Restaurant Profile
Reported profiles of restaurants, their people, menus, and place in the region.
Selden Standard Remains a Midtown Anchor
The restaurant opened on Second Avenue in 2014 and is still shaping what comes next in Detroit.
A sourced look at Selden Standard's 2014 opening, its seasonally driven small-plates format, and the team's next Detroit project.
Sidetrack's Long Run in Depot Town
The East Cross Street bar pairs a documented burger reputation with one of Ypsilanti's best-known building stories.
Sidetrack Bar & Grill occupies a historic East Cross Street building and keeps burgers at the center of its current menu.
Takoi Connects Regional Thai Cooking to a Detroit Farm
The Corktown restaurant operates HiO Farm one mile from its Michigan Avenue kitchen.
Takoi's Corktown kitchen draws on regional Thai cooking and produce from HiO Farm, which the restaurant operates one mile away.
Tomukun Keeps Noodles and Korean Barbecue Side by Side
The East Liberty operation runs a noodle bar and a separate tabletop-grill dining room at the same address.
Tomukun's East Liberty address combines a compact noodle bar with a separate Korean barbecue room next door.
Wright & Company Turned a Jewelry Store Into Detroit's Most Interesting Dining Room
On Woodward Avenue, a second-floor restaurant in a building from the 1890s served small plates and cocktails for twelve years.
Wright & Company occupied the second floor of a historic Woodward Avenue building in downtown Detroit for twelve years, closing after a final dinner service on July 3, 2026.
Zingerman's Deli Is Still the Center of the Zingerman's Network
The Detroit Street deli opened in 1982 and remains the public-facing anchor of a much larger Ann Arbor food business.
Zingerman's Delicatessen opened on Detroit Street in 1982. Its sandwiches, specialty-grocery shelves, and local production network still define the wider business.
Zingerman's Roadhouse Is Built for the Big Table
The Jackson Avenue restaurant organizes its menu around regional American cooking, barbecue, and a full-service dining room.
Zingerman's Roadhouse is the full-service restaurant in the Zingerman's network, with fried chicken, barbecue, macaroni and cheese, and a large Jackson Avenue dining room.
Zou Zou's Cafe Holds Down the Middle of Chelsea's Main Street
Between the bakery and the bistro, a cafe that feeds the town without making a fuss about it.
Zou Zou's Cafe at 101 N Main St in Chelsea serves sandwiches, salads, soups, and coffee in the heart of Main Street. It is the casual option on a block that has been building toward something more ambitious.
B2A2: Echelon's Smash Burger
The South Main kitchen brings a burger to a restaurant built around seasonal wood-fired cooking.
Echelon's burger belongs in the Ann Arbor conversation, but its current ingredients and price should be confirmed from the live menu before publication.
Ji Hye Kim's Two Kerrytown Restaurants Serve Different Jobs
Miss Kim remains the full-service anchor; Little Kim turns Kim's vegetarian work into counter service and a small market.
Ji Hye Kim now runs two distinct Kerrytown restaurants: the full-service Miss Kim and the all-vegetarian, counter-service Little Kim.
Sunda Detroit Is Built for Scale on Columbia Street
The 200-plus-seat restaurant combines sushi, dim sum, noodles, and group dining near Detroit's arena district.
Sunda New Asian's Detroit restaurant is a 200-plus-seat operation built for dinner, events, and a broad pan-Asian menu on Columbia Street.
What Calamansi Is Planning for Southwest Detroit
A Filipino bar and restaurant is taking shape in the former PizzaPlex space on West Vernor.
The Calamansi team is planning a Filipino food and drink program at 4458 W Vernor Hwy, but the restaurant has not announced an opening date.
Inside the Plans for JD's Stage Bistro in Chelsea
Jeff Daniels' planned restaurant pairs a Michigan-focused kitchen with a purpose-built listening room.
JD's Stage Bistro is planning wood-fired pizza, Michigan-focused dishes, and a 136-seat listening room at 117½ S Main St in Chelsea.
B2A2: Grizzly Peak
Entry twelve fills the gap the series has been ignoring. The Ann Arbor brewpub burger is its own category.
The B2A2 series reaches the Ann Arbor brewpub. Grizzly Peak has been at Washington and Ashley long enough to be taken for granted. Entry twelve asks whether the pub burger holds up.
B2A2: Sava's
Entry eleven asks what eighteen years of Ann Arbor kitchen experience does with a single burger.
The B2A2 series returns to State Street. Sava's has been at 216 S State St for eighteen years. The question: does the full-service kitchen behind one of Ann Arbor's most durable restaurants make a burger worth ranking?
The Slice: Pizza House
Entry six visits the 2 a.m. institution on Church Street. The question isn't whether it competes with Mani. It's whether it does what it does as well as anything in the city.
The Slice entry six covers Pizza House at 618 Church St. The deep dish, the breadsticks, the late-night delivery window. This is not the most refined pizza in Ann Arbor. It is the most reliable.
The Pour: Hunã Tiki Bar
Entry 5. The best rum program in Washtenaw County runs in a basement. The series has to decide what that's worth.
Entry 5 of The Pour goes underground on South Main. Hunã Tiki Bar is rum-forward and serious about it, which puts the series in an interesting position: how do you rank a specialist against generalists?
The Grind: Argus Farm Stop
Entry 6. Good coffee inside a food market. The ranking has to decide whether that context is a feature or an excuse.
The sixth entry in The Grind visits Argus Farm Stop at 325 W Liberty St, where the coffee is sourced from Michigan roasters and served at a counter inside a local food market. The cup is good. The question is what that means in a coffee ranking.
The Pour: Spencer
Entry 4. The best gimlet in the county comes from a bar that doesn't call itself one.
Spencer is a wine shop first, a restaurant second, and a cocktail bar third. The cocktail program is the best argument for why that order of priorities produces drinks other bars can't.
The Grind: Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea
Entry 5. Thirty-plus years in Ann Arbor, a tea list that runs to over 100 varieties, and the question of whether scale is a credential or a liability.
The fifth entry in The Grind visits Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea, the local chain that Eva and James Amburgey founded in Ann Arbor in 1993. The tea program is the differentiator. The ranking is the argument.
The Fold: BTB Burrito
The taco series returns to Ann Arbor for the campus counter that stays open when everyone else has gone home.
The Fold Entry #6 covers BTB Burrito on South State Street, where tacos are built fast, priced low, and served until the kind of hours that the rest of the series never attempted.
The Grind: Vertex Coffee Roasters
Entry 4. A queer-owned roaster at the edge of campus with a coffee flight program that has no equivalent in Ann Arbor.
The fourth entry in The Grind visits Vertex Coffee Roasters at 1335 S University Ave, where Kara and Mackenzie Soto have built a coffee program around flights, flash-chilled coffee, and a roastery in Milan that supplies everything in the cup.
The Pour: Black Pearl
Entry 3. A seventeen-year-old martini program playing second violin to the seafood is still better than most bars' entire repertoire.
The third entry in The Pour evaluates Black Pearl's cocktail program, where the martini list is the signature and the drinks are built around a kitchen rather than a concept.
The Grind: Comet Coffee
Entry 3. In Nickels Arcade, a counter, three roasters on rotation, and the best cortado in Ann Arbor.
The third entry in The Grind visits Comet Coffee at 16 Nickels Arcade, where Jim Saborio has spent sixteen years proving that a short menu and a small room are an advantage, not a concession.
B2A2: Grange Kitchen & Bar
Entry ten visits the farm-sourced table on West Liberty. The burger is made like the rest of the menu: with the full weight of where everything came from.
The tenth B2A2 entry visits Grange Kitchen & Bar at 118 W Liberty. A farm-sourced kitchen applies the same sourcing philosophy to a burger. The result is what it should be.
Everest Sherpa: Ann Arbor's Only Nepali Restaurant
The only kitchen in town doing momos, thukpa, and dal bhat -- open in a strip mall off Ann Arbor-Saline Road since 2017.
Everest Sherpa at 2803 Oak Valley Dr is Ann Arbor's only Nepali restaurant, serving momo dumplings, thukpa noodle soup, and dal bhat alongside familiar Indian dishes since 2017. Nothing else in town does this cuisine.
The Grind: Espy Cafe
Entry 2. On-source roasting, handmade ceramics, and an espresso pulled on a $6,000 machine. The newcomer makes its case.
The second entry in The Grind visits Espy Cafe at 404 W Huron St, where the roasting program, the room, and the no-tip labor model all have something to prove.
The Pour: 312 Underground
Entry 2. The strongest seasonal program in Ann Arbor runs in a room most people don't know exists.
The second entry in The Pour goes underground. 312 Underground on South Main runs a seasonal cocktail program that changes fast enough to punish inattention, in a room that the street-level foot traffic has no idea is there.
One World Market Has the Best Sushi in Michigan. Novi Is the Reason That Makes Sense.
The Japanese market on Grand River has been quietly serving the best to-go sushi in the state. A new mixed-use Asian district opening next door is not a coincidence.
One World Market in Novi is a Japanese grocery store and sushi counter at 42705 Grand River Avenue. The shrimp tempura roll and cali futamaki are the best versions of those rolls available in southeast Michigan. The market behind the sushi counter rewards browsing every time.
B2A2: Zingerman's Roadhouse Burger
Entry eight goes to Jackson Avenue, where fried chicken is king and the burger is made with beef from regional farms on a Bakehouse bun.
The eighth entry in our Best Burger in Ann Arbor series visits Zingerman's Roadhouse. The $21 burger uses beef from regional farms, a house-made Bakehouse bun, and a kitchen philosophy built on ingredient obsession.
The Grind: RoosRoast
Entry 1. Twenty years of roasting in Ann Arbor, and the Lobster Butter Love is still the one.
The first entry in The Grind visits RoosRoast at 1155 Rosewood St, where the Lobster Butter Love espresso sets the benchmark and the room earns every return visit.
B2A2: Jolly Pumpkin
Entry seven takes the burger to a wood-fired kitchen that has been making its own sour ales since before the brewing boom made everyone feel good about it.
The seventh B2A2 entry visits Jolly Pumpkin on South Main. The wood-fired burger is better than it has any right to be given everything else this kitchen is known for.
The Pour: The Last Word
Entry 1. Why the bar that started this series is still the one every other bar has to answer for.
The first entry in The Pour visits The Last Word on West Huron, where the namesake cocktail is the best version in Washtenaw County and the room delivers the speakeasy idea as craft instead of costume.
Azalea Brings Nikkei Cooking to South Main Street
The restaurant beneath the Blue Llama combines Japanese and Peruvian traditions in a contemporary dinner format.
Azalea at 312 S Main St is a contemporary Nikkei restaurant blending Japanese and Peruvian traditions beneath the Blue Llama Jazz Club.
Afternoon Delight Has Fed Ann Arbor Breakfast Since 1978
Pan-grilled pancakes, muffins baked throughout the day, and a no-freezer policy on East Liberty Street for nearly fifty years.
Afternoon Delight has been at 251 E Liberty St since 1978, nearly fifty years of pan-grilled pancakes, made-to-order omelets, and a rotating muffin selection baked fresh each day. Ann Arbor's longest-running breakfast spot, and mostly uncelebrated.
The Slice: Detroit-Style Pizza and the Case for the Rectangle
The fourth entry goes to the source: a thick crust, crispy cheese edges, and the pan that started it all.
Detroit-style pizza is having a national moment, but it started here. The fourth Slice entry goes to the source: Buddy's Pizza and the pan that changed everything.
The Dexter Cider Mill Has Been Pressing Apples Since 1886
Michigan's oldest continuously operating cider mill, still pressing after all these years.
The Dexter Cider Mill has been pressing apples on Central Street since 1886. Three families, one oak press, and the best cider donuts in Washtenaw County.
42 North Social House Brings a Full-Service Dinner Room to Dexter
The restaurant at 7954 Ann Arbor Street serves dinner, Sunday brunch, and rotating specials.
42 North Social House operates out of a restored Arts and Crafts farmhouse in Dexter. The kitchen runs seasonal and scratch, and the building deserves the effort.
Smokehouse 52 Does the Slow Work on Main Street
Chelsea's BBQ joint has been smoking brisket since 2013. It deserves a profile that isn't about Jeff Daniels.
Smokehouse 52 BBQ at 125 S Main St in Chelsea has been smoking brisket, pulling pork, and running five sauces since 2013. Phil and Jenn Tolliver built it from a hog farm education and a Mike Mills apprenticeship.
Bori Korean Kitchen & Bar Has Been Waiting for You to Notice
Chef James Park's restaurant on the second floor above Jolly Pumpkin is four months old and worth your attention
Four months in, Bori Korean Kitchen & Bar above Jolly Pumpkin on South Main is one of downtown Ann Arbor's best recent additions: dakgangjeong, japchae, and a noraebang in the back.
Hunã After Dark
The tiki bar underneath Echelon centers rum in a fully built-out basement room.
Hunã Tiki Bar at 200 S Main St in Ann Arbor is a rum-forward cocktail bar below Echelon.
Grand Trunk Pub and the Reuben That Justifies the Drive
In a former railway ticket station on Woodward Avenue, a pub does exactly what a pub should do.
Grand Trunk Pub occupies a 1879 building on Woodward Avenue that spent three decades as a railway ticket station. The vaulted ceilings are original. The Reuben is the reason to go.
Little Kim Eight Months In
Ji Hye Kim's fast-casual vegetarian Korean cafe in Kerrytown has found its rhythm. Here's what the menu looks like now.
Little Kim at 403 N Fifth Ave opened in July 2025. Ji Hye Kim's all-vegetarian Korean cafe and mini-market offers bowls, kimbap, and prepared foods.
Raterman Bread Haus Builds a Bistro Around Sourdough
The Dexter bakery's published menu is 100% sourdough, with bread, pizza, sandwiches, soups, and salads.
Raterman Bread Haus & Bistro at 8080 Grand St in Dexter serves a 100% sourdough menu Wednesday through Saturday.
Alpino Fills the Hardest Space in Corktown and Makes It Look Easy
In the brick building where Lady of the House used to be, an Alpine-inspired kitchen is melting raclette, pouring northern Italian reds, and earning its own reputation.
Alpino occupies the former Lady of the House space at 1426 Bagley St in Corktown. Dave Mancini's Alpine-inspired restaurant has raclette, wood-fired cooking, and a wine list that doesn't apologize for butter.
The Lakehouse Bakery Is Chelsea's Morning Anchor
Scratch-baked pastries on Main Street, from a baker who chose a small town on purpose.
The Lakehouse Bakery on Chelsea's Main Street bakes everything from scratch, and the croissants alone make the case for it.
How Espy Cafe Shares Decisions and Profits
The West Huron cafe pairs a no-tip model with equal base pay, democratic management, and profit sharing.
Espy Cafe at 404 W Huron St is owned through an LLC and run with unanimous staff decisions, equal base pay, and profits allotted by hours worked.
The Chop House Does Not Need to Reinvent Itself. It Hasn't.
On South Main Street, a steakhouse in the classic American tradition still does what steakhouses are supposed to do.
The Chop House on South Main Street is a proper American steakhouse: dry-aged beef, white tablecloths, a wine list with depth. In a city obsessed with the new, it endures by being exactly what it is.
Jolly Pumpkin Ann Arbor: The Sour Beer Standard, Downtown
Ron Jeffries' sour brewery moved into 311 South Main and gave the block a beer program that most cities would kill for.
Jolly Pumpkin's Ann Arbor taproom on South Main brings oak-aged sour ales, wood-fired pizza, and a rooftop that fills fast. The beer is the draw. The food keeps you there.
Comet Coffee Is the Smallest Great Coffee Shop in Ann Arbor
In Nickels Arcade, a sliver of a room with a few seats and an espresso machine proves that less is more, as long as the cortado is right.
Comet Coffee in Nickels Arcade serves precise espresso drinks in a room barely bigger than a hallway. The cortado is the best in Ann Arbor, and the size is the point.
Joe and Rosie Coffee Is Dexter's Gathering Place
At 8074 Main St, a coffee shop that does more than pour espresso.
Joe and Rosie Coffee at 8074 Main St in Dexter has been serving espresso, soups, and sandwiches on Main Street since 2010, functioning as the town's de facto living room.
The Pretzel Bell Carries a 1934 Name on South Main
The current restaurant uses the name of an older Ann Arbor institution, with pub food, cocktails, and a downstairs bar.
The Pretzel Bell at 226 S Main St takes its name from an Ann Arbor restaurant that opened in 1934 and closed in 1984.
Aubree's Dexter Gives Main Street Its Pizza Option
At 8031 Main St, the franchise that Ypsilanti built finds its footing in a small town.
Aubree's Pizzeria & Grill at 8031 Main St in Dexter brings the same pizza, feta bread, and beer formula that has worked in Ypsilanti since 1972 to Dexter's Main Street.
The Beer Grotto Is Dexter's Living Room
On Main Street, a craft beer bar that doubles as the town's gathering place.
The Beer Grotto at 8059 Main St in Dexter serves craft beer, wine, and a food menu that gives the town a place to gather on Main Street. The tap list is deep and the room is right.
ZingTrain Sells the Thing That Can't Be Shipped
The ninth stop in our Zingerman's Universe series. At 3728 Plaza Drive, a small team teaches other companies how to run like Zingerman's.
ZingTrain at 3728 Plaza Dr is Zingerman's training and consulting arm, founded in 1994 with $1,000 and a desk in an attic. The ninth entry in our Zingerman's Universe series.
Bar Lupulus Is the Best Beer Bar in Ann Arbor. You Might Not Know It Exists.
On the ground floor at 311 South Main, a sour beer cocktail program and the deepest Jolly Pumpkin tap list in the state operate under a name most people walk past.
Bar Lupulus at 311 South Main is technically the bar at Jolly Pumpkin's Ann Arbor taproom. In practice, it is its own animal: sour beer cocktails, a deep tap list, and one of the better micheladas in Michigan.
Monahan's Has Been Selling Fish in Kerrytown for 46 Years. Mike Monahan Is Still Behind the Counter.
The co-founder of Ann Arbor's most enduring seafood market hasn't missed many days since 1979.
Forty-six years in Kerrytown. Mike Monahan is still behind the counter.
La Marsa Brings Mediterranean to the Dexter Corridor
At 7049 Dexter Ann Arbor Rd, kebabs and hummus seven days a week.
La Marsa at 7049 Dexter Ann Arbor Rd serves grilled kebabs, hummus, shawarma, and tabbouleh seven days a week, giving Dexter a Mediterranean option outside the burger-and-pizza orbit.
Slurping Turtle Wants You to Make Noise. So Make Noise.
Chef Takashi Yagihashi's ramen-and-izakaya joint on East Liberty is loud, casual, and better for it.
Slurping Turtle on East Liberty brings ramen, takoyaki, and izakaya energy to downtown Ann Arbor. Chef Takashi Yagihashi's menu is casual, bold, and built for enthusiasm.
Erratic Ale Co. Brews Like It Has Nothing to Prove
On Grand Street in Dexter, a small brewery makes exactly the beer it wants to make.
Erratic Ale Co. at 8080 Grand St in Dexter is a small-batch brewery with a rotating tap list, no kitchen, and zero interest in chasing trends. The beer is the argument.
BAKE! Puts the Flour in Your Hands
The eleventh and final stop in our Zingerman's Universe series. The teaching kitchen on Plaza Drive that turns customers into bakers.
BAKE! with Zing is Zingerman's hands-on teaching bakery at 3723 Plaza Dr, tucked between the Bakehouse and the Creamery. The eleventh and final entry in our Zingerman's Universe series.
Agricole Farm Stop Connects Chelsea to Its Own Backyard
At 118 N Main St, a farm market that stocks what the land around town produces.
Agricole Farm Stop at 118 N Main St in Chelsea sells produce, meat, dairy, and pantry goods from regional farms on a consignment model that sends 75 cents of every dollar back to the producer.
Zingerman's Cornman Farms Is the One That Doesn't Look Like Work
The eighth stop in our Zingerman's Universe series. A 27-acre event venue near Dexter where the food is the reason people show up and the farm is the reason they stay.
Zingerman's Cornman Farms at 8540 Island Lake Rd near Dexter is a 27-acre event venue, working farm, and culinary destination. The eighth entry in our Zingerman's Universe series.
Dexter Creamery Scoops the Best Ice Cream in the Country
At 8106 Main St, a small-town ice cream shop serves MOO-ville, and the North American Ice Cream Association agrees.
Dexter Creamery at 8106 Main St scoops 38 flavors of MOO-ville Ice Cream, which the North American Ice Cream Association named the best in the nation. Seventeen soft-serve flavors round out the menu.
The Last Word Earns Its Name
On West Huron, a cocktail bar built around the speakeasy conceit actually delivers on the promise. The bartenders know their history, and the drinks prove it.
The Last Word on West Huron Street is a cocktail bar named after one of the great classic drinks. The bar program is organized around eras of American cocktail making, and the execution is the best in Washtenaw County.
Miss Kim Is the Zingerman's Business That Didn't Need the Name
The tenth stop in our Zingerman's Universe series. Ji Hye Kim's Korean restaurant on Fifth Avenue rewrites what a ZCoB business can be.
Miss Kim at 415 N Fifth Ave is a Zingerman's Community of Businesses restaurant serving seasonal Korean food with Michigan ingredients. The tenth entry in our Zingerman's Universe series.
Knight's Steakhouse Is Ann Arbor's Oldest Restaurant. It Doesn't Care If You Know That.
On Dexter Avenue, a wood-paneled dining room has been serving prime rib and hand-battered onion rings since 1959.
Knight's Steakhouse on Dexter Avenue has been family-owned since 1959. The prime rib, the onion rings, and the wood-paneled dining room haven't changed because they don't need to.
Biercamp Is a Butcher Shop That Happens to Make Great Sandwiches
South of the stadium on State Street, a charcuterie counter and deli where the meat is the message.
Biercamp at 1643 S State St is Ann Arbor's best argument for knowing your butcher. House-cured bacon, handmade sausages, smoked meats, and breakfast sandwiches that justify the drive south of campus.
Dexter's Pub Is the Neighborhood Bar Done Right
At 8114 Main St, a small-town pub that doesn't overthink it.
Dexter's Pub at 8114 Main St serves baby back ribs, burgers, and cold beer on Dexter's Main Street. Patio seating in warm weather. Closed Mondays.
Zingerman's Candy Manufactory Turns Sugar Into Something Serious
The third stop on our tour of the Zingerman's universe. On Plaza Drive, a small team makes candy by hand, and the Zzang! Bar is only the beginning.
Zingerman's Candy Manufactory at 3723 Plaza Dr makes Zzang! Bars, toffee, brittle, and caramels by hand. The third entry in our Zingerman's Universe series.
Folk Detroit Cooks Breakfast Like It Means Something
At 1701 Trumbull in Corktown, Rohani Foulkes built a restaurant from pastry, jollof rice, and a point of view.
Folk Detroit on Trumbull Avenue in Corktown draws from West African, Caribbean, and Southern cooking traditions. The pastry case is the first thing you see, and the jollof rice is the reason to stay.
Ugly Dog Distillery Pours the Only Spirits Made on Chelsea's Main Street
A craft distillery that started with vodka and now makes a bourbon worth sitting with.
Ugly Dog Distillery at 328 S Main St in Chelsea makes vodka, bourbon, rum, and a peanut butter whiskey that outsells them all. The tasting room is the only place to drink spirits made in Chelsea.
Venue Puts Five Restaurants and a Coworking Space Under One Roof. Somehow, It Works.
Chef Thad Gillies brings a Zingerman's-to-Union Square Cafe resume to Ann Arbor's most ambitious dining experiment.
Five restaurants, one coworking space, and a chef with a resume that starts at Zingerman's and runs through Union Square Cafe.
Casablanca Is the Ypsilanti Stop You Keep Driving Past
In a strip mall on Washtenaw Avenue, a kitchen is making lamb tagine, handmade couscous, and merguez worth pulling over for.
Casablanca at 2333 Washtenaw Ave in Ypsilanti serves Moroccan and Mediterranean cooking in a strip mall that gives no indication of what's inside. The lamb tagine with preserved lemon is the dish to order.
Dexter Brunch House Does Not Cut Corners on Breakfast
On Main Street, a scratch kitchen that puts all its energy into the morning.
Dexter Brunch House at 8124 Main St serves scratch-made breakfast and brunch in the heart of downtown Dexter. Fresh-squeezed orange juice, house-made sausage gravy, and real hollandaise.
Zingerman's Coffee Company Roasts Quietly and Means It
The fourth stop in our Zingerman's Universe series. On Plaza Drive, a small roasting operation takes single-origin beans seriously enough to make you rethink your morning cup.
Zingerman's Coffee Company at 3723 Plaza Dr roasts single-origin beans in small batches. The fourth entry in our Zingerman's Universe series.
Basil Babe Brought Real Thai Cooking to Ypsilanti's West Side
A mother-daughter kitchen at 701 West Cross Street, two doors down from where Wurst Bar used to be.
Basil Babe at 701 W Cross St in Ypsilanti serves Thai food from a mother-daughter team with deep roots in the cuisine. The massaman curry and pad see ew are the orders.
At Sanilac Creamery, Formerly Zingerman's, the Cheese Is Still the Easy Part
Next door to the Bakehouse on Plaza Drive, the operation once known as Zingerman's Creamery turns Michigan milk into some of the best fresh cheese and gelato in the state, now under its own name.
The Creamery on Plaza Drive left the Zingerman's Community of Businesses in fall 2025 and now operates independently as Sanilac Creamery, with the same team and recipes. The fromage blanc alone is worth the drive.
Blank Slate Creamery and the Case for Seasonal Ice Cream
At 300 West Liberty, a small-batch ice cream shop makes flavors that rotate faster than you can try them all.
Blank Slate Creamery at 300 W Liberty St in Ann Arbor makes small-batch ice cream with a rotating seasonal menu. The salted caramel is the constant. Everything else is a moving target.
Encuentro Latino Feeds Its Block for Under Twelve Dollars
At 228 W Michigan Ave in Ypsilanti, Guatemalan and Latin American food priced for the neighborhood.
Encuentro Latino at 228 W Michigan Ave in Ypsilanti serves Guatemalan and Latin American food, including pupusas, tamales, and combination plates, with most items under $12.
Ma Lou's Has the Best Fried Chicken in Michigan. It's on Michigan Avenue in Ypsi.
K.C. Knipple grew up here. He opened a chicken spot. The rest of the state noticed.
Named best fried chicken in Michigan by multiple publications. Ma Lou's is a Ypsilanti original.
Zingerman's Bakehouse Has Been Ann Arbor's Bread for 34 Years
On Plaza Drive, a mile from the airport, the most important bakery in the Midwest keeps doing what it does. Plus: the baking school you should have tried by now.
The Bakehouse has been supplying Ann Arbor's bread since 1992. On Plaza Drive, far from downtown, it remains the quiet engine of the Zingerman's universe.
Chartreuse Kitchen & Cocktails Puts Vegetables at the Center and Dares You to Miss the Steak
In Midtown's Park Shelton building, a small-plates restaurant with a cocktail program that changes fast enough to keep regulars guessing.
Chartreuse Kitchen & Cocktails in Midtown Detroit serves vegetable-forward small plates and inventive cocktails in the Park Shelton building. The beet dish, the cocktails, and why this restaurant rewards repeat visits.
The Bomber Has Been Feeding Ypsilanti Since Before the Bombers Flew
At 306 East Michigan Avenue, a WWII-themed diner that earned the theme.
The Bomber at 306 E Michigan Ave has been feeding Ypsilanti since 1936. Cap'N Crunch French Toast, laminated menus, and the kind of breakfast that fortifies you for the rest of the day.
B2A2: Green Dot Stables
Entry six takes the burger series to Corktown for $3 sliders that ask the same question the frita did: what counts?
B2A2 Entry #6 takes the series to Detroit's Corktown for Green Dot Stables, where $3 sliders challenge the definition of what belongs in a burger ranking.
Sava's and the State Street Trick
A restaurant that looks like it was built for Instagram has quietly become one of Ann Arbor's most reliable kitchens. The brunch is the draw. The range is the surprise.
Sava's on South State Street draws crowds with its dramatic space and broad Mediterranean-American menu. The brunch is the draw, but the dinner menu is the stronger argument.
Vertex Coffee Roasters Takes Single-Origin Seriously
At the corner of South University and Washtenaw, a roaster doing quiet, serious work with seasonal beans.
Vertex Coffee Roasters at 1335 S University Ave roasts its own beans at a facility in Milan and rotates single-origin offerings by season. The cold brew and pastries are strong, and the room sits right on a campus corner.
Pita Kabob Grill Serves Shawarma and Kabobs on East William
The counter-service restaurant is at 619 East William, with wraps, platters, dips, and vegetarian options.
Pita Kabob Grill at 619 E William St serves shawarma, kafta, falafel, hummus, and vegetarian platters near the University of Michigan campus.
The Slice: Jolly Pumpkin's Wood-Fired Pizza
The third entry takes us to Dexter for brewery pizza that refuses to be an afterthought.
Jolly Pumpkin Dexter runs a wood-fired pizza program in a sour brewery. Our third Slice entry measures it against the first two.
The Slice: Supino Pizzeria
The second entry takes us to Eastern Market for New York-style thin crust and seventeen years of consistency.
Supino Pizzeria in Detroit's Eastern Market has been making thin-crust pizza since 2008. Our second entry in The Slice measures it against the wood-fired benchmark.
Aubree's Has Been Holding Down Depot Town Since 1972
At 39 East Cross, a pizza-and-beer joint that outlasted everything around it.
Aubree's Pizzeria & Grill at 39 E Cross St in Ypsilanti has been serving pizza, feta bread, and cold beer in Depot Town since 1972. The feta bread is the sleeper hit.
No Thai! Is Not Kidding Around
On North Fourth Avenue, a counter-service Thai kitchen has been quietly winning the noodle argument for years.
No Thai! at 226 N Fourth Ave serves some of the best pad see ew and khao soi in Ann Arbor. The prices are low, the wok is hot, and the name is the only joke in the building.
Sweetwaters Started in Ann Arbor in 1993
Wei and Lisa Bee opened the first cafe at 123 West Washington Street.
Wei and Lisa Bee founded Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea in Ann Arbor in 1993. The original cafe is at 123 W Washington St.
The Slice: Mani Osteria's Wood-Fired Pizza
The first entry in our Best Pizza series comes from a pasta restaurant. That tells you something.
Mani Osteria is known for handmade pasta, but the wood-fired pizza from its East Liberty kitchen deserves its own spotlight. Our first entry in The Slice.
312 Underground Puts a Cocktail Bar Below South Main
The basement bar at 312 South Main adds a compact, walk-in cocktail option to one of Ann Arbor's busiest dining blocks.
312 Underground is a subterranean cocktail bar beneath 312 South Main Street in Ann Arbor. The drinks are serious, the room is small, and you have to know to look for the stairs.
RoosRoast Liberty Is the Downtown Outpost That Earns Its Block
At 117 E Liberty St, the smaller, busier half of Ann Arbor's independent roaster.
RoosRoast's Liberty Street shop at 117 E Liberty St is the downtown cafe of Ann Arbor's independent roaster, smaller and busier than the Rosewood roastery, on a block that keeps getting better.
Bill's Drive-In Has Not Changed. That Is the Entire Point.
Since 1939, the mustard-colored building on East Michigan Avenue has been serving root beer and hot dogs from the same window.
Bill's Drive-In at 1292 E Michigan Ave in Ypsilanti has been open since 1939. House-made root beer in a chilled mug, carhop service, and hot dogs that taste like they always have.
Pacific Rim Has Been Here the Whole Time
A pan-Asian restaurant on West Liberty that has outlasted nearly every trend in downtown Ann Arbor.
Pacific Rim at 114 W Liberty St has served pan-Asian food in downtown Ann Arbor for years. The pad thai is reliable, the sushi is competent, and the longevity tells its own story.
Tmaz Taqueria Beyond the Fold
The Packard Street taqueria earned its spot in our taco series. Here is everything else on the menu.
Tmaz Taqueria at 3182 Packard St serves tacos, pupusas, tamales, and enchiladas until 4 a.m. The full profile of Ann Arbor's best late-night taqueria.
The Fold: Taqueria El Rey
The taco series crosses the county line into Southwest Detroit for the first time.
The Fold Entry #5 takes the series to Southwest Detroit's Vernor Highway, where Taqueria El Rey has been serving some of the best tacos in the metro area for years.
Pizza House Keeps Ann Arbor's Late-Night Kitchen Running
The Church Street restaurant has operated since 1986 and currently advertises dine-in and delivery until 4 a.m. daily.
Pizza House at 618 Church St has served Ann Arbor since 1986, with pizza, sandwiches, pasta, and delivery advertised until 4 a.m. daily.
Black Pearl Has Been on Main Street for 17 Years. It Still Surprises People.
Ann Arbor's seafood-and-sushi stalwart defies easy categorization, and that's the whole point.
Seventeen years on Main Street. Black Pearl still defies easy categorization.
Slows Bar BQ Opened Before Corktown Had Anything, and It Is Still Here
At 2138 Michigan Ave, the restaurant that sparked a neighborhood's revival keeps smoking brisket. Eighteen years later, the line still forms.
Slows Bar BQ opened in Corktown in 2005 and helped turn a quiet stretch of Michigan Avenue into Detroit's best dining corridor. The brisket, the mac and cheese, and the case for the restaurant that started it all.
RoosRoast Roasts Coffee on Rosewood Street
The Ann Arbor company runs cafes on Rosewood and Liberty, plus an Ann Arbor Farmers Market stand.
RoosRoast operates cafes at 1155 Rosewood St and 117 E Liberty St, plus an Ann Arbor Farmers Market stand.
BTB Burrito Feeds You for Under $10 and Does Not Apologize
On South University, a burrito counter built for the budget and the clock.
BTB Burrito at 1140 S University Ave serves customizable burritos, bowls, and tacos at counter speed. The salsas are made in-house and the habanero has real heat.
The Fold: Tmaz Taqueria
The taco series comes back to Ann Arbor for a Packard Street spot open until 4 a.m.
The Fold Entry #4 returns to Ann Arbor proper for Tmaz Taqueria on Packard Street, where tacos run $2.50 when you buy two and the kitchen stays open until 4 a.m.
Argus Farm Stop Is Not a Grocery Store
At 325 W Liberty St, a retail model that puts local farms directly in front of local eaters.
Argus Farm Stop at 325 W Liberty St in Ann Arbor works with hundreds of local farms and producers to sell produce, meat, dairy, eggs, baked goods, and coffee under one roof. It is a distribution system disguised as a storefront.
The Common Grill Has Been Here for Thirty Years. Chelsea Still Needs It.
Chef Craig Common built a real restaurant in a town of 5,000 and kept it alive through everything.
Chef Craig Common has been running The Common Grill in Chelsea since the mid-1990s. Thirty years in a town of 5,000 is a story about food, loyalty, and stubbornness.
La Serre Is a Hotel Restaurant That Actually Earns the Reservation
Inside The Vanguard on Glen Avenue, chef Michael Polsinelli is running a 125-seat French brasserie at brasserie prices and brasserie standards.
Inside The Vanguard on Glen Avenue, a French brasserie with a display kitchen, raw bar, and full-service menu.
B2A2: Sidetrack's Signature Burger
Entry five heads to Ypsilanti, where a long-running Depot Town bar serves its signature burger.
The fifth entry in the Best Burger in Ann Arbor series crosses into Ypsilanti. Sidetrack Bar & Grill's signature burger brings the pub format to Depot Town.
Jolly Pumpkin Put Sour Beer on the Map. The Dexter Taproom Is Where You Should Drink It.
The country's first all-sour brewery has a kitchen that keeps up with the beer.
Ron Jeffries built America's first all-sour brewery in 2004. The Dexter taproom pairs oak-aged ales with wood-fired pizza and the best patio in Washtenaw County.
Supino Pizzeria Has Been Doing One Thing Right for Years. One Thing Is Enough.
In Eastern Market, Dave Mancini makes pizza that doesn't need a concept, a rebrand, or your Instagram post.
Supino Pizzeria in Eastern Market has spent years making thin-crust pizza with patience and consistency. No gimmicks. No reinvention. Just pizza worth the drive.
The Fold: Chela's
The taco series heads west on Dexter-Ann Arbor Road.
The Fold Entry #3 takes us to the Dexter corridor, where Chela's serves Mexico City street tacos from a family recipe and puts birria on the board every Friday and Saturday.
B2A2: Raven's Club Smash Burger
Our search for Ann Arbor's best burger starts in a dark cocktail bar on Main Street.
The first entry in our Best Burger in Ann Arbor series. Raven's Club serves a smash burger with a deep sear, excellent fries, and a garlic aioli that ties the whole plate together.
The Fold: MAIZ Mexican Cantina
The taco series crosses the Huron River into Ypsilanti for the first time.
The Fold Entry #2 takes us to Depot Town, where MAIZ Mexican Cantina builds tacos from scratch daily and makes a strong case for expanding our search beyond Ann Arbor's borders.
Lady of the House's Corktown Chapter
Kate Williams's whole-animal restaurant helped define Corktown's recent dining history before closing in 2021.
A sourced look at Kate Williams's Corktown restaurant, its whole-animal cooking model, and the chapter that ended in 2021.
The Fold: Dos Hermanos Express
The Ann Arbor taco series starts on a commercial strip in Scio Township.
The first entry in the Best Taco in Ann Arbor series. Dos Hermanos Express pairs a broad meat selection with house-made tortillas and salsas.
Dos Hermanos Express Is a Family Tradition Made Fresh Every Day
Brothers Alex and Hiram Arreola are carrying on a family legacy with from-scratch Mexican food on Jackson Industrial.
Two brothers, a family tradition, and from-scratch Mexican food on Jackson Industrial Drive.
B2A2: Frita Batidos
Entry two in our burger series isn't technically a burger. That's what makes it interesting.
The second entry in our Best Burger in Ann Arbor series. Frita Batidos serves a Cuban-style frita that challenges what 'burger' means in the first place.
Thompson & Co. Occupies 160 Years of Ypsilanti History. The Food Holds Up Its End.
Southern comfort food in a Civil War-era building that survived arson, abandonment, and an oak tree through the roof.
At 400 N River St in Depot Town, Thompson & Co. serves Southern comfort food inside the restored Thompson Block, a Civil War barracks that nearly burned to nothing in 2009.
Hyperion Coffee Connects Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor
The independent roaster now operates cafes on North River Street and West Liberty.
A source-linked profile of Hyperion Coffee's Ypsilanti roastery and its Ann Arbor cafe.
734 Brewing Is Ypsilanti, Poured Into a Glass
On Cross Street, a taproom built by Ypsi graduates brews beer that belongs to this city.
Founded by Ypsilanti High School graduates, 734 Brewing is a taproom that runs on local pride, rotating taps, and Cross Street foot traffic.
Flowers of Vietnam Started as a Sunday Pop-Up. Now It's One of Detroit's Best Restaurants.
In Southwest Detroit, Palestinian-American chef George Azar cooks Vietnamese food that doesn't explain itself. It doesn't need to.
George Azar's Flowers of Vietnam in Southwest Detroit started as a Sundays-only pop-up inside a coney island. Now it's a full-service restaurant where a Palestinian-American chef cooks some of the best Vietnamese food in Michigan.
B2A2: Blimpy Burger
Entry four goes to the counter where you've always built your own. No chef's vision. No cocktail menu. Just a flat-top and your choices.
The fourth entry in our Best Burger in Ann Arbor series. Blimpy Burger at 304 S Ashley St is the populist counterargument to everything we've eaten so far.
Marrow Is a Butcher Shop That Happens to Be Detroit's Most Important Restaurant
Chef Sarah Welch built a whole-animal operation on Kercheval Avenue where the butcher counter and the dining room share the same supply chain. The food is better for it.
Chef Sarah Welch's Marrow in Detroit is a whole-animal butcher shop and restaurant built around a single supply chain. Four dishes, one butcher counter, and the case for knowing where your meat comes from.
Aventura and the Table That Started Everything
At 216 East Washington, a Spanish tapas restaurant built on an old building and a trip to Spain is still the best argument for sharing.
Aventura brings Spanish tapas to downtown Ann Arbor with enough authenticity to satisfy and enough personality to stand on its own. Thirteen years in, it's still the best date-night format in town.
Cardamom Takes Indian Food Seriously. Ann Arbor Should Return the Favor.
On Plymouth Road, away from downtown's foot traffic, a kitchen is producing Indian food with ambition and attention to detail.
On Plymouth Road, a kitchen is producing Indian food with the kind of ambition and care that deserves more attention from downtown diners.
Hola Seoul and the Case for Kimchi Fries
Korean-Mexican fusion on North University that gets the balance right.
Hola Seoul at 715 N University Ave serves Korean-Mexican fusion with kimchi fries that justify the concept. The Korean fried chicken is the other reason to go.
Bellflower Is the Best Restaurant in Ypsilanti. The Rest of the County Should Know.
In a former Michigan Bell telephone exchange, chef Dan Klenotic is cooking food that rivals anything across the river.
In a former telephone exchange on Pearl Street, a James Beard semifinalist is cooking food that rivals anything in Ann Arbor.
Mani Osteria and the Case for Handmade Pasta in a College Town
At 341 East Liberty, a kitchen rolls its own pasta every day. In a city full of good restaurants, that still matters.
Mani Osteria makes its pasta by hand every day. In a college town with no shortage of Italian options, that commitment still sets it apart.
Seva Has Been Vegetarian Since Before You Cared. It's Still the Standard.
On Jackson Avenue, a restaurant that's been doing plant-based cooking for over fifty years doesn't need your permission to keep going.
Seva has been serving vegetarian food in Ann Arbor since the early 1970s. Over fifty years later, it's still the standard for plant-based dining in Washtenaw County.
The Fleetwood Diner Is Not Nostalgic. It's Just Still Here.
Seventy-seven years of hash browns, feta, and the flattop grill at 300 South Ashley.
The Fleetwood Diner has been open 24 hours at 300 S Ashley St since 1949. The Hippie Hash made it famous. The consistency kept it standing.