Thursday, March 14, 2013

Sullaf Restaurant @ 814 W 7 Mile Rd, Detroit. 4 out of 10.

I've decided to not review any more Detroit restaurants that don't have tables to eat at. With that being said....

A couple years ago when I was living in Ferndale, I would occasionally ride my bike to Detroit's Palmer Park. One Saturday I traipsed over to 7 Mile Rd east of Woodward, which is also known as Chaldean Town. There were lots of restaurants, but they didn't all look appetizing. I stopped in and ate at one that wasn't too busy, but it was kind of awkward because I was the only person there other than the owner's family. I ate my food, which was tasty, as I read the Arab American News.

The other day I drove by the location of this restaurant, but it was empty and it looked like it had been fire-bombed. I couldn't believe it, so I decided my next Detroit lunch would be in Chaldean Town before it becomes eliminated or gentrified, what with a Meijer being built just north of there.

One of the few, if not only, restaurants listed on Google Maps in Chaldean Town is Sullaf. It's located on 7 Mile not too far from Woodward. I parked in the church lot across the street from Sullaf, and as I entered I was a bit confused as to what to do. Do I seat myself? There are tables, but am I supposed to place my order to go? Nobody really said anything to me. There were four men speaking a foreign language at one table, and there were two men in the kitchen cooking. After a couple minutes, the older kitchen man asked for my order, so I asked for a menu, but he said, "No menu." In his broken English, I heard that my options were a gyro or a chicken kabob, so I opted for the kabob.

The other kitchen man brought me a glass and a pitcher of water, and then he brought a pita and toppings for the kabob. The food took about 10 minutes to arrive. Meanwhile a couple had come in asking if Sullaf served hummus, which they don't. They ordered some food anyway.

My food was a mixed bag. Maybe it's just my opinion, but the eggplant soup didn't taste that great. I mixed it with some rice, but the marinara/spaghetti sauce they used to make the soup didn't sit well with me. The chicken was delicious -- I'm not sure what seasoning they used, but it tasted really good. After I finished my meal, I felt really bloated, and I got hiccups.

I waited for the bill, but it never came, so I went up to the register to pay. I'm sure the owner didn't mean to be rude, but the service was severely lacking. Due to the poor service and the lack of a menu, I give Sullaf a 4 out of 10.