Greektown, Hotel and Casino, in Detroit, Michigan - REVIEW

We, The Undercover Divas, want to tell you about our experiences at Greektown, in Detroit. Greektown has evolved over the years. Before the casino came to be, it was standing room only in any of the restaurants, any night of the week. Food was exceptional at them all. It was safe and fun. We would love to hang out there on the weekends. The casino came to town and it became even better.

But unfortunately, the area became a hangout for the troublemakers. So with time the casino addressed the issue by making it very difficult to go anywhere but their parking structure, the hotel, casino, their food areas and back. Unless you were aware, finding your way to Monroe St. (Restaurant Row in Greektown) was a bit confusing, and a long walk through a maze, as the established exits were mostly closed up. Restaurants on Monroe St. lost most of their patrons, and lost some of their "signature" dishes in the process. Parking all but disappeared except for the casino and hotel parking. 

Monroe St. is still worth a visit, but we do it during the day. If you like walking around at night, it is mostly bums and lots of cops (some undercover), and the great restaurants are empty. The exceptions are the days of Lions or Tigers ballgames, as the stadiums are just a few blocks away.  Detroit fans are the best and they know how to party!   If you are going to a Tigers, Lions or Red Wings game, or a follower of these Detroit teams, you will find the place packed with fans both before and after the games, dressed in team jerseys and having a ball.  

All the Greek restaurants on Monroe St. are good, but The Undercover Divas, after much research, feel that none are better than Pegasus, with their authentic, freshly prepared Greek favorites. Annod cannot wait to visit Pegasus again, soon.  Pegasus used to be lined up outside the restaurant to get a table, lunch or dinner, as were most of the other places. Unfortunately, parking has disappeared for these great restaurants, and they no longer have the crowds. Comps from the casino are not accepted at Pegasus.

The Greektown Hotel is one of the best we have ever been to. It is clean, cheery and the staff is very helpful. We have stayed here many times when we needed a mini vacation. On the plus side, it connects to the Greektown casino, which in our opinion, is the best for gambling in Detroit. But when we get hungry, this is not the place to be. Bistro 555 is overpriced and overspiced. Food is so-so. Unfortunately it is the only restaurant in the hotel.  

If you are looking for food, the casino is also not the place to be. The casino can be packed, but we noticed that there were very few people at the Market District. The DIVAS tried their food several times, bad each time.

Security warned us about walking outside on Monroe St. at night, alone, and they were right. Too many thugs hanging around. We went to Gini's favorite pizza place across the street (PizzaPapalis) at lunch time, only a few people inside. Now what we do for dinner is hail a cab and go to one of the other two casinos in Detroit for their buffet and usually come back to gamble at Greektown. Those other two casino buffets are both great.

As with any established, large city, one must always be alert.  Greektown is in the heart of Downtown Detroit and can be a great place to visit and we love visiting there.  Game days are party days, weekends are busy, but always be aware of your surroundings and hang out where there are lots of others having fun.  We really like the hotel and the casino at Greektown, but because of the food situation, it gets a lower rating.

 Special Attention:    Old St. Mary's Catholic Church (built in 1841) is located in Greektown and is worth a visit. It is known as the “Church of the Grottos” with three located inside and at the back of the church. The church is constructed of red brick in the Romanesque style with Venetian accents. The stained glass, architecture and artwork is breathtaking. It is the third oldest Catholic Church in Detroit and the First German Church. Daily mass at Old St. Mary's is at 12:15 in the afternoon.

AuSable River Restaurant, Mio, Michigan - REVIEW

We Undercover Divas were driving up north from the Metro Detroit area and stopped at the AuSable River Restaurant in downtown Mio, Michigan, (on M-33) for a quick lunch. This was not one of our wisest decisions. The outside of the Restaurant is quite pleasant, it has that country log cabin, rustic-comfort look. Inside wasn't bad, either. Restaurants in northern Michigan are much smaller than in the metro area, but make up for it with their cozy, homespun charm of clean, country living.

The AuSable River Restaurant was much larger than any of the restaurants we have visited on our travels in Northern Michigan. Upon entering, we first noticed a signboard listing daily specials.  So far, so good. Then we noticed how large the restaurant actually was. There was a salad bar at one end of the room, just outside the kitchen area, and it looked inviting. That was what I wanted!

Things went downhill from there. A cranky hostess showed us to our table. There was only one other table occupied in the whole area, but we were not given a choice. She gave us the menus and disappeared for quite a while. When she returned, we asked her about the specials on the board as we entered the restaurant. She said she didn't know anything about the board, and walked away.

Our travel schedule did not allow us time to spare, so we did not want to make a day of her coming and going without accomplishing anything. She came back to the table and just stared at us without a word. I ordered the salad bar and a chicken sandwich off the menu. The other DIVA ordered a club sandwich. The salad bar was not spectacular, but not bad either.

Much later, she came back with our food. The club sandwich looked good, but she gave me a salad with a few small hunks of chicken on top. It was not what I ordered. She said yes it was. I told her I would not order the salad bar and then a salad off the menu, that makes no sense. She said, yes it does, and walked away. I called her back, told her that this was not what I wanted, she again told me, yes it was.

I was upset, disappointed, and took the salad to go. We tipped out of habit. We will not be back.

The food was not our complaint here. It wasn't bad, but not impressive. Our server was not motivated and not friendly, knew nothing about the menu, and didn't even know there was a specials board when you walked in.  When asked, she just shrugged. Our experience was not a good one.