Food, drinks, staff were all amazing. Loved my tacos and elote corn! Was disappointed when we received the check and noticed a $5 up charge on each tequila served "on the rocks." From $15 to $20/drink. Not mentioned by staff or printed anywhere. When asked, the GM said standard bar practice b/c larger pour. Not one in my party had ever heard of this, so I asked ChatGPT and it says occasional and usually $1-2....heads up if you plan to try it out. read more

This spot is frequently on 45+ minute waits for a very good reason. The menu of tacos and hot dogs is so unique with tons of great vegan and vegetarian options. Don't miss out on the salsa trio appetizer and the amazing cocktails. There's a vast selection of tequila drinks and I had an awful time choosing. I wasn't disappointed with the original margarita. Staff was super friendly and prompt with great recommendations. Seating style is communal, so be prepared to be social if you want! read more

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Jesus take the wheel. Do not eat this food. Keep your hard earned money and don't even drink the drinks for it is all crap. Service good. But wow I'm appalled at the flavor and price of these tiny bland af tacos. More ice then you could ever need in one drink even on the hottest of days. read more

I was here in December for the first time with a group of friends. I can't believe I did not leave a review because I absolutely loved it!!!I know we had a "special ". I believe it was either a fish or a shrimp taco. Quite a few of us had it and it was amazing!!! The place wasn't real busy- only a few tables- we had a great server. Especially, considering there were seven of us. Great service. I will remember to post what I had next week because I also had a cocktail- I believe it was with bourbon- that was also amazing. Maybe I can blame my bad memory on that bourbon! EDIT: Just looked on their drink menu, and what I had was called a lavender sidecar!!! Try it!!! read more

Well I can't say enough good things about Imperial... I just love it!! Food is great and reasonably priced. I definitely recommend the salsa trio and guac to start, they kill it. There is something for every appetite and dietary restriction on the menu. Drinks are super creative and service is always amazing... kind people work here! Perfect place to bring any size group and with the weather getting warmer they have the front and back deck open which is cool for either watching the cars on Woodward or chillin at the back garden in the fresh air ily Imperial, I'll be back soon!! read more

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I ordered nachos and boy what a delicious treat! You have the options of protein, or without. I added shrimp. They were the perfect size and they weren't stingy with the portion. My server Jackie (her name) was absolutely the best. She was personable, quick and friendly. I'be always liked the ambiance of the place. I chose to sit in the back entrance. The open seating is nice and non confined feeling. The open selection of music was cool too. A genre for all ears. read more

Imperial - Margarita: Tequila (Don Julio) - Bars Near Me - Ferndale, Michigan

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Imperial is one of my favorite restaurants in the area. Their service is always friendly and fast, the ambiance is casual but fun and the food is always amazing! The menu mostly consists of bacon wrapped hot dogs and street tacos. My favorite is the chino Sonoran (their take on a coney dog) and the chorizo, bean, al pastor and potato tacos. Their trio of hot sauces costs $1 but is well worth it if you like a flavorful kick to your food. We almost always start with a salsa flight and chips and end with the fresh churros too. Give the place a try, you won't be sorry! read more

Imperial - Bars Near Me - Ferndale, Michigan

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Great experience at The Imperial. A relaxed atmosphere yet outstanding food and drinks. Service was prompt and helpful.

Absolutely love Imperial - SPECIFICALLY THEIR SONORAN HOT DOGS! I have dreams about them and often find myself craving them. Not too long ago, Imperial was in some seriously hot water because it came out that their management had been sexually harassing their employees on multiple instances, so I boycotted Imperial for a very long time because it did not matter how good their food was. I was happy to hear from friends in the Ferndale service industry recently that Imperial has since gotten entirely new management, so the boycott can now lift, while maintaining a close eye on them. I really had missed their hot dogs and I'm glad to see (read: taste) that the quality of their food has not diminished. Got their taco of the week special, which was actually a whole ass torta (delicious) and their sonoran hot dog of the month, which was essentially a mole-based chili dog (also YUM). Thanks for believing in your hard working employees and for ushering in a new era of change and growth. A great step in the right direction, Imperial. Appreciate y'all. read more

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Great vegan options for a great price. You can split chips and guac + 2 tacos and feel very satisfied. Good atmosphere. We continually come back. read more

I actually liked this place a lot and I would go back frequently if I lived in the area. First and foremost, service was great. We absolutely adored our waitress who was helpful, honest, kind, and knowledgeable about the menu. She also stopped at our table the perfect number of times (like was exactly the right amount of attentive) which I feel is very difficult to nail. Any of the tequila cocktails are great but I would recommend going off menu. My martini was not good. With that said the other drinks were excellent and strong. Chips and salsa trio is a must - everything is phenomenal. Salsa def has a kick. Grilled jalapeños were gnarly - they didn't take out the seeds and the big bites we took almost killed us. I would skip personally. Sonoran and tacos were outrageously good. We got the Bakersfield Sonoran and it was like the best bite of food I've ever had. Tacos were great but a little overpriced ($4-$5 per) and I think there are better in the area. Overall though I'm really glad I went - great dinner for the price. read more

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Really small tacos with almost no toppings, but a fun space to get a drink. Staff is very friendly.

Went to the Royal Oak taco festival today and Imperial was one of the featured taco trucks. Hands-down, the best tacos at the entire festival. I am not a huge pork fan; however, I tried the Al Pastor tacos - OMG! The pork was super tender and a little spicy with the added sweet pineapples on top. I would go back just for those tacos. They have a physical location in Ferndale-- check it out!!! read more

Imperial - Al Pastor - Bars Near Me - Ferndale, Michigan

Interesting spot for hotdogs and tacos. The chips and (fill in the dip) are great for starters! The food has great flavor and never seems to disappoint! The only negative is the size of the tacos. I feel they have gotten smaller... disappointed! The service is always great and the venue is great. ** only bottle iced tea... disappointing! read more

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Friendly staff. Good portions. Lively ambiance. I went on a Thurs around 5:30pm. Sat at the tables with long benches. I ordered: -carne asada -al pastor -churros for dessert All were great, with carne asada being my preferred taco. read more

The food here is reason enough to keep coming back but the service is outstanding! Mike P. Our bartender/ waiter extraordinaire was the best ! We sat at the bar . He not only did he mix an excellent cocktail but also gave us suggestions for our meal and treated us like we were the only ones there. The bar was packed by the way! Thank you Mike P. and imperial for such i wonderful night out. read more

Food is great here, their specials were nice.. drinks were great too... There is always a bit of a wait here. We had about 22 parties before us but we were still seated in less than 30 minutes on a Saturday evening. That was also because they have some picnic style seating that is shared between the parties. We came in at a very busy time and also that the place was short staffed that there was a delay in the service but we had patience to deal with it.. I'll mostly come here again with friends. read more

Came in with four friends the other night for margs and tacos and we had such a great time here Menu had something for everyone and everything we ate was good, especially the guac. Our waitress, Katie was AWESOME. So patient answering all of our questions and just overall very cool. She didn't make us feel like we needed to rush and was very attentive to our needs, especially to my friend who has dietary restrictions. We plan on making dinner at Imperial a regular thing for the spring/summer season! Love it here read more

Imperial - Shrimp Tostada & House Margarita - Bars Near Me - Ferndale, Michigan

The food is great. Excellent price. Service is amazing. I haven't had a bad experience here regarding either of these. But, please, for the love of God, DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE SUNLIGHT COMING THROUGH THE FRONT. It's impossible to enjoy your food and company when you're blind during peak hours. Please fix this, it's physically painful to be in, and I don't want to be that guy who wears sunglasses inside. read more

Unassuming but this place delivers! Get the Chips and salsa flight; delicious chips and perfectly seasoned salsas: salsa verde, roasted and chipotle salsa was on point where it could easily have been overwhelming. Tacos were also filling and delicious. Barbacoa is roasted beef, not mejillas but still soft and tender. The papas and rajas taco flavorful as well. But the Hot Dogs! Both then Imperial and the China, bacon wrapped and delicioso! The flavor brought me back to Tucson, Arizona. The perfect combo of toppings each balancing the other!!! read more

Imperial is my favorite joint in metro Detroit. Great atmosphere, cocktails, grilled parmesian jalapeños and fun taco choices. Street tacos but delicious every time. It is loud but so fun in here. Great place to meet people or bring large group. Cocktails are delicious. read more

Busy, but no wait on a Monday in December at dinner time. Carne asada tacos are delish. Elote is good but sometimes a little spicy. My partner has enjoyed the hotdogs he's tried. Will be back. read more

Great stop for awesome bites and drinks! Service was friendly the hot dogs were maybe even better than the tacos! read more

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This place is awesome for friends to gather when you are craving some tacos and Mexican corn on the cob. This place is so good that there is typically a wait to get seated during dinner time and food does take longer than normal to be prepared. No party greater than 6 should come here as per their COVID protocol. Always ask the waiter for any specials as they constantly revolve different items that might be worth a try. Don't shy from different tacos here, because you can order one and get more later. My staple order is as follows: Appetizer- Elote Especial and Nachos Entree- Al Pastor, Barbacoa, Carne Asada, their taco special for the week, imperial Sonoran, and the vegetarian Sonoran (Look at the pictures attached). Dessert- Get the churros and ask for chocolate and caramel on the side. This can feed a few people!! read more

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My favorite place for tacos and margaritas. Their menu is small which means they like to focus on the quality and it's highly appreciated. The tacos are my favorites on the menu they are excellent. Favorite margarita is the strawberry banana don't sleep on their elotes! They feel like home read more

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Imperial is falling off.... The last few times I've had food here it's been MID at best. Today I got chicken nachos.. which used to be my favorite spot to get them , now I'm good. There is literally no nacho cheese on here the little guac that I did get didn't come on the side as it normally does, but instead it was all stuck at the top of the box and the MEAT tastes like DOG food....the waitress asked if I was ok with leftover blackened chicken because they didn't have anymore chicken???? so disappointed. read more

Imperial - Chicken nachos - Bars Near Me - Ferndale, Michigan

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Imperial is my and my husband's go to for date night. Large community style seating, private booths, or first come bar seating. Usually a wait for the private booths. Unfortunately community style seating has benches without backs, I dont mind them but some people may find them uncomfortable. My go to entree is the torta and elote. So good with a side of apple jalapeño sauce. Tacos are small on corn shells. I usually try one, but I feel like the meat is always under seasoned and on the tough side. My husband LOVES the tacos, al pasor or carna asada. Salsa flights or guac to start. Great atmosphere. Don't forget to try the senoras. Bacon wrapped hotdogs. So good. read more

Imperial - Two Carne Asada tacos, three Al Pastor, in the middle Bakersfield Sonoran, and the large sandwich is the Torta Sandwich. - Bars Near Me - Ferndale, Michigan

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The food and service here are both fantastic, quality tacos that have consistently been good in my many times eating here over a number of years. I have one comment about the setup of the restaurant though, specifically with regard to the noise and acoustics. It is extremely difficult to hear people sitting directly across from me in the front section of the restaurant, the music volume is always just a bit too high, and the ceiling design must amplify it in a way that makes hearing others close to you so difficult. I highly suggest that imperial looks into solving this problem, it would make eating here so much easier, and I would feel encouraged to bring more people here too. read more

It has been several years since I'd been back but it's just as tasty as ever. Nice chill place to go with a group of friends or just your significant other. Their Al pastor tacos are the best and their imperial Sonoran hotdogs will make you question how can a hotdog be so delicious and packed with so much flavors! Their chips and salsa flight is great and comes with 3 different salsas. I have to force myself to stop eating them so I don't fill up on chips alone! read more

Imperial - Chips & Salsa Flight - Bars Near Me - Ferndale, Michigan

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Where do I start? The hostess was friendly and she helped point out open seats at the bar. The vegan nachos.... Yummy!!!! Very good taste and a nice portion! Cheese and the walnut meat... very good!!!! The vegan Elote corn.... Very good!! Our server was the bartender; he and the other bartenders were very nice although we weren't buying drinks, just food. This experience was very good!!! I'm so glad that we tried them!!! read more

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Great service, our waitress who was really the hostess was very attentive and friendly. She checked in on us just the right amount. The kid's hotdog is a great deal for $2 with bacon wrapped around it. My partner got 2 of them and they were tasty. The chips and guac were good, although some chips were stale. The street tacos were alright. I got the carne asada and carnitas. The carne asada has a strange marinade on it that I wasn't a fan of. The carnitas had huge pieces of meat on it that really should've been broken up into smaller pieces. read more

Came to this joint with old friend we see in Michigan when we visit. They said this place is good for drinks and food. We were not expecting it to be this awesome. The atmosphere is dark and cozy. Perfect for a date or group gathering. The cocktails are what I call fancy or top notch. They don't skimp out on alcohol or garnishes. The food is perfect and fresh. The freaking Hotdogs are supreme. Just everything is so good here I would highly recommend it. It's a bit loud like a live bar rather than a small quiet joint which I like. This place is so good it will be a must for every Michigan visit. This will probably now be the outing spot must when traveling here and it's worth it. read more

Imperial - Tacos, Hotdogs, and corn was amazing. Best tacos were crab cake tacos. The Hotdog was one of the best I ever had if not the best. - Bars Near Me - Ferndale, Michigan

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Food was fantastic as always! Communal picnic tables mixed with smaller tables! Very fun vibe and great service. Love the hibiscus jalapeño margarita! read more

Imperial - Potato tacos, chicken taco - Bars Near Me - Ferndale, Michigan

I love imperial! I come here pretty frequently and it never disappoints! This isn't your typical taco joint, but I love the fusion of flavors on their menu and wouldn't have thought to put them on a taco or a hotdog. I always get the Al pastor and Adobada De Pollo Tacos and the Bakersfield Sonoran. I'm not a hotdog girl, but let me tell you the Bakersfield Sonoran changed my life and everyone else I told to try! I would say the only down side about this place is that it can get pretty busy in the evenings and they don't do reservations unfortunately. read more

Imperial - Bakersfield Sonoran - Bars Near Me - Ferndale, Michigan

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I came for a quick snack while I wait for dinner. It was really spacious and the lighting was nice. The music just depends on your taste. It was country music so I mainly focused on eating. Last time I came. I didn't like the tacos as much so I went for the dogs. The Bakersfield dog was amazing. The imperial dog was lack luster. I wouldn't recommend. Service was swift. The prices for drinks are reasonable. There is an outside portion as well. read more

Imperial - Two dogs and one is definitely better lol - Bars Near Me - Ferndale, Michigan

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We started with the trio of Salsas and could not decide which was best as they were all great. Next time is queso and Guac. The chips were cooked perfectly and were nice and thick. Our server did a great job explaining the menu and helping us decide on the selections. The entire buildings decor is wood and was warm and inviting. You will be sitting on wood too so not all that comfortable. Our selection of tacos and drinks were also very tasty. We will definitely going back with friends over the holiday. This would be a great location for a work party lunch if not too large of a party. read more

Imperial - Bakersfield Sonoran Hotdog was amazing! - Bars Near Me - Ferndale, Michigan

This place has several large community tables/benches inside, in addition to some private booths (but there's not a ton of space overall). My friends and I had to wait 20 minutes or so to get a table on a Sunday night, but it was well worth the wait. Prices here are on the higher end for tacos ($3 per) and there are no complimentary chips/salsa. Rather, it costs $5 for a bag of chips with a 3-salsa sampler, $6 for chips & guacamole, and $1 for a chip refill. Still, in the end I didn't have to pay too much to be filled up, compared to other restaurants in the area. Tamales are just $2, but they're pretty small. For my meal, I ordered a pork tamale, carnitas (roasted pork shoulder) taco, and chorizo taco. The pork in the tamale and tacos was tender, juicy, and flavorful. I loved the salsa that was served with the tacos. The chorizo was pretty good as well - it had bold seasoning. The fresh corn tortillas that wraps the tacos are top notch. They were hot, soft, and flavorful. Everything came out pretty quickly. Service was good. The noise level was not too bad this time around (the first time I came, it was packed and super noisy, and we had to shout to talk to anyone...not fun). It was a good meal and I'd definitely come back in the future. read more

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Stopped in here for a super quick bite! I've been hearing about their hot dogs, or as they call them Sonoran's, for years and figured this was the perfect time to try one out. I sat at the bar and the bartender was friendly and prompt. Took my order expeditiously and I had food in hand probably 15 minutes later! They had August specials and I had the August Sonoran special and the August taco. I really like that they had weekly options to choose from for the August taco specials. My food was hot and delicious. The flavors of the Sonoran melded together perfectly and I kind of wanted another one...not because I was hungry but because it was so good. I had the pork belly bulgogi taco and it was delectable. I plan to go back to try some of their other menu items and also a cocktail...or two! read more

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They were just okay..nothing to brag about. The margarita was small, full of ice (barely any drink) and watered down. The waitress was decent. The menu is more of a taco truck menu not a full restaurant type of menu. We both ordered nachos. They were average tasting, however my husbands nacho had a long strand of hair in it. It was taken off of our bill but we lost our appetite. We won't be back. read more

Imperial is a great restaurant to check out. Their Mexican food won't blow you away like some of the spots in Southwest Detroit, but it's not bad at all. I normally Vegetarian Taco, Vegetarian Sonoran, and Elote Especial. All of them hit spot, but Vegetarian Sonoran which is like Mexican Hot Dog has a special place in my heart growing up a Detroit Coney Island kid lol. The Elote Especial is one of my favorites too, who doesn't love Mexican Street Corn. The energy at Imperial is always amazing and being located in Downtown Ferndale makes the vibes great. Overall, check it out. read more

Imperial - Vegetarian Taco, Vegetarian Sonoran, and Elote Especial (Take Out). - Bars Near Me - Ferndale, Michigan