4.5(3,623)· Google4.5 out of 5 from 3623 reviews (Google rating)
Restaurant · $$
Open now · closes 12:00 AM
Imperial is a bar and restaurant with a patio in downtown Ferndale, MI, known for street tacos and Mexican-inspired bites. At 22828 Woodward Ave, it serves pastor and carnitas tacos that draw praise, alongside beer, cocktails and happy-hour drinks. Vegan and vegetarian options are available, as are small plates and late-night food. Comments about the food include both praise for the tacos and disappointment with flavors on return visits; service delays, waits and crowded seating are recurring concerns.
Imperial opens daily at noon, closing at 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and midnight Friday and Saturday. Reservations aren’t accepted, and there is usually a wait. Dogs are allowed inside and outside, and the restaurant accommodates groups and has high chairs. Paid lot and street parking are available, along with wheelchair-accessible parking, entrance, seating and restrooms. Diners avoiding gluten should note a reported shared fryer for chips and the potatoes in the chorizo taco.
4.6(3,270)· Google4.6 out of 5 from 3270 reviews (Google rating)
Restaurant · $$
Open now · closes 12:00 AM
One-Eyed Betty's is a casual restaurant in downtown Ferndale, MI, known for burgers, a wide beer selection, and a bustling room with pinball and music. At 175 W Troy St, it offers a date-night setting built around food, drinks, and games rather than quiet formality. Food is the common thread in guest comments, with mentions of pork belly poutine, goat cheese and cranberry-stuffed beer-battered mushrooms, and French onion soup. Cocktails, wine, and food served at the bar round out the options.
The kitchen-and-bar outing can start at 4 p.m. Monday through Friday or 10 a.m. on weekends; the restaurant closes at midnight every day. Reservations are accepted, and there is outdoor seating. Trivia and bar games add options for a group evening, too. Paid garage, lot, and street parking are available, along with wheelchair-accessible parking, an accessible entrance, restrooms, and seating.
4.5(2,666)· Google4.5 out of 5 from 2666 reviews (Google rating)
Restaurant · $$
Open now · closes 9:00 PM
Anita's Kitchen Ferndale is a family-run Lebanese restaurant with patio seating, known for Lebanese fare, seasonal specials and beer and wine. At 22651 Woodward Ave in downtown Ferndale, MI, the women-owned restaurant serves lunch and dinner in a casual setting. Pesto hummus is one seasonal special diners have singled out; vegan, vegetarian and halal options are also available. Diners repeatedly praise the food's consistency and servers' recommendations, though some raise concerns about rising prices and smaller portions.
The hours are the same every day: 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., including Mondays and weekends. Reservations are accepted, and takeout, curbside pickup, delivery and catering offer alternatives to sitting down indoors or outside. Families have a children's menu and high chairs, while groups are welcome too. Free and paid street parking and a paid lot are available. The entrance, seating, restroom and designated parking are wheelchair accessible.
4.6(366)· Google4.6 out of 5 from 366 reviews (Google rating)
Restaurant · $
Open now · closes 11:00 PM
Nine Kitchen + Bar is a cocktail bar and American bistro with a patio in downtown Ferndale, MI, known for cocktails, a chef-driven menu, and Saturday and Sunday brunch. At 22925 Woodward Ave, it pairs outdoor seating with a social setting for dinner and nights out. Brunch includes espresso martinis and signature cocktails, while the broader menu offers small plates, comfort food, and vegan and vegetarian options. Reviews repeatedly praise the atmosphere and food, with whitefish and a dip earning mentions; service feedback ranges from welcoming and attentive to complaints about rudeness.
The schedule runs Tuesday through Thursday from 4–10 p.m., Friday from 4–11 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m.–11 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m.–9 p.m.; Mondays are closed. Reservations are accepted, and the restaurant accommodates groups and offers a children’s menu. Free and paid parking lots are available, along with wheelchair-accessible parking, an entrance, seating, and a restroom. Takeout is available, but delivery is not.
4.6(289)· Google4.6 out of 5 from 289 reviews (Google rating)
Restaurant · $
Closed · opens 9:00 AM
Spacecat V-stro is a vegan and vegetarian comfort-food restaurant with patio seating in downtown Ferndale, MI, known for scratch-made proteins, sauces and baked goods. At 255 W Nine Mile Rd, the women-owned spot serves breakfast, brunch and lunch, with several gluten-free items and options. Reviews repeatedly praise the food and service, with mentions of mozzarella sticks, chikn fingers with Spacecat sauce and the Cheesburger Burrito. One recurring point of appeal is dining across dietary preferences, including a vegan visitor bringing omnivore family members for breakfast.
Plan for daytime dining: Spacecat V-stro opens at 9 a.m. Wednesday through Sunday, closing at 3 p.m. except Thursday, when it stays open until 6 p.m.; it is closed Monday and Tuesday. Dine in with table service, sit outdoors, or use takeout and delivery. Children are welcome, and high chairs are available. The entrance, seating and restroom are wheelchair accessible, with accessible parking also available; nearby parking options include paid street, lot and garage spaces.
4.7(242)· Google4.7 out of 5 from 242 reviews (Google rating)
Restaurant · $
RE BBQ is a mostly outdoor, carryout barbecue spot in the Woodward Corridor of Ferndale, MI, known for adapting global cuisine to slow-and-low, wood-fired cooking. At 600 Woodward Heights, it operates as a one-person kitchen, a detail diners repeatedly single out alongside food they consider worth the wait. Frito Pie piled with jalapeños gets a specific mention. Outdoor seating and dine-in service are available, but there is no table service; dinner carryout is the main focus.
The usual schedule is Thursday evenings, with some weeks shifting to Wednesday or Friday, and weather can change service. Check by phone or subscribe to the once-weekly mailing list before heading over. Lines sometimes stretch into the parking lot, so dress for the weather. Free lot and street parking are available, along with wheelchair-accessible parking, an accessible entrance and seating. RE BBQ takes no reservations, has no restroom and does not offer delivery.
4.8(230)· Google4.8 out of 5 from 230 reviews (Google rating)
Restaurant · $$
Open now · closes 7:00 PM
Luisa's Artisanal Street Food is a women-owned, counter-service spot with a patio in downtown Ferndale, MI, known for global street food and Italian filled flatbreads. At 22851 Woodward Ave, the menu includes piadina and cascione, savory-filled flatbreads with roots in medieval Italy, alongside vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options. Reviews repeatedly praise the food and service, with mentions of sandwiches, grape leaves and a veggie calzone. Catering and a meal planning program extend the kitchen’s offerings beyond lunch or dinner at the counter.
The schedule favors lunch and early dinner rather than late nights: Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday hours are 11 a.m.–6 p.m., with Friday and Saturday extending to 7 p.m.; Monday and Tuesday are closed. Dogs are allowed outside, and dine-in, takeout and delivery are available. Expect paid street or lot parking. The entrance, parking and restroom are wheelchair accessible, and the casual setting also accommodates solo dining.
4.3(187)· Google4.3 out of 5 from 187 reviews (Google rating)
Restaurant · $$
Closed · opens 5:00 PM
Woodward Avenue Brewers is a brick-walled brewpub with outdoor seating in downtown Ferndale, MI, known for beer, pizza, paninis and a pool table. At 22646 Woodward Ave, it also has a photo booth and serves cocktails, wine and vegetarian options. Visitors repeatedly mention the bartenders, drinks and the space itself, with pool and its role as a local hangout coming up alongside praise for the pizza. Some describe quiet evenings here, even on a Saturday.
The schedule leans toward evenings: Tuesday and Wednesday run 5–11 p.m., Thursday 5 p.m.–midnight, and Friday and Saturday 5 p.m.–1 a.m. Sunday starts earlier, at 3 p.m., and closes at 11 p.m.; Monday is closed. One visitor reported arriving for an online order to find it closed, so confirm hours before a special trip. Families and groups are welcome. There is paid lot parking, plus a wheelchair-accessible entrance, parking and restroom. Dine-in, takeout and delivery are available.
4.8(130)· Google4.8 out of 5 from 130 reviews (Google rating)
Restaurant · $
Tall Trees Cafe is a neighborhood lunch counter and sandwich shop in the West Nine Mile neighborhood of Ferndale, MI, known for sandwiches and coffee. At 817 Livernois, it offers brunch and lunch in a casual setting—a daytime option for a date rather than a dinner destination. Sandwiches earn repeated praise, with the turkey sandwich, hot chips and banana matcha singled out. Other comments note the light-filled space, helpful staff and a rotating menu that uses local produce to reflect the seasons.
Expect counter service rather than table service, with seating indoors and outside, plus takeout and catering. The menu includes comfort food alongside healthy, vegan and vegetarian options, and the price level is inexpensive. Reservations are not accepted. Free street parking and wheelchair-accessible parking are available, and dogs are allowed outside. Families are welcome, with a children’s menu, and the cafe welcomes LGBTQ visitors and identifies as a transgender safe space.
5.0(6)· Google5.0 out of 5 from 6 reviews (Google rating)
Restaurant
Open now · closes 9:00 PM
Cynt-Sational E.A.T.S is a taco spot in downtown Ferndale, MI, known for tacos, comfort food and an Oyster Mushroom Po’Boy that gets repeated praise. At 22965 Woodward Ave, the menu includes ground turkey street tacos, mushroom tacos, a plant-based burrito and a fried whiting sandwich. Customer comments return to the seasoning, substantial sandwiches and attentive service, including an owner who has brought an order to a nearby workplace. The casual setting offers live music and suits lunch, dinner or a solo bite.
Hours start at noon Tuesday through Sunday, with closing at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday–Thursday, 9 p.m. Friday–Saturday and 8 p.m. Sunday; Monday is closed. Dine-in, takeout and delivery are available. Families and children are welcome, as are LGBTQ guests, and the restaurant is a transgender safe space. There is on-site parking, with paid lot and street parking options, plus a wheelchair-accessible entrance and parking. Credit cards, debit cards and NFC mobile payments are accepted.
