Hub 51

Location – 51 W. Hubbard (Dearborn and Hubbard)

In one word – Manic

Food – By going at lunch, I ensured that I could focus on the food and that there was not a wait.  I had a lot of trouble figuring out how to approach the menu:  They have sushi and tacos and sandwiches.  It was a bit manic for my taste.  After interrogating our server about her favorite dishes, I settled on the Crispy Baja Fish Sandwich.  Fish sandwiches are always risky; you run the chance of the overfried or old fillet.  I was pleasantly surprised, the fish with its cornmeal crush was crispy but not oily.  The jicama adds a cooling aspect to the meal.  My eating partner chose the Sonoma salad (spinach, grapefruit, avocado, walnuts, sunflower seeds and cranberries) – it’s huge, totally shareable.

Drink – So this place can turn into a scene, but not at noon on a Tuesday.  We kept it clean and ordered diet Cokes all around.

Service – The server indulged in my Q&A session when I felt overwhelmed by the menu.  Points for that.  She did seem to forget our table when we wanted to take care of the check.  Not ideal when you have lunch hour clientele trying to get back for a 1 pm meeting…

Scene – With that Rockit vibe, you feel hip without the place being inaccessible to the average person.

Dress – You ought to show some effort when you come here.  Jeans are fine, but spray a little extra Febreeze on them this time.

Cost – With an entree, soft drink, tax and tip, you can have a $22 lunch.  No cheap, but you’ll be full when you leave.

If you like, try…Rockit, Sushi Samba Rio