OT: What's your favorite Ann Arbor bar?
Sitting at work nostalgic about AA and also wishing I was at happy hour. Naturally led me to this topic.
For me it's Dominick's. A sunny afternoon with a constant buzz in hand in the backyard of Dom's is about as happy of a setting for me as there is. Bill's Beer Garden is a close second. I just love the outdoors + drinking combo if you can't tell.
What's your favorite Ann Arbor watering hole?
I liked Blue Lep in undergrad. Perfect for me as it wasn't a total shitshow like Ricks, but still a fun time time (and IMO more fun than Charley's).
I'd also go to the short-lived World of Beer and order the most obscure things they had in bottles on the menu. I remember getting some bottle of Lithuanian beer that opened like a bottle of champagne which the waitress had to look like 20 mins for.
Last Word and Raven's Club for cocktails, Bill's Beer Garden, HOMES, and Ashley's for beer
It's pretty sad that the V-Bell no longer exists. It's like they are eradicating the evidence of our youth! Like so many others in the late 70's and 80's, I rang the Bell for my 21st birthday.
My fraternity (Sigma Chi) called that place home from 1980-81. Many of the bartenders were Sigs and I worked as a bouncer there for two years. We had some amazing afterhours parties in there and the only "rule" the owner had was dont remove any bottles from the place. We could drink all we wanted but dont take any bottles out the door. So naturally some idiot would always want to smuggle a bottle out and fuck things up for the rest of us.
One thing I never understood then and definitely dont understand now. Girls would wouldnt even talk to me when I was just a guy in the bar drinking would buy me drinks, give me their phone numbers and lots more fun stuff the nights I worked the door. It was amazing the allure a freaking bouncer has over women and how fast that attraction ends when you're not working.
The summer after I graduated they turned the downstairs into a Japanese resturant Sunday - Thursday and the V Bell as we know it Friday and Saturday nights. That place had an enormous fish tank and one night a fight broke out and the thing got broken and hundreds of gallons of water and expensive Japanese tropical fish hit the floor. I'm pretty sure that marked the end of the V Bell as a place for college students to drink.
Fondest memories back then was telling a guy who was smoking a joint to take it outside only to have the AA police see him and tell him to take it back inside. And nobody telling him to put it out.
The likelihood that I was in the building at the same time as you is exceedingly high. We Phi Delts held down the bouncing at Charlies during its first years. But prior to Charlies, we could regularly be found in the Bell.
not his vocab.
fun to catch up with him. he called last month to chat. a very good contact to keep up with all the brothers.
Next thing you know, they'll close The Second Chance. During my time at UM, Bob Seger, the Ramones, and George Thorogood at the Chance were an essential part of the experience.
Forgot about the Second Chance. It was too expensive for me most of the time, always some kind of cover.
I'm a Rick's man through and through.
Of the South U trio Lep>Chucks>Jug. Most of my friends disagreed though, so I spent most of my time at Chucks.
Downtown, I love MASH mostly for their whiskey cocktails, plus new Pretzel Bell is great. Also Heidelberg and Old German (below Grizzly Peak).
I always enjoyed my time at Circus but also sort of hated it, if that makes sense?
Edit: Also Ashley's can't believe I forgot Ashley's. And when it's warm Dom's, Grotto, and Bill's.
Whenever I head back into town for a game, my first stop is Ashley's. I also like The Raven's Club on Main Street for a post game cocktail. They make a mean Old Fashioned there.
2. Liberty Inn
Dominicks. Highly recommended on gameday.
Sigh....
Dominick's is second.
It's a shitty strip mall bar filled with townies, but it was right by my friend's house during law shool so we would go there on occasion.
Dominick's is nice, but a bit pretentious. They gave me the stink eye once when I got hammered and put a dip in and started spitting in the mason jars.
The Jug.....but really any place that doesnt kick me out.
Liked getting hammered and stumbling home. Plus they have a sick Prime Rib Sandwich.
The problem is there's no such thing as "great sour beers."
- Thursday it was the V-Bell (greek hang-out, post-UGLI)
- Friday it was Rick's (late-night danger)
- Saturday it was Fraser's Pub or Dooley's (after house party, with the brothers)
- Tuesday (on occasion) it was the Blind Pig for jazz
Legal age for most of my undergrad years was 18, so all the bars were in play. These were my favorites. Also, I came to enjoy Dominic's and Ashley's later as an alum.
8 Ball, Ashley's, and the Bier Garden...in college we went to Good Time Charley's(ie's) a lot. Old German is good when the town is full of people...
One more vote for Joe's Star Lounge. Saw the Urbations there every chance I could - great band! Also have fond memories of dime beer night at Dooley's. Yes, that used to be a thing.
probably saw the Urbations 10 times between '79 and '83 at Joe's. How bout SLK for some ska at second chance.
Overall: Last Word
When I want to feel like an undergrad: Blue Lep
When I want a beer: Blue Tractor
Not quite Ann Arbor, but I miss getting stiverized!
the truck stop out on the 94 west of town. it was kind of famous, appearing in the background of new truck (as in semi tractor type of truck) ad at the time. i remember driving a car load of guys out there in our buddy chops' 4 speed chevette in a snow storm. i think we had 6 of us in that little car. the waitress brought us our first round of drinks and told us what we owed and my first thought was 'for which drink'. we called it getting 'stiverized'.
we all bounced/bartended/managed charlie's so that was the no-brainer in town. lots of fun there. dooley's too, particularly on st. patty's day, 0600 hrs drinking green beer.
Wow, there are really two posts in this thread claiming Stiver's! I may have been Stiverized a time or five...
but the rest of that is about right.