The Philly cheesesteak, the Italian beef the Po’Boy and the Cuban. What do all these sandwiches have in common? Each has a significant meaning to a specific place.
In metro Detroit, one might say the corned beef reigns supreme. But there are a handful of other sandwiches that are just as definitive for this the region.
If you’ve lived here long enough, you know these establishments well and whether the sandwich listed is your go-to order matters not — you know it, and hundreds, likely thousands, before you have loved it.
If you’ve not tried one of these icons yet, get going.
Al Ameer: Shawarma
Since 1989, Al Ameer has served traditional Lebanese dishes from its Dearborn restaurant, drawing crowds from metro Detroit and beyond. The restaurant has since
expanded with locations in Canton and Dearborn Heights, but one signature spans all spots — the shawarma. Chicken, beef or a combination of the two is shaved right off the spit into hot, fresh-baked saj, a thin, unleavened flatbread, and served with pickles, toum and tabbouli as an option for added flavor. The shawarma here is so good, Free Press readers dubbed it the best among 16 restaurants in our April Shawarma Showdown. “What the American cheeseburger is to classic Americana,” owner Abass Ammar told the Free Press, “that’s what shawarma is to a Lebanese restaurant.” Ammar called Al Ameer’s winning shawarma as authentic as it gets: “We cook it on an open vertical spit and we hand carve it. The traditional way still resonates with people.”
For Al Ameer's menu and locations visit alameerrestaurant.com.
Original Gonella’s: Italian Sub
A longtime southwest Detroit classic, The Original Gonella’s ― known to all simply as Gonella's ― is on Oakwood near the Melvindale border. For more than 80 years, Gonella’s has been famous for its Italian subs.
Gonella's is an Italian grocery store with a deli counter with lunch meats, salads, specialty sausages, cannolis and an olive bar. But it’s Gonella’s hearty Italian subs that are the star. Here, customers order Italian subs by the desired number of meat and cheese layers ― fresh-sliced hard salami, salami cotto, capicola, mortadella, smoked ham and provolone cheese stacked and packed nicely on a roughly 8-inch soft or crusty hard roll ― from six layers of meat (and one layer of cheese) to a whopping 18 layers (plus three slices of cheese). Made on the spot, these subs get a handful of shredded lettuce, a few tomato slices and thinly sliced onions, are dressed with Gonella’s vinaigrette and then neatly wrapped in white butcher paper. Prices are reasonable for the giant sandwiches, starting at $8 for the six-layer and $14 for the 18-layer.If you need a side, there’s homemade pasta, antipasto, Greek, tuna, macaroni, potato salads and coleslaw. Grab a pop or chips, or perhaps a cannoli, to go with your sub.
A second Gonella’s location is on Telegraph Road in Redford. The owners say a third location is expected to open early next year in Sterling Heights.
Gonella’s, 295 S. Oakwood, Detroit. 313-841-3500
Mudgie’s Deli and Wine Shop: The Gutty
Mudgie’s is not only a local favorite sandwich and bottle shop, it is nationally recognized for its artisanal handhelds. Mudgie's stacked sandwiches pile layers of meats ― smoked, roasted and sliced in house ― between fresh bread, and have been featured in a number of prominent publications. BuzzFeed named Mudgie's in its list of 21 sandwich spots to visit before you die, and the shop’s salami and cheese was featured on the Food Network as one of the best sandwiches in America. And in 2022, Mudgie’s was named the Detroit Free Press Restaurant of the Year Classic, honoring late founder Greg Mudge with the Sylvia Rector Lifetime Achievement Award for Hospitality. The Gutty is a classic Mudgie’s sandwich that takes a Detroit staple — corned beef — and ups the ante. Here, corned beef is layered with Milano salami, Sy Ginsberg Gold Label pastrami, applewood-smoked bacon and house-smoked beef and brisket. Top it all with sharp cheddar, Romaine lettuce and garlic mayo for a hearty sandwich full of pungent, salty flavors. A buttery brioche bun makes it even more decadent — which makes it exactly the sort of sandwich that typifies Mudgie’s.
1413 Brooklyn St., Detroit. mudgiesdeli.com
Slows Bar BQ: Yardbird
This barbecue joint got its start in Detroit’s Corktown neighborhood more than 20 years ago. Slows Bar BQ flagship location on Michigan Avenue in Detroit’s oldest neighborhood is known not only for its barbecue, but for spurring the area’s revival. While classic barbecue like pulled pork, brisket, chicken wings, ribs and macaroni and cheese are menu mainstays and great options, the Yardbird nestles in between, and is a standout.
It’s a doozy, piled with smoked chicken topped with sautéed mushrooms, cheddar and applewood-smoked bacon in Slows whole grain honey mustard BBQ sauce. In 2012, the Yardbird was one of the final three sandwiches competing on the Travel Channel’s series “Adam Richman’s Best Sandwich in America” ― Slows' menu touts the Yardbird as “one of the top 3 best sandwiches in America.” While Corktown is the flagship, there’s also Slows to Go on Cass Avenue in Midtown. And in recent years, Slows Bar BQ has opened locations in Ann Arbor and Berkley.
Slows Bar BQ, 2138 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 207 E. Washington St., Ann Arbor; 3087 W. 12 Mile Rd., Berkley; and 4107 Cass Ave., Detroit. slowsbarbq.com
Stage Deli: West Side Story
Few restaurants live long enough to see more than six decades — even fewer retain dishes that have spanned those decades, surviving menu changes, chef turnover and the perpetual ebbs and flows of the restaurant business. The No. 32 at Stage Deli is the exception, delighting diners at the West Bloomfield deli and restaurant since it opened in 1962. The West Side Story is an exquisite take on Detroit’s national sandwich — the great corned beef. Rosy layers of corned beef are stacked between thick slices of warm, house-baked rye like a wad of cash. Crisp coleslaw adds crunch and a swipe of Russian dressing offers a sweet note. The sandwich contains multitudes. It is gargantuan in size, yet simple in flavor. All-encompassing of textures — soft, crisp, chewy — varied in flavor — sweet, tangy, salty. Best of all, it is timeless, ideal for lunch or dinner and equally as sought after then as it is now.
6873 Orchard Lake Rd., West Bloomfield Township. 248-855-6622; stagedeli.com
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 5 Sandwiches that define metro Detroit
