[Otter74]

A few other comments:

-HopCat has a large beer selection but feels like a suburban sports bar. If you like that vibe, you'll like it. I find it weird in Detroit, and don't like suburban sports bars anyway, but that's my own taste.

-Jolly Pumpkin would be a better choice for a beer-centric pub like place. Or Motor City Brewing, across the street from JP in Traffic Jam's parking lot. They have excellent pizzas. Or, for old-school, Traffic Jam itself.

-For super-old-school Detroit, there is the Dakota Inn, or the Poish Yacht Club, or the Cadieux Cafe on the east side.

-Back to a pubby vibe, the Grand Trunk Pub on Woodward has been around a long time, has a large MI-centric beer list, and has a neat interior that was once part of the central train station.

-Green Dot Stables near St. Anne's church in SW Detroit (easy to get to from the freeway, about 10 minutes from downtown) has great creative sliders, plenty of beer, is non-pretentious, and is cheap.

-Or, if you want something quieter and less hip, go across the street to Motor City Brewing, in the back of Traffic Jam's parking lot. Excellent pizzas too.

-Craft Work in the West Village is worth considering for a restaurant, and is in a neighborhood, which I think is kinda nice.