CafÃ© Kabob set for downtown

**DetroitArmy** · January-12-10, 01:22 PM

This eatery gathered somewhat of a cult following when the first location opened inside a gas station in Berkley.

The owner of the Mr. Kabob carryout in the Sunoco gas station at 12 Mile and Coolidge in Berkley will open a restaurant in downtown Detroit's Campus Martius area this summer. CafÃ© Kabob Mediterranean Grille & Catering will be on Monroe beside Orchid Thai and offer seating for 80, as well as carryout and catering, says owner Ouse Gulli of West Bloomfield. He opened his first CafÃ© Kabob sit-down in Southfield in 2008 and is planing another in San Diego. "And to think it all started in a gas station," Gulli says.

http://www.freep.com/article/2010011...t-for-downtown

**Detroitnerd** · January-12-10, 01:32 PM

Something we haven't seen since the Mediterranean Cafe closed around 2003: Middle Eastern food in downtown Detroit.

**casscorridor** · January-12-10, 03:31 PM

Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

Something we haven't seen since the Mediterranean Cafe closed around 2003: Middle Eastern food in downtown Detroit.

Not true!!!

Al's Paradise Cafe [[Formerly Harmonie Way Cafe) on E Grand River in the Paradise Valley district [[A.K.A. Harmonie Park) has a pretty good selection of Middle Eastern food. It's not a sit-down place with waiters, but the good is great nontheless. Check it out!

Bucharest Grill, on Elizebeth Street serves some Middle Eastern like things, like Shwarmas.

But it is great to hear there will be a sit down restaurant Downtown. You gotta go to La Pita on Cass Ave or Byblos on Palmer, both in Midtown. There is also Motown Kabob on Woodward Ave in New Center, which is similar to Al's.

**Detroitnerd** · January-12-10, 03:55 PM

Originally Posted by casscorridor

Not true!!!

Al's Paradise Cafe [[Formerly Harmonie Way Cafe) on E Grand River in the Paradise Valley district [[A.K.A. Harmonie Park) has a pretty good selection of Middle Eastern food. It's not a sit-down place with waiters, but the good is great nontheless. Check it out!

Bucharest Grill, on Elizebeth Street serves some Middle Eastern like things, like Shwarmas.

But it is great to hear there will be a sit down restaurant Downtown. You gotta go to La Pita on Cass Ave or Byblos on Palmer, both in Midtown. There is also Motown Kabob on Woodward Ave in New Center, which is similar to Al's.

I guess I missed the place in Harmonie Park, but La Pita and Byblos are not downtown. And Bucharest Grill is OK when you need something to sop up the booze, but it's hardly a real Middle Eastern restaurant.

Remember, most people mean the CBD when they say "downtown."

**casscorridor** · January-12-10, 04:25 PM

Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

I guess I missed the place in Harmonie Park, but La Pita and Byblos are not downtown. And Bucharest Grill is OK when you need something to sop up the booze, but it's hardly a real Middle Eastern restaurant.

Remember, most people mean the CBD when they say "downtown."

you obviously didn't read what I said. I said "it is great to hear there will be a sit down restaurant Downtown. You gotta go to La Pita on Cass Ave or Byblos on Palmer, both in Midtown." AS IN YOU HAVE TO GO TO MIDTOWN, NOT DOWNTOWN.

**Detroitnerd** · January-12-10, 04:40 PM

Originally Posted by casscorridor

you obviously didn't read what I said. I said "it is great to hear there will be a sit down restaurant Downtown. You gotta go to La Pita on Cass Ave or Byblos on Palmer, both in Midtown." AS IN YOU HAVE TO GO TO MIDTOWN, NOT DOWNTOWN.

Perfectly understandable. I misunderstood your post, but it wasn't exactly clear. Instead of saying, "Right now, you have to go all the way up to La Pita or Byblos to eat Middle Eastern food." I thought you were just recommending two restaurants that I "gotta go to."

**DetroitPlanner** · January-12-10, 05:18 PM

Is Mr. Kabob Halal?

**Vic_doucette** · January-12-10, 06:09 PM

I'm a regular at the Southfield location. Good food, friendly folks, asset to the neighborhood.

**texorama** · January-12-10, 06:28 PM

I love Bucharest Grill, but the Romanian shawarma is a very different dish from the Middle Eastern versions. Wonder about the history of that word. Looking forward to trying out CafÃ© Kabob.

**terryh** · January-12-10, 06:56 PM

Middle eastern food is hardy and wholesome. My wife is of Lebanese decent and her mother always hooks us up with fatoosh salad-kebab-kafta-fusilia and myriad other feasts. Her father drops of spinach and meat pies as well as many other assorted goodies...I noticed that little Kebab spot and believe I read a positive review at some point..

**Kathleen** · January-12-10, 07:28 PM

Absolutely, Terryh!! We give Mr. Kabob and the Cafe Kabob two thumbs up!! They have great food!! And I love picking up dinner at the Sunoco station...only a few blocks from our home. This will be a treat to enjoy their great food while downtown seeing the sites or attending an event.
Way to go, Sam!!!

southsider · January-13-10, 12:54 PM

It never ceases to amaze me how a city of 1 million people show any interest in a small eaterie [[that may stay open 6 mos) when the city and region is losing business and population at nearly 3 times the rate. The only motivation I could think of this even being a thread of interest is the owners starting it for free advertising.

**English** · January-13-10, 01:01 PM

^ OK, parade is thoroughly rained on.

Thanks for posting this. I feel excited whenever I hear about a new restaurant opening in the D.

**Detroitnerd** · January-13-10, 01:11 PM

Originally Posted by southsider

It never ceases to amaze me how a city of 1 million people show any interest in a small eaterie [[that may stay open 6 mos) when the city and region is losing business and population at nearly 3 times the rate. The only motivation I could think of this even being a thread of interest is the owners starting it for free advertising.

Huh. Well, it's interesting because it goes against the grain. Under the rationale that when a dog bites a man, it's not news, and that when a man bites a dog, it is. When a business moves to the suburbs, we've seen that before. When a business in the suburbs expands into Detroit [[a la Shangri-La in the university area, or Sweet Lorraine downtown), it's news.

**Downtown Lady** · January-13-10, 01:16 PM

Originally Posted by southsider

It never ceases to amaze me how a city of 1 million people show any interest in a small eaterie [[that may stay open 6 mos) when the city and region is losing business and population at nearly 3 times the rate. The only motivation I could think of this even being a thread of interest is the owners starting it for free advertising.

Perhaps a decided lack of interest on our part would help to stem the loss of business and population?

**Detroitnerd** · January-13-10, 01:23 PM

Originally Posted by southsider

It never ceases to amaze me how a city of 1 million people show any interest in a small eaterie [[that may stay open 6 mos) when the city and region is losing business and population at nearly 3 times the rate. The only motivation I could think of this even being a thread of interest is the owners starting it for free advertising.

Anyway, maybe that's how you feel. But as a person who lives in Detroit and works downtown, I get quite interested to learn about a new restaurant. It might be more academic to somebody living at 50 Mile Road who never goes south of Hall.

**JStone** · January-13-10, 03:40 PM

This is good news. The so called "Middle Eastern" Restaurants mentioned above all really SUCK. Like they grill up some frozen fajita meat and pour some canned lemon juice on it. Horrible waste of money.

I would love to have a place close, instead of driving out to Al Ameer's [[or other legit ME/Lebanese food joints) in Dearborn. The fatoosh gets soggy by the time I get back home.

Bucharest Grill is good, but not Middle Eastern fare.

BTW - to be fair, I have yet to try Al's Paradise Cafe.

**Gistok** · January-13-10, 04:56 PM

Originally Posted by southsider

It never ceases to amaze me how a city of 1 million people show any interest in a small eaterie [[that may stay open 6 mos) when the city and region is losing business and population at nearly 3 times the rate. The only motivation I could think of this even being a thread of interest is the owners starting it for free advertising.

Ummmm.... after about 50 posts you'll start getting the hang of things around here... such as posting a link to a newspaper article about something new or positive happening in the D is common here....

So when you get up to speed, you'll see that it really doesn't matter if the owner posts here or not. Owners [[such as Good Girls Go To Paris) often DO post here... why do you think this forum is called DetroitYES??

**Mackinaw** · January-13-10, 05:38 PM

Southside: why does that amaze you? Because it's economic growth that's 'not supposed to happen?' Because people are interested in economic growth at a time when there is very little of it? Are you actually amazed, or are you just the sort of negative person who is the cause of our economic funk?

All it takes is the can-do attitude of people opening businesses in the city and the positivity and interest [[which you find amazing) of people in forums like this to reverse the aforementioned funk.

Yeah Detroit is one million and shrinking, in a stagnant area, with rough short-term prospects for overall growth, but that hardly means that a new business cannot arrive and thrive. First, it's because everything is local and about good planning. Detroit is 127 sq. miles and part of a massive metro area; indeed, generally speaking, these entities are shrinking, but there are pockets therein that are strong as ever and able to support a well-planned business. Second, it's because a truly great product and a truly great marketing effort will inevitably succeed. This is not a third world country; it may look and act like it sometimes, but in reality our wealth and standard of living is absurdly great even in a depression. Consumers are waiting. A good entreprenuer can go get them by offering them something worthwhile. Your comments, sir/ma'am, amaze the rest of us.

**DetroitArmy** · January-13-10, 05:43 PM

ooooooooh im going to make a positive news story a controversial issue, im gonna really gain a reputation on the detroit internet message boards as a contrarian, my reputation is really going to be cemented on the message boards...you know as the contrarian guy who has a response for everything, im sooooooooo bad, im gonna say the guy who posted the positive news story is probably the owner, yea how does everyone like me now that im sooooooo bad...you know how I continually post contrarian remarks on the detroit internet message boards, how im even going to bait gistok into commenting on my downer comment, I feel greaaaaaaaaaat about myself...you know, because of these comments I continually make on every topic...im the bad boy on the detroit message boards...ooooooooooooooh

**Kathleen** · January-13-10, 06:06 PM

Please let us know about all the new restaurants and other new businesses opening around downtown and the metro area!! We want to patronize the small business owner, whenever possible. Even if many go out of business after a number of months or years, we still want to support their efforts and enjoy their food and wares for as long as they are able to provide them. I've enjoyed so many good times at "small eateries" and hole-in-the-wall independent retailers with family and friends over the years. Many small family-run restaurants and retail businesses have "grown up" to be established great places to eat and shop, but they need our help to get them off the ground!!

Looking forward to Cafe Kabob downtown!!!

Just my two cents worth....

**terryh** · January-14-10, 08:16 PM

Cedarland on Warren in Dearborn for price and quality gets my vote!

**smogboy** · January-15-10, 01:22 AM

How newsworthy is this? That's for individuals to decide. I for one am excited to hear about this. I've dined at the Mr. Kabob place in Berkley [[it's still sort of awkward being inside the Sunoco, but the food is good) and I hope the new place will be just as good if not better.

Regardless of what one thinks of the importance of this or who posted it, it's just information to be shared. If it's the owner and has an agenda- then so be it. If it's useful information that someone can use, hooray. If it's truly fluff and malarkey like some have suggested, then move on- obviously they've closed the door to this knowledge. We get bombarded daily with information- some we use, some we store, some we totally disregard.

**Mr. Kabob** · January-19-10, 04:17 PM

Hello there! Thank you to all that are anticipating the opening of the new location @ Campus Martius.
I will do my best to clear up any confusion or questions people have about the opening of CAFE KABOB.....

DetroitPlanner : All our Chicken is Halal. Please check out our menu online @ www.CAFEKABOB.com

Vic_doucette and texorama: We look forward to serving you! Please check out our Face Book Fan Page for free food and great deals... @ http://www.facebook.com/#/pages/Sout...2615857?ref=ts

Kathleen : Thank you for all your kind words.[[and cents

) We really try our best!

southsider: Not sure what to tell you....

One thing I do know is that Cafe Kabob will be sticking around a little longer then 6 months.....

Detroitnerd and Downtown Lady If you like Mediterranean food, you will be happy to know that we will try our best to keep you satisfied!!

To everyone else, thank you for your comments and I have to go back to the kitchen!!

I will do my best to keep, all who wants to know, up to date on our progress!

Mr. Kabob/Cafe Kabob
www.cafekabob.com
www.mrkabob.com

**rsa.313** · January-19-10, 04:21 PM

awww, i heard "mediterranean" and was hoping for a new place to get samosas. i've missed the ones that you used to be able to get at the old mediterranean cafe...