Mid-Michigan Dining

• 119 S. Washington Square
• Lansing, MI 48933
• (517) 374-2784
• Website
• Menu

Ted-Dee's Sandwich Shop in downtown Lansing.

After spending a little time at the Select Michigan Capitol Lawn Farmer’s Market, J and I were in the market for lunch.  Since we were only a block from Washington Square, I suggested we take a walk and see what we could find.  It my mind, I was already leaning towards a deli, but if J saw something she would rather have, I wasn’t going to complain.

I’ve said it before, but it’s worth repeating, I feel extremely sorry for the businesses that have to deal with the CSO Project.  We walked down Allegan from the Capitol and just walking in the area is a pain.  Imagine if you have to drive.  It’s not worth the hassle….and that pains me to say. 

As we rounded the corner on Washington Square, we followed the fence to a makeshift crosswalk in the middle of the street.  The good thing is the crosswalk leads right to the door of Ted-Dee’s Sandwich shop which sits near the intersection of Washington Square and Allegan Street. 

It was lunch time and there were a lot of people walking the streets looking for lunch.  We entered Ted-Dee’s to find a cafeteria style set up.  Along the back wall is an order counter with a very high counter.  There are menu boards on the walls, but the fare is pretty standard for a deli.  There are a list of meats, breads, and salads.  There aren’t a lot of choices like a New York style deli, so it didn’t take long for us to decide on a sandwich.

J went first and ordered the Spicy Barbecue Turkey Wrap.  The wrap was a tomato basil and the sandwich came with lettuce, onions, tomatoes, turkey, and a spicy barbecue sauce.  She asked to leave the tomato and onion off.  The guy working, who J said was the owner Ted, had a little fun with her and told her she couldn’t leave them off.  He, of course, did.  The wrap was made right there in front of us even though we couldn’t actually see what was going on, we could see that the wrap was assembled fresh. 

Ted-Dee's Sandwich Shop on Washington Square in downtown Lansing.

When J’s sandwich was done, the sandwich maker turned to me.  I ordered the roast beef on multi-grain bread.  The sandwich comes with mustard, mayo, lettuce, onion, and tomato.  I asked to leave the mayo and tomato off.  He offered up a honey mustard and a horseradish mayo.  Thinking about it now, he may have meant horseradish mustard which I would have gotten if that was the case. 

I mentioned ealier that the set up is cafeteria style.  After our sandwiches were made and placed on a blue tray, we headed down the line where J grabbed a bag of Smokehouse BBQ chips and we both got drinks from the fountain.  The next stop is the cashier who is set up away from the counter.  Again, think hospital cafeteria.  Our meal rang up for just over twelve bucks.  J handed the guy her credit card and we found a table.  There are maybe a dozen tables in the shop and at the time we were there, most of them were full. 

Both of us really liked our sandwiches.  J said the spicy barbecue tasted really good with the turkey.  Her wrap was pretty big even though she didn’t get the tomatoes or onions which usually work as a filler.  My sandwich also had a good chunk of meat and the bread, which I think may be Great Harvest, was delicious. 

Ted-Dee’s is a great choice for a healthier lunch in downtown Lansing.  For the life of me, I couldn’t figure out why there was a line out the door across the street at Jimmy John’s when there is a great mom and pop deli across the street.  J said it’s a good thing she doesn’t work downtown or she’d probably be spending most of her lunch’s there.  I’d say it’s hard to disagree with that.