Ferg’s Sports Bar & Grill, adjacent to the Trop, is party central, from the upstairs patio to the outdoor bars and multiple indoor seating areas. Serving American casual cuisine (think burgers, chicken wings), barrels of beer, and offering a full bar and lots of big-screen TVs, arrive early, stay late. The other classic downtown sports bar is Midtown Sundries, where the circular bar surrounds multiple TVs, the pool tables are hot, the food is delicious and the crowd down-to-earth.
Funky downtown denizens migrate to The Emerald or The Bends. Both local dive bars are packed on weekends thanks to live music and kooky deejays, and a slick young crowd. Cheap coke and jack or rum, beer specials, and an awesome jukebox make these hip lounges a big draw. Want more dive bars? The Rare Olive and Mastry’s Bar & Grille serve up the best drink deals this side of the bay. At Fubar, you can only get beer and wine, but it’s a lively late-night crowd.
For music, dancing, or hipster lounges, check out State Theater, Jannus Landing, Push Ultra Lounge, Vintage, and Detroit Liquors, and on 1st Friday, all of the downtown rocks out with music and special events.
The Grand Central downtown neighborhood also features once-a-month music, art, and food fest as well as Folk Festival and a new Beer Festival during the year.