Nestled in the heart of Wyandotte’s social district is Grand Dad’s Bar, a cozy neighborhood establishment known for its laid-back atmosphere and friendly service.

For five years now, Grand Dad’s has been known and loved as an integral part of the city’s downtown area with its signature cocktails, wide selection of beer and classic bar fare done right.

Grand Dad’s Side Bar, its event rental venue next door, is the perfect place to host private parties and events for up to 70 people. The Side Bar focuses on adult events, birthdays, reunions, anniversaries, retirement parties and more.

For owner Hisam Elawad, Grand Dad’s is more than just a place to do business. Following the footsteps of his father as a business owner in the city, Wyandotte is special to Elawad.

“It’s the hometown feel for me, knowing a lot of faces from being around the area and the synergy of the downtown area is important to me rather than just having a bar on a main road,” he said.

Elawad’s goal isn’t just for Grand Dad’s to be everybody’s only stop for the night, but for his bar to be part of the rotation when people are going out, enjoying dinner at a nice restaurant and experiencing what downtown has to offer.

“To me, that’s the whole attraction being in the downtown area,” Elawad said.

Part of the experience at Grand Dad’s is the pet friendly outdoor patio that’s open year-round – perfect for summer nights. In the winter it’s heated to keep guests comfortable.

For those looking for something new, Grand Dad’s regularly updates its menu, with rotating specials including weekly “fun” cocktails and unique food specials once or twice a month.

“We have an understated food menu,” Elawad said. “It’s a simple bar fare menu but we like to take the simple things and do them right. Every time you come back it’s going to taste the same and look the same. People know what they’re getting.”

Known for its simple yet consistently great bar food, Grand Dad’s kitchen is open until midnight every day, offering late-night bites including a variety of Chicago style dogs and Coney dogs and French fries, their popular original and spicy Nashville style chicken sandwiches, grilled cheese, burgers, homestyle chicken tenders and more.

Guests can take advantage of special happy hour deals Monday-Friday from 3-6 p.m., and weekends from 12-3 p.m., and enjoy drink specials, $5 burgers and chicken sandwiches.

“People really love happy hours as prices are going up – we’re trying to combat that by keeping our food prices the same or lowering them,” Elawad said.

Through the highs and lows since the pandemic, Grand Dad’s has shown resilience and passion for what it does, with a focus on maintaining consistency and sustainability while navigating the many changes the industry has faced – with both customer trends and employees and staffing. Elawad especially wants to call out his general manager, Richelle Latendresse, for being a valued member of the team.

At the end of the day, one of Elawad’s main focuses is the wellbeing of his staff. He explained that it’s not just about the money but about investing in people, being there for them and treating them with respect.

“It’s been a ride and we’re holding on strong and look forward to many more years to come in Wyandotte,” Elawad said.

Grand Dad’s Bar is located at 132 Sycamore Street. For more information, visit www.granddadsbar.com.