Motor City Brewing Works
Detroit
Feb. 8, 2026
It’s a sad day when a neighborhood staple like Motor City Brewing Works closes, but if you went in there over the weekend for the fond farewell, it felt like a legit party.
That’s a testament to the core community values that Motor City Brewing Works has brewed up over the years, serving up craft beer and personal sized pizzas for more than 30 years.
Staff from over the years came into town. Locals crowded the bar. When I popped in Sunday, there was barely any beer left to drink – so many people had come through to get their final glass and say goodbye. Their pale lager Czech Engine was the last beer I drank there. It was delicious.
The last pizza I ordered was the classic Bronx Bomber, their take on the Italian pizza with bacon, sausage, mushrooms, pepperoni, green pepper and onions. I loved every damn slice.
Owner John Linardos didn’t just stop at beer and pizza. He was a major component in championing the garage rock sound of Detroit by releasing music of local bands. It was also a makeshift art gallery, hosting a bevy of up-and-coming artists plus local legends and showing their work inside of the taproom in the Cass Corridor.
When I first moved to Detroit with fresh legs and wide eyes, Motor City Brewing Works was like a home away from home. It was a beacon of light. A place to meet people and have a beer. Like a lot of legacy businesses in Detroit, it was clear it was a challenge to keep up with a rapidly changing market that offered more dining choices around town. In a lot of ways, it felt like I had outgrown Motor City Brewing Works, but it remained a community hub.
There’s plans to potentially reopen the taproom in the future, but for now, the taps are dry and the pizza dough is all sold out. There’s plans to sell the beer itself in cans once again in the near future, too.
It was a beautiful send out, however, for a business that has been a core institution in the Cass Corridor, holding down the fort when few other businesses were keeping the lights on.
