After a several-month closure, the iconic Anchor Bar will reopen just in time for Detroit Tigers Opening Day on April 8.
Anchor Bar is scheduled to reopen April 5, offering lunch and dinner service beginning at 11 a.m., according to a news release.
The bar has been temporarily closed since January. It’s long been noted as a hangout for downtown workers, Detroit sports fans and journalists.
On Opening Day, Anchor Bar is hosting a “Non-tailgate, tailgate.” They’ll offer fans $3 shooters, $4 draft beers and $5 well drinks while watching the game. The party begins at 11 a.m. The drink special is set to run for the entire month of April.
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A revamped menu will feature new specialty dishes, including a fried chicken sandwich topped with fresh lettuce and tomato, herb aioli and a side of fries. The sandwich is also served with the bar’s take on mac and cheese with cavatappi pasta, white cheddar and fontina cheeses, topped with parmesan breadcrumbs and oven-baked.
Menu mainstays include Caesar and Greek salads and the Anchor’s chopped salad. There are also Anchor Bar favorites of Garbage Can Nachos, chili and Cheese Whiz Totchos, truffle fries and chicken wings.
A new brunch menu is also planned, though the menu is not completely updated.
“The Anchor Bar has been a fixture of downtown Detroit’s dining scene for more than six decades and we look forward to reopening and welcoming our guests again,” said Stephanie Prechel, general manager for the Iconic Collection, the hospitality group that owns and operates the bar, said in a statement. “
The Birmingham-based company also owns and operates several metro Detroit restaurants, including Parc and the Fountain Detroit at Campus Martius Park, 220 Merrill, Rose Room at 220, DoubleTree Bloomfield Hills Detroit, Zalman’s Delicatessen and The Duke, according to its website.
Developer Zaid Elia is the founder and CEO of the Iconic Collection, which bought the Anchor Bar in 2018 from the Derderian family, which owned it since 1959.
The Anchor Bar’s hours will be 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. For Anchor Bar’s complete menu, go to anchorbardetroit.com.
Contact Detroit Free Press food writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news to: sselasky@freepress.com. Follow @SusanMariecooks on Twitter.
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