About.com Rating

The Bottom Line

Bottom line: Come for the music and atmosphere, stay to sample the beer (which is reportedly hit or miss) and head somewhere else in the restaurant-laden Ferndale for your meal.

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Pros

• Great space and view
• Large menu

Cons

• Food disappointing

Description

• Brewery with night-time appeal and bar decor
• Great selection on Juke Box
• Great view of Woodward Avenue and Nine Mile Road intersection

• Several varieties of on-site brewed beer available

Guide Review - Review: Woodward Avenue Brewery (WAB) in Ferndale

Atmosphere:

As a bar, the Woodward Avenue Brewery (WAB) has a great space. The loft that makes up the second story of the building has tiered seating, a huge bar, a well-stocked jukebox, room for live entertainment and/or dancing and huge windows overlooking the Woodward Avenue and Nine Mile Road intersection. The downstairs has a sidewalk section in warm months, and the restaurant’s beer vat is showcased so it can be seen from the street.

Service:

The wait staff is efficient and friendly.

Food:

This is where the establishment loses stars. The menu -- made from license plates in homage, no doubt, to the Motor City -- goes well beyond the traditional bar fare, offering Mexican dishes such as burritos and quesadillas; gourmet sandwiches and wraps; loose and Boca burgers; flat-bread pizzas; and a large selection of salads. The food as served, however, fails to live up to the menu’s description and the patron’s expectations.

The Turkey Chili Burrito had a soft, mushy burrito filled for the most part with white rice. There were perhaps three small pieces of ground turkey and three beans forming the chili part of the burrito; in short, there wasn’t enough of the chili to even flavor the rice.

The Chicken Salad Sandwich was very dry and fell apart easily, making it difficult to eat. It was also poorly seasoned. The Reuben was also a disappointment. The sauerkraut did not have the tang that so complements the corned beef, which was sparse. The sandwich was obviously not grilled because the bread was soft and the Swiss cheese cold.

The on-site brewery allows the WAB to offer several selections of beer and root beer. While reports are mixed, the taste-testing never gets old.

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