25 strip mall restaurants worth trying in the Detroit area

Casper Burger & Escalope

33160 Ryan Rd., Sterling Heights; 586-365-5555; casperburger.com

Casper Burger dishes out some heavy-duty loaded burgers, hot dogs, and escalope (thin, breaded fried pieces of meat). You can try the Casper Scream Burger, which is a chicken-stuffed beef burger loaded with toppings. Casper Burger also offers halal and vegetarian options.

Christine's Cuisine

729 E. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; 248-584-3354

Featuring homemade continental cuisine, including pierogies, beef burgundy, stroganoff, smoked sausage, and kraut, Christine’s versatile range of dishes is sure to make anyone's mouth water. The restaurant also serves fresh sandwiches, entrees, salads, and soups.

Antonio’s Cucina Italiana

26356 Ford Rd., Dearborn Heights; 313-278-6000; antoniosrestaurants.com

If you’re looking for a good Italian meal, look no further than Antonio’s Cucina Italiana, which serves up traditional pasta dishes like gnocchi or bolognese and hand tossed pizza. For dessert, try the cannoli, which are made in house.

Noble Fish

45 14 Mile Rd., Clawson; 248-585-2314; noblefish.com

Whether you’re in the mood for nigiri or hand rolls, Noble Fish sells so many varieties of sushi, you’ll want to try something new every time you visit.

Peepo’s Subs & Shawarma

10890 Beech Daly Rd., Taylor
The Lebanese Africano dishes at Peepo’s in Taylor are a walk on the wild side. Before you can get to the taste, the first thing you’ll notice when a dish is set on your table is that the portions can be cartoonishly large. Still, these Lebanese dishes, many with a very American spin, are not to be missed.

Chive Kitchen

33043 Grand River Ave., Farmington; 248-516-7144; chivekitchen.com

This vegan deli puts a plant-based spin on traditional American favorites like the po’ boy sandwich and mac & cheese.

Thang Long

27641 John R Rd., Madison Heights; 248-547-6763

Fresh leafy greens and herbs characterize the Vietnamese food served at Thang Long. Try the fresh and flavorful summer rolls, or do it yourself with an order of Thit Bo, which lets you wrap your own chicken, beef, or pork. Also excellent are the rice noodle soups, which are meals in themselves.

Antojitos El Catracho

4627 W. Vernor Hwy,. Detroit; 313-784-9361

Breakfast is served anytime and besides eggs can include those wonderful fried plantains or gallo pinto (spotted rooster), a Nicaraguan or Costa Rican dish made simply by combining rice with beans.

Phulkari Punjabi

27707 Dequindre Rd., Madison Heights

Located on Dequindre Road just across the street from Davenport University, this newly renovated eatery honors traditional Indian cuisine while providing a comfortable, modern environment. Their extensive menu offers countless Indian dishes, including vegetarian options.

Jamaican Pot

14615 Eight Mile Rd., Detroit

At this vegetarian-friendly restaurant that uses all fresh ingredients, you’ll find what could be some of the city’s healthiest Jamaican fare. Among the top dishes are the curry goat and the fricassee chicken with veggies in a brown gravy of garlic, onions, scallions, and thyme.

Chao Zhou

31682 John R Rd., Madison Heights; 248-588-6828; micasakb.com/chaozhoumadisonheights

Chao Zhou certainly has Americanized Cantonese dishes on its menu — cashew chicken, chow mein — and they are cheaper. But if you turn to the Chef’s Special pages at the back, you’ll also find more authentic Cantonese food options.

Veg-O-Rama

44930 Ford Rd., Canton

At this vegetarian street food restaurant, the bulk of the items on the menu hold Indian flavors, but the restaurant gets a little more international with dishes like a Cuban sandwich and pierogi. All but four of the items on the menu are vegan, and the restaurant’s main attractions are its vegan burgers.

LoLo Potluck

3950 Rochester Rd., Troy

The one place in metro Detroit that trades in Egyptian cuisine, LoLo Potluck is a small shop that holds a few tables and does a lot of carryout business. The menu holds plenty of the kebabs and shawarmas that you’re used to seeing at metro Detroit’s Lebanese restaurants. However, there are slightly Egyptian twists in each one.

Sahara Restaurant and Grill

24770 Coolidge Hwy., Oak Park; 248-399-7744; newsahara.com

Right at the corner of 10 Mile Road and Coolidge Highway, Sahara Restaurant & Grill dishes out a taste of the Mediterranean. Try the Sahara fries, which are fries draped in chicken or beef shawarma and topped with tahini or Shahara Ranch.

Tienda Mexicana

31642 John R Rd., Madison Heights

Here, you'll find undoubtedly the best tacos outside of Southwest Detroit, and arguably in all of metro Detroit. The meats are magnificently marinated and then grilled and folded into two freshly made corn tortillas. While most taco places offer carne asada, carnitas, al pastor, chorizo, and chicken, it can be difficult to find other varieties, like lengua (beef tongue) or tripa (tripe). The lengua here has that melts-in-your-mouth quality that fans of the stuff look for in beef tongue.

Oaxaca

1985 E. Wattles Rd., Troy

Oaxacan-native siblings Juan, Maria, and Carmen Velasco opened the restaurant in September 2015, and the compact menu holds several of the region’s delicious dishes, including tlayudas, molotes, and mole.

Starters Bar & Grille

25242 Evergreen Rd., Southfield; 248-281-4538; startersdetroit.com

A long-standing Detroit favorite that has opened additional locations, Starters opened its Southfield location after having to close the Dearborn outpost in Fairlane Mall during the pandemic. You can get all of your Starters favorites here like lamb chops, steak bites, and fried catfish.

Ima

32203 John R. Rd., Madison Heights; 248-781-0131; imanoodles.com

With locations in Detroit’s Corktown, Midtown, and in the suburbs at Madison Heights, you can get your Ima fix readily. Ima has an eclectic yet refined menu with things like spicy fried chicken and tofu; sandwiches, Asian-inspired tacos, ramen, and pho. It also offers vegan and gluten-free pho options.

Lao Pot

32707 John R Rd., Madison Heights; 248-689-9888; thekungfunoodlehouse.com
Opened in 2020, Lao Pot offers a selection of greatest hits from China’s regional styles, with a variety of broths at varying levels of spice levels.

Turmerican Vegetarian Cuisine

24259 Novi Rd., Novi

As a vegetarian restaurant, Turmerican features mild to medium spice Indian food, which also has vegan and gluten-free options that are clearly stated on their menu. If you’re a fan of authentic Indian food, you won’t miss out on the meat here.