No. 3: Retro Detroit diner Norm's takes breakfast food seriously
Norm's Diner in Detroit takes the No. 3 spot on the 2025 Detroit Free Press/Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers Top 10 New Restaurants & Dining Experiences list for its old-school feel and dedication to housemade breakfast staples.
There's something endearing about a retro diner. Maybe it's the simplicity of those ubiquitous diner foods — thick, whipped milkshakes, malts and floats, patty melts and all-day pancakes. Or, maybe it's the old-fashioned décor — the counter-service stools, leatherette-backed banquettes and vintage accessories like jukeboxes plucked from before your time, and soda machines from an era you'd give anything to relive.
Whatever the reason for the gravitational pull, everyone longs for a neighborhood diner, and Norm's has all the makings of a great one. The family-friendly eatery was just what the neighborhood needed.
With a quaint café, ice cream shop, pizzeria and variety store just next door, all that was left to complete the Agnes Street dining ecosystem was a go-to breakfast joint.
Norm's isn't just any breakfast joint, though. Yes, there are staples, like pancakes, to which you can add chocolate chips or blueberries. And lunch favorites, like a turkey club cut into triangles and skewered with cornichons. But cooks here take the art of diner food seriously. Nearly everything is made in house, from fluffy biscuits to pork sausage and lox, and ingredients are sourced from local farms and purveyors when possible. A classic egg salad, for example, features eggs from a Michigan farm.
The crowds that form outside Norm's on a Saturday morning are the best indication of the diner's mark on the community. If you're hoping for a seat, just carve out some time in your day. Put your name on the list, then visit the nearby small businesses. It's going to be a while.
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Rotating specials at Norm's are the real stars. One giant, crunchy chicken cutlet over an equally large cornmeal pancake drizzled with hot honey and punctuated with scoops of salty whipped butter has left a lasting impression.
8029 Agnes St., Detroit. 313-332-0347; normsdiner.com.
Save the Date: On Thursday, July 24, Norm's Diner, the Detroit Free Press and Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers will host a Top 10 Takeover dinner. Stay tuned for ticket information at Freep.com.
For a chance to win five $100 gift cards to dine at restaurants on the 2025 Detroit Free Press/Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers Top 10 New Restaurants & Dining Experiences list, visit chevydetroit.com/community/giveaways/roy25.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Best New Restaurants 2025: Norm's Diner in Detroit
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