Metro Detroit: Oak Park’s Ernie’s Market
This week we are in Oak Park at Ernie’s Market to grab a couple of Ernie’s renowned sandwiches. We heard about Ernie’s a couple of years back, through my brother Don, but were not able to get there until recently. In 1955, Ernie & Virginia Hassan (Ernie’s parents) purchased the local Austin Heights neighborhood market, at the corner of Capital and Republic, for $4000 (the equivalent of $50,000 today) but, according to Ernie, it has been in the family for over 100 years.
There is a plaque from 1955 with a picture of his mom and dad and a handwritten agreement from the previous owner. Pretty much a “hand shake” purchase agreement.
It was your typical neighborhood market located down the street on the corner, before it became the sandwich shop it is today. But before that it was a grocery store, and then a meat market owned by Ernie’s grandfather. They still use the original wooden meat locker as their walk-in cooler. You can see it in the back where all the sandwich magic happens. Even though it is called Ernie’s Market we would say it is not really a “market” any longer. They mostly just sell side salads, beverages and chips to go with their sandwiches.
For generations, Ernie’s has been the go to place in the Austin Heights community of Oak Park. Ernie knows everyone and they know him. He loves to chat it up with his regulars, asking about their lives and families while making their sandwiches.
Ernie’s Market is not flashy. It’s a small 2200 sq ft, nondescript, brown brick building with a black awning that says Ernie’s Market on it. You might even drive by it if you weren’t aware it was there. Once inside you feel the storied history of the place. There is memorabilia everywhere, newspaper articles, black & white photos and other paraphernalia take up nearly every available inch of wall space. Ernie’s has won numerous awards including Click On Detroit’s “Best Of” award for delicatessens many times and has been featured in Hour Magazine, Metro Times and almost every other media publication in the area.
They only have a small parking lot but since they are in a neighborhood there is always plenty of street parking. Please keep in mind that they are CASH ONLY so come prepared. In 2020 Ernie’s made Oak Park history by getting approval to open the first outdoor dining area in the city.
Ernie’s sandwiches range from simple to colossal . . . which we will get to in a little bit. Ernie is the real show here! At 87 he is still there, building sandwiches to order, for the many guests who are known to wait up to an hour in line. When he is there you will hear his signature “hey baby” or “who loves ya baby” as he greets customers in line. He is known for passing out Hershey’s kisses, because he is all about spreading the LOVE.
The consistent long lines people are willing to wait in are a testament to who Ernie is to the community. They say you get what you give and he gets a lot of love because he gives a lot of love. Ernie’s Market is more than a deli, it’s a piece of Oak Parks soul.
His sandwiches are served on a choice of onion roll or sliced white, wheat or rye bread. Most every person opts for the onion roll. His meats are sliced fresh daily, sometimes to order. The choices are simple, you can choose a 1 meat Ernie’s Special, a 2 meat Ernie’s Double, a 3 meat Ernie’s club or go all in for the 7 meat Ernie’s monster. Each sandwich is made to order which is why there is a wait, especially during lunch. You get to build your own sandwich with a choice of 1 or 2 cheeses (which change daily) then choose your meats ham, turkey, salami, peperoni, chicken, corned beef or pastrami. For toppings they offer mayo, mustard, “love spice” (Ernie’s special blend of spices) and olive oil. For veggies, you can get all or any of the following: lettuce, tomato, onion, bell peppers, cucumber, pickles, jalapeno, and banana peppers.
The sandwiches are uniquely crafted with meats and cheeses on the top and bottom and all the veggies and toppings in the middle.
So what did we get?
We got 2 sandwiches, both on onion rolls. The first one we kept simple: a 2 meat double with corned beef and pastrami, Swiss cheese, mustard, lettuce and tomato. But for the 2nd we ordered the Ernie’s Monster, totally loaded which means everything they offer: 2 cheese, 7 meats, all the veggies and all the toppings. This sandwich weighs in at well over a pound and can be as high as 1 ½ pounds. They have a rule that if you are first timer they will not cut the monster in half, they want you to experience it and “figure it out yourself”. Both sandwiches were delicious and a great value for the money. In today’s world of the $15-$20 sandwiches, his are in a league of their own and are worth every bit of the $8 for the double and $13 for the monster.
If you go there, we recommend you get the onion roll, especially if you get the monster. We don’t know if regular bread would hold up, the way the onion roll did, without falling apart.
Do yourself a favor and make a special trip for this one. You will not be disappointed!
If you don’t have time to wait in line, you can call your order in and it will be ready when you get there. But to us, waiting and hearing all the banter with Ernie and the customers was part of the experience.
Ernie’s is open Monday-Saturday at 10AM and are open till 4PM except on Saturday when they close at 2. They are closed on Sunday.
Until next time . . . eat well, live well and enjoy life!
-Keith & Teresa Becker - Becker Home Advisors