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    Great Lakes Grinders

    4.7 (102 reviews)
    InexpensiveDelis, Sandwiches, Fast Food
    Open 11:00 am - 7:00 pm
    Updated 3 weeks ago

    Great Lakes Grinders Photos

    GREAT LAKES GRINDERS ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups
    Good for kids
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Great Lakes Grinders

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    Ria F.

    FIVE STARS! Excellent food and friendly people. We loved the outdoor vibe and being near the water. Cannot wait to come visit this place again.

    One of the arson sandwiches.
    Hester A.

    THIS IS NOT YOUR AVERAGE SANDWICH SHOP. SOME SAY: The name GRINDER is a term that describes the Italian-American dockworkers of East Coast ports in the early 1900's. These "GRINDERS" would aggressively sand and grind rusty hulls of war ships and cargo freighters to a first-class American finish. Each day at lunch they could be found eating a unique sandwich. Something good enough to have every day. The only sandwich that was hearty enough to keep up with their signature work ethic. A sandwich, so substantial, that it took a GRINDER'S work-ethic to finish. Today the only thing better than the sandwich is the view so come and enjoy both. You'll not be disappointed.

    Outdoor
    Jessica L.

    Really good sandwiches and a lovely space to sit outside (with your dog) and enjoy it. Probably would have gone with the chips instead of the pasta salad. The roast beef and Turkey were delish. The bread is definitely the star of the show here. Don't forget to ask for a pickle. They have nice bathrooms too! Oh and the service is awesome. Very nice people.

    #7 Turkey Avocado
    Jean R.

    I got to Great Lakes Grinders just before a flood of people came from all over the place to grab their dinner. Was greeted by the owner who made several menu suggestions. He said most people choose number seven the turkey avocado, but he had others that he recommended. I like that honesty and personal touch. The service was astonishingly fast. There are many places to sit including a picnic area with a roof and 5-7 picnic tables out in the sun. The views, the food, the friendly speedy service - all amazing and I can see why people flock here. I have to agree with what many people say onYelp: the highlight of my sub was the bread. I'm pretty sure anything on the bread would taste delicious. So go with your gut, or take the owner's recommendations. Enjoy your experience here.

    West Coast Turkey
    Cara B.

    This place never misses! This is some of the best sandwich bread I have ever had. They season their grinders perfectly, and their menu combinations are great. My favorite is the West Coast Turkey, but you can't go wrong with any of them. Great vegetarian options too! If the side of the day is the potato salad, definitely go for that. It's an extra bonus if you have good weather where you can sit in the pavilion with a nice view of the marina and Cedar Point!

    a man standing at a counter
    Greg E.

    Atmosphere - very nice. Located in a park near the lake, GLG is a food stand, where you place your order and wait nearby for its completion. The stand has an easy to order menu. Service - Excellent. The person who took my order was friendly and professional. My order was prepared and presented within a very reasonable timeframe. Food - very good. I ordered the Italian grinder and it was very good. The bread and the veggies were fresh and the meat tasted great. Overall Value - very good. I was very pleased with what I had for the price paid.

    Front of the establishment where you place your order.
    Rick Z.

    I was super hungry after touring the Maritime Museum and this was the first place we stumbled across on our walk. The menu looked tasty so we went for it! The staff were friendly enough and the wait was short for our meal to be prepared. The price was a bit high by my standards-- you'll pay $12 for a combo (sandwich, bag of chips, and bottled soft drink). But it was way tastier than what you'd get at Subway! =P The chip options are all kettle cooked and nice and crunchy. The sandwiches are a weird kind of semi-open-face and are therefore incredibly messy... This is further exacerbated by the use of shredded cheese rather than sliced. I had a challenging eating experience since the breeze off the lake was also trying to continually blow away my wrappers and such. The sandwiches are pretty sizeable; I managed to snarf it all down but was very full afterwards, LOL.

    Beth E.

    I love grinders! This place is in a unique location which only adds to the goodness of their grinders. They are about 16 options of grinders, all posted on the board at the restaurant. You place your order, they give you a number and then wait until they call you. I chose the Italian grinder as it's always my favorite. It was big enough to share with my husband and they cut it 1/3 and 2/3, so it was perfect. It came with a side and a drink, so we got the pasta salad. Our food came quickly and we were able to eat under the pavilion next door. The sandwich was messy to eat, and all the insides kept tumbling out, but it was good. The side was a little tiny styrofoam container of pasta and olives. Good sandwiches and fast service. If they could only do something about the geese in the area as it was extremely messy around the building.

    the outside of the building
    Hannah M.

    I tried the Italian Grinder for lunch today, and boy oh boy was it delicious! My mom got the Turkey Grinder and loved it as well. They have a great website for easy online ordering to bypass having to wait. We took the sandwiches home, but they have a lot of outdoor seating available. We also got sides of potato and pasta salad. The potato salad was incredible, I wasn't a huge fan of the dressing on the pasta salad but my mom really enjoyed it. Don't forget to add a pack of cookies to your order too! I will definitely be back.

    Food
    Charlene H.

    This place sits in a park and is very much a to go establishment. It sits within view of the lake. The customer service was good. The sub was decent. Fresh bread and ingredients. I was thrown by the thick shreds of cheese unmelted and wished there was a toasted option. With that exception the sandwich was good!

    West Coast Turkey
    Rachel Macie H.

    Ok so let's talk about what really isn't a hole in the wall more or less what looks like a concession stand in a park but it's much more than that as they are turning out some delicious sandwiches with that you get to enjoy with a killer view of the lake! So pretty much this spot is awesome in soo many ways one being the location it's smack dab in the middle of a park that's surrounded by trees grass benches a awesome view of the lake and some super delicious sandwiches! Coming here I thought it was good but I didn't expect it to be off the hook good as sandwiches when they are done right are the best! Of the many choices I went with the West Coast Turkey as it just screams home for me and you bet it fit to the T as it had plenty of turkey avocado jalapeños sprouts as well as this dressing that really pulled it all together but the real kicker was the bread as it was just delicious in soo many ways and you bet I'll be back to get that or another delicious version again! With my sandwich combo you can get two sides or you can get one side and a drink as a drink here counts as a side of the sides I went with the macaroni salad and the potato salad both were yummy and full of flavor especially the macaroni salad as it just hit the spot with that sandwich goodness all around! The parking here is super close the amount of benches they have here is enough to hold a small army and the size of the sandwich is definitely worth the price as it's packed full of everything you could want as well as a pickle spear on the side! Overall this was a super yummy experience with a view that just made it that much better this was a perfect lunch break that we all enjoyed very much so as all my coworkers enjoyed what they got as well as the view just as much as we all enjoy each other because my team rules!

    Veggie sandwich #9

    Great spot. Good sandwiches. But severely overpriced. $11 for a very small 6-7 ounce veggie sandwich with nothing else. You'd think for $11 you'd at least get fresh herbs on it instead of a crunchy dry herb mix.

    Dana W.

    The bread is out of this world, and they don't hold back on piling it up with generous portions of the fillings! On a nice day you can sit at the picnics tables and take in beautiful views of the lake while enjoying your meal. Our favorite is the #7 (Turkey Avocado) made spicy style with mild jalapeño peppers. The owners kindly make me a special vegetarian sandwich each time I come that includes fresh baked bread, pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, and a blend of herbs. The hours are limited to lunch time, and the restaurant is not open all year due to the seasonal nature of the location. We happened to be in town this weekend which was the last weekend it was open, and we ate it twice for lunch :)

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    4 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Great sandwich and great views of the lake from the park. Summer place. Very friendly staff.

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    3 years ago

    Really liked the sandwich, service and being by the lake. Great place for lunch. Will return

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    3 years ago

    Best sandwich I've ever had! GO for the Spicy Turkey and add avocado. Worth every penny.

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    2 years ago

    Great subs! A little pricey but worth it. The meatball and the Italian subs are my favorite. I wish they were open all year round!

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    Ask the Community - Great Lakes Grinders

    I live about an hour away. Do the sandwiches store/reheat well? I don't want mushy bread but I'd like to buy more than one for leftovers (and I can't decide between 2if them😅)

    Hey Tori--Thank you for reaching out and for considering us from so far away! So this is tricky for me to answer. I'm a snob about our product. I would prefer they're eaten as soon as possible. However, over 11 years I've had people who travel for… Read more

    Any gluten free bread?

    Hey Madison—thanks for checking in. No gluten free bread. However, any offering can be made into a salad or romaine lettuce wrap. Hope to see you soon!

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    Great Lakes Grinders - delis - Updated May 2026

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