In this post, we’ve compiled a list of 10 of the best restaurants in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Read on to learn about them and what they offer.
1. Taste Kitchen
Taste Kitchen is the dream of most accomplished chefs; local, carefully sourced produce and meat in tandem with seasonal, sustainable business practices. They blend high-end French fine dining and New Age Americana, and it’s well worth the wait. Taste is open from 4:30-10 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, from 5-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday, and 5-9 p.m. on Sunday.
It’s hard to describe Taste Kitchen’s menu accurately. On the one hand, it changes a minimum of four times a year as the season switches. And on the other hand, it’s creative, artistic, and unique. You’ll find full Omakase tastings alongside sashimi, charcuterie, and seafood.
Go to Taste Kitchen’s reservation page to get a table.
2. Spencer
Spencer is another of Ann Arbor’s fine-dining-adjacent shops. While the feel of the store is relaxed and summery, the food is classy, complex, and unique to the area. And yet again, it’s another seasonal beauty. Spencer is open from 6-10 p.m. for dinner Thursday-Sunday, their patio is open from Friday-Sunday between 12-5 p.m., and their wine shop is open from 12-8 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday. Spencer is closed Monday-Tuesday.
This is another one of those places whose menu is hard to pin down. It’s highly seasonal, made up of a single page, with between 4-6 items, changing every ten to fourteen days. The most recent menu includes fried squash blossom and chèvre, a halibut and cockle persillade, and carefully crafted desserts. At the end of the day, you’ll need to stop in to see the current offerings.
Go to Spencer’s reservation page to experience their service yourself.
3. Frita Batidos Ann Arbor
Frita Batidos is a well-known name in Michigan. With three locations between Ann Arbor and Detroit, they’ve won best Cuban restaurant in the past year and the best burger in Michigan from 2014 to 2021 by Michigan Daily Readers. Frita Batidos Ann Arbor is open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and from 11 a.m. to 12 a.m. Friday-Saturday.
Those who love street food (especially Cuban street food) will be super happy to know that Frita Batidos is your stop for the best street munchies in Ann Arbor. From burgers to Cubanos and fried plantains, there’s something crunchy and delicious here for people of all walks of life and any tastes.
Go to Frita Batidos’ contact page to get in touch.
4. Blue Llama Jazz Club
The Blue Llama Jazz Club is like stepping into another time and place. The live jazz brings memories of smoke-filled lobbies and the crooning of saxophones and sultry voices – an excellent thing. Blue Llama specializes in high-class classic American meals with Italian and Spanish influences. They’re open from 6-11 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
The menu at Blue Llama is quite unique. You’ll find three menus – opening notes, main, and ocean. The first menu consists of ceviche, chilled market oysters, and roasted pear & beet salad. The second rotates each week (this week’s specials include ramp pesto and Provoleta), and the third (obviously) is chock-full of tasty ocean-based meals.
Get a reservation on Blue Llama Jazz Club’s booking page.
5. First Bite
First Bite is another chef’s dream come true. Local produce, local people, love for food, and careful, ethical sourcing meet here to form something incredible. Their one and only goal is to enhance and maintain the well-being of their staff, vendors, and customers. First Bite is open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekly.
Whether you’re getting delivery, picking up, or dining in, First Bite’s menu is excellent. From breakfast sandwiches and wraps to salad, curry, rice bowls, and poultry burgers, there’s a lot to love here. And (for the millennials), if you want to further “destroy the economy,” grab yourself a piece of their organic avocado toast!
Go to First Bite’s contact page to get in touch.
6. Detroit Street Filling Station
The Detroit Street Filling Station is one of the best vegan spots in the Ann Arbor area. Focusing on plant-based, sustainable food, the Filling Station ensures every customer to enter leaves full and happy. They’ve been around for over ten years now and are still going strong. The Filling Station is open from 12-7:45 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, closing fifteen minutes later on Friday and Saturday.
The menu at the Filling Station is both unique and delicious. From spicy cauliflower “wings” and artichoke dip to plant-based Bahn Mi and grilled “cheese,” there’s something here for everyone. Just trust me when I say that a well-made plant-based meal is indifferentiable from a meat-based one – you’ll be pretty happy at the Filling Station.
Go to Detroit Street Filling Station’s contact page to reach out.
7. Of Rice and Men
Locally sourced ingredients, passion for tasty dim sum and sushi, and sheer skill combine at Of Rice and Men to create an excellent modern Asian restaurant. Founded in 2020, they’ve handled the pandemic professionally and earned success through hard work. Of Rice and Men is open from 5-11 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, and is closed Sunday-Monday.
Of Rice and Men is an Asian cuisine restaurant with a blend of Chinese, Korean, and Japanese flavors. You’ll find top-notch dim sum, incredible sushi rolls, and classics like Peking duck and grilled, crispy pork belly. And if you want drinks, they’ve got a fantastic cocktail menu and a well-stocked inventory of sake and Japanese whiskey.
Go to Of Rice and Men’s online booking page to get yourself a table.
8. Le Dog = La Soup
Le Dog La Soup is a quaint and quite unique shop in Ann Arbor. They eschew traditional ideas of menu cohesion in favor of serving hot dogs, homestyle soup, and lemonade with excellent artwork surrounding the line at every step. Le Dog La Soup is open from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday-Friday and is closed on weekends.
Le Dog La Soup has a minimal menu. You’ll find precisely three things on offer here – soup, hot dogs, and lemonade. The customer favorites include their rotating (seasonal) homemade lobster bisque, mustard soup, and several other shockingly delicious yet unique soups.
Head to Le Dog = La Soup’s contact page to get in touch.
9. The Ravens Club
The Ravens Club is a tremendously laidback spot for dates and snacks. They’re a longstanding spot of over a decade in Ann Arbor and carry over 150 American whiskies, seasonal food, and handcrafted rotating cocktails. The Ravens Club is open from 4-11 p.m. Monday-Saturday, closing an hour early on Sundays. Their kitchen closes an hour before the lobby, so plan ahead.
Whether you want a hefty burger, housemade (hand-cut) fries, pork buns, or seared duck breast, there’s an incredible assortment of tasty snacks at the Ravens Club. And then there’s their cocktail and spirits menu. It’s nine pages long. That’s all I have to say about that – in short, cocktail and whiskey lovers will be entirely at home at the Ravens Club.
Go to the Ravens Club’s contact page to reach out.
10. Jerusalem Garden
And we finally make it to the last spot on our list, Jerusalem Garden. It’s the self-described “corner of Palestine in the heart of Ann Arbor” and has served up delicious Middle Eastern & Mediterranean meals since 1987. Jerusalem Garden is open from 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday and is closed on Sunday.
Those unfamiliar with Palestinian food will be both surprised and in love upon tasting owner Ribhi Ramlawi’s meals. They carry the obvious falafel, hummus, baba ghanoug, and fattoush (think various dips with flatbread), as well as shawarma, dolmas, and more. In short, Palestinian food is incredible, and you absolutely need to try it if you never have – and where better than Jerusalem Garden?
Go to Jerusalem Garden’s contact page to get in touch.
