The Washington Post has a new national dive bar feature out, and Detroit’s own Nancy Whiskey is included as one of the nation’s most authentic dive bars.
One of the cool things about this feature is that they have ambient audio and interviews from the various dive bars around the nation.
“When I first started here, around 1992, this was a really bad neighborhood,” says bartender Sheryl Grogan, who grew up in the neighborhood with her brother, Gerald Stevens, the bar’s current owner. Things got worse in 2000, when the Tigers moved to a new stadium across the city and a neighborhood full of large, vacant parking lots began to languish. “But this is a big city cop-and-fireman bar, so this bar would be full all the time, with the shift changes,” Grogan says. “Through the rough times, I think that’s what kept the bar.”
Located in a former corner grocery store, it’s been slinging beers in one form or another since 1902 and legend has it was a hangout of Jimmy Hoffa.
It has survived a fire, the ups and the downs of the city, and continues to serve beers and smiles to Detroiters. It’s warming up now, so don’t forget to get some sunshine and hit the patio.
You can find Nancy’s at 2644 Harrison Street in Detroit.
Here’s the full Washington Post piece, and if you’re looking for more dive bars, here’s our ultimate Detroit dive bar list.
P.S.: Fun fact – The first version of Daily Detroit was built on a couple tables pushed together in the back, over a copious of amount of $3 whiskeys and $2 PBRs a few years ago. “Cold-beer-working,” as opposed to “Co-working,” if you will.
And occasional mopeds rolling through:
