On St. Patrick’s Day, everyone claims to be a wee bit Irish and corned beef sandwiches come to mind. People seek out corned beef and Reuben sandwiches piled high on rye or other bread or rolls.
And metro Detroit is chock full of places that offer tasty corned beef sandwiches. Another bonus is Detroit hits the trifecta of corned beef makers. Grobbel’s, Sy Ginsberg and Wigleys corned beef are brands that hail from Detroit.
This list is certainly not exhaustive but a sampling of those that have been around a while. Many restaurants will have plenty of corned beef specials on St. Patrick’s Day. Keep in mind many places have limited hours because of the pandemic. Some places are carryout only.
Bread Basket Deli
Multiple locations
This deli with nine locations in metro Detroit boasts that they sell 12 tons of corned beef each week. Bread Basket’s famed corned beef sandwiches are piled high and available as a large sandwich or regular. There are several variations, including the Reuben and a combo of corned beef and pastrami.
More: It’s time for corned beef: Three super easy ways to prepare it
Dick O’Dow’s Irish Public House
160 W. Maple Road, Birmingham
A mainstay on the menu is its Celtic Reuben. According to the menu, the sandwich features housemade corned beef or turkey that is grilled with Swiss cheese. It’s topped with coleslaw and Thousand Island dressing. The sandwich is served on grilled rye.
For info: 248-642-1135 or dickodowspub.com.
Hygrade Deli
3640 Michigan Ave., Detroit
This iconic Detroit deli is located at the south end of Corktown. In February, the Deli celebrated its 49th anniversary. The Hygrade Reuben, named one of five “Great Corned Beef Sandwiches” by the Free Press, features sauerkraut, melted Swiss cheese, and a sweet Thousand Island dressing on rye. Hygrade Deli uses Sy Ginsburg corned beef, also a Detroit favorite. In January, Food and Wine magazine named Hygrade Deli’s Reuben to its best sandwich in every state list.
For info:313-894-6620 or hygradedeli.com.
Louie’s Ham and Corned Beef
3570 Riopelle St., Detroit
Serving breakfast, salads and sandwiches, Louie’s is located at Mack and Riopelle on the outskirts of Eastern Market. Louie’s Reuben features corned beef with Swiss and sauerkraut on grilled rye. The Louies Delight is corned beef topped with Swiss cheese, coleslaw, and Thousand Island dressing. A combo has stacked pastrami and corned beef on grilled rye.
Hours: 6 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday.
For info:313-831-1800 or louieseasternmarket.com.
Mudgie’s Deli & Bar
1413 Brooklyn, Detroit
Mudgie’s Irish Reuben
(Photo: Mudgie’s Deli and Wine Shop)
This longtime Corktown deli is offering plenty of Irish-themed dishes for St. Patrick’s Day. The deli is currently open for carryout only. There is limited patio service. A highlight is its Irish Reuben with corned beef, stout kraut, Irish cheddar and beer mustard on grilled rye. A Vegan Irish Reuben features seitan-based corned beef with stout kraut, vegan cheese and mustard on grilled rye. On Mudgie’s regular menu is the Barrett sandwich. It’s a classic with corned beef, creamy coleslaw, Swiss cheese and Thousand Island on an onion roll.
For info:313-961-2000 or mudgiesdeli.com.
Noah’s Deli
14500 Michigan Ave., Dearborn
This small deli on Michigan Avenue in Dearborn is open 6 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday-Friday serving breakfast and lunch. There are several varieties of corned beef sandwiches. The Dinty Moore is one of the deli’s specialty sandwiches. You can choose from lean corned beef, pastrami or turkey. It’s served on grilled rye topped with Swiss cheese, coleslaw, and Russian dressing.
For info: 313-582-8361 or noahs-deli.com.
The Stage Deli
6873 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield
Several variations of corned beef sandwiches are offered from grilled Reubens to hot corned beef sandwiches stacked high with corned beef. Most are served on Stage rye bread. There’s the Russian Reuben with hot pastrami, coleslaw, Swiss cheese and Russian dressing on grilled pumpernickel. Its Reuben features hot corned beef, sauerkraut, swiss cheese and grilled rye. Steven Goldberg has been running the family-owned deli since 1994. The menu is vast, offering breakfast, appetizers, salads, sandwiches, soup and entrees.
For info: 248-855-6622 or thestagedeli.com.
Vintage House
31816 Utica Road, Fraser
For a dozen years, this Fraser banquet hall has been serving up O’Hara’s (a secret family recipe) corned beef sandwiches for St. Patrick’s Day. Several corned beef sandwich options are available including a Reuben. They are also offering a boiled corned beef dinner and Irish stew. No phone orders will be taken, you drive up and order 11 a.m.-7 p.m. through March 18.
For info: 586-415-5678 or vintagebanquetsandcatering.com.
Zingerman’s Deli
422 Detroit St., Ann Arbor
The famed Ann Arbor deli’s bestseller is its Reuben sandwich. The sandwich has layers of tender corned beef topped with Swiss Emmental cheese, Brinery sauerkraut and Russian dressing on grilled Jewish rye bread. Last summer, Zingerman’s hit the road last June with its Reuben tour pop-up in several cities across the state.
For info: 734-663-3354 or zingermansdeli.com.
Contact Detroit Free Press food writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news to: 313-222-6872 or sselasky@freepress.com. Follow @SusanMariecooks on Twitter.
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