Mister Dips burger and ice cream joint set to open in downtown Detroit

Yes, folks, downtown Detroit is getting another burger joint.

Award-winning New York-based chef Andrew Carmellini and his NoHo Hospitality Group — who already operate San Morello, Evening Bar, The Brakeman and Penny Red's in Detroit's Shinola Hotel complex — will add Mister Dips to the mix this spring.

"This is very different from any of our current offerings in the area," Carmellini said.

The chef and his partners opened the original Mister Dips in 2016, serving colorful dipped ice cream cones and roadhouse-style burgers out of a vintage 1974 Airstream trailer atop Brooklyn's William Vale Hotel.

After its debut, Eater NY likened the seasonal Mister Dips to "Shake Shack on acid," making the comparison between the two for their potato buns and griddled patties.

"The generally whimsical nature of the venture might also remind you of Shake Shack," wrote Eater NY restaurant editor Nick Solares in 2016. "But Mister Dips doesn’t feel derivative; rather it feels like part of the larger narrative — that of serious restaurant operators letting down their hair and cooking comfort food."

The Detroit location of Mister Dips, slated for a 2,000-square-foot space next to Madcap Coffee on Parker's Alley (behind the Shinola Hotel), is the first brick-and-mortar version, though Carmellini said there are more planned for other parts of the country.

"We're going to do one in New York also that's going to open up after the Detroit one," he said.

The menu in Detroit, though still in development, will be similar to what's available in Brooklyn, Carmellini said. Diners can expect single and double versions of the griddled burgers, plus waffle fries and specialty soft serve cones with toppings like thin-mint custard and grasshopper cookies.

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Notably, the new Mister Dips will be just steps from Huddle, a soft-serve walk-up window from the former owners of Gather, setting the stage for a potential downtown ice cream showdown. Carmellini brushed aside notions of potential friction, though, noting that ice cream was only part of Mister Dips' offerings.

With luck, the irreverent ice cream and burger joint will open in March or April.

Send your dining tips to Free Press Restaurant Critic Mark Kurlyandchik at 313-222-5026 or mkurlyandc@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @MKurlyandchik and Instagram @curlyhandshake. Read more restaurant news and reviews and sign up for our Food and Dining newsletter.