Pizza and more: Plenty to eat at Little Caesars Arena
In addition to the many concessions and bars inside, there are four restaurants open daily, accessible from outside the arena
- Kid Rock’s Made in Detroit has local spirits, a southern-inspired menu and a small stage
- The District Market is a food hall with a variety of cuisine, full bar and coffee shop
- Mike’s Pizza Bar pays homage to Mike Ilitch and serves two styles of pizza and tons of seating
- Sports & Social Detroit has three bars, including one outside on a patio
Attending concerts, watching the Detroit Red Wings and cheering on the Detroit Pistons will work up an appetite, and Little Caesars Arena has no shortage of places to grab a bite, even when the arena isn’t hosting an event.
That’s one of the unique things about the restaurants in District Detroit, the name for the area surrounding the arena. Food and drink are served daily, allowing the pizza dome to be open to visitors all the time.
Guests of the restaurants who walk in from the street will have to pass metal detectors to dine in, even if there is no event at the arena.
The most high-profile of these new spots is Kid Rock’s Made in Detroit. Similar to the Hard Rock Cafe chain, this bar and grill is adorned with guitars, photos and other Kid Rock-related memorabilia, such as a poster for his 1996 show at the Palladium in Roseville.
There’s a wall decorated with the American stars and stripes near a small stage where a DJ or solo act can perform, but aside from that, Mr. Ritchie’s political ideology is muted in this space.
The 230-seat restaurant is brimming with regional pride, and it better be with a name like “Made in Detroit.” There’s a full bar with locally made beer, wine and liquors such as Valentine and Detroit Distillery. They’re served alongside many major brands, including four types of Jim Beam.
The menu pays homage to local neighborhoods, too, with burgers such as the Hamtramck, a kaiser roll packed with a beef patty, potato pancake, sauerkraut, cucumber and dill cream. Another burger, the Clarkston, features cherry peppers, bacon jam, roasted garlic aioli and haravarti cheese.
Other nods to local culture include a Maurice salad (made famous at Hudson’s department store), fried McClure’s pickles and — for Red Wings’ fans — grilled octopus. Southern-style dishes such as cast-iron cornbread, collard greens, bone-in short ribs and fried chicken round out the rest of the menu.
A burger with a side of the house’s garlic-y fries and a soft drink will run you around $20.
More local flavor is found at the District Market, a food court-style cafe on the northeast corner. Those on a tighter budget or looking for more variety will find it there.
Inside there are different stations for salads, Mexican food, coffee shop, a sandwich stand and a grill with burgers and sausages. There also are registers for purchasing grab-and-go snacks like Better Made chips, baked goods from Zingerman’s and beverages, including beer. For more alcohol options, there’s a bar with beer, wine and cocktail service.
Price check: A sandwich, bag of chips and fountain drink is around $14.
Inside the arena, there are some local products, too. Primarily Little Caesars, with four outlets total, and a concession stand presented by Bell’s Brewery and the Dearborn Sausage Haus.
It is mostly national and international brands inside, such as the Via Sports Bar presented by New Amsterdam Vodka; the 313 Grill Co. presented by Bud Light; Labatt Blue Zone; two bars sponsored by Jack Daniels, one by Canadian Club, a Modelo Taqueria and the Goose Island Pub.
Cheesy pie from Mike’s Pizza Bar can be ordered inside the arena by the slice, or in the restaurant as a whole eight-slice pie.
The restaurant, open at 11 a.m. daily, is a love letter to Mike Ilitch, with throwback photos on the menu and a neon sign reading “Haig’s.” It’s the name of the bar at Livernois and Tireman where a young Ilitch tossed pizzas in the 1950s, according to the story on the menu.
Besides pizza — “artisanal” pies ($8.95 and up) as well as deep dish ($15.50-$18.50) — Mike’s Pizza Bar has starters such as wings and cheese bread, a tomato and mozzarella salad, an antipasto salad, sandwiches and wraps ($8-$11). There are two bars in addition to indoor and outdoor table seating. Pizza-lovers can also sit at a counter in front of the open kitchen.
Lastly, the Sports & Social Detroit bar offers guests a polished, modern dining room and loads of extra seating at two bars inside, another outside, as well as with patio seating.
The menu is what you’d expect from a sports bar, with burgers, appetizers, sandwiches and chicken salads, most in the $10-$14 range. There are some cocktails with local names such as the Rock City Bloody ($9) and Motown Blues ($14), but they’re made with Smirnoff vodka.
A second Sports & Social is in Atlanta near SunTrust Park, home of the Atlanta Braves.
Both Mike’s and Sports & Social boast space for private events, such as reunions, birthdays, rehearsal dinners, holiday gatherings and corporate events.
Twitter: @melodybaetens
Sports & Social Detroit
28 Henry, Detroit
(313) 818-3093
Kitchen open 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sun.-Thurs.; 11 a.m.-midnight Fri.-Sat.
Mike’s Pizza Bar
2515 Woodward, Detroit
(313) 782-4778
Kitchen open 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sun.-Thurs.; 11 a.m.-midnight Fri.-Sat.
Kid Rock’s Made in Detroit
2645 Woodward, Detroit
kidrockrestaurant.com or the OpenTable app for reservations
Open daily
The District Market
2645 Woodward, Detroit.
Open daily