New Bar in Downtown - AFB

**dcmorrison12** · October-13-09, 08:13 AM

Has anyone gone to the new downtown bar - behind the Fox Theater - called AFB [[Another F**king Bar and Grill).

My friend has gone and she loved it, however I have not. Anyone gone and have anything to say about it? Would it be a good place to watch the wings?

**Cromer** · October-13-09, 09:18 AM

AFB used to be one of my favorite bars. It was located at 7 & woodward and was closed down about 12 years ago. Late at night they used to come around with a tray of sliders, and they had a great appetizer called Willies Balls.

Hoping to check it out this weekend.

**REL** · October-13-09, 09:38 AM

http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-li...ddy-balls/2846

**1KielsonDrive** · October-13-09, 12:45 PM

Go there tonight. The bartender working tonight is a 'fox'.

**gumby** · October-13-09, 12:48 PM

Which building is it in?

**1KielsonDrive** · October-13-09, 01:03 PM

It's the old Park Henry bar. The next corner east from the Comet.

**gnome** · October-13-09, 01:14 PM

http://www.afbdetroit.com/ ... a bare knuckle website

North of 375 and west of Woodward...

**Gannon** · October-13-09, 01:25 PM

I got the skinny on this during the Service Street party, and it sounds like a blast.

The owners better watch out for a nearby bar owner's antics, though, they will surely be out and about trying to give them grief. Yes, I'm being obtuse, but have heard way too much of a certain person's meddling with the competition!

This place sounds like a real blast of a hangout. Cannot wait. I'll see you after an early evening gig at Alvin's tonight, Kielson!

**Gannon** · October-13-09, 01:28 PM

WAIT a while on their web page...the catch phrases cycle through some amazingly damned funny stuff.

"Come back to the city your parents abandoned"

"Come scrub your Mama's name off the bathroom wall... Unless she’s hot"

**stromberg2** · October-13-09, 01:29 PM

Oh, the old 2500 club!

Stromberg2

**Gannon** · October-13-09, 01:29 PM

"
Wayne State Sixth-Year Student Specials... we KNOW you drink."

**iheartthed** · October-13-09, 01:33 PM

Originally Posted by gnome

http://www.afbdetroit.com/ ... a bare knuckle website

North of 375 and west of Woodward...

Whoa, they could use another fucking web site designer.

**leland_palmer** · October-13-09, 02:28 PM

Originally Posted by dcmorrison12

Has anyone gone to the new downtown bar - behind the Fox Theater - called AFB [[Another F**king Bar and Grill).

I wouldn't exactly call that "behind the Fox Theater"

**Whaler** · October-13-09, 02:56 PM

Hey Ya'll...I have Been there a couple of times...Nice Workers and Fair Prices..Good Music and Food...Pretty Unique..Definitely worth a Visit!!!!...Whaler

**dcmorrison12** · October-13-09, 04:00 PM

Originally Posted by Gannon

I got the skinny on this during the Service Street party, and it sounds like a blast.

The owners better watch out for a nearby bar owner's antics, though, they will surely be out and about trying to give them grief. Yes, I'm being obtuse, but have heard way too much of a certain person's meddling with the competition!

This place sounds like a real blast of a hangout. Cannot wait. I'll see you after an early evening gig at Alvin's tonight, Kielson!

You in a band? You know, back when Alvin's was the original Alvins... I saw some amazing shows there... Mustard Plug, Suicide Machines and International Noise Conspiracy. Great venue, very intimate

**1KielsonDrive** · October-14-09, 12:16 AM

dcmorrison12, that sounds like an awful long time after the original Alvin's.

**detroitsgwenivere** · October-14-09, 12:49 AM

Originally Posted by gnome

http://www.afbdetroit.com/ ... a bare knuckle website

North of 375 and west of Woodward...

Don't you mean I-75? If it's by the Comet bar than that's Cass Corridor, my favorite part of town!

**gnome** · October-14-09, 06:30 AM

Yes, my Queen, you are correct. I-75 not 375 ... thank you

**Gannon** · October-14-09, 09:42 AM

Not in a band, I support Buddy Smith, the local singer who is beloved by the Northern Soul afficionadoes. He is finally getting his due, with a record release upcoming...and other projects like movie soundtracks. He really wants me to get up on stage with my guitar, and sing along with him, we'll see. Won't be soon, heh.

That gig is actually tonight, the fellow he was playing with had it wrong, luckily we caught it before stepping into the joint. Six o'clock call, but I don't know when the show starts...as soon as I get information, I'll start a thread.

I cannot wait to see what is up with the place now that they've reopened. Alvins has always been a cool joint, I met Jonathan Richman when he played there a bazillion years ago, well before There's Something About Mary. He was riotously funny, yet so deadpan.

Chris from St. Andrews fame designed their sound system the LAST time they tried to open, I hope it is still there. It was one of the best in town at the time. I cannot remember when that was, I remember mixing for a CD release party for Lisboa. Might be four years ago or more, ugh, time flies.

**Gannon** · October-14-09, 09:51 AM

As for AFB, I think this place has really great potential.

They took out the old glass block windows, and installed two very large ones facing south towards the city...the view is outstanding, really creates an ambiance.

Just outside the front door, you get quite the DEtroit panorama...Masonic Temple looms to the north, both old and new Cass Tech's to the west, DTE reminding everyone that they watch over us all to the SW, then to the south...same as through those fabulous windows...

...the stadia to the SE with the church punctuating, Fox, then straight down Park Avenue across the freeway to the Town Pump...with the skyline as backdrop. As soon as Illitch gets his stadium for hockey built behind the Fox, this place will be basically ground zero for fun.

I think the pool table needs leveling, though, I lost twice. Ahem. Would've stayed longer, but my money ran out.

When you see something about 'Balls' on the menu, I cannot remember their full name, just buy them as an appetizer...one of the owners gave me the hard sell and I took him up on it. Deep fried potato and cheese and parsley and onion...oh my...they were outstanding, and a GREAT way to start a night of drinking. Another instant favorite.

Yeah, this place is cool, with room to grow. They will try to have the upstairs done by next year's Tiger season.

I think y'all should check it out!

Toolbox · October-14-09, 10:23 AM

I am sure it will be nothing like the original.

You could never get the same feeling of 7 and Woodward in the middle of a gentrifing/ghost town area. Catering to the stadium goers is contradictory to the intent of the original.

**Gannon** · October-14-09, 10:25 AM

Yeah, poor Stirling couldn't stop obsessing over that last night, too, Toolbox.

That place must've made some kinda dent in your psyches for it to linger so long.

**Farrer** · October-14-09, 10:46 AM

Only at the original AFB a few times. Once, while I was sitting at the bar a small entourage hustled in. I was approached by a pilotfish, who asked, "Would you give up your seat for 5$ for Sergei Fedorov?" "No, I wouldn't", I replied. I glanced over, and there he was, nice enough, and we nodded. This was around Kournikova time but the nervous, hockey haired hottie in the group wasn't Anna. Next time I went by it seemed to have burned.

**1KielsonDrive** · October-16-09, 02:03 PM

I found AFB's location at 7 and Woodward interesting [[in those days) but the crowd mostly uptown. AFB was urban grit and it's clientele mostly suburban kitsch. There was nothing divey about it other than the physical structure. At least a few times I went with friends, we found ourselves outside at 4AM with dozens of partiers in convertibles and sports cars, swarming the side street, annoying the neighbors. At least once, the cops showed up more to chase partiers off of the street than to bust AFB for after hours. What made that area hopping back then, was the combination of 'Heaven', 'Hell' and AFB, all near 7 and Woodward. Between them, they drew lots of people whom you would've never ordinarily seen in that area or near that intersection. The clientele at 'Heaven' and 'Hell' was much more interesting. Keith Howarth and his Noir Leather crew were a large part of the 'H' and 'H' crowd. It was fun having a cluster of bars within walking distance of each other.