Standby

Updating my review now that Matty Matheson (of The Bear fame) came thru and re-vamped their menu. The drinks are still on point, but Matty is a GENIUS. It's a small but mighty menu and so delicious. We tried damn near all of the (Food) menu: *CRISPY PORK BELLY (milk bread toast, chili hoisin mayo, ginger, scallion) - yo, how have I not had pork belly on toast in my 3 decades of existence of this planet?!?!?!? I want this all the time. It was a PERFECT bite of savory, sweet, acid, heat. Damn. * FULLY LOADED SWEET POTATOES (corn, jalapeño, crema, fried cheese) - Another GENIUS move. Just wow wow - it's basically like esquites ON a sweet potato. The cheese curds are also genius. Anyways, flavor town status. *COCONUT SHRIMP & JERK MAYO (green onion, serrano relish) - This was perfectly fried and quite delish but in the context of the other two shareables, I wouldn't order this again. *BRICK CHICKEN (buttery mash, pan jus) - When you have a chicken dish on the menu, it had better be AMAZING and I mean it was pretty amazing. Crispy skin. Huge portion (half a chicken?!). Delish. *STEAK FRITES (tenderloin, au poivre) - I found it interesting that the sauce for the brick chicken & steak frites were exactly the same. This was my friend's dish so I didn't try any so can't comment on flavor. Looked like it was cooked properly though! *8oz BISTRO BURGER & FRIES (lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, cheese) - okay I say this in the most loving way but it tasted like Burger King (elevated) and McDonald's fries. I actually think that's a pretty impressive feat to do that in an elevated way like Standby did! Taylor - our server - was great. Super attentive and gave great recs. Also we were celebrating our friend's birthday so it was sweet that they sent out a complimentary lemon drop shot w/ candle!

Jenny/Jenna was amazing! Tried the snake in the grass- DELICIOUS! Not at all what I expected from a drink with mustard greens and celery bitters. It's sweet, tart and refreshing. Bites: coconut shrimp 6/10 crunchy but tasted a little bland, the Jerk sauce was pretty good. Wings- 8/10 with white bbq and hot sauce. Overall super cute. Great music and vibes. Definitely keeping on my list for when I visit Detroit!

This restaurant is on the belt and has a nice ambience for a nice dinner. The menu is on the smaller side but it seems to get updated often. We ordered a couple drinks before our table was ready which the bar service is very good. They are quick to get you drinks and anything you want.For our food, we ordered a lot of appetizers: Coconut shrimp & jerk mayo ($18), bluefin tuna ($22), hot honey chicken sliders ($16), and the fully loaded sweet potato ($15). I didn't care for most of the appetizers except the coconut shrimp. If it had more coconut, I think I would like it more but it was still good especially with the jerk mayo. We ordered both salads and we enjoyed the Caesar more than the smashed cucumber. The soy cured egg in the smashed cucumber salad is delicious but overall, I'd skip that salad. It took over 20 minutes for our salads to come though. We had asked our waiter for an update multiple times and he didn't check in on the kitchen or tell us about how many minutes. It took for us to ask him for an update when we had been sitting waiting for our food awhile. For our entrees, we ordered the Spaghetti Al Limone ($22) and the Brick Chicken ($28). The pasta was pretty good, nothing crazy, but we still enjoyed it. The Brick chicken was decent as well. I wouldn't say it wowed me but it was pretty good. I think I would just skip it for next time. Overall, I think this place is good to grab some drinks and apps.

Came here to start my boyfriend's birthday week off! I've heard so many good things about Standby and they did not disappoint! The shareable were really full of flavor and the drinks were soooo well made. The drink menu is lengthy and explains each drink so well. The food menu was smaller but we still ran into the problem of picking between options so i think that says a lot! Our server was Mario and he was so so helpful and kind. He broke down the menu for us and offered help if needed. The interior is smaller and dim lit for a more intimate setting. This is a great place to go for drinks and sharables with a few friends!

Standby is a go to for a great time. Simple design and layout but the music and vibe is always top notch. I will say it can get a little tight/crowded in there, but I guess that's part of the vibe. Staff is always super cool and the drinks never disappoint. Can't even lie, I forgot I ever ate here lol. Haven't eaten beef in 6 years, but I'm sure the Standby Cheese Burger and Fries was good when I had it lol.

What a great little peek a boo place! the atmosphere here is quiet, and low, but the food here is out of this world. Staff was wonderful and kind. And on top of things. only negative i have is how far the bathroom is. lol ( its quite comical)

I've lived downtown Detroit a very long time.Standby until present day is hard to get into. Today's there's a bit more flexibility on a weekday but I still recommend a reservation.Dress up if you come or cool swag. Lights are dim and the music makes you feel better.Drinks are yummy and beers are welcome. The staff is lovely. Brandy is a doll. I did come alone and was treated right.I ordered the pasta and calamari!I love the deviled eggs. I love the carrots and honestly y'all the food is great.Doris approved. 4.6Only because in order the deviled eggs a lot and a few times they have been cold even tho deep fried- and still yummy. I do like them better a bit warmer also sometimes when empty the food still takes a long time to come ourt- not that I am in a rush! Other than that- it's beautiful and I completely recommend for a date night, team thing for work, or a girls night out. Food:Tonight I got the calamari and the pasta.Calamari is a good mix of pieces. Soft but deep fried. It's in a coconut spicy pineapple white sauce. It's good but I didn't finish the plate.I also got the pasta. The cream sauce isn't special- taste out of the can. The sage would have been better fried.The stuffing is beautiful: really yummy and the shells would cooked al dente. Just lovely,Great amount of food for the price. And some crunch on top. I would recommend. I just wish the white sauce had some bite and there was just one slice of bread. I was offered fresh silverware that matters to me: and my waitress wasn't annoying I didn't feel rushed out. She was very nice and kind to me.Highly recommend!

Great place if your party is small. Either way, you'll likely need reservations. They have always made some of the best drinks in the city. It had been awhile since we'd been back and was disappointed that they changed the burger again. Why?? It was the best burger in the city.... Is that not good enough? Now it's just a good bar burger. Seems like this choice was about change or changing someone who doesn't work their anymore recipe...not what is better.

Aptly named, Standby is still the best restaurant + cocktail bar in Detroit. Whenever I'm downtown, I'm hard pressed to choose to go elsewhere because I just honestly would prefer to be here. The cocktails are consistently spectacular, and the rotating food menu is always enticing and delicious. I also consistently receive exceptional service. Top this off with an immaculate vibe, and you've got the makings of, well, a standby. I've come with family to celebrate birthdays, with friends to toast to a promotion, with my husband for an intimate date night, and solo when I just wanted to treat myself. Because of the seasonal menu rotations, there is always something new and interesting to sip or bite. A constant cocktail on the menu that I highly recommend is called the Snake in the Grass. But the best cocktail I had here was called the Black Beretta and was made with clementine sherbet and black sesame - outstanding! I also love that they have a rotating "break-even bottle" - where you can get a taste of typically pricey pours of whiskey, tequila, etc. for just as much money as it costs for them to break even on the bottle.

Early birthday dinner brought me to Standby for my very first time! I really enjoyed the food and the ambiance! The street corn sweet potato was amazing and so was the pork belly! I tried the infamous burger, and it lived up to the hype! Very tasty and juicy! I also tried the old fashioned and I can confidently say that it was the best that I've ever had. Very flavorful and not overpowering whatsoever! Our waiter was also very nice and attentive. I'm looking forward to coming back some time soon!