New Deli Looks to Serve Up Best Corned Beef Sandwich in Clinton Township

The motivation for opening Campus Deli can be summed up in one bite.

“A good corned beef sandwich,” said Lou Farneti, who co-owns the Clinton Township eatery with Dino Tata. “A good corned beef sandwich is hard to come by.”

Having enjoyed a successful partnership the past several years flipping houses, Farneti and Tata decided to try their luck in the restaurant business.

“We were partners in remodeling and selling homes and when the market turned around, we figured we would try something different,” Farneti said.

The pair opened Campus Deli in mid-February at 43301 Garfield Rd. in Campus Plaza, located on the northwest corner of 19 Mile and Garfield.

Adopting a college sports theme – as evidenced by the countless team banners on the restaurant’s walls – the menu features sandwiches such as Old School, The Masters and The Graduate.

Farneti recommends the Campus Classic, made of thin-sliced corned beef on rye with cole slaw, Swiss cheese and Russian dressing, or the Dean’s List, with imported salami, Capocola ham, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, provolone and Campus Deli’s special dressing on grilled panini bread.  

Staying true to old school deli style, Farneti and Tata fresh slice all meats at the restaurant, even cooking their own corned beef.

“We buy it downtown, cook it and fresh it slice,” Farneti said. “We also use Butterball turkey – only quality meats.”

And for $1.50-$2, customers can enjoy a speciality drink such as a cappuccino or latte made fresh by the cup. 

Customers can dine-in, take-out or order delivery to their workplace. Campus Deli doesn’t offer residential delivery yet, but will cater your event. 

Open Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., the deli serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.