Good restaurant/bar to watch the TA&M game in Ann Arbor?
I'm an alum who's flying to Ann Arbor tomorrow to speak at a recruiting event for my firm, and I will be having dinner with another alum to talk to him about possibly joining us. Naturally, we'd like a place with good food where we can watch the game but won't be so loud that we can't talk business. Though we've both been to A2 in recent years for football games, neither of us has lived there since the '80s. I'd really appreciate some recommendations. Thanks and GO BLUE!
Maybe try and get a room downstairs at the “new” Pretzel Bell.
Was this a joke?
Pretzel Bell downstairs will be raucous and loud, low lighting and packed:
Jk - red hawk is great though
Red Hawk is my #1 but bad tv situation. That might be perfect. Get the wings you won’t be disappointed.
Red hawk was my favorite in school. Their fish and chips was the best I've had anywhere.
March 22nd, 2018 at 10:29 AM ^
Best burger in AA
I am big fan of Wolverine Brewing Company. Great beer, great nachos, and the environment isn't overwhelming.
^^This. The pulled pork nachos are the best nachos in the history of ever. Plus, it's stumbling home distance for me.
Grizzly Peak. Great food and great beer. Nice atmosphere for talking and watching.
Blue tractor has a ton of TVs and shouldn’t be overwhelming. Grizzly Peak and Jolly Pumpkin might work, but I can’t remember how good the sight lines to the TVs are in there.
Fraser’s is an option, but that’s a bit more townie / dive, but at least won’t be overrun with students (the burgers there are great too)
Blue Tractor has a ton of TV's and won't be packed so much that you can't talk.
Also, the food there has gotten a lot better recently. There was a while that it wasn't that good at all.
I love Frasers down on Packard. Get there early.
Ehhhhh....better choices out there
March 21st, 2018 at 10:06 PM ^
PItchers are cheap, TVs are large, and students are nowhere to be seen. For some, that's a successful recipe.
March 21st, 2018 at 11:20 PM ^
Frasers is definitely more of a townie/country-feeling dive bar rather than city-dive.
I go there all the time, it's got a vibe.
But if you're only in A2 for one night on business, with another business person talking business, and you haven't be in A2 since the 80s, then yes, I would 100% not recommend going there.
It isn't even technically downtown.
Pretzel Bell would be slightly "nicer". Blue Tractor wouldn't be bad either, more casual than Pretzel Bell. Conor Oneills gets pretty rockin, but it gets super loud too.
(i've worked in literally nearly 1/3 of all the downtown ann arbor restaurants, and know at least someone in the other 2/3s)
And YES the Pulled Pork Nachos at Wolverine are delicious (and one of the few bars that will put on this old, little-known sport called "Hockey" on the TVs), but Wolverine is also just slightly outside of downtown.
Frasers is a hike, and even when it was across the street from me I would rather head downtown and watch it at Grizzly Peak or Blue Tractor. Wolverine could be worth going to if you had a car and wanted a quieter spot, definitely not walkable though. Haven't tried watching a game at Pretzel Bell, but definitely would recommend against Jolly Pumpkin for watching a game (though it's great at everything else).
March 22nd, 2018 at 12:23 AM ^
on an expense account and looking to woo someone to join his firm. Probably doesn't care about "cheap" and almost certainly doesn't care about pitchers.
I'd eat at the Chop House bar. TVs are there. Quiet enough. Great place to treat someone you want to hire.
March 22nd, 2018 at 10:06 AM ^
and some slices from backroom while watching the game through the windows of pizza house would be frowned upon right?
You have no idea how reaffirming it is to know that I'm not the only one who does this...
Haymarket which took over The Arena is a decent sports spot. P Bell basement too.
*Haymaker, but I agree. Went there for the Michigan Florida game and it was a lot of fun. Good board game bar other nights as well.
Apparently, angst concerning these posts is directly proportional to distance from A2
Frasers is a fun spot to watch games...avoid the downtown scene, pretty good pub food, usually have a good craft beer selection on tap.
Watched the 2013 Kansas game here. Great place.
I recommend Casey's on Depot St. The burgers are good, and there are several TVs. As with any of these places, I would get there early.
don't go.
Really depends how classy you want this meal to be...
Something like the bar at Chop House might be appropriate if you want it to be a suit and tie thing. (Note: Chop House isn’t my favorite but I’m struggling to think of v nice places with TVs. Maybe the bar at Weber’s?)
The issue is many nice places have TVs but don’t have sight lines everywhere.
Maybe do an early dinner somewhere nice and then go to a bar for the game?
I think they added a TV, but you might need to get lucky on timing. Definitely fancy, limited seating where you can actually watch the game though.
Whatever happened to The Arena, did that place open back up?
I believe The Arena had tax issues and the owner actually served time. It reopened as another bar for a bit.. Now it is Haymakers.
it’s called the haymaker now. i went there during lunch for the opening round games they had a pretty decent burger. probably not upscale enough for the op (and i honestly don’t mean that in a snarky way at all).
March 21st, 2018 at 10:04 PM ^
Couple of my buddies from High School own it. Living the dream - great guys. Say hi to Mark or Joe if you go.
All the jet setters and gadabouts, and people who've been on this blog forever, yet don't know a good restaurant or how to find one.
Soooooo do you have a suggestion?
Of course not, he's one of the 'jet setters and gadabouts'.
March 21st, 2018 at 10:36 PM ^
....No, he is the latest staee TROLL! He is on sabbatical from rcmb as not much to talk about for staee fans between ad coverups, nasser, and another quick exit by izzo and his most talented team ever!!!
I’ll be in Bora Bora, just for the game, before I head to Sydney for the weekend. Would anyone know of a Bora Borian that would be willing to hold my iPad for me while I watch the game. I’ll be streaming, so if you have any Wi-Fi info that would be nice too. Plus, I’ll be buying the iPad once I arrive, is there an Apple store on the island?
Is that better?
March 21st, 2018 at 10:27 PM ^
juicy wankelage
how'd you come up with this turdbit?
Knights has several TVs. It’s a reasonably priced steak house, with a great selection of food.
also, the one on campus has good tv sight lines in most locations
Knight's seems like the most versatile reputation. Closest mix of nice/upscale food while simultaneously casual with a good TV situation.
How does knights have a good tv situation?
Knights on Liberty has a large tv at the end of the dining area, and smaller tvs at the bar and other end of the dining area. Also has great food and mixed drinks. This is a excellent combo for watching the game and talking business.
March 22nd, 2018 at 10:36 AM ^
Knight's is great. It's that perfect blend of high quality meat but laid back atmosphere. You can get a great steak while watching sports and wearing jeans.
The session room on Jackson road. Great food, a lot of good craft beer, and at least 25 tv’s in place.
Good call but not really in Ann Arbor
March 21st, 2018 at 10:02 PM ^
It is. Ann Arbor is bigger than you think.
March 21st, 2018 at 11:09 PM ^
No, Session Room is in Scio Township, Ann Arbor ends at Wagner. Maybe look for the giant “Welcome To Scio Township” sign in the mediun there. But I was referring to it not really being in”Town” as a walkable place.
Now if you want to include the Session Room as it shares the 48103 zip with west Ann Arbor and uses the Stadium post office, this is true. 48103 extends out to almost Baker as does the A2 Public School boundaries where they encorporate Scio Farms.
The Blue Lep or The Garage for what will be rousing student action (have dinner at the Pizza House first) or Bar Louie.
We're going to start at BWW as they are having a Founder's Canadian Breakfast Stout tapping event -- awesome beer and it's truly a unicorn!
I would not take a potential business partner to Blue Lep. Also BWW was started in Columbus.