42 North Social House Is Dexter's Most Ambitious Restaurant
A seasonal scratch kitchen in a 19th-century farmhouse on Ann Arbor Street.
The building gets you first. 42 North Social House sits at 7954 Ann Arbor Street in Dexter, in a 19th-century Arts and Crafts farmhouse that previously housed the Fillmore Bar & Grill. The bones are original. The woodwork is the kind that contractors don't produce anymore. Walking in, you notice the ceiling height, the light, the way the structure shapes the room before the food does. In a town of 4,500 people, this building is doing work that most restaurants in Ann Arbor would kill for.
Owners Andy Copp and Jamie Schmunk opened 42 North with a concept that sounds simple and is hard to execute: a scratch kitchen that changes with the seasons, built around local sourcing, operating in a space that rewards lingering. About 100 seats inside, plus patio seating when the weather allows it. The name references the approximate latitude of Dexter, which is the kind of detail that lands differently in a small town than it would on South Main in Ann Arbor. Here, it reads as specific. We are at this latitude. We cook what grows at this latitude.
The Menu
The kitchen runs seasonal. That means the menu you see in April will not be the menu you see in August, and neither will be the menu in November. What stays consistent is the approach: scratch-made, locally driven, with enough ambition to push past pub food without losing the warmth of the room.
The butcher's burger is a blend of brisket, short rib, chuck, and Wagyu ribeye for $17.99. It's one of the better burgers in Washtenaw County, and I don't say that lightly in a county where the burger conversation gets competitive. The patty has depth from the brisket and fat from the Wagyu, and the blend holds together without tasting like it's trying to be four things at once.
Scallops with guajillo chile and white cheddar grit cakes ($34.99) are on the higher end of the menu. The chile heat builds slowly against the sweetness of the scallops, and the grit cakes anchor the plate with a richness that keeps you reaching back. Seasonal specials rotate through, and the kitchen treats them as actual features rather than an excuse to clear out inventory. Ask your server what's new. The staff has opinions, and they're usually right.
Social Hour
Weekdays from 4 to 6 p.m., 42 North runs a social hour with discounted small plates and drinks. This is the quiet move. The dining room is less full than it is at 7 p.m. on a Saturday. The food is the same kitchen at a lower price point. And the building, in late-afternoon light, does something that restaurants twice the size can't do: it makes you want to stay for another round.
If you're driving out from Ann Arbor and don't want to commit to a full dinner, social hour is the entry point. A couple of small plates, a drink, and an hour in that farmhouse will tell you whether you want to come back for the full menu. You will want to come back for the full menu.
The Drink Program
The bar stocks Michigan-forward with enough range to serve the room. Craft cocktails lean seasonal, matching the kitchen's approach. The wine list is selective rather than encyclopedic, which is the right call for a restaurant this size. A few good beers on draft, including local options. You're in a town with Jolly Pumpkin and Erratic Ale Co. within walking distance, so the bar doesn't need to be a beer destination. It knows what it is.
What 42 North Means for Dexter
I wrote in the Dexter food guide that this town has more good food than a town of 4,500 should be able to support. 42 North is the restaurant that pushes the argument furthest. Jolly Pumpkin brought national recognition. Raterman Bread Haus built a sourdough program that would hold up in any city. But 42 North is the one making a bet that Dexter can sustain a seasonal, scratch-driven, full-service restaurant in a landmark building, and so far the bet is holding.
Dexter's food corridor has been filling in over the past few years. Dexter Brunch House anchors mornings. Raterman covers bread and lunch. Jolly Pumpkin and The Beer Grotto handle beer. Chela's fills the taco lane. 42 North sits at the top of the stack, the place you go when you want to eat well and the building to match the meal. Every small town needs a restaurant that makes locals feel like they don't have to leave for a good dinner. Dexter has one.
42 North Social House is at 7954 Ann Arbor St, Dexter. Open for dinner and social hour (weekdays 4--6 p.m.). About 100 seats inside, plus a seasonal patio. No reservations required for small parties; larger groups should call ahead.