Storied Hamtramck Atlas Bar Set for a Comeback

Ask just about any Hamtramckan about the Atlas Bar and they'll share stories of youthful debauchery, either their own memories or those of "someone I know." It was the type of spot where the underaged snuck their first shots of Fireball Whiskey. Where someone could get lucky in the upper flat apartment above it. Or where one could get "locked in" after closing time. Many will also say they remember the moment that Atlas, one of the city's neighborhood corner dive bars that put Hamtramck on the map, closed for business, leaving a hole in the neighborhood's divey landscape.

Well, Eater has confirmed with the property's current owner, Carolyn Wietrzykowski, who also runs Polish Village Cafe with her family, that the Atlas is set to make a triumphant return to the scene come summer time. Yes, the rumors have been a long time coming, ever since Wietrzykowski bought the property in late 2011 right after the bar went out of business. That was also around the same time that a fire broke out on the second floor, leaving the building condemned any many a local wondering what was really going on at the property, which sits in a residential area on Brombach and Yemans.

Slowly but surely, Wietrzykowski says, work has been done to fix the place up, mainly replacing the exterior siding and windows. Inside, bar flies will see, the joint remains the same. Wietrzykowski hopes to have the place open for business by July. Longtime residents are skeptical, saying rumors about the Atlas' return have been murmured around town for quite some time. Come July, if it's not open for business again, Eater will make sure to update readers on what's going on with this small town gem. Until then, read reviews as written by fans on Yelp to get a taste of what the Atlas brought to the neighborhood.-By Serena Maria Daniels
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