Detroit’s 5 Best Sandwich Shops, According To Locals

Whether you’re craving an Italian sub, a breakfast sandwich, or a lamb gyro, you’ll find it on your trip to Detroit, Michigan. The Motor City is one of the most underrated foodie destinations in America, according to travelers, offering delicious and affordable meals like those served at these five fried chicken eateries in Detroit with mouth-wateringly crispy bites.

In fact, visitors should know that the city has such tasty sandwiches it hosts a whole festival dedicated to them. The annual one-day Detroit Sandwich Party at Eastern Market, America’s largest historic public market, serves up mini sandwiches from local eateries. “We’re a sandwich-loving city,” co-organizer Carlos Parisi said in 2025, per WYXZ News. “In a city that is driven by small businesses and community, the sandwich is an icon of our hard-working spirit.”

To create this list of Detroit’s best sandwich shops, we researched reliable local news publications and Reddit threads, plus Google, Yelp, and Tripadvisor reviews, as well as a lot of restaurant menus. 

Rocco’s Italian Deli has earned a dedicated local following for its modern takes on Italian sandwiches featuring quirky names, such as the Hard Proof Prosciutto Means Love and the Want Nonna to Make You a Meatball?. Located in Midtown Detroit, Rocco’s is conveniently located less than a 15-minute walk away from many popular sites, including the Little Caesars Arena, home to the Detroit Red Wings and Detroit Pistons; and the Masonic Temple, a historic building that now hosts concerts as well as offers building tours.

Rocco’s is frequently recommended by local press, including Eater Detroit and Click on Detroit, and it’s a favorite on Reddit’s r/Detroit. (“I found Rocco’s from a suggestion on this sub and WOW I’m addicted now,” writes one local Redditor.) Rocco’s also has strong reviews online, with a 4.8 average on Google, a 4.7 on Yelp, and a 4.8 on Tripadvisor. One Detroit-based Yelp reviewer calls Rocco’s an “Italian deli that will make you want to travel to Italy” and promises that they are “cooking up the best Italian sandwiches in Midtown.”

With a menu full of imported artisanal meats and cheeses, plus house-made ingredients, The Detroit News writes that the “quality of the ingredients and the preparation here elevate [Rocco’s] out of the routine.” Located inside a building with a mural featuring Italian foods on the outside, Rocco’s offers large windows with lots of light and a seating area nestled between shelves of imported Italian groceries and a sleek deli counter with daily menus handwritten on blackboards. There’s a full bar serving Italian cocktails like Negronis for those who want to eat in. You can expect to see a long line for carry-out orders for weekday lunches. In warmer weather, you can take your sandwich to-go to eat at the nearby Cass Park, one of the city’s oldest parks that also features sculptures.

Across the street from Detroit’s Historic Trinity Lutheran Church, a gorgeous Gothic cathedral that’s one of the oldest in the city, you’ll find Fred’s, a café run by Michigan restaurateur Fred Lecaj that opened in 2025. It’s a new version of a café of the same name that used to be popular in Ann Arbor. When Fred’s opened, the reception was immediate. Fred’s breakfast sandwiches have already been named among the best in the city by Eater Detroit. 

Fred’s has near-perfect reviews, with a 4.9 on Google reviews and a 4.9 on Yelp. One local Google reviewer calls it “my favorite brunch/lunch spot in Detroit,” adding, “Never disappoints, kindest staff and the atmosphere is always uplifting. I crave their food all of the time.” In addition to Detroiters, Fred’s has brought many Ann Arbor foodies to its new location. “Detroit Fred—I love you already,” writes one Ann Arbor-based Yelp reviewer, adding, “I LOVE this take on a spicy chicken sando, so unique!”

Inside Fred’s, the atmosphere is light and cheerful with floor-to-ceiling windows, wood benches, textile art on the walls, and fresh flowers on the tables.  “The flowers on the tables, the antique glass water dispenser, [and] positive quotes on the walls will let you know [Fred’s is a] good choice,” writes one Detroit-based Yelp reviewer. Whether you come for a weekend brunch before going shopping, or for lunch before a game at nearby Ford Field or Comerica Park, Fred’s stands out for its healthy, flavorful menu.

No visit to Detroit would be complete without a trip to Eastern Market. Here, on Riopelle Street just outside Shed 3, you’ll find Mitsos Greek Food & Coffee, a casual Greek sandwich shop specializing in flavorful gyros wrapped in homemade pita bread. Breakfast pitas are also a hit here, as the eatery is also a coffee stop. Fans say that Mitsos is one of the best casual spots for Greek food in Detroit, and Eater Detroit proclaims, “Mitsos has only been around for a couple years, but it’s already a Detroit classic.” 

Owner Jim Sofikitis opened the restaurant in 2023, telling Crain’s Detroit, “There’s not a lot of really good Greek food. Everything else is frozen and processed. We wanted to do Greek and do it really well.” Since then, Mitsos’ tasty gyros have been named to best-of lists by Eater Detroit and Click on Detroit and earned a local fanbase. “As a Greek myself (second generation) I actually think the best gyro in Detroit is at Mitsos in the Eastern Market,” writes one local Redditor. Mitsos has a 4.9 average on Google reviews, a 4.7 on Yelp, and a 4.6 on Tripadvisor. “Mitsos is the best takeout spot in Eastern Market,” writes one Detroit-based Yelp reviewer.

Look for Mistos signage in blue and white, a nod to the colors of the Greek flag. With just a walk-up counter, seats inside are limited to a few barstools, in warm weather, diners can enjoy their gyros on the cute blue picnic tables on the sidewalk. Grab yours to go and picnic along the Dequindre Cut Greenway just a 12-minute walk away. Another must-see in Detroit, this nearly-two-mile-long path for pedestrians and cyclists offers views of urban artwork as well as the Detroit River.

For a totally different take on a sandwich, What’s the Dill, located in the University District neighborhood nearby several University of Detroit Mercy landmarks, swaps out bread for pickles. The unique sandwich shop is a short walk away from the main University of Detroit Mercy campus and Titan Field, home to the University of Detroit Mercy’s men’s and women’s soccer teams

Owner Leona Gist-Milton opened the sandwich shop in 2022, and it’s since become a local favorite. Reviewers following keto, gluten-free, and low-carb diets consistently remark that it’s one of the best spots in Detroit serving such a menu. The takeout only sandwich shop also attracts pickle lovers of all kinds; Eater Detroit writes that it “evokes childhood memories of grabbing a pickle out of the pickle jar.” There are many flavors of pickles available, including ranch, spicy, and even Kool-Aid (a Southern tradition). The exterior of What’s the Dill features a playful, pickle-themed mural painted by local students while the interior keeps to the pickle theme with green walls and a green deli counter. You’ll see pickle-themed art on the walls, too. 

What’s the Dill has been named one of the best places for sandwiches in Detroit by Eater Detroit, and it has a 4.8 average on Google reviews and a 4.7 on Yelp. “As someone who’s on a diet which discourages bread, I’ve been on the lookout for all of the breadless options the city has to offer,” writes one suburban-Detroit based Yelp reviewer. She adds, “It’s a culinary feat to make this sandwich in an organized fashion without having the bread to fall back on.” Pickle lovers can grab their to-go sandwich and eat it on route to the Motown Museum, a Detroit landmark commemorating the legacy of Motown music, about a ten-minute drive away.

The Original Gonella’s has been serving Italian subs in Detroit’s Oakwood Heights neighborhood for over 75 years. A fitting location, as Oakwood Heights is home to another historic Italian-American establishment, the famed Giovanni’s where Frank Sinatra ate. Gonella’s menu is short and simple: Sandwiches include up to 18 layers of one or more kinds of meat, cheese, fixings, and homemade dressing, served on a soft or hard roll. Fans love the sandwich shop’s local history (some reviewers mention childhood memories of eating Gonella’s subs) and the customizable combinations. 

The interior lives up to Gonella’s old-school roots, featuring a red and white menu board and a classic deli counter with Italian art-themed murals on the walls. Along with the sandwich counter, you’ll see shelves full of Italian snacks and groceries, as well as a serve-your-own station with many types of olives and peppers. “When you walk in it looks like you are going grocery shopping but instead you stay to the right and follow the incredible smells,” advises one out-of-town Yelp reviewer.

The Original Gonella’s is a Detroit staple, making it on best-of lists from publications including Eater Detroit, Hour Detroit, and Michigan Chews & Brews. Hour Detroit proclaims, “Gonella’s is a Detroit institution for a reason—its down-to-earth, deli-slicer sandwich is convenient, cheap, and delicious.” Its reviews are also strong, with a 4.8 average on Google and a 4.5 on Yelp. “Gonella’s has the best authentic Italian subs, the 8 layer is my go-to,” writes one Detroit-based Yelp reviewer. “It’s the perfect lunch and worth going out of your way to get.”

We began by reviewing best-of lists in local news publications such as Eater Detroit, Click On Detroit, Hour Detroit, and Michigan Chews & Brews. We also reviewed several heated discussions about the best sandwiches in Detroit on Reddit’s r/Detroit. Next, we reviewed each eatery to ensure that they have a sandwich-focused menu and are located in the city of Detroit, not a nearby city such as Dearborn Heights or Hazel Park. Finally, we scoured Google, Tripadvisor, and Yelp reviews for each sandwich shop and found the five with the best average reviews.