Onion Roll Deli

Sadly this place has closed, but it was the best place for HUGE sandwiches! The Roast Beef sandwich could feed 3, thats how thick it was. I miss this gem!

ALERT… ALERT…ALERT
I stopped by for lunch today and it was CLOSED with a big FOR LEASE sign in the front window
a very sad day :(
.

I’m very picky when it comes to the quality of deli’s and Onion Roll passes with flying colors. Their Reuben is enormous, easily containing enough meat to make two sandwiches.
Make sure you bring cash as they don’t take cards (free can of soda if you have to pay the fee to withdrawal cash from the ATM).
The only reason I’m giving this 4 stars is the lack of variety in their sandwiches. If you are looking for corned beef sandwich, try this place out and you won’t regret it!

I’ve been driving past the deli for the past 2 years and been wondering what it was. Finally went in after reading the reviews by all the Unilocalers. The place definitely is a slight dive, I went around 5 so the place was pretty empty.
I got the small reuben and fries. Just as other reviewers said, reuben was amazing, fries just regular. The reuben has a lot of meat on it and I really like how they use the lean meat for it. At a $ 9 price tag it is a little steeper, but I will definitely be back when I have a reuben craving.

After going to Essential Massage the both of us were hungry at 3:30pm
Considered one of my faves the ‘Flytrap’ but my bride was not in the mood to sit elbow to elbow, I have never been to Howes Bayou, and still have not. Even considered the Schwarma Wraps @ Mr Kabob. .. .. .
So why not the Onion Roll… oops should have went 2 miles north & stuck with our original plan
The Red Coat Burger & the Best O-​Rings in town
Sorry to go against the grain, but the onion roll is just okay, very ‘DIVEY’ & not the cleanest place, I guess when My bride said on our way home «I cant believe you took me there’
OOPS!
$ 9.75 for a ½ sandwich /​cup of soup was rather steep
& the cook having an in depth conversation with the server 2 feet from us about the random & irrational flying patterns of ‘FLIES’ was an appetite suppressant
Avoid the Barley/​Mushrooms soup 1 star would be generous
$ 17.17 for lunch for two

It was good here. Not exactly the over the top fairy dust blowing out your ass orgasmic wow the reviews had me expecting though.
I hate writing anything that tramples on people’s faves. Unfortunately I cannot break myself of the habit of believing in review trends here on Unilocal.This means when I trek my ass out to try out the great popular picks that everyone seems (to steal a quote from Liz R) to jizz in their pants about, well I expect it to be freaking amazing. ORD just did not live up to the over the top hype. Had it not been so adored by so many I probably would have been happier I will admit.
Parking was a pain in the wazoo, cash is not my fave way to pay, ambiance is nada but that is not why my rating is not higher. The sandwich as a whole was well made, toasty with happy extra ingredients, the problem was the meat itself. It was just sorta dry really (too lean in my book and no I did not ask for lean) and therefore heavily reliant on the aforementioned extras (grilled bread, kraut, cheese and excellent sauce) to make up for that flavor. Maybe it was an off day for beef here, maybe. I don’t know. Maybe they realized my arteries hate me and they were trying to help me out by giving me super lean corned beef, sorry but I am the girl who is a lost cause already. I just kept eating this sandwich that was otherwise quite damn good, waiting for that wow and I never found it.
I am a girl who loves things like short ribs, pork belly, cabeza and bone marrow. I love thinly sliced corned beef that has had the fat rendered into it so that it is not chewy anymore but that richness remains to dance on your tongue. This corned beef clearly never had that much fat to begin with so it lost a bit of that unctuousness, the decadence. I probably eat way too fatty for most people’s taste though. So it’s probably me but I have to review based on what I taste and this meat just was not my personal nirvana.

I’m a little bearish on this place. Expensive for the portions and the turkey and Reuben sandwiches I have had are a little bland. I may adjust my rating after I try a few more things on the menu.
On a side note, one time I was short on cash because I didn’t realize it was cash only, and the cashier lady gave me an IOU for the two dollars I was short. When I went in next time she didn’t remember so I didn’t pay her.

A little over a decade ago, my sister made the decision to give up her California beach party lifestyle to become a permanent New Yorker. Since then, I’ve spent my visits scouring the streets from Park Avenue to 122^nd to find the perfect New York deli. Who knew it was on Woodward Ave?
As the woman said, this is the deli we’ve never been able to find in New York, yet. In fact, we’re not certain there’s even a deli this good in New York. Sitting at the counter top gave us a great introduction to the process behind ever reuben made at the Onion Roll. The two owners had a great sense of humor, answering that their recipe was for sale for the bargain price of $ 300,000. And that they came Oak Park, despite the think Ukrainian accents. More importantly, we learned that each piece of corned beef is triple checked to ensure it’s a lean piece of meat. The meat is then sliced thin, placed on the grill and then topped with swiss and kraut before being placed on rye with a heaping dollop of thousand island dressing. Or, you can be more like me and forsake the kraut for coleslaw. The end result is the same however: a flavorful explosion of tender beef in your gullet. The dressing is homemade, and makes a better dipping agent for your inevitable order of fries. Each order is also accompanied by a half-​sour pickle that is the perfect balance between sour dill flavoring and cucumber.
The perfect New York deli, much like Moby Dick for Ahab, continues to elude me. Fortunately, the Onion Roll Deli is here to pacify my reuben addiction in the meantime in an even better manner than any New York deli I’ve patronized.

Pretty much THE Deli in the Detroit Metro area. Its been existence for as long as I can remember, and except for the removal of the Neon on the sign, it hasn’t changed in that time.
If you want a delicious Reuben made fresh right before your eyes this is the place to get it.
The detractors of course are limited parking and cash only. I should probably remove a star, but because of the fact that it’s as legendary as it is, I can’t.

I had my first reuben here the other week. I ate the entire sandwich. HAVE NEVER EATEN AN ENTIRE DELI SANDWICH BY MYSELF. IT WAS THE MOST DELICIOUS SANDWICH I’VE EVER EATEN.
YOU MUST TRY ONION ROLL DELI!

I wish I could have loved this place. My hubby used to live on this side of town and was really excited when we found ourselves in RO to visit a friend. He insisted we go. I grew up in the Westland area and as we sat at the counter awaiting our sandwiches I tried to recall if there had ever been a real deli in my area. I couldn’t think of one. So, maybe then I just didn’t get it. It was small… really really small. And some what on the dirty side, the menu was sticky and gross. The TV setting on the end of the counter was def circa 70’s. And the owner… he was kind of a smart a$$ if you ask me. But then again, maybe it was just me.
DH ordered a rueben and as he took his first bite his eyes closed and he savored the moment, barely aware that there was anyone else around him. I had a grilled ham and cheese (not a fan of pastrami or corned beef). It was good, the bread was the star of the show.
Would I go back… yes, but only because my husband will insist. Truthfully, I thought it was a bit overpriced as well. But then again, maybe it was just me.

There’s not a lot to add that the other reveiwers haven’t already said.
horrible parking
cash only
pop from a can
Not cheap
Having said all of those things, the food was awesome. I had the corned beef on an onion roll and it was so tender and flavorful. I can’t think of a sandwhich that I enjoyed as much as I enjoyed that one. I may never be able to order a corned beef sandwich anywhere else but here again.

If I were rating food alone then this would be a 5 star review because our sandwiches were awesome. We got the sandwiches to go, and they held up very well to the 30 minute drive home.
I had a corned beef on grilled rye with mustard. Ordered lean, this was a pile of flavorful chipped meat on bread. Not super juicy, but I am willing to take that trade off for less fat content.
Ken had the pastrami on rye with mustard and swiss. I’m not usually a fan of pastrami (mostly due to the excessive fat that accompanies), but this was the best pastrami I’ve ever put in my mouth. Explosion of flavors — super meaty, salt and pepper, juicy. Yum! Not sure if I could eat a whole sandwich myself but I was more than willing to trade sandwiches with Ken a couple of times.
Delicious pickles! We used the ATM so got a free Dr. Brown’s root beer.
So why did they lose a star? The parking! JOP, it sucks some major ass. We got there at 1:30pm on a Saturday and had to circle and circle and circle. We almost gave up, watching others take the spots that opened as we were across the street, circling back. Glad we didn’t. But, seriously, helacious.

I’ve been eyeing this place since I moved to Berkley in April. It’s so cute with it’s old school sign and tiny parking lot! We finally made it there and it was so delicious. You walk in, and it’s as tiny on the inside as it looks on the outside. But they have the old school bar with comfy looking stools, that were packed so we sat in a booth. The waitress took our drink order moments after we sat down and kept them coming even though the restaurant was full.
I’d never had pastrami before and this was the perfect place to start. You get a lot of fries for the price, 2 to 3 people can definitely share. We ordered small sandwiches and while my boyfriend totally polished his off, my sister and I could only eat a half. They’re a really good size.
It was slightly more expensive than we thought it would be but totally worth it!

It happened, I finally went there. Having lived a mere two miles away from the Onion Roll for over five years, I never went in. For whatever reason, deli’s intimidate me. But anyway, yes, it happened, and I’m glad it did.
Alas, I’m NOT that into corned beef or pastrami (yet)…proceed to judging me, if you will, I don’t blame you. So I built my own turkey reuben-​style sandwich: turkey, swiss, cole slaw and russian on grilled rye. It was AMAZING. This, to be honest, is my favorite sandwich in the world and they made it PERFECTLY. The turkey was thinly sliced and moist, the cheese was ample, the russian also ample with perfect tartness and the slaw had perfect, fresh crunch. The bread was grilled perfectly. I asked for extra russian dressing on the side, because I’m used to getting screwed on toppings, but I didn’t even touch it. Also, I ordered the small, which was perfectly sized. I can only imagine that the large is some sort of He-​Man, insurmountable size.
The place is just what I imagined from the outside: a small diner with a few counter seats and a few booths, menus are hand written on white boards on the back wall, and the girl who took my order was super friendly. I know in previous reviews others had said that the place was rather dirty, but I didn’t notice that and I’m pretty aware of a dirty restaurant. I got my sandwich to go, and it was ready in about 5 minutes.
I will definitely go back, and with my husband who loves corned beef. Stay tuned for an update.

I’ve always said that the small, dingy restaurants always serve the best food and Onion Roll Deli is no exception. There are only 5 or 6 parking spots available and during the lunch and dinner rush, I can only imagine the chaos that ensues.
My boyfriend and I walked into the deli and he right away he made his way to their ATM because they only accept cash. The waitress informed us that we get our first pop free because we used their ATM. Brownie points! We then proceeded to a booth and ordered the Super Special. I ordered a small Super Special and specified that it be part pastrami and part corned beef with sauerkraut on grilled rye. I’d say about 8 minutes later, we were presented with beautiful, piping hot sandwiches.
I was amazed at the sheer portion of it all. Mine was a small and let me tell you, that was the biggest small sandwich I’d ever had. My first bite was a mix of melting Swiss Cheese, homemade Russian dressing, sauerkraut, savory pastrami, and salty corned beef. I was in absolute heaven. With each bite, more grease rolled down my fingers but I didn’t even care. To my dismay I ate only half my sandwich and half my fries before I couldn’t go any further.
I’m looking forward to going again for lunch. But this time I may settle for a half a sammie and soup.

Well, there sure was a lot of build-​up.
Perhaps I was expecting too much? The sandwiches were pretty tasty, but were not in the same league as those from Star Deli or the Stage.
But I have a soft-​spot for restaurants where you can sit at the counter. It was nice to eavesdrop on the behind-​the-​counter goings-​on, and the Russian speaking owners.
If you are in HW, Royal Oak, or Berkley, it is a good place for a sandwich and Dr. Browns.

You want a little slice of heaven? As you’re driving down Woodward and you see the Onion Roll, well, you can stop driving right there. Slam on your breaks, stop in the middle of the road, or do what ever you need to do to get out of the car and get in here.
There are lots of restaurants who serve corned beef and claim to have the best in town. You have to ask them if they make it themselves and slice it right there on site. Onion Roll does both. Oh, one more important component is the grilled bread too. After ordering the triple decker and devouring it, I spoke with the server and asked her about if they make and slice it there. She told me about their process of cooking the corned beef there and slicing it very very thin. She also told me how they make their own Russian dressing. Combine all of those perfect ingredients with the fact that they grill your bread (the old fashion way, with an old hand weight, not those modern day presses).
What you get after that is a perfectly grilled piece of rye bread, a huge amount of thinly sliced corned beef, coleslaw, and homemade Russian dressing. Finger licking good. Finger licking good because it gets pretty messy and you’ll be licking your fingers.
I did think the sandwich could have had a little more coleslaw and dressing, but maybe it’s best with the amount they put on it. It may be too big to eat and cover up the taste of the corned beef.
Onion Roll Deli is a pretty small (about five booths and the counter), locally owned, and a Detroit staple.
CASH ONLY****
Enjoy!

The skinny: CASH ONLY, great sandwiches, not for vegetarians
If you’re a picky eater and you’re looking for a lot of different options, this place is not for you. If you don’t want a sandwich, don’t go here. But if you are looking for the best sandwich outside of NYC, then run, don’t walk, to the Onion Roll Deli.
ORD is located on Woodward just north of 11 Mile Rd. The parking lot is small and confusing. I got pinned in here because it’s kind of a free for all. Luckily the guy that pinned me in left pretty quickly.
Like I said ORD doesn’t have a ton of options like a Coney Island does. They have sandwich ingredients and the make everything out of those same ingredients. First, they have rye or pumpernickel. Then the have a large variety of meat, such as corned beef, pastrami, salami, ham, turkey, etc. Next, they have three cheese choices: cheddar, swiss and american. (Is american really a cheese? Oh well.) They have mustard and russian dressing. You can get lettuce and tomato. That’s about it.
I got the hot corned beef on pumpernickel with mustard. It was divine. It’s the best sandwich I have had outside of NYC. It was about 1.5 inches of thin corned beef. The bread was soft and grilled to perfection. It had a good flavor but it didn’t overpower the beef.
According to the menu they have a Veggie Sandwich. It’s bread with lettuce, tomato, cheddar, swiss and russian dressing. I’d suggest vegetarians steer clear if this doesn’t sound good.
Onion Roll Deli is not pretentious or fancy. It’s an old sandwich shop with four booths and a counter with a row of seats. The menu is on dry erase boards. The staff is efficient and friendly. It may not be as new or clean as a Jimmy John’s. And it may not have the fanciest sounding ingredients like Panera. However, this place gets 5 stars for the best sandwich in the area.

Whoa. This place blew my mind. I’ve been passing by the Onion Roll Deli for years. It’s been closed nearly every time I passed by or I didn’t have cash on hand. Well it was finally open and I finally had some cash. What do I have to say for myself?
Best corned beef sandwich in Metro Detroit. No contest.
I LOVED listening to the old men talk in Russian, and watching them use the incredibly old sandwich irons right on the grill. The pumpernickel bread sliced right for me, the thick slice of swiss, the perfect amount of kraut, and beef shaved and cooked just for me! This was a sandwich of LOVE! Oh and their pickles? Homemade. And damn tasty. It doesn’t hurt that they have my one true love of sodas: Dr. Browns diet black cherry (but for a painful $ 1.65).
There is so much to be said that I just cannot articulate. You need to have one of these sandwiches. You haven’t lived life in Detroit until you’ve had an Onion Roll corned beef sandwich.
Side note: they have pumpernickel and rye bread only — but I wonder … where are the onion rolls?
***CASH ONLY***