Home > Detroit Bars & Clubs > Bar Review >

Inside: Grasshopper in Ferndale

Basement lounge offers dancing, drinks and DJs

By Ese Esan

Metromix
November 2, 2011

Grasshopper owner Troy Ramroop and General Manager Matt Goyette (Credit: Ese Esan/Metromix)

Grasshopper Underground

Address:: 22757 Woodward, Ferndale, MI, 48220

Phone:: 248-298-0330

Overall User Rating:: (8 ratings)

Write a review

Hours:: 9 p.m.-2 a.m.

Map it

Status: If the old saying “Good things come in small packages” holds true, then Ferndale’s Grasshopper Underground must be a very good thing.

With space for fewer than 100 people, Grasshopper lounge feels like a friend’s basement that’s been enhanced with soft blue, orange and red lighting, a killer sound system and a handful of large, flat-screen televisions. The basement feel comes from the fact that Grasshopper is underground in a window-less space near Nine Mile and Woodward with concrete flooring, pillars and bar front. If the underground feel gets to be too much, there’s a 15-foot patio in front of the bar.

Formerly Gracies Underground, Grasshopper was bought by Troy Ramroop who recently celebrated the bar’s anniversary in October.

Gear: If you own it, you can wear it. There's no dress code, though causal does seem to be the way to go.

Mood: Aaron Reece of Ferndale is a Grasshopper regular who goes to the bar about twice a week for the atmosphere, people and drink specials.

The 31-year-old says he enjoys the diversity the bar offers. “They have this (Acoustic Tuesdays) one night, house the next, top 40. It’s a good variety.”

There is a very small space that can be used for dancing if the mood strikes, and with DJs playing a mix of music, it very well might.

“I’m not into the club scene anymore,” says Gary Boado of Rochester who used to frequent Gracies Underground. The 39-year-old who was at Grasshopper with his friend Kevin Abenes of Canton says he like the pub atmosphere Grasshopper offers.

Pick me up: Martini Mondays will get you $3 shots, $5 martinis and $6 premium drinks, and Fridays, you-call-it drinks are $2 from 8-10 p.m. Even without drink specials, you won’t have to break the bank to tap into the full bar at Grasshopper.

Entertainment: Michelle of the Killer Flamingos and Ryan of the Underdog perform during Acoustic Night on Tuesdays. DJs play house, progressive and dubstep music as well as top 40.