I happened to be on Twitter on Saturday and mentioned that I love dive bars. A few minutes later I got a tweet back from a friend that there was a Detroit Dive Bar tour the next night, would I be interested? Oh heck yeah!
The tour was organized by Inside Detroit, a non-profit organization that gives public and group tours of Detroit. The founders, Jeanette Pierce and Maureen Kearns, both live in the city of Detroit and are extremely passionate about the city. They not only exude that passion on their tours but also educate others on the history and culture of Detroit.
The Dive Bar Tour group.The tour we were on was specifically put together for couch surfers. Couch surfers are an internet based community of travelers and hosts. The hosts offer free lodging on an extra bed or couch to the travelers. I actually looked into this when I was planning my first trip to the UK; the service was just starting out at that point. For whatever reasons, I decided to go the hotel, hostel, bartenders’ floor, and “man I would eventually marry” route. I’m still interested in couch surfing though, as hotels are cost prohibitive for the budget traveler. The cost isn’t the only benefit of couch surfing; you also get to experience a city through a local’s eye. And that is what we're doing on this tour, experiencing the city from a local's perspective.
The Anchor BarThe first bar on the tour, and our meeting spot, was the Anchor Bar on Fort Street. The Anchor is a dive bar, but it’s a comfortable dive. I could definitely see myself hanging out there. There is sporting memorabilia strewn about the bar and a whole wall is dedicated to hockey and the Red Wings. I’ve been told it is a regular hang out for both WDIV and Joe Louis Arena employees.
Vaughn Derderian, the owner of the Anchor, stopped by our group to say hello and even bought us a round of shots. The regulars were friendly too; I talked to one gentleman at the bar about our Detroit sports teams.
We then travelled to Beaubien Street Saloon in Bricktown. On our walk the tour guide, Jeanette Pierce, pointed out local landmarks and gave us an entertaining history lesson of Detroit. These woman know their city!
Beaubien Street SaloonBeaubien Street is a small, quiet bar. The regulars and the bartender, Tiffany, were very welcoming. In fact, Jeanette told us that there are only two bartenders here and between them they work every shift, 365 days a year. Did I mention there is free popcorn?
Steven's PlaceLastly, we journeyed to Steve’s, or Steven’s Place as the sign denotes. This bar, which is as dive bar as you can get, had a lasting impression on me. It’s right next to Saint Andrew’s but you wouldn’t go in here unless you’ve been in here before. Quite the catch 22, huh?
Steve Francis, his wife Sophia, and the guitar playing dude.Again, the owners were on site, serving up drinks. Steve Francis and his wife Sophia have owned the bar for 32 years, they also live above the bar. They are a cute old couple, hobbling about, adding a charm to this strange room. Steve served up the group shots of peach scnapps and as we clinked glasses my husband said, "Yiamas," which is Greek for cheers. I saw Steve's eyes light up and asked if he was Greek. Yes, he told me he was born in Oregon and raised in Greece. I didn't get a chance to ask how that happened. Oddly, there are old classic lunch boxes above the back bar; The Monkee’s, ET, Charlie Brown, etc. One man sat off to the side, playing his guitar. Other than him and our group, the bar was desolate.
We had a great night out, went to places we wouldn’t have gone to on our own, and met some great people. Jeanette and Maureen of Inside Detroit are what made the tour fun and unique, you can’t help but love Detroit after spending a few hours with them.
Do you have a favorite dive bar? Tell me about it!