Vinsetta Garage = Amazeballs.

Do you ever go to a place and think "Wow! They built this place just for me!" That was Vinsetta Garage for both Josh and I.

We'd driven by this place a few times as we cruised down the famous Woodward Avenue, hoping to spot some sweet classic cars (which we always did). It always looked busy and according to Yelp and Urbanspoon, it always is! So we didn't bother to risk the wait until the weekend before we left Detroit as we did a goodbye foodie tour.

Since we're usually on awkward eating schedules on the weekend, we walked in for "lunch" at about three in the afternoon which appeared to be the perfect time to go! It was still pretty busy, but we were seated right away at a great table next to one of the open garage doors. It was a beautiful day and we got a great view of Woodward.

First impression? WE LOVED IT. We wanted to live there.
Vinsetta Garage is built in the oldest standing auto shop on the East side of the Mississippi and they made sure to keep the great vintage look and feel of the place. There were three open garage doors, the unfinished industrial ceiling, and classic neon signs. The whole feel of the place was perfect as they kept with the industrial vintage look.

As a designer, I was IN LOVE with their branding. A simple vintage look sporting classic car fonts and icons. And it was branded so well! Everything went together and they had these little touches everywhere. I really appreciated that.

But the food. Oh my goodness the food. Let me start by saying I'm not usually a fan of classic American food- burgers, sandwiches, hot dogs, etc. I love me some french fries but I'm not generally a big fan of meat wrapped in bread. But I loved this place.

Their menu was very unique and fun, featuring things like the 3 A.M. burger (swiss, maple bacon, fried egg, fried onion strings, and sriracha mayo) and Tikka Fries (fries topped with chicken tikka masala and house-made paneer). Curse us for not going sooner so we could try these things in other visits!!

We ordered the Disco Fries, their version of poutine (a favorite dish of ours), to share and we were surprised by the giant portion that could've been a whole entree for one of us. It was absolutely delicious. The fries were perfection (and I'm a tough critic) and the chili flakes on top added a nice spicy touch. And they used REAL delicious cheese curds. You could definitely tell.

Then Josh got the Union Mac Burger with a side of their house salad. It wasn't what we expected (you know, a burger with mac and cheese) but rather a dish of mac and cheese with the fixings of a burger inside. It was delicious. Perfect for my cheese + meat loving guy. And the house salad was great! That's a sign of a great restaurant because house salads often aren't great. Anyways...

I got the Yeti Dog- I mean, bacon wrapped and deep fried? Of course I got the Yeti Dog. I could've done without the mayo (which I should've but forgot) since I hate mayo but otherwise it was great! I liked how they added lettuce and tomatoes on top to make it more gourmet I suppose. It definitely felt more like a meal with that. And their buns were great- none of that crappy stuff that sticks to your teeth and falls apart when you eat it. The good stuff. I got a side of their famous Union Mac which definitely didn't disappoint, though I must admit, no other mac compares to Homeroom in Oakland. But still very good.

We really really wanted to get milkshakes afterwards since they looked so great, but we just couldn't. We were way too full from our meals. Such a shame they had to fill us up with great food so we couldn't eat dessert...

And the service! It was perfect. Totally my style where they keep the drinks topped off, make sure you're doing alright but don't get in the way or hang around interrupting your conversation every five minutes. Super awesome. And they have great t-shirts for their staff. Where can I get my hands on one??

To make the whole experience complete, they valet park any classic cars in the front of the restaurant (between the building and the street) so we can admire their beauty while we eat. I wish my whole car-loving family could've been there. I felt like this place was made for us. Unless Elisse is a vegetarian at the time. Then maybe not. And yes mom, they do have a nice selection of soups and salads that I'm sure you would've loved. Dad, David, Kelly, and Brandon? You would've loved it. And Anna, there's cheese pizza for you.

But seriously. We loved this place. It was made for us car loving, design appreciating, good food addicts. It's such a shame that we didn't get to this place sooner, otherwise we would've been there every weekend. So if you're ever in the Detroit area, take a drive down Woodward (keep your eye out for awesome cars!) and make a stop here. And whatever the wait is, I promise it's worth it.