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Shrimp lovers, rejoice! Metro Detroit is home to a treasure trove of eateries that specialize in transforming this seafood favorite into mouthwatering dishes. From spicy to succulent, there’s a shrimp dish out there to satisfy every palate. Let’s dive into a culinary tour of some of the best places in the area to indulge in shrimp creations, each with its unique flair. From pasta and tacos to po’boys, you name it, Metro Detroit restaurants have ‘em. Let’s see what there is to choose from…
STREETSIDE SEAFOOD
273 Pierce Street, Birmingham
Streetside Seafood promises the “freshest fare in town.” The intimate, 55-seat restaurant is situated right in downtown Birmingham, and has received high praise across the board throughout the years it’s been in operation. Since we’re talking shrimp, start yourself off with the spicy buffalo appetizer. As for the entrée, the linguine (with wild mushrooms, peas, bacon, lemon, and parmesan cream) is a great choice for lunch or dinner. Other options include the shrimp cocktail from the raw bar or the lobster and shrimp roll on the lunch menu. This seafood option can also be added to a number of dishes on the menus too.
O’BRIEN’S CRABHOUSE
621 South Opdyke Road, Auburn Hills
O’Brien’s Crabhouse is a seafood tavern open for late lunch or dinner. While crabs might be in the name, their shrimp dishes stand out. To start, there’s always the ever-popular shrimp cocktail, shrimp Mozambique, or coconut option (served with a pineapple rum dipping sauce). Main dishes include stuffed shrimp (baked with creole dijon crab meat stuffing) or seafood and artichoke pasta. If you’d prefer a seafood melody, try the East Coast Special (with flounder and scallops served with rice pilaf). With almost 30 years of providing flavorful East Coast-style seafood, you can’t go wrong with this spot.
BARRIO COCINA Y TEQUILERIA
555 Forest Avenue, Plymouth
Barrio Cocina Y Tequileria brings a fresh take on Mexican street food to its Plymouth restaurant. With its vibrant and bold flavors, along with its full bar and fun yet casual environment, Barrio Cocina Y Tequileria is a great place to try out. As for the main event, signature tacos include Camarones, or spicy shrimp tacos with pineapple pico de gallo, cabbage, chipotle ranchero sauce, radish, and cilantro. Tacos come in three to each order and are served on organic corn tortillas. Any of the entrees you add this seafood selection to paired with a tequila-based cocktail (hello margaritas!) will transport you to the beaches of Mexico.
TERRY’S TERRACE
36470 Jefferson, Harrison Township
Terry’s Terrace excels at seafood with a twist. The Baja shrimp poppers are lightly breaded and tossed in house-made baja sauce with roasted red peppers and jalapeños. Their tacos are a crowd-pleaser, featuring Cajun-grilled shrimp, crisp cabbage, fresh corn salsa, avocado, and queso fresco wrapped in soft tortillas. Other seafood options are the coconut shrimp with a pina colada sauce, lobster and shrimp penne, and the crispy tempura shrimp.
FISHBONES
400 Monroe Street, Detroit
23722 Jefferson Avenue, St. Clair Shores
29244 Northwestern Highway, Southfield
Fishbones is synonymous with New Orleans-style cooking. Paired with live music at many of their locations for Fridays through Sundays, these dishes take you directly to the French Quarter. Starters include jumbo, coconut, and barbecue shrimp varieties. The seafood gumbo also stands out with simmered seafood in a dark roux over rice. For the main New Orleans favorites, Fishbones has jambalaya, blackened shrimp and grits cake (with a bacon cream sauce), and seafood pasta Orleans with fettuccine sauteed with seafood, mushrooms, fresh tomatoes, and scallions in a pesto cream sauce. Last but not least, there is the shrimp po’boy, fried or bronzed, with lettuce, tomato, and remoulade sauce. These selections don’t even dive into the sushi spreads also offered at Fishbones.
HOWE’S BAYOU
22848 Woodward Avenue, Ferndale
Howe’s Bayou is another gem for Southern cooking. Start your meal with the voodoo shrimp appetizer or the bisque. The po’boys stand out, as do several other entrees available. From the étouffée (smothered Cajun shrimp stew over rice) to the pasta with chorizo sausage, sauteed with white wine, cream, and love (per the menu). Pair any of these with dirty rice, house-made potato chips, or red beans and rice. Each dish is comforting and will remind you of the savory cuisine in the South.
THE SARDINE ROOM
340 South Main Street, Plymouth
The Sardine Room offers an eclectic menu that highlights the versatility of seafood. From the raw bar selections to taco starters, beginning a meal seafood-style is the move at The Sardine Room. You’ll have to visit multiple times to try out all of the entrees, like the Gulf shrimp po’boy, seafood mixed grill (with pan-seared scallops, and East Coast lump crab cakes), wild coastal shrimp and grits, or the jambalaya. Mondays are for Big Shrimpin’, with specials of shrimp that is fried and crispy with hand-cut fries, house cocktail sauce, and house slaw, or the garlic butter and paprika skewers served with wild rice pilaf and fresh veggies.
This article has been updated to include new information. The original article was published on April 17, 2015, and was authored by Amber Ogden.
