A "Sleeper" in Detroit Metro

The car guys I ran with in my misspent youth had an expression for fast cars that looked ordinary: sleepers. My buddy's '67 Pontiac Tempest four-door sedan was a perfect example--under the faded green hood was a 389 c.i. V-8 with three deuces and high-lift cams, IYKWIM. Based on two visits this week, I consider Subi's Place a strip club sleeper if there ever was one.

North Line Road is a major East-West artery running from DTW Airport to the river. The club is a modest one-story building painted "titty bar purple" with valet parking ($6). No cover during the day; the main room is a large rectangle with stages in the center--one long stage, and a smaller one next to it with steps in between. Table seating around the stage, booths in the back and on a raised level parallel to the stage along the wall opposite the entrance; and an L-shaped bar with ~10 seats. Two areas for dances: a U-shaped area between the front door and the bar ($20, topless), and curtained booths behind the DJ booth ($25, 3-4 song minimum). No user fees for the LD areas.

The dancers were generally attractive (mainly 7+), with lots of variety in ethnicity and shape (runway model slender to "brick house"). All were friendly and engaging--appreciative of stage tips, circulating and chatting with customers instead of sitting in the corner staring at their phones. I wasted the first evening of a two-day conference in Dearborn hitting the local joints (BT's and Bogart's); the second afternoon, I wasn't in the mood for Flight Club or Eight Mile Road glitz, so I gave Subi's a try. Jackpot. Club vibe matters to me, and I love a laid-back, friendly place; "Cheers with naked women" is what I look for wherever I travel. I had visited many Detroit area clubs over the years, but within an hour Subi's had become my new favorite. The tall, attractive bartender kept me supplied; seating was close enough to the stage to facilitate tipping. But it was the attitude of nearly all the dancers that sold me on the place. I wound up in the back room with dancer/waitress H****** for some quality private entertainment, but the vibe in the main room is what set the experience apart.