I'm going to be in the Ypsilanti area for a couple days in late July and I'm looking for guidance towards the best in food and brews. I'll weigh the option to stray an hour or two from that area - anything else may be too much. I'm a fan of all beer styles - and of any foods, just looking for some must-haves on my trip. Thanks in advance for the help!
Kuhnhenn is about an hour east. Ashley's in Ann Arbor has a good taplist and they often have cool events. Hit up Jolly Pumpking too! If you're venturing into Downtown Detroit and want to spend a lot of money on a truly spectacular meal with great beer pairings, try Michael Symon's Roast.
Corner Brewery is in Ypsi, and it is a sister brewery to Arbor Brewing in Ann Arbor. Ypsi is right next to AA, and the number of good restaurants there is a foodie's paradise. All of the brewpubs are worthy (Jolly Pumpkin, Arbor Brewing, Grizzly Peak, and Blue Tractor, pretty much in that order for my faves), and Ashley's was mentioned above. The 4 breweries are within 3 blocks of each other, and there is a city parking garage right across the street from Arbor, which is the most centralized brewery of the bunch.
I'll give a little mini-report on Ypsilanti itself, since the Ann Arbor/Grand Rapids/Warren areas will be sure to be covered in detail. If you're looking to stay in Ypsi (which really isn't that miserable ) there are a few good options, including Corner Brewery which has already been mentioned. Within a few blocks is Sidetrack--which has a great happy hour, I believe 3-6p and 10-1a (all liquor half off and 3.25 25oz beers, hard to beat.) They have 24 beers on tap, and no BMC. Aubree's/Sticks is across the street from Sidetrack if you get bored, or want pizza or an awesome calzone. They have some good beer on tap as well, although I wouldn't put it at the same level as Sidetrack as they have a lot of BMC as well. This is the place to go in Ypsilanti if you want to watch a game. My personal favorite is Wurst Bar, which has only been open a couple years, and is right across from EMU on Cross St. They have 12 taps, 10 of which are quality Michigan and otherwise craft. Always decent prices for what you get, and they're known for their bratwurst, hence the name. On Fridays after 8pm all drafts are two bucks! BM me if you want anymore specific information!
Depending on what day you'll be there, July 26-27 summer beer fest is going on. It's a must for beer nerds
Going to reiterate a couple mentions: Sidetracks for great food and an awesome tap list (best in Ypsi by far); Wurst Bar also has ridiculous food, and they have good beers on tap just not as much as Sidetrack. Red Rock, as mentioned, has great BBQ, good beers, but is a little pricier. They do have happy hour after 10pm though, which helps. (Sidetrack has a late night happy hour, too). Aubrees is good, but I personally would go to the other places. If you head to Ann Arbor, Ashley's is a must, as mentioned. I also like Conor Oneills. If you are looking to take some MI beers home with you, any liquor store/grocery store you hit will have MI beers, but Super 4 Liquor in Ann Arbor on State St has a a huge selection (not just MI beers, but beers in general). My regular shops are Huckleberry, which is right on Washtenaw (the main drag) in Ypsi, and Williams, which is on MI ave. Smaller selections, but they always get good stuff. Whole Foods has a decent selection, too. For random other things, I have to recommend La Fiesta for some good Mexican food, and Ugly Mug for absolutely delicious coffee that they roast themselves, as well as tasty bagel sandwiches. Outside of Ypsi, Ann Arbor, Kuhnhenn's is a must as mentioned. In Detroit, I would recommend hitting Fishbones, and having some fun @ Greektown casino. And Witch's Hat is probably 30 min Northish from Ypsi, and is a great lil brewery. Also, as mentioned, beerfest is the 26/27th and if that is when you are going to be here, definitely hit it. Its basically the best thing in the world. Sorry so lengthy, I used to live in Ypsi and love it.
