McVee’s

McVee’s is exactly what you’d expect in a «restaurant and lounge» kinda place. Sandwiches, burgers, several entrees to choose from. And drinks. Service was adequate, but nothing to write home about. Food was good, with decent portions. Drinks were well made and cheap.
If I ever find myself back in the neighborhood, I will stop in again.

Not a bad place. Really small, or at least has a decent amount of tables for small groups. Out of the two restaurants (McVee’s or Mr. Joe’s which are owned by the same group), Mr. Joe’s definitely out weighs this place. The fat fries by McVee’s, in my opinion, weight down their rating because they are either dry and/​or in small amounts. You don’t get your month worth that way when you’re only getting 15 or less fries. Beer isn’t too bad either, would just be nice to be asked as to what we want in the pitcher, rather than just assuming.

This restaurant came highly recommended to me by a friend so I decided to give it a try. hands down one of the best burgers I’ve had. Everything came out perfect and the service was excellent, I’ll definitely be back !

Ya know this was a tuff one. I was on the road all day and came up Telegraph due to a major traffic back up on I-​96. It was hot outside and I was tired from my days work. I was just in the mood for a steak, nothing fancy just a steak. I remember going here on occasion several years ago and it was an O.K. place. It was packed on a Wednesday night. I thought to myself, at least it should be fresh. I pulled in and could not find a parking spot. I drove around the lot to exit and saw the sign that said additional parking in motel lot next door. I pulled back out on Telegraph and made the U-​turn and pulled into the motel lot. I entered and stood at the entry area that appeared to be where someone should have been greeting the customers and stood there looking for some acknowledgement. I glanced around and saw almost no seating in dining room and took seat open at the far end of the bar. The second table in from the entry was available as was the third. When a girl finally came by and said sit anywhere you want, I took the small table leaving the 4 place setting for another party. The first table was occupied by a couple that were trying to get service. I sat patiently with no silver ware, no drink or menu for a while until waitress came around to give table number one a couple menu’s and place a glass of water on my table with some popcorn. I like popcorn so started eating that. It was a bit buttery or greasy and I did put some extra salt on it so had to wipe my hands on my pant leg a few times before waitress finally cam close enough for me to ask for napkins, menu and silverware.
The seating is packed so tight that I was almost sitting with the couple at the table next to me. I immediately could sense this was a first date for them and I almost felt like an unwelcome spectator. I did choose the table so guess I can take the blame for seating selection. I did get my setups and menu so I could at least wipe my hands from the popcorn (and it was the bottom of the batch… a bunch of tiny little crumbs with a few normal size fresh kernels on top). I quickly ordered a steak, baked potato and salad. It took a while to get anything, then it all came out at once. I decided to leave the salad until the end of the meal. I buttered my potato and cut into the steak. The menu only had one size (10 oz) listed for the new your strip. I thought it was kinda small but had no other choices. It did appear larger than 10 oz so I was pleased. It seamed to be be cooked medium rare and had nice color. It was a bit chewy and really not very tender. I ate a few bites and hoped it would improve as I got into the center cut portion but it was just ok and lacked flavor too. I polished it off ate some of the potato and maybe three bites of the steamed veggie that came with it. I had to call the waitress over from another table to get my water glass filled. I went in for the salad and could immediately it had been sitting around all day, or longer. The lettuce was definitely wilted and not crisp at all. Ate a couple bites and started looking around for the waitress… got my check and left. Tried to give 3 stars for old times sake but just could not do it this time. It was about a decade since my last visit and not sure if I will be back.

I’ve been coming here on and off for over 12 years and the food has always been great. The atmosphere is normally very enjoyable except for the one evening I was there (early July 2015). I sat down at the bar and within a couple of minutes a guy sitting a few seats away near the entrance starts playing a very loud gospel rap video on his phone. So I’m sitting there and initially gave him the benefit of the doubt. I mean, maybe he just decided to watch the one video & didn’t realize it was so loud. After a few more minutes the video is over and in my head I’m thinking, «THANK YA JESUS!!». Apparently this guy wasn’t finished praising him and yet ANOTHER loud video starts blaring out of this phone. I turned and look at the guy like, «WTF??», but he keeps on playing it with that IDGAF attitude. I look at the bartender and he acts as if he’s afraid to say anything to him, but he knows this guy is pissing off the other customers at the bar. I watched several people walk in, sit down, and either move farther down or just leave after not being able to endure his extremely loud praise fest. Just as I’m about to say something his food comes out and he temporarily puts the phone down to eat. PRAISE JESUS!!! The bar was finally back to normal! Another 15 minutes go by & he finished his food & started the music again. By that time I was done & had to leave. I probably should have asked for the manager, but I wanted to see if the bartender would eventually say something as he was clearly losing business.
Again, in my 12yrs of patronage at McVee’s this has never happened. Normally it’s a very laidback crowd & even though some of the older guys like to talk politics along with touchy subjects, everyone respects each other & has a good time. If management is reading this, please tell your staff to address this issue so it doesn’t affect your business. Don’t go crazy and institute a «no cell phones at the bar» policy, but encourage the staff to use their best judgement and speak up when necessary. A louder than normal quick video clip or two is one thing, but playing loud songs for over 30 minutes at the bar & losing money because of it is another. It’s also disrespectful to the other patrons trying to enjoy themselves.
You get 4 stars because I’m still a fan and I know you’ll address this type of disrespectful behavior if it’s brought to your attention. Thanks for all of the years of great service overall!

McVee’s is pretty cool. Whether I’m hanging out with co-​workers or out for a drink solo, I haven’t been disappointed. The waitresses are friendly. The food is basic bar food, nothing to scream about. The beer battered shrimp are good. The turkey burger is my favorite thing on the menu. I have also tried a salad with grilled salmon… I’ll stick to those I make at home.
The drinks, however, were A-​OK. Just strong enough. (wink) They offer a full bar with a variety of liquor and a small mixed drink menu, which is what I normally order from.
I even got lucky one night, as a man wrote a poem on a napkin and slide it over to me. It was cute. (giggles)
The prices are reasonable, I only wish they’d offer drink specials.

Been there for business lunches 3 times a year for about 6 years. Good food and fair prices. Can get crowded at lunchtime but friendly staff more than balances it out.
Thumbs Up :)

It’s the only full bar in the area as we waited for our dinner reservations for Meriweather’s. They didn’t have a wine list, but Mike the bartender, was fairly knowledgeable and I settled on the Malbec. It was drinkable, though I don’t know the label. Mike was very friendly and attentive. Very dark place, but great for a drink, play a little keno, watch a game and blow off time. I do hope to not have to go back though. The music was R&B or Jazz and it’s not my flavor but they were fine in a pinch.

Great food, great service. Staff is friendly and down to earth. Great place to grab drinks and catch a game.

We went here for dinner with a large group (over 25 ppl). The service was fantastic. We were seated and had 2 waitresses waiting on us almost immediately. The orders were all correct and they even remembered who received what meal.
The burgers other people ordered looked good unfortunately I didn’t order one. I had the jambalaya and it was awful.
For starters it looked like it was leftover from the bottom of the pot the night before. The pieces of meat (chicken, sausage) were burnt to a crisp. And I mean BURNT. The red and green pepper (at least I think that’s what they were) was unrecognizable. There was no spice to it what so ever. (The southwest egg rolls had more kick).
For a place that has decent reviews on Unilocal already I am very disappointed.
I’ll never be back.

The Burgers are very good but the salads were surprisingly awesome too.
Great spot to hang out, grab a few drinks, and eat.
The food came out on time and the waitress, Ashley, was on point. This is not my first time at this bar and you normally see this type of service some really expensive places. Everytime I have come, they have been very attentive and the food is great.
I will be back!

I had a turkey burger which was really great!
The ambience is good and location is close to my office. I am docking off one star because the waitress dropped the plate and was planning to blame it on a new comer.

Good Drink Specials

A lot of bugs flying around, in February, not sure why… Ordered nachos, lots of fresh ingredients but needed more cheese. Will try again though, the menu looks good.

I went there for the first time yesterday and placed a Togo order. I built my own angus burger and it was amazing!
The burger was thick, the bacon was crisp, everything was flavorful, (and probably the most important for me) the buns were not soggy: D
I’ll be returning frequently ^_^

Like someone said, they make no promises but this is a laid back place. My cousin and I watch a playoff game in the dining area. A lot of couples came in, more people at the bar, and a couple of ladies getting their «Drink ON» had us rolling. There was a nice mix of mature people so it was very comfortable.
The food was better than we expected. The clam strips ware meaty and cooked to a perfect crisp that we had two orders. I’m glad it was happy hour. We didn’t care for the popcorn which was a nice gesture I guess. The potatoes skin could use a little taste as well but had plenty of potato. But neither of those hampered the burger.
The hamburger was really good, made just like a home-​patty burger with thick bacon slices you can actually taste tucked on a nicely toasted bun. It was seasoned with pepper and was not a pre formed patty. I didn’t mind the little corner of the patty missing.
The drink was good as well. The first one was marginal but the second left me with a smile. I now understood the two ladies getting their «Drink ON.» My cuz said his frosty glass beers went down smooth. I’m glad we ate plenty and followed with plenty more water before leaving. If i am in the area and just want a low key hangout, this is it.

McVees makes no promises, but turns out to be your best bet on a quiet late night. A Southfield gem. Check em out of burger night, but prepare for a crowd. Try the jambalaya on any other night, You’re welcome!

This is a nice bar/​restaurant. I had the Friday-​night walleye special and a couple beers. Waitress was very helpful making menu selections, describing options and offering opinions. Great place!

In reading the other reviews I was under the impression that McVee’s was sort of a charming dive bar with good food and lively atmosphere. Not so much.
The place was OK. That’s about it. The vibe in the joint was actually kinda weird. There were two dudes sitting down the bar from me that had obviously been there for a while because they were hammered. It was only about 6pm too. Not that I was offended (it was a bar after all), but it added to the overall weird feel of the place.
I sat at the bar and the bartender was nice and very chatty.
At her recommendation had the Angus steakburger special, which tasted like every other frozen bar burger I’ve had. Again, it wasn’t bad, but it didn’t stand out and certainly wasn’t special.
It was kind of dirty with bad lighting. The clientele was comprised primarily of misfits. It’s also situated right next door to a very low end motel, which may account for some of the strange patrons.
Overall, I wouldn’t rush back, but it wasn’t horrible. I just wanted to give a more accurate description based on my experience.

We went to McVee’s to grab a snack and a beer, it was my first visit here and I was glad I finally tried this place. This place is kind of tucked into a part of Telegraph that is more industrial feeling so you almost miss it driving by. It also doesn’t have any windows so I wasn’t sure what to expect inside.
McVee’s is owned by the Snooker’s Pool & Pub people who also own Mr. Joe’s in Southfield, Lu & Carls (never been), and Stout Irish Pub (never been). I felt the inside had an atmosphere much like Mr. Joe’s which I like: open room, plasma’s all around, view of the bar, some local Detroit decoration on the walls. They also have those semi-​private booths around the perimeter of the main dining room which are nice. We went at dinner time and really did not smell much if any smoke from the bar area which was ²⁄₃ full of people.
We were seated right away and our waitress took good care of us. They look to have specials each day too, on this particular Tuesday night they had domestic bottles of beer for $ 2. Nice! We wanted «just a snack» so my lady and I shared a nacho plate appetizer. This thing was huge! More than enough for 2 people. It was quite tasty.
Looking over their menu they had a good variety of choices and fair prices. Next time I need to try out their main dishes and see how they are. It looks like they make a good burger here, and if anything like Mr. Joe’s burgers, they will be a real treat. On Wednesdays after 6 pm they have a burger and fries for only $ 3.
More details (menus, specials, maps, etc) about this restaurant and the others by the same owner I mentioned earlier can be found at their web site:
I’ll be sure to visit McVee’s again in the future.