The Rattlesnake

I can’t begin to do justice to the experience we had for our rehearsal dinner at the Rattlesnake with a simple review on Unilocal.
Every person that we worked with was professional, conscientious, agreeable, and fun. Chef Chris went above and beyond, repairing a cake that was damaged in transport. His team made it even prettier than it was originally. (The very definition of a happy accident?)
Greg, our host/​waiter decided to put the beginning of the reception outside, since it was so beautiful out. Then, when we moved inside and had a couple of extra bodies, quickly worked to shuffle and accommodate the new seating.
Michele and the sommelier (sorry! Forgot her name) helped us plan and made the process easy and painless (even enjoyable).
The food was delicious. The service was incredible. The location, seating, layout, and overall environs were ideal.
I couldn’t be happier about the experience we had at the Rattlesnake Club.

I attended a large function last night at this hip and upscale restaurant alongside the Detroit River facing Canada. They supplied a great evening of surf and turf — both were excellent (which isn’t often the case at many restaurants). The ambience in the restaurant is modern and stylish and the wait staff is great. One of Detroit’s best (even if one of its only) downtown «destinations.»

The Rattlesnake club gets better every time I dined there. My tap restaurant to dine. Fabulous entrées, experience waitstaff and you can have a decent conversation without talking too loud or noise levels through the roof. Definitely plan on returning

This place deserves a second chance. Ok, the maitre d should be fired. She tried to seat us by the bathrooms in an entirely empty restaurant. And ok, the Frank Stella’s and Jasper Johns prints are a little pretentious. But the new small plates menu is fantastic. («Shareables»? An unfortunate menu term.) Delicious new menu, updated and delicious. Service was excellent. Desserts clearly not fresh, but great cocktails. And where else do you have such a beautiful river view with dinner? A nice meal.

I have been looking for a good piece of Salmon in the city of Detroit. Finally found it! It was cooked about 1 min too long but still a good piece of fish. Liked how they served it not on a bed of rice but instead on a bed of vermicelli noodles that had some walk fried cauliflower slices mixed with some tandoori style spice. Good combination.
Also had the seared ahi tuna tostada. Very good properly seared tuna. I could have done without the tostada and just had the tuna but it was still very good. Like the blood orange wedges. They were cut small to not over power the fish.
Service was excellent and friendly. We stayed late and they never pressured us to leave even though we were the last ones in the restaurant.

Been going to the Rattlesnake club as part of an annual auto show trip to Detroit for about 10 years now. This place has always been a bit of a mystery to me — rarely busy and many in Detroit (cab drivers, bartenders etc) seem never to have heard of it despite the fact that it’s been here forever and the food and service are consistently excellent. I got the prime ribeye with a baked potato this most recent trip and it was very good. The place is also immaculate and while some say the décor is a bit dated it’s a look that’s come back (sort of mid century modern I guess you could say) and the modern art on the walls is very tasteful. We’re always there in January after dark I’m sure the view is also great during warmer months. The service is excellent and there appears to be very low turnover as most of the staff has been the same year after year. Still one of the best restaurants in Detroit in my opinion and I’ve tried a lot of them, including many of the newer/​hipper Unilocal favorites. The Rattlesnake club may be Detroit’s best kept secret.

Attended the cocktail pairing tonight with friends. We all agreed it was a perfect evening, good cocktails perfectly paired with small plates! We will be back!

I planned a retirement party here last week for the President of our small business. He had not been in years, and some of us had never been. We didn’t receive the room we really wanted, but the Grill Room 3 had a pretty nice view of the water and Ren Cen. We included parking in our final bill, but I have heard it’s $ 5 for valet and $ 4 to self park, which is only about a 10 feet difference.
The server we had was very nice and on top of drinks all night long. I had pre-​selected a menu including apps, salads, main dishes and desserts. The apps were butler passed, which was ok. Some people were pretty hungry and wished there would have been little plates also given out so they could take more than 1 app at a time. The salads were awesome, as well as the main dishes (more to come about those). The desserts were ok. I have had better. The one thing that still makes me upset is that I asked for the sides to be family style at our table of 21. Some people wanted to try the Rosemary fries, and others wanted to try the mac and cheese. Our server never brought the sides out, and I didn’t even bother to ask by the time everyone received their dinner.
Ok, onto the food: with the pre-​selected menu I was told to choose 3 apps, 2 salads, 4 main dishes, and 2 desserts. A week after I did this the menu was changed from Summer to Autumn so I had to reselect almost everything.
APPS: Spiced Seared Ahi Tuna on Crisp Wontons with Papaya-​Chile Salsa, Crispy Parmesan & Gruyère Beignets, and Charcuterie Skewers for the apps. All were very delicious! Everyone is still talking about the beignets.
SALAD: Roasted Onion & Fig Salad, and the Green Lentil Salad. I personally had the onion and fig salad and would totally order it again. It was so yummy and light.
MAIN DISH: Farmers Cheese & Green Onion Pierogis, Black Pepper & Fennel Crusted Michigan Walleye, Roasted Rack of Michigan Lamb, Cracked Black Pepper and Coriander Truffled Filet. My self and one other chose the pierogis and they were pretty tasty. Nothing like my grandma’s, but hey, really what is like grandma’s cooking? 1 person ordered the walleye and said «it was very good». 9 filets were ordered and everyone complimented on how well they were cooked. 9 rack of lambs were ordered and I heard they were great, but no one is still talking about them.
DESSERT: Spiced Maple Crème Brule and Dark Chocolate Torte. I was going back and forth on what dessert I wanted. The «Spiced» word freaks me out as I hate Pumpkin Spice lattes, so I went with the torte. I am still disappointed. The crème brule had no spice to it at all. It looked a little odd with the pyramid of sugar, but I had a little taste of my friends, and AHH it was good! The dark chocolate torte was just that. Dark chocolate, homemade raspberry sorbet in a torte. Nothing special in my eyes.
I would come back here again in the summer and try and sit outside. Maybe for a happy hour so we can order different apps and drinks. I still really want to try the fries as well!

We were excited to try after reading the reviews. First, great location. Park in the lot across the street; $ 5 valet; $ 4 self. The view of the river is nice. Geeat walk along the Riverfront after dinner. Patio is very nice on a summer night. The service was good. But the food very, very average.
We had the $ 17 calamari appetizer. It was good. Nothing great. The $ 10 side Ceasar salad was good. We were told the Perch was a house specialty and a menu item for the last 28 yrs the restaurant has been open.
It was a great disappointment. It was terribly plain and unseasoned. Sitting on a «nest» of crispy garlic mash potatoes. Those were good. The cream sauce served on the side might have been skim milk with yellow dye. It added no flavor. Also ordered the grilled asparagus which was another plain dish. I couldn’t eat it.
Can someone please introduce the Chef to some salt, pepper and other kitchen spices!!!
My husband ordered the grilled filet with bacon jam. That jam was awful (sweet) and the filet, although cooked perfectly, was also lacking in flavor and on the dry side.
They have a very small menu and seem to cater to vegans and gluten free. If that’s to your liking, and therefore you prefer flavorless food, then this place is for you.
We won’t be back.

LOVE the Rattlesnake Club! Location on the Detroit river is wonderful for a walk after/​before dining and the atmosphere is conducive to conversation. Creative combinations and fresh selections!

I had not been to the Rattlesnake for several years until visiting a few days ago. They have had a few ownership and Executive Chef changes since then. I was curious to see how one of my favorite restaurants was now.
Our experience could not have been better. We were a group of 11 people. The restaurant were very accommodating. We were given a private room and the staff were very professional. We got excellent service but not overbearing like a lot of other high end places.
Most importantly the food was first class. Everyone enjoyed their choices.
We will be back !!!

Sorry. $ 23 for a dry Cobb salad? I’ve had better salads at Wendy’s. $ 11 for Bloody Mary? Be forewarned.

We used to go here when it was a Jimmy Schmidt restaurant and it was always outstanding, so I was looking forward to Easter brunch. I was pretty disappointed.
First of all, it was a chaotic check-​in. People were crowded into the lobby while the vast majority of tables were open. There was clearly some communication problems with the staff.
Secondly, there was one serving station for the buffet. I’ve never been to an Easter buffet where you have to stand in line for 10 minutes to get food. The line wrapped around from the lobby to the buffet. Moreover, because of terrible planning, by the time you got to the food, much of it was gone and you had to hold up the line waiting for the food you wanted.
The food itself was alright, but not great. No shrimp?! No au jus for prime rib? And the staff seemed very stressed.
And who the heck did the interior? Garish colors, tables too close and tribal masks… Just bizarre.
It wasn’t terrible, but I won’t be going back for Easter again. I will say on the plus side that the location is great for a post-​meal walk along the river.

One of our favorite spots downtown. Outstanding EVERYTHING on the menu, including drinks, appetizers & entrees. I’m always worried they’ll close, since there never seems to be a crowd there, which puzzles me. Love the location, love the atmosphere, love the attentive service.
Try the sweet potato pierogi. Relish. The rack of lamb is outa this world and anything you order from the grill selections will be perfectly prepared. My wife likes her scallops EXTRA crispy and bronzed, and they always come exactly as she wants them. I like my steaks black & blue, Pittsburgh style, charred on the outside and cold blue inside, and they always get that right, too.
We’ve even stopped by simply for a pre-​show cocktail and appetizer, and they never make us feel rushed, or seem disappointed that we’re not ordering a full meal. Truly one of our favorite restaurants in all of metro Detroit. Consistently good for 25+ years.

Had dinner here about a week ago, week ago :) good food, I had scallops which were amazing, Shrimp and mashed potatoes. Valet Parking is cheap but would not really consider it Valet because you have to drive up and walk to the restaurant entrance. For how classy and the price point they are targeting they should have more space between guest tables. I felt as if there were too many people which made carrying conversations hard. It was a great experience hopefully with a few changes this place will be amazing. Loved the place and will visit again someday:)

This is a nice date spot. The service was good and while i did not understand the theme they were going for in the restaurant, the atmosphere was ok too. I feel like for the amount paid for my food there should be much more space between the tables i could literally hear the conversations of the table next to mine. I ordered the Salmon. I will take some of the responsibility and say i was gun shy and played it safe but it was dull. While it was cooked well the seasoning left a lot to be desired, and i feel like it did nothing for the reputation of the restaurant. I have been to much nicer places for the price. I dressed up as did everyone else but it could have easily been more laid back. I would probably take my business elsewhere for the price. Though the scallops were like butter and the flavor of those were on another level.

My fiancé and I have been living in downtown Detroit for years but have somehow managed to miss Rattlesnake up until recently. I am glad we finally checked it out.
We had a 7:30 reservation on a Saturday night, although that didn’t end up being needed… sadly, the restaurant was only a quarter of the way full. This worried me a bit initially, but dinner ended up being such a great experience, that I am now confused as to why they weren’t busier.
Every staff member we encountered during our evening — from the hostess, to the gentleman who refilled our waters — was exceedingly friendly, warm, and welcoming. Our server was excellent — attentive but not remotely pushy, and he paced the meal nicely so that we never felt rushed but also never felt forgotten about. We were able to enjoy each course and our wine before moving on to the next, and personally I really appreciate that.
We started with a cheese board, which was fairly standard. Brie, gouda, cheddar, and bleu cheeses, plus some honeyed nuts and toast points. All the cheese was tasty and nicely presented. We each followed the cheese course with a Caesar, which was crisp, garlicky, and not over-​dressed; it also had some really delicious parmesan crisps in place of typical croutons.
I chose the pheasant entrée while my fiancé chose the NY strip. My pheasant was moist, buttery and perfectly cooked. It had been soaked in a very flavorful vanilla marinade and was served with a rutabaga purée that I enjoyed way more than I thought I would. I didn’t taste my fiancé’s steak, but I could tell it was cooked a perfect medium-​rare, and he concurred.
Unfortunately we were too stuffed to try some of their desserts, but the menu looked delicious. We both just chose to enjoy an espresso instead.
Hopefully my experience is the norm here now and this restaurant can make a bit of a comeback. It deserved to be way more full than it was! We will definitely return for dinner again in the future.

I’m beginning to think that fine dining doesn’t really exist in Detroit.
I’ve heard so many rave reviews about the classic, fine quality of the Rattlesnake Club so I headed down there for the fall DRW.
Entering into the restaurant, I was already starting to feel disappointment. The aura and décor reminded me of the early 90’s. It was crisp and clean, but also outdated. Our host sat us promptly and within minutes our server arrived. He was incredibly friendly and knowledgable. He was at our table when we needed him and did not tend to us too much. Additionally, our food came out a bit slowly. I will say I actually liked this as it gave my husband and I time to enjoy our drinks and company.
Our food was fresh and prepared well but nothing we tasted was truly inspiring or creative. My husband ordered the Lobster Bisque which was actually quite good. It was rich without being overly creamy and had real lobster bits. My salad was just so-​so. My husband ordered the Chicken Tagine. Again, the chicken was prepared well but the dish left much to the imagination. Meanwhile, my root beer short ribs were rich and succulent but my palate was simply searching for more flavorful combinations. Desert was perfect for fall, a pumpkin crème brûlée and an apple tart. Both were prepared well.
Overall, the menu was a bit lackluster. I imagined food would not only be prepared well but would be done so with imagination and creativity. I imagined food would dance on my taste buds and represent fine dining in Detroit but I left feeling like I missed something.
The service is excellent and the food is quality, it simply isn’t amazing. I am thankful I attended for DRW and got a bargain on the food otherwise I would have left disappointed AND broke and that simply isn’t something great service can compensate for.

My bf and I went for restaurant wk. The scenery is beautiful inside and out.
For the first course we ordered the lobster bisque and goat cheese salad; Both were good. For the second course we ordered the beef short ribs, chicken tagine with a side of asparagus. The short ribs were ok but came out cold and the asparagus was sour and hard. The chicken was ok also. We were told it is spicy but it wasn’t spicy at all. They also serve bread rolls which I thought would be warm just like a middle eastern restaurant when it comes out the oven but they were room temperature. We ordered the peach crisp for dessert. The peaches were cold. I thought that the peach would be warm so the vanilla ice cream would melt on top of the peaches but not in this case.
Overall, I would not come back to Rattlesnake. Earlier in the wk we went to Roast and all 3 courses there tasted great. I highly do not recommend Rattlesnake unless you are just going there for drinks.

Boyfriend and I headed to the Rattlesnake Club for Detroit Restaurant Week last night, and we had a great time.
I’ve been to Atwater Brewing a few times, but I’ve never driven further down Joseph Campau. The waterfront is really nice. As others have said, Rattlesnake does have a parking lot. While it does cost $ 4 for self-​park and $ 5 for valet, it’s very convenient, well lit, and attended. I had zero problem forking over the $ 4.
Rattlesnake has what looks like a beautiful porch area. It was chilly and dark when we got there, and no one was seated outside, but I bet that would be beautiful.
The service was fantastic the whole evening. From the hostess to our waiter to the guy with the bread, everyone was very friendly and went out of their way to be courteous.
Boyfriend and I each started with the lobster bisque. In general, I love lobster bisques. Or all bisques, really. This one was a pleasant surprise. Rattlesnake does their lobster bisque less creamy, more of a spice. A bit like a gumbo. It was really delicious.
As an entrée, I had the roasted walleye. It was citrusy, delicious, and light. Boyfriend ordered the Faygo Rootbeer Shortribs, which sound insane but are actually great. They really taste like rootbeer, and not in a weird way. His came with this butternut apple grautin that I could’ve eaten a bowl of.
We both finished with pumpkin crème brûlée (obviously. I order pumpkin everything. #basic). So, so good. It had pieces of sweet brittle on top… it was awesome.
We were pleased with the portion sizes for DRW. We love the event, but the restaurant we chose in the spring had pretty small portions for the price. We left Rattlesnake full and grinning.

I was really bummed with the service at the bar. I actually came here cuz it was on the water but being solo, decided for the bar. But when the bartender doesn’t even acknowledge you, you kind of wish you’d sat outside or gone somewhere else, esp. since this place is pretty far removed (had taken the shuttle from the Inn on Ferry St.). There’s an article posted on this guy which I wish I could have read, I assume it was all complimentary. Obviously I don’t agree. After sitting there for a while, he walks by and looks me right in the eye and STILL doesn’t say hello (there were 3 others sitting there). Sheesh. I did stay and ordered a HH dish, zucchini feta fritters and those were pretty nice. I kind of missed that there were $ 5 well drinks during HH so ordered a negroni which was served straight up in a martini glass, haven’t seen it served that way before. Should have sat on the patio.

Went for happy hour. The pulled pork brisket was amazing and I don’t even consider myself a meat lover. The mac and cheese was also excellent.
Pros– Cheap food, great drinks!
Cons-​NO outdoor seating for happy hour! :(((
Overall good experience. Would definitely go again!

I was here for a business meeting, during the day, the food was better than the meeting arrangements, but it was a for a crowd of 50+, and the only room that could hold us had a 5 foot wide column beam in the middle of the room. The name and location had drawing power, but there are many other locations on the ring roads that could functional do a better job.
That said, it is a very nice establishment. There is valet parking, which you really do need, and it is on the waterfront. I would try for an outside table from May to September. It is a classy place, and it will impress anyone you bring to this location. The insides are quite large and spacious, it is design to be a dinner crowd, if they served lunch to the public, there was maybe 3 – 4 tables, These types of elegant restaurants have their place, maybe I’m rating on a high curb, it just not the appealing place for me. It is not a diamond in rough. It has an expected of quality, and when they don’t achieve it, because you are paying for it, I seem to rate them harder.
We had a coffee bar and lunch. Breakfast was muffins and danishes and fruit. The fruit was more exoctic and tropical and the muffins for baked on premise.
The lunch was a warm beet salad, asparagus, mashed potatoes, spinach ravioli and schwabe, The beet salad was the best of the lot, and I didn’t have the schwabe, but it look good. No complaints for a buffet meal.
It is a nice place, bring your credit card, and just don’t worry about the bill.

We ended up here by chance, although I have had the Rattlesnake club on my radar for quite sometime for one reason or another I have just never made it. Our original plan was to grab a bite at Slows before heading over to V Nightclub at MGM for my GF’s extended B-​day celebration. We arrived at Slows and it was 1 ½ hr wait, and nice as my GF looked I figure it was a good time to up our game and head somewhere nice. I Tried Roast, 2 hrs to get in, Coach Insignia immediate seating then Rattle Snake club, they were able to seat us immediately also. They stated the kitchen closes at 9:30 PM
We arrived about 8:30 and were seated right away, the staff was extremely friendly, professional and catered to our needs. They let us pick a nice out of the way romantic table, the place was only about 25% full, which surprised me for a Sat night with the auto show in town. I’m guessing this isn’t the case during the summer with a riverside location. The décor inside was pleasing and the staff went out of their way to take a few pics of us.
I ordered the New York strip which came out a little under cooked, it was very good. They did forget to bring me a steak knife, other than that I was very happy with the service. The GF ordered the Whole Wheat pasta, which was tasty as well, we pretty much shared entries. She was happy with her meal as well.
I can’t wait to dine on the patio overlooking the river this summer, they were very close to getting 5 stars from me. At this price point things need to be a little better.