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First Taste: Town Pump Tavern

Familiarity, vibe and atmosphere make corner pub special

By VATO

Special to Metromix
October 12, 2009

The Town Pump Tavern

Address:: 100 W. Montcalm, Detroit, MI, 48201

Phone:: 313-961-1929

Overall User Rating:: (9 ratings)

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Hours:: 11 a.m.-2 a.m. daily

Official Web Site:: http://www.thetownpumptavern.com/

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There is something special about the corner pub - the familiarity, the vibe, the atmosphere. A good one is a true find, like an oasis in the desert, quenching your thirst and appetite right when you need it most. For more than a decade, the Town Pump Tavern has been that diamond in the rough, the downtown neighborhood bar – no matter where you live.

Fronted by Sean Harrington, the Town Pump has been a constant destination behind the Fox Theatre in an otherwise constantly changing downtown. Harrington, with his executive chef Jared Reihmer, has been constantly evolving the menu and aggressively keeping up with what customers want.

The pizzas are hand-tossed with generous amounts of toppings and only use 100% real mozzarella. The seasonal soups and chilis are made in house. Some of the favorite ones are classic beer cheese (made with real cheddar) and tomato bisque.

Between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., (except on Tigers or Lions home game days) the Town Pump Tavern offers a great burger and beer special combining the half-pound burger (made with 100% ground fresh Angus beef, never frozen) with a pint of your choice. In keeping up with the demand and times, Harrington and Reihmer added a fryer and brought in French fries for all the burgers. Or pair your burger with onion rings, hand-cut and dipped in a housemade batter.

If you are in the mood for a sandwich then you’ll be happy with the deli selections. All of the deli meats are premium, fresh and cut to order (on St. Patrick’s Day, the corned beef is actually cooked from scratch). But it’s the philosophy behind their construction which is really amazing. The chefs have one standing order – put together a sandwich until you think you’ve added enough meats and then…add some more!

The Town Pump Tavern offers shuttles to all Red Wing home games and is walking distance from Comerica Park, Ford Field, the Fox Theater and the Fillmore. The kitchen is open every day until 11 p.m.