Rock City Eatery: The Restaurant You Know and Love with a New Menu and New Location

This Thursday at 11 a.m. Rock City Eatery will open the doors to its new restaurant located in Midtown Detroit. Although the restaurant is leaving Hamtramck, they have not left their roots behind. Chef Nikita Sanchez has kept many of the staple RCE favorites on the menu and the ambiance and decor is similar to that of the Hamtramck location. It's almost as though they picked up the restaurant and moved it to another location. The new space however is larger than the old, featuring a dining room and a bar. Just like the original RCE, there is a mix of seats and rustic walls adorned with rock icons. And let's just say you should take a trip to the restroom while you're there.

Obviously the main reason you're going to go to Rock City Eatery is for the great food. RCE will feature both a lunch and dinner menu, which is a major change from the Hamtramck location. During lunch, patrons will have their pick of many of the same menu items from the old location, such as macaroni and cheese, burgers, and now there's the addition of gourmet pizzas. In the evening however diners will choose from small plates and entrees, with dishes ranging from steak to pancakes and sausage. Items like the macaroni and cheese will be served in a smaller portion and pizzas will still be available during dinner hours.

Last night we had the chance to get a sneak peek of the new restaurant before it opened its doors to the public. We tried to order as many items as we could to get a full feel for the new menu. Plus, there are just too many great options to choose from! On this occasion we ordered Bone Marrow, Grilled Steaks, and Roasted Brussels Sprouts to start.

The Bone Marrow was served with bread and a pickled egg yolk, the "steaks" were grilled cauliflower steaks served with strawberries, and the sprouts were roasted to perfection. Then for entrees we tried the Indian ZZA, Rock City Mac (of course), and the High Steaks.

Everything that we tried was amazing, but the High Steaks definitely won the award for the best dish of the night, both in taste and presentation. Chef Sanchez definitely has pulled out all of the stops with this new menu, encouraging patrons to step outside the box and be adventurous with their meal. For dessert we tried something else new, an Indian version of rice pudding. It was served warm and was both sweet and savory. Also, we would be remiss if we didn't mention that the cocktails were also delicious. My personal favorite was the Let's Shake Hands. There's also an extensive wine menu and a great beer selection.

Overall the restaurant and food were both absolutely amazing, securing Rock City Eatery's spot in our list of favorite restaurants. We urge you to try the new location and menu as soon as you get the chance! Whether you're new to the restaurant, or loved the Hamtramck location, we guarantee you will not be disappointed.

Rock City Eatery is open Monday thru Saturday from 11 a.m. until 11 p.m. The new restaurant is located at 4216 Woodward Ave. in Detroit, right down the street from The Majestic and across from HopCat.

~C