Detroit: Eastern Market’s Frank’s Deli & Grill
This week we are in Eastern Market, at Frank’s Deli & Grill, enjoying breakfast after a great morning at the Saturday Market. We have been coming to Eastern Market on a regular basis, 15-20 times a year, for the past 10 or more years. We know all the places to eat and drink and have featured many of them in this blog. Frank’s is one place that we have known of, but never stopped in to eat until just recently. The truth is, no one goes on and on about it like they do Vivio’s, Zeff’s or Farmer Frank’s. Maybe it’s because it is not in the “actual market area” like the rest of them. I think it is what kept us from getting here sooner . . . but we finally did!
Frank’s is located on Russell Street, just north of shed 6. It wasn’t what we expected, when we walked in. I was expecting a market, with a small dining area up front, and huge market in back. There is a dining area in the front, like we were picturing, but there is also a good portion in the back of the market dedicated to dining as well, so there is usually never an issue getting a table when they are busy.
The best part about Frank’s is they serve Wigley’s Famous Eastern Market corned beef. It’s the absolute best, in our opinion.
Wigley’s dates back to the 1880’s, to Liverpool England, where the Wigley’s family perfected their recipe. In 1924 Job Wigley arrived in Detroit with the Wigley family recipe and the vision of the “American Dream”. Needless to say, he found success, and today his grandson Tom still runs the business. Wigley’s corned beef is absolutely delicious and really easy to prepare as well. It is purposely trimmed, to allow for maximum flavor with minimal shrinkage, during the cooking process.
If you have never had Wigley’s corned beef, you need to give it a try and see for yourself why it is the best.
Let’s talk about Franks Deli & Grill. It is owned by Frank Gjoka, who is also the owner of Farmer Frank’s (another Eastern Market favorite). Frank’s Meat and Produce is in the same building as the deli & grill, and Wigley’s wholesale meats in the Gratiot Central Market. While Eastern Market and Wigley’s has been around for over 100 years, Frank’s Deli & Grill has only been open since 2017. When you walk in, the market is to the right and the restaurant to the left.
The menu is that of a diner, featuring all their breakfasts on one side and classic sandwiches, soups, chili, burgers, wraps and pitas on the other. Of course I am the breakfast guy. I could eat breakfast anytime of day, especially at a diner. Teresa is more the lunch person, so we usually get the best of both worlds.
I always go for the omelets: country, Mexican or Greek are my favorites. Teresa, being the lunch person, will gravitate toward a sandwich or salad. The first time we went, I had to try the Mexican omelet with seasoned ground beef, green pepper, onions, cheese and topped with chili. Teresa went for lunch, and since they serve Wigley’s here it was destined to be a sandwich. The classic ½ pound corned beef on grilled rye to be exact. The next time, I opted for the Greek omelet with Gyro meat, tomato, onion and feta cheese. Teresa decided to give the corned beef egg rolls a try. Chopped corned beef with Swiss cheese rolled into an egg roll and fried. This is not something new. We have seen them and tried them elsewhere . . . but these by far were the best we have had!
Check out their sandwiches!
The bottom line is the food here is spot on, the service has always been great and it is a great place to stop for a bite to eat, especially if you can’t get into one of the more crowded places.
Frank’s Deli & Grill is located at 3405 Russell Street 2 blocks south of Mack and is open Mon - Sat from 7AM to 5PM and closed on Sunday. If you want to grab some fresh Wigley’s corned beef you can get that at the Gratiot Central Market in the deli case, it is definitely worth the money.
Until next time . . . live well, eat well and enjoy life!
-Keith & Teresa Becker