Hashems 1959 of Sterling Heights

Halawa, Turkish delight and a tiramisu latte under one roof. That is the unusual combination at Hashems 1959 in Sterling Heights, a Middle Eastern grocery and cafe that traces back to 1959 and lets customers sample nuts, candies and gummies before they decide what to buy. The barista staff is called out by name in customer accounts: Charlie, Malak, Reda, Hussein, Mallak and others. The family-run frame holds across the grocery, the coffee bar and the sampling counter.

The interior is described as beautiful, elegant and cozy, with a comfortable cafe seating area that students and remote workers use for laptop sessions. One customer wished for more seating, which signals that the room can fill up. There is a dedicated parking lot, which is not a guarantee in Sterling Heights retail. The vibe leans family-welcoming, with samples handed out freely at the grocery side.

The drink list runs deeper than the cafe-and-grocery framing might suggest. The tiramisu latte gets called the most accurate tiramisu-flavored drink customers have had, which is a specific and falsifiable claim that holds up better than a generic praise line. The salted caramel latte, the date night latte, the ube bee, the hot creme ube, and traditional Turkish coffee all come up. The grocery side stocks Turkish delight described as the most authentic in the area, halawa, fresh nuts and spices, chocolates and dried fruits.

The honest flag is dog policy. One customer account reports being turned away with a service dog, which is a meaningful issue and one that any service-dog handler or anyone with a pet should clarify by phone before driving over. That is not a coffee-quality issue. It is an access issue.

For a single trip that combines a specialty latte, Middle Eastern grocery shopping with samples, and a comfortable cafe seat for laptop work, Hashems is one of the few stops in southeast Michigan that delivers all three. For dog owners, the policy question needs answering first.