La Pecora Nera, an Italian deli with two metro Detroit locations, to open in Birmingham

An Italian deli noted for its signature sandwiches is opening a third location in early March.

La Pecora Nera, which already operates in Detroit and Farmington, is heading to downtown Birmingham.

On the La Pecora Nera menu will be its traditional Italian sandwiches and other sandwiches, plus salads, gelato, and coffee.

La Pecora Nera translates to “the black sheep" in Italian. Its website describes the place as “where tradition meets culinary delight.”

La Pecora Nera, known for its signature Italian sandwiches, will open a Birmingham location in March.
In Birmingham, La Pecora will take up about a 1,000-square-foot space at 135 Pierce St., the former home of Planthropie.

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“It’s right in downtown Birmingham, which we love,” said David Ayyash, one of the owners of the La Pecora Nera. “It’s a great community to be a part of.”

Ayyash said they are excited to branch out. Their focus is on sourcing high-quality ingredients and products, he said.

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“Our sandwiches use the highest quality Italian meats and fresh vegetables,” Ayyash said. “All our dressings are made in-house.”

On the menu, La Pecora Nera features more than a dozen sandwiches with ingredients such as genoa salami, mortadella, and prosciutto. There are also breakfast sandwiches, and a trio of salad offerings. They also offer catering.

In 2017, the first La Pecora Nera opened on Washington Boulevard in downtown Detroit. In 2023, a location in downtown Farmington opened.

Stuffed cannoli is a La Pecora Nera dessert offering.
Ayyash is also an owner of the recently opened Chaos Burger in downtown Detroit. On Clifford Street around the corner from La Pecora Nera location on Washington Boulevard, Chaos Burger is known for its smash burgers.

Chaos Burger is mainly carryout, though there is some seating. Its smashburgers feature a custom blend of beef sourced from Fairway Packing Co. in Fraser. You can order burgers as a single, double, or triple as a classic, Chaos burger with Chaos sauce, or a deluxe version.

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Also on the menu are Chaos fries, described on its menu as ultra-thin fries topped with prime beef, whole milk American cheese, house-pickled honey jalapenos, sweet Vidalia onion, and chaos sauce. There are also French fries tossed in its house seasoning. Chaos is also known for its house-made honey pickled jalapeños.

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