Owner Carolyn claims that what was once a neighborhood dive bar got its current name when a brawl broke out—the former owner held up the keys, asked if anyone wanted to buy a bar and a local teacher said, “sure,” which prompted one of his friends to say he’d experience a ‘traffic jam.’ Regardless of where the name comes from, Traffic Jam & Snug has been quietly serving patrons in Midtown since 1965, and even though I never heard of them when I was a teenager in Detroit many, many years ago, upon my recent return their name was often the first on the lips of any local I talked to. Maybe that’s because they grow their own produce in a rooftop garden, brew their own beer, create their own cheese, and serve up the best Salted Caramel ice cream I’ve ever had (also made in-house). When you visit, don’t miss the chance to try a pint of their Belgian style wheat ale, the ‘Mitt Wit,’ and definitely don’t leave without trying that Salted Caramel ice cream. Traffic Jam & Snug is on West Canfield between 2nd and Cass, open daily starting at 11 a.m.
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One-Stop Shop in Detroit's Midtown Neighborhood
Owner Carolyn claims that what was once a neighborhood dive bar got its current name when a brawl broke out—the former owner held up the keys, asked if anyone wanted to buy a bar and a local teacher said, “sure,” which prompted one of his friends to say he’d experience a ‘traffic jam.’ Regardless of where the name comes from, Traffic Jam & Snug has been quietly serving patrons in Midtown since 1965, and even though I never heard of them when I was a teenager in Detroit many, many years ago, upon my recent return their name was often the first on the lips of any local I talked to. Maybe that’s because they grow their own produce in a rooftop garden, brew their own beer, create their own cheese, and serve up the best Salted Caramel ice cream I’ve ever had (also made in-house). When you visit, don’t miss the chance to try a pint of their Belgian style wheat ale, the ‘Mitt Wit,’ and definitely don’t leave without trying that Salted Caramel ice cream. Traffic Jam & Snug is on West Canfield between 2nd and Cass, open daily starting at 11 a.m.
