After half a century serving up iconic sandwiches and hearty soups, the owners of a ham shop that generations of Detroiters grew up with are selling the business.
“I’m no spring chicken,” said Mike Muftari, owner of Mike’s Famous Ham Place on Michigan Avenue, who said he is selling the business so he can retire.
In 1974, Muftari bought the ham shop from Lile’s Sandwich Shop and kept the name Lile for five years before renaming it “Mike’s Famous Ham Place,” he said. The star at the shop is, of course, the ham. The restaurant’s small but mighty menu offers ham eggs and toast, ham sandwiches, bean and split-pea soups and whole hams. The soups are made fresh daily with ham bones, and even the “small” ham sandwiches are large, piled with thick slices and served with a generous serving of pickles.
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In his late 70s, and with property values rising with Michigan Central and Corktown developments, Muftari said it’s time to sell. He said he’d like for it to remain a ham shop but knows he can’t control the future of the restaurant.
James Scott grew up one street over from Mike’s Famous Ham Place.
“Don’t sell before I get back,” he yelled to Mike after eating lunch on a Friday afternoon.
Scott said he’s been going to the shop for 60 years throughout both owners, since the age of 4.
“I couldn’t even see over the counter. But my dad used to bring me here and buy the sandwiches – I used to think they were the biggest sandwiches I’d ever seen in my life,” he said.
Mike’s Famous Ham owner Mike Muftari. Credit: Quinn Banks for BridgeDetroit 
The small ham sandwich served at Mike’s Famous Ham Place. Credit: Quinn Banks for BridgeDetroit 
Longtime customer James Scott says Mike’s has “the best ham in Detroit.” Credit: Quinn Banks for BridgeDetroit 
Mike’s Famous Ham owner Mike Muftari says he’s “happy and healthy” and the time has come to move on. Credit: Quinn Banks for BridgeDetroit 
The register inside Mike’s Famous Ham Place. Credit: Quinn Banks for BridgeDetroit 
Ham sandwich shops are a Detroit institution going back to the mid 1900s. Credit: Quinn Banks for BridgeDetroit 
Mike’s Famous Ham Place has operated on Michigan Avenue for more than 50 years. The owners say it’s time to sell and retire. Credit: Quinn Banks for BridgeDetroit 
The Detroit institution doesn’t have a date yet for its last service. Credit: Quinn Banks for BridgeDetroit
Unlike many restaurants, over the years the portions never got smaller, Scott said. Every time he’s in the neighborhood he stops by, he said.
“It’s hard to go past this place and not stop. They got the best ham,” said Scott.
At Christmas time Scott said his family loves the whole hams he buys from Mike’s, which the shop sells for $125.
Scott echoed that he hopes whoever buys it will keep the ham business going.
“One thing’s for sure, this place has made a lot of money,” he said, recalling when the small shop used to be filled with police officers, school teachers and other community members. “The history of this place is delicious.
“They got the best ham in Detroit, and have always had it. There’s a lot of ham places in Detroit, nobody can touch these guys,” Scott said.
Ham sandwich shops are a Detroit institution going back to the mid 1900s when Harry J. Hoenselaar filed his first patent for a spiral slicing machine to slice ham and eventually opened the Honey Baked Ham Store in 1957 and several other ham shops followed. Today, the Honey Baked Ham Company serves customers at more than 400 retail locations in 40 states, but no longer has a store in Detroit proper. The closest Honey Baked stores are in Ferndale and Dearborn Heights, according to the company’s website.
Lile’s, the legendary shop that birthed Mike’s Famous Ham Place, first opened in the early 1960s, before selling to Muftari and moving to Dearborn. The shop closed in June 2023.
Muftari said he doesn’t have a date yet for the last service.
“I’m happy, I’m healthy, when the time comes – time to retire,” Muftari said. “Thank you for supporting us all these years.”
aw.i have been going their sense i was 20.now almost 74 .that was my favorite ham place in the world.and the sweetest coule ever.treated you like family.they went above and beyond to make sure every one that came in was happy.always plesant too.not only will i miss the soup and ham .i will truley miss them.you can.t help but love them.so sweet and kind.
I love the ham shop…wish I could buy it…
With miss this ham restaurant…❤❤❤
How can I get in touch with the owner to purchase this establishment?
Go there duh, or call. Smh
Have you considered sending a smoke signal or getting a carrier pigeon?
Oh no. I started going to buy sandwiches at Mike’s 1985 when our office would purchase our lunch until 2015 when I retired from the State of Michigan. Even now I resides in Macomb Twp. and still travel from 21 Mile Rd. and Romeo Plank to purchase that delicious soup also.
There will never be a restaurant like Mikes.
I’m so going to miss Mike’s ham……. Have a beautiful retirement and enjoy….stay safe…,
I’m going to really miss this place best pea soup in Detroit
Wow!! I was just talking to someone yesterday about Mike’s Famous Ham Place. We talked about the delicious ham sandwiches and split pea soup. Not to mention the friendly customer service by Mike & his wife!! I may stop by tomorrow. 😋
I Have always loved Mike’s famous ham and have been sending people to try it as much as I can because it is so great and friendly there
I have been here in detroit for 3 years and doing business here and i have to say Mike’s ham is the best in the city
Living in Detroit for past 3 years now and doing business. i got to say Mike’s ham is best in the town
This isn’t the best ham and pea soup in Detroit; it’s the best in the world! Can’t beat Mike’s. I have been going there since 1995 when I started working at Cabrini Clinic of Most Holy Trinity Church. Got to know Mike & Yvet–good people. Hope they have a blessed retirement. I will miss them and the soup.
We are going to miss it. It was a go to place for our team.
Oh no. I started going to buy sandwiches at Mike’s 1985 when our office would purchase our lunch until 2015 when I retired from the State of Michigan. Even now I resides in Auburn Hills and still trave to purchase that delicious soup also.
I hope someone buys this business and continue to sell these great ham sandwiches and soup. I was sad Lile’s closed and now hearing this makes me sad.
Love that the new owners want to maintain the delicious tradition the Muftari’s so carefully curated all these years. Can’t wait to support the new owners and wish the Muftari’s week in retirement – relax, you’ve earned it!