The Experience: Looks aren’t everything. To look at the burger photographed above, you would think the ridiculous mess translated into a terrible dining experience. Cass Cafe in Detroit isn’t going to win any beauty contests with any of the dishes they serve, but what they have managed to do is create competent combinations of flavors.
After leaving another restaurant because the wait was too long, my family and I descended upon Cass Cafe and were taken with the interesting decor (they consider themselves an art bar and restaurant), though put off by the strange service and the comic sans font on the menu. The food would have to be great for the dinner to be acceptable, as a few of our orders came out wrong and had to be fixed.
Burger Ordered: Black Angus Steak Burger
The Taste: As I mentioned and photographed, the burger was a total mess. The bun was falling off and sad to look at, the bacon was all over the place, and the patty looked like it had been tossed on like a frisbee. However, after taking my first bite I found myself quite pleased with the dish. The patty was well-seasoned and cooked to order. The bun actually had flavor and was moist, despite looking completely stale. The bacon and white cheddar were both tasty as well. What seemed like a lost cause turned out to be a totally acceptable burger.
The Verdict: Cass Cafe was a backup plan for my family, and it worked in that regard. I wouldn’t make this your primary destination, but if your first choice fails then you could do worse than to fall back onto Cass Cafe.
Cass Cafe is located at 4620 Cass Avenue in Detroit, Michigan.
