Box Bar

Bar, Eatery

777 W Ann Arbor Trl
Plymouth, Michigan, 48170-1631
United States

// CLOSED //
PLACE STATS
Average:
3.54
Reviews:
10
Ratings:
18
pDev:
16.38%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by rjcoy06:
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Rated by rjcoy06 from Michigan

2.5/5  rDev -29.4%

Sep 15, 2014
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.91 by SaisonRichBiere from Michigan

May 16, 2016
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Rated by todesengel135 from Michigan

2.75/5  rDev -22.3%
beer selection is phenomenal but the food is horrible and for as many local beers they dont have any jolly pumpkin
Sep 08, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by CDubbs75 from Michigan

Aug 09, 2014
 
Rated: 2.75 by TurboBrew from Michigan

Jul 05, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by DavidRandall from Michigan

Jan 25, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by Slick50 from Michigan

Dec 30, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by JasonR1975 from Michigan

Oct 08, 2013
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Reviewed by 1koolspud from Illinois

4.14/5  rDev +16.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
I just visited this place last night for the first time. My group sat outside on the patio, as the weather was right. Service was spot on for our part of 6. Our server made sure no one had an empty glass unless they decided they were done. Pricing was about average for what I am used to, but I am used to Chicago pricing, so I am not sure if that is pricey or not for the area.

Box Bar has a full page draught list, and several pages of bottles, listed by country of origin. My complaint here is that for the uninitiated, it only lists brewery and beer name, so unless you are looking up each one you might be interested in on a smart phone, you are selecting blind. I have been to similar kinds of bars that have had a secondary list by style that has helped with this kind of issue. Also, they had one Gluten Free beer in stock, and it was not listed as such.
Aug 29, 2011
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Reviewed by BehindtheFinBrew from Iowa

3.95/5  rDev +11.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 3.5
Had a friend that always suggested The Box Bar but never went, but we finally made it.

The atmosphere is German beerhall-esque with cathedral ceilings and large steins lining the main room. Behind the bar is a seemingly never ending beer cooler with bottles from all over the world. They have several options on tap from your regular choices to some rotating global choices.

A daily tray sampler is offered with consisted of Brooklyns Brown Ale, Celebrator Doppelbock, Flying Dog Doggie Style Pale Ale, and EB Pils. Not a bad choice of beers beside the Flying Dog. A pint of Old Speckled Hen was ordered after dinner. The pints are a little pricey with some pushing $7-8, but most in the $4-5 range.

The food menu is a hodge-podge of sports bar/family restaurant offerings. My friend and I both ordered a basic burger which was decently priced at about $7.

Overall, a nice place to drop by in Plymouth if you want some solid food choices and try a few beers.
Jun 06, 2010
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Reviewed by h00dak from Michigan

3.55/5  rDev +0.3%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
Located in downtown Plymouth, The Box Bar is a really nice to place to eat and drink. I highly recommend their pulled pork sandwich, which is really good. They have a decent beer selection here and feature new beers once in a while.

In the summer the patio dining is quite nice. You have a nice view of the park and the fountain. Service was pretty good when I went last time.

It is a bit upscale in some ways which may be a turn off for some. I don't mind it so much because it isn't too bad here.

Great place to take the family or take the guys but for beer drinking in plymouth, I will always recommend liberty street brewing company.
Feb 04, 2010
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Reviewed by civilizedpsycho from Michigan

4.4/5  rDev +24.3%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 4
I went to this place for the first time the other day. I had been told by many that they have an excellent beer selection: All I have to say is "Wow". They have the largest beer selection of any bar I've been to. On top of that, they actually provide you with the proper glassware. At other bars, if I order a beer in a bottle, I have to request a glass, and they usually provide me with a simple pint glass. I don't have a big problem with that in general, but here, I didn't even have to ask, and they gave me the right glass. I ordered a Duvel and they provided me with a goblet. My friend ordered a Framboise and they gave her a champagne flute. I really liked that aspect. I had some of their nachos and they were good, and apparently they have really good burgers. Our waitress was great and talked to us and actually knew about beer. That's a luxury that is too often missing at bars. The atmosphere left a little to be desired because they had a bunch of Christmas junk up, but it wasn't bad. I think I will be frequenting this place from now on.
Nov 24, 2009
Photo of ElHefeweizen
Reviewed by ElHefeweizen from Michigan

3.18/5  rDev -10.2%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3 | service: 2.5 | selection: 4 | food: 3.5
I live near this bar and frequent it not so frequently. They serve tons of different beers which is their strong-point. Everything else is just ho-hum. They tend to be expensive, and I never had very good service. This was a real blue collar joint 20 years ago, now it seems a little to stuffy and "upper crust" for my liking. I don't think we need to go punch holes in the walls, but this place could use some excitement. If you find yourself in Plymouth, put on a suit and fire up that Bluetooth then stop on in.
Feb 20, 2009
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Reviewed by ElGrecoVerde from Michigan

4.08/5  rDev +15.3%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 5 | food: 4
For a bar/restaurant, this place has a great selection. The location in downtown Plymouth is also noteworthy. Beer menu with hundreds of choices separated by region. They also have a full page menu for draft beers.

The food is very hit or miss. The burgers are amazing. They are like giant sliders. Delicious. But some items, like the spinach artichoke dip, you must keep away from.

Service is so-so. At the tables it's hit or miss. At the bar, it's usually very good. Many of the bartenders are well versed in the beer selection.

Overall, a nice place with plenty of beers.
Feb 21, 2008
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Reviewed by Frozensoul327 from Michigan

3.33/5  rDev -5.9%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3
I've been to the Box Bar so many times, but never really thought of it as a "beer bar" per se. The atmosphere is cool, as the back of the establishment is lined with coolers of beer, and some hard to find rarities. Most of the time though, this place is packed to the hilt, making a quiet, enjoyable experience a distant memory. The quality of the beers on tap is questionable, as they don't know how to pour a beer, and the tap lines may be in need of some service. My suds were flat. The service is what I'd expect from a McDonald's; uninspired, lackluster and generally mediocre. The waitresses don't have a whole lot of beer knowledge, but then again, the menu is quite extensive, so they probably worry about that. In any case, the selection is decent. As I said earlier, on occasion, I find something there I have not seen before, and give it a try. If it's in a bottle, it's hit or miss, as the coolers are so over powered with lighting, I wonder how long a brew can really last in there. The food is fair, nothing amazing, and nothing that made me want to vomit either. That is, until you look at your bill. This place is pretty damned expensive, therefore I only go there every blue moon when I'm out in Plymouth. Worth a stop, but don't fret if you pass it by.
Jan 16, 2006
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Reviewed by Gaisgeil from Michigan

2.83/5  rDev -20.1%
vibe: 2 | quality: 2 | service: 3 | selection: 4
I walked into this spot expecting to find something of a beer lover's mecca, what I found was a family diner that serves beer. Lots of kids around, family style booth seating and average to mediocre service. Granted, the beer list was quite extensive, both draft and bottled but what I did order suffered from overpricing and poorly kept tap lines which led to nearly flat beer. This place needs to decide if it's a beer bar or a Big Boy's.

I doubt I'll be coming back here anytime soon.

Slàinte! (somewhere else)
Nov 08, 2005
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Reviewed by proc from Michigan

3.98/5  rDev +12.4%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3.5
An excellent selection of beers can be found here. In fact, I'd think you'd be hard-pressed to find a better or more numerous selection anywhere in the Detroit area. They give you a beer menu that had to be almost a dozen pages long. I didn't eat, but my friends liked the food. Atmosphere could be better. For a great beer bar, it passes itself off more as a restaurant-style bar with good beer. It could use a longer bar to sit down. Again, the beer selection is top-notch.
Mar 10, 2003
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Reviewed by marburg from Michigan

3.2/5  rDev -9.6%
vibe: 2.5 | quality: 3 | service: 2.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3
To cut to the chase: don't come here if you're not just planning on having some quality beer.

The service is pretty much awful, and the food is pretty mediocre beyond the simple bar food appetizers.

But they have the best beer selection I've seen in the Detroit/Ann Arbor area at around 500-600 beers. It's not quite the Brickskellar in Washington DC or anything, but I think it's the best we've got in my part of the country in terms of number of beers They sometimes are out of some of the more obscure beers, but with so many to choose from, it hasn't been a huge problem yet.

It's just the waiting for 20 minutes to order the beer in the first place that gets on my nerves. If you're looking for service, food, or better atmosphere, head down the street to Sean O'Callahagn's Irish Pub. But if you're looking for beer selection, The Box Bar's the place to go.
Feb 03, 2003
Box Bar in Plymouth, MI
Place rating: 3.54 out of 5 with 18 ratings