The Best Burgers In Michigan Are Hiding Inside This Small Old-Timey Restaurant
Forget your fancy reservation apps, the only notification you need is the intoxicating, onion-scented siren song drifting across John R Road at 3:00 AM. Stepping into The Telway is like sliding into the warm, yellowed pages of a Detroit history book, where the air is a thick, gloriously greasy fog of browning beef and toasted buns.
Here, the “decor” is just a backdrop for the main event: small, steamy slider miracles that smell exactly like a midnight epiphany should. Michigan burger fans flock to this place for the iconic 24-hour sliders and nostalgic diner atmosphere.
I’ve found that the best way to honor the craft is to keep your order simple and your cash ready; these sliders wait for no one. Pull up a stool, watch the steam rise off the grill, and realize that some of the best things in life still cost less than a gallon of gas.
Order Sliders With Onions Well Done
The griddle at The Telway sings with a constant, low hiss, and the onions caramelize into a sweet, translucent tangle that perfumes everything within a three-block radius. When you step up to the counter, make sure to ask for your onions well done.
This tweak helps the patties pick up a deep, browned edge while staying juicy. It’s a small instruction that makes a noticeable difference in the final bite.
The slider buns are legendary, going soft and steamy on the grill and hugging the meat, pickle, and mustard perfectly. History clings to the stainless steel like seasoning, and decades of repetition refined a formula that rewards tiny customizations.
If you’re hungry, order a double to shift the beef-to-bun balance in your favor. A veteran move is to grab a few extra sliders for the ride home, they hold heat well in the classic brown paper bag.
They slowly steam themselves into the best kind of late-night snack you could ask for.
Go Late, Skip The Rush
The neon glow makes this tiny building feel like a welcoming lighthouse on John R Road. Late at night, the local rhythm loosens up, and the counter crew has a moment to chat while keeping the grill moving at a steady clip.
Because it runs 24 hours, true off-hours exist, and you can taste the calm in how your order flows during quiet early-morning stretches.
The Telway has worked these hours for generations, serving shift workers, students, and professional night owls. The place rewards patience, but timing matters if you want to snag a seat.
Midnight on a weekday beats the frantic lunch rush every time. Check your maps, watch for a lull in traffic, and swoop in.
You’ll get hotter fries, neater stacks, and a moment to admire the vintage wall tiles without someone else’s elbow in your back.
Balance The Bag With Fries Or Rings
Those steam-heavy sliders beg for crunch beside them. The crinkle-cut fries arrive pale gold with soft, pillowy middles, ideal for dragging through yellow mustard or leftover chili.
If you’re more of an onion fan, the rings skew crisp and just greasy enough, with batter that shatters, then melts into savory sweetness.
There’s real lore in these sides, the kitchen uses actual onion slices rather than minced filler. Some nights the rings soar, other nights the fries carry the team, which feels authentically diner-correct.
Both pair well with a double cheeseburger, and a visitor habit worth stealing is ordering a small of both to split across the table. That keeps sliders central while giving texture breaks.
The salt at the counter tastes sharper, so season after the first bite rather than before.
Mind The Patty To Bun Ratio
The thin patties are the Telway canvas, pressed so edges turn into delicate lace while the center stays tender. A single slider keeps the classic proportion, letting pickle snap and mustard tang sparkle.
If you want something more substantial, doubles push back against the bun, adding savor without drowning the aromatics.
Regulars will tell you the ratio shifted slightly over the decades, but you can correct it with one move. Ask for doubles or add a plain patty on the side to even things out the way you like.
Most find the double lands like a fuller chord, yet still eats light enough to justify ordering one more. If you want maximum steamy paper wrap softness, stack two singles instead of one double.
That preserves an extra layer of bun softness while keeping the same overall satisfaction.
Try The Chili Smartly
A small cup of chili sits heavy with Detroit nostalgia. It’s beefy, straightforward, and more comfort than showpiece.
The smartest move is ladling it over fries, creating a filling side that soaks up mustard and onion drips.
The texture runs thick, which works with crinkle-cut ridges. The menu ties into the broader metro coney tradition, which makes sense given it also offers dogs and pies.
Because the flavor is mild, let chili be a supporting character rather than the star. It becomes a great dunking sauce for fries and sliders.
On a cold Michigan night, a plain cup warms your hands while the door swings and the griddle keeps its tireless song.
Order At The Window, Then Watch The Dance
To get the full experience, order at the window or counter, then grab a view of the griddle. The kitchen choreography is half the charm.
Patties hit with a rhythmic thud, onions fall like confetti, buns warm in a soft stack, and brown paper bags wait like little steam tents.
These systems were honed by thousands of orders over decades. Crew members call short orders in clipped, efficient phrases that still somehow never miss a beat.
You’ll understand the menu better by watching five minutes of the process. Confirm add-ons clearly, like no pickle or extra onion, and listen for the repeat back.
That habit prevents mix-ups on high-velocity nights and makes pickup smoother when the line doubles back toward the door.
Budget Like A Regular
The Telway remains a true dollar-stretcher, with sliders priced for repeat cravings. Small orders add up fast in joy, but rarely in cost.
A regular spread might be two doubles, a small fry, and a thick shake, still lighter than most fast-casual stops.
Low prices are part of the identity here, stretching back through generations on this corner. The best value comes when burgers stay the headliners and you keep the order simple.
A good habit is brown bag math, plan a per-person count, then add one safety slider for the car ride home. That way nothing languishes in the bag.
Every bite stays hot, steamy, and exactly like you hoped when you first pulled into the lot.
Use Online Order And Pickup Window
If you’re in a hurry, you can skim past a packed counter. Online ordering lets you slide in, confirm your name, and leave with a tidy warm bag before the next batch of beef even hits the grill.
It’s not flashy tech, but it works, especially during unpredictable dinner swells.
This feature evolved through busy spikes and fits the Telway habit of quick service with minimal fuss. Staff usually double-check extras at pickup to make sure everything is right.
If the website feels confusing, call instead, then use the pickup window for a seamless run. You’ll save time and keep fries hotter.
You also get back to your car before the bag steam has a chance to wilt that top bun more than you’d like.
Respect The Crew And The Pace
The energy rises and falls like the heat of the griddle. The crew moves with compact efficiency, turning out burgers that often taste more precise than their humble price suggests.
A kind word travels fast, and you can feel the line soften when courtesy leads.
There’s a reason regulars can mention longtime staff by name. Decades in a tiny high-heat kitchen build intuition you won’t find at a franchise.
This small room rewards patience and clear, concise requests. Before you step back out, verify your bag, especially on larger orders.
If something is missing, speak up calmly and it gets fixed quickly, and you leave with hotter food plus the sense you joined the nightly Detroit rhythm.
Make Space For A Shake Or Pie
The sweet finishes often surprise newcomers by being classic rather than fancy. Milkshakes come cold, thick, and straightforward, the perfect icy foil to salty fries.
On certain nights, you might spot red velvet cheesecake or simple pies on the counter, turning a quick run into a full three-course event.
The dessert board shifts based on what’s fresh, which suits a place that never sleeps. Ask what’s available before you finalize the order, since the selection can change day to day.
A cold shake helps cleanse the onion glow just enough to justify one final slider. If you split pie, do it quickly so burger-bag steam doesn’t fog the packaging. Then step back into the Michigan night with a bit of sugar to steady all that savory goodness.