A lot of people refer to their Mothers as angels, which is to be expected. Carrying you around for 9 months and being responsible for you being here certainly deserves some sort of endearing term. The difference between these people and me is my Mother actually is an angel. I’m not saying that in one of those “I have the best Mom ever” kind of ways. I really do have the best Mom ever. I’m sorry if you disagree, but I am a little biased.
One of my Mother’s favorite spots in Ypsilanti is Beezy’s. She stumbled upon it a year ago and went there every day of the following week. She hasn’t been back too frequently because my Father and her are big fans of the Lean Cuisines, so when my dad had a late appointment I suggested we head over to get some soup and sandwiches. She immediately agreed.
Bee Mayhew opened Beezy’s in November of 2008 after managing the Roadshow outside of Zingerman’s Roadhouse. It sits in downtown Ypsilanti on the same block as a dentist office, a puppet theater, an angry and confused Pentecostal musician, a strip club, a tattoo parlor, and a college piano bar. The location was home to a cafe previously, but this is hardly the area you would expect to find a gem such as this.
The sign outside advertises “Simple, Honest, Food” and that’s exactly what you’ll get. Breakfast is served in the morning, which is the cafe’s speciality, while sandwiches, soups, and salads are served for the remainder of the day. There is also a full coffee and espresso bar.
The sandwiches are nicely sized and served on hearty sourdough, rye or cracked wheat or veggie. They range from a simple deli sandwich to a BBQ bacon chicken salad sandwich. Every sandwich is simple and fresh, yet comes with an interesting twist. The soups are made daily from scratch and are my favorite thing on the menu. You can refill your bowl for only two dollars which is incredibly tempting for someone like me who could eat soup for every meal. The salads, like the sandwiches, are simple and fresh but still have that twist that make them unique to Beezy’s. Nothing on the menu will cost you more than seven dollars and you can eat comfortably for ten.
Their menu is available on their website. It’s a good read.
On this particular trip, I went with my usual soup and sandwich combination, which will run you only $6.95. The soup of the day was a Chicken Chowder and was honestly one of the best bowls of soup I’ve ever had. I’ve noticed a trend where every time I have a bowl of soup at Beezy’s it becomes my new favorite. Notice how I have perfected the art of filling my bowl with the most soup it can possibly fit. Yes, they allow you to fill your own bowl which allows for maximal soup consumption.
The BBQ Bacon Chicken Salad Sandwich, with roasted Amish chicken dressed in barbecue sauce, red onions, black pepper, and chopped applewood bacon was too tempting for me to pass up. It’s an interesting sandwich because the listed ingredients would presumably create a rich, hearty sandwich, but Beezy’s serves you a light, fresh tasting sandwich with the barbecue sauce giving the chicken salad a bit of a twang. It’s a delicious sandwich that won’t leave you feeling like you just ate what you think you originally ordered.
My Mother ordered the Chicksilanti Salad Sandwich, which is that same roasted Amish chicken mixed with tarragon, celery, onion and mayo. It has the same fresh taste as the BBQ Bacon Chicken Salad Sandwich but lacks that tangy taste. When I say it lacks the tangy taste, I do not mean to discredit the sandwich. It is equally as delicious.
Instead of ordering a bowl of soup she opted to go with Beezy’s Salad which is one hell of a salad, even to someone like myself who does not eat a salad more than once every six months. Beezy’s Salad is mixed greens tossed with pesto ranch dressing, carrots, radish, and croutons then topped with chopped bacon, muenster cheese, sliced avocado, cherry tomato, red onion, sliced chicken breast and egg salad. It’s incredible that a salad that costs less than $6.00 features this many ingredients. This type of preparation would normally run you close to $10.00 at any other establishment.
Beezy’s is a welcomed addition to the Ypsilanti area that is already home to many “family owned” dining establishments. Years ago, you would expect to find a place like this in the downtown Ann Arbor area whose new dining options to be somewhat dominated by chain restaurants such as Potbelly’s Sandwich Works and Chipotle. The cafe seems to be thriving which is great news to my Mother and me. As long as they are serving their simple, honest food, we will be frequent customers.
