The Barstool Fund - PJ's Lager House (Thanks To Penn National Gaming)
Thanks to Penn National Gaming for their donation to help cover our next business… PJ's Lager House (Detroit, MI).
This local bar and live music venue has been a Corktown institution since it was founded as a bakery in 1914. PJ's Lager House impresses guests with its blend of old-world charm and modern amenities, offering a warm atmosphere and delicious dining and drinks menus.
Reader Email
PJ’s Lager House has been a neighborhood fixture in the Corktown neighborhood of Detroit since it first opened in 1915. Corktown is the oldest neighborhood in Detroit and Tiger Stadium was the anchor in the neighborhood until it was shuttered in 1998. Corktown was expected dry up and blow away when Tiger Stadium was closed and eventually demolished. But small businesses would not let that happen. I am the fourth owner of the buildings located at 1252-1258 Michigan Ave. Currently known as PJ’s Lager House. In 1991 the previous owners built a small stage and started to present music. I purchased the building and the business in 2007 with the stated intention of continuing to provide a space for local and touring musical artists to present their original music to Detrout audiences. We have had everyone form the guy down the street to major National acts perform at PJ’s. Originally I said that PJ’s was for Music, Booze and Cigarettes. When the smoking ban came in in 2010, I used my credit card to build a kitchen. Our kitchen has received a lot of praise for its quality of everything from a great burger, to my homemade gumbo to our Vegan, Biscuits and Gravy! A few years ago, much to my surprise, we were named the third best vegetarian restaurant in Detroit! We were featured on Esquire TV’s Best Bars in America Series. But live, original music was always our focus. The White Stripes started out here years ago and most recently Greta Van Fleet cut their teeth at PJ’s while they were still teenagers. PJ’s has always been there for our neighborhood as a place to go to grab a bite, host a meeting or meet up after work. But later at night, when the music gets cranking, there is no better place to see a musician or a band perform! We have a great music room and I do not believe that anyone who has ever played there, can say a negative thing about PJ’s. As a neighborhood fixture and a great music venue, I want to reopen, but we can’t do that until we can feel comfortable putting 50-100 people in a room, cheering on their musical heroes.
