Being based in southwest Michigan, our home airport is Detroit Metro and we have enjoyed (and regretted) a lot of last minute terminal meals while waiting for flights. On a recent trip we decided to stop by Anita's Kitchen Lebanese Café.
Anita's Kitchen (abbreviated AK) is located in the North Terminal near gate D24. The restaurant had sit down dining, to-go ordering and a grab-n-go area for quick premade sandwiches and snacks.
The to-go ordering and sit down menu had a variety of Lebanese bowls, pita sandwiches, and salads. Burgers, fries and flatbread pizzas were also available. I ordered the chicken shawarma with fries and in all it took about 5-10 minutes for our order to be filled.
The menu said the chicken shawarma came with lettuce, tomato, garlic sauce and pickles but mine came without lettuce or tomatoes. The pickles added a nice briny acidity to brighten the dish, and while the chicken and garlic sauce were flavored well, most bites were very dry without the missing lettuce and tomatoes.
On our original trip the fries that came with the meal were they seasoned extra crispy kind that have a bit of a battered flaky outer coating. On a subsequent visit the fries were more of the plain kind that you might find at a Coney Island or other restaurant. We aren't sure which fries are the regular ones for this restaurant, so if you are not a fan of seasoned fries you may want to check before ordering.
The portion size for what we ordered was large, and incredibly filling. Aside from the dryness of the chicken shawarma, the value was a good bargain for airport food. We'd suggest asking for an additional container of garlic sauce, tahini or hummus if you order this one.
One last thing to consider is that most restaurants in the Evans Terminal (formerly the North Terminal) at DTW close between 8 and 9pm. On a subsequent visit when we arrived they were in the process of closing up shop and were only accepting to-go orders, so if you have a later flight you will want to make sure you order food as close to 8pm as possible.
Overall, Anita's Kitchen isn't a bad stop but if you have experienced any of the amazing middle eastern cuisine that southeast Michigan has to offer, it will pale in comparison. For something that isn't McDonalds or bar food at the airport, it is a solid choice.
