7 Healthy Restaurants to Try in Metro Detroit
Jake Newby
| 4 min read
You’re usually forced to make sacrifices when you go out to eat. Finding reasonably priced food that is nutrient-rich, minimally processed and generally healthy can be a tall task. These seven Detroit-area restaurants focused on clean eating tick those boxes.
Location: 2760 Larned St., Detroit.
Most popular dish or item: The jerk chicken & mango sandwich.
Information: Spinach and leafy greens can be great sandwich toppings, and most of us consider them an afterthought. But they are the star of the show at Breadless, which built an entire menu of healthy sandwich options wrapped in Swiss Chard, kale and collard greens. By giving bread the boot, you avoid up to 200 calories and multiple grams of gluten every time you bite into a Breadless sandwich. The fast causal restaurant makes salads and bowls, too. There is seating inside.
Location: 2015 Michigan Ave., Detroit.
Most popular dish or item: The chicken or braised tofu soba crepe wrap sandwich.
Info: When Summertown Fresh Bar moved into the original Ima location in Corktown it was mostly a beverage bar, selling healthy, additive-free smoothies, fruit and veggie juices, wellness shots and quality coffee. You can still order those drinks today at Summertown, but now its food menu is much more robust, with light and healthy breakfast and lunch offerings such as vegan power bowls, hot sandwiches, sweet soba crepe wraps, soups, salads, power bites and other treats. The restaurant has limited seating inside but plenty of outdoor patio seating.
Location: 17180 E. Warren Ave., Detroit.
Most popular dish or item: The Detroit stuffed pepper and vegan stuffed pepper.
Info: Detroit entrepreneur Marlin Hughes always made a mean stuffed pepper for family and friends. A series of unexpected life events – including losing his father to lung cancer – eventually inspired Hughes to pursue a healthier lifestyle. He got into better physical shape, then decided to spread the healthy wealth by opening the Detroit Pepper Company, a restaurant where a vegetable is the star of the show. Hughes whips up vegan and vegetarian stuffed pepper options, filled with jackfruit or veggie stir fry mixtures, as well as meat options featuring carefully sourced halal beef and antibiotic- and steroid-free chicken and turkey. The fast casual restaurant is takeout only.
Location: 15 E. Kirby St., Detroit.
Most popular dish or item: The twice cooked egg and seasonal heirloom tomato dishes.
Info: Chartreuse Kitchen & Cocktails was in on the ground floor of the “farm to table” restaurant concept in downtown Detroit and is now thriving as one of city’s top destinations for that fresh and authentic style of cuisine. It’s a restaurant that doesn’t take shortcuts when curating its menu, which changes seasonally and sometimes even nightly. The critically acclaimed Detroit restaurant and James Beard semifinalist takes pride in being a place where people can come feel comfortable. While the dining style is elevated, the atmosphere at Chartreuse is relaxed.
Location: 108 S. Main St., Ann Arbor.
Most popular dish or item: Stoneground, whole-wheat pancakes for breakfast and the house-made beet burger for lunch.
Info: While First Bite might have the sights and sounds of a classic greasy spoon breakfast diner, its emphasis on fresh, non-processed, organic and locally sourced ingredients are apparent as soon as you take your first bite. Accommodation is key to First Bite’s approach, as many of these recipes are vegan or can be made vegan or gluten-free. First Bite’s sit-down breakfast and lunch spot is nestled in Ann Arbor’s walkable, continually developing downtown food and drink hub and consistently attracts newcomers and regulars alike.
Location: 6529 Woodward Ave., Detroit.
Most popular dish or item: Cauliflower wings and vegan mac and cheese.
Info: The Kitchen by Cooking with Que is part restaurant experience, part cooking institute. A battle with sarcoidosis in her 20s pushed Quiana Rice to reevaluate the ingredients on her pantry and in her refrigerator. This eventually led to a vegan lifestyle for Rice, who was inspired to teach people in her community how to unlearn unhealthy cooking habits that people develop while growing up, while preaching portion control, minimalist recipes and reading labels. The Kitchen by Cooking with Que does salads, sandwiches, soups and healthy grab-and-go options and a meal prep service. Whether you eat meat and dairy or you don’t, Rice has a menu item for you whether you dine in or take out, as well as a cooking class curriculum designed to help you eat and cook healthier.
Location: 134 Ashman St., Midland.
Most popular dish or item: The “diner” burger and the smoked whitefish hush puppies.
Info: Aster is another acclaimed farm to table restaurant that features seasonally rotating menu items sourced from Midland County’s vast community of farmers. Therestaurant produces flavor-packed dishes made with beef sourced in Rodney, whitefish straight from Lake Erie and fresh heirloom tomatoes from Hope, to shout out a few of Aster’s partners. Another elevated sit-down spot, Aster always keeps a few comfort food items– like burgers and steak – on its menu. They also do brunch.
