Gusoline Alley   

309 S Center St
Royal Oak, MI 48067
248-545-2235

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Before the exodus of suburban hipsters blazing trails through the latest cool spot to hang took a hard turn towards Royal Oak, Gusoline Alley hid nearly undetected between Washington and Main Streets. Now, with a 16-year-old reputation as the smoky refuge for beer hounds, the secret is out that Gus' is the place. Its unpretentious, left-of-center, arty crowd is the proof. Original owner Gus Pappas' dream to service cars and pump gas at his own station was usurped when his unsupportive father purchased the bar for him to run instead. Shifting into a whirlwind of creative compromise and leaving clues of his dream throughout the bar, Gus turned his establishment into a Hall of Fame for all things auto. Gusoline Alley stands as a grand homage to the Motor City. The place is so packed it has little room left for any more highway trappings like the beat-up license plates, the wartime auto posters and the reflective hubcaps that cover the walls. The high point of any tour through Gusoline Alley is, indisputably, the wall-mounted front end of a 1976 Cadillac El Dorado. The horn still announces last call, while its functioning lights flood the room. -- Jessica J. Shaw