Good Vibes drinks are on point in the Eastside of Detroit that accompanies the delicious brunch items on the menu for customers who like brunch done right, locally.
Photo courtesy of Good Vibes
“Breakfast is a meal, but brunch is a culture.”
Famous chef Matt Basile was once quoted describing the hierarchy of brunch, which in Detroit can only appropriately describe the diverse Black eating scene which is a very serious and delicious business.
The art of brunching is centered around cultivating and creating indulgent dishes and making memorable moments with the nucleus being food and drink.
Finding a good brunch spot in the City of Detroit isn’t hard if you know what you’re looking for: a lit location, gastronomical delights, bottomless drinks, live music and some good friends to experience the moment with.
Luckily for locals looking for fun dining options, they don’t have to look far. The Michigan Chronicle found a couple of spots that are here for all things brunch.
That’s My Best Friend
Described as “the biggest Brunch Day Party in Metro Detroit,” the Bestie Brunch, a brunch series created by a group of five girlfriends from Southfield, is always lit and with good reason.
The middle–school and high–school friends started the brunch event series in 2016 after they reconnected post-college and started having brunch together. Their brunch events were so
much fun that others showed an interest and wanted to join the party. Now, with hundreds of people joining in on the fun, the Bestie Brunch meets quarterly in the city and is dedicated to celebrating life, love and friendship with some “good food, good people and even better mimosas.”
Detroit resident Ashley Wheatley oversees the financial/ technical oversight of the brunch business. She and fellow friend Jazmine Leath, of Southfield, spoke with the Michigan Chronicle about their experience with starting the brunch business with three other partners from metro Detroit: Antoniaya Pitts, Erika Sherman and Shannon Watson.
“Thank God for the Bestie Brunch, it’s empowered my friendships and we hope that empowers yours,” Wheatley said.
Pitts agreed about catching up over brunch.
“Something about brunch just makes me happy,” she said. “It’s almost like life slows down for a little while and I get to just sit and enjoy this moment in time.”
Leath, who runs the customer service oversight of Bestie Brunch, added that it resonates with numerous people because “energy does not lie.”
“Our event is rooted in integrity and a sincere desire to celebrate life with whoever you choose to celebrate it with,” Leath said. “We love to have a good time and we love to see our people having a good time. We are Black women, so naturally, we are a communal people. Getting together to celebrate with our loved ones is literally in our DNA and we’re just passing the vibes along in an environment that is both turnt up and safe…it doesn’t get much better than that.”
Sherman said that the Bestie Brunch is an opportunity to be “intentional” with the day.
“As we grow older and do life, it becomes difficult to always hang with your friends,” she said, adding that the brunch brings people together. “My heart is always so full after each event.”
Watson said that their group discovered that the brunch/day party experience was fairly new in Detroit.
“We really wanted to bring that experience to the Metro Detroit area,” Watson added. “Often, when we get together or brunch in other environments, the space is more conservative. Bestie Brunch is a space where Black men and women can be themselves and have a good time.”
The brunch event ranges in price and there are options for a $50 brunch ticket with unlimited brunch buffet selections, mimosas and free access to their equally successful and hype day party.
“This year [it is] on a rooftop,” Wheatley said of the event with a new feature.
On the menu is the classic brunch items including chicken and waffles, eggs, sausage, garden salad, shrimp and grits, seasonal fruit and more. It also includes drinks like a build-your-own mimosa station.
For more information visit https://thebestiebrunch.bigcartel.com/. For booth inquires text or call (313) 365-0613.
Good Vibes Only
The fully Black-owned bar “Good Vibes Lounge” opened last year during the pandemic on Detroit’s Eastside and is more than ready to take your order.
Good Vibes Lounge, located at 16801 Harper in Detroit, is a brunch with a “little bit of everything,” according to General Manager Charles Burks.
Burks told the Michigan Chronicle that the brunch spot’s owner, Portia Powell, also a banker and financial literacy coach, had a vision to create a chill venue that mixes music and food with a laid-back and turned up atmosphere — depending on which day you come.
“We do a brunch [on Saturday] that starts at 11 a.m. [and runs] to 3 p.m. — people walk right in, no reservations needed and we offer delicious brunch and R&B,” he said, adding that the laid-back atmosphere allows people to experience good vibes and good food.
After brunch they have happy hour from 3 to 6 p.m. and Sundays offer their “Trap Brunch” with a live DJ with a more lit party atmosphere.
Attendees can visit www.eventbrite.com to make a reservation, which Burks encourages people to do “as early as possible.”
Burks added that a draw for customers is the delicious food items like their famous Hennessey wings (often imitated never duplicated), their Belle Isle dish, shrimp and grits, chicken and waffles and more.
“We make sure we are giving you fine dining in your local neighborhood,” Burks said, adding that people don’t have to go downtown or to the suburbs to experience good food and great service. “Everything tastes great — we have an extensive menu for brunch — a little something for everybody. We even have something for vegetarians, too…we take care of everyone.”
For upcoming brunch event dates and times find Good Vibes’ Trap Brunch ~ Detroit Edition on eventbrite.com.
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