Keeping It Simple at Sabby's

Sabby's Lounge is a classic St. Clair Shores hangout. Cold beer, good food and televisions to watch the game, the formula is simple but has worked for years.

Walking into Sabby's Lounge is like taking a step back in time.   With wood paneling everywhere and nondescript carpet on the floor, Sabby's feels like your uncle's basement circa 1976. That is part of the charm. It may be cliche to say a bar is like Cheers, but Sabby's is pretty close. The bartender engages with each and every customer, sometimes referring to them by first names.  Customers not only chat with her, but also with each other—from across the bar.  Every so often the cook pops his head out from the kitchen to make a comment.  The beers on tap are all macrobrews, and the only saving grace is Magic Hat #9. But you don't come to Sabby's to drink microbrews, do you? A full bar is available otherwise. The specials board boasts a $3…

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Edward Cardenas

11:43 am on Thursday, January 27, 2011

Thanks for the tip. I will share it with Joe! Any suggestions on what to order?   more ›

Joe Foodie

G Willies: Pizza after Midnight

Continuing our exploration of late-night dining and in the mood for pizza, G Willies was the choice. Serving food until 2 a.m., G Willies is ideal for those late-night pizza hunger pangs.

First let me define late-night eating. Any time you are looking for food after midnight, you have entered the realm of late-night eating. I am not condoning late-night eating on a regular basis, but if you have a craving, who am I to tell you no? After visiting Travis Coffee Shop last week, I started thinking about late-night eating. There have to be other options. There's nothing wrong with Travis, but their menu doesn't stray much from classic diner fare.   What if pizza is on your mind? Travis doesn't have it, but have no fear. A journey north on Harper will satiate your pizza craving. Walking into G Willies is like entering a rec hall. High ceilings, minimal decoration, and the floor looks like it came from a grade school cafeteria. …

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Travis Coffee Shop: Late Night Grubbin'

For close to 45 years, Travis Coffee Shop has been serving up hamburgers and more to the St. Clair Shores community.

It is rare that I explicitly mention the time I am at a restaurant. Food usually tastes the same whether eaten at noon or at 8 in the evening, but there are occasions where timing matters. It is 12:20 a.m. I am writing this at Travis Coffee Shop. Mind you it has snowed about 5 inches tonight. I'm here for a specific purpose, but the other eight guys (and they are all men aside from the waitress) are regulars. The waitress knows their orders. She calls each of them “hon” or “sweetie.”  Such is the charm of Travis.  Travis Coffee Shop has been a St. Clair Shores institution for close to 45 years. It should be noted that St. Clair Shores has two, 24-7 diners a mile away from each other–Travis and Linda's Place. Years ago, there were three 24-…

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Joe Foodie

Paisano's Pizza & Restaurant: Hot Pizza and Friendly Service

A St. Clair Shores staple for more than 50 years, Paisano's Pizza is a family-friendly pizzeria. Whether you are in the mood for pizza or pasta, Paisano's will satisfy your craving for Italian.

St. Clair Shores has a multitude of pizza places. Most of them are chains, but there are independents as well. It's not easy trying to figure where to spend your hard earned pizza money.  Paisano's Pizza & Restaurant, on Harper north of 12 Mile, has been around since 1955. Any place that has been around more than 50 years has to be doing something right. By no means ritzy, Paisano's interior is inviting. The employees are also incredibly nice. My waitress was helpful and attentive without being overbearing or annoying.  Dishes were served in a timely manner and always with a smile. The focus of the menu is obviously pizza, but there are a number of salads, appetizers (mostly deep fried), sandwiches and pastas as well. Open for lunch …

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Joe Foodie

El Charro's: Unique Mexican Food Fast

Since 1980, El Charro's has been serving the St. Clair Shores area good quality Mexican food fast. Open late every night of the week, El Charro's is a great alternative to the usual fast-food joints for late-night cravings.

There are a few things you will rarely (if ever) hear me utter.   One of them is "let's hit a drive-thru." Nothing against those who enjoy a Big Mac or Whopper, it's just not for me. It is hard for me to deny the convenience of the drive-thru concept, however. The quality of the food is sketchy. My drive-thru rules fly out the window when it comes to El Charro's. El Charro's is an upscale fast food restaurant. Much of the food is already prepared and is warmed up prior to being served. That might sound like a negative thing, but El Charro's food tastes good, and they are open until 3 a.m. every night of the week. Between Travis, Linda's Place and El Charro's, the late-night dining options in St. Clair Shores are plentiful—why bother with …

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Joe Foodie

Caffe Far Bella: Strong Coffee and Sweet Treats

Jack and Karen Palazzolo are the husband and wife team behind Caffe Far Bella. Locally sourced ingredients and family values make this little coffee shop a special place perfect for working, hanging out or grabbing a quick cup of coffee.

In all of the hustle and bustle of the holidays, and of life in general, we have become accustomed to certain things. One of those things is the caffeine kick of a hot cup of coffee or latte to get over the morning hump. The problem is with a Starbucks on every corner, we are inundated with opportunities to visit chain coffee shops while mom and pop coffee shops are pushed to the side.  Caffe Far Bella is quite literally off to the side of Mack Avenue. On Nine Mack Drive behind Harper Sport Shop and Connie's, it is easy to let Far Bella go unnoticed, but that would be a mistake.  Owners Jack and Karen Palazzolo are the kind of business owners that you want to succeed. Warm, inviting, and perfectly polite the Palazzolos are excited to be in…

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Joe Foodie

Shogun: Dinner and A Show

Shogun has brought its unique form of dining and entertainment to St. Clair Shores.

One of my favorite things about going out to eat is the prospect of meeting someone new.   Whether it is a waitress, a restaurant owner, or a fellow diner, dining out is a great way to engage with people.   Shogun Japanese Steakhouse makes meeting new people easy because unless you have a party of 10, other diners will be joining you for dinner.   Shogun is comprised of three parts: a teppanyaki style restaurant, meaning your food is cooked in front you on a hot iron griddle; a Chinese section; and a sushi bar. This review will focus on sushi and teppanyaki. A Japanese steakhouse like Shogun seems out of place off Marter Road in the same strip as Kroger and Rite-Aid. However, upon further thought, there's nothing quite like Shogun in the …

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Joe Foodie

Sahara: The Middle East of the Midwest

For decades, Sahara has brought fresh and flavorful Middle Eastern cuisine to the East Side — from its raw juice bar to its shawarma.

There's nothing fancy about Sahara. Unassumingly positioned on Harper between 8 and 9 Mile, its plain outer decor is matched by its less than elegant interior. While some might see this as a negative, I see it as charming.  There's no showiness to Sahara. They're serving fresh, healthy food in a simple, welcoming fashion. Sahara opened on July 5, 1968, in Detroit at Outer Drive and Warren. In 1994, the restaurant moved to St. Clair Shores into the building where it still resides. Owned and operated by the Hammoud family, all food is prepared in house with most of the cooking overseen by Walid Hammoud. Sam, Walid's brother, runs the front of the house and is big reason why visiting Sahara is so enjoyable.  He makes sure each guest is …

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Joe Foodie

Gim Ling: Modern Chinese Bistro

Gim Ling Restaurant has been a St. Clair Shores mainstay for a number of years. Their mix of familiar dishes with assertive flavors is a welcome addition to a cuisine that is not usually known for its assertiveness.

Chinese restaurants usually take one of two forms. Either they are specifically interested in catering to American tastes i.e. almond boneless chicken, crab Rangoon, and cloyingly sweet fortune cookies; or they are a "bistro" that still caters to American tastes but charge more per dish because they have added "bistro" to the name.   Sure, there are a few authentic Chinese restaurants around, but they are few and far between. Gim Ling Restaurant attempts to straddle the line between Chinese-American and bistro, but seems stuck in purgatory rather than blossoming in paradise. It had been years since I last visited Gim Ling and my how things have changed.  If memory serves me right, the space used to be decorated in gaudy reds and gold. Now …

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