8 Mile Grill @ 8003 W 8 Mile Rd, Detroit. 8 out of 10.

It's been a while since I've eaten lunch in Detroit. A fire at our house 5 months ago has really distracted me.

However, I had a free moment the other day to try another restaurant in the D. First I thought I would try Fresh Fish House at 10033 W 8 Mile Rd, but no tables were available to eat at (similar to Hook, Bosco, and Ocean fish stores).

In the interest of time, I stayed on 8 Mile Rd and ate at 8 Mile Grill. I had passed by this restaurant dozens of times before, so it had piqued my interest. It is a diner-style restaurant with a drive-thru. The diner part is open until 7pm, so even an early dinner there is not out of the question.

I took a seat at a bar stool, and a friendly waitress greeted me. Often I order an omelette at a Coney-style restaurant like this, but 8 Mile Grille's breakfast prices go up after 11am. I settled on a tuna melt sandwich with Swiss cheese and an appetizer of fried mushrooms.

Soon after I ordered, a gentleman from the Middle East sat next to me. He began talking to the waitress about where he is from, saying, "You know Iraq?" Her response, "No." He then asks, "You know Kuwait?" She replied that she does know where Kuwait is. I was dumbfounded that she had not heard of Iraq, especially considering that Chaldean-town was only one mile away.

During this riveting conversation, my food arrived. However, the tuna melt had American cheese on it, which I'm not a fan of and which wasn't mentioned on the menu. To my surprise, the waitress apologized, and she kind of offered to make me another one. This was one good waitress.

The food tasted delicious, and the environment was friendly. Overall I give this restaurant an 8 out of 10. Some of the drawbacks are that they don't brew their own iced tea and my order arrived slightly wrong. Otherwise, though, I really enjoyed my meal. So, in summary, as one Google reviewer stated, "They chilli cheese fries and omelets be on point. I love going here"

Photo of the new Meijer on 8 Mile Rd.

Meijer.

Fresh Fish House, but no tables

8 Mile Grill, can't miss it

Fried mushrooms (started eating the delicious sandwich before I took a photo)

Inside the restaurant (blurry from the fried mushroom grease I got all over my cell phone)

Pete’s Grill @ 1400 Outer Drive East, Detroit. 9 out of 10.

Now that the city is officially in a financial emergency, I feel it is more important now than ever to eat lunch in Detroit. One area that really needs help is the east side (east of Woodward). Some signs at a local children's park highlight some of the issues the area is facing. The east side has no universities or large parks -- just mostly housing, factories, and a seldom-used airport. One bright spot is Pete's Coney Grill. It sits right at the corner of outer drive (7.5 mile) and Dequindre Rd. I visited this location recently, hoping for some good food.

I took a seat at the bar and was greeted right away. A waitress immediately brought me a water. From my observations, it appears that Pete's is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. For dinner it may be take-out only, though.

Wendy Williams was playing on the TV, which is always amusing. I considered ordering breakfast, but it would have cost extra since I arrived after noon. Instead, I ordered a grilled chicken pita. The food only took about 10 minutes to arrive, so I listened to the entertaining retired man who was next to me. He said the only work he would do is work that would benefit him -- like working during a Detroit Lions or Tigers game so that he could watch the game for free. Interesting concept.

As my food arrived, I was a bit concerned because the last time I had chicken a kabob (kind of similar), it upset my stomach. Not the case for this pita, though. It tasted delicious with a side of ranch, and my stomach felt great.

Instead of bringing the check promptly, the waitress went on a diatribe about Mike Tyson's recent visit to The Fox Theatre. She said, "What does he do -- bite himself on stage?"

The food was excellent and the service was good. The only detractors from my visit were that I had to ask for my check and that iced tea was not on the menu. (hot tea was, though). Overall, I give Pete's a 9 out of 10. I'm looking forward to eating there again.

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.

Ocean Fish and Chicken @ 3732 E 8 Mile Rd, Detroit. No tables.

Last week I tried a restaurant in a new zip code that was a bit far from work. Also on the east side, this week's restaurant is on 8 Mile so it faces stiff competition from fine dining across the street in Warren such as Long John Silvers, Taco Bell, and KFC.

However, my original destination was not Ocean Fish and Chicken, but instead it was Omega's Ham & Corn Beef Restaurant, R.I.P. Not to worry, Omega's is being replaced by a used car lot, which is really lacking in the area since I passed only 10 used car lots on 8 Mile. The building must have been broken into recently as there was a sign that stated, "If you wanna get into the building, try to but I will get you & you are recorded from Detroit Police Department stupid rapper." Stupid rapper indeed.

Not to be deterred, I pressed on to Olympic Coney Island, and, my luck, it was out of business, too! In its place stands Ocean Fish and Chicken, as well as Shark Tech Repair Center. Ocean is a similar establishment to Bosco, one of the first restaurants I reviewed. You can buy fish or chicken, and they will fry it. Or you can bring fresh-caught fish, and they'll fry them.

Upon entering, I noticed that the employees were behind glass, a typical sign of a Detroit restaurant that's open late. Most of the menu prices were overwhelming, so I ordered the lunch special, which was a very reasonable price. I was told the food would take about 20 minutes to prepare, and it did. However, 20 minutes seemed a little excessive for something that's called the lunch special -- how would you know to call ahead when the restaurant's too new to be on Google Maps or in the Yellow Pages? As I waited, I stared at Shark Tech, perplexed as to why it offered cell phones as well as soaps for sale. And what is black soap? In addition, there was a small ice cream area, but I neglected to look at the flavors. Since no additional employees were available, I assume the Ocean Fish proprietors are also experts in computers, mobile phones, and ice cream.

At one point a customer argued with the kid behind the counter (kind of jokingly) that she should get a discount because she had placed an order for four people that day. "Don't I even get a free pop? Where's your manager?" To which he replied, "He's on vacation," ignoring his Dad who was visible in the back room.

Eventually my food was ready, so I departed due to the lack of tables to eat at. When I got back to my office, I noticed the food was packaged in Styrofoam, which my city refuses to recycle. Also, there were many, many packets of hot sauce, tartar sauce, and ketchup. The lunch special included two whiting fillets, five wing dings, five shirmp (sic), and fries. Instead of the shrimp, I got an extra five wing dings. It was way too much food for me, but the fish was very tasty, the wing dings were tender, and the fries were delicious. Even though the food was good, because of the long wait time, the lack of seating, and the environmentally unfriendly packaging, I give Ocean a 4 out of 10. I'm excited to try another Detroit restaurant next week, hopefully!

View of front from 8 Mile Rd

View of inside facing the restaurant part

Mobile Phone / Computer Accessories part of the store

Ice Cream!!!

Soaps?

The whole package

Fish, Chicken, & Fries

What a deal!

Brochure

Marcus Hamburgers @ 6349 E McNichols Rd, Detroit. 8 out of 10.

After having a tuna salad sandwich on the west side last time, I was determined to return to the east side, albeit to an all new zip code for this project: the 48212. Sounds kind of New York City-ish, doesn't it? In reality, it's the zip code that contains Hamtramck, but north part of this zip code is technically Detroit. Confused yet?

The odd part about this area is that there are only about 5 restaurants listed on Google Maps. A drive through the neighborhood reveals much abandonment, but also a lot of industry. Not great for residential development, but the industry can help a lunch restaurant thrive. And Marcus Hamburgers is a restaurant that thrives. Located just east of the railroad tracks that lead to Alro Steel and the Warren Truck Assembly Plant (aka Dodge City), Marcus is a small diner-style restaurant that opened in 1929 in this very same location. Upon entering, you immediately need to decide whether you are going to go left or right. I opted for the left, but I'm not sure quite why. As far as seating, there is no decision to make -- only bar stools are available.

Even though Marcus is a full-service restaurant, you get a feeling that one of their strengths is speed. When I got there, I forgot I had a 1pm meeting back at the office, but it was no problem. Menus were already available on the counter, and the specials were on the wall. The specials, and the menu in general, were very beef-centric, making me think that urban ranching may have a place in Detroit. The specials were meatloaf, Salisbury steak, and beef tips with noodles. After considering the tuna salad sandwich (I didn't see a chicken sandwich on the menu), I was convinced by the friendly waitress to order a hamburger instead. It arrived within five minutes, with the mashed potatoes I ordered. Even though it looked unconventional (Belle Isle to 8 Mile calls it harmonica-shaped), it tasted delicious, and so did the mashed potatoes and gravy. I would definitely go back to Marcus, and I give it an 8 out of 10. The only drawbacks were that their to-go packaging is not very environmentally-friendly, and no table or booth seating is available. Also, there are many "dinners" on the menu, but don't be fooled -- Marcus closes at 4pm. I guess that's when it's time to get outta Dodge.

Belle Isle to 8 Mile: An Insider's Guide to Detroit

Thanks to Krista and Justin, one of my favorite gifts that my wife got for her birthday is the new book Belle Isle to 8 Mile: An Insider's Guide to Detroit. It's an in depth, up-to-date manual for places to go in Detroit, organized by parts of the city. In addition to chapters like "Downtown" and "Midtown," my interest was piqued specifically by chapters 8 and 9, "Upper East Side" and "Near West Side," respectively. The former contains two of the zip codes which I've been trying restaurants in, while the latter contains the other two zip codes I've been focusing on.

The book is a great resource because it not only features bars and restaurants, but it also has shopping, services, cultural attractions, entertainment, recreation, sites to see, and points of interest.

You can check it out at belleisleto8mile.com

Deli Plaza @ 18401 Wyoming Street, Detroit. No tables.

On Friday the west side of Detroit beckoned me. My voyage first led me to Grandfather's Place on west McNichols, but unfortunately it's doors have been closed.

                        

So onward I marched to Deli Plaza, which is just around the corner. It's located in a nice neighborhood, part of the Wyoming corridor. As I parked, I noticed that their sign states, "If you don't eat here, we both starve." Kind of daunting. Upon entering, a friendly lady behind the glass greeted me. I perused the menu, which, like many Detroit restaurants, claimed to have the best corned beef around. Since I'm not a big fan of corned beef, I opted for a tuna salad sandwich.

I sat on one of the chairs and waited. I found a sign from the International Coalition of Black Trade Unionists recommending that I shouldn't say the N-word, B-word, or H-word. What the hell is the H-word? (My wife told me what it actually is -- never would have guessed it)

It was announced that my food was ready, so I paid and I asked the lady if she knew about Grandfather's place. Her theory was that they closed because potential customers have too much leftover food from Christmas. Interesting...

Since there were no tables available to eat at, I accepted my brown paper bag of food and took it back to work to eat. To my delight there was no styrofoam packaging (not a fan of styro since it doesn't biodegrade). The sandwich was delicious, but it was a little too fluid -- it was hard to keep the tuna on the bread. I enjoyed the food, and I would stop by Deli Plaza if I needed some food to go. But because of the lack of tables and the glass separation, I give Deli Plaza a 6 out of 10.