Rocco's Italian Deli — Restaurant in Detroit

Today was the day I finally made my return to Rocco’s! They crossed my mind and when I checked their site — I saw turkey was on the menu. Game changer! I love when places expand options like that.

Ordering experience? Great. The person who took my order was super friendly, welcoming, and even co-signed my pepperoncini idea (love that!). She really understood the assignment and gave me the vibe that customization is part of what makes Rocco’s special.

Unfortunately, the experience kinda shifted once my sandwich was being made.

The person making the sandwich (who was also chopping lettuce nearby) overheard my order and immediately gave off a vibe — popping his head up multiple times to glance over, despite there being no line behind me. It was noticeable enough to feel uncomfortable — like I was being judged for daring to ask for onions and pepperoncinis. (Simple requests, not wild off-menu asks.)

From what I could hear, there was a little back-and-forth about how this time they’d honor the modifications but maybe not in the future. Fair enough if that’s the policy moving forward — but in the moment, it felt awkward and unnecessary, especially since the person taking my order was totally fine with it.

And sadly, the sandwich reflected that energy. No pepperoncinis (despite them being part of our whole convo). Onions? Nope. The only change accounted for was no bacon.

The sandwich itself was good — it’s Rocco’s after all — but the vibe left me wishing I’d asked the cashier if she could just make it since she seemed way more invested in a good customer experience.

So here we are, 5 hours later, and I’m still thinking about it — not because the sandwich was bad, but because the energy from the person making it really shifted this from a 5-star visit to a 3-star one. Giving it 3 stars here (would’ve been 2 if not for the awesome cashier — she deserves her flowers!).

Hope this feedback helps the team. Setting clear modification policies is fine — but making customers feel like a burden for asking isn’t...

This place has potential and I’d love to see it meet its potential but two things would have to change: the coffee and the music. I Visited for the first time and was pleasantly surprised all around. Clean modern Italian deli with a nice little selection of Italian goods and wine. The service was friendly, approachable and helpful. The cannoli’s looked amazing and like they were made properly (meaning how my grandma used to make them) the Whenever You’re Feeling Blue salad is delicious. I was happy to see accessible prices and generous portions. I was also delighted to learn about their happy hour and wine Wednesdays where you can buy a bottle of wine from the shelves without a corkage fee which makes it quite affordable to share with some friends. Did I mention there is free parking?! The music though is consistently terrible... so bad that whenever I go there I want to get out as quickly as possible. I’d love to hear something either authentically Italian or something smoother or loungier that would make it a bit more atmospheric. And then there is the coffee... smh. Whereever it is being supplied from is the same place as all the new hipster cafes around town and it is nothing even close to the flavors you’d find in Italy. Their coffee is acid, fruity and in my opinion down right bad, especially for an Italian place. In Europe and especially in Italy 🇮🇹 it is dark and rich, not acidic and fruity. Honestly though, it’s a cute little place and with a few tweaks it could be very...

Ah, the muffaletta sandwich at Rocco's - more than a sandwich, it's a transcendental experience! The staff at Rocco's were like sandwich whisperers, guiding me through a culinary journey that left me questioning my existence. Were they kind and friendly, or was it just the magic of the muffaletta working its spell on me? This sandwich was so good, it was like a love story between me and my taste buds. Trying to recreate it would be like trying to capture lightning in a bottle - a noble pursuit doomed to delicious failure. One bite of that muffaletta, and suddenly I was pondering life's deepest questions. Who am I? Where am I? The only thing that mattered was that I had finally discovered the true meaning of sandwich enlightenment at Rocco's. And let's not forget the magic power of their house-made garlic aioli sauce. This sauce was not just a condiment; it was a life-altering elixir that elevated the muffaletta to legendary status. The moment I dipped my sandwich into that creamy goodness, I knew I was in the presence of something divine. It was as if the mayo god had blessed Rocco's with this rich, firm, and irresistibly sexy sauce that made every bite a transcendent experience. This aioli was more than just a topping - it was the final touch that made the sandwich a masterpiece...