3 Detroit Eateries Among 101 Best Casual Restaurants In America 2017

DETROIT, MI — Three Detroit restaurants are among the 101 Best Casual Restaurants in America, according to a new lit from The Daily Meal culinary news site. The new list drills down from site’s traditional ranking of America’s best restaurants, which led to apples to oranges — or rather, pizza to foie gras — comparison, and sorts casual restaurants from those offering fancier fare.

The list of the country’s top casual restaurants includes everything from hot dog shacks to taco joints to neighborhood hangouts to legendary barbecue spots. The main criteria to make the list was the price of the meal, and The Daily Meal looked for places where two people can go out for less than $50, excluding the tip and alcohol. Other considerations included overall ambience and comfort, its “destination” status, and its proven reputation and longevity.

In Detroit, Lafayette Coney Island came in at No. 60, Slows Bar-B-Q came in at No. 70 and American Coney Island came in at No. 78. (For more local news, click here to sign up for real-time news alerts and newsletters from Detroit Patch, click here to find your local Michigan Patch. Also, like us on Facebook, and if you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

The coney joints are rivals, and were once owned by the same family after they split following a famous feud.

“Most locals will tell you it’s Lafayette all the way, though, for several reasons,” The Daily Meal wrote. “The hot dog has a juicy, salty, smoky snap, the Coney sauce is spot-on, and the fries are crisp. But it’s the experience that puts it over the top in our book: While American is shiny and a little charmless, Lafayette is a divey, weathered, eccentric sort of place that hasn’t been renovated in many years. Its charm is palpable, especially in the staff, who’ll most likely bring you your order in fewer than 30 seconds. In short: The perfect hot dog stand.”

But The Daily meal likes the coneys American as well, writing:

“In Detroit, there’s an epic rivalry going back decades between two neighboring hot dog stands, American Coney Island and Lafayette Coney Island, but both belong on our list for serving legendary hot dogs. Family-owned and -operated since 1917, American’s claim to fame is the classic Coney-style dog. A custom-made natural-casing hot dog from Koegel’s gets placed into a warm steamed bun, then topped with a Greek-spiced beef-heart-based chili sauce developed by founder Gust Keros, a heap of diced onions, and a squirt of mustard. No trip to Detroit is complete without a Coney dog.”

The editors raved about Slows Bar-B-Q, writing:

“Barbecue might not be the first thing you think of when you’re in Detroit, but it should be. That’s because Detroit is the home of Slows Bar-B-Q, which serves some truly amazing barbecue, sandwiches, and beer in the heart of downtown Detroit.

“Baby back ribs, St. Louis spare ribs, brisket, pulled pork, smoked chicken and turkey, and smoked garlic pork sausage are the primary meats, all of which are hormone-free and raised humanely on family-owned farms.

They’re smoky and delicious on their own, but we suggest you try them tucked into one of the stellar sandwiches, available with Zingerman’s toast or a poppy seed roll. The Yardbird (smoked pulled chicken mixed with mushrooms and cheese and topped with bacon), Triple Threat Pork (bacon, pulled pork, and ham), and the Longhorn (beef brisket with onion marmalade, smoked Gouda, and special sauce) will forever haunt your dreams. But don’t miss out on the sides; the macaroni and cheese in particular is outrageously delicious.”

Here’s the full list of the 101 Best Casual Restaurants in America 2017:

101: Attman’s, Baltimore
100: El Mago de Las Fritas, Miami
99: Beasley's Chicken + Honey, Raleigh, North Carolina
98: Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles, Los Angeles
97: by CHLOE, New York City
96: Swett's, Nashville, Tennessee
95: Super Duper Weenie, Fairfield, Connecticut
94: Santarpio’s, Boston
93: Corner Bistro, New York City
92: Hill Country Barbecue, New York City
91: Nathan’s, Coney Island, New York City
90: La Super-Rica, Santa Barbara, California
89: Ben’s Chili Bowl, Washington, D.C.
88: Guelaguetza, Los Angeles
87: Crif Dogs, New York City
86: El Real Tex-Mex, Houston
85: Dick's, Seattle
84: Cooper's BBQ, Llano, Texas
83: Gray's Papaya, New York City
82: Chris Madrid's, San Antonio, Texas
81: Blue Benn, Bennington, Vermont
80: Veselka, New York City
79: Berghoff Café, Chicago
78: American Coney Island, Detroit
77: Zuppardi's, New Haven, Connecticut
76: Grill 'Em All, Los Angeles
75: Weiner’s Circle, Chicago
74: Tattooed Moose, Charleston, South Carolina
73: DiNic's, Philadelphia
72: Sylvia's, New York City
71: Superdawg, Chicago
70: Slows BBQ, Detroit
69: Walter's, Mamaroneck, New York
68: Shapiro’s Delicatessen, Indianapolis, Indiana
67: Santa Fe Bite, Santa Fe, New Mexico
66: Big Bob Gibson's BBQ, Decatur, Alabama
65: Father's Office, Los Angeles
64: Pecan Lodge, Dallas, Texas
63: Olneyville NY System, North Providence, Rhode Island
62: Loveless Café, Nashville, Tennessee
61: Distrito, Philadelphia
60: Lafayette Coney Island, Detroit
59: Fette Sau, Brooklyn, New York
58: Paulie Gee’s, Brooklyn, New York
57: Guisados, Los Angeles
56: Domilese's, New Orleans
55: Joe's Kansas City Bar-B-Que, Kansas City, Kansas
54: Pappy's Smokehouse, St. Louis, Missouri
53: White House Sub Shop, Atlantic City, New Jersey
52: Mother’s, New Orleans
51: Gates Bar-B-Q, Kansas City, Missouri
50: Canter's Deli, Los Angeles
49: Geno's, Philadelphia
48: Apizza Scholls, Portland, Oregon
47: Corky’s BBQ, Memphis
46: Ted's, Meriden, Connecticut
45: Sally’s Apizza, New Haven, Connecticut
44. Rubirosa, New York City
43. Big Star, Chicago
42. Pat's King of Steaks, Philadelphia
41: Papa’s Tomato Pies, Trenton, New Jersey
40: Motorino, New York City
39: Tick Tock Diner, Clifton, New Jersey
38: Portillo's, Chicago
37: Lombardi's, New York City
36: Louis Lunch, New Haven, Connecticut
35: Henry's Puffy Tacos, San Antonio
34: Gott's Roadside, St. Helena, California
33: White Manna, Hackensack, New Jersey
32: Una Pizza Napoletana, San Francisco
31: Totonno’s, Brooklyn, New York
30: Au Cheval, Chicago
29: Pizzeria Mozza, Los Angeles
28: PJ Clarke's, New York City
27: Pizzeria Delfina, San Francisco
26: City Market, Luling, Texas
25: JG Melon, New York City
24: Al's #1 Italian Beef, Chicago
23: Pizzeria Bianco, Phoenix, Arizona
22: Prince's Hot Chicken Shack, Nashville, Tennessee
21: Cochon Butcher, New Orleans
20: Charlie Vergo's Rendezvous, Memphis, Tennessee
19: Patsy's, New York City
18: Mi Tierra, San Antonio
17: Kuma's Corner, Chicago
16: Gus' Fried Chicken, Memphis, Tennessee
15: Pink’s, Los Angeles, California
14: Little Goat, Chicago
13: Grimaldi’s, Brooklyn, New York
12: Di Fara, Brooklyn, New York
11: La Taqueria, San Francisco
10: John’s of Bleecker, New York City
9: Willie Mae's Scotch House, New Orleans
8: Hominy Grill, Charleston, South Carolina
7: Second Avenue Deli, New York City
6: Roberta’s, Brooklyn, New York
5: Kreuz Market, Lockhart, Texas
4: Arthur Bryant's, Kansas City, Missouri
3: Franklin BBQ, Austin, Texas
2: Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana, New Haven, Connecticut
1: Katz's Delicatessen, New York City

Photo by Sam Beebe via Flickr Commons