Redcoat Tavern • 1972

Wilma and John Brown turned their Scottish-British inspired ale house into Metro Detroit's burger mecca when they opened Redcoat Tavern along Woodward Avenue in 1972. The Original Redcoat Special—a half-pound of proprietary beef blend topped with lettuce, tomato, and special sauce—draws crowds who wait in dimly lit red vinyl booths beneath copper and pewter serving pieces. Slide into a booth past the crimson glow and taste why generations have returned for over five decades.