Empire Kitchen & Cocktails Owner Responds to Biting Detroit Free Press Review | Eater Detroit

"Opened in May by Michael Abrams and partners as a self-styled “American-style bistro and bar,” the restaurant received a scathing Detroit Free Press critique that called it a “paint-by-numbers restaurant concept” and “a hollow echo” of downtown trends, largely despised the food, and pointed out the odd juxtaposition of sipping $13 cocktails on the patio “a stone’s throw from a homeless shelter.” Abrams says he was taken aback by the brutal review but defends the concept as intentionally approachable for nearby residents of The Scott, explaining the deliberately small, broad-appeal menu (burgers, pizzas) and his long history selling burgers; he insists “our pizzas are great. I think our burgers are great” and that he’s proud of the restaurant after years in the business. While he isn’t planning to change the restaurant’s format or menu, he may encourage a bit more creativity going forward, and he notes relatively strong crowdsourced scores (about 4.7 stars on Google and 4 stars on Yelp)." - Brenna Houck