Northern Lights Lounge

I have had 2 birthday parties here over the last 10 years, countless business dinners and just recently enjoyed my first brunch here turning 30 years young. Never gets old. Kai, our server, was absolutely bossing the floor while we were there and the food, as always was proper. You know it’s great when your phone doesn’t eat first. The attached photo is the only one I got. Amazing place for food and rinks and even better place for a proper groove at night time. 10/10 recommend!

Great place to get your drink and your dance on. Thursday nights with John Ryan are the best free Thursday night in the city. We were here during Movement Weekend and the place is great. Nice and dark, clean, good seating, incredible sound system, and great dance floor. Nice, strong drinks and friendly staff. This is a great spot to meet up at or make new friends. Really great patio too. Highly recommended.

Stopped by here with my roommate to grab a Moscow mule and some French fries after a long day. The bartender was great! I liked the fries and my drink. I thought it was a little pricey ($14 for a mule) and the inside was very nice. Perfect for a date night setting because there are candles on the tables and the lighting is soft/low. I’d be back :)

Annual Saturday after Thanksgiving Michael Jackson vs Prince party Great party, lots of dancing, T-shirts, very friendly atmosphere. Place sort of like Cheers bar, where everybody remembers your name. Great burgers

Just left this establishment for there r and b night. I enjoyed myself but the young lady at the door was rude as hell! Stoic face when I walked up, no hello or hi. I only had cashapp and it was like she was irritated smh. The outside patio was a vibe though and the music was great. Definitely need to hire people that are friendly and easy going! This was my first time there as well.

Attended for a birthday celebration. Approx 25 of us throughout the evening. Service was average at best. It wasn't that busy until later,I understand being overwhelmed when busy. I've been multiple times but this was the first time we didn't have great service. The kitchen closed at 9 (we were unaware before going) there were several of us that intended to eat and we tried to order shortly before 9. Our drinks were empty more often than full. We had to find our server. The server combined bills without asking or letting us know prior causing awkwardness because some were paying cash and some credit. The glasses from our tables were not cleared. Several of us just went up to the bar to order. Great music, nice atmosphere. Food is usually yummy. Overall a great night.

Probably won't return. Drinks were very good but ordered wings and brought wing dings. So basically I paid full price for a half order. Fries were delicious. Just not my vibes.

The BEST GRITS I've had since I lived in NC. Most amazing atmosphere and Sunday brunch on the patio is pretty awesome. Kyesha is a great server and Chef kills it in the kitchen!

One of my favorite bars in Detroit! Great music and food always. Service is great too.

The atmosphere, new food and drink menu, music, and service is all around great. Very fun and comfortable setting, would recommend anyone to stop by and enjoy the great vibes.

I love coming here. The drinks and bar service are good and the patio is really nice in the summer. The indoor seating is also very comfortable when you need a break from dancing because some nights they have great local djs playing (check their instagram!). This place also has the nicest bathrooms of the bars I frequent. They're always very clean and the women's has a nice sitting room.

Stopped here for brunch to meet a friend and told the server I wanted exactly what he was having which was pancakes, sausage, and scrambled eggs ( his eggs had no cheese). So I Ordered pancakes with scrambled eggs with sausage priced at 16. My order came with cheese over the eggs but because I had to leave I didn't send it back even though I am lactose intolerant. At this time of order I asked for water which wasn't served until the food was served approximately 20 minutes later. At that time I asked for syrup because the syrup on the table was empty and the request was immediately forgotten as I watched my server bussing a table. After a good ten minutes, I got up and went inside to get syrup. My pancakes were then cold as I was seated outdoors and it was a breezy midday. When it came time to pay I asked the server to take off the cheese which cost $3 and brought my bill to $20. My request was denied because she simply brought out the same check. I very reluctantly left a $3 dollar tip. On my way home, I called the restaurant and informed them of services received. They listened and apologized. My goal was for the server to get proper training.

Absolutely love this place in both of it's incantations. Love it there was food after 8pm would have stayed and had cocktails. Leaving with a party of 7. Sorry y'all missed out.

Food was good, drinks were super strong. Staff was really nice!! Cute bar near my home office. First time visit because of a work party.

This is THE go-to spot for a good time. The food is amazing, indoor and outdoor seating available, and a really friendly staff. They also feature local DJs some nights- I follow them on IG so I know who's coming when. The sets are always a vibe. Perfect spot for a night out or a lunch date.

My favorite spot to visit when i'm in town. Has a beautiful patio and great food. love the local DJs and live-band nights as well

Super pleasantly surprised by this little hidden gem in downtown Detroit! I attended a business networking event there and had two drinks but did not try the food. The service was excellent and the patio is really nice on a beautiful weather day. There is a giant well lit parking deck right across the street making it super convenient to visit without struggling for street parking or having to walk far from the nearest deck. All in all, will definitely not hesitate to be back!

This place was amazing. We walked in and were immediately greeted and welcomed to the bar for a drink. Chad was our bartender who shared some great tips for places to visit in town and the other patrons were friendly. The atmosphere is cozy and warm.

Great place to hang & mingle. Best patio scene around! I think you'll enjoy yourself!

cool furniture for a dive bar that makes you feel like you're somewhere really unique. imagine if you went to siren bar but didn't have to pay $100 a head-- northern lights definitely has a great price point. i will say the food is good-- classic american bar food made well. the chicken tenders are wayyyy better than your average. love the weekend bartenders. this place is my go-to.

Great bar to go to if you want to get berated for being a "cis white male"... bartender Ashley will put you in your place unprompted. She can tell just by looking at you that you're a terrible person for being born a "white male heterosexual", I guess. I used to come here a long time ago when you could see great live jazz music and Jack White sitting at the bar. Different place now. The rest of the bartenders were great and apologized for the behavior. Very strange encounter.

PLACE SUCKS!! Well Detroit now a new #1 Dive Bar...Northen Lights Lounge. Went there on a Wednesday, the service sucked !! 20 minutes to get a beer, 6 dollar domestic and 9 dollar shot!!! The lady next to me was still waiting for a glass of water. The bartenders were at the end of the bar washing glasses! I finally had to call the bar, talk to the server standing right in front of me and get my bill! Never again

Northen lights lounge where a good time is all the time. Dancing the night away on a summer night on the patio or the main dance floor is is the best thing to do in Detroit hands down. So stop reading this and head up to NLL. Se you on the dance floor.

This is a perfect after work bar with an awesome happy hour. Outside the good priced food and drinks, this place is hopping on almost any week night. It's a fun atmosphere, and is a cool vibe of a place. You should check this place out, it even offers free parking, which is rare for downtown.

Have come here for brunch a couple of times with some friends. All I have to say is do NOT sit outside unless you are ready to be attacked by bees literally the entire time. Even the employees couldn't clear off the tables without avoiding them. Their food is good and their prices for mimosa pitchers are great as well, but nothing that is really to die for that you couldn't get somewhere else. Service is rather slow. Takes awhile for them to notice someone sat in their section, takes awhile for food to come out, takes awhile for them to bring the bill, and for them to come back with your card. Overall its a really chill place. The inside is older and really dark (which is why I wish I could sit outside without being attacked). But if you are in no hurry and don't mind sharing your food with bees, then go for it.

The drinks here are great. The punch is excellent so if you're looking for a tasty alcoholic beverage, this is it. Also their mac and cheese is excellent!!! The wine list is very thorough for a small bar and you will not be disappointed. In the summer when the patio is open, baby! This is a great time. There's usually great music and I've enjoyed live DJs here on several occasions. This is a perfect spot to grab a drink year round. But be prepared. Straws aren't free here, so either you buy one or bring your own. Enjoy!

Northern Lights appears to be an old-fashioned bar. It's dark, not too modern and has a space for live music. There was no live music when I stopped by. It's a convenient and lower priced option for those going to the Fisher Theatre for a show. The menu is filled with comfort foods. While cheaper than some of the pricey options in the surroundings, the food is not cheap for what it is (e.g. $12 for chicken tenders and $8 for a grilled cheese sandwich). I ordered the chicken tenders and onion rings, which are both made fresh in house. They were not bad, but the chicken was a little overcooked. I was less thrilled with the service. It was a bit slow and a couple of our orders were wrong or delayed.

Well, this place was a huge surprise. We had an issue with our schedule lunch location for a team outing so we stopped in to see if they could accommodate a larger group during lunch. First, the atmosphere is amazing and takes you back. Second, the staff was really nice and happy to accommodate our group. The menu is a typical bar menu, but they have some good options. Everyone at the table loved their meals. I decided on their chicken strips with the flour batter and onion rings. They were both fantastic and definitely worth coming back for. I will definitely will be back for drinks in the future.

Macaroni and cheese here is bomb. That's about it. It's a nice laid back place to get together with friends, and they have a nice patio too. My waitress both times was nice, but somewhat inattentive. She was very forgetful both times. Don't think about making any type of requests here, it won't get done--Lol simple things like "hash browns extra crispy" or "eggs over easy" and the kitchen still somehow messes up or the waitress doesn't relay it to the kitchen. Either way, I honestly think she just needed to write everything down. It's cool and all to try and remember every order and I appreciate the effort, but if you're gonna do it then get it right. I'd still come back though. Why? Location is right next to my loft and gym, aaaand their Mac and cheese is almost as good as mine. Ok, it's just as good.

This retro looking establishment is only about two blocks from the Fisher theater. Fun fact! Went here prior to a show with a friend. I was being good so I had the fish with veggies and rice. Simple, fairly healthy, and well made. My friend had the taco salad with chicken which she liked - except for the excess of black olives. Another friend had fish and chips- looked good. She had the "punch" mixed drink and was not overly fond. I'd like to come back when I'm not feeling healthy since their burgers have a "special" blend that's a bit of a splurge. I'll be back to this low lit, retro, cool vibe place with a mixed crowd.

I can't even begin to explain how disappointed I am in the management at this establishment. I had a review saved in my drafts extolling their awesome brunch menu, but after what happened on my most recent visit, I will not be frequenting Northern Lights again, under any circumstances. Every year, after the Michigan Burlesque Festival (#MiBF17), the producers treat the crew and performers to brunch as a thank you for the hard work everyone does to create th weekend. Every year, we go to Northern Lights Lounge for mimosas and food. This year, we made a reservation for 30+ people, months in advance. They called 3 days prior to confirm the reservation, so they knew what they were in for. We my partner and I arrived to the restaurant (30 minutes late, per usual) our group was already seated. They had rearranged the seating themselves. There was only one waitress for our entire party, which was in no way fair to her or us, or the other patrons. My friends waited a long time to get drinks, and we arrived just in time to place our food orders. They provided us with a short menu, for ease on the cooks. Basic breakfast food (hash, eggs, toast, fruit, etc). Forty-five minutes after ordering, they informed us they didn't have any fruit, so several people didn't get what they wanted. Almost another hour passed before food actually started coming out. Not in order of orders placed, but random orders just started appearing, half of them being incorrect or under-cooked. Out of the 30 people, 7 got their orders. It took another 30-40 minutes to get the second round of food out, also incorrect and random. We had to start busing our own table, and most of us were STILL waiting on food. At this point, my partner and I had to leave. What happened after we left (our friends stayed behind, hoping to get their food and to square up on the bill), is why I am giving a one-star: not because of the food, the service, the chaos, but this: By hour three of being in the restaurant, and talking to the supervisor and manager about how unpleased we were, they said everything else would be out in 10 minutes, and that they would discount our bill. By this point, people had to leave to catch buses or go to other obligations, so they didn't eat anything at all while they were there. Some orders came out about 20 minutes after their 10-minute deadline, still prepared wrong, and still no food for the pregnant lady. My friend told them to bring the check because those who hadn't eaten were going somewhere else, and that we would not be paying for the food that was disappointing and served under-cooked and three hours later. It took over 10 minutes to bring us a check, in which they said they took $150 off. My friend told them that still wasn't good enough, because we had 7 people who still didn't get orders, and several people who left because they never got orders. Management agreed, and brought us a new check with just the drinks on it. My friend got the money together, as well as a large tip for the waitress. Although her service wasn't the best, she deserved the tip. She was understaffed, overwhelmed, and doing the best she could to accommodate us. For knowing well in advance that we were coming, they really threw her under the bus. My friend handed our server the tip personally, because they wanted her to know her efforts were appreciated. The supervisor came up, took the money for the bill, snatched the waitress's tips out of her hand and said it was going towards the food (which was taken off our bill, so it should have been written off at that point). When I heard this part of the story, I was floored .Never in my life have I heard of such unprofessional, disrespectful conduct toward, to have management literally steal money from waitstaff. This is unacceptable in so many forms, and my friends expressed that. The owner would not come out and talk to them, even though he was there. Instead, the supervisor just said she had to please her boss, as she put the waitresses tip in the register. A tip for service is just that. It's not to pay for the food your cooks screwed up. It's not to line the pockets of the owners. It's for the service workers. If your restaurant screws up, you need to rectify the problem. Not punish your waitstaff for your errors in being unprepared (even though you should have been). The supervisor finally gave her the tips back, and hopefully it stayed that way after my friends left. We go to Northern Lights every year for our festival brunch, but never again! They have lost my business forever, and I can only encourage others to also boycott them. I don't care how good your french toast is, I will not give money to any establishments that steals from their waitstaff.

This is easily my favorite bar in Detroit. I owe Yelp for helping me discovering Northern Lights, and figured it'd be a perfect choice for my 400th review. I was lucky enough to meet my good friend Carole via Yelp a few years ago. Through Carole, I was introduced to Northern Lights. It's truly a love story as old as time. NLL is chill. It's dark. It's romantic. It's always buzzing. Their prices are beyond fair, and you'll quickly become a regular to the bartenders and servers after a couple visits. I'm a fan of their weekend brunch from 11 to 3. You can snag a liter of mimosa to share (or not) for only $10. They serve up some tasty breakfast dishes, too. My husband digs their spare rib omelet; give it a try if you like savory breakfasts. Let's talk about their patio: it's bangin'! There's no shortage of seating, and they provide a few areas with shade. Service is harder to come by on the patio, so I just buy my drinks at the bar and go outside. It's perfect for summertime sipping. Northern Lights is casual and upscale at the same time. It's got a retro vibe with diverse customers, making it one of the best bars in Detroit.

This might be our new favorite place, at least in the summer! The patio is FABULOUS. As for food, we only tried the batter-dipped chicken fingers with blue cheese (as the server suggested) and onion rings, both of which were actually very good. They were perfectly crispy fried and well-seasoned, and they make the blue cheese dressing in-house, which is a bonus for me. I'm glad our friendly server suggested it! Another bonus: the BATHROOMS. I know, that's a weird thing to rave about, but this bathroom really is a lounge. It has a separate sitting room with a couch and a lamp, and the separate bathroom area. It's so cute, I could actually "lounge" in there! Lol Seriously though, this is the best bar bathroom I've ever been in. Ever. I can't wait to go back. Maybe today for happy hour!

Even if the food wasn't good, my experience at Northern Lights Lounge was so awesome it was worthy of 5 stars alone. I was with a large party and Jonathan was an awesome waiter that handled us all on his own. He was really personable which I appreciated. I had a carafe of the CP mimosa and the braised short rib omelette. The omelette had more fillings than eggs, which doesn't bother me. I believe that the group I was with enjoyed their food. We ultimately were there just to fellowship with each other and Northern Lights was great for it. Thank you Jonathan for taking such good care of us! The only CON to Northern Lights was that they cannot accommodate splitting of checks. We had to split our checks in groups of 5 and then just Venmo each other.

Hmmmm. Been coming here for quite a few years. I like the servers, and it's a reliable place to hang out and have a beer if you're by CCS, but nothing super exceptional stood out to me here. The food was ok. Not really into fried food, much. I've heard good things from others, so I'll have to give it another chance in the future, I suppose.

I LOVE THIS PLACE. The food, the drinks, the TVs, the live bands, the bartenders. The waiters lmbo. Everything is amazing in here. I haven't been since the pandemic but I remember it was fabulous. The last time I came here was literally a week before the world closed for covid. Amazing

I always feel like I pulled up on the Island of Misfits when I come here. Bartenders are super cool and the patio is nice. No bar service on the patio, so you have to navigate that for yourself. A better playlist on the patio would have enticed us to stay longer. A handful of grungy techno heads ruled the inside, but a majority of us were on the patio where a playlist of 80's music ruled barely audible. So much potential, but identity crisis?

Had a great time there. Easy going crowd. Service sucked at first then we sat at the bar and Ryan kicked ass. The chicken tenders and fries were good, we ordered before kitchen closed. Overall, yes I would recommend stopping by there.

I was totally blown away. Tastes like home. Trying to kill time before our tour of Motown Museum. The ticket agent recommended this spot and WOW what a great decision. I was a little leery walking into this dark lounge midday looking for brunch but it surpassed all negative thoughts. I ordered the bacon n egg breakfast croissant. It came with breakfast potatoes and side salad with balsamic dressing. Needless to say I had a happy plate. I ate every bit. And the $4 cranberry mimosa was an added treat. The service was decent and the price was great. I can see myself returning to try other menu items.

Meh... It's an after work hangout for Henry Ford Hospital employees. Service was slowwww the night I was there, and the food was the usual fried bar grub.. It seems they use the same oil for everything, because even the fried pickles tasted like fish. Yuck. Good place to grab an after work beer, but not much else.

We LOVE this bar! No matter what you order it is delicious!!!! The Northern Lights Burger is my favorite great people, great staff and our barmaid Gina is the Best!!! We tell everyone to try this great lil place. The entire staff has always been awesome and the cook / chef rocks!!! We will be back many more times!!!! Love ya Miss Gina, thank you for always hooking us up with some fantastic drinks

I do not get he hype about this place. On a Thursday evening, happy hour ish time the place was occupied by myself and some colleagues and a group of college students studying (or atleast from the looks of it because books, booze, and MAC laptops were all over the table). The happy hour specials weren't really anything to be happy over and are absolutely not competing with neighborhood up and coming establishments. This was only my second time here in ten years and quickly remembered why, although it is around the cor we from where i am employed, it is not and will not be my first choice to catch a good drink or food. Options on the menu were blah and based on the rundown given by the person waiting on us the food is subpar depending on the cook for that day. Speaking of the waitress, she was nice and accommodating at the beginning but once we received our food she ghosted us until it was time for us to pay; then WE had to go and find her. Overall.. my soul was good but everything else gave me zero excitement.

I've been to Northern Lights tons of times, always fairly neutral in experience. Food is okay. Drinks, okay, Service, okay. .... Nothing has ever stood out much other than their awesome patio and their Trivia night host (I don't she's there at this point however). However, this past Monday was a rough night. My friends and I all help organize Slow Roll on Monday nights and this past Monday (6/4) the ride was in the area (across the street at Z's Villa) and we headed over to Northern Lights afterwords. There were 4 of us at first, then two others joined about 15 minutes later, this was around 9 pm approximately. We were all chatting and realized that the 2 servers on the patio were swamped.. most of us have worked in the service industry before at some point, I was a restaurant manager in a past life. We are really understanding about slow service when places are busy WE GET IT. This night however we weren't even acknowledged in the slightest. The servers were in the weeds running like crazy... maybe they both thought the other was taking care of us... who knows... after around 40 minutes we just left (we were chatting and lost track of time, I realize we could have flagged someone down or went inside to the bar to order...). We left but we still weren't upset with the servers honestly... they were packed... short staffed... they were hustling the best they could.... it was irritating that no one so much as said "Hello, someone will be right with you..." or "Sorry we're busy I be back to take care of you as soon as I have the chance..." NOTHING... not even eye contact and a smile. The topper however was with the person I am told is the owner (but at very least a manager)... he appeared to be in his 50s... s&p hair... had a button down and a blue sweater on.... while his staff is busting their butts and the patio is looking like a tornado hit it... dirty tables preventing new guests from being seated... and me and my 5 friends still not even so much as acknowledged... what was he doing? He was [I kid you not] WATERING THE PLANTS. Plants need water and you want your patio looking great... but come on dude... not the time. Greet the guests who are waiting to give you money. Help bus a table or two. Check in with your staff and see if they need a hand running food. Peak hours are NOT THE TIME to water the plants.

Great atmosphere, incredible patio, live music! We've been coming on and off for the past year or two. Great lounge type decor inside, dim lit, tealights in red glass holders, jazz and Motown on the radio. Very chill vibe. And their patio is killer! Super relaxing, varied seating, trees, greenery, sunlight, umbrellas. It's perfect. Live music, DJs, and trivia throughout the week keep it lively. Weekend brunch is bomb. One liter carafe of mimosa is only $10! That's a whole bottle (750ml) of champagne, plus 250ml orange juice, btw. Best mimosa deal I've ever seen. While brunch food is awesome, their regular food menu is just so so. Nothing I'd go out of my way for. This, paired with lackluster service, loses them a star. This place is best for a night of drinks sitting at the bar where you can easily flag someone down when you need another.

This is one of my favorite brunch places to come to. I love their menu, the bartenders are awesome. Great place to spend a fun afternoon with friends.

After multiple visits to this place we brought friends in to enjoy a summer evening on the patio. We dropped our $40 entrance fee at the door and shortly found out why. I have never experienced such RUDE & OFFENSIVE behavior by any bar tending staff. We patiently waited our turn at the bar to order. When my wife tried to communicate our orders over the load music to the bartender, he repeatedly demanded "You need to know your orders, I am very busy". His attitude clearly told us he did not value our business. I would not let this jerk make a drink for me let alone tip him. I told him he was rude and did not apologize, he walked away to gossip with other staff that never came to help us. That is what your cover charge is for. Bartenders that don't deserve tips.

I visited Northern Lights Lounge on Friday night. There was a DJ spinning house music and we decided to go and have a good time. We ordered food; chicken, fries, and my friend ordered a taco salad. Let me point out our server was very pleasant. Good service is always a plus. The food was less than average. Also there must have been an issue with the sound this night because the music was low and we were sitting close to the stage. We left after paying our tab to find another place to enjoy the rest of our night. I would return and give it another try in hopes that the sound issue is better. It seems to be more of a spot to enjoy good music and drinks and not so much a place for good food unless I just visited at the wrong time. I'll give it another try. They've been around forever.

The log lady was all like "My log has something to say about you being in Detroit." Then this old-school legit live Jazz started. Then the bartender sloshed out a Fernet. I met a ton of sweet people, locals with a lot to say. We drank well drinks. We drank top shelf. Stumbling out into the cold, I was glad I was in Detroit.

Been a few times now never had a bad time, and things can take a while at NL but we came for brunch Yea hipster, on Sunday we sat on the patio with the dog and it took forever, and they were not that busy, and the brunch menu is a little limited. I went with the croissant sandwich w/ Bacon $10 yea I know $10 and I had to add hash browns $3. So after much discussion. Next time we will look for somewhere else. Beers at the bar yes, brunch on the patio I'll pass.

Fruit plate- not at all what is stated on the menu. It was just 3 types of fresh, tasty fruit but not worth the $6. Mimosa with cranberry- delicious. I have horrible heart burn so Kristen recommended it with cranberry and it was just delicious...can you tell I'm typing this as I'm sitting here? Bloody Mary-3.5 stars. Simple Bloody Mary that came with a side of beer. Average Bloody Mary for the price. Coffee - good, simple coffee Sautéed veggie bowl- this was okay. I say that because it's was exactly what it states and something I could probably make at home. Next time I would try something else...but there is definitely going to be a next time. Corned beef hash-5 stars. My boyfriend said it was delicious. Great balance of saltiness and potatoes. He kept saying how delicious it was...so it comes recommended. Service- excellent!!!! Kristen is an awesome waitress Overall, love this place. Love the patio. Will definitely come again!

I used to like this place but the last two visits the service has been atrocious. It took a really long time for the waitress to take our order, bring the food, bring the check, etc. Then just last week week we sat for almost an hour and were never even acknowledged, while we watched white patrons be tended to. As we were leaving we spoke to other black patrons who were also leaving for the same reason...lack of service. Seems to me that Northern Lights is trying to change the dynamics of their crowd....and as far as I'm concerned they've managed to do so...because I won't be back! On and also...there were several dogs there with guests on the patio! How unsanitary and inconsiderate of others!

Not a FOOD review. Strictly came here to hang with friends late Saturday night around 11pm. Wasn't too packed or too empty. Inside was spacious and the outside patio/garden was busy with people having a good time. Good vibes, decent DJ playing hip hop, r&b, old school, remixes, edm etc, lots of great people watching, and a diverse crowd! We enjoyed ourselves. Only con was the looong wait at the bar for drinks -- only one bartender working but he ended up comping my friend's second round cuz of how long she waited ‍‍

I love the maple wings! The staff is really nice and the outside seating area is very nice and intimate.

Northern Lights has a really homey feel. The beers are cheap, the atmosphere is super low-key, and the patio is beyond amazing. The entire place has a very retro feel, but the food is pretty trendy​ but average-tasting. They play some good house music and there's even a DJ sometimes. Overall, Northern Lights is a great place to get a couple of drinks and share an appetizer with friends - bonus points if it's a summer evening on the patio!

Cool place and great drinks!! Very cool patio sitting that is open but private. Lots of street parking.

Northern Lights is one of the few places I have ever really wanted to "be" a regular by virtue not only of it being a fun place but also being a community of cool people. It's not only diverse but also welcoming, and it feels sort of like everyone know each other, but not in an exclusive way. I've met everyone ranging from old friends to new friends-of-friends to the random Shinola watchmaker, and I've always had a good time. They usually have a respectable beer list. I haven't sampled their whole menu, but that which I've tried has been pretty good, some pretty serious collard greens and mac and cheese. Patio is awesome (west of the building with street access). Jazz nights are a huge plus and they have amazing stuff without a cover. Granted, I've also paid a cover to see some less illustrious acts, but overall the music is great.

I came here with someone. It was completely dead I found that we had to wait a long time for things. For instance, it took us 10 minutes to get our hummus appetizer which is ridiculous for hummus. I ordered the baked cod with two sides and it took about 20 minutes to get that after I made the order. When I got it it was cold, the portion size was criminally small and it was shredded up like someone had already eaten it. I couldn't believe the chef and the waiter thought it appropriate to serve me that crap. If that wasn't bad enough the waiter did not ask me immediately if I wanted something else. He took my plate and 5 minutes later asked me this question. There are so many places in Detroit that do what this place does better and with more reasonable prices. I hope this place goes out of business honestly. I was never more furious with a dining experience.

Northern Lights has always been clutch. Great wings and a laid-back atmosphere are always a great sign of a quality "dive bar". Add to that, live music and I'm sold. The only challenge or request that I would have for Northern lights would be to get some actual TVs of size versus the 20 inch, former computer monitor they have hanging from the ceiling.