Continuing our Father’s Day weekend adventure, at this point I was joined by friend, Break/Fix podcast guest, and GTM sponsor David Middleton from MIE Racing out of Atlanta.
As an automotive engineer himself, David couldn’t help but want to learn more about the Ralph R. Teetor story, so he fly in early for the ACO USA Le Mans event to see the film. As mentioned in our recap of the movie premiere for “Blind Logic” at the Automotive Hall of Fame (AHF), Hors D’oeuvres are great, but we needed to kick it up a notch…
Like me, David landed in Detroit with very little time other than for a quick wardrobe change. It has been a long day considering the flying distances, and we didn’t have much time to eat. I’d already spotted Ford’s Garage on the drive in to the AHF, and after suggesting we stop for a bite (just before closing time), David’s response was exactly what I expected “…don’t really care where we go, as long as we get something to eat.” No worries mate, I got you. #foodie.
Ford’s Garage has massive curb appeal, and after first laying eyes on it, David said in a very matter-of-fact engineer’s tone “impressive, wonder if the food is as good.”
Stepping into Ford’s Garage, I was reminded of other favorite “eat under a car restaurants” that have become part of the GTM ethos, like Quaker Steak and Lube. Ford’s Garage was
“same-same but different” presenting us with a 1920s vibe, and cool extras like “The Model-T bar” where you can order ’20s inspired cocktails surrounded by Ford memorabilia and americana like we’ve seen on the pages of Garage Style Magazine.
There’s lots to see while you wait for the cheerful staff to take and serve your order. Our waiter was extremely helpful and even recommended some local Michigan craft brews over others on the list. I tend to play a delightful little game of “I won’t order what someone else is having off the menu” when selecting my entree. I am not sure where I developed this odd habit, but its even more challenging when David and I are on the same wavelength when it comes to food. We both ended up with dishes that included Ford’s Garage’s well-known beef brisket.
I am not going to lie when I say that I was immediately jealous of Dave’s choice with its Ford’s Garage logo emblazoned across the bun. He offered to let me try some, I politely declined, but I could tell by the look on his face… it was better than my stubborn choice to not have the same thing. Not that mine was bad, everything was delicious, he just looked better.
Since we’d already felt bad dropping on the wait staff with less than an hour before closing time, we didn’t want to impose any more than we’d already had and our meals were quite filling which meant no time, and no room for dessert.
I took another look at the Garage Gear near the lobby while waiting for David to complete his pit stop before setting off on a 40 minute drive up to Pontiac, Michigan where we’d continue our weekend adventures. Returning from the rest room I asked him “What did you think of the setup in there?” he smiled and said, “That was pretty unique.” Referring to the beer keg urinal and full sized spare tire sinks.
Sometimes those last minute, no research, knee jerk, pull the car over because your hangry decisions can be the best ones. That said, when we return to Dearborn on our next visit to Detroit, we’ll definitely be stopping in to visit and eat at Ford’s Garage. You should too if you find yourself in the area, with it’s quality service, delicious food, and reasonable prices it’s the perfect atmosphere for petrol-heads and non-enthusiasts alike. #bonappetite
