The signs promising “da best” corned beef in town and “love at first bite” are still emblazoned on the door, but Bread Basket Deli is in the midst of a quiet upgrade since an energetic young franchisee took over this past summer. Jehad Dakroub now owns the seven-year-old deli, part of a small, regional chain that includes ten Detroit-area locations.
Dakroub told a couple who stopped by in September that he’d trained as a teacher but tired of “working for marbles” as a substitute in the Detroit area–and found he could earn more waiting tables at the former Ann Arbor-Saline Rd. Big Boy (now Nick’s House of Pancakes). He worked his way up and now has more than a decade’s experience in local restaurants. “I’m familiar with the Ann Arbor-Ypsilanti area, so I really liked this location,” he says.
Dakroub bought a new drink cooler and plans to replace the lights, but hasn’t tinkered with the menu. “Far and away, our best sellers are the Reuben sandwich and the corned beef sandwiches,” he says, “especially the ‘171/2,’ which is corned beef and coleslaw with Swiss cheese and Russian dressing.” The Bread Basket buys the same Sy Ginsberg corned beef as that deli in Kerrytown, stacking it into double-, triple-, and quadruple-decker sandwiches. There’s also matzo ball soup, Reuben fries, and deep-fried macaroni and cheese. The Bread Basket Deli, Dakroub points out has won many “best of” awards, including the 2016 Metro Times readers’ poll for best sandwich in Washtenaw County. And if that isn’t enough, he’ll “pound” any sandwich–fill it with an entire pound of meat–for $17.99.
Bread Basket Deli, 4003 Carpenter, 677-7717. Mon. 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Tues.-Thurs. 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 10 a.m.-10 p.m., Sun. noon-6 p.m. breadbasketdelis.com
