Metro Detroit: Salem Township’s Karl’s Cabin
The story of Karl’s Cabin begins January of 1936 when Romanian immigrants, Alex and Katie Rusceak, purchased a 220 acre farm in Salem Township, MI for $1 from the Union Stock Land Bank of Detroit.
11 years later, they opened Rusceak’s Rustic Tavern, a log framed tavern with a fieldstone fireplace built from boulders found on the property.
It started as a combination dance hall, bar, short order kitchen and supermarket with the motto Dine, Drink & Dance. As the years went by, it changed with the times. After World War II, it was a popular place to get dressed up for an evening out. In the 50’s, it became more of a “roadhouse” style “ruff and tumble” bar with country and rockabilly music replacing the modern music of the 40’s. On a Sunday afternoon in 1956 Johnny Cash put on a show there.
The 60’s saw the transformation into a biker friendly bar. Motorcycles would line the street, which gave it an “outlaw” feel. It was considered by some to be dangerous territory.
-In 1969, after 22 years, Katie Rusceak retired. They sold the Tavern to George Hefner, who turned it into Hefner’s Hideaway. It became a notorious biker bar with a disorderly clientele, after hours gambling and rumors of a brothel in the apartment above.
-In the 70’s, it was turned into an fine dining steakhouse called The Stockyard which featured an open pit grill, salad bar and upscale wine list. That lasted about a year and then the restaurant was abandoned and returned back to Katie.
-In 1981 Karl Poulos, a Greek immigrant, against his wife Katies wishes, purchased the Cabin from Katie. The restaurant and property were in rough shape after sitting empty for 2 or 3 years. Karl was not new to the restaurant industry. He and his wife owned Monahan’s in Birmingham, which he sold and moved his family to Salem. On their wedding anniversary, August 24th 1982, they opened Karl’s Family Restaurant serving comfort food with a Greek twist including breakfasts on the weekend.
Let’s reflect on the economy of the late 70’s and early 80’s. It wasn’t good. In 1980 we were coming out of The Great Inflation which lasted from 1965 to 1982. We were in a recession and mortgage interest rates were in the high teens. As you can imagine, this was not a great time to try and open a restaurant . . . especially if you didn’t have a liquor license. They struggled in the beginning and nearly lost the place back to Katie. But in 1985, with the help of the Township Board and some members of the community, they were able to obtain the much needed license. Today, 42 years later, Karl’s dream lives on today with his 2 sons, wife Sophia and their amazing staff.
The fire that almost ended it all happened on February 15th 2023, right in the middle of their crowded dinner rush around 6:15. It started in an employees smoking area, in the rear of the building, and quickly spread due to the windy conditions of the day.
There was smoke and water damage throughout, but most of the fire damage was limited to the rear of the building. This was all thanks to the quick actions of the Salem Twp fire department along with assistance of 14 surrounding communities who assisted them to battle the fire which was put out in about 4 hours. Thankfully no one was hurt.
The story of the support the owners received from the community and staff is really heartwarming, the full story can be read here. Karl’s Fire
This is a food blog so lets talk about some food and the vibe.
As you would expect, the interior décor is very rustic. Because of the fire, the entire restaurant had to be gutted to the studs to get rid of all the smoke damage. Since they were rebuilding, they decided to add an additional dining room called The Lodge.
The main area, The Cabin, has the feel of a northern Michigan hunting lodge
The Lodge dining area is more brightly lit with more of a modern feel. Both have beautiful fireplaces and the one in the Lodge has couches and chairs for seating while you wait for your table.
The menu, as described by them on their website, is inspired by their love of rustic comfort food that changes with the season. Using local vendors, whenever possible, “they will always bring in the freshest quality products” If they can’t get it fresh, they won’t get it.
On this trip we had the Chili Garlic Shrimp, a crock of their Ale and Onion Soup and their Steak Dip Sammie. It was hard to decide, since all their items looked and sounded so good. The Chili Garlic Shrimp was perfect. A nice size order (15-20 shrimp) with a delicious sweet & spicy garlic chili glaze and some red Fresno Chilis for a little extra zing. The Ale and Onion Soup was hearty. It was loaded with onions and cheese and a nice balance of salt. The Steak Dip (their version of a French dip) is made with slices of ribeye and strip steaks, and topped with Jack Cheese on a toasted baguette. The baguette was a nice touch that holds up good to the dipping. We found dipping the sandwich in the Onion soup was a good way to kick it up a notch.
There are so any other great items on their menu and it is always changing. It is good to see them thriving again after their 10 months of rebuilding. We truly enjoyed coming here again and will definitely make an effort to get back more regularly.
Karl’s Cabin is located at 6005 Gotfredson Rd right off the M-14 exit. They are open daily at 11AM through 10PM, 9PM on Sundays.
Until next time . . . live well, eat well and enjoy life!
-Keith & Teresa Becker