And if The Old Miami’s roots were ever a mystery, the front door clears that right up, a sliding partition sitting just to its right with the two icons of the bar’s history expressed in sculpted metal, a guitar and a gun. Other than the doors nod to its veteran- and music-friendly heritage, the exterior of The Old Miami is simple, a green awning atop a flat stone façade. Inside though, that simplicity quickly gives way to an explosion of artifacts caking every inch of the space, much of it in line with the veteran roots of the Detroit dive bar.
Military uniforms hang from the ceiling, folded flags sit atop the ledge behind the bar and countless patches hang from the walls, fading but proud emblems of the bar military appreciative heritage. The area behind the bar in particular houses the most intricate and interesting collections of mementos, badges giving way to patches giving way to photographs and more. The deep reverence for veterans is clear not just here but throughout the Detroit dive bar, the long wall opposite the bar covered in historical photos of aircraft, framed magazine covers from years gone by and a host of other items atop vertical wood paneling.
The footprint of the interior space itself is open, broken up only by a handful of wooden pillars that separate a main bar area from the pool table and additional seating that runs alongside. A great first activity upon entering The Old Miami after snagging a beer is simply a lap around the exterior walls, taking in the many, many odds and ends that range from the military items discussed to a set of pool (and one hockey?) trophies that can be found in one corner. The white, stamped ceiling presides over everything, the occasional item hanging here as well, and while the paint may have been refreshed, the stamping itself looks like it could be building original.
