Wyandotte, MI — I finally made it to downtown Wyandotte for another Downriver foodie adventure. My first adventure Downriver was to the City of Taylor, when I visited Salute Taverna for a friend’s special dinner event that he was hosting. Following that, I pondered when and where my next adventure would take me, and after the usual foodie research and suggestions from friends, coworkers, and Downriver residents themselves, I set my sights on Whiskeys on the Water in Wyandotte!
I would be joined for my second Downriver journey by one of my work associates, Stefan, who grew up and lives in Brownstown Township. Growing up in southern Wayne County, Stefan is very familiar with restaurants in the various cities and has been to Whiskeys on the Water several times over the years. I was personally thrilled to see more than 2,300 reviews on Google, yielding a solid 4.3 stars out of five, a reassuring number to review ratio.
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This fun and popular bar sits at the northern tip of downtown Wyandotte, right at the southeast corner of Biddle Avenue and Oak Street. On the other side of the bar and grill sits a massive square parking lot, the tail end of Bishop Park, and of course, a lovely view of the Detroit River and northern point of Grosse Ile. Since foodie adventures are even more fun when enjoyed with friends, I extended an invitation to Stefan since I knew I’d be in his neighborhood. So Stefan and I planned to meet up there for dinner last Saturday night around 6:30 p.m.
After having a fairly easy time finding a prime parking spot near the back of Whiskeys on the Water, I walked in a few minutes after 6:30 and joined Stefan, who was already posted at the end of a bar with a freshly poured beer just getting placed before him. I sat at the lone open seat that was next to him (thankfully, he was saving it for me) and was immediately received a warm and friendly greeting from the bartender, Hailey. I quickly noted as I walked in that the place was rather busy, with most of the tables taken, as were all of the other seats at the bar, although it appeared the dinner rush crowds were starting to take their leave for the night.
Stefan and I enjoyed a round of drinks before placing our food order. During that time, we conversed with others at the bar and Hailey, who was holding down the bar fort solo for the night and was making it look easy! Hailey was really nice and very engaging, bouncing from guest to guest at the bar, while also mixing and making drink orders for servers. When Stefan and I eventually placed an order for a second round of drinks, we also ordered our food for the night.
We just so happened to be visiting during a special week at Whiskeys on the Water. The establishment was celebrating being in operation for 10 years, so they had a special menu that featured some of the fan favorites from over the years. I decided to order the Bacon Pub burger, and added an order of the Buffalo Chicken Egg Rolls to split with Stefan. Meanwhile, Stefan went with the Still Fire burger.
As we enjoyed our second round, the day turned to night, and the restaurant thinned out as the evening went on. Some large groups came through for birthdays, special gatherings, and even a bachelorette squad. Regardless of what the occasion was for, Whiskeys on the Water seemed like quite the destination spot for folks adventuring to downtown Wyandotte. The servers and staff were quick to attend tables and assist one another, as I noticed squads of servers tackling larger tables together and working with a sense of urgency to stay on top of things. And before we knew it, our burgers and appetizer were delivered to us at the bar!
The Bacon Pub burger came absolutely smothered in beer cheese and melted cheddar, with the two conjoining atop the Black Forest bacon. The overflowing cheese encased the entire burger, which also featured sliced jalapeño and fried onions between two pretzel buns. The burger also came with fries and a spear pickle.
For starters, I was very pleased with the copious beer cheese and cheddar, which ensured that every bite would include a delicious and smoky glob of cheese. For a cheese connoisseur such as myself, every bite of this burger was heaven. The bacon was surprisingly thick and had a slight sweetness to it. It wasn’t as salty tasting as traditional bacon, which I think made it complement the cheese much better. The jalapeños were hidden underneath the river of cheese and provided that nice bite of mild heat to an otherwise savory and smoky burger. The burger patty itself was also cooked to a perfect medium, as requested, and overall ended up being one of the best burgers that I’ve had in a while!
The fries were really good too and were great to snack on to fill up the remaining space in my stomach, because that burger alone nearly had me completely full. The fries were so good that I munched on a few more than I normally would by that point in the meal. The fries all had a nice crunch consistency, but remained puffy and soft internally. The oil used in the frying was very light, really allowing the potato/starchiness to shine through. I didn’t even use any condiments to eat the fries; I enjoyed about half of what was served just straight up!
Stefan ordered the Still Fire burger, which packed more heat than my burger and looked just as tantalizing.
“The Still Fire burger had the right amount of kick to it. Spicy and flavorful with the bacon, crispy onion, Kansas City BBQ, jalapeños, and pepper jack cheese,” Stefan said. “Having Yuengling on tap was an added plus!”
Another beloved menu item also making the temporary comeback was the Buffalo Chicken Egg Rolls, which are pretty self-explanatory. What Stefan and I were not expecting was how something so simple actually turned out to be somehow way better than what you had envisioned. What truly made these particular egg rolls pop was the shredded chicken itself, which was insanely juicy and exploding with flavor and heat from the buffalo sauce. I was also thrilled to see how packed to the brim the fried wontons were with the pulled chicken. Stefan and I devoured these egg rolls probably within a minute of the plate being set down!
“The Buffalo Chicken Egg Rolls were incredible. It was a limited-time item on the menu, but if it were permanent, it would be my go-to choice every time,” stated Stefan.
Stefan and I continued to chat throughout the night with Hailey, who was quite the seasoned vet at Whiskeys on the Water. She’s been with the bar & grill for nine of its ten years! Her professionalism and positive vibes really made the experience overall even better. I left Whiskeys on the Water with the kind of experience that makes you want to circle back and visit again real soon. The burger and appetizer, even if both were only for a limited time last week, were phenomenal. I want to give an extra shout to the kitchen staff as well for churning out solid dishes all night long to the Saturday evening crowds.
If you’ve ever considered adventuring to downtown Wyandotte, I’d certainly attest that Whiskeys on the Water is a great place to start. The menu is pretty wide-ranging and offers a lot of great beverage and whiskey offerings as well. For more information about Whiskeys on the Water or to view any of their upcoming events, click here.
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