SavannahBlue hit Detroit’s culinary scene in 2016 and has been sizzling ever since. The upscale eatery, with exposed brick walls and rich wood finishes, brings a refined version of soul food to the downtown dining landscape. Inconspicuously located on Detroit’s Times Square, SavannahBlue feels like a hidden gem despite significant praise from local food critics and diners.

The grand opening of Detroit’s Beacon Park gave us a good excuse to head downtown and visit a few restaurants like SavannahBlue before the event. Unsurprisingly, our first experience at SavannahBlue took place during one of our favorite times: happy hour!

We appreciated SavannahBlue’s selection of cocktails as we browsed the menu at the bar. Concoctions utilizing bourbon, cognac, vodka, and gin were all available. There’s something for just about everyone. We settled on the Gimlet with vodka and a shining star on their summer cocktail menu, the Gold Rush. The combination of bourbon, lemon, and honey was refreshing while avoiding the trap of being sickly-sweet like many summer cocktails.

As we usually do, we scoped out SavannahBlue’s menu ahead of time to figure out what we’d like to try. We went for the House Rub Wings and Fried Shrimp. While the light and crispy batter on the rather large shrimp made for an enjoyable appetizer, the wings were our favorite. The dry rub of turbinado sugar, coffee, assorted spices, and garlic formed a thick bark on the wings, packing big flavor in each bite. Sauce accompanied the wings, but we preferred them without it.

Before we even left SavannahBlue, we agreed that a return visit was in order. While we can’t wait to try additional items on their menu, we’re sure the House Rub Wings will make another appearance on our plates.

SavannahBlue is located at 1431 Times Square, Detroit, MI 48226.