Dakota Inn Rathskeller
17324 John R St.
Detroit
Feb. 28, 2026
Step right into the world of German glee at the Dakota Inn Rathskeller!
For 92 years, this cozy German restaurant has kept this spirit alive: “There are no strangers here. Only friends we haven’t met.”
That’s especially true after you’ve slammed back enough Underberg (an old-school German bitters) to take down an elephant, and washed that down with even more German lager.
The Dakota Inn is under new ownership, but little has changed about the spot. If you’re looking to eat, the menu boasts German classics like schnitzel and buttered spätzle and kraut and sausage, but all of it could use a bit of an upgrade in terms of seasoning.
It’s really best used as a place to get a drink and listen to the piano player. On this visit, it’s Jerry Ferry, 73, on the keys, who has been playing piano here for over a decade.
There’s no classical here, but there are classics. I’m talking about real classics, like American folk songs woven into time like “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad” and polkas and waltzes.
There’s also moments of sheer joy, like when Ferry starts taking requests and busts out a mean version of “Rocket Man” by Elton John, with the whole bar joining him in a sing-a-long.
I’ve always had a soft spot for these musicians like Ferry, performing American songbook oddities at a German restaurant buried deep in Detroit. Or the organ players still going strong at places like the Redford and Senate Theatres, performing for 20 minutes before the picture starts.
It’s a special dedication to keeping something alive and giving it to a new audience, even if they’re only popping in once and a while for the gimmick of it all.
We salute you, Jerry Ferry!
