This Last Remaining Beefcarver Offers More Than Grub

Royal Oak — In front of the red building, there is a massive sign that says: “Sign of the Beefcarver.” Those who know what the sign means pull into the parking lot.

It’s not crowded. Woodward is known for its traffic—specifically cool hot rods during the annual Dream Cruise. But at nearly 2 p.m. on a Tuesday, SUVs and sedans rule the road.

There’s no waiting in line to get food, and the gratification is instant. I say that it’s my first time in. The friendly man behind the counter asks where I’ve been this whole time.

“Welcome home,” he says to me after the spiel about the trays and how to go through the cafeteria-style food line. He means it, too. We’ve all been to restaurants with staff who have a mask of politeness.

The Woodward restaurant opened in 1957 as Sign of the Beefeater. It was later changed in 1979 to avoid a lawsuit from Beefeater Gin, which was affectionately named after the Yeoman Warders, ceremonial guards for the tower of London.

In olden times, the Warders would have gotten a large share of meat in their rations, hence the nickname “Beefeaters.” The gin brand apparently felt threatened enough by the success of the independent restaurant chain to take legal action.

Before the lawsuit, Sign of the Beefeater was serving up generous portions of carved meat to patrons at 14 locations in the Detroit area.

But over the years, the iconic restaurants closed one by one. After the Dearborn location shuttered in 2018, there was only the original Woodward location.

Thankfully, it’s still serving food the way it has for decades. It’s cafeteria style, which means you feel a bit like you did in high school or at a large family meal.

I grab a tray and opt for the shrimp cocktail over salad. Then I go to where the beef is cut off the bone.

I say I want medium rare and get hunks of meat cut directly all over my plate. Mashed potatoes are added and the runny gravy or juice is applied to everything.

I eschew the hot side vegetables for macaroni and cheese and then pick out my dessert, a slice of Dutch apple pie, and put it on my tray. I get some coffee and put that on my tray, too.

Then as I pay, Ashley, the waitress, takes my plate to a seat. She says she’ll take care of me now, just like any other restaurant. But the service is actually much better here than most other restaurants.

Ashley checked on me probably five or six times while I dined. I’ve been to places recently where servers never bothered to check back in at all after pouring drinks.

The food is like what you used to eat when you were a kid. It’s not the fanciest food in the world. It’s not going to win a James Beard award anytime soon. But it is comfort food that tastes like something homemade.

Nothing is fried. It’s all baked or steamed. A diner named Jerry tells me that’s why he comes here. He’s trying to eat a little better, and it costs $20 to eat fast food nowadays anyway.

Jerry is mad because his new washing machine doesn’t work well. The water in it barely covers the towels he’s trying to clean. He tells all this to Ashley, who listens sympathetically.

The are no TVs blaring in the front two rooms. In the farthest dining room, there are two and they are small. The radio is on for those dining alone, but it’s quiet enough to have conversations easily.

The wood tables and dividers are warm and inviting, and the early American decor is authentic without being overdone. Natural light filters through the closed blinds.

There’s a fireplace lit and a cuckoo-clock in the middle dining room, and accents of bronze adorn the rooms. Stained glass and green accents break up the wood tones and the white ceiling.

I felt myself relaxing as I ate my meal. I think it’s because this restaurant represents a simpler era or maybe it’s because parts of it exist outside of time.

It feels like home here. Stop in and stay as long as you want, talk with real people, eat real food, and listen to the sounds of Woodward go by.

All restaurants offer food for a price. Only a few still offer genuine respite. Once you go, you’ll know what's behind the Sign of the Beefcarver.