Jacoby's

Love this place. Every time we go in dude with the long beard is super nice and strikes up a conversation with us when checking how things are. To feel like a regular when we only make it in 2-3 times a year is such a treat. With that said, you really want to go for the food. The fries are amazing, fried pickle spears a delight, and everything else just perfect every time, with one exception. The Impossible Burger does not need extra salt added, they are seasoned enough for the factory so maybe not add any like you would your regular patties. Outstanding beer selection of you really only want a drink.

Plenty of options of imported beers. The atmosphere looks like a dive bar, and the food menu is pretty American/German focused. I would say more American than German though when it comes to food. Nonetheless, food was pretty good. If you're looking for authentic German all around, I would pass. But a good imported beer and some bar food w/German options? Potato pancakes were the bomb.com!

We went in the afternoon when it was quiet. I imagine this place is hopping at night. It was near our hotel and the beer and food more than filled our bellies. We each got a different dish: Rindleisch Rouladen, Schnitzel and German Sausage Dinner. All were delicious.

Even on a busy St Patrick's Day weekend, this place slaps. Had great chicken schnitzel and everything fresh, home made you can tell. Drinks were good and so was the server. Ask the bartender about going upstairs after your meal. Will deff be coming here again when I come back to Detroit

Cool old historic bar that has been serving up good beer since 1904.with very tasty German food. It came fast and was totally enjoyable. I didn’t expect to like potato pancakes and chicken schnitzel so much!

Two one inch thick pieces of deep fried chicken breasts are not schnitzel. The red cabbage and the applesauce was the best tasting of the dish to me. The wife got the dominic burger. We both left let down with the preparation of the food. The whiskey and coke was delicious!

Great selection of German beers and food. Love the atmosphere and nostalgic feel of this place. Bar was well stocked.

Love old dive bars and this one is excellent. The decor and atmosphere made me think it was 1906 and the server was on top of it with great service.

Came to Detroit with my mom to check out some sights. After several hours in the 95 degree heat, we both decided that a cold beer was in order. We stumbled across Jacoby's on the way to Greektown and decided that this was the place for us (we both love German Food, German beer, and German Biergartens). Add to that the fact that Jacoby's is the oldest operating bar in Detroit (1904), and we had a winner. Environment was exactly what you'd expect, with an intricate and old wooden bar, dim lighting, and tons of German beer varieties. I ordered a Warsteiner Dunkel and my mom ordered a Schofferhoffer Grapefruit for $8 a piece. Bartender was very attentive and was very conversational. He told us about the latest goings-on in Detroit, including the NFL Draft, GM HQ relocation, and new downtown investments. Overall a nice experience and exactly what we were looking for.

Jacoby's food quality has been slipping the last few visits. While the good service and "ambience" of this dive bar remains the same, that's not the only thing we're coming here for. Last time we had to send one entree back because it wasn't cooked, and this time the schnitzel for three people was what I will charitably call "deeply browned," which we all agreed was just short of burnt, and the meat was fairly tough because it was fried so much. My schnitzel was even cut open in part, my guess is they were making sure it was cooked enough. You'd think they would use a cook's thermometer. We could have sent them back, but didn't think it was worth the trouble and we were hungry. The soup was also only lukewarm. Hopefully Jacoby's can fix things, otherwise we may have to find somewhere else for German food.

Bad food, nasty bathrooms, slow service, wobbly bar stools. I don't get how these legacy places stay in business. I ordered chicken wings w/bbq sauce and a side of red cabbage. The second the waitress sat my food in front of me my eyes starting burning and my nose was assailed. I took a tentative nibble and the sauce was hot & spicy and terrible tasting. I think it might have been some version of buffalo sauce. When she came back around, I told her it was too spicy and a terrible flavor. Her answer was an apologetic - that's our bbq sauce. Not even close to bbq sauce - plus it was grossly drenched in it. She took it away and I ordered a single knockwurst. It was edible, but I wouldn't say good. The red cabbage & sauerkraut I got was pretty flavorless. The bathroom had water on the floor - or pee - who knows, mold all along the baseboards and toilet and was just generally dirty and disgusting. To think the waitresses are using them and handling our food. Barf.

I'm not from Detroit. I lived there as a kid and my dad and I take a once a year trip for a Wings game. On our way out of town, we pulled up to this delightful spot and had a hearty lunch before sitting in DTW for a bit. One, I'm glad I gave up the sauce. I hit my lifetime quota a few years ago, and if I hadn't I'd probably be a regular (read: attempted to have taken up residence above or below the bar, lost any semblance of employability, and would have attempted negotiate room and board with the owners by offering barbacking and janitorial service). It would have been bad. Why? Because this is a beautifully appointed, small, warm, unpretentious bar. It feels every bit of having 120 years' worth of history to it. (TANGENT WARNING: And it's located next to, I think, a place where one can watch women, ostensibly, critique scant pieces of attire by discarding them one by one to loud music. Performance art, I've heard, featuring feminine superiority through the judicious exercise of selective wealth distribution from the lesser base-driven male to superior calculating female sex. END DIATRIBE/RIFF) As for the food: I had a the German Sausage Dinner with knockwurst, weissewurst, and brat. All standard, all good, nothing life changing. The kraut was standard, pungent. The potato pancakes well well fried, crispy, light. The guy running the bar was affable though the place was dead (not surprising at 11:45 on a Monday after the Lions had vanquished the Bucs; apparently Detroiters' hair of the dog approach involves going to work rather than calling in notification of absence- the Midwestern work ethic is alive and well!). All in all, for the food, very good, not great. If I worked Downtown Detroit and wanted to walk to lunch, this would be in regular rotation.

Friday night, one of the bars still open with food close to Downtown. Interior definitely shows the age of the bar in a good way, with classic wood design throughout. Decent amount of people inside but not crowded at all. Was able to get a couple stools at the bar and ask for the food menu. Opted to try the Rib Tips ($20) to go along with one of their many beers in a can ($5). The tips are about six to an order, accompanied by a large handful of fries. Tips are doused in a tangy sauce, tougher than expected but good flavor. Fries are not overly salty, best with some mustard or hot sauce. Also got to try the Potato Pancakes ($12) which are insanely large (albeit needed more seasoning). Service is quick and it seems like an overall cool hangout place.

What a dump vs. looking at their website. Massive construction ripping out streetThe huge list of German beers on website are non-existent when you get there - only 4 German beers on tap and a few in bottles. What a let down!!! So old and run down I didn't want to go to into their menu. Ordered a Weisswurst (OK but...) on a roll that easily fell apart that came with over fried chips and tasteless red cabbage - I mean no spices or vinegar - tasteless! cafeteria style. Glad didn't spend more on food here. Service was friendly and attentive by bartender.

It's about time I've written a review of the oldest bar in Detroit! Yes, I love Jacobys :) If you like cozy with lots of wood and history, along with an excellent German beer list and food, this is your place. The staff here is very friendly and accommodating. And the food is excellent and a good representation of German staples like schnitzel and rouladen. I haven't tried the schnitzel, but the rouladen is fantastic. On my most recent visit, I had a light meal of French onion soup and shared hot pretzels with cheese dip. The soup was a standard crock with melted cheese on top, and it was good. The pretzels were perfect. Not too chewy, and exactly the right consistency. I'll be back. Again :)

I've been to Jacoby's a couple times now - once after a Red Wings game at the Joe and once on a random Saturday afternoon. Very different experiences but both good. The bar was empty except for two other people when we arrived. We sat at the bar and got great service and conversation with the employees. As a German biergarten, there's lots of German beer options on tap. Nate got something he enjoyed and I opted for one of the holiday special drinks - The Grinch, which I think was Midori and Sprite. It was green and topped with a cherry, not something I'd order regularly but I was getting into the Christmas spirit. They have a full menu with German specialties. I haven't eaten at Jacoby's but would love to try some of the food sometime. This bar can get pretty busy and they have an upper level with more seating. It's not a place I need to go every time I'm in Detroit, but it's been fun the times we've visited.

We were in town for baseball. The food was delicious, there was a good beer selection, and good service. The bartender went above and beyond the call of duty and chased us down the street when we forgot our credit card after cashing out. We would definitely go back if we came back to Detroit.

Stopped in yesterday for the first time. Plenty of parking nearby. I ordered the Rouladen and it was great. Excellent German beer selection. The service was excellent and I will definitely stop in again when I am in town.

Loved the history of this place as it is one of the oldest bars in Detroit that opened in 1904. The building is filled with history and so much character. The food was pretty great as well: - Jacoby's sausage and cheese platter 7/10 - BBQ wings 5/10 - Detroit Style oven baked pretzels 9/10 - Michigan salad 7/10 - Fries 10/10 If you are looking for beer, some good German foods and a place rich in history, this is the place for you!

We got the triple treat of German Sausage plate with fantastic Potato Pancakes Wowed. Coolest old school restaurant Downtown Detroit just a couple blocks from the RenCen. We shared the Bratwurst, Knockwurst and Weissewurst and both agree the winner is Knockwurst delicious with a beautiful snap when biting in OMG. We shared the French Onion Soup and German Sausage Soup absolutely Wonderful . Great fast fun service by Amanda you rock. Super selection of unique Beers from around the world. Cool Bar and Ceiling from a hundred years ago, a museum like experience you must try. #jacobysdetroit @jacobysdetroit #bratwurst #knockwurst #weisswurst #germanpotatopancakes #germanpub #classicdetroit #downriverfriendseat

Detroit's oldest bar dating back to the early 1900's The building itself is worth the visit. Great German Food with a kitchen that is open late. Super friendly staff. We spent several hours here and will be back

I spent 3 years in Germany, so maybe my standards are unrealistic for American German food, but I thought the food was just okay. The potato cake appetizer was totally bland. The sausages in the cheese & sausage appetizer were fantastic, but the cheese was very disappointing-- basic block cheddar & pepperjack. My daughter's burger looked amazing, but she said it was bland. The chips that came along with her burger were fantastic, though. I think they were home made. And I know it's a Biergarten, but it was also disappointing that they don't have any German wines, just one mediocre California brand. They seem to be understaffed. Once the place started filling up, no one came back for another drink order, so I had to go up to the bar to ask for a drink. It wasn't due to the server's negligence, though. She seemed to be the only one at the bar while also trying to serve tables. She was busting her butt that night. She seemed a little overwhelmed (understandably), but always remained friendly & professional. Although the overall experience was a little disappointing, I would not hesitate to come back and give them another shot. I just wouldn't order the potato cakes or cheese platter next time.

Great place to grab food, drinks and watch some games! Service was great, beer was refreshing, food was delicious/authentic and prices were extremely reasonable. Ordered the Weihenstephaner hefe weissbier, which is a traditional and the most popular beer according to the waitress. Highly recommend trying this. Very easy to drink! I ordered the schnitzel which was enormous and cooked to perfection. My dad ordered the corned beef Reuben sandwich, which was just as good. Highly recommend checking this place out!

At 119 years old, Jacoby's Biergarten isn't even beginning to show her age This restaurant serves the best, freshly cooked, most authentic German food in the Detroit area. Grandma's home cooking for over many years by the same cook. SwartzWald, Black Forest ambiance, with friendly waitstaff and a wide selection of delicious European bottles & draught biers!! Try the combos, you'll be back for more!! Gemütlichkeit abounds!! ( warm, friendly coziness & good cheer)

I have been craving German food, and there are not very many legit places back home in Austin. I was so excited when I stumbled upon this historical bar during my visit to the D. This bar is over 100 years old with a lot of character. They have a closed-off upstairs area and the restrooms are located downstairs. Because the building is so old, the downstairs ceilings are very very low. I felt like a giant down there. They have a HUGE selection of German beers, as well as a few other locations like Belgium & Scotland. I believe they have over 100 selections. My guest and I split the chicken schnitzel and requested both sauces on the side. I highly recommend them, they are both very flavorful! No way I can choose one. The meal comes with potato cakes and red cabbage which I didn't really care for. We also added pretzels to our order and that is for sure a must-have bar treat. Also, I have to say the prices for everything was very reasonable. The staff was friendly and quick to help us out. 10/10 I will absolutely visit the next time I'm in town.

If you are looking for legit German food and beer this is the place. They've been downtown Detroit for over 100 years for a reason. I've been there when it's packed full, usually around concerts. It's tight inside. They have a bar packed with German Beers on tap; I like the lager and the Pilsner. I've tried several things in the menu like the sausage platter; but the Pork Schnitzel is premium. I got mine with the beurre blab sauce with capers is so good I could drink it. That meal is served with sweet and sour red cabbage and two delicious potato pancakes. The Best!

We love Jacoby's! We've been coming here for years for the Sausage soup, which is wonderful, but today we're here for a break from the 2024 NFL Draft and they're packed but the food is still top-notch and the customer service is exceptional! Kudos to the staff!

The entire bar, and the bathroom area, smells like urine, raw sewage, and cleaning products. It's filthy. On a slow day, the bartender couldn't even clean up the crap that was left on the bar from the patrons before us. People next to us were brave enough to order food and said it was good, but we couldn't do it. So gross....

and I called to talk to a manager about all of this, they were rude about it and told me I had to wait 2 days. I work in two days. fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck this place. they will treat you like garbage and not be accountable to anyone of it.

I was in town for a convention and looking for a solo dinner spot to get away from the crowd. A good meal and more chill environment. Jacoby's was perfect! They had a great beer list, a friendly and attentive bartender and my food came out quickly and cooked perfectly. Everything was delicious!! What a hidden gem!

This place is amazing and I wish I knew about it sooner! A comprehensive and diverse list of beers both foreign and domestic, drafts and bottles alike Wonderful appetizers, and some great German dishes, we were seated immediately. It's small, but homely, and clean! The staff can answer most questions in regards to their beer list. And the smaller venue allowed staff to see to our needs very well. I've been to Germany, and being able to try foods and beers I haven't since then is a wonderful source of nostalgia! Hope you enjoy it too Talking to some of the staff, the cook had been honing the craft over 40 years! And they learned from the original owners! You have a legacy of authentic German recipes here definitely coming back

Great drinks and a great atmosphere. If you're looking for good German food in Detroit this is a great spot. Fast service as well

On a Saturday night there was only 1 server upstairs handling 12+ tables and the bar... so service was slow, but she was doing her best. Our table got drinks and several starters. Soft pretzels and potato pancakes were good, calamari and spaetzle were okay. Great beer selection, although their list is not always up to date - they were out of 3 bottles we tried to order initially. I'd definitely come back to try more of their menu as the entrees sounded really good!

Ate here for lunch with a work crew. Was introduced to grenadine in my Coca-Cola to make Cherry-Coke and the corned beef was very good. Nice place to grab something for lunch if you are working downtown.

I really wanted to love this place. I'm a "Dive Bar" kind of gal and this came highly recommended by a hockey player friend who hits up the bar every time he goes to D-Town; however, my only synopsis can be that it's not conducive to people seated anywhere but the actual bar. We had a group of 8 and were promptly seated at a hightop table, score! All was well until we got our crummy waitress. I'm gluten-free, not just a life-style choice, but a "my body has a genuine intolerance" choice. This insensitive human (said crummy waitress) let me know on no uncertain terms after I inquired about the gluten status of their meat/cheese tray, that since she wasn't gluten free, she has no idea what is gluten free on their menu and had zero desire to check. She was an extremely unpleasant sort and I strongly recommend avoiding this dirty, nasty place at all costs. Aside from shit service, you get the added bonus of the actual "shit" smell you endure when going downstairs to the bathroom. I went in with three teenage girls and almost vomited just from the hurling sounds they made while trying not to vomit while being in their sewer bathroom. How is this place still in business? They're an old bar indeed. It may be an interesting advertising ploy, but it's an unethical and deceiving one. Thank you, next. ABSOLUTELY NOT RECOMMENDED! Disclaimer: I did not experience sitting at the actual bar, which came highly recommended.

Ordered the pretzels. Not impressed. The cheese was cold and the pretzels tasted like they were store bought frozen. No complaints about service; the bartender was great.

We went in as the random of Sweet WAter being closed! Wow! Great walk in! Sat at the bar! Friendly , helpful great looking guy next to me! Offered great food selections! The food was outstanding! The service was excellent! Oldest bar in the city! It was a great experience! I ordered sausage & cheese platter! Very yummy! Had beef roulade which I loved! Took half. Home

Wow! The food is spectacular! We had the cheese and sausage tray, a coup of potato soup (omg) and the sausage soup, outstanding but overshadowed by the potato soup. Then we had the Jager Schnitzel, holy heII. Between the schnitzel and the potatoe cakes we are stuffed and content. Nice tap, awesome ambiance. Hopefully all the pics post-usually only half do but this place is the bomb.

We had reasons to be downtown and were going to try and capitalize on an opportunity to visit one of the few German restaurants in the area. We missed our chance at one place and decided to venture to the alternate, Jacoby's. As this was a time of COVID, we were concerned about having a sit down meal but we were grateful to be the only customers on arrival at what should have been a lunch time crowd. Perhaps a portend of things to come? The place has a long history since 1904 and the interior shows it. Dark, dank and with a lingering stank of decades of cigarettes before someone wisely decided we wouldn't allow that nonsense inside anymore. The place came highly recommended (Yelp and Google) and I wanted some German food. I wouldn't really get it here. See, I'm half German and I've lived there and I know what right tastes like. Jacoby's wasn't right. Not even close. I wondered at a Rahm schnitzel, on the menu,, that touts a lemon beurre blanc sauce. WTF? C'mon its just a creamy sauce, often with mushrooms. Yes, Jaeger schnitzel has a brown sauce with mushrooms...these are fine distinctions. So the lil kids shared a German sausage dinner of knockwurst and potato pancakes with applesauce and sour cream. All unremarkable, if not willfully bad. Teen had a Ceasar salad. The greens were bitter and the dressing poor. The wife and I had two different schnitzels. Now this is where money and quality ingredients talks and bad schnitzel walks. None of it was good.The meat was a typical frozen cutlet, and in my case lathered heavily with a almost vinegar brown 'Jaeger' sauce. It was willfully bad, an insult to German food. The red cabbage was ok, can't see how to mess that up. My lovely wife also found her dish unappealing, the chicken schntizel was overcooked, dry and lacking flavor. We actually felt bad for the restaurant. We left a bigger than usual tip. The waiter/bartender had done his job. I don't see it making it to 2024. Likely the worst 'German' food I have had stateside. Avoid this place.

Great find for us. We love German food and can't get it at home. Wonderful historic restaurant. The rouladen was terrific. My husband enjoyed the jager schnitzel enough to take a friend back the next night! Efficient service as well.

It's the only German Biergarten in Detroit, period. It's old, it's woody, it's open til 2 and they have great beer choices and food, even late night. Been here several times before but this time after a local wedding. We wanted a few more pops but our hotel bar closed. So we sauntered out to the crappy streets of Detroit in search of our next libation. This was the closest place to our hotel and I knew it well enough that it would suit and fulfill our needs. We did have to pass through the throngs of peeps waiting at Sweetwater, which can be both intimidating and annoying at the same time. Anyway we got there, ID check at the door, then easily sat at a very available tabletop. We were served in the matter of minutes by a very helpful tender. Spatens, potato pancakes, sausage and cheese platter, all the good ish you need at 1 am! The only thing I wish, is it was in a better location and it had an actual garten, maybe rooftop, to enjoy. It's rich history and old world feel is great and the people who work there are pretty great too. Don't hesitate to stop in for a pint and a kielbasa!

Looked good on Yelp but arrived and it looked like a dive bar so I did not know what to expect. I even asked a couple guys what they thought as they ordered while I was still drinking and their food came out fast. Both gave it a thumbs up so when my friend arrived we decided to stay. Glad we did, the food was great! Started with a pretzel app, smaller soft pretzels but you get 4 with a beer cheese sauce...pretty good! Then we got the Roulade with Spaetzle ( cuts with a fork, as it should) and the Jaegerschnitzel with Potato pancakes and both were excellent. Prices are very reasonable, service is prompt and friendly, bar is comfortable and the food was great! All around winner!!!

This place offers a solid variety of beers and a schnitzel as good anything you're going to find in Frankfurt.

This has been a favorite of ours for years. I was so happy when we stopped in to give it another try last night. Candy waved at us right away from the bar and invited us to sit anywhere. Lots of tables were open (yay Sunday night!) so we grabbed seats and she immediately brought us the menus and beer lists. Her recommendation of Blake's Triple Jam cider was spot on when I said I wanted something like a sweeter beer. I already hit the store today and bought a stash of this deliciousness for home. Hubby got the schnitzel and I got the perch dinner, and both were wonderful. Candy mentioned that the ownership changed a year or so ago (I think that's what she said?) and that may account for the less than stellar visit we had a while back. I wanted to get back online ASAP and make sure to let everyone know that Jacoby's is definitely back on their A-game. We loved every minute of it :) Thanks to everyone there for making it the great place of our memories once again, and especially to Candy for delivering a top-notch customer experience.

The drinks were fine but the food was not good. The schnitzel was burnt as well as the sauce. The gravy tasted like a powdered mix. I can't vouch for the other things on the menu, but the "German specials" were definitely not special. Overall it had a dirty dive bar feeling.

This place is small and not attractive. Good amount of selections of German beers. Service is awesome. Our waitress is very friendly and attentive. Pretzel: it's from frozen pretzel you can find at grocery store. It's drenched in melted butter. Save your money on this. Salad is nice size. Fresh but the chicken is a little bit over cooked. Sausage sandwich is delicious. Bread is soft. Red cabbage definitely not homemade. You can skip it.

Went around 6:00 on a Saturday. Only seating open was upstairs. They had one bartender/server for the entire upstairs area. She was wonderful and was doing the best she could to assist the amount of people. The food came in a timely fashion and everyone enjoyed it!

Oh yeah. This is what it's all about. I remember when I was a kid and this food was served. High five to you in Heaven Mom. Nailed it!

A very typical dive bar, and it has been in business since 1904. Food is good especially the German sausages that we had. The service was good even though it was busy and appeared that only two servers on the premises.

Deep in the heart of Detroit you'll find a truly historical bar that embodies the city. Their roots go back to the Rhineland and you can feel authenticity of the sausage. Did I have a bad time? Nein! I'd break a pretty important treaty to go back. Danke!

The food was ok but the cleanliness of the place was not good. The restrooms were filthy and smelled of urine and vomit. It was obvious they had not been cleaned. If the public areas are dirty one can only expect the kitchen to be nasty as well.

Went downtown last night and ended up at jacobys will definitely be back great food and great service !

Okay, so yes. We thought we were headed to a real live huge biergarten, and surprisingly, it was not huge at all. But wow - it was incredible. Terrific service, homey atmosphere, great beer selection, and truly delicious food. The menu is every bit as good as any biergarten we've ever been to and served up hot and fresh. I would visit here, with lowered expectations about the size of the place, and higher expectations about how wonderfully neighborhood-like the vibe is. Visit them and enjoy.

Really, really, REALLY good! The Naber schnitzel was to die for & the potato pancakes were real old world deliciousness. Knockwurst, brats & kraut are fabulous. Pretty decent selection of authentic beers & wonderful service. Great old world atmosphere. Worth the stop,

Visited yesterday while working for lunch, the staff was so friendly to me and my coworkers. Food was good, none of my coworkers had any complaints. Was going to rate a 4 out of 5 stars but based on the staff i had to give them an extra point. They even helped packed up our leftovers when they found out we had to go back to work and threw us in an extra bottle of water to take with us. 100% would return and patronize Jacobys in Greek town again.

To call this place a traditional Biergarten is probably pushing it. This is a bar with German beer and food on the menu. Some of the food is prepared in the traditional style, some of it is not. However most of what is brought out is quite good. I started with the sausage soup, which I was surprised to discover is prepared in a manner similar to a chowder. I don't especially remember seeing a lot of chowder soup's when I was in Germany, but I digress. My entrée was the Weiner schnitzel, which was delicious, but a little thicker than traditional German Weiner schnitzel. The spatzel and red cabbage were both perfect and well done. The beer menu is Three pages long and include stuff from all over the world. I was especially pleased to see Spaten available on tap. Our server was very friendly, but a little inexperienced. My only real complaint was how cold it was in the restaurant. In an older building I suppose it's hard to regulate temperature reliably. I would definitely consider coming back.

Great place for a beer and some food!! They had about 12 beers on tap, great selection including a Mead!! Pretzel was delicious, beer cheese was ok, spicy bratwurst was great!

hubby and I come here anytime we are in the D and can make it. he loves the jager schitzel! I have tried a few different things, can't say I've been disappointed with any of my choices. The kids had the chicken tenders this visit and LOVED them! they said they were the best they'd ever had. after a certain time of night, it is 21 and over only (learned the hard way after we stopped for a late night snack after a concert). lots of beers to choose from. small place, but, never had a problem finding a place to sit. recommend for sure.