RUBBED

Please offer some options to your ¾ lb burger. Wayyyy to big. Come on. No wonder half the world is overweight. A nice ¹⁄₃ burger and a side salad who go a lot further with a lot of people.

My husband & I came on a Saturday at lunchtime (2:30 actually) and they told us that they usually don’t do charcuterie boards at lunch. But the evening chef was in so they made one for us anyways! Got to bring wine from motor city wine right next-​door. And to sit outside which was so refreshing! I don’t believe the place is air conditioned so on hot days sitting outside might be more pleasant.

Stacked with Good Stuff!
Truth be told I’d give this place a solid 3.5 stars but I wanted to round up since this place is all about the quality. Service was friendly and pleasant and the space is nice and bright. The sandwiches were fantastic too but it was a couple of the small things that missed the mark for me.
To begin with the menus are a little weak, not only in presentation but they don’t give you the whole picture. Sandwiches are served with chips… not a lot of chips but they give you a fair portion. The menu didn’t mention that chips came with the plate so I asked if they could add one of the bags of chips that I noticed under the counter to my order. Then my sandwich showed up with its own portion. Also, they bring you water when you’re seated but all that’s listed on their menu to drink is iced tea, coconut water or sodas. Since there were floaties in the water we asked about bottled water and found out that they had Perrier… again, not on the menu. I’m not knit-​picking just making mention of where they could make small improvements and likely sell more items. That said, the food was really really good. My Cuban wasn’t traditional as I’ve come to know them but it was delicious. Chunks of pork tenderloin, mustard, pickle, Swiss… and mayo which is an odd but welcome addition, at least for me since I’m a mayo slut. My girl had the Purple Kid. Smoked turkey, herbed goat cream cheese, Swiss and a beet slaw to die for. It was really good but we both agreed that it was too creamy. I think I’d ask for a little less cheese… it was superiorly decadent but really good. The bread they use is an Italian loaf procured from a Dearborn bakery, and it’s righteous. They’ll press any sandwich but they don’t press them as much as a Panini so don’t expect that type of sandwich. They were out of soup the day we came so I didn’t get to try that, but I’m a fan in all other facets for Rubbed. I like the concept and the creativity for the sandwiches.
As I’m fact checking the menu I’m also noticing that they do a Rubbed After Dark menu that’s straight up food food and not just sandwiches… I’m thoroughly intrigued and I’m coming back for this, with friends, so we can try everything.

Love, love, love this place. So cute inside and a laid back, open, airy vibe. The food was delish. When they say the steak is the best in the state, they aren’t kidding! BYOB, stop next door at Motor City Wine and get something to take in with you. Waitress was super sweet and helpful too. I will be back!

The steak here is incredible! It’s prepared sous vide than torched. I liked the fact that you can actually see the cooking area from the dining room. Staff was very cheerful & attentive.

I looked for restaurants open after 6 near downtown and found this place that said open till 10 so I left my place, spend 15 minutes leaving my crazy parking garage, finally found the tiny sing on what looked like a cute place, and it was closed. I check Unilocal and their website and both said it was open. Don’t say you’re open if you aren’t people make plans and go out of their way and you ruin their plans.

You need to try this place! Jason is a phenomenal chef, the food is incredible, staff is warm and friendly, atmosphere is cozy-​eclectic. Love it!

We stumbled across this place by accident and we had just an excellent, excellent dinner. They have only been doing dinner for 2 months, so the service was a little spotty, but the food and the charm more than made up for that. Also, it’s byob and right next to Motor City Wine, which means it basically has a awesome wine menu. Highly, highly recommended.

This place is small but cool. As soon as we walked in the server informed us that they don’t serve alcohol but we were free to walk down to Motor City wine and pick up a bottle of wine or beer and bring it back which we did. We shared all the apps that were available and it was awesome. I will definitely go back

Great deli subs.
Skip the subway and come here! They may not have as large of a menu as Mudgie’s or as authentic crazy sandwich toppings, but if you are looking for a scrumptious deli sub this is the place. The staff is super friendly each and every time and the ingredients are fresh and plentiful.
I love little Italy. It has all of your Italian meats with mayo and a bed of fresh greens, banana peppers and thick perfectly ripe tomato slices. The bread is made fresh every day and they toast the sub bun just enough where it’s warm with a slight crunch.
They also sell different gourmet grocery items like falafil chips, pasta sauce, spices, etc.
You can dine in or take out and there is parking down Michigan Ave as well as a few spot on Vermont (the side street it’s off of)
Great Lunch spot and now they offer brunch items!

Excellent lunch, friendly staff. I ordered the Cuban. It was fantastic. I will definitely be returning often as my office is around the corner.

A deli sandwich is generally something I would consider myself to be unimpressed with these days. Deli’s always have the same Italian meats, the same Italian cheeses, and the same Italian breads and I’ve gotten bored of it all.
With that being said, I was pleasantly impressed with Rubbed’s sandwiches. They have high quality ingredients across the board. The peppers, vegetables, and spreads that they use to compliment there meats and cheeses are perfect. They introduce and bring out so much flavor.
The service was fine. It was fast. But there weren’t many people in there. The people were kind but didn’t seem too interested in engaging with us.
The atmosphere was cozy. It felt like someone took the front room of their house and turned it into a deli. It wasn’t cliché, it wasn’t trying too hard, it was relaxed, convenient, and homey. Also, there’s a huge framed photo of a giant sloth climbing the Empire State Building like King Kong hanging on the wall. I like that.

I really wanted to like Rubbed. I really did! I still do. Even after my experience I am still open to trying something else from the menu. Perhaps my experience was a fluke. I stopped in late afternoon last week and ordered the Smash & Bang to go. The staff was friendly enough and there was no one else there. The sandwich was prepared in a timely manner, and I was on my way. I biked home and opened up my sandwich about 15 minutes later (nice presentation btw) and was extremely disappointed. It had somehow gotten extremely soggy, cold, and mushy in the brief trip. I was underwhelmed by the flavor, especially the mushrooms. I tried to eat as much as I could, but ended up tossing half of it. As others have noted, Rubbed is a bit more expensive than other sandwiches in the area which would be perfectly fine if there was some sort of reason of perhaps it’s farm to table, etc. but there seems to be no real specialty there.
As previously stated, I would be willing to try another option and dine in. Maybe it’s on me for traveling with the sandwich but on their website it’s noted they deliver and estimate 30 – 45 minutes, so a 15 minute wait really shouldn’t have affected the flavor and quality as much as it did. One thing that they’re doing right is having more than 1 veggie sandwich option, so here’s to hoping the other 2 are a bit tastier!

My wife and I stopped into Rubbed for the first time today for a quick bite on our drive home from the market.
Rubbed had been featured on a list of top Detroit brunch spots. One of the items that had been noted was a Belgian waffle with some type of banana topping. That had appealed to me, so we headed there to see if it made our personal list of top brunch spots.
The décor was nice and it was very clean. I was disappointed that the waffle that had lured us there was not on the menu. It was also disappointing that there was no alcohol. For me, a top brunch spot has to have a great Bloody Mary, or at least a mimosa. Also, you order at the counter and your meal is brought to your table. Not really «brunch-​y».
We each ordered a sandwich and a bottle of coca-​cola. Our total was $ 28. Rather pricey for 2 sandwiches and sodas.
I had the Fresh to Death sandwich. The bread was excellent, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The fresh mozzarella, basil, tomato, and balsamic vinaigrette are a pretty standard pairing, but something about the flavor of the vinaigrette and the great bread, made it tastier than usual. I really enjoyed my sandwich and the portion was large enough that I had half to take home.
It was kind of confusing after finishing our meal as to how to go about clearing our table and where to place trash. It would have been helpful when our meal was brought to the table if we had been told where forks and napkins could be found and where to place trash after eating. I felt a little awkward looking around after eating, not quite sure on the protocol.
All in all, I would return for a sandwich to go. For lunch. Not brunch.

I visited Rubbed a couple weeks ago for my lunch hour. I ordered the Little Italy. It was very good but way over priced for what you get. $ 10 for the sandwich not including chips or a beverage. However, they did offer cucumber infused water which a nice touch.
The price of the sandwich was not the only downfall. The appearance of the employee making the food was very unprofessional and distasteful. She was wearing a tank top with unshaven armpits. Now, I’m all for personal hygiene being a personal choice, but it doesn’t apply when you work in the food service industry. Wearing a t-​shirt with sleeves would have been just fine. It’s the same concept as wearing hair nets or hats when you prepare food.
I won’t be returning.

There is really nothing I can complain about when it comes to Rubbed. I have eaten there 2 times now. Once delivery, and once dining in. Service was quick as was the delivery.
They will deliver almost anywhere in the city and have great hours for being in corktown where restaurant hours can get querky. Relatively limited seating inside but they do have a couple of outside tables as well.
I have gotten the east Sider twice now because I am a creature of habit. I would highly recommend it grilled, the bread becomes perfectly crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside so it doesn’t become soggy even after delivery. Huge portion even though it is a bit steep on the price ($ 12). Will try something different next time.
Also I have heard great things about their brunch on Saturday and Sunday 11 – 5, I will be back for that.
Overall: for a city without a ton of great sandwich shops, this is a great addition and a nice option for a hearty lunch whether you’re too hungover to get out of bed or want to bring visitors or the rents out in Corktown.

Went on Sunday for brunch after my companion heard about their waffle special.
The place was nice and cozy, with a welcoming feel. It’s not very big, which isn’t a bad thing. You can see into the kitchen, which reinforced the idea that the place is clean and well-​run.
I would have liked chocolate milk, but they said they don’t have milk (strange for a brunch location). I went with water instead. I ordered the potatoes and egg special: butter scrambled eggs, sweet + red skin hash, lavender honey, thyme. The server informed me that they were out of sweet potatoes, so the «hash» would only have red skins. No big deal. I added, upon the waitress’ suggestion, the lamb + pork sausage.
The butter scrambled eggs were really, really good. They were soft and a tiny bit runny, which I really love, and the buttery flavor came through strong.
The potatoes were the biggest miss of the meal. I found no evidence of lavender honey nor thyme — it was some fried cubes of red skin potato with absolutely no flavor. There were no salt and pepper shakers in the restaurant, so I waited at the cashier station for awhile before I found a cook who was kind enough to pour some salt and pepper into a small plastic container so that I could pinch it out onto those bland potatoes. Note: these potatoes looked exactly the same as my companion’s $ 3 side «hash browns» both in flavor, quantity, and (lack of) taste.
The lamb sausage was delicious, albeit a bit dry. I really loved the combination of flavors, and it was incredibly full of savory goodness. If it had been cooked a tiny bit less it would have been superstar caliber.
I think my companion’s waffles with banana and caramel might have been a better choice to let this place’s uniqueness shine, but I was in the mood for savory instead of sweet, so I feel like I missed the train on that one.
The other misses were more intangible and I think they were a result of this place not usually having table service. My water wasn’t refilled the whole meal, and I didn’t realize until most of the way through that there was a self-​service plastic cup water station off in a corner, even though our first waters were poured by our server with a pitcher into glasses. There wasn’t silverware at my table to begin with, nor was it delivered with our meals — it came later.
The server was nice, friendly, and helpful, but the place was full with a wait by the time we were done and she appeared to be the only one working the floor, so I think she was a bit overwhelmed.
I don’t want to be too hard on Rubbed after trying a relatively new brunch menu, so I’d like to go back at lunchtime or in the evening to try their sandwiches and compare them to the formidable competition just a few short blocks away.

Wheels down at DTW, and we were anxiously heading home to Detroit to see our apartment, pets & friends… and we wanted to grab some awesome takeout to run home with. Rubbed immediately came to mind. we had been wanting to try the place.
We had a wonderful experience. The atmosphere was hip & chill. Comforting smoked meats in the atmosphere, with a very lovely staff & happy looking patrons. Simple ordering system with one of those iPad things.
Cool Club, $ 10: smoked turkey, bacon-​herb spread, cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, cucumber… ENORMOUS SANDWICH. I still have ¹⁄₃^rd left in my frig the next day… By far the best smoked turkey breast I’ve ever had. Luscious, moist and sliced paper thin… It’s the kind of things dreams are made of. The cream-​cheesy bacon spread was da bomb. alongside thin sharp bite of cheddar with cool & crisp lettuce, tomato and cucumber slices. Freaking awesome.
Little Italy, $ 10: capicola, mortadella, pepperoni, provolone, lettuce, tomato, red onion, banana peppers, mayo. Embodied the classic kind of sub my coworkers and I would actually run and get IN Little Italy in NYC where I hail from (w/​exception of bread. but it’s not a bad thing). The meat is off the hook (see what I did there?). and every bite is a mayo-​packed, banana pepper-​punched piece of italian meat heaven.
The Bread. As a big fan of Second Avenue Deli in Royal Oak, they seem to have the same incredible fluffy but chewy, glossy topped bread that I love. (who knows if they use the same source). These buns are intense though– very very big. Many might argue it’s too much bread. But for gluten-​full dieters, it’s a really happy highlight.
Add the availability of Dilla’s Delights, Zapp’s Honey Mustard chips & delicious sodas (San Pellegrino Melograno E Arancia (Pomegranate & Orange!!!) — and we’re extremely happy campers here.
Packaging was neat and clean– no leaky sandwiches. Lots of napkins (needed). Lots of love.
Bravo RUBBED! You have fulfilled — maybe exceeded– our expectations. And they were pretty high :)
*Check out sweet meat cookbook collage wallpaper in bathroom. I think this might need to happen in a special room in my home one day.

I don’t want to be a little dark rain cloud. I was excited to try Rubbed. And, why not? 1. It has 4.5 stars on Unilocal.2. I have a soft spot for Corktown entrepreneurs. 3. They put popcorn on their charcuterie boards!
There is absolutely nothing about the food we experienced that would inspire me to return. The ingredients were not fresh or flavorful, nothing special like artisanal meats or cheeses. The presentation is boring. The salad greens were the dried-​out bagged variety. Subpar cleanliness in the dining area. Service was just okay.

Woohoo glad I had the chance to try this sandwich place out! I’m not a fan of vegetables, so I wasn’t too excited to see the cool club sandwich I order stuffed with veggies. But it tasted great. The bread was reminded me of the baguette you use for a Vietnamese banh mi (except the outside wasn’t crispy bc it wasn’t toasted). Highly recommend the club sandwich.
Pros:
–huge portions
–free spa water! When I went, it was grapefruit cucumber water
–they have (I think) Mexican coke. you know the sodas that come in a bottle and are made with sugar
–tasty sandwiches
–they offer chips (yum!), some sides, and desserts too I think
–nice service
Cons:
–kinda pricy. Wish they offered a smaller portion size for cheaper. And/​or that they automatically cut their sandwiches in half bc I didn’t know how big it’d be.
–I wish my sandwich bread was toasted! I’m not sure if that’s an option.
–I also wish they had bacon but that’s only bc I like bacon in everything!
–parking is hard to find
–limited seating esp during lunch time
After my lunch, I drove back to school and told all my friends about it. It’s that good! Def come check this place out!