Mezes Greek Grill (Ann Arbor, MI)

715 N University St, Ann Arbor, MI, T: 734-369-2204

 

Mezes Greek Grill is a little Greek restaurant in a passage with a couple of ‘ethnic’ restaurants. It has a couple of seats inside, but it seems mainly to cater to take-away guests. The people who work in the place are very enthusiastic and polite.

I order the Souvlaki Plate ($8.95): it looks amazing and tastes pretty good. The fries are very thick and look crunchier than they are. The gyros souvlaki is fresh, but the grilled pork cubes are a bit dry, and the sauce is underwhelming. The best thing, oddly enough, is the small Greek salad. Deliciously seasoned and fresh and very diverse ingredients.

VERDICT: 87/100

The presentation and taste of the food resembles more that of a restaurant than of a gyros place.

Chicago Reds (Ann Arbor, MI)

312 S State St, Ann Arbor, MI 48104, T:734-761-6000
 

 

Chicago Reds is a small hot dogs shop inside of the large Amer’s Delicatessen restaurant in downtown Ann Arbor. It serves “Windy City Hot Dogs” – six styles, all also come in turkey or vegetarian – and fries, that’s it.

 

I order a Chili Dog ($3.25). The bun is nice and soft, the frank is tasty, but the chili is a little bit bland.

T: 87/100

Overall, Chicago Reds serves some pretty good dogs.

The Hungry Dutchman Cafe (Holland, MI)

12350 James Street, Holland, MI 49424, T: 616-396-1475

The Hungry Dutchman Cafe is part of Nelis' Dutch Village, established in 1958, a tourist attraction off the US-31 in Holland, Michigan (an area with a large Dutch immigrant population). It offers a replica of stereotypical Nether lands of years gone by. It is only open seasonally, i.e. during the summer. For a self-exiled Dutchman like myself, it is one of the few places to get not just dry Dutch food, but also a few typical Dutch snacks.

I order the Croquettes (kroketten), a uniquely Dutch-Belgian snack of breaded meat-ragu ($6). They are pretty authentic, a bit mushy, and come with two slices of bread and mustard. Yum! I also get the Saucijssenbroodjes ($8), which is actually more of a three-course meal. It includes two small saucijssenbroodjes, which are pork sausages baked in pastry dough (they are 80% meat and 20% dough, while it often is the other way around in the Netherlands; decent, but not authentic); Pea Soup, hearty and tasty with little chunks of rookworst (smoked sausage); and apple cake, which is quite authentic, sweet and mushy.

VERDICT: 82/100

There are few places in the US where you can get more or less authentic Dutch food, and The Hungry Dutchman Cafe is one of them. It is not like back home, but it is fairly decent and not (too) overpriced).

Halo Burger (Flint, MI)

3805 E. Court Street, Flint, MI 48506, T: 810-744-1260

Halo Burger, formerly known by its full name Bill Thomas' Halo Burger, is a chain of fast-food restaurants that has been in existence since 1923! It currently has 11 locations, all in the larger Flint, Michigan area. It has a regular menu for a hamburger joint, but its specialty is that you can add olives to everything for a mere $0.50 extra.

Although it is only 11 AM, and I haven't had breakfast yet, I cannot resist to test a new local chain, so I enter and keep it light. ;-) I order the Supreme Combo ($6.99): burger, fries, and soda. The Supreme is a large burger with a very well grilled 1/2 lb patty, fresh lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, and very crispy bacon. The only weakness is the sauce, which isn't that strong. The fries are relatively thick for fast food and perfectly fried and tasty.

VERDICT: 84/100

Halo Burger serves surprisingly good fast food! The portions are generous and the prices are very acceptable. Definitely among the better fast-food restaurants! Shame it is only in the Flint area.

Bucharest Grill (Detroit, MI)

2040 Park Avenue, Detroit, MI 48226, T: 313-965-3111

The Bucharest Grill is a Detroit institution, in the heart of the city, just a block from both Comerica Park and Ford Field. While owned by Romanians, it serves Middle Eastern food in a huge space that seems to have been a bar a long time ago. This day, just before a game of the Detroit Tigers, it is quite busy. You order at the counter, get a number, and sit in the big bar area for them to bring it out.

We are both quite hungry and curious, so I get all out ordering. We start out with a small Humus ($4.00), which is very fresh and tasty, and has a lemony aftertaste (it comes with soft, warm pita bits). We then have Fatoosh ($4.50), which really is a Šopský Salad with pita chips instead of feta cheese. It is chunky, fresh, and delicious! Then, it is time for their famous Chicken Shawarma ($4.25): slices of grilled marinated chicken, which are very tasty and juicy, rolled up into Lebanese bread with cabbage, tomato, (cured) pickles, and garlic sauce. It is absolutely AMAZING! I also get the 1920 Red Hot ($4.00), a short but very thick spicy sausage, which has great texture and good taste. Finally, we got the Skinless Sausage ($6.50), which are essentially thick cevapcici (sausage fingers), grilled perfectly, juicy and tasty.

VERDICT: 96/100

Bucharest Grill is a fantastic combination of delicious fresh Balkan and Mediterranean food in a relaxed setting with good prices. GO THERE AND GET THE CHICKEN SHAWARMA!!!

Redcoat Tavern (Royal Oak, MI)

31542 Woodward Ave, Royal Oak, MI 48073, T: 248-549-0300

The Redcoat Tavern is an established name in the best burger lists of Michigan. It is a huge English-type pub, extremely dark inside, and absolutely packed when I enter around lunch time on a Friday.

I order from the lunch menu and decide to go for the Brasserie Burger ($9.35): 1/2lb burger, bacon, caramelized onions, watercress, tomato, Dijon mustard, on a brioche bun (I opted out on the Swiss Gruyere). The burger is thick and perfectly grilled, the bacon is thick, crispy and full of flavor, and the whole experience is amazing. No wonder it was voted "best gourmet burger". I also ordered their onion rings ($5.65), which are another specialty: thick onion slices, lightly battered, and fried very crispy (enough for two).

VERDICT: 97/100

This is one of the best burgers I ever had and some of the best inion rings I ever had. Easily worth the rather steep price. Go there!

The Golden Fleece (Detroit, MI)

525 Monroe Street, Detroit, MI 48226-2932, T: 313-962-7093

Who knew that Detroit has a sort of Greek town (well, Street); and that people actually go out there in the evening. I didn't either, but I found it by accident, being hungry and in downtown Detroit. While none looked very tasty, I chose The Golden Fleece in the hope to find an (almost) authentic pita gyros. What I found was a HUGE pita, filled with inferior grounded meat, watery tzatziki, and lukewarm fries.

VERDICT: 63/100

If you prefer quantity over quality, and want a lot for a little, The Golden Fleece is for you. If you like Greek-style gyros, it is not.

Miller's Bar (Dearborn, MI)

23700 Michigan Ave, Dearborn, MI 48124, T:

Miller's Bar is an institution in the larger Detroit area. Since 1941 this uneventful bar (windowless outside, dark inside) has been serving some of the best burgers in Michigan. In fact, despite the name, it is more a burger joint than a bar. Based purely on quality and word-of-mouth, Miller's Bar serves a very limited menu in which only the burgers, onions, and fries are truly acknowledged. The rest is listed under "and if you've gotta have it".

I went for one of the "world famous" Ground Round (i.e. hamburger), fries and a coke. I forgot what it all cost, but it was probably around $10. The fries were not special. The burger comes only with a thick, very juicy, patty and a thick slice of onion. The condiments on your table are ketchup, mustard, and pickles. Despite the rather minimalist approach, this was one of the freshest burgers I ever had.

VERDICT: 94/100

What can I say, the hype is true: Miller's Bar serves one of the best hamburgers in the country! In fact, if they would provide you with a few more condiment options, it would be even better. A tip: don't waste your time on the fries, just get a second burger!

Dutch Uncle Donuts (Coldwater, MI)

58 E Chicago St, Coldwater, MI 49036, T: 517-278-8965

Dutch Uncle Donuts is an old-school donut place in the quaint historic downtown of Coldwater, Michigan. As I drove up, it looked closed, but a woman was still there, cleaning the floor 'cause the boss lady said so'.

I ordered two donuts for $1.70 (total): one vanilla-chocolate glazed and one apple-crumble. They tasted as good, fresh regular donuts. Or, in the words of my wife, 'as Dunkin Donuts on a good day'. I wish I had also gotten an apple fritter.

VERDICT: 84/100
Honest, affordable donuts in an authentic setting. Not top, but beats Dunkin Donuts.

World Cup Grill (Pontiac, MI)

867 South Blvd, Pontiac, MI 48341, T: 248-648-7000 (inside Ultimate Soccer Arenas)

While attending a game between the Michigan Bucks and the Dayton Dutch Lions I stumbled upon such a good snack that I have to include it here. The World Soccer Grill is inside the Ultimate Soccer Arenas, a huge indoor soccer facility, open 7 days a week.

Starved at half time, I made my way to the World Cup Grill, which features mostly freshly made pizzas and sandwiches. I ordered "The Striker" ($5.99), three sliders with grilled onions and fries, and a soda ($1.75). The sliders were remarkably good; they came on toasted buns, with thin tasty burgers, and grilled onions. At the condiments stand ketchup, mustard and relish were available. The large portion of fries were crispy and tasty.

VERDICT: 86/100

There are few places were you can get such good stadium food as at the World Cup Grill in the Ultimate Soccer Arenas. In fact, the World Cup Grill is probably one of the better pig out places in Pontiac proper.

Yesterdog (Grand Rapids, MI)

1505 Wealthy Street Southeast, Grand Rapids, MI 49506, T: 616-336-0746

Yesterdog is an institution in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and deservedly so. It looks like a pub, inside and out, and is located in a gentrifying hipster area in the east of the city. The people who work here look like they are all aspiring rock stars, full of tattoos and attitude.

Yesterdog sells six types of hot dogs... that's all. You can get them with a bag of crisps and a drink; including a homemade lemonade. I ordered two yesterdogs ($1.80 each) and a lemonade for $5.30 in total. The lemonade was ok, but a bit too sweet for me. The yesterdogs, on the other hand, were amazing! The snappy if tiny wieners come on a freshly steamed bun with ketchup, mustard, chili, onions, and fresh pickles. Absolutely heavenly!

VERDICT: 96/100

If hot dogs is all you want, you'll find few better places than Yesterdog. I had two and had only one wish: one more (wish I also had).

Hot Dogs Plus (Niles, MI)

2303 South 11th Street, Niles, MI‎, T: 269-684-2633‎

Hot Dogs Plus is a small hut on a busy road north of South Bend, just across the border of Michigan. It's been around for a while, and probably hasn't invested a cent in its interior since opening. This notwithstanding, it seems to be popular among the locals, as it has loyalty cards and some loyal patrons (mostly very old, rather poor, white people).

I order a Chicago style dog ($2.19), a chili dog ($1.89), French fries ($1.95), and a soft drink ($1.69). The chili dog (typical Vienna beef dog) comes on a steamed bun with chili, fresh onions and mustard. Unfortunately, the chili is not very remarkable, which makes the chili dog overall fine, but not remarkable. The Chicago dog comes on a poppy seed bun (unfortunately, not well steamed) and has on it a pickle, tomato, onions, green relish, hot peppers, and mustard. It's ok, but the bun is partly dry and old. The crinkle fries, finally, are nice and crunchy.

VERDICT: 84/100
A nice old-school hot dog place with nice fries and decent, but not remarkable, hot dogs.

Coney Island (Detroit, MI)

Lafayette Coney Island, 118 W. Lafayette St, Detroit, MI 48226, T: 313-964-8198
American Coney Island, 114 W. Lafayette St, Detroit, MI 48226, T: 586-219-0995

One of the most famous pig out spot rivalries is between two hot dog places in Detroit, Michigan. I heard about it on my favorite pig out show, Man v Food, presented by Adam Richman. The American Coney Island was founded in 1929 by a Greek immigrant, while Lafayette Coney Island was founded a couple of years later by a relative. For decades the two shops have divided Detroit over who has the best coney island hot dog. Where Adam didn't dare to proclaim a winner, my friend A. and me are less diplomatic.

We first went to Lafayette, which was quite small and very crowded. The crowd was fairly mixed although predominantly white (and that in downtown Detroit!). Clearly Lafayette is a favorite pre-game stop for Red Wings fans, as there were many in the shop. The menu is very limited: hot dogs, fries, and only a couple of other things.

We went for a Coney Island ($2.35) each and shared a fries ($1.90). The fresh sausage came on a fresh steamed bun and with a very tasty chili, hot mustard, and fresh onions. As good as chili dogs come. The fries, on the other hand, were unremarkable.

We paid and went next door, to American Coney Island, which was much larger, but almost completely empty. Maybe as a consequence of that, the staff was much more relaxed. Unlike Lafayette, American has a much larger menu, including Greek specialties and donuts.

We went for exactly the same, but this time we were given two Coney Islands each (the prices per hot dog were exactly the same). The bun and sausage were less fresh and the chili had much less taste. On top of that, the mustard was almost tasteless. The fries, on the other hand, were crispier.

VERDICTS: 89/100 and 80/100

A. and I had no doubt on who served the better Coney Island: Lafayette! Everything about the hot dog was better and we both wish we would have had two there, instead of at American. That said, any real fast foodie would check it out for her/himself.

Big Boy (Davison, MI)

9497 Lapeer Rd, Davison, MI 48423-1754, T: 810-653-3359

Big Boy is a chain of roughly 455 old-school diners in the US and Canada. It does breakfast, lunch and dinner. The menu is pretty standard, if a bit more elaborate than most diners, including a salad bar.

I went for the Super Bad Boy combination, i.e. with fries and slaw. The fries are crunchy, while the slaw is fresh but tasteless. The burger is juicy, but the meat is chewy. Also, it comes with only lettuce and some kind of 1000 island sauce on it.

VERDICT: 76/100
The Big Boy chain is quintessentially American, but as such decent but unremarkable.