There are people who will tell you that Miller’s Bar in Dearborn has the best burger in metro Detroit. They are wrong. What you will find at Miller’s is the best damn, no-nonsense bar burger in the area.
By bar burger, I mean you get a beef patty on a hamburger bun. That’s it. If you opt for cheese it’s going to be Swiss or Velveeta.
Complete with rotary phone, Miller’s Bar is stuck a few decades back in time. And that’s OK. In fact, that’s the charm. When you walk in, the place will most likely be full. You wait in line until a table is ready for you. Don’t expect them to bring you a menu once you're seated. There is one small menu hanging near the grill but you shouldn’t need it.
Let me explain.
Miller’s doesn’t have a full kitchen or chefs or ‘gourmet’ burgers. Nope. They have a grill and limited options. Hell, they don’t even have plates. Your burger will arrive at your table on a sheet of wax paper.
Your options? You can have a hamburger or a cheeseburger, or as they like to say, with or without. You can have fries or onion rings. Yes, they do have a few other items on the menu but why in the world would you go to a place known for their burgers and order a chicken or tuna sandwich? That just doesn’t make sense.
Along with your burger, they’ll bring over ketchup, mustard and a vat of pickle slices. If you’d like raw onion, they’ll happily serve that up for you on an additional piece of wax paper. There is some Grey Poupon behind the bar but just as I doubt you rolled up to Miller’s in a Rolls Royce, I doubt you’ll need or want the fancy mustard.
The burger is thick and juicy. Smartly, they put the cheese on the bottom half of the bun so it doesn’t needlessly intermingle with your condiments. The fries are OK but onion rings are definitely the better side item here. Order the onion rings!
You won't find a ton of choices behind the bar, either. They have pop in cans and until recently, limited beer options. Up until about six months ago your beer choices were little more than Miller or Budweiser. They have now added ‘craft’ beer, meaning additional choices such as Sierra Nevada in a bottle and a Leinenkugel seasonal on tap.
When you are finished with your fine bar burger, you won’t get a check. This doesn’t mean you’ve just happened upon a free lunch. Simply go up to the bar and tell them what you had, “two cheeseburgers, fries, onion rings, two beers and a pop.” Done. Bring cash.
No, the Miller’s Bar burger isn’t the best burger in metro Detroit. But… it is a juicy, tasty burger and the experience isn’t like any other in the area. This burger easily makes my top 10 list and it might even creep into the top 5. More than that, Miller’s Bar should be on your list of places to check out in metro Detroit.