Royal Oak is a suburb of Detroit that is well-known locally as a haven for the younger, more artistic members of Michigan society. It is a town that is very similar in character, in fact, to its nearby neighbor, Ann Arbor, which is host to the University of Michigan. Along with a vibrant art community and a thriving nightlife scene, Royal Oak can also boast some of the best culinary offerings that one will find anywhere in Metropolitan Detroit. Luckily, for the local residents and visitors alike, this reputation for spectacular dining options has spawned a great deal of competition in Royal Oak and led to some truly must-visit restaurants. There are several, in fact, that are so outstanding that they deserve special recognition. So, here’s a rundown of the absolute best restaurants that Royal Oak has to offer.
-Oak City Grille-
212 W. 6th St.
Royal Oak, MI 48067
(248) 556-0947
The Oak City Grille is a wonderful Royal Oak restaurant that offers a wide selection of fare, including everything from simple dishes like the ‘Angus Burger’ or ‘Spinach Wrap,’ to more varied offerings such as the ‘Potato Encrusted Whitefish,’ ‘Sun Dried Tomato & Shrimp Pizza,’ or ‘Bacon Wrapped Scallops.’ Its menu will please those of almost any palate and has only one truly uniting feature, namely the fact that everything that this restaurant offers is delicious. In terms of price, the Oak City Grille is quite moderate, with the cost of dinner for each person coming in anywhere in the $7 to $25 range, depending, of course, on what is ordered. Reservations are recommended for dinner, but the restaurant tends to be relatively uncrowded during its lunch hours. Also, it bears mentioning that the Oak City Grille offers one of the best wine selections in Royal Oak, along with a stellar selection of local and regional brews.
-Memphis Smoke-
100 S. Main St.
Royal Oak, MI 48067
(248) 543-4300
While it may not exactly qualify for a place under the category of “fine dining,” there’s little doubt that Memphis Smoke deserves recognition as one of Royal Oak’s best restaurants. It may be casual and it may be simple, but for lovers of barbecue, Memphis Smoke should definitely be the first place in the area to be visited. This restaurant serves a rather small menu of barbecue favorites, but each item is spectacular in its own way and is served in a truly generous portion size. The emphasis here is on maintaining a Southern-styled, casual atmosphere and serving traditional, smoked barbecue, all to the tune of blues and rock music and at a very reasonable price. In fact, Memphis Smoke excels as a nightlife spot as well, hosting wonderful live jazz and blues at night. After you stop by and fill up on dry-rub smoked ribs, fried catfish, jambalaya, or barbecue pulled chicken, you can sit down, relax, have a cold beer, and enjoy some of the Michigan area’s best live music.
-D’Amato’s Italian Restaurant-
222 S. Sherman Dr.
Royal Oak, MI 48067
(248) 584-7400
As far as fine dining Italian options go in Royal Oak, one would be hard-pressed to find another restaurant that can compete with D’Amato’s Italian Restaurant. D’Amato’s has gained a reputation as a great, bistro-style Italian eatery, but that reputation fails to fully encapsulate all of the place’s charm. The interior decor is very eye-pleasing, as is the presentation of each dish. And, with scrumptious culinary offerings such as the ‘Veal Saltimbocca,’ ‘Spinach and Ricotta Gnocchi,’ and ‘Pizza Guerrero,’ everything at D’Amato’s tastes just as good as it looks after it’s plated. The Italian-style steaks and chops are particularly good. One other perk of a trip here, that’s not as well known, is the wonderful martini bar that is connected to D’Amato’s, which is called Goodnight Gracies. While it is true that a trip to Goodnight Gracies and D’Amato’s may by a relatively expensive way to spend an evening, expensive or not, there might be no better way to spend a night in Royal Oak.
-Tom’s Oyster Bar-
318 S. Main St.
Royal Oak, MI 48067
(248) 541-1186
In Metropolitan Detroit, one name reigns supreme when issues of seafood are in question: Tom’s Oyster Bar. Tom’s, which started out as a local Grosse Pointe seafood-and-steak location, now has four locations with restaurants in Downtown Detroit, Rochester Hills, St. Clair Shores (the Grosse Pointe location recently moved there), and, of course, Royal Oak. The Royal Oak incarnation of Tom’s Oyster Bar features daily selections of the freshest seafood available anywhere in Michigan, along with marvelous steaks, an unrivaled service of oysters on the half-shell, and some of the best crab cakes you’ll find anywhere other than dockside along the East coast. Tom’s also features a great, if somewhat limited, wine list, and offers spectacular bar service to go with everything else. Of course, all of this fresher-than-fresh seafood and ambiance don’t come without a price, but, for the quality, the food at Tom’s Oyster Bar is well worth it. If seafood is the order of the evening, or you feel like having a better-than-normal lunch, stop into Tom’s and see for yourself what’s made them an area staple.
-Other Notable Royal Oak Restaurants-
-Cafe Habana-
109 E. 5th St.
Royal Oak, MI 48067
(248) 544-6255
-Katana Nu-Asian Steakhouse-
111 S. Main St.
Royal Oak, MI 48067
(248) 591-9900
-Little Tree Sushi Bar-
107 S. Main St.
Royal Oak, MI 48067
(248) 586-0994
-Royal Oak Brewery-
215 E. 4th St.
Royal Oak, MI 48067
(248) 544-1141
