Elwood Bar & Grill

Hooray! We've got our first Michigan RetroRoadmap Reader Recommendation from Twitter pal Mark "Insanitiki" Cisney. He heard my lament about his state not being represented on the Retro Roadmap that he leaped (leapt?) to my rescue with this gorgeous Art Deco gem, the Elwood Bar & Grill in Detroit, MI. Oh BOY!

Mark, who describes himself as having a "fascination with things, places and events of times gone by, and loves Rum, Tiki and Polynesian Kitsch" (all thumbs uppable in my book) writes:

After years of working downtown and having lunch at our desk, we decided to have a Friday Lunch Adventure and visit a new place each week. This is one of the gems that we have found! The ElWood Bar and Grill built in 1936. It survived two new stadiums built in Detroit by being moved a few blocks away from its original location. After its move it received a complete restoration!

If there were places like this near me I'd never eat at my desk again!

According to their website:

Built in 1936 by Detroit architect Charles Noble, the historic Elwood Bar & Grill is downtown's most recognizable Art Deco diner.

The Elwood was named after its original location at the corner of ELizabeth Street and WOODward Avenue (EL[izabeth] WOOD[ward])

In 1997 the Elwood Bar & Grill was saved and moved by owner Chuck Forbes to 300 Adams Avenue to make way for Comercia Park, and now makes its home right behind left field.

After the move the Elwood Bar & Grill underwent a complete restoration, including remodeling of the Art Deco Interior and reovation of the diner's unique, enameled steel facade.

A place for sports fans to congregate before or after the game, you can see the stadium just outside the window.

And the bar is a hit with the sports fans, who hopefully appreciate the wonderfully restored historic interior!

And thanks too, to the owners of the ElWood for realizing the value of it's historic facade and legacy, and continuing the tradition for years to come. Who knows what sports fan will have a better appreciation for authentic art deco fonts and exeteriors, simply because of seeing this place preserved. A girl can dream!