It’s been quite some time since we checked in with Detroit Lions fans regarding their opinion of general manager Brad Holmes. The last time we polled our audience was almost exactly a year ago, following the team’s 2025 NFL Draft. Unfortunately, those poll results were lost to time (and a migration to a new content management system at SB Nation).
Detroit, MI
Where to eat, drink and game watch for Sunday’s Lions game
Don’t have a ticket to Ford Field’s “All Grit Watch Party” on Sunday?
Downtown Detroit will be a happening spot with plenty of the area’s bars and restaurants hosting special watch parties of their own or open as usual and scores of TVs for fans to watch the Detroit Lions battle against the San Francisco 49ers for the NFC Championship.
Plenty of restaurants are stepping up their offerings and hours for fans headed into the city. Fans will find menu offerings ranging from Detroit-style pizza and other pizzas to some of the best chicken wings and classic bar food like nachos.
Here’s a sampling of restaurants and bars ready with watch parties and menus offering plenty of their signature eats and drinks. Most are steps from Ford Field and others are within a short walking distance or a quick QLINE ride.
As most of downtown Detroit will be happening, longtime favorite bars and restaurants around other parts of town are ready for fans. There’s Bookie’s Bar and Grille a few blocks off Woodward, Nemo’s and McShane’s Irish Pub on Michigan Avenue in Corktown, and the longtime Anchor Bar on Fort Street.
And if we’ve missed a favorite spot, be sure to let us know. Send an email with the name and location to food@freepress.com.
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Bakersfield Tacos Tequila Whiskey
On Woodward about a 15-minute walk from the stadium or a quick trip on the QLINE, Bakersfield serves up authentic, Mexican street fare with a vast selection of more than 100 tequilas and American whiskeys. It’s a spot where the food is simple, the service is warm and the atmosphere is alive. 3100 Woodward Ave., Detroit; bakersfieldtacos.com
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Basement Burger Bar
Burgers, of course, are the star here. Choose from beef, bison, chicken, and turkey, or a vegetarian burger. There also are appetizers, salads, and sides. 1326 Brush St., Detroit; basementburgerbar.com
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Brass Rail Pizza Bar
Appetizers, salads, and burgers are on the menu at this establishment on Adams off Woodward, along with red, white, and build-your-own pizzas. The Brass Rail also has dozens of TVs for game-watching. 18 W. Adams, Detroit; brassraildetroit.com
Buddy’s Pizza
Buddy’s Pizza is known for its square pizzas with thick crusts, crisp and caramelized edges with sauce drizzled atop the cheese. A downtown location offering its popular Detroit-style pizza and traditional salads is on Broadway just minutes from Ford Field. 1565 Broadway, Detroit; buddyspizza.com
Buffalo Wild Wings
The spot for all things chicken wings — boneless or classic — and game-watching football. There are also salads, appetizers, burgers, and more. Buffalo Wild Wings downtown on Randolph is a several-minute walk from Ford Field. 1218 Randolph St., Detroit; buffalowildwings.com
Detroit Beer Co.
Just a short walk from Ford Field, this longtime establishment has plenty of beer options that pair with its burgers, twice-cooked chicken wings, sandwiches, and main dishes. This year, Detroit Beer Co. marks 20 years in business. 1529 Broadway, Detroit; detroitbeerco.com
Bert’s Marketplace
This longtime Eastern Market eatery offers its classic fried chicken and barbecue ribs as well as other bar food menu options. 2727 Russell St., Detroit; eatatberts.com
Elwood Bar and Grill
The Elwood, at the corner of Brush and East Adams just across from Ford Field, will open its doors at 10 a.m. There will be a tailgate-style setup with a limited menu. Offerings include hot dogs, hamburgers, chili, and sausages. 300 E. Adams, Detroit; elwoodgrill.com
Firebird Tavern
Opening at 3 p.m. the game-day menu includes the tavern’s popular burgers and chicken wings. You can also try steak frites and corned beef sandwiches. The drink highlight is the Lions Kool-Aid shots and Honolulu Blue mimosa. 419 Monroe St., Detroit; firebirdtavern.com
Frita Batidos
Frita Batidos offers Cuban-inspired street food and is located on District Detroit’s pedestrian-friendly brick-lined street. They will have the game on and $10 Miller High Life buckets. Happy hour and its happy hour menu is available 4-6 p.m. 66 W. Columbia St.; fritabatidos.com
Harry’s Detroit Bar and Grill
Here the vibe is a game day party paired with a vast menu that includes appetizers, entrees, burgers, sandwiches, and salads. Parking is free with food and drink purchases. 2482 Clifford St., Detroit; harrysdetroit.com
Hockeytown Cafe
On Woodward Avenue, the multilevel Hockeytown Cafe has a playoff tailgate on Sunday. Doors open on the first floor at 10 a.m., according to its website. The third floor/roof opens at 11 a.m. for its “Playoff Tailgate Party.” There will be heaters on the roof along with a DJ, photo booth, and games. Food offerings include grinders, sliders, ribs, jerk chicken, and pepper steak according to its Facebook page. 2301 Woodward Ave., Detroit; hockeytowncafe.com
Hollywood Greektown Casino
Restaurants inside the casino include the newly opened Red Lotus Asian Kitchen at the Monroe Market’s quick-service dining hall. Red Lotus features Asian fusion dishes and traditional dishes. Monroe Market also includes 313 Burger, Dunkin’, and Detroit Taco. Other casino dining venues are Sportsbook Restaurant and Prism Steakhouse. 555 East Lafayette St., Detroit; 313-223-2999; hollywoodgreektown.com
Jo Jo’s Shakebar
A spot for over-the-top shakes paired with craft cocktails and classic bar food like wings, burgers, and fries. There are also soups, salads, and entrees. 88 W. Columbia St., Detroit; jojosshakebar.com
Mom’s Spaghetti
The restaurant is inspired by Detroit rapper Eminem’s lyrics for “Lose Yourself.” It has a walk-up window on the side of Union Assembly on Woodward offering spaghetti, spaghetti, and meatballs or a Sghetti sandwich. There’s also an upstairs retail store within Union Assembly. The project is a partnership with Union Joints Restaurant Group. 2131 Woodward Ave., Detroit; momsspaghetti.com
Mootz Pizzeria
Mootz serves New York-style pizza with a crisp crust along with a selection of starters, salads, beer, wine, and a full cocktail menu. Within walking distance of Ford Field, fans can also grab a slice to go from their slice house if not dining in. 1230 Library St., Detroit; mootzpizzeria.com.
The Brakeman/Penny Red’s
At the Brakeman in Parker’s Alley, you can watch the game and play a few games. There’s foosball, table shuffleboard, or beer pong. If you work up an appetite, the Brakeman has an attached walk-up window serving up buckets of fried chicken, sweet-savory honey-butter biscuits, and a small offering of sides from Penny Red’s. Both will be open at noon and stay open until after the game. 22 John R St., Detroit; thebrakemandetroit.com or pennyreds.com
The Old Shillelagh
This classic, longtime downtown Detroit Irish pub spot has been around since 1975. Its menu highlights sourcing local ingredients. Offerings include starters, salads, sandwiches, Irish fare, burgers, tacos, and nachos. The Old Shillelagh opens at 11 a.m. DJ Kenny Washington is featured at 9 a.m., according to its Facebook page. 349 Monroe St., Detroit; oldshillelagh.com
Tin Roof Detroit
Steps from Ford Field, Tin Roof is a multilevel spot with entertainment and game-watching paired with a menu that includes wings and Nashville hot chicken. On Sunday, doors open at 10 a.m. for its championship watch party, according to the Tin Roof website. There will be a cover band and DJ’s. 47 E. Adams, Detroit; tinroofdetroit.com
Union Assembly
Multilevel Union Assembly is on the ground floor of Little Caesars’ world headquarters. The restaurant also has a second-floor outdoor terrace with elevated views of Woodward Avenue. A menu highlight is its Detroit-style pizza. 2131 Woodward, Detroit; unionjoints.com
Contact Detroit Free Press food and restaurant writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news and tips to: sselasky@freepress.com. Follow @SusanMariecooks on Twitter. Subscribe to the Free Press.
But as you can see below, Holmes has been an extremely popular figure among Detroit sports fans for pretty much his entire career.
Although, if there was a time when Holmes’ popularity took a hit, it was likely during the 2025 NFL season, when the Lions took their first clear step back since he and Dan Campbell came to town.
Since last year’s data was lost to time, this is a good opportunity to check back in with Lions fans. While Holmes certainly deserves a ton of credit for getting the Lions back to relevancy and helping them produce four consecutive seasons with winning records, there are some serious blemishes on his resumé now. The 2024 NFL Draft class has not lived up to his high standards through two seasons, some of his riskiest picks over the last few years have all failed to pay off, and last year’s roster just wasn’t good enough to withstand the injuries.
But Holmes is also coming off a very crowd-pleasing draft. Detroit addressed their two biggest needs with their first two selections, and there were no crazy head-scratching picks or expensive trade ups. Many have categorized his latest draft as “back to business as usual,” which could have some fans he lost back on his side.
However, that is all up to you. Vote on your thoughts about Holmes’ time in Detroit below, and share your extended thoughts in the comment section at the bottom of the page.
Dan Gilbert paid for an army of Cleveland Cavaliers fans to take over Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena for Game 2 of the NBA playoffs against the rival Detroit Pistons.
Gilbert, the longtime Cavs owner who has founded several Detroit-based companies and owns much of the real estate in downtown Detroit, sent seven bus loads of Cavs season ticket holders up I-75 North on Thursday, May 7, to wear maroon and gold shirts that read “BEAT DETROIT!”
Coworkers Rick Amador, 46, of Lorain, Ohio, and Eric Karr, 24, of Strongsville, Ohio, said they were thankful their trip to the playoffs in Detroit was fully paid for.
“Dan Gilbert fully paid for all of our tickets, paid for the shirts that you see here today,” Amador said. “He paid for the swag and he brought us here, fed us. We had a party at The Beacon [in Detroit, owned by Gilbert]. DJ, food, it was phenomenal.”
[ Pistons vs Cavaliers score updates, Game 2 highlights, commentary ]
Gilbert earned a bachelor’s degree from Michigan State and a law degree from Wayne State in downtown Detroit.
“I’m just ready to bring a dub home to Cleveland,” Karr said. “It’s been a long time coming. We got lucky with LeBron [James] always coming here and now it’s time for us to build our own future and win our own championship. All of them. Yes, Donovan [Mitchell] has to have his legacy game.”
The Pistons on Tuesday night won Game 1 of the best-of-seven series, 111-101, in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Games 3-4 will be in Cleveland on Saturday afternoon and Monday night.
As for a prediction for the rest of the series?
“Five games, Cavs win it,” Karr said without hesitation.
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