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. 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.

All-halal burgers, chicken sandwiches, wraps, and wings make up the menu at this casual eatery. In particular, folks looking for some heat will find District’s 12’s rendition of the Nashville Hot Chicken, which has infiltrated many Dearborn-area restaurants over the past few years.

This all-day breakfast spot, cafe, and bakery highlights the beauty of Turkish cuisine. Indulge in a traditional breakfast like the menemen, which comes with eggs scrambled in tomato, peppers, onions, and cheese. The bakery offerings include a variety savory bureks, Turkish Delights, and baklava trays. Several classic beverages like Turkish tea and coffee are available, including the Kürt Kahvesi — which is amplified with flavors like pistachio or hazelnut.

This French patisserie and restaurant 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.

This car-themed shrine to Ford Motor Company is the destination for burgers, adult milkshakes, and a bar that features a genuine Model T that hovers above. Guests are encouraged to become regulars here with a rewards program that includes a 25 percent discount for every fourth visit.

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. 

This 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.

With its indoor palm trees, local institution Shatila Bakery feels like an oasis of crave-inducing sweet treats. The cases teeming with tempting pastries make choosing dessert a challenge, but some must-haves include the baklava made with layers of phyllo dough stuffed with nuts such as pistachios, walnuts, cashews, or almonds. The pistachio ice cream is also outstanding.

Yemeni cuisine continues to gain in popularity throughout metro Detroit, thanks in part, to the growing number of Yemeni-owned coffee shops cropping up. Here, get a taste for the cooking with specialties like a Yemeni-style rotisserie chicken — available whole or in half — breakfast staples like foul, fresh-squeezed juices and smoothies, and sandwiches made with roti.

The Yemeni coffee scene continues to grow little by little in metro Detroit with Haraz Coffee House with locations in Dearborn and at 32766 Ryan Road in Warren. Named after the ancient villages of the Haraz Mountains in Yemen’s lower west coast region (considered by many as the birthplace of coffee), the menu consists of espresso drinks, Turkish tea, smoothies, saffron cakes, sabayah (thinly layered bread drizzled with honey), and other sweet treats.

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. 

The faux green wall and charred wood bring an eclectic vibe that matches the menu at Mokaccino Cafe. The coffee here is imported from Italy, and the spot also features a boba bar, sweet crepes, mini pancakes and waffles, smoothies, virgin mojitos, and affogato.

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.

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.

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.

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.

From wildly popular food truck to a physical restaurant, Lobster Pitstop gives diners a casual destination for enjoying a craveable lobster roll. The rolls here are served on a non-traditional bun overflowing with big, juicy pieces of lobster, which is sourced straight from Maine. The whole thing is dressed up with garlic butter and herbs. The food truck continues to roam the region for those who can’t make the trip to Dearborn. Check the schedule online for times, dates, and locations.