Ypsilanti Restaurants & Dining
35 articles
Ypsilanti doesn't get the attention it deserves. Five miles east of Ann Arbor on Michigan Avenue, it has the Depot Town corridor (Corner Brewery, restaurants anchoring the historic district), the downtown stretch near Frog Island, and an independent food scene that's been building quietly for years. Beezy's closed in 2025, which was a loss the city felt. New places keep opening.
Plate & Press covers Ypsilanti alongside Ann Arbor because the two cities eat together even when they don't get credit for it. Every piece of Ypsilanti coverage is below.
The Best Bars in Ypsilanti
From a crooked building on Cross Street to a bourbon lounge inside a Civil War barracks. Where to drink in Ypsi.
Sidetrack has the GQ burger and a patio that earns the hype. 734 Brewing pours the area code. Mash has the bourbon and the live music. A focused guide to the best places to drink in Ypsilanti.
Best Brunch in Ypsilanti: Where to Eat on Weekend Mornings
From a Civil War barracks to a James Beard kitchen, Ypsilanti's brunch scene is better than Ann Arbor wants to admit.
The best brunch in Ypsilanti: Bellflower's Sunday brunch changes weekly, Thompson & Co. does bananas foster French toast in a restored Civil War barracks, and The Bomber has been frying Cap'N Crunch French toast since 1936. A practical guide.
Where to Take Mom: A Mother's Day Dining Guide for 2026
Nine restaurants across Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, and Chelsea. Call this week.
Mother's Day is May 10. The best tables in Washtenaw County will fill within weeks. Nine restaurants, one guide, no time to wait.
Every Restaurant That Opened in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti: 2025-2026
A running list of new restaurants, cafes, and bars across Washtenaw County.
From a Korean kitchen above Jolly Pumpkin to a Filipino restaurant on Vernor Highway, here is every restaurant that opened in the Ann Arbor area in 2025 and 2026.
The 8 Best Cocktail Bars in Washtenaw County
From a speakeasy on Huron to a tiki bar in somebody's basement.
Eight bars where the drinks are as good as the atmosphere.
Best Coffee in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti
Seven roasters and cafes that take the cup seriously. No drive-through chains allowed.
Seven coffee shops across Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti where the beans are sourced with care, roasted with intention, and served by people who actually drink the stuff.
Three Closings and a Question: What Fills Ypsilanti's Gaps?
Wurst Bar, Beezy's, and Bobcat Bonnie's are gone. Here's what's coming next.
Ypsilanti lost three restaurants in a year. The spaces aren't all empty. New concepts are moving in, and what they look like says something about what the city needs.
The Best Mexican Food in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti
Beyond the taco rankings: burritos, enchiladas, mole, tortas, and the full picture.
Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti have more serious Mexican restaurants than most people realize. From a Jackson Road drive-through to a Depot Town cantina, here is the full picture.
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.
Fine Dining in Washtenaw County: Where to Spend the Money
Seven restaurants where the check is high and the food justifies it.
From a James Beard semifinalist on South Main to a tasting menu inside a wine shop, here are the restaurants in Washtenaw County where spending more gets you something genuinely better.
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.
Crawdaddy's Creole Brought Louisiana to Washington Street
In the old Beezy's space in downtown Ypsilanti, a Creole kitchen is serving gumbo, po'boys, and a spice level that means what it says.
Crawdaddy's Creole at 20 N Washington St in Ypsilanti serves gumbo, po'boys, and jambalaya in the former Beezy's space. The Creole kitchen fills a gap in Ypsilanti's dining lineup that nobody else was trying to fill.
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.
B2A2: The Rankings After Six Burgers
We've eaten our way from a cocktail bar to a Corktown slider joint. Here's how they stack up.
Six entries into the Best Burger in Ann Arbor series, it's time for an updated scorecard. From Raven's Club to Green Dot Stables, ranked and reasoned.
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.
Wiard's Orchards Is Fall in Washtenaw County
At 5565 Merritt Rd, a farm that becomes a destination every September.
Wiard's Orchards at 5565 Merritt Rd in Ypsilanti runs a cider mill, corn maze, hayrides, and U-pick pumpkins every fall. The orchard store opens in early September.
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.
Beezy's Closes Quietly in Downtown Ypsilanti
The café at 20 N Washington Street served its last coffee and pastry in September.
Beezy's closed in September after years of scratch-made breakfasts and baked goods at 20 N Washington in downtown Ypsilanti.
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.
Wurst Bar Closes on Cross Street
The gourmet sausage and craft beer bar at 705 W Cross Street served its last plate in August.
Wurst Bar closed in August after years on Cross Street in Ypsilanti, leaving a gap in the corridor's identity.
Vegetarian and Vegan Guide to Ann Arbor
Eight restaurants where the plant-based food isn't an afterthought.
Eight restaurants in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti where the vegetarian and vegan options are the reason to go, not a consolation prize.
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.
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.
B2A2: Sidetrack's Signature Burger
Entry five heads to Ypsilanti. A crooked building in Depot Town where GQ once told you to eat.
The fifth entry in our Best Burger in Ann Arbor series crosses into Ypsilanti. Sidetrack Bar & Grill's wagyu signature burger at 56 E Cross St is the pub burger the series was missing.
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.
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 Is Ypsilanti's Answer to a Question Ann Arbor Thinks It Already Solved
At 306 N River St in Depot Town, a roaster treats coffee the way a winery treats grapes. RoosRoast should be paying attention.
Hyperion Coffee roasts single-origin, direct-trade beans at 306 N River St in Ypsilanti's Depot Town. A profile of the roaster challenging Ann Arbor's coffee assumptions.
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.
Ypsilanti Is Having a Moment. This Time It Might Stick.
Lower rents, creative chefs, and a dining scene that's finally finding its footing.
Lower rents, creative chefs, and a scene that's finally hitting its stride.
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.
Where to Eat in Ypsilanti (2026): The Complete Restaurant Guide
Bellflower, Sidetrack, and 12 more reasons Ypsi's restaurant scene deserves your full attention.
Where to eat in Ypsilanti: Bellflower, Sidetrack Bar & Grill, MAIZ Mexican Cantina, Ma Lou's Fried Chicken, and more. The complete restaurant guide for Ypsi, updated 2026.
Sidetrack Has Been Anchoring Depot Town Since Before You Were Born
An 1850s building, a 1929 train wreck, and a burger that GQ told you to eat. The full story of Ypsilanti's most durable bar.
Sidetrack Bar & Grill has been feeding Depot Town from an 1850s building that a train once hit. The burger made GQ's must-eat list. The patio might be the best in Washtenaw County.
Bobcat Bonnie's Ypsilanti Is Gone
The Detroit chain's Michigan Avenue location closed in October amid a labor dispute.
Bobcat Bonnie's closed its Ypsilanti location at 200 W Michigan Ave in October 2024 after employees filed a petition over bounced paychecks and working conditions. A new restaurant concept was later announced for the space.
What Ypsilanti Lost When Cultivate Coffee Closed
A church-backed coffee shop that became Depot Town's living room. Then the city declined a tent permit, and it was over.
Cultivate Coffee & Tap House closed in February 2022 after the city of Ypsilanti declined to renew its heated outdoor tent permit. The space on North River Street is now Vertex Coffee Roasters.