Mudgie's Deli and Wine Shop — Restaurant in Detroit

Here we go...

Mudgie’s is an indie restaurant built from the ground up by a guy who took a real risk, jumped into a run down building that no one else wanted, and immediately went to work making some of the best damn sandwiches anywhere. *And I mean ANYWHERE.

Those trendy shirts that say “Detroit Vs. Everybody?” I think they’re kinda silly myself. But I bet you won’t find a fresher, more flavorful sandwich anywhere.

Heck... I think even Martha Stewart was talking about them within their first year or so in business. But with or without Martha, I’m in, of course.

A low-key, relaxing environment with several rooms, Mudgie’s is passionate about crafting locally sourced, high quality ingredients combined to make incredibly flavorful foods. It’s a go-to spot for locals, travelers, anyone wanting to chill, or make a good impression of taste.

For me personally, it’s the only place that supplies a beef brisket that rivals my Aunt’s.

Each item on the menu really is a gem, but I do love the Madill and Brooklyn sandwiches so much. Always fresh soups, a variety of drinks, some insanely good milk shakes, and then that FREAKING FUDGIE MUDGIE... let’s just say it’s safely one the most unique and indulgent desserts I’ll ever have. That thing is just pure genius.

Finally, the owner of this place is the real deal.

I’m sure he’s human like everyone else, but I swear that guy must have a good heart. I’ve seen him hand out drinks and desserts and God-knows what else numerous times to people just to surprise them, or he’ll walk and bring samples of a new beer or wine just because he wants you to taste it. He’s a bit like an American Massimo Butera in this way—he clearly gets a thrill out connecting people with good food and personal care.

The last time I was there, I was meeting with some cousins for our first night out together in over a year. I’m sure he didn’t even recognize me since I moved out of Detroit, but I knew who he was, so I just said hi.

I think he was about to head out for the night just as we were all arriving, but right before he left, he brought us out shots on the house and just said “have a happy cousins’ night.”

Dude. I was already sold on the food, man... you don’t need to get a guy crying at surprise generosity. My family’s been through a lot the last few years...

I know running a business isn’t easy, and I’m far from the flawless person I’d like to be. But I do pride myself on having good taste, and Mudgie’s is just one of those places that’s easily a standout in Detroit, in Michigan, and honestly in the U.S. as a whole.

I think they should be really proud of what they’ve made and how they treat...

You know when you walk into an establishment and all the employees deeply sigh, then immediately look at each other because you are just outside of their business hours? It is a quick agreement they are all making to either serve you or hold the (business hours) line. I am not usually one to push the limits of this grace; I understand they may need another three minutes to stock beverages and roll napkins IN PEACE. So, it was with gratitude that we received permission to be seated, even through we walked in 5 minutes before they opened at 11am. Once they committed to us, they didn't disappoint. Good and quick attention from service came next and continued throughout.

Mudgie's has fresh and delicious combinations of ingredients in their menu options, many of the sauces and such they make in their own kitchen. Not knowing how big the portions would be, I was trying to convince myself that they were tiny sliders, so I could have them all. My husband had the presence of mind to assume they were going to be on the large side and had restraint in ordering because he knew what kind of eating day we were getting into (pizza smells were wafting in from our future). We decided to split the sandwich called The Barrett (house roasted Sy Ginsburg corned beef, Mudgie's-made creamy cole slaw, Swiss cheese and Mudgie's-made thousand island dressing on an onion roll, served warm) and ordered Better Made Special Barbecue potato chips, a choice possibly inspired by the bright orange walls around us.

Something about the thousand island dressing, the warmth of the overall sandwich and the cold cole slaw was deeply satisfying. Although, I was slightly self-conscious about sitting down early, "stealing" (quotation marks attributed to no one) a table and splitting a sandwich, it was an easy-going environment and a great way to start our day.

A couple of notes:

There are only cold soup options in the summer. (I would have probably ordered the black bean option our server mentioned, if it was warm. Cold soups just feel super-awkward to me, like the chef made a mistake. Don't lecture about gazpacho. Don't.) Mudgie's is in the middle of what feels like a residential area AND on a corner. You will feel like you are driving into nothingness and then there will be yummy corned beef (see above). You should try their bagel, even if I didn't. People TALK about it. Online, at the counter... everywhere. There is rumored to be awesome cream cheese. Do it for...

We went to Mudgie's this weekend. I was excited because I hadn't been there since my first visit to Detroit, nearly three years ago. We were seated at what turned out to be a pretty wobbly table, and received our drinks fairly quickly. A few minutes later, the waiter stopped by and noticed the table was wobbly. As he was trying to wedge some pieces under the leg, my daughter's drink fell into her lap. Full root beer, all over the place. The waiter brought a couple paper napkins, then kind of stood there, and asked if we wanted to refill the root beer. I had already scooped the ice from her lap and dumped it back in the glass. I told him we'd like a new one. He brought one back, with a lid this time, but didn't ask if we were ready to order. He proceeded to ignore us for the next 12 minutes, as he stopped by every one of his tables around us. Finally, he came to take our order. It was 18 minutes later when someone else brought our two sandwiches, but my daughter's grilled cheese was no where in sight. The person who brought the sandwiches didn't mention it, didn't say I'll be right back with the grilled cheese, nothing. She just kind of walked away while looking at the receipt. Nine minutes went by when I was finally able to stop our original waiter to ask about the grilled cheese for my daughter. He just said, "oh it should be right out" and kept walking. Nearly six more minutes passed before she finally got her food. A grilled cheese. The simplest sandwich on the menu. We finally ate, but was never checked on by our waiter again, even though he was buzzing around other tables. Finally, I asked to speak to the manager when the hostess walked by (the manager turned out to be the person who dropped off two sandwiches and walked away). I told her everything that had happened, but she didn't seem too concerned. She said she was sorry and would "take, like a lot off." (her words) Several minutes passed when I stopped another waitress to ask her if she could tell our waiter we wanted the check. He finally brought it and the manager had taken half off. The food was just as good as I remember it being the first time I was taken to Mudgie's, but we were severely disappointed in the service. It was a horrible experience and I will definitely think twice before going...