Nov 20, 2023 - Food and Drink

The Goblin has Detroit's best sushi experience

Samuel Robinson

I tried the Dragon Roll and the Phili roll, plus a eel bbq/avocado bowl not pictured. You're not going to find as solid presentation and as clean soy sauce — I shared the Dragon Roll ($14), the Philadelphia Roll ($7), plus a BBQ Eel Bowl ($11) not pictured. I appreciate how clean and aesthetical the soy sauce dispensers are. Photo: Samuel Robinson/Axios.

✌🏼 Sam here. I posted this year that the city's sushi scene sucks, and while I'm not here to tell you I was wrong, I am here to admit I sent that before visiting The Goblin near Corktown!

It's the best you can find in Detroit — the other dedicated options are far, far behind.

Maru and Bash have quality food, but can both be hit or miss depending on what you order.

State of play: The inside of the restaurant is a content creator's dream.

The bright furniture and decor (which are probably all just from IKEA) give a cute and clean, soft-around-the-edges vibe that would make Hello Kitty fans smile.
The Gen Z aura is helped by the fact the restaurant is always playing K-pop videos on the TV.

Quick take: I've tried The Goblin twice via DoorDash and once dining in — the quality of the food was the same each time.

The ingredients are fresh and the sushi is constructed with care. It's not going to fall out when dipping it into the soy sauce and wasabi with chopsticks.
Plus, there are fun 21+ drinks, like Ferndale-based Tin Can Cocktails' strawberry and cran mule.

If you go: The Goblin is open 4-10pm Monday-Thursday and noon-10pm Friday-Sunday.

2547 Bagley St.

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The Goblin has Detroit's best sushi experience

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