Rail & Anchor

Rail & Anchor is one of the most unique, interesting stores I’ve ever been in.
They have a ton of vintage, weird, artsy items. If you need to find a gift for somebody, you’re bound to fine SOMETHING here. Some things are pretty expensive, but it’s totally worth it to at least browse around this store even if you have no intentions of buying anything. You’re guaranteed to find plenty of fun things that you’ve never even thought of or knew existed.
Plus, the people that work here are amazing. You’re always greeted with a smile and a free tiny cup of tea! Stop in here, you won’t regret it.

Awesome little shop! It has all the quirky finishing touches your house needs! I will be back to buy more (: the staff is super friendly and I was even offered tea when i walked in! Great place to get a special gift or just buy everything because its amazing!

Rail & Anchor is a perfectly curated shop with unique gifts for just about everyone. I would compare it to City Bird/​Anthropologie or Black Lamb/​Rebel Reclaimed if you’re from Grand Rapids (like me).
It was hard for me to walk around this shop without seeing something I HAD to have for either me or a friend. I ended up getting a mug for a friend and a tiny succulent and a candle for myself. The shop itself is large, with an old red Jeep in the back that’s used as a display. I was offered a small cup of tea upon entering the store, which was a nice touch on a cold and windy April day! Since I live on the opposite side of the state, I’m bummed that Rail and Anchor doesn’t have an online shop, but according to their website, it might be coming soon! I will certainly be back the next time I’m in town because I’m a complete sucker for stores like these, especially when they sell locally-​made goods.

Den of cool oddies, that’s right up my Alley. This place is a bastions in the Food court of Royal Oak. Love the service they offer you Tea and intimate service. Excited to do my Small business Saturday here. God knows I“m not herding myself to Walmart on Black Friday.

This cute little shop with its assortment of unique knick knacks is a great place to start if you need to buy someone a gift but have no idea what to get them. They have candles, cool kitchenware, decorations for around the house, and beauty products for men and women. everything looks expertly curated. It’s definitely worth a trip if you’re in the area. Also– LOVE that the girl with the cute accent who works here offered us warm tea when we walked in. Warmed us right up on a chilly day :)

This store literally embodies absolutely everything I love in life: anchors, cats and shopping. I loved everything I saw and wanted to buy it all. It’s a bit expensive, but what isn’t…super sweet and friendly British sales girl… excellent customer service. Am definitely going to return next time I’m in the «d.»

Such an awesome place! Lots to see and a great staff. If you’re buying a gift they will wrap them up beautifully for you as well.

Pottery Barn meets Urban Outfitters… Plus
This is a pretty kick-​ass store with lots to find if you have some time to look around. They had some really cool succulent plants in blown glass hanging containers, some kitchen kitsch, men’s grooming supplies and a mish-​mash of other trinkets and art work worth looking over. I dug the jeep in the middle of the room!
Come check this place out.

They have a great selection of gifts. I also bought an all natural wood floor cleaner from here that works really well and will buy again. Also, the employees are very friendly and jnowledgeable.

Awesome little store. It has various fun gifts… Air plants, succulents, cool posters, bath products, maple syrup, perfume, mugs… There’s even sage to cleanse your house or whatever else you want to do with it. We were greeted by a really nice guy who offered us a warm cup of chai tea. Free matches and free pins to good home too! :) Thanks Unilocal,for a great find!

Living in the hipster epicentre around here, I knew it was inevitable Ferndale/​Royal Oak would see a Name & Name store appear. Would it be Willow & Fig, Pig & Ebony or Black & Sail to open up? Fortunately none of the randomly generated hipster shops debuted on Washington. Instead the swanky, tea-​drinking hipster pirates came into port.
Rail and Anchor is, unquestionably, a place for the gentleman with a taste for pleasures of the past, the woman with an eye for the uncommon treasure, and the child who wants old school toys without bells and whistles, thank you, Mother. It does speak to a slice of society whom appreciate doing it themselves, erudite jokes, and natural scents. The people who want to be different and stand out from the crowd often cluster in here, giving looks of quiet approval and — more often — relief after seeing those earthy shelves and raw wood displays.
It’s perilous ground to tread, between authentic and kitsch, a stereotype and the real deal. Rail and Anchor is very much the real deal as a unique gift shop catering to unusual finds. Some of these brands are beloved for quirky and unusual gifts, like Kirkegaard and Fred for kitchen goods, drink decorations, and tongue-​in-​cheek mustache references. Brooklyn Brewing’s popular DIY beer, cider, and whiskey kits are hot sellers. I lament missing out on their gin. Other lines are unique to Michigan or less known, but no less delightful for their choices.
The maritime spirit is evident, but not crushing, which I appreciate even as a girl from the West Coast who lived half her childhood on commuter ferry boats. You won’t trip over a pile of rope, but mermaid book ends do squash some cloth-​bound volumes, and the sailing ship decorated plates are definitely a popular item. There is a buoy in the front window, spangled in necklaces and cacti and other seasonally interesting objects. The cloth and weatherproof nylon sailing ship mobiles meant to hang out your back door are admittedly gorgeous and nautical, but plenty of lovely other secrets tucked away.
Give yourself time for the housewares section in particular. The tables and shelves hold far more items than meet the eye, and only a few choices for each one. Poke through the flotsam and salt-​and-​pepper-​shaker jetsam, like you would comb the beach for pretty stones. Maybe «Das Kapital» piggybank was something you could never live without or you need a solar-​powered Einstein bobble head in your life. Stranger things have happened. Rail & Anchor comes up with so many funky finds, you deserve to spend a good hour perusing. And that’s what this shop rewards, the slow and casual regard at all levels. Don’t settle for everything at eye level, squat down and get a look at the fish dish.
Men’s grooming supplies naturally are going to be found in a place like this. Hello, hipster pirates. How else will they maintain a glorious curtain of whiskers? The soaps and razors are fairly priced, and I wouldn’t mind some expansion since my beau, who currently sports an epic Bavarian mustache, really quite likes the waxes and shaving soaps, but could use a few more scents. Sandalwood and bay rum resin anyone? Beyond are more lotions and potions for the ladies and the household, while the man-​creams are in a particularly nice variety of scents that lean woodsy, spicy, and plain manly. Tobacco and citron beats apple cinnamon Glade fresheners any day.
What you won’t find are many garments, and accessories are limited largely to a pretty selection of natural jewelry, like wire-​wrapped semi-​precious stones or wooden discs threaded on bracelets that don’t look out of place in the Rust Belt Market stalls. Hipster clothes would be overkill given how which they stock in the shop, so be glad for more space for miniature cacti and some really marvelous plant pots, by season.
Tea is another staple that might be unexpected. Free samples are often served up. Not to your tastes? Go help yourself to a DIY cheese-​making kit and let your foodie aspirations sail free towards the nearest horizon.
I give special props to the kid’s section. Lots of old-​timey favourites are here. So if you want to inflict a new game on your kids or go encourage those lazy layabouts in your family to get some fresh air and learn self-​sufficiency in the backyard while assailed by cheeky coyotes, this is the place to do it. Solid wood toys abound. Harmonicas? Check. Other delightful noisemakers? Check. Lots of ‘how to be crafty’ books and some with an outright dirty edge for the big kids make great stocking stuffers under the right circumstances.
In short, this is my go to shop for most of my family, many friends, and anyone from the West Coast, Denver, or a combination of the three. Go in. You’ll be amused at the very least by all the delightful diversions they’ve got.

Love love love love love this store.
Rail & Anchor is now my «go to» store for random gifts. I know you know the situation. Its so and so’s birthday and you have NO IDEA what to get them. Here is your solution: go to Rail & Anchor and pick out ANYTHING. You win.
This store has tons of fabulous things. Things like: bourban infused maple syrup, cute jewelry, awesome mugs, mens shaving kits, fancy platters, amazing smelling candles, Michigan inspired goods… the list goes on and on and on. You can find something for anyone here. PLUS they are super nice. You walk in an are immediately offered a hot tea and a welcoming smile. Loves it.
When you are finally ready to check out they can gift wrap your item in very cute and eclectic gift wrapping. Oh… and they have free matches. No one does free matches anymore. I love that.
Bottom line: this is where you need to go when searching for a gift. Support your local small business and enjoy a nice cup of hot tea and a box of matches while you are there :)

All the times I’ve been downtown I had yet to stop in and check this place out. I’m wondering what took so long.
The hospitality when you walk in is great, the staff offered us hot jasmine tea the moment we walked in.
They have so many cool pieces throughout the whole store. Everything from home décor, plants, candles, perfumes, books… All so unique. It reminded me of some of my favorite eclectic places to shop in NYC.
I will be coming back to stock up on cool Christmas gifts for friends and family.

Just the store front of Rail & Anchor makes you want to stop in and check it out. Chels & I were having lunch at Café Muse on one of the coldest days of the year and decided to venture down Washington Avenue in Royal Oak to check out a few places. As we walked in, the store employee handed us a cup of hot tea which was delicious and immediately took a bit of the chill out of our bones. As we sipped our tea and walked through the store, we couldn’t stop commenting to one another about how cute things were, how perfect certain things would be for people we know, and how we had to have it for our house. Rail and Anchor is a delightful store that specializes in a vast variety of adorable home goods, fun gifts, and eclectic accessories.
There is a large variety available so it is difficult to pin point a specific cost. You can walk out with a Michigan made lip balm for around $ 5 or spend a bit more on some home décor that’ll make your guests question where you got it. Either way, if you go in, I guarantee you won’t walk out empty handed.
This is the kind of store that gives you the warm and fuzzies. As soon as you walk in, you can tell the owner and employees put a lot of love into their choice of inventory. Much of the store is filled with Michigan made items which make for the perfect gift. I swear every candle that Chels and I picked up smelled amazing. I walked out with a tin of Beard Balm and amazing Babylon Soap Co. lip balm made in Michigan. I loved this place and I recommend grabbing a latte and grilled cheese a couple of doors down at Café Muse then heading here to spend some moolah.

Dude was super personable. First time visit to this cool shop. I found some local beard balm that I’m stoked to try out. The shop smelled and felt great! Defiantly recommend checking this unique shop out!

LOVED this store, it was my first time going in on Saturday. The staff was all smiles and very helpful. The merchandise was all very cool and unique. Saw quite a few things I will be coming back for to give as gifts and some more I want to get for myself.
What a night and day difference from the dour unwelcoming «Scout» 2 doors down.

I accidentally stumbled into this shop today after leaving Scout a few doors down. This was a WELCOMED surprise! I was greeted by the cheerful man working and I got to look around freely without feeling watched like a hawk. They had so many cool things here and in my opinion are reasonably priced. I purchased a candle that smells amazing and looks great, too. They have cute match book business cards that I took and passed around my office. A few coworkers cannot wait to check it out. Will definitely be returning for gifts or even myself! One of the better places in the city now, for sure!

Great store with a cool rustic/​vintage theme to it – no words to describe how nice the setup of the store is, fine addition to RO… all unique stuff and great merchandise to decorate your home with and to enjoy… very knowledgeable staff, they know the details of every product they sell and their own store décor… my ONLY complaint would be I wish there was more practical, yet unique, merchandise there… fits in nicely with, but is different than, Shine (another great RO establishment)…would update review with 5 stars depending on merchandise as the store grows… will be returning soon with a bigger wad of cash (I actually paid with a credit card)

First time coming to this place and I was impressed on all the unique things they had. My sister got herself a bottle opener that looked like a Mexican wrestler. They had film salt and pepper shakers. Just a store you don’t see everyday. The staff were really nice and cheerful. I’ll be stopping in here again soon.

Fantastic store with great, unique buys. Customer service is always welcoming. The layout of the store is fresh and vibrant. They even have a section for doggy lovers! Make some time to visit this fantastic local gem in Royal Oak!