is once there was some kind of fire in the kitchen that had filled the place with nice smelling smoke… Kind of place my mother would have hated.

Get the poutine! We got the 2.0 version with brisket gravy and blue cheese. It was the most delicious plate of savory and umami flavors. I mean, melty cheese, fatty brisket, and crispy fries. Oh, and we had it with a fried runny egg on top – bliss!
Also, staff is super nice and helpful. The pies looked delicious, but I did not indulge.

Awesome place. Food, service, and ambiance were all fantastic. Really unique and creative menu with food for all palette types! Mac and cheese, phở, «beetballs» with spaghetti squash, and octopus were all amazing. Go here!

Had a brush with the owner. He barged out the front door and muttered something indistinguishable with a glare of a psychopath. I didn’t know it was the owner until I made a comment about the guy and the woman behind the counter advised me of such… She stated «He had a bad day.» Well don’t take it out on the customers. Will never return.

Tuesday night the plan was to try Mabel Grey, 7pm table for 4, 1.5 hour wait, no way on a school night. So plan B, Rock City.
The margaritas were perfect, my friend’s extra dry, extra cold Our/​Detroit vodka martini was also perfect.
The food comes out when it’s ready, I’m fine with that, it’s all good and forces you to share. First out, the AWSOME brussel sprouts, a little spicy with a lot of peanuts. I had one of the specials, no I had two of the specials. The tongue was delicious, tender and flavorful. Served with roasted beets and two tastie sauces. I also ordered the roasted squash, the sauce was great and there were some yummy pig parts on top.
The burgers with duck fat fries were good, perhaps a little boring considering how creative the menu is, but anything with duck fat is just plain good. My friend enjoyed short rib heaven. The only negative; the wine list needs some help, or just drink the cocktails.
Oh yeah, we had a piece of wonderful pie for dessert.
And let’s not forget the service, it was also great.
I will be back.

H-​E-​L-​L Y-​E-​S
I was taken here as a surprise by my girlfriend. When we pulled off the highway into Hamtramck, I had no idea where we were going. She slowed down and I saw a Hungry Howie’s and a Chicken Shack side by side — I thought, this is a strange dinner option.
Then we parked in front and I noticed Rock City Eatery. The sign is very vague, not flashy or noticeable from a distance. But as you will realize, it’s all about the food and drinks here.
First, the place — WHICH WILL MOVE TO MIDTOWN IN EARLY 2016 — has about 10 tables, give or take, and presents a cozy atmosphere. We walked in and only four others were occupied at a table. Then suddenly about 10 people walked in after us. Good timing.
Our server was awesome and although he got a little sidetracked with the rush, he knew the menu and specials (and beers!) like the back of his hand. The menu itself is only one page, while the specials are numerous. The rest of the menu — which is composed of nicely printed paper on a clipboard — is all wine, beer and cocktails.
We started with the fried brussel sprouts, which were awesome. You instantly realize the effort the chef puts into the food — it’s the complete opposite of frozen, Olive Garden type fare. All the ingredients are fresh, the sauces are unique and the food dichotomy is salivating. Who knew eating chopped tomatoes with brussel sprouts was that great?!
The GF then got mac ‘n cheese (per usual), along with a salad that included cut up beets and tomatoes and avocado. I tried both items — also amazing. For my own meal I ordered a special: lamb gnocchi. OH MY GOD! The gnocchi was as fluffy as a new pillow, you could cut it easily with a fork. It was topped with pesto sauce and cherries. The lamb was so freakin’ tender, the combination itself just out of this world. Best.Gnocchi.Ever.
With the double black IPA (Weckerbocker!) and Triumph IPA (and her gin cocktail), we had a great dinner and a great time. This place really represents the food scene in the Detroit area, and as I told my GF, if this restaurant was in Chicago, NYC or LA, they could sell the items for 50 bucks a pop — and people would still buy them. The food is that good.

This has become my favorite place to take friends and family. We have tried everything he has on the menu and look forward to new items all the time. Go to dishes for me are Lamb Burger and poutine — Brussels sprouts and anything with Pork Belly that he makes!
Can’t wait to join you at the new location later this year! See you soon — it’s almost time for Thanksgiving Pies that are to die for!

A good first and last experience. .only because it’s not our cup of tea. Bill was $ 40 for two lamb burgers, mac & cheese and two waters. Two thumbs up on the mac & cheese with the edible cheese bowl. Lamb burger… eh. We both only ate half. I can say if you want a great burger… go up the street to their sister store. That is where we will go again going forward.
If you have a unique pallet. .guve them a shot. Or if you want some mac & cheese. thats the place.

Food was greasy and not in a good way. Extremely limited vegetarian options, and even a «go to» dish like Mac and Cheese was very bad (salty, nauseatingly rich).
The owner is weirdly rude and aggressive. I met him at a BBQ event and he is def not someone I would want to cross in a dark alley.
Some people love this place, I have no idea why. Even my salad was blahhhh.

One of the best meals I’ve ever had… the food was amazing… service was great!
The mac n cheese & day after Thanksgiving was truly special… finish it up w homemade pies…
Really special!!!
Proof you can’t judge book by its cover!!!
I’ll be back…

The atmosphere of this restaurant is sort of like an old diner in an industrial setting. They have pies sitting at the front counter, small tables, and ceiling fans blowing on a hot day.
The service was incredible for this inexpensive of a place. The waitress’ knowledge of the menu items and specials was impeccable. She was able to suggest drinks without batting an eye. And she was attentive of us the whole time, but in a relaxed and spacious manner.
Picking our food was difficult because so many things sounded appetizing. We ended up going with what we understood to be pretty traditional fare from this establishment: brussel sprouts, mac and cheese, and a lamb burger with duck-​fat fries. It was all amazing. My intention was to keep switching between eating everything, but once I would start eating one thing I couldn’t stop– I kept devouring it.
We ended with a slice of pie, naturally. And a pleasantly surprising small bill. I’m astounded at how delicious and cheap this place is.

Mac & Cheese served in a bowl made of cheese… I am sure it has been done by others before, but I tried it first at Rock City and I love them for it. I was a big fan of the pies the owner sold at Rust Belt Market and only made the connection once I started hearing about this place on Unilocal.
I started with a special Manhattan, which was interesting, but a bit too bitter for my tastes. That said; it gave me a nice buzz, and it was not too expensive, so I can’t complain to much. They also have nice assortment of interesting cocktails and craft beer. I followed this up by splitting the Mac & Cheese, which was hard to do, but worth it. Next, I had the Asian Pulled Pork Sandwich which was nice, but nothing special. However, the menu had so many choices, and I felt like taking the safe way on my first try. We finished with the Choco Caramel and Pecan Bourbon pie. Both were delicious.
Along with the food and drink, I found the atmosphere to be super laid back and super urban. My buddy from NYC said it felt like a place in Brooklyn to him. I will have to take his word for it.
In sum, I was very pleased with my first overall experience at Rock City and will surely be returning to explore their menu further.

This place is very odd, and I mean that in a good way. It’s like an Asian fusion-​esque food, but more American than Asian. It’s located next o a Chicken Shack and can be quite hard to find, unless you’ve been on Unilocal and know what you’re looking for.
Pros:
+Small menu, with regularly changing specials. Very cool.
+Good Asian-​inspired dishes. Where else can I eat duck fat fries dipped in schriacha with chopsticks? no where but here.
+Shrimp was whole, very cool! with the feelers still on. The Thai spice was more like Vietnamese spice.
+lots of beers and cocktails.
Cons:
–My brussel sprouts were burnt. Dafuq man?
–Duck fat fries not all that duck-​y. Needs more duck taste, like at Monk Beer Abbey in Royal Oak.
–Friend’s steak looked burnt a little.
–No bloody Marys! Minus a star.
Overall I wasn’t impressed. It’s certainly unique, and I’m sure my friends might have different opinions, but that’s what Unilocal is for right?

MmMmmMm pies are good! We stopped in here for coffee and a slice of pie and I enjoyed every last bite!
The pies are homemade and not overly sweet or full of sugar. We got a scoop of ice cream with the slice and glad we did!
Our waiter was cool. Super friendly and easy going with us. :)
Only came here for the pie and will be back for the pie :)

You guys, this place is so delicious. Go there tonight.
Fiancé’ took me on a booze & food tour of Hamtramck for my birthday (because he’s wonderful). After hitting Painted Lady and Whiskey in the Jar (both of which I recommend) we pulled up to Rock City. I was immediately excited when we walked in and it smelled amazing.
RCE has a cool vibe. Lowkey, but they definitely know what they’re doing. It’s a small place, not somewhere you would try to bring a whole group of people. The staff was knowledgable and friendly.
Since it was my birthday, Fiancé’ and I went insane ordering. Brussel sprouts, mac and cheese, wings, a bottle of wine. We didn’t put a lot of though into it, we just started listing things. Then, I ordered the RCE Burger. The burger’s incredible. Just order it. I think they change up the menu regularly, but if it’s on there, you won’t regret your decision. It got to the point where neither of us could eat anymore, and we were sad about that because there was food left and it was so good.
You should give this place a shot. We’ll definitely be back, both to RCE and Hamtramck in general.

I was recommended this place by 2 completely different people, so I thought ok… I will definitely go there.
The service was super awesome and nice. The food was delicious, I got the poutine with egg. The drinks, great variations. I tried Star Chicken Shotgun, tasty beer n good buzz.
Yep, if I’m ever in Detroit I’ll probably visit this place again and drink all their beers.

Never have I ever eaten more delicious food than I have here. I ordered the macaroni and cheese with the duck and bacon. I am now in a committed relationship with said macaroni and cheese. The cheese bowl is a delicious touch. I had the green beans for a side, they are so incredibly flavorful! My mouth was dancing.
I cheated on my Mac and cheese with the crème brûlée bread pudding and vanilla ice cream. I could not stop shoving it in my mouth.
The staff was incredibly knowledgeable and friendly. Meet the owners too! They are an amazing couple!
I have one complaint, and that is that this establishment is not in my home town of Grand Rapids. I now am tempted to drive 3 hours to eat here! Come to Grand Rapids please!