Nick was voted Chef of the Week July 9th, 2007 by the Oakland Press.
“We also sell a lot of cheeseburgers,” Chef Nick says. “We don’t just use any meat for our burgers. We use fresh black Angus beef because I care about the quality of the food I serve my customers.” Chef Nick said the most popular items he serves, by far, are Reuben sandwiches and a grinder he created called the Pontiac Special. “I always listen to my customers and take note of their likes and dislikes because if it weren’t for my customers I wouldn’t be here.” This is how Chef Nick Mansour, owner of The Pontiac Diner in Pontiac, outlines why his eatery has been suca Bonneville. The sandwich was so named because “we’re located in Pontiac,” he jokes. “When I created the sandwich I asked my customers to be successful."
A native of Iraq, Chef Nick received his formal education as an urban designer/architect but says he has always liked to cook. When he immigrated to the States in 1996 he decided to work in the restaurant industry. The West Bloomfield resident opened the doors to The Pontiac Diner in 1998. OF help me name it,” he said. “I listen to my customers and I respect their opinions. If I want people to come back I have to show that I care.” Chef Nick said he practically lives at his restaurant. “I usually work about 85-plus hours a week,” he said. “When I take an occasional day off my regular customers start worrying and asking my employees if I’m OK and where I am.”
The Pontiac Diner, formerly Maya’s Deli, at 22 N. Saginaw St., specializes in grinders (submarine-style baked sandwiches) and fresh corned beef. Chef Nick says their bread is baked fresh every day. Delectable soups are served as well and are also homemade. Soups include beef barley, split pea, broccoli The diner is open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The phone number is (248) 332-8787.