24-Hour Diner | Mid-Michigan Dining

Fleetwood Diner – Ann Arbor

11 04 2008

300 S Ashley St
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
(734) 995-5502
Website
Menu

I’m gonna start by saying the Fleetwood Dine was a huge surprise. I was at the University of Michigan for work, so when it came time for lunch, I put the Fleetwood in my GPS and went looking for a neighborhood diner. What I found was this great little shack located just off downtown. I actually drove by it twice cussing at my GPS because I couldn’t find it. It was hidden behind a delivery truck.

I had eaten at the sister restaurant in Lansing and was expecting the same thing. The food was the same, but the atmosphere was totally different. The size is ridiculous. In the entire restaurant, there are 6 tables and less than10 stools at the counter.

I was by myself, so took a seat at the counter and the waitress asked if I needed a menu. I did, but I really didn’t. I ordered a bacon cheeseburger, fries, and a coke. It took about 10 minutes for the lone cook working the flattop just on the other side of the counter to send my order up. The waitress got sidetrack with some punks who came in wanting to start trouble, but still was able to not neglect her other customers.

My bill was a little over $7 and in less than a half hour, I had a decent meal. The burger was nothing special and the fries were out of the bag…it was classic diner grub in a truly classic…and unique diner.

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Categories : 24-Hour Diner, Ann Arbor, Big Ten Tour, Diner, Local Flavor, Michigan, Reviews

Fleetwood Diner – Lansing

11 04 2008

2211 S Cedar Street
Lansing, MI 48910-3131
Phone: (517) 267-7606
Website
Menu

The Fleetwood Diner is a throwback and exactly what you think of when you think of the word “diner.” My first weekend in Lansing, I accidently stumbled on the Fleetwood while driving around lost trying to get back to my new place, so, of course, the next day we headed back for breakfast.

The Fleetwood is an interesting place. The exterior is a metallic silver. The inside is cramped. You walk into the counter and to either side is a small dining room. One smoking and one non-smoking. There is a bench that runs along with wall with tables pushed up against them and chairs on the other side and there are a couple booths along the back wall plus a few tables in between. We were seated at one of the in between tables.

The host gave us the menus and took drink orders. A different waitress came back with drink and took our meal order. I got a bacon omelet which came with four pieces of toast and hash browns. The omelet took up a good portion of the plate and had big chunks of cripsy bacon. The toast could have used a little more butter and I didn’t really dive into the hashbrowns since I’m not really a fan.

The other guy in my group got the french toast and a cup of coffee. His plate came with 6 pretty good slices of bread which he polished off pretty quickly.

Now, the ladies dove right into the Fleetwood’s specialty….the Hippie Hash. My girlfriend got eggs and toast and got the Hash as a side. She didn’t say anything about either the eggs or the toast, but really enjoyed the hash. Hippie Hash consists of the Fleetwood’s homemade hash browns topped with grilled tomato, green pepper, onion, mushroom and broccoli topped with feta cheese. On the plate, it just looks like a mess, but both my girlfriend and her mom (who ordered the Hippie Hash as a meal) enjoyed it and will probably go back for it.

The Fleetwood is just a classic 24 hour diner. The people were great, the atmosphere is that retro diner feel I’m always looking for in a new city. The food was alright, but I’m sure this is a place I’m going to take anyone and everyone who comes to town for a visit. You just have to see the Fleetwood. I always thought this would be a great place for the Food Network show Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, but when I e-mailed the producer, he e-mailed back and said they’ve contacted The Fleetwood and the owners weren’t intersted. Too bad because that would have made a great episode