Kwong Tung Inn @ 3040 E 8 Mile Rd, Detroit. 5 out of 10.

The other day I felt like eating Chinese food, so I headed over to Kwong Tung Inn. It's named after Guangdong, the most populous province in China. The restaurant is located on the east side of Detroit on 8 Mile. There was plenty of parking in the lot between it and the gas station next door.

The restaurant featured four booths and six extra tables. However, there weren't any windows, which was disappointing and made me miss natural light. The color scheme was two-tone with yellow and burgundy. The place was pretty clean, even inside the men's room. Oddly there were loud rattle noises from fans that were running the entire time. There was no music to listen to, and there was no bar to sit at.

Even though I planned on eating my food there, I made a mistake and placed my order of Kung Bo chicken before sitting down. I should have seated myself first so that my order would not have been packaged in polystyrene.

My food arrived fairly quickly, and it included a spring roll and rice. As I was eating, I found a small shrimp in my food. Looking more carefully, I realized that the rice was shrimp-fried rice. The restaurant should have warned me in case I was allergic to shellfish. The Kung Bo chicken tasted delicious. It had a picture of a pepper next to it on the menu, but it was just the right amount of spiciness for me.

While another customer was waiting, she began talking about how she used to eat at Kwong Tung Inn back in 1973, so this place must have been around a long time. At any given time, there were or 4 patrons in the restaurant, mostly waiting for orders to go.

Overall, I rate Kwong Tung a 5 out of 10. Improvements could be made in the atmosphere as well as warning people about the shrimp fried rice. There are a few other Chinese restaurants in northern Detroit, so I will keep you posted.

Dakota Inn @ 17324 John R Street, Detroit. 9 out of 10.

So this week I went to a place that I knew would have tables -- Kurz Dakota Inn Rathskeller. Long name, but a really cool place. I parked in their large lot and noticed a school bus -- 25 kids came pouring out of the restaurant as I entered the restaurant. Wish my HS German teacher would've taken us to a place like this...

Inside, the decor was 100% German. There was even a Schnitzelbank poster on the wall. There were no windows, but there was enough artwork on the walls that it didn't really matter. Thankfully, there was a bar for me to eat at, so I pulled up a seat to a guy named Wilson (he was older than Cast Away, so don't get any ideas) who was enjoying a German draught. If you like beer, it would probably be better if you went to Dakota Inn after work instead of for lunch. There were about seven different German beers on tap.

After ordering an iced tea, I delved into the menu. Typically German food doesn't agree with me, mainly because of my pork-free diet. However, their Dakota Twister caught my eye -- corned beef and sauer kraut between two potato pancakes and a side of apple sauce. The service was kind of slow because the manager was booking evening reservations for Okotoberfest. However, the food was unique and delicious. Oddly, the applee sauce was served in a plastic to-go cup. Also, I don't think the iced tea was fresh-brewed. But otherwise, a solid restaurant.

At one point someone started playing the piano, then later we all sang along to Schnitzelbank. In the middle of it, a lady started choking on her food. It was the first real-life application of the Heimlich Maneuver that I've ever seen. Overall, I give Dakota Inn a 9 out of 10. If you'd like to try it, remember that they're only open for lunch from Wednesday thru Friday. Also open for dinner Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.

Flowers behind Dakota Inn

Students from Garden City stopped to eat lunch

Dakota Twister! Corned beef, sauer kraut, & potato pancakes

Menu artwork

History of Dakota Inn

Menu

Interior View

Family Crest

Big parking lot w/ guard shack

Signage

NYC bus in someone's yard by the state fairgrounds

Current Rankings

With tables to eat at:
1. Hashbrowns Café @ 19458 Conant Street 9/10

2. Pete’s Grill @ 1400 Outer Drive East 9/10

3. 8 Mile Grill @ 8003 W 8 Mile Rd, Detroit, MI 8/10

4. Marcus Hamburgers @ 6349 E McNichols Rd 8/10

5. L.A. Coney @ 1700 E. McNichols 7/10
6. Lou's Deli @ 8220 W McNichols 7/10
7. Asian Corned Beef @ 2847 E 7 Mile Rd. 6/10
8. Sullaf Restaurant @ 814 W 7 Mile Rd 4/10 
9. Dennis Julian's Coney Island @ 5 W 7 Mile Rd 2/10

Without tables to eat at:
Hook Fish and Chicken @ 10600 W 7 Mile Rd
Bosco Fish & Seafood @ 16227 Livernois Ave

Deli Plaza @ 18401 Wyoming Street

Ocean Fish and Chicken @ 3732 E 8 Mile Rd

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