Eater Award-winning chef Genevieve Vang’s flagship restaurant Bangkok 96 has been stunning diners with refreshing takes on Thai cuisine since 1996. The menu here runs the gamut from palate-cleansing fresh spring rolls to chicken larb salad to Thai fried rice.

In business since 1941, this classic dive bar has endured while staying true to its roots. The famous ground round is served on a bun with or without cheese, pickles and onions — and that’s pretty much it. No heirloom tomatoes, no housemade bacon, no organic fried eggs — just a burger on a square of parchment paper. Make sure to take cash. Miller’s goes by the honor system: Customers pay at the bar and tell the staff what they had. 

This spot is part of a growing number of franchise locations for House of Chimney Cakes. Based in Anaheim, California, it takes Hungary’s chimney cake (kürtöskalács) — made with freshly baked dough that turns out crunchy on the outside and light and fluffy on the inside — and fills each with soft serve ice cream. Its Anaheim (Disney-inspired) roots show because guests can also select fruity vegan Dole whip (available in pineapple or strawberry) as a filling. Specialties also include The Mouse, made with vanilla bean soft serve, an Oreo chimney cake, sprinkles, Oreo ears, and chocolate buttons; or shakes, like the Ubecorn featuring an ube shake base, Fruity Pebbles, whipped cream, chocolate sauce, and a mini chimney cake.

This French patisserie from the team behind Brome Modern Eatery and Detroit’s Cannelle is a dream for both pastry lovers and folks looking for brunch in Dearborn. The space is as elegant as the buttery croissants, rich eclairs, colorful macarons, and freshly baked bread. It also offers robust breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus that include sandwiches, salads, a variety of fancy toasts, and a full coffee bar featuring locally roasted brews.

For Yemeni food, Sheeba Restaurant is a go-to place with dishes such as seltah (root vegetables with whipped fenugreek) and fahsah (shredded lamb and potatoes) — both of which come to the table bubbling hot in a clay bowl. The lamb haneeth is the most popular dish with slow-roasted lamb over basmati rice. The Yemeni tannour bread is perfect for scooping and sopping it all up.

Michigan Avenue’s M Cantina specializes in Nuevo Latino cuisine, including halal tacos and tortas as well as refreshing cocktails from chef and mixologist mastermind Junior Merino (aka The Liquid Chef). Due to staffing shortages, reservations are required.

There’s no shortage of great burgers in metro Detroit, but Taystee’s stands out for its halal beef, creative flavor combinations, and unsuspecting location. Like spicy? There’s the Volcano, boasting jalapeno, jalapeno poppers, and spicy mayo. Want breakfast for dinner? The Breakfast Burger has a fried egg, beef bacon, and not one but two grilled cheese sandwiches as a bun. Located in a gas station across from the Ford-Wyoming Drive-in, it offers fuel for both cars and stomachs.

This Lebanese mainstay features a ski chalet-inspired diner interior and a clever drive-thru window for takeout orders. Regulars love it for the complimentary lentil soup, juicy rotisserie chickens, and plentiful combination plates piled high with everything from falafel to fried kibbeh to grape leaves. Drive-thru and curbside pickup available.

Whether cooking or dining in, this emporium of halal meat has all the bases covered. Cooking plans, however, might go out the window once the smell of roasted meats from the charcoal grill hits your nose. Skewered meats from typical cuts to offal are complemented by creamy hummus, baba ghannouj, fresh salad, and plentiful pitas. 

Al Chabab serves Syrian food paired with friendly, attentive service. Those who seek out spicy flavors will find a lot to like here, such as the hummus halabi that has a little kick from Aleppo chilies and the spicy kibbeh. The kabobs are standouts, especially the cherry. Can’t decide what to get? The mixed grill has a little bit of everything, or ask the owners who are always ready and willing to make suggestions. 

For more than 25 years, Al-Ameer has been a beloved favorite among locals for top-notch Lebanese cuisine. But this family-owned restaurant with sister locations in Canton and Dearborn Heights achieved national acclaim with a James Beard America’s Classics Award and then a spot on Eater’s National 38 list. With dishes like stuffed lamb and kibbeh neyeh (raw beef mixed with bulgar, onion, and spices), it’s an essential destination for any culinary tour of Dearborn. There’s a new location showing up in Canton, soon, too.

This new spot in Dearborn serves up Middle Eastern-inspired cuisine, but with a seafood twist. Many of the classic offerings one would find in a traditional Middle Eastern restaurant are available here, including skewers, hummus, grilled kibbeh, and kofta sandwiches, with one key distinction: In addition to beef, lamb, chicken, or other typical proteins, Aliz prepares with a variety of marinated or spicy fish or shrimp. The menu is rounded out with entrees like roasted red snapper, grilled salmon with herbs, as well as casseroles and shrimp biryani.

Al Tayeb, which means “the delicious” in Arabic, serves the type of tasty traditional breakfast you’d find in Beirut. The restaurant, which got its start as a sub shop in Garden City in 2017, has since expanded. Half of the items on the menu contain chickpeas; the menu includes Lebanese classics like fool, falafel, hummus, and even beef tongue delicacies.