Located right on the Detroit River with a view of Belle Isle and Canada, this historic waterfront restaurant in Michigan will leave you feeling satisfied in every sense of the word. A part of the Detroit restaurant landscape since 1949, Sindbads Restaurant and Marina is home to some of the best seafood in the lower peninsula.
Housed in a former prohibition-era speakeasy, this waterfront restaurant in Michigan was opened by brothers-in-law “Buster” Blancke and “Van” VanHollebecke in 1949. They named the restaurant after the person who they say is the "best-known sailor in history": Sindbad.
In the storied Detroit restaurant's heydey, they became the gathering spot for the Detroit River Racing Association and became a well-known spot for good food at decent prices.
In 1998, Sindbads underwent an extensive remodel, with a particular focus on the main floor and bar. The remodel used more than 3,000 feet of mahogany and marine hardware on all the new cabinetry as a nod to the restaurant's nautical roots.
The remodel kept the kitschy yet classy aesthetic intact, keeping details like this couple outside, who appear to be doing a little bit of romancing! But you're not really here for a talk about the decor, are you?
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You wanna know about the food, right? Well, I am here to tell you from experience that the food at Sindbads Restaurant and Marina in Detroit does not disappoint.
From the first morsel of food that passes your lips, the food at Sindbads tastes like elevated versions of your favorite seafood shack. The clam chowder (pictured above) is a must-order, in my opinion.
The salads at Sindbads in Detroit are pretty spectacular as well. The standouts are fruit-forward: a Michigan salad that prominently features cherries and a Pacific Fruit Salad which comes with pineapple, oranges, strawberries, and, of course, cherries.
Of course, it's the seafood where this waterfront restaurant in Michigan shines. Whether you order some fresh Great Lakes perch or Alaskan crab legs, your seafood will be among the freshest you'll ever taste.
If you're not into the bounty of the sea for your dinner, don't worry! Sindbads Restaurant and Marina has a solid selection of non-seafood items as well. I don't know why, but the fried chicken on their menu is calling to me.
It's probably because I know how good this Metro Detroit restaurant is at breading and frying things. That fish pictured above looks mouthwatering, doesn't it?
All main courses at Sindbads on the Detroit River come with two sides. Yes, you can choose the clam chowder for one of these sides. There's a little bit of an upcharge, but trust me - it's worth it.
Like with all seafood restaurants that tout fresh seafood, the first thing I ordered at Sindbad's was their mussels. Now, I order mussels at a lot of different places and I haven't had any mussels that were fresher than the ones I ate here. They were plump, juicy, and bursting with flavor.
When you eat at this stunning waterfront restaurant in Michigan, you're going to want to come hungry. Everything on the menu sounds incredibly delicious and so far everything I've tasted has lived up to the hype.
What was my solution for eating everything in sight on my first visit to Sindbads? Walk it off afterward with a walk on the docks in the back.
Sindbads Restaurant and Marina is one of those special Detroit waterfront restaurants: close enough to the city to make it a relatively short trip, but far away enough from everything so that it still feels peaceful. Bonus: it’s near enough to the Detroit Riverwalk so that you can spend a bit more time walking off that fantastic meal.
One final tip for you before you make the trip to Sindbad’s yourself… make sure to wear pants with an elastic waist. You’re going to want the extra room.
Have you experienced a delicious waterfront restaurant in Michigan that you’re dying to tell someone about? Tell me all about it in the comments!
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