Small Plates Detroit

i have just moved into town and was exploring this great city of detroit (reside outside of the city proper) however...moved from chicago suburbs and was pleasantly surprised with the friendliness of the people here. in particular - i had stopped by the opera house and detroit tigers comerica building to take fotos...when i discovered that they were not open for lunch - but recommended a place nearby called 'small plates'. the name was enticing. when i arrived, i was a bit apprehensive. upon my entry, greeted as if i were a regular. mind you, i have had some trying times moving to this area - however, the entire staff was like family - upon arrival. even the guests, were like family. several parents with children, two girlfriends catching up on the week at the bar and several groups in the front, and even two unassuming 'biker boys' and me. they welcome all as if they are long-time friends or family. it was like hanging out with my cousins for the weekend (which i miss). more

Small Plates WAS a regular ""go to"" b/c dtw options are few and they stay open sort of late (for Detroit at least). I have NEVER had good service there, the staff is always rude, they have a sort of flippant attitude or they are completely spacey. The big oafish guy is angry, never cracks a smile, talks crap under his breath and when confronted plays dumb. Punk of all Punks. Then there's ""Kelly"", who does lots of kissing up when you can find her and well after she's ruined your meal. She forgets EVERYTHING and then ""apologies"" after you've sat staring at your food until she comes out w/the next order two decades later and STILL doesn't deliver the SILVERWARE or bring the dressing you asked for or recall that you needed CLEAN plates. That's really just the tip of the iceberg w/this place. But as they learned w/the RO store, you can only crap on customers for so long before they stop spending on those small plates w/full sized prices. Don't even bother, go to Centaur, they do small plates, price points are similar, they're actually HAPPY to have customers, atmosphere is far superior and the parking options are better. Pros: small plates? Cons: Amazingly Rude, Ridiculous Staff more

It's a small place with good use of space, long and narrow, and the decor is funky urban. Although the Small Plates moniker would lead you to think ""tapas,"" the menu is far broader, with pizza from Italy, stir-fry, spring rolls and wrap dishes from the Orient, and plenty of seafood, we liked the Big Three main plates, the BBQ ribs, pan-seared scallops, and our favorite, the petitie tenderloin with gorgonzola cream sauce, cripsy onions and mashed. They make their own hand-cut fries here, their own aoli, their own mustard and ketchup, and the staff flies around like dervishes, smiling and engaging their guests. We really like this place, and there's a seven-story parking garage just across the street. Convenient to baseball, football, theatre, opera and live shows at all the major downtown Detroit venues. Pros: Excellent, broad-based menu Cons: Little street parking more

12-07-2007 more

Wow! Who wrote these reviews? Someone that works there maybe? The atmosphere is great but the place is small. We waited 25 minutes for a table and another 10 for a waiter. We ordered french fries which were handcut fries. They weren't out of the ordinary but did help fill us up. We also got crab cakes. They brought 3 that were the size of a 50 cent piece and were $15!! I would have expected at least 4 to split between 2 people since they were so tiny. They tasted like something bought from a frozen food section though. Also had the lettuce wraps. Decent but I've had better at PF Changs. Finally, we had the mushrooms. They were tasty but only gave us 3 little pieces of bread to split between 2 people. Once again, very small portions. Pros: Good bar atmosphere Cons: Small overpriced ""appetizers"" disguised as entrees. more

small plates is by far my favorite restaruant in detroit. the atmosphere is great and the food is wonderful. the servers are always pleasant and i've never had to wait more than 15 minutes to be seated. the variety of the menu leads to a wonderful dining experience. i definately recommend the ribs and hand cut fries. so, the next time that you're out give small plates a try. Pros: prompt service, great food, friendly servers, amazing atmosphere more

Small Plates has great ambiance, however some of the dishes look better than they taste. The chicken skewers arrived to the table in great fashion, however, they were overcooked and dry. The empanadas were fantastic, filled with goat cheese and sweet red peppers. All of the shrimp dishes are great, the panko shrimp and garlic shrimp were not disappointing. The creme brulee tasted more like instant vanilla pudding, needed more vanilla bean taste to it. The restaurant is very appealing for a first date or a romantic dinner. I do plan to return and will try the petite filet dish and the fries. Some of the dishes were a bit overpriced, $12 for four pieces of shrimp is a bit pricey. Nice place, but don't go hungry! This is purely an appetizer bar, unless u plan on spending a ridiculous amount of money. Oh and the bartender is quite cute! Pros: atmosphere, bartender Cons: some food dishes, server wasn't helpful more

This restaurant is the Detroit version of tapas having come before the recent national trend, although Detroit city also has its share of regular tapas joints. It's nice inside as well as outside (being on landscaped Broadway across from the new Opera). They have a bar for having drinks and smoking as well as a separate one with a view of the kitchen with plenty of table seating in between. The food looks and tastes great from meat to vegetarian although be warned that what you get will indeed be a small plateful. Make sure you order the fries which come vertically stood up in a funnel which is always a sign of serious fries. The home-made ketchup is good but make sure you ask for the garlic aioli. more

Wonderful restaurant: service, decor, and ambience are very good. The food is outstanding. Excellent choice for a romantic meal. more