Dexter Michigan Restaurants & Dining
19 articles
Dexter is a ten-minute drive northwest of Ann Arbor, and it punches well above its weight for a town of under 5,000 people. Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales — the original Dexter brewery, before the expansion to Ann Arbor and Detroit — is here. So is a farming corridor that supplies much of Washtenaw County. The Main Street is short but worth the trip.
We've covered Dexter as part of our broader Washtenaw County beat since the beginning. Everything below is Dexter coverage.
A Day in Dexter: How to Eat Your Way Through a Small Town
Fifteen minutes west of Ann Arbor, a town that keeps surprising the people who bother to show up.
Dexter is 15 minutes from Ann Arbor and has more good food per capita than any town in the county. A day-trip guide from coffee to last call.
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 Is Dexter's Most Ambitious Restaurant
A seasonal scratch kitchen in a 19th-century farmhouse on Ann Arbor Street.
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.
Raterman Bread Haus Does One Thing and Builds Everything Else Around It
A 100% sourdough bakery on Grand Street in Dexter that turned bread into a bistro.
Raterman Bread Haus & Bistro at 8080 Grand St in Dexter is a 100% sourdough bakery that expanded into pizza, sandwiches, and seasonal soups. Nick and Violet Tiani Raterman built it from a farmers market stand.
Where to Eat with Kids in Washtenaw County
Twelve restaurants across Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Dexter, and Chelsea where children are welcome and the food is still good.
Finding restaurants that work for kids without boring the adults is harder than it should be. Twelve spots across Washtenaw County that thread the needle.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 Fold: The Rankings After Five Tacos
We've eaten our way from Ann Arbor's west side to Southwest Detroit. Here's how they stack up.
Five entries into The Fold taco series, it's time for a mid-series scorecard. From Dos Hermanos to Taqueria El Rey, ranked and reasoned.
Where to Eat in Dexter Michigan (2026): The Complete Restaurant Guide
Michigan's oldest cider mill, the country's first all-sour brewery, and a downtown that punches above its weight.
Where to eat in Dexter MI: 42 North Social House, Jolly Pumpkin, Raterman Bread Haus, Dexter Brunch House, and more. The complete guide to Dexter restaurants, 15 minutes from Ann Arbor.
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.
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.