Rudy’s Prime Steakhouse Named Hour Detroit’s 2026 Restaurant of the Year
Rudy’s Prime Steakhouse in downtown Clarkston has been named Hour Detroit magazine’s 2026 Restaurant of the Year — a milestone moment for a restaurant rooted as deeply in history as it is in hospitality.
Located at 9 South Main Street, the restaurant opened in October 2024 inside the former Rudy’s Market, a more-than-century-old building that owners Robert Esshaki and Christopher Thomas painstakingly transformed into a refined dining destination. The space blends historic preservation with what Hour Detroit describes as “quiet luxury” creating an upscale yet welcoming atmosphere that reimagines the classic steakhouse for a modern audience.
The recognition follows another major honor. In 2025, Esshaki and Thomas received a Building Award from the Michigan Historic Preservation Network for their renovation of the landmark property. The annual award recognizes outstanding preservation projects completed within the previous three years. “We own an iconic building in Clarkston, a community treasure, and we wanted to turn it into a first-class restaurant,” Esshaki said in a Chaldean News interview last year. “We understand we’re just temporary stewards of the building. It was here long before we owned it, and it will be here long after we’re gone.”
Originally built in 1915 as the Voorheis Ford Service & Auto Supply Company, the native stone structure later housed a Kroger Grocery & Baking Company before becoming Rudy’s Market. Working with Birmingham-based Saroki Architecture and the Clarkston City Council, Planning Commission and Historic District Commission, Esshaki and Thomas restored key architectural features.
The result is a 130-seat restaurant, including a bar and lounge, that balances historic character with contemporary elegance. Since opening, Rudy’s has built a reputation for high-quality, locally sourced fare. Signature dishes include the tomahawk and bone-in filet, alongside elevated comfort items such as roasted cauliflower. A strong wine program and creative cocktails complement the menu.
Esshaki and Thomas, who first became owners of Rudy’s Market in 1989, closed the grocery store in 2021 amid concerns about the future of independent grocers. Confident that demand for a great dining experience would endure, they reimagined the historic space and in doing so, created one of metro Detroit’s most celebrated restaurants. The pair have also purchased the former Clarkston News building next door, with plans to convert it into an additional restaurant, an upscale cigar and bourbon bar, and a wine cellar serving all their venues — further cementing their investment in Clarkston’s historic downtown.
With state preservation honors and now a Restaurant of the Year title, Rudy’s Prime Steakhouse stands as both a tribute to the past and a statement about the future of fine dining in Michigan.