Wahlberger Burger Joint Opening in Greektown

[Honky Tonk]

How many people here have eaten at Wahlburgers? Have you tried the food?

Or are you just going to write it off because he's part of the establishment and it wasn't made by some 8th generation burger king on a stove given to him by his great uncle who was the first person to steam a burger bun and the recipe was carried here in someone's ass to escape the Nazi's because it's just that much better?

I take it mikeg19, you've had the Wahlmart burgers before, then? There's only so much you can do with a 'burger compared to the other 200 great 'burger joints already in existence in Detroit. Are they really that much better, or do they taste like they were pulled out of someone's slick marketing ass?

[mikeg19]

I take it mikeg19, you've had the Wahlmart burgers before, then? There's only so much you can do with a 'burger compared to the other 200 great 'burger joints already in existence in Detroit. Are they really that much better, or do they taste like they were pulled out of someone's slick marketing ass?

I've never had one in my life. Never even heard of the chain until I was flicking through the channels earlier this year and saw it. Believe me, I'm on the "yea, there are probably a few too many burger joints" bandwagon. And there is only so much you can do to a burger until it really isn't a burger at some point. But just because it's Wahlburg, doesn't mean I'm going to automatically condemn their food. I've had good burgers from chains and one off hole in the wall bars, so I'll reserve judgement until after I try it.

[Honky Tonk]

I've never had one in my life. Never even heard of the chain until I was flicking through the channels earlier this year and saw it. Believe me, I'm on the "yea, there are probably a few too many burger joints" bandwagon. And there is only so much you can do to a burger until it really isn't a burger at some point. But just because it's Wahlburg, doesn't mean I'm going to automatically condemn their food. I've had good burgers from chains and one off hole in the wall bars, so I'll reserve judgement until after I try it.

I don't do fast food, period. The "Food Trucks" are a joke to me. There are boatload of good, inexpensive, semi-nutritious, diverse, food places around the Detroit area, and I'm talking either right in Detroit or within a mile or two just outside. [[no need to go out to 112 Mile Road) But I suppose if you live within walking distance of the Blight Rail, and don't know how to drive, any new anything is a cause for jubilant celebration.

[Danny]

I just don't want Walhburgers in Greektown. Five Guys Burgers and Fries is got to go, too an other location. Greektown is for Greek family owned businesses.

[JDKeepsmiling]

How do you know that they're overpriced? Their website does not have any prices on the menu. And the burgers are hardly gigantic, they are offered in 1/3 pound, "nearly 1/2 pound" and 2/3 pound sizes according to their website. These are standard sizes for hamburgers at most restaurants.

If you don't like the kind of food they offer you're quite free to not patronize the place. I don't care for fast food joints myself nor do I care for downtown or Greektown so I most likely will not dine there. But I am certainly not going to take to the internet to complain about someone opening a new business that will provide jobs and produce tax revenue in a city that desperately needs both.

There must be a demand for such a place or they would not be investing here.

Are they going to employ people....check!
Are tyhey going to pay taxes...check!

That works for me. I don't think Downtown is at a place yet where we should be COMPLAINING about a new business moving in. Man, you should have seen this board back in 2009, we we so desperate for anything positive. Now everyone complains about new apartment building not have world class design, or that we are getting "yet another trendy, overpriced burger joint."

[ABetterDetroit]

These places will sprout like weeds until of course, IN-N-OUT burger gets here!

[Honky Tonk]

These places will sprout like weeds until of course, IN-N-OUT burger gets here!

Ahhhhh, the old in-n-out.......

[Bobl]

JDKeepsmiling:

"Are they going to employ people....check!
Are they going to pay taxes...check!"

I agree. But I will not likely eat there. That's OK, they won't miss my twenty dollars.

What would Stella say?

[SDCC]

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...n-to-greektown

[downtownguy]

JDKeepsmiling:

...

What would Stella say?

Did Stella ever talk? I thought she just shrieked.

[jmarie]

Are they going to employ people....check!
Are tyhey going to pay taxes...check!

That works for me. I don't think Downtown is at a place yet where we should be COMPLAINING about a new business moving in. Man, you should have seen this board back in 2009, we we so desperate for anything positive. Now everyone complains about new apartment building not have world class design, or that we are getting "yet another trendy, overpriced burger joint."

I totally agree!

From a competition stand-point, I would have chosen a different spot. But on the flip-side, Greektown gets a ton of foot traffic on game days. But there are a lot of non-game days. I enjoy the walk to Greektown 9 months of the year, but when it gets cold and windy, I don't venture far from my building!

[SDCC]

Are they going to employ people....check!
Are tyhey going to pay taxes...check!

That works for me. I don't think Downtown is at a place yet where we should be COMPLAINING about a new business moving in. Man, you should have seen this board back in 2009, we we so desperate for anything positive. Now everyone complains about new apartment building not have world class design, or that we are getting "yet another trendy, overpriced burger joint."

I totally agree!

From a competition stand-point, I would have chosen a different spot. But on the flip-side, Greektown gets a ton of foot traffic on game days. But there are a lot of non-game days. I enjoy the walk to Greektown 9 months of the year, but when it gets cold and windy, I don't venture far from my building!

I wish all the business partners success and good fortune

[Gistok]

That works for me. I don't think Downtown is at a place yet where we should be COMPLAINING about a new business moving in. Man, you should have seen this board back in 2009, we we so desperate for anything positive. Now everyone complains about new apartment building not have world class design, or that we are getting "yet another trendy, overpriced burger joint."

Let's not paint everyone with such a broad stroke Sparky....

In 2009 we were complaining about tearing down the Metropolitan, Lafayette, Charlevoix and Wurlitzer Buildings [[we got only 50%). In 2009 we were also wondering when are the Ilitch's finally get off their asses and actually rehabbing or building non-sports structures that they do announcements for!

Today you shouldn't mix up the Craft Beer, Sports Bar & Chips crowd with the folks who still are more interested in historic preservation.

And as for what gets built.... some of the designs, such as Orleans Landing and Brush Park are nicely done... while others such as the top of the Roxbury parking structure, and that "motor lodge" design planned for the Statler site... does indeed look like crap... it's what this forum has always been about... critiquing buildings.

As for the Ilitch's EVER coming thru on any of their promises besides subsidized sports complexes.... the same skeptics from 1998 were there in 2009 and again in 2015.

As for the burger joint.... slap a "burgerpopolus" on the end of the name, and maybe all those complainers will check it out and find that they may indeed like it....

[Honky Tonk]

As for the burger joint.... slap a "burgerpopolus" on the end of the name, and maybe all those complainers will check it out and find that they may indeed like it....

Right, because everyone's so damn dumb they won't know the difference between Greek food and yet another burger joint. wait, one more for good measure

[Gistok]

Right, because everyone's so damn dumb they won't know the difference between Greek food and yet another burger joint. wait, one more for good measure

Sorry.... I forgot to mention the lighter and the goat cheese.....

[Honky Tonk]

Sorry.... I forgot to mention the lighter and the goat cheese.....

Yeah, I can tell the new Greekburger will be right up your alley. and

[Zacha341]

Stop it, yall making me hungry for a burger fo' breakfast!

[DetBill]

Does anyone know the selected location of Wahlberg/Gilbert venture in Greektown.? I was walking by the old Sweet Georgia Browns location and wondered if that's it ... its a bedrock leasing property, kinda large but one never knows., and its in Greektown, doesn't seem to be all that many other locations.

[401don]

Does anyone know the selected location of Wahlberg/Gilbert venture in Greektown.? I was walking by the old Sweet Georgia Browns location and wondered if that's it ... its a bedrock leasing property, kinda large but one never knows., and its in Greektown, doesn't seem to be all that many other locations.

They haven't announced a location yet. There are also a couple of retail storefronts that have never been used on the ground floor of Monroe, underneath the walkway, opposite Red Smoke.

[night-timer]

The nearby Detroiter Bar in Greektown is good and cheap.

Greektown is the nearest thing Detroit has to a tourist trap - probably more than the riverfront/Ren Cen area.

If the Wahlburger joint has a better and more lively/youthful vibe than a traditional restaurant, Wahlberg and his brothers will get the customers. Most of the out-of-towners wandering in Greektown are probably not discriminating diners, anyway. They won't go off the beaten path through Detroit to find something better. I just hope they don't pee on the sidewalk like the drunk guys who park their cars in Brush Park to walk to the Tigers games at Comerica.

[Honky Tonk]

The nearby Detroiter Bar in Greektown is good and cheap.

Greektown is the nearest thing Detroit has to a tourist trap - probably more than the riverfront/Ren Cen area.

If the Wahlburger joint has a better and more lively/youthful vibe than a traditional restaurant, Wahlberg and his brothers will get the customers. Most of the out-of-towners wandering in Greektown are probably not discriminating diners, anyway. They won't go off the beaten path through Detroit to find something better. I just hope they don't pee on the sidewalk like the drunk guys who park their cars in Brush Park to walk to the Tigers games at Comerica.

Good post and you're probably right. Since the powers that be are hell bent on creating a tourist town bubble, the national chain will be recognized and patronized by those sheeple, much like Hard Rock and Rain Forest were in the late 80's. [[both a total disappointment to me when I finally got a chance to visit each once) Amen on the sidewalk peeing, and scores of other abuses by the 'burbanites.

[Dbest]

Good post and you're probably right. Since the powers that be are hell bent on creating a tourist town bubble, the national chain will be recognized and patronized by those sheeple, much like Hard Rock and Rain Forest were in the late 80's. [[both a total disappointment to me when I finally got a chance to visit each once) Amen on the sidewalk peeing, and scores of other abuses by the 'burbanites.

Ouch, I just lost any respect I might have had. Did you buy a coffee cup at Rainforest?


Ht: Thought you might enjoy this link:
http://www.deadlinedetroit.com/artic...e#.Vn6bhlIy3K8

[Honky Tonk]

Ouch, I just lost any respect I might have had. Did you buy a coffee cup at Rainforest?Ht: Thought you might enjoy this link:http://www.deadlinedetroit.com/artic...e#.Vn6bhlIy3K8

No I bought a $500 leather bomber jacket that said "Hard Rock Cafe, Poughkeepsie" on the back, still couldn't pick-up chicks..... We, [[my little peer group and I) used to frequent Greek Town on a regular basis back when we first became of driving age. You were hard pressed to find a restaurant there with a menu in English. After the first Greek Town "revival", we felt it had lost it's charm, especially when you stood in line outside for 45 minutes, only to be seated and find out they were out of half the items on the menu. [[around 1980 or so) When I worked Downtown, we [[my office worker peers) and I would occasionally walk down, or take the People Remover, to Greek Town for lunch. I love Skordalia. These days there are excellent authentic Greek Restaurants in other parts of the City, where you can park the car, walk right in, have a great meal, and not have to deal with the "Greek Town" baggage BS. I no longer have the need to be "seen" @ the latest "In" spot. I'll leave that for the gamblers. The Deadline Detroit article is about 20 years too late.

[Zacha341]

Wasn't Rainforest at Great Lakes Crossing Mall or that area? I've never been.

Yeah article too late. My interest in GT has long waned, and I don't do casinos anymore. I work in and frequent Dearborn area often so I can at least get most of the mediterranean food options I want, but I do miss the flaming cheese and greek wine......

Can you suggest a full-out authentic Greek restaurant not downtown HT??

[Gistok]

No I bought a $500 leather bomber jacket that said "Hard Rock Cafe, Poughkeepsie" on the back, still couldn't pick-up chicks.

Hehehe.... makes my HARD ROCK LONDON [[no not Ontario) and HARD ROCK PARIS T-Shirts.... seem downright chic!!