Now Open: Edgewater Café in Detroit Shoreway, With Regular Hours Beginning This Week

For the first time in years, the Christmas lights are illuminated at the Edgewater Café (4911 Detroit Ave.). The dive bar, now owned by Eduardo Galindo, Matt Began and Jeremy Began, is open today for Dyngus Day. The bar will be closed Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday before opening for good on Friday.

“Good lord willing and the creek don’t rise," says Matt.

If not Friday at 3 p.m. as planned, then very shortly thereafter, he says. Going forward the bar will be open every day but Sunday from 3 p.m. until close.

The Edgewater Café jumped back into the public conversation in late 2022, when the weathered saloon was placed on the market. The Detroit Shoreway dive bar enjoyed a brief renaissance that began in 2014, when owner Frank Spremulli reopened the place for the first time in nearly 20 years. The Edgewater operated sporadically after that until it closed for good in 2021, when Spremulli passed away.

"Frankie is in all of our hearts," Began adds. "We don’t look at it like we bought the Edgewater Café, we look at it like we saved the Edgewater Café."

Edgewater Café is reopening at a time when honest dive bars continue to vanish, replaced by renovated, buffed-up and "vibey" lounges. If that's your cup of tea, the owners of Edgewater suggest you keep on going. Other than updated bathrooms, some new TVs and a fresh coat of paint, the decades-old tavern has been preserved in all its shot-and-beer glory.

"On this side of town, there’s really not a place to go to raise a little hell after 10 p.m.,” says Began. “You can get done with dinner and have some fun."

Guests can expect a decent beer list, basic cocktails and no real food.

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