The small white Hunter House diner has been a Birmingham icon since 1952. Generations of Metro Detroiters have enjoyed its classic slider burgers from this tiny building, which remains virtually unchanged since the Eisenhower era. Even as it prepares to relocate, the owners promise the new spot will preserve that beloved retro charm.

For over 73 years, Hunter House Hamburgers has churned out its famous onion-laden slider burgers from a little white diner on Woodward Avenue and Maple Road in downtown Birmingham. It’s a place steeped in nostalgia, the kind of old-school burger joint where your grandparents might have grabbed a sack of sliders back in the day, and where you’ve maybe taken your own kids for a taste of “the best burger in Michigan.” Now, this beloved Birmingham institution is on the cusp of a big change: Hunter House is moving to a new location about a mile down Woodward after more than seven decades at the same corner. The news has stirred both emotions and curiosity in the community. Why move now, and what will this next chapter look like for the famed slider shack? Let’s dig in.

Hunter House Hamburgers, Facebook

A Birmingham Landmark Since 1952

Hunter House isn’t just a restaurant, it’s a local legend. Opened in 1952, it has been serving up “original sliders” with juicy beef, sweet caramelized onions, melty cheese, and pickles on steamy buns for generations. The recipe and ambiance are so classic that walking inside feels like stepping back in time (in the best way possible). Regulars love the sizzle from the seasoned grill and the sight of sliders being smashed and flipped right in front of you. It’s the kind of place where nostalgia is literally grilled into every bite.

Over the years, this tiny Hunter House diner has earned outsized acclaim. Food Network Magazine once proclaimed it the “#1 Best Burger in Michigan,” and Cooking with Paula Deen magazine named it one of the top ten burgers in America. It’s been featured by the Wall Street Journal and even honored as a must-visit “road food” stop by Car and Driver magazine. For Metro Detroit locals, though, the real proof of Hunter House’s greatness is in the constant line of loyal customers stretching out the door, all craving that timeless slider taste. “It’s a Detroit institution, which is why I think everybody cares so much that it’s moving down the street,” one longtime customer explained. Indeed, few eateries in the area can claim the kind of multi-generational fan base that Hunter House has. Families have been coming here for decades, in some cases, literally since the 1950s, and passing down the tradition like a well-guarded family recipe.

Every August during the annual Woodward Dream Cruise, when classic cars rumble down Woodward Avenue, Hunter House becomes ground zero for cruisers craving a taste of nostalgia. The stand has served thousands of hungry car enthusiasts during this event, at times going through on the order of a thousand pounds of ground beef in a single weekend (truly living up to its “slider” name). Whether it’s after a high school football game, on a lazy Sunday afternoon drive, or amid the roar of hot rods at the Dream Cruise, Hunter House has been there, slinging sliders and making memories. In short, it’s hard to overstate how embedded this little burger joint is in Birmingham’s culture and the Metro Detroit dining scene.

Craving more classic slider stops across Michigan? Check out our guide to the best drive-in burgers.

  

Why the Burger Icon Is Moving

With such an iconic status, many locals have wondered: why move the Hunter House now, after 73 years? The decision wasn’t made lightly. According to co-owner Kelly Cobb, the move comes after years of challenges with the current site, both legal and practical. “Extremely hard decision,” Cobb said of choosing to relocate, “but the reality for us is there’s been [a] property dispute on this land for about 20 years and we had to file lawsuits, we had to fight for it”. The Cobb family has been tangled in a lengthy conflict with their landlord, who has long sought to redevelop the property at Woodward and Maple. In fact, plans have been floated for a large new building on that corner, which would spell the end of the old 1950s-era diner. After two decades of uncertainty and courtroom battles, the Hunter House owners ultimately chose to secure their future by moving to a location they could control, rather than risking an abrupt eviction or closure. “The property has been under dispute for 20 years and this is our way to make sure Hunter House can last another 73 years,” Cobb noted in a news release, emphasizing that this move is about preserving the business for the long run.

Practical realities of the current building also pushed the decision. The charming old structure, essentially a glorified little shack – simply isn’t built for today’s crowds. Cobb pointed out that the original Hunter House was designed to handle only a fraction of the business it now sees. “Our store was built to handle 20% of the people that come through here every day,” he explained. Anyone who’s squeezed into the postage-stamp-sized parking lot or elbowed through the standing-room-only counter area on a busy Saturday can attest to that. In recent years, the team noticed that despite their love for the nostalgia, the cramped space was limiting their ability to serve customers efficiently. Parking overflowed, lines grew longer, and the tiny kitchen struggled to keep up with modern demand. After 73 years, it was time for an upgrade in space and infrastructure to better serve today’s customers while maintaining the classic experience.

Cobb put it this way: “On top of all of that, we have a 73-year-old building that has aged. It was built for 20% of the volume of people we serve today… Moving to this new spot gives us the opportunity to provide much faster service, more parking and an upgraded facility for our kitchen that we desperately need in the back of the house”. In other words, the new location offers a chance to fix long-standing issues (no more circling the block for parking!) without sacrificing what makes Hunter House special. The decision may be bittersweet, “We grew up in that building… many generations of people [did]. It’s very bittersweet for us to leave,” Cobb acknowledged – but it’s also born out of optimism for the future. “It’s also a really exciting opportunity for us to be able to meet the needs of our customers and have a restaurant that is able to grow in the future,” he said, looking forward to a new chapter.

Hunter House Hamburgers, Facebook

New Spot, Same Old-School Flavor

Come November, Hunter House will have a new address, but don’t worry, it’s not going far. The restaurant is moving about one mile south on Woodward Avenue, staying within Birmingham. The new location is at 33900 Woodward Ave., at the corner of Woodward and Lincoln Street, in an area known as the Triangle District. If that address sounds vaguely familiar, it’s because the site previously housed a KFC fast-food outlet (a very different kind of American classic). The Hunter House owners have actually purchased the building at this new spot, ensuring they won’t face the same landlord issues again. Importantly, this move keeps Hunter House on its home turf of Woodward Avenue, literally down the street from the original. As one loyal customer put it, “Gonna be a little different, but as long as they’re still on Woodward, they’re right here.” In other words, to many fans it won’t feel like Hunter House has truly left Birmingham, it’s just settling into a roomier home nearby.

When is this all happening? The timeline is swift. The owners have choreographed the move to avoid any interruption in burger service. The last day of operations at the old Hunter House (35075 Woodward at Maple) will be October 31, yes, Halloween will be your final chance to savor a slider inside that original 1950s diner. But starting the very next day, November 1, customers will still be able to get their Hunter House fix at the new address. How? During the transition and renovation period, the team is setting up a semi-permanent large heated tent on the lot of the new site as a temporary dining area. They’ve received health department approval to use the existing kitchen inside the building (since it’s already a restaurant-ready facility) even while interior construction is underway. “We will be able to serve customers in that heated tent while the building gets redone,” Cobb explained, so folks won’t have to skip their favorite sliders at all during the move. The same staff will be flipping burgers, and yes, even the very same seasoned grill from the original Hunter House is being carried over to the new spot. It’s almost as if they’re lifting the heart and soul of the old diner and transplanting it a mile south overnight.

Plans for the new building itself are already in motion. While the structure (a former 1970s-era fast-food joint) is about three times larger than the tiny old Hunter House, the owners are designing the interior to feel almost identical to the original, down to the fine details. “We’re literally replicating it on that site, and whatever we can take from here to put in there, we’re gonna do it. It needs to be the same place,” Cobb promised. In fact, the renovation architects (Royal Oak-based von Staden Architects) have experience in re-creating Hunter House’s vibe, they actually built a near-replica of Hunter House for a corporate campus cafeteria in Pontiac a couple years ago, so they know how to get the retro details right. Customers can expect to see the familiar white porcelain tiles on the exterior, the same style of stainless-steel countertops and stools inside, and even an identical counter layout and checkered floor pattern in the dining area, as if nothing has changed. “The new location is going to have faster service, a lot more parking. It’s just going to be beautiful. We’re going to build it the exact same way… an exact replica of what we have today. We’re measuring everything down to the inch,” Cobb said enthusiastically.

That doesn’t mean there won’t be improvements, of course. The extra space will primarily benefit the behind-the-scenes operations and customer convenience. The kitchen will be modernized and expanded (so your food comes out hotter and faster on those busy days), and the parking lot will be much larger, roughly double the parking of the old spot. No more circling around for a space or squeezing into tight spots next to the building. The new layout will also allow for something the old Hunter House never really had: comfortable outdoor seating. Plans call for a wraparound patio area, so in nice weather you can enjoy your sliders and shakes outside with a view of Woodward Avenue, a nod to the cruising culture that has always embraced this burger joint. Despite being a bigger building, the indoor customer seating area will actually remain about the same size as before. Why? Because the owners know that part of Hunter House’s charm is its cozy, counter-service diner atmosphere. They aren’t looking to turn it into a sprawling modern restaurant; they just want a bit more breathing room to serve people efficiently. So expect the new interior to feel intimately familiar, a small counter, a handful of stools and booths, and that sweet, greasy aroma of onions on the grill, even though the facility surrounding it is new and improved.

Crucially, the menu at Hunter House will not change one bit. All the favorites will still be there: the classic slider (choose with or without cheese) piled with onions and pickles, the crinkle-cut fries and onion rings, the simple but satisfying hot dogs and chili dogs, and those creamy milkshakes to wash it down. “It’s exactly the same. We are designing it with fine details based on our current building… We are bringing the grill with us, carrying it out the door and putting it back in,” Cobb assured fans. In short, everything people love about Hunter House will remain, just in a location that lets them do it better. As Cobb said in the official announcement, “While the view of Woodward Avenue will change, everything else will remain the same, even the grill.”

Looking for more can’t-miss places to eat nearby? Browse our Top 50 Restaurants in Metro Detroit.

   

Generations of Memories – And More to Come

For Metro Detroiters who hold Hunter House dear, the idea of this move has come with a mix of relief and sentimentality. On one hand, there’s comfort in knowing that Hunter House isn’t closing for good or leaving town, it’s simply relocating nearby to ensure it can thrive for decades to come. The owners have been proactive in reassuring everyone that the heart of Hunter House is coming along intact. They even intentionally announced the move well in advance to give the community time to process the change and say goodbye to the old site properly. “We know we wanted to give people enough time to come back into this building and get a Hunter House burger, so we’ve given them as much notice as we possibly can,” Kelly Cobb said. As the October 31 closing date approaches, expect to see a lot of locals dropping in for one last slider in the original diner, snapping photos, reminiscing about first dates or late-night eats there, and maybe snagging a souvenir T-shirt. It’s a bittersweet moment, no doubt, to bid farewell to the exact spot that holds so many memories.

On the other hand, the prevailing feeling is excitement and gratitude. Customers are glad that Hunter House will live on and continue its tradition in Birmingham, rather than being forced out entirely. Many fans have already made it clear they’ll follow the restaurant to its new home without skipping a beat. “I will continue to come wherever they go,” vowed Cynthia Wilsher, a devoted patron who’s been visiting Hunter House since she was a little girl in the 1950s. But she did have one playful stipulation, “They have to bring the grill with them. The store is one thing, but the grill is well seasoned,” Wilsher laughed. That sentiment has been echoed by countless customers: they believe part of the secret to those famously delicious sliders is the decades of seasoning infused into the old cast-iron grill. (And indeed, as mentioned, the grill is coming along for the ride, so fret not!) Another regular, Rashad Straughter, noted he eats at Hunter House all the time and loves that “the onions are always good, fries are always good, crispy. Everything is always fresh.” He’s planning to remain a loyal customer at the new spot, and the move doesn’t faze him much. “It’s gonna be a little different, but as long as they’re still on Woodward, they’re right here,” Straughter said confidently. That down-to-earth loyalty speaks volumes, people aren’t so much mourning a loss as they are rallying to support Hunter House through a positive change.

The Cobb family and the Hunter House team deeply understand the importance of preserving the intangibles, the feeling you get when you walk in and smell those onions, or bite into a perfectly greasy slider that tastes just like it did when you were a kid. “It’s incredibly important to us that our customers feel the same nostalgia, the same memories and the same great food they’ve had for 73 years,” Cobb said. They know they’re not just moving a business; they’re moving a community touchstone. That’s why such care is going into replicating the ambiance and even transplanting physical pieces of the old diner to the new location. From the red swiveling counter stools to the vintage signage, as much as possible will be reused or imitated so that when you step into the new Hunter House, you instantly feel at home. The goal is that future generations, today’s kids, and their kids someday, won’t notice a huge difference. They’ll be able to make their own memories over plates of sliders and rings in a place that feels just like the Hunter House their parents and grandparents have always cherished. “There are generations of people that love that restaurant. We’d be doing a disservice if we didn’t make it identical,” Cobb said, emphasizing how important continuity is in this move.

As for the old Hunter House building, it’s had a great run since 1952 and will always hold a place in Birmingham history. While it’s hard for many to imagine that corner without the little white burger shack, change has been knocking on the door for a long time. The property owner’s redevelopment plans for that site are expected to move forward now that the legal disputes are resolved, a sizable new mixed-use building is slated to rise where Hunter House stood. Birmingham has transformed a lot in recent years, evolving from the “diner and car culture” days of the mid-20th century into a modern, upscale downtown with luxury shops, offices, and condos. The old-school Hunter House building was one of the last holdouts of old Birmingham on that stretch. In a way, its relocation is symbolic of Birmingham’s continual evolution. But thanks to the owners’ commitment, the spirit of Hunter House will carry on just up the road, serving as a friendly reminder that not everything new has to erase what came before. You’ll still be able to cruise Woodward and stop for a sack of sliders, some traditions are built to last.

Hunter House Hamburgers, Facebook

Embracing a New Chapter (With Extra Onions, Please)

As Hunter House Hamburgers prepares to open its doors at the new Woodward and Lincoln location, the overwhelming message is one of optimism and continuity. This isn’t an ending for the beloved burger joint, it’s “not a goodbye, it’s a new beginning,” as Kelly Cobb aptly put it. The restaurant is upgrading its physical space to better serve the community, but it’s keeping every bit of its original soul. In a region where so many classic eateries have vanished, the survival and adaptation of Hunter House is something to celebrate. Birmingham’s landscape may be changing, but the sizzle from that 73-year-old grill isn’t going anywhere.

For local families and burger aficionados alike, the advice is simple: make a plan to swing by the original Hunter House before October 31 if you want to bask in its retro glory one more time. Take a moment to soak up the atmosphere, the snug counter, the crackle of the grill, the decades of memories etched into the tiles. Then, come November 1, be sure to visit the new Hunter House down the road and support this new chapter. You’ll find the same menu, same faces behind the counter, and the same great taste, just in a refreshed setting with a bit more elbow room. It’s the start of another 73 years of history, and you can literally be there from day one (even if it’s under a toasty tent at first!). Keep an eye on Hunter House’s official website and social media for updates on the progress, they’ll be posting news as the new building renovation wraps up and the grand opening of the indoor diner approaches early next year.

Beyond just grabbing a burger, this move is a reminder of how important it is to support our local legacy businesses as cities grow and change. Hunter House’s success over the years has been built on community loyalty, and that support will carry it forward. So tell your friends, bring your kids, and go share some sliders at the new spot, you’ll be part of Detroit history in the making, proving that not even a move down the street can break the bond between a great local restaurant and its community.

Thinking about where to put down roots in Metro Detroit? Start with our top places to live guide

  


If you have questions about Birmingham’s evolving landscape or want to know more about how changes like these might affect your neighborhood, don’t hesitate to reach out to a knowledgeable Metro Detroit local expert. As lifelong Michiganders and real estate professionals will tell you, understanding the story behind places like Hunter House is key to appreciating what makes our communities special. Whether you’re looking for the next great place to dine or thinking about making your own move in the area, having an experienced local guide can make all the difference. The Hunter House story shows that change can be positive when done with care and respect for the past, and the same is true for the exciting developments and opportunities throughout Metro Detroit. So stay curious, stay engaged, and enjoy that next burger knowing you’re in good company. Here’s to the next chapter of a hometown favorite, and to the community that makes it all possible. Happy eating, and see you down at the new Hunter House!


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