Standby
Restaurant · Downtown
225 Gratiot Ave, Detroit, MI 48226
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Highlights
Creative American cuisine & inventive cocktails in a dim setting
Creative American cuisine & inventive cocktails in a dim setting
"There’s something sufficiently clandestine about ducking down a brick-lined alley, opening up a pair of ponderous doors and blinking away the daylight inside a dimly-lit bar. Standby brings chic elegance and professional know-how to this award-winning bar in the Belt Alley. The menu is subdivided into categories like “Purist,” “Tried & True,” and “Certified Bangers” to help patrons decide based on their mood. Oh, by the way, chef Matty Matheson, that goofy guy from The Bear, developed the food. Book a table on Resy." - Mickey Lyons
"The new Matty Matheson collaboration has done wonders for this long-standing bar in downtown Detroit. The coconut shrimp with jerk mayo, grilled wings, and little gem Caesar salad are all stellar additions. Another mainstay featured on Standby’s new menu is steak frites. Steak tenderloin arrives on a plate submerged in creamy au poivre sauce, and comes served with a side plate of golden, crispy French fries. The steak frites at Standby are a great date-night share; just be sure to order a couple of imaginative cocktails to go with it. Walk-ins are welcome but you can also book a table on Resy." - Danny Palumbo
"Downtown’s celebrated bar and restaurant is famous for its vast catalog of cocktails, ranging from smoky, spirit-forward concoctions; refreshing and citrusy sips; to more adventurous, savory or vegetal offerings. In addition, its food menu — designed by chef, restaurateur, author, and cooking show host Matty Matheson who in 2024 partnered with the spot — features fun bites like coconut shrimp with jerk mayo, mortadella sliders, and Alabama barbecue grilled wings. It should come as no surprise that Standby’s mocktail menu is equally impressive, with drinks like the California Sober, featuring the Pathfinder hemp-infused spirit, lemongrass, ginger, tart orange, and club soda." - Serena Maria Daniels
"Hidden down Belt Alley - a Midtown alleyway filled with street murals and art galleries - is Standby, a semi-speakeasy that doubles as a cocktail bar and restaurant. The bar itself, which is referred to as a “cocktail lab,” serves more than 50 different cocktails, most of which are really delicious, but also take a few minutes to make. It’s dimly-lit and definitely intimate, so if you’re looking for a good date spot, come here. You can also stop in until midnight for a late dinner, with the gnocchi and cheeseburger being two of the biggest crowd pleasers. If you want another bar to check out afterward, grab a frozen cocktail at The Skip at the other end of the alley." - sara barron, sam faye
"Matty Matheson will launch a new menu at Standby, featuring dishes like coconut shrimp with jerk mayo, mortadella sliders, Alabama barbecue grilled wings, steak frites au poivre, and a variety of taquitos. Standby is a celebrated downtown bar and restaurant known for its vast catalog of cocktails." - Serena Maria Daniels
