B2A2: Sidetrack's Signature Burger
Entry five heads to Ypsilanti, where a long-running Depot Town bar serves its signature burger.
Five entries into B2A2, and every burger so far has been in downtown Ann Arbor. The smash burgers and the frita and the Blimpy double have all lived inside the same few square miles. Good burgers, but the series was overdue for Ypsilanti.
Sidetrack Bar & Grill sits at 56 East Cross Street in Depot Town, in a building that went up in the 1850s and was struck by a freight train in 1929. The bar has operated under different names for decades, and GQ put its burger on the list "Twenty Hamburgers You Must Eat Before You Die." Our Sidetrack profile covers the building and ownership history in more detail.
This is the fifth entry in B2A2, Best Burger in Ann Arbor. After Raven's Club, Frita Batidos, Echelon, and Blimpy, Sidetrack adds the classic pub-burger format: a substantial sandwich in a long-running Depot Town bar.
The Burger
The Sidetrack menu lists a Signature Burger alongside its wider lineup of burgers and sandwiches, built on the classic pub format: a substantial patty, bun, toppings, and a side of fries. The GQ mention is reputation, not a menu snapshot; the patty build and price on the current menu are the live version.
The Fries
Fries come standard with the burger, the pub-format side this series keeps returning to: hot, salted, built for dipping rather than presentation.
The Beer
Four entries into B2A2, every restaurant had a drink recommendation. Cocktails at Raven's Club and Echelon. A batido at Frita Batidos. A can of pop at Blimpy. Sidetrack's answer is beer, and the answer is good.
The tap list leans toward Michigan craft beer, with rotating drafts alongside familiar standards. A pale ale or IPA cuts through a rich burger, and the tap list usually has one pouring.
The Room
The patio is a seasonal option in Depot Town. Inside, the long bar room carries the building's accumulated local history through photos, taps, and memorabilia.
This is the first B2A2 entry where the room itself is part of the argument. Echelon has a beautiful dining room, but the burger is a bar-menu item you eat at the counter. Raven's Club is designed for cocktails, not burgers. Blimpy barely has a room. Sidetrack is the only place in the series where the burger and the bar feel like they grew up together.
Where It Fits
Five entries. Five different arguments.
Raven's Club is discipline. Frita Batidos is personality. Echelon is firepower. Blimpy is democracy. Sidetrack is permanence. The burger has been here for decades. The building has been here for almost two centuries. The series needed a pub burger, and this is the pub burger.
Sidetrack is not trying to out-sear Echelon. Its strength is fit: a thick burger, pub sides, a Michigan-leaning tap list, and a long-running Depot Town room that gives the format context.
B2A2 is better for including Ypsilanti. This town has been feeding people longer than most of the restaurants on South Main Street have existed. Sidetrack is the proof.
This is part of our ongoing series. Read the full tracker: Best Burger in Ann Arbor (B2A2): The Running List.
Sidetrack Bar & Grill is at 56 E Cross St, Ypsilanti, MI 48198. Check the restaurant's site for current hours and service details.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the Sidetrack burger famous?
GQ named it one of "Twenty Hamburgers You Must Eat Before You Die." The building dates to the 1850s and has operated as a bar under different names for decades. The burger has had that whole run to get consistent.
How much does it cost?
Check the current menu for the Signature Burger's price, patty, toppings, and side.
What should I order?
The Signature Burger is the logical starting point for a burger-focused visit. Pair it with a current draft or bottled beer selection.
Does Sidetrack take reservations?
No. Walk-in. The space handles a crowd. The patio in good weather is worth showing up early for.