This Detroit Michigan Deli Piles 18 Layers Of Meat Into One Seriously Loaded Italian Sub

Eighteen layers of meat. Three layers of cheese. All of it stacked into one Italian sub, and that’s just the top option on the menu.

That’s exactly what I mean when I say great delis know how to make a statement.

This Michigan sub shop doesn’t stop at one size, either. You can go with 6, 8, 12, or 14 layers, depending on how brave your appetite feels that day.

And I’ve got another perfect example. The dressing on these subs is homemade, and it’s so good the shop sells it by the bottle.

People can take the flavor home after the sandwich is gone.

See why I like this place? How many layers would you order first?

Eighteen Layers Sounds Like A Dare, And It Kind Of Is

Most sandwiches get one or two kinds of meat and call it a day. The Original Gonella’s took a different path and built its fame on stacking.

The biggest Italian sub comes with 18 layers of meat and three layers of provolone.

Those aren’t 18 different varieties. They’re layers drawn from a classic lineup of hard salami, salami cotto, mortadella, smoked ham, and capicola.

Lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and homemade Italian dressing finish the sandwich. Then comes the bread decision: soft or hard roll.

That choice matters more than you’d think. A crusty roll adds a firmer bite beneath all those fillings, while the soft version makes the towering combination easier to tackle.

Splitting one or saving part for later is perfectly reasonable. The point is that the layer count actually means something, and this Michigan deli lets you decide how far to take it.

Smaller Stacks Still Count As Serious Lunch

Good news for anyone who doesn’t want to wrestle a sandwich tower. Gonella’s offers Italian subs with 6, 8, 12, or 14 layers too.

Each size follows the same basic idea. Italian meats and provolone get stacked, then finished with lettuce, tomato, onion, and that homemade dressing.

The six-layer version comes with one layer of cheese. Move to eight or twelve layers of meat, and you get two layers of cheese. Fourteen meat layers brings the cheese count to three, just like the largest sandwich.

That makes the choices more precise than a simple small, medium, or large. You’re ordering by how much filling you want, not choosing a different bread length.

The six-layer works nicely for a regular lunch. The eight-layer is a middle ground, and twelve or fourteen starts getting into seriously generous territory.

Choose your layers, pick soft or hard bread, and let the deli counter do the rest.

Not Into Italian Meats? The Counter Has You Covered

Turkey fans, roast beef lovers, and pastrami people all get a seat at this table. The Original Gonella’s offers build-your-own special subs alongside its Italian stacks.

The choices include turkey, ham, chicken, mortadella, roast beef, corned beef, pastrami, and salami. Depending on which special you order, you can combine two, three, four, or even five meats.

Cheese options keep things flexible too. Swiss, provolone, American, and hot pepper cheese are all on the list.

Prefer something beyond sliced deli meats? Tuna salad and chicken salad subs are also on the menu, along with a vegetarian option.

The special subs come with lettuce, tomato, onions, and homemade dressing. Mayonnaise and mustard are available on request, and you still choose between a soft and hard roll.

Corned beef with Swiss on a crusty roll, anyone? That’s an appealing alternative when eighteen layers of Italian meat are more adventure than you need today.

Take The Homemade Dressing Home

Every great sub has a quiet hero. At Gonella’s, it’s the homemade Italian dressing that ties all those layers together.

It goes over the combination of deli meats, provolone, lettuce, tomatoes, and onions, adding a tangy finish to each bite.

Here’s the best part. The shop offers extra dressing separately, so you can take some home with your order.

That opens up all kinds of kitchen ideas. You could use it on a simple salad, drizzle it over a homemade sub, or toss it with pasta. The deli also offers homemade pasta salad and antipasto salad if you’re interested in another side dish.

Just remember one thing about a good Italian dressing. It’s tempting to put it on everything once you start, and your next Michigan-style deli lunch might begin in your own kitchen.

You Can Spot That Building From Down The Block

Green, white, and red, all over a brick corner building. Nobody needs GPS once this place comes into view.

The Original Gonella’s wears the colors of the Italian flag proudly on its exterior. Large letters spell out the deli’s name, and a striped awning carries the same three-color theme.

The storefront isn’t a modern glass-fronted sandwich chain. It’s an older brick market building at the intersection of Oakwood and Powell, with straightforward signs announcing Italian groceries and submarine sandwiches.

That combination of an ordinary corner-store shape and vivid Italian colors makes the place recognizable. Even before you reach the counter, you know exactly what the shop specializes in.

Look for the lettering, head to the entrance, and you’ll find the deli and grocery shelves sharing the same space. The building makes its point before you’ve ordered a single layer.

Old-School Charm Lives Under That Tin Ceiling

Look up once you’re inside. A pressed tin ceiling stretches overhead, giving the deli a classic look that new shops rarely copy well.

Globe pendant lights hang below it, and the room keeps the practical layout of a neighborhood market. The deli counter takes center stage, with shelves of groceries nearby.

Instead of an elaborate ordering setup, the menu board lays out the Italian subs by layer count. You can scan the choices, decide on your roll, and move toward the counter knowing what goes into your sandwich.

This isn’t just a place to grab a sandwich; it’s still a functioning market.

Take a moment to notice the room before you head out. The old ceiling and busy counter tell different parts of the same Detroit story.

Grab A Sub, Then Shop Like You’re In Italy

Sandwiches get the spotlight, but the shelves deserve attention too. The Original Gonella’s works as a full Italian market.

The deli counter carries a range of meats and cheeses, while other selections include fresh ground sirloin, veal cutlets, tenderloin, and seasonal steaks. Those choices make a stop useful even when lunch is already taken care of.

Then there’s the olive selection. An olive and pepper station brings a different kind of browsing to the store, especially if you like antipasto plates or a few savory extras alongside your sandwich.

Shelves hold Italian groceries, canned goods, and cooking ingredients. Pasta, sauces, and bread can give you the start of another meal before you’ve even finished ordering this one.

Desserts are part of the picture too, including cannoli.

Bring a shopping bag if you’re planning to browse. This is one Michigan deli where shopping for dinner can be as enjoyable as ordering lunch.

More Than 75 Years Of Stacking

For more than 75 years, this Southwest Detroit market has been preparing Italian subs and selling groceries. That longevity is part of what makes the word Original meaningful.

The Oakwood Boulevard shop came first. A second Gonella’s location opened in Redford in 2017, carrying the same layered-sandwich tradition into another part of metro Detroit.

Much of the menu’s identity is remarkably straightforward: sliced Italian meats, provolone, fresh vegetables, house dressing, and a choice of rolls.

The familiar combinations have survived alongside changes in the neighborhoods around the business. There is still a counter where sandwiches are assembled to order, and groceries fill the shelves beyond it.

For Michigan families who enjoy old-fashioned deli food, the continuity is easy to appreciate. There is something appealing about choosing a six-and-one or an eighteen-and-three using a system that has become part of the shop’s identity.

The recipe for the experience is wonderfully simple: choose the layers, pick your bread, and unwrap lunch.

Plan Your Trip To This Southwest Detroit Corner

Finding Gonella’s is part of the adventure. The deli sits at 295 Oakwood Boulevard, Detroit, in the Oakwood Heights area of Southwest Detroit.

It’s near the corner of Oakwood and Powell, not far from the River Rouge industrial corridor.

The surrounding streets feel different from downtown Detroit, with a mix of residential blocks, commercial sites, and industrial landmarks.

The colorful awning helps identify the market as you approach. Timing matters, so plan ahead. The shop opens at 9 AM Monday through Saturday.

Weekday hours run until 6 PM. On Saturday, it closes at 5 PM, and it stays closed on Sunday.

Pickup and delivery options are available through ordering services, which is handy when you’re organizing lunch for more than one person.

In-store shopping lets you explore the grocery shelves and deli case as well.

Arrive hungry, choose your layers, and grab extra dressing if you want some for later. It’s a satisfying way to make a Detroit lunch feel like a proper outing.