Best Cornedbeef/Rueben in Detroit Metro-

[kowski76]

Anyone has any suggestions for the best Corned Beef/ Rueben in Detroit Metro? I've tried it many places my top 5 so far are:

1- Box Bar - Plymouth
2- Bread Basket - Livonia
3- Russell Street - Eastern Market
4-Hygrade Deli - Detroit
5-Bode's -Plymouth

any other suggestions?

[rainsux]

Oy as a deal for Hygrade ... avail for the next 3 days. $10 buys a $20 coupon:

http://oywhatadeal.com/deal/hygrade-r...

[Double Espresso]

For corned beef, pastrami, and all that's Jewish deli heaven, try Tony's Deli (used to be called Embers) on Orchard Lake near Commerce. Matzah ball soup, mushroom barleysoup, kreplach... all the goodies - even chopped liver. This place is a sleeper and absolutely wonderful.

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Tony's Deli
2165 W 47th St, Cleveland, OH 44102

[GrueLurks]

Stage Deli in West Bloomfield. I could have no teeth left in my mouth and still eat that sandwich. Almost like a soft serve corned beef cone on rye.

[JanPrimus]

Personally I get the Corned Beef with the Pickled tongue, but I would say that Plaza Deli is the one that has the corn beef I could eat best with only gums. I love that we can debate this aspect! :)

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Plaza Deli
29145 Northwestern Hwy, Southfield, MI 48034

[luckytobeme]

star deli in southfield has great c/b and pastrami ~~
but the best corned beef sandwich in detroit, hands down, is at the detroit yacht club on belle isle ~~ if you are lucky enough to be a member( i am not) or know a member (i do ) ....you MUST try it ~~ fantastic !!

[MDGMI]

After reading this description I had to try Plaza and I'm sure glad I did. Best corned beef sandwich I've ever had by far. Well worth the price and the drive from Shelby Twp. I haven't tried Star yet but it's hard to imagine anything topping what Plaza has to offer. Even my wife who's not a big fan of corned beef wants to go back soon. Thanks for the great recommendation.

[goatgolfer]

Went to Plaza Deli today for lunch and Matt Prentice himself was working the line. Had the #99 JanPrimus (1/2 tongue - 1/2 CB) with deli mustard. Worth the trip. great rye. Fun talking to people in line as they make the food too.

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Plaza Deli
29145 Northwestern Hwy, Southfield, MI 48034

[JanPrimus]

Glad you all like it....

[Jim M]

I always feel totally satisfied after eating at the Plaza. And I'm pretty impressed that we have a Detroit Chowhounder with a dish named after him/her!

[Rheta]

Doesnt SonyBob have some soft shelled crabs names after him? Need to check out this Plaza place!

[dearborn barkis]

Star Deli--12 mile just west .of Telegraph. Parking is a b*tch. But if you can find a spot, it is worth it. And it''s 2/3 the price of that other place in Ann Arbor. I don't know if they have a grill to serve Reubens, however. Their cold sandwiches keep the lights on.

[boagman]

This is my parents' favorite place for a corned beef sandwich as well, though even they are starting to chafe at the prices that Star is starting to charge. I prefer the Plaza Deli myself about a mile down the road.

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Plaza Deli
29145 Northwestern Hwy, Southfield, MI 48034

[jjspw]

Star Deli does NOT have a grill for the Reubens, which is why I have such a problem with that place. To me, a cold sandwich (all of Star's sandwiches are cold) is just something I can make at home -- totally not worth the $12 Star charges for them.

[rcloud]

It has been a few years since I have ordered a Reuben from Star Deli, but I remember it being grilled. Also their menu suggests that they do grill their Reubens as well as a couple other sandwiches (their prices are also a little lower.... $8.39 for the Reuben) http://www.stardeli.net/menu.nxg

[jjspw]

You're right, the menu *does* say "on grilled rye". But I have never once had anything grilled--much less, even SEEN the grill--at Star Deli. Perhaps I didn't order properly?

Regardless, I much prefer the corned beef at Onion Roll Deli--thinner-sliced, with far less fat.

[rcloud]

All I know is that I have had grilled sandwiches there as well as other hot sandwiches. With regard to the corned beef, as with anything in life, to each their own... I guess I just like my corned beef with lots of fat ;)

[Jack Freeman]

I'm with you!! Onion Roll definitely has the best corned beef. I keep trying new places but they come up short. I'm torn between wanting the Alexs to update the building so more people give it a chance and selfishly wanting nobody to give it a try so that they don't figure out how amazing it is!! Man..I'm hungry now..guess I know what I'm picking up for dinner!

[jjspw]

Hah! You made me hungry too, Jack Freeman!

I love Onion Roll's crummy-looking building. If people are too unadventurous to try it simply because of the way it looks on the *outside*, they deserve to suffer through inferior corned beef for the rest of their lives. Never judge a book by its cover.

Always makes me shake my head when I see people going on and on about how wonderful the corned beef is at some other deli in the metro... it's obvious they've never even *tried* the Onion Roll Deli.

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Onion Roll Deli
27302 Woodward Ave, Royal Oak, MI 48067

[boagman]

Does that make me a bad person? I fully admit that the building/its facade are a complete turnoff to me, and I live probably less than two miles from the place. I must admit that it's a difficult hurdle for me to get over, since the place (at least from the outside) *looks* pretty dirty. Is it a pretty clean place that they run?

[jjspw]

I don't get you, boagman. You like Scotty Simpson's but you won't go to Onion Roll? I consider them both to be on the same page as far as curb appeal and interior cleanliness go -- Scotty's is CLEAN inside, just happens to be old; same with the Onion Roll.

Not trying to pick on you, I just don't understand the hesitations about a place that lacks curb appeal. I've heard others say the same of strip mall restaurants. I can sort of understand the argument of "look how dirty the stuff they let you see is -- just imagine how bad the stuff is that they don't let you see (i.e. the kitchen)". But I also wouldn't want to close myself off to a potentially excellent meal because of a silly hesitation.

[boagman]

Well, to be fair to me, I discovered Scotty's several years ago, after not having any place for F&C *at all* to go to. F&C just wasn't even on the radar, really. Sure, we could go to that place I can't remember the name of at 10 Mile and Telegraph, but that was just "functional".

With corned beef, I have several options for what I consider to be "good" corned beef, and at least one or two "great" options. It's almost an embarrassment of riches when it comes to this dish, so venturing out to another new-to-me place just doesn't have the same priority, you know? Couple that with the fact that it looks pretty lousy when you pass it by on Woodward, *and* the fact that the Bread Basket Deli sucked when I tried it once time (at the behest of a trusted source, even!), and my reluctance (at least to my obviously-crazy mind) is at least somewhat understandable.

I will have to try out the Onion Roll Deli this month. Really.

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Onion Roll Deli
27302 Woodward Ave, Royal Oak, MI 48067

[Davwud]

Oddly enough, I almost consider a lousy exterior a positive. It just seems to have character and reeks of old school goodness. For crying out loud, the place we went to over the holidays in Huntsville, Al. was literally falling apart. The walls were peeling away from the sheathing.
Terrific food though.

DT

[boagman]

Well, I'm not saying anything to the contrary. There's also a "familiarity breeds contempt" thing going on with me and this place. When you've driven by it as many times as I have in my life (has to be in the thousands) and every time you go by it you think to yourself, "That place looks like such a *dump*!", it kind of gets you into a mindset.

Like I said, I'll be giving it the old college try, soon.

[firestalker]

As a point of clarity on the exterior of a building and the Quality inside lets look no further then one of your favorites PI Thai in Hazel Park. I would never have given it a try without your endorsement talk about a dump on the outside, but that is not where the magic happens. And with an over abundance of Thai places to chose from why should I have tried it.
The same with Scotty Simpsons I think the building is fine just suffers from the location would never have stopped without your endorsement. Both places proved to be excellent.

You need to give The Onion Roll a shot, although not the nicest looking is one of the best Ruebens you will find anywhere.

[rainsux]

> Onion Roll ... I live probably less than two miles from the place.

Huh?

The Onion Roll that I like is on Woodward, Royal Oak-ish. Have you moved from
Waterford back to civilization? Are you going trendy? <g>

Or; is there possibly an pretender "Onion Roll" in Waterford?
;

[boagman]

Oh, Rainsux, you caught me having a senior moment at the ripe old age of 38. I *grew up* in Ferndale, and since my parents were out of town this week, I was housesitting for them, and just regressed mentally and said that I lived two miles away, which Waterford is *not*.

I'm still in Waterford, yes, and I'm in the Ferndale area usually a few times a week or more. What a brain fart on my part.

[jjspw]

Your Scotty's explanation makes sense, boagman. It wouldn't surprise me if your feelings about Onion Roll's exterior are shared by many others, and they too, have stayed away -- thus they rave about sub-par delis like Bread Basket, Star, etc., having never tried anything better.

And on a side note, I wholeheartedly agree with Davwud. The shitter a place looks, the tastier the food, especially when it comes to anything ethnic. ;-)

[Fibber McGee]

Star's brisket sandwiches are also great.

[Rosedale]

I couldn't agree more with Russell Street Deli. Everything there is delicious.

Dave's New York Deli in Livonia also has a great grilled Reuben.

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Russell Street Deli
2465 Russell St, Detroit, MI 48207

[nsxtasy]

This topic has been extensively reHASHed here in the recent past (sorry, couldn't resist the corned beef play on words, LOL), in these topics:

Best Corned Beef Sandwich in Michigan... - http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/415874
Detroit-- best corned beef or pastrami sandwich? - http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/390427

[vniemo]

Mati's Deli in Dearborn is one of my favorites.

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Mati's Deli
1842 Monroe St, Dearborn, MI 48124

[Davwud]

I can see why. We stopped on the way home Monday and loved the place.

DT

[Jim M]

If money is no object, Zingerman's in Ann Arbor is hard to beat. Also try the Montreal Smoked Meat reuben.

[Elyssa]

Ya I was shocked no one said Zingerman's. haha

[dearborn barkis]

Yes indeed. IF money is no object. :)

[janetxb]

I'm a great fan of Zingerman's Georgia Reuben, made with smoked turkey and cole slaw. I live in Lake Orion. Once a year I travel to Battle Creek, and always swing by Zingerman's for a Georgia Reuben, which I eat half of for lunch, and save the other half for dinner. It's fabulous!

[Davwud]

I haven't tried any you've mentioned but I really liked the one at Casey's Tavern in Ann Arbor.

DT

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Casey's Tavern
304 Depot St, Ann Arbor, MI 48104

[RedTop]

9. Jimmy Dee's Lounge - Clinton Township

http://www.jimmydees.net/

[rainsux]

6 - Onion Roll Deli - Royal Oak

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Onion Roll Deli
27302 Woodward Ave, Royal Oak, MI 48067

[rcloud]

7 - Star Deli - Southfield

[JanPrimus]

8. Mudgies - Corktown

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Mudgie's
1300 Porter St, Detroit, MI 48226

[kowski76]

I hear about Mudgie's a lot. What makes it special you think?

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Mudgie's
1300 Porter St, Detroit, MI 48226

[JanPrimus]

Fresh Local ingredients (many times from neighborhood garden projects), Sy Ginsberg corned beef is always a plus, A owner that bends over backwards to satisfy his clients, great soups, many Michigan made products for sale, great desserts, and locally made bread (I know he was having a discussion about switching to Avalon but I am not sure what he is using now) .

[kowski76]

Thanks for the info. Sounds great. I will try it as soon as I have a chance.

[coney with everything]

Jan, did you see that Mudgies is moving? Article in today's Detnews.
http://www.detnews.com/article/201012...

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Mudgie's
1300 Porter St, Detroit, MI 48226

[JanPrimus]

I know he had been talking about it for awhile and asked everyone's opinion on it.

I hope the move allows for a slight expansion on the menu. Not so much to the point that it loses focus. Greg is a very smart guy and I am sure will excel in the new spot.

[jjspw]

The list ought to begin and end with rainsux's Onion Roll Deli. If you named any other deli on this list and have never been to the Onion Roll, you are doing yourself a huge disservice by settling for inferior corned beef and reubens.

Zingerman's is definitely worth a mention, but to throw it into the mix with the other places on this list is sort of like comparing apples to oranges, IMO.

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Onion Roll Deli
27302 Woodward Ave, Royal Oak, MI 48067