If you're looking to try a variety of craft beer on tap, this place is for you. If you're looking to eat, you might as well go somewhere else or eat before you get here. The Berkley Front is good about giving out samples if you're not sure which direction you want to go, and that's the great thing about this place. Their Michigan beer selection is solid; they have beer on tap from various breweries (Bell's, Short's, Cranker's, Odd Side, etc.) across the state. The atmosphere is nothing fancy, but if you're a real beer lover, that won't matter one single bit.
Review Source:The Berkley Front is a beer dork's dive bar.
The inside is outdated and a little dingy.
The food is average.
The patrons range widely, but always interesting.
......And this is everything I would expect from a dive bar, but with a beer selection that is top notch. You'll even find a rare firkin (hand pull) most days.
There is a pool table which can generally be found open and not too expensive. The jukebox has some good tunes and given the unique crowd, you will always hear interesting stuff.
The Berkley Front will always be one of my staples to grab a beer solo and catch up on work, bring friends to go through some new beers, or any other reason I can find to head up for a pint.
This place has a really good beer selection and the atmosphere is pretty cool. Â Most of the staff is really nice too, which is a plus. Â The only downside (and the main reason why I sometimes avoid this place) is the pretentious hipsters that tend to congregate here. Â Not my first choice for bars, but it's decent for what it is.
Review Source:Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope.
Decent beer selection, but nothing special. If you want a beer selection, go to One-Eyed Betty's.
Decent atmosphere, but nothing special. We sat in a booth among those down the middle. It's like you're in your own little world. Good and bad.
Crappy bar food. Some dive bars have awesome food, some have dive-y food, and then there is The Berkley Front. Where they have bland food. Overpriced bland food.
You want a dive-y bar? Go to Ye Olde Saloon in Royal Oak. You want beer? One-Eyed Betty's. Not here. Just don't waste your money.
Awesome place for good music and a great beer selection!! I haven't eaten here, food looks like average bar food. The beer selection is very big with all kinds of local, domestic, and imported craft beers to choose from. The jukebox has a really good selection of music. Love this place!
Review Source:This place is great (and dive-y). It has around 40 beers on tap, a sweet jukebox, golden tee, and a $1 bar-size pool table. What else could you ask for in life?
Seriously though, the beer selection is phenomenal (Smithwick's on tap) and it's a great local hangout where everyone is welcome. I once lived 2 blocks from here and now that I am no longer in Berkley, I miss the convenience of walking to this fine establishment.
I have never been upstairs (that I recall, but I kinda remember trying to go up there once... hmm) so I can't rate that part, but I like the bar area and the bartenders. Everyone was polite and cool. Food was very much bar food, but great for snacking when trying different beers from around the world.
There are other places in the area that have different beers on tap (local brews, etc.), but you won't find as much variety as you will here unless you drive a ways. Ask for samples and I guarantee that you will find something that you will like.
I'm giving this bar 4-stars 100% based on the great beer selection.
-service away from rail is AWFUL
-service at rail is good. Â Bartenders are usually knowledgeable, and willing to talk beer with you.
-food is what you would expect out the place, not.good.at.all.
-atmosphere can be summarized simply with the following: hiptsters, plaid-wearing bearded beer-snob wannabes, skinny jeans accompanied by chuck-taylors, American Apparel Hoodies...etc. etc. Â Having said that, they all keep to themselves and you can still have a good time and enjoy a great beer selection.
-juke box is a wonderful representation of what kind of patrons the bar wants to appeal to. Â If you don't want to fake that you enjoy the likes of shitty Indy rock and un-classic-classic Rock (and I actually consider myself a lover of great music both new and old), don't even waste your energy to review your options. Â Again, simply enjoy the beer and your company.
-The decor is extremely "dive-bar" ish....but that's where Hipsters hang out...so it all makes sense. Â The decor, however, doesn't make the beer taste worse.
Go for the beer, impress your out-of-town friends with the great selection, talk beer with the bartender, don't order food (eat at Amici's down the street), and try to get a spot at the rail to avoid the floor servers.
Enjoy!
Berkley Front is one of my favorite bars to go to with my buddies to sit down, have some good conversations, and some even better beer. The beer selection is great and the wait staff is friendly. Highly recommend if you are looking for a laid back evening with some delicious beverages.
Review Source:Great beer selection on tap, cool artwork / posters on the wall, live music upstairs sometimes = Pretty good bar.
It's a smaller, "dive" bar, upstairs and down, but I haven't seen it too crowded to get a beer / drink pretty quick, and the bartenders / servers are friendly & knowledgeable. Â
Probably not for everyone, but if you haven't checked it out before, go and have a beer you haven't tried before (or can't get somewhere else), and if it's your kind of scene, you'll be back.
Wish I could give The Front five stars, it being in my hometown and all, but I can't.
Beer selection is bland. Blah. Boooring. Â Most of the taps include selections such as Sam Adams, Wittekerk, Monty Python, New Castle, etc. etc. Â If you're a beer enthusiast, chances are about 100% that you've had every single one of their 40+ taps.
If they're going to supply these common, "blah" beers, then they might as well just supply all Michigan brews. Â They're wasting the real estate, and it's disappointing. Â We have so many incredible microbreweries in this state that brew much better beer than the imports that are served here. Â I understand 2 or 3, but not half of the selection.
Slow's BBQ in Corktown has a better beer selection, also including a cask, with about 1/3 of the taps.
Really cool bar. Went on the night before Thanksgiving and it wasnt too packed really which was nice. They had a great beer selection. This place kinda reminds me of the Tap Room in Grosse Pointe but on a way bigger scale. Like a Tap Room/Cadieux Cafe-esque. They also have an old school jukebox with really good music in it. I'll be back.
Review Source:I came here one night on a whim with some friends. It's definitely a dive bar, which is fine, but the seating just seemed uncomfortable and tight for a group. Â The booths were too small, and the tables weren't all that comfortable.
On Mondays they do half off all appetizers. I ordered a veggie quesadilla which was a good size, but lacked veggies. Â The nachos that others ordered looked good though.
Probably the best thing about the Berkley Front is the selection of beer. They have a great selection of beer on tap, and good specials. So for that reason alone I would give them the 3 stars.
My fiancé and I went in on Thursday night around 7 for a drink. It was recommended to us so wanted to check it out.
Inside it's very rustic and has a dive bar feel which is great if you are open minded. Â We did love the beer on Tap selection, about 43 the day we were there. Â Plus they have about 30 more bottled beers to choose from too.
We just had a few drinks so can't rate the food but the beer was cold and service average. Â We had to wait more than we would like for our first drink but our waitress was vey attentive after that. Â When we shared one of our beers like dorks she even offered to pour into two glasses for us. Â When we got our bill the beer was discounted and we asked if it was happy hour and she said no, we got the discount because we were the only normal people she had that day. Â We will take that! Â Beer prices average $4-6 a pint, most about $5. Â Though we didn't get liquor I noticed they were generously free pouring all the drinks.
The only real problem we had was that the place was not even half full and it was so noisy it should have been packed to be that noisy. Â The sound carried horrible and it was hard to talk, even with not very many people inside.
OK. If you're choice of beer is a miller light you're probably in the wrong place.
If you love good beer and enjoy trying new stuff, the Berkley Front is bound to become one of your favorite watering holes in Metro Detroit. I have not found many other places (including establishments in Chicago and NYC) that have a better beer selection (around 50 beers on tap I believe). They have everything from the Sri Lankan Lion Stout to Dragonsmead Final Absolution to some my favorite Belgian beers.
On the inside its basically just another bar but if all you're looking for is a relaxed place with great beer the Front will not disappoint.
The best part about this place is the beer selection. I had a good time one night sitting with a friend and trying all sorts of new combinations. But if you come here on a weekend, expect a crowd. I've easily  waited up to fifteen minutes for a drink. (I just realized how much of an old lady I sound like, but I'm not going to delete it).
I've also been upstairs a few times to see bands. It's always way less crowded, but you usually have to pay at least $5 and the beer selection is not as impressive.
However, I'm giving out 3 stars based on my assumption that if I were to come here on a slow night to eat some food and drink som beer, i would thoroughly enjoy myself.
This place is a nice relaxing watering hole to kick it with friends and have a plethora of on-tap beer.
I went here last weekend for a bar crawl and this was my favorite out of all of the bars we went to.
The decor is like a wooden pub and it was many, many posters and artwork of French influences. The waitress was very helpful with her suggestions and she was super attentive too.
The beer selection is amazing! There has to be at least 50 beers on-draft and they're all reasonably priced too.
I had a few glasses of the Magic Hat 9 draft beer. It was very interesting and flavorful too! It was a light bodied beer with hints of  pomegranate and effervescent fruity undertones.
I then ate their fish and chips meal. It was nice, nothing to knock my socks off, still delicious though.
The fish was overcooked and very dry. The sides were AMAZING though!
The fries were fresh cut and flavored with salt, pepper and a myriad of other spices that were flavorful each and every bite!
The coleslaw was creamy and sweet with a perfect cabbage crunch. Yum!
I'll be returning here soon and I'll be bringing a bunch of people with me too.
I really like the look and concept of downtown Berkley. The downtown area kind of has a small town feel buried deep in a middle class neighborhood which does not get much publicity due to Royal Oak and Ferndale being located within a few miles.
If you're in Metro Detroit and a beer fan, The Berkley Front is a place you have to at least check out once. At this point, I have yet to check out their bottle list so I'm still not sure if one exists or if everything is handled on the boards listed above the bar. Either way, they seem to consistently have a selection that should appease any beer drinker. The last time I visited I did noticed a ton of beers that I would consider to be at the eh/more readily available "good beer" level such as Stella. They're not the best beers within their respective style but they're a significant upgrade from draught lists limited to the Wal-mart-esque Budweisers of the beer world.
I also thought the servers were friendly and attentive despite the fact each time I'm in there we're in staggered groups of 10+. I'm not a huge fan of the bathroom...but I don't go in the bar only to use the bathroom so it's not the end of the world.
5 stars for the beer selection. Absolutely awesome. You name it, they probably have it. 5 stars for Happy Endings, like Michael said. Its one of my favorite nights to go out. There really isn't much to say beyond that. Lots of beer. Great tunes. Fast bartenders. Good crowd. I guess the only down side is that I have to drive past the cop shop, so I usually end up DDing since I can be a bit paranoid.
Review Source:I feel like the Berkley Front deserves two ratings- as a music venue (the upstairs) and as a bar and grill (the main floor). Â
I've been to the Front several times to see shows and also to play shows. Â As a musician I appreciate the fact that they give the bands 100% of the door money (many bars take a cut) and I like the basic set-up of the room. Â They have a decent beer selection upstairs, not quite what it is downstairs but respectable nonetheless. Â If I was just rating it as a music venue I'd give it a solid 4.
The downstairs, however, leaves something to be desired (for me anyway).  The beer selection is fairly large, but for how many beers are being offered, they are sorely lacking in choices from the  local/ Great Lakes region.  I ordered food there for the first time the other night and it was below average even for bar food, served by a waitress just this side of surly.  The entrance area where the pool table is located is lit by harsh fluorescent lights, as another reviewer mentioned, and the overall atmosphere/ ambiance is just kind of meh.  So, for the downstairs I'd give it a 2.5 or 3. Â
In conclusion: consider my overall rating a 3.5, go there to see local music, and eat before you go!
One of the best hand pull selections in the Metro Detroit... plenty of delicious bottles as well. Their personal pizzas and amazing and like 5$ . Two of my friends said its one of the best pizzas they'd ever had. Their black bean dip is decent too. The chips are far to salty and obviously out of a bag but still decent. If your a fan of beers from all over the world then you must come to this place. It's not that expensive either.. normal import/craft beer prices. This is currently my fav bar north of 8mile.
Review Source:There beer list is written on a chalk board and it spans the entire length of the bar, like 3 miles! Â Have been there a few times. Â I listened to an NPR program on the Best beers. Â They had I believe 8 out of 10. Â Old Speckled Hen and any Anchor Steam variety are my favorites. Â great location, some really good shows upstairs too. Â I want to start drinking from the menu on the left and finish to the right this summer.
Review Source:I love having an array of beers to choose from. This place most def has a selection. My friend got a garden burger and said it was good, nothing special. But the beer is tasty! We moseyed on upstairs, paid five bucks and watched some rockabilly bands and old school dance moves by the patrons. A good night indeed.
Review Source:If you're looking for a huge selection of beers on tap, this is the place. Â Most tap beers are microbrew, with some German, British, and Czech thrown in as well. Â Plenty of selection in bottles as well. Â The bartenders and wait staff typically know what's good, so just ask. Â Still not sure? Â Ask for a sample. Â
Food here is just bar food.
The guys behind the bar are great. Â A couple of them are into Rockabilly, so the occasional kick ass band can be found upstairs. Â
One thing to note. Â The owner is from Germany and they serve Gluhwein during the winter months. Â I even saw her wrestle a bar stool to the ground once. Â Comedy.
I started going to this quaint little bar pretty regularly to see my friends bands perform. Besides booking some great local musicians from hip-hop to rock the Berkley Front has got one of the raddest selections of beer from domestics to imports to microbrewed beers.
The bartenders are always very helpful with regard to the overwhelmingly large beer selection. They give honest opinions about the brews and don't try to up sell you. If you want a red their gonna find you a red that you're gonna love.
The downstairs part of the bar is comfortable, warm and social, always buzzing with conversation and tunes form the great jukebox. Upstairs, where shows are held seems to be a bit more of a chill atmosphere, with couches to lounge on and a much smaller bar, still with great bartenders.
In addition to booze the Front also has a menu with burgers and typical bar food on it. Other than the chips and salsa, I've never dined at the joint, so I can't say much about the food. What I can say is the Front , finding its home on 13 mile is a charming local biergarten that offers patrons selection. So, if you're tired of hanging out at bars where Bud Light or Coors Light is the question of the night, upgrade and check out the Berkley Front.
Just a neighborhood beer garden with 42-taps. The smoking might bother some people.
Here's a tip: The best beers here are the Lion Stout, Stoudt's Fat Dog and Stone Arrogant Bastard Ale. If you're new to the craft beer thing then I suggest trying Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale.
I wish the selection of this place was more well thought out but they have beer on cask, an extra star for that. Let me honest here, a lot of craft beer just plain sucks, i' ve drank over 150 different craft beers so I should know. I wish they had a more well thought out selection. That would make this place a 5 star venue rather than a 4.
I'm not that familiar with bars in Berkley, MI, but this one is definitely great.
It's never been insanely packed when I've come in for a few drinks, which is always refreshing. Â They have an amazing beer selection, so I suggest sampling as many as possible. Â Their menu includes decent descriptions of the beers but you can ask the bar tenders about anything and they can help you pick something you like. Â I've done a lot of reviews on Yelp and that's one of my biggest pet peeves: a bartender who doesn't know what he's talking about. Â These guys definitely do.
First things first, HUGE selection of beer. Many taps. Pool Table.
Ok sounds great...then you realize that it's lit with a few fluorescent lights. Â Then you realize that it's never really poppin' off. Then you realize that if you're done drinking there, you have to go somewhere else and that's not easy in Berkley.
I had to take off an extra star cause there is only PBR upstairs, where the cover charge lives, albeit alongside local bands.
That said, it's a cool local spot that will do the good deed of getting you out of Royal Oak on a drunken evening. Enjoy the Berkley Front, but don't ask for anything in return.
I want to love the Berkley Front, I really do.
I get a weird vibe here. If you don't know a bartender, it could take you ages to get a drink! And they have so many great beers to tease you with while you wait. and wait. and wait.
I wouldn't go to the front to meet anyone (new that is). Â People seemed very involved with their own conversations and cliques-- you smell a little pretentiousness the air.
The upstairs is a really cool spot to see music though-- I guess that's really the only reason that will bring me here in the future.
I see it every now and again, and in writing a review for BF I've had quite enough: complaining about smoking in bars is redundant in Detroit. If you're worried about your lungs, start protesting Dow chemical and all the other companies that spew pollution into our city!
A quick glance over 75 and the Rouge River will support my position.
In the BF, the atmosphere (smoky or not) is one of the two amazing things about the place. One thing I've noticed about places of comparable tenor (I'd say the WAB and the Tap Room) is that they seem to draw the same sort of crowd - the same age group - night in, night out. BF is unique in that I see a lot of different age groups there. This is not your typical hipster bar.
The other thing I LOVE about this place is the selection of beers. If you ever wanted some esoteric beer from thousands of miles away served to you cold, you have the option to either fly to its country of origin, or come to the Berkley Front. My most favorite beer in the world, Delirium, is served here in all varieties, which only the Tap Room can boast along side BF.
The shows are good. Nothing says local like $5 cover and the name of the band never being revealed! (I also enjoy when people do musical chairs and bring their friends to the mic.)
BF isn't gritty, but it has the same sort of style as grittier dives. If you're a dive-hopper like me, then you'll love this place!
MMM, BEER. If you like beer, and not just Bud Light, this is the place to go. They have a wide selection of great beers and they have good bands playing most weekends.
It can get smokey (Dear Detroit, please ban smoking in bars like most other sane cities in the US) and loud, but that's the price you pay for access to great beer.
What?! Â Three stars?! Â That's crazy talk. Â If you like beer, then the Front is the spot in the metro Detroit area (this is not including Ann Arbor). Â There are about forty taps and not a single bullshit call in the lineup. Â Then you add the fact that Bell's Two Hearted Ale is sometimes available as a hand pull and it's like "Oops, I crapped my pants."
Some of the bartenders can be a little snobbish when it comes to the beer esoterica, but that's their job. Â I'd rather shoot the shit with a slightly snobbish, knowledgeable dude than some idjut who just pulls a handle.
I've eaten the food here a few times, and while not memorable, it was also not bad. Â The beer is the centerpiece here, anyway.
The Front was definitely the first bar that came to mind when people wanted to drink (okay Honest? John's was a big contender for all the Detroit proper people).
I want to give the Front four stars, so consider this three and a half. Â It's an okay little bar, but it's ear-splittingly loud and very smoky. Â Which used to be par for the course, but now I'm spoiled with the Massachusetts smoking ban and all. Â Anyway, they have good beers on tap and the surly waitress we had seemed to go along nicely with the low-lit decor.
Review Source:
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