The Detroit Eatery is a Danforth institution… the greasiest of spoons. Located in the heart of Greektown (at Chester Station), the Antaras family has been serving my family Fries & Gravy since I was in junior school at Frankland. And even though both the interior and exterior are adorned in nothing but Detroit Red Wing & KISS memorabilia, I don’t hold it against them. I can’t! The food is just too good.

Breakfasts are served all day, and on the weekend the dining room is rammed full of young families winding down before nap time. Who knows… you may see me in there with my daughter the next time you drop by. Speaking of breakfast, everything from “The Omelette Pan” is a sizeable portion at a great price. These days, I have been opting for the “healthier” choice of Peameal & Eggs ($7.95). My regular order now comes with poached eggs, dry rye toast and tomatoes instead of home fries.

Detroit Eatery is home to one of the city’s best Homeburgers ($5.95 w/ Cheese). Anyone familiar with the place swears by them (including local celebrities Jim Cuddy and Kris Draper). Speaking of celebrity, the last first-date of my life was at the Detroit Eatery (and now we’re married). So you know that either the food is really good or my date was super cool. A bit of both, no doubt.

Not feeling a burger? Their Clubhouse ($6.95) is pretty money with its crispy bacon, real turkey breast and extra mayo. I really like the fact that all sandwiches are served with Coleslaw and Pickle. Fries are extra, allowing me to take a pass (despite having some pretty great gravy).

Detroit Eatery is also worth a visit if you’re a dude dining solo. They’ve got sports highlights on the big screen, multiple copies of the Sun, Q107 on the stereo, cheap bottles of Labatt 50 and $2.50 bowls of Beef & Barley or Chicken & Rice Soup. To this day, I will still crush-up the packets of saltines and fire them right in there with some black pepper. There are also well-sized lunch and dinner specials for less than $10 that come complete with the soup du jour and a soft drink of your choosing.