Ham Shop: Greasy Spoon Personified

There is probably no better value for a quick and dirty lunch downtown than the Ham Shop (Shoppe?).  For a mere 5 bucks, you can get either 2 cheeseburgers or 2 coney dogs, fries and a beverage.  McDonald's can't even beat that these days.

The Ham Shop was gone for several months after their building was demolished in Greektown, however, they reappeared recently a few blocks away in the space formerly occupied by Bahn Thai.  While the atmosphere of the restaurant is much improved over their former place, in my opinion, carry out is still the way to go.

One of the Ham Shop's specialties is their bean soup, which may be the best around.

While I can't promise you'll feel "healthy" or "good about yourself" after a Ham Shop meal, I can promise you'll be filled and satisfied through the rest of the work day.

Delivery in Detroit

It's winter and the cold has made our search for a delicious, affordable lunch much more difficult. We decided to give in to the January weather and order delivery. This was a risk because delivery places in the downtown area are scarce. We only know of a few: Jimmy John's, Cottage Inn Pizza and Ham Shop. Urbanspoon and Metromix claim that Rio Wraps offers delivery, but a call to the restaurant quickly proved otherwise.

Due to a bad experience with Cottage Inn delivery last year (the food came 2 hours later) and a taste for something non-greasy, Jimmy John's won the battle. The food arrived in less than 20 minutes so they get an A for effectiveness. However, our sandwiches were mediocre and left us wanting more. So, the quest for great delivery continues....

Lunch in the D lesson of the day: Rio Wraps does NOT deliver and Jimmy John's should only be called upon as a last resort.