Mr. Spot’s – Saturday Restaurant Review

Hands down, Mr. Spot’s is the best place for Cheesesteaks in Ann Arbor. My husband loves it and is a regular, making the walk from UM’s Medical Campus at least monthly. The owner and staff now know him by name.

My husband is a native of the Philadelphia area and I spent a number of years in the area where you can get a decent Philadelphia Cheesesteak at just about any sandwich shop (and there are plenty of those). However, since leaving the area, it’s hard to find cheesesteaks that meet our standards. Every year when we return to visit family, we always make sure to have Cheesesteaks at least once. On last summer’s visit, we finally convinced our daughter that they’re good. The downside of her liking cheesesteaks is that she gets mad if we go to Mr. Spot’s without her now.

Mr. Spot’s Cheesesteaks

The roll can make or break a cheesesteak. The roll is a major part of Mr. Spot’s success. They use Amoroso’s rolls which are one of the best cheesesteak/hoagie rolls in the Philadelphia region. It was the brand we always bought at the grocery store and one of the big adjustments that we had when moving first to the DC area and then Ann Arbor was that we couldn’t get rolls like Amoroso. 

Mr. Spot’s offers several different versions of a cheesesteak. Our preference is the Cheese Steak Sandwich which uses Provolone Cheese, Onions, and their Special Sauce (a marinara sauce). Note – don’t get the Steak Hoagie. A Hoagie and a Cheesesteak are two different things and shouldn’t be mixed. Lettuce, tomato, & mayo don’t belong on a cheesesteak.

I usually order the Cheese Steak Sandwich made with chicken. There are several chicken cheesesteaks on the menu, but not this particular combination. Mr. Spot’s has never had a problem making this combination.

Mr. Spot’s Wings

Mr. Spot’s is also known for their wings. My husband will often get their Original Hot Sauce wings with friends. He says they’re pretty spicy which rules them out when he’s with my daughter and I.

Mr. Spot’s Side Dishes

Mr. Spot’s serves waffle fries which I love. We always get an order, and it is plenty for the 3 of us to share.

We’ve also tried their onion rings and mozzarella sticks before. While they were good, the portion size of the fries is better for sharing.

Other Mr. Spot’s Entrees

If you aren’t a Cheese Steak fan, Mr. Spot’s offers turkey and tuna hoagies or sandwiches. Before she ate cheese steaks, my daughter would usually get a sandwich. There are also mozzarella sticks on the menu which she has ordered in the past. Salads are available, but we’ve never ordered them so I don’t know what the quality is like.

Visiting Mr. Spot’s

Seating is limited at Mr. Spot’s, so we made sure to visit this week when most students are still on summer break. If you visit at an off time, you’ll have better luck finding seats. We arrived at 11:30a and was able to get a seat, but they were all full by the time we left. 

Mr. Spot’s is extremely popular with the UM Athletic Program since it is located on south State St and is easily walkable from the sports complex. This also makes it crowded on game days. It is not unusual to see staff and athletes getting cheesesteaks. The walls are decorated with sports posters, pictures, schedules, etc. The TV is usually tuned to sports news. Actually, we were at Mr. Spot’s at the wrong time on Friday. The Pittsburgh Penguin’s Ian Cole (an Ann Arbor native) brought the Stanley Cup to Mr. Spot’s Friday.

Mr. Spot’s is at 808 S. State St (between Hill and Packard). If you’re driving, be sure to bring change for metered parking. In evenings and summer breaks, I usually have success parking in front of the business school where the meters only accept coins.

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