Common Grill

EVERYTHING was fantastic! Our wait person, Meghan, was so friendly and very attentive. The wine was great. Very tasty salad with roasted pears and nuts. The beef medallions were cooked to perfection. And the dessert? Out of this 🌎!!! Chocolate Pot De Creme.

Didn't have a wait, but it had snowed & everyone was probably hibernating. Ordered an espresso martini & the Chicken & Waffle...other pics are from the others at the table. Was very good & Bobby was very attentive.

Great restaurant. The shrimp cocktail was the biggest shrimp I've ever had, and were delicious. The tenderloin was amazing, as well. Highly recommend!!!

What more can we say but it's not really such a " ommon" place. Food superb with some of the best chefs from around the world. Large high quality portions, and served not with their noses stuck in the air with only a pin price of a scrap on the plate costing one a zillion dollars, but this place is upscale as can be and although to some it maybe a bit pricey it is worth every penny of it. Atmosphere is great too with occasional entertainment or great tasteful background modern music. A great place to take the kids or fam for a special occasion,- say graduation, wedding party, Mother's day, G'ma & G'pa's visits, da boss to impress at lunch or a nice meal before or after going to a play at The Purple Rose Theatre in Chelse, MICH I GAN!

Noisy atmosphere; service adequate. Parmesan encrusted whitefish bland; orzo and mushrooms very good side, as were green beans. New England Clam Chowder soup BEST I ever had. Bloody Mary (with Grey goose) just okay; kind of too peppery. Pumpkin cheesecake dessert - generous piece but only so so tastewise

We celebrated our five-year anniversary together at Common Grill last night and we couldn’t have picked a lovelier place for the occasion! There was live music while we dined, which contributed to the warm & inviting atmosphere. The service was superb and friendly. Our waitress, Bonnie, was excellent in recommending some things on the menu for my gluten sensitivity. I’m also so glad to see the GF choices are labeled right on the menu, thank you so much for that because it’s super helpful. I’m worried I’ll never want to try anything else because the Tuscan Pear salad I had was so perfectly delicious. The steak I ordered as an add-on to my salad was PERFECTION. The cheddar mashed potatoes too, oh my goodness, I savored every bite! And the Peanut Butter pie as dessert was INSANE. Delectable. I appreciate so much that everything is made in-house. What a true gem of a local restaurant! I can’t wait to return and explore more of their menu. If you’re looking for a place in Chelsea that combines amazing food with a welcoming vibe, this restaurant should be at the top of your list!

I have no idea why it took so long to try this restaurant but it was worth the wait. Our waitress, Meaghan, was so friendly I wanted to invite her to join us lol. We split 3 appetizers and one entree and to say it was all amazing is an understatement. Our favorite was the lobster spring rolls. The lobster was cooked perfectly, and there was just enough bite to it. Now I don’t know what the normal crowd brings but this particular evening we were there brought a majority of older clientele who were all dressed very nicely. Although we are still in our 40s, I really appreciated the well dressed crowd that was dining. The entire staff was smiling and friendly which says a lot about a place. Can’t wait to go back!

Came here for our anniversary. Deserves more than 5 stars. Staff was very friendly. Food was amazing!!! Prices are well worth the quality of the food. Will definitely be back. Thank you for a superb anniversary dinner!!!

Quality of food is always great. In a cute little town with great little shops. The staff are always helpful and will make changes to the menu if you have dietary restrictions. I make sure to visit a few times each year! Ps. Seasonal menus!

Our server was attentive and excellent. The food was up quickly. They don't have a large menu, but there are things for most interests. I got the chicken Marsala and pear salad with Parmesan instead of bleu cheese. The salad was creative and yummy. The Marsala was just okay. I look forward to trying the soup sometime, they sounded yummy! We came on a Friday evening and it was a fun vibe, you can tell people enjoy meetups here. I loved that I could make a reservation and they got us in immediately when we were 5 mins early. I'm interested in trying more of the menu, but my initial thought was that's it's slightly overpriced and though good, maybe not as excellent as the price reflects. Overall I think we'll come back. The dessert menu looked amazing. The brûlée was pretty good, but not necessarily the best I've had in the area. Definitely scratched the itch though!

The Mahi-Mahi tacos were lovely. The fish tasted fresh, as did the salsa. They were served with shoestring fries that were also very good. We had a 415 pm reservation but arrived a half an hour early and were able to be seated right away. Our server, Beth, was friendly and efficient. The restaurant itself was bright and open.

Had a lovely dinner with my dad here. I tried two drinks off their spirit free cocktail list and enjoyed them both - the Hibiscus Lemonade was flavorful and not too sweet; the black tea soda was refreshing. The brown butter Brussels sprouts were so tasty - we cleared the plate. I got the Grilled Salmon Salad Santa Fe and it was really tasty but I thought the greens were a little dry so I requested an extra side of dressing. My dad got the blackened steak salad which he enjoyed. The tiramisu was super tasty - so glad we tried it. Our server was calm and kind - she was attentive without being overbearing and kept our table clear and drinks full. I had a great experience.

Mixed review coming up. Have heard nothing but great things about this place. Years of high praise and kudos. Went for the first time on the 13th. 4 of us. Reservation at 5:15. Place was pretty slow. Got in a little early and greeted and seated right away. Our server was Morgan and she was very good at her job. Attentive, pleasant, and a sense of humor. So here we go. Pros: Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes- order them. Large and worth every penny. Grilled Salmon Salad Santa Fe- order it. Salmon grilled to your request and big enough for 2. New England Clam Chowda- try it. I have had better. This was very thin but it did have a lot of clams. Morgan- ask for her. She made the dinner well worth it. Very friendly. Fun to have a conversation with. Cons: The floor was very sticky. Very hard to move chairs. Hoping it was just do to wooden legs and the finish on the wooden floor. Noise- above average. We could carry on a conversation at 5:15 but once the Grill started to fill up it was hard to think. Fish and Chips- overpriced. Good but spend your money on something else. I can get this meal in the freezer section. Walleye- extremely disappointed. Very expensive for 3 small pieces of fish. The menu really needs to say that this is not a fillet Menu says walnut crusted so I thought it would be a nice sized fillet. Rice pilaf was dripping in liquid. I would say skip this dish unless you just like to spend money. Now, I would say that this is still a got to place in my book but I will be ordering something else. It is expensive but some of the menu items seem to worth it. We will see.

A recent weekend meant a chance to try a new place. We had long wanted to check out the Common Grill in Chelsea, and finally had the chance to do so. Although it was a Sunday night, we were glad that we had made a reservation - the place was busy! We were promptly seated and had an attentive server throughout. I started with the Rosemary Hibiscus Mocktail, which was refreshing and not too sweet - would definitely recommend! Next came the Tuscan salad. Fresh ingredients, a light dressing and just a touch of sweet walnuts and goat cheese made it a unique and delicious start to the meal. We both ordered the Halibut, which we both were disappointed with. It was finished blackened, and seasoning and cooking overpowered the delicate natural flavor and flaky texture of the fish. Overall we enjoyed our meal and would be happy to return at some point.

Due the distance, I go to Common Grill approximately once every-other year, and I must say, I love just as much today as I loved it 25 years ago! The food is so rich in flavor, you can tell they love & respect food. And the staff has always been wonderful!

This is the first time I've been here since they've been under new management. The service was wonderful. I don't recommend, but I did it, I walked in on my cell phone and sat at the bar. The staff brought the menu with a smile and allowed me some privacy to finish but was attentive to know I wanted to order before I finished my conversation. Ride of me but they were phenomenal! Everything came out in a very timely fashion allowing me time to eat my salad. Or at least as much as I wanted. The meal was so good. Salad, fish, and veg. I have no complaints. The restaurant itself is well lit, the decorations are not overbearing and the atmosphere inviting. I'm so lad I was able to give them another try! It's still a wonderful place to dine.

Tried out brunch since they've expanded their offerings. Mimosas are a great blend with options between OJ, grapefruit, mango, etc. The crab cake Benedict and potatoes were really good. A bit expensive at $27 but less than $10 compared to the appetizer. The chicken and waffles also looked good but portion was quite small compared to what I'd expect for something as hardy as that dish. Service was outstanding, our server was polite and engaging. Would return in a heartbeat.

I have been going to Common Grill for some 27 years. I know it's sold. I'm not sure when I made a reservation. We arrived five minutes prior to our scheduled reservation and we are seated then 15 minutes later I decided to go ask what happened to our service. The waitress is not contacted and or did not see us, which is not the end of the world I ordered vodka is soda. I think they forgot the vodka. The oyster appetizer was good. The baked rolls were amazing. I was not overly hungry so I ordered a Caesar salad with salmon. It was good. My wife had a bowl of soup. Seeing that she ate all the oysters and it was good. Overall, the waitress was qualified to did a great job. I left her a 35% tip. They need to learn how to make drinks with a good pour.

The food and atmosphere have always been great in this busy place, and that has not changed since the shift in ownership. Seafood dishes are especially good and the beer and liquor selections are numerous. Our server was experienced and attentive. Highly recommended.

What a fantastic, beautiful restaurant!! We went on a whim hoping they had a table available after seeing a play at the Purple Rose Theater. We got lucky and got right in even though they were booked. The front of the house manager very accommodating. Our waiter, Tom was knowledgeable about the menu and extremely attentive. The food was so good!! We will definitely be back!

For 20 + years I've enjoyed the Common Grill experience. Their servers are excellent. The previous owner checked the dishes as the server was taking them to their table. Every dish was perfect, always tasted the same. The Lobster Spring Rolls now have a mushy taste. Their wooden floor needs to be washed as well as their tables. Not too great when your shoes stick to the floor.

I wasn't expecting to stop here or even knew this place existed. But thankfully to Yelp, The Common popped up. The open style restaurant with exposed brick and art deco inspired interior gave way to a warm and inviting aroma as soon as we stepped in. Right away I could tell it was an upscale yet casual restaurant. It was a little over half full so no wait on this Saturday night. Our waiter Bobby U. was engaging, relaxed and even funny. Answered any and all questions and was a full hands in full hands out type of waiter he balance multiple tables effortlessly and other members of the team were unafraid to pick up empty plates fill water glasses etc. As for the food....I cannot come up with enough details to describe how much my husband and I loved every single thing we ate. Oysters on the half, we got two of each kind and they were so satisfying with beautiful ocean flavor. Such a clean taste. My salad had the most delicious goat cheese and every bite tasted as good as the last. The mahi tacos were full of flakey fresh tasting fish with a subtle blackened spice. The clam chowder was not fishy smelling or tasting. Not too thick it was actually refreshing. It was a rainy night too so it was perfect Dessert was unlike any bread pudding I had ever had. Topped off with some coffee made it even better. We live over 2 hrs away and are making plans to come back for our anniversary so we can try some other dishes ! The Common is anything but Common

This is my favorite dinner spot before seeing a show a block away at The Purple Rose. Last night, though, my good friends reunited for a long catch up birthday dinner. The host was warm and seated us quickly with a 7pm reservation. Morgan, our server, was so wonderful. Though we talked for hours, a table not many servers would love, she was so friendly and kept our water glasses full. Salmon salads were a large portion size and delicious and the rolls are always a decadent treat. I'll be back again and again, but this time, Morgan really made our night.

Overall, this was a really good dinner. We had not been in here for several years, but I do recall us like can get here before. We ordered the spareribs appetizer. It was really good but it did have a bit cartilage in it. A basket of bread was also brought to the table and that was delicious. I decided to try something a little bit different and got a grilled portobello and vegetable dinner and had some grilled shrimp added to it. I wasn't able to finish it as I also ordered some seafood chowder, which is probably one of the best soups I have ever had. Hubby ordered the grilled chicken and was amazed at how wonderful it tasted. It had been cooked with lemon in it and it just seasoned the chicken beautifully. Would definitely come back here again.!

Food always is amazing!! Wish they still had their lobster knuckles was my go to favorite thing on the menu but the rolls are also a show stopper every time too let's be serious! I tried the crab. Ales for the first time and they were AMAZING!! Will get again! My mother in law always gets the seafood Alfredo, has for years !! We go here every year on our anniversary and will continue to!!

We had a reservation and it ended up taking an extra ten minutes to get a seat as it was rather busy. I thought that the bread was delicious, my family also buys a lot of their rolls every year! I liked the salad and my fish and chips were delicious! The waitstaff was very nice and I enjoyed my visit here.

Had low-key Mother's Day dinner with my sister and nephew last evening. Everything was great from salad through to dessert. If you have the chance to try their crab cakes, by all means do - this dish was absolute perfection! Quality lumps of crab meat and no apparent fillers. Subtly seasoned to let the flavor of the crab come through. Nephew had the filet which was cooked to his liking - only thing lacking was enough portobello mushroom to complement every bite of steak. Sister had the shrimp & lobster pasta and it was excellent as well. Have had this same pasta on a prior visit and it is prepared well and tastes great - does not disappoint a true seafood lover. Would like to ad that service was friendly and non-intrusive. Would like to give our waiter a personal thank you but I've unfortunately forgotten his name already.

One of our MOST FAVORITE HANG-OUTS near AA. No parking charges, plus first-class food. The kitchen is exceptional, as is the service. A weekly destination for us!

We had wonderful service and fun, yummy cocktails . As a vegetarian, I appreciated the creative and delicious main course veggie meal and my husband loved his steak. Very nice experience!

Went here for lunch before going to the Purple Rose theatre. There were 10 of us. The waiter was very good and all the food arrived together. Although I didn't get up and take photos of everyone's food, it all looked delicious and everyone was happy with what they got. I had the salmon fiesta salad. It was really good with a nice light dressing. I will go back if I'm on that side of the earth again!

Food was delicious - they had options for various dietary needs and were willing to accommodate unusual needs. Service was a bit slow but friendly. Great decor, wonderful place to celebrate a birthday or anniversary. Upscale but not pretentious. Reservations recommended as they can be quite busy.

Went to the Christmas eve brunch. Was looking forward to the prime rib, but was disappointed as it was cooked well done and not very warm. The mashed potatoes with cheese was good and could have been better if gravy was provided. The salmon was the best out of the main entrees. The restaurant was three quarters full and the noise was overwhelming. Would be unbearable if it was full. Megan was our waitress and was very attentive and had a great smile.

Been a favorite since it opened. Location in vibrant Main St ideal. Most excellent place to enjoy a meal with friends.

What a great evening! First off , our server Morgan noticed we were in no hurry, she was attentive and always there when needed but never hovered. The appetizers were really good! Too good in fact ,I couldn't eat my entree. We started with the Lobster Spring rolls and shrimp cocktail our friends had oysters. The lobster rolls were delicious! Not real spicy,just enough with a nice crunch on the wrapper. The shrimp were 3 bites,snapped when you bite into them served with a dollop of horseradish,capers and cocktail sauce. Their house salad is a Pear salad which was so nice, not the usual dinner salad. I ordered the Goat cheese Ravioli which comes with pancetta,shrimp and Lobster......it was delicious! Creamy and filling,had to take it home. Really appreciated the fact that they removed the shrimp tails,never understood why when serving shrimp in a dish the tails are left on. Anyway , my husband ordered the Italian sausage bolognese,which he devoured ( he is very fussy). Also at the table were the Scallops which were cooked perfectly and Walnut encrusted whitefish with a seafood risotto.Both were eaten with gusto. Dessert was bread pudding,fabulous very light and flavorful, butterscotch pudding which was good ,star of the desserts was the Coconut Cream Pie.

My husband and I went there for our anniversary. It was our first time eating at Common Grill. I wish I would have remembered to take pictures of our food, it was perfect! We ordered the lobster spring rolls, goat cheese ravioli, and parmesan encrusted whitefish. Every bite was delicious! Our server was amazing as well. She was attentive and very nice. The restaurant is simple and beautiful. We will definitely be back. Oh and we ordered the peanut butter pie for dessert to go.

Brunch review! Went for Mother's Day, brunch common grill does not disappoint ! excellent menu everything is fresh and homemade they offered your basics : scrambled eggs, biscuits and gravy hotcakes, ...but also offered a grilled mahi, a chicken piccata and assortment of desserts and breads. Everything was delicious and although it was fairly expensive, it was a good value.

The Common Grill has consistently provided great service and very good food. I will undoubtedly return, when I am in the area.

Common Grill has gone down hill. Undercooked salmon, Raw burger (requested med well) and tough chewy beef tenderloins. Awful. We have been going there for years (hour away) and will not be returning.

I live in San Diego and during my visits (dear friend) have been frequenting the Common Grill for more years than I care to count. I know they have new ownership. I was sadly disappointed overall with my visit a few weeks back. The smoked fish appetizer was amazingly delicious. Wine was nice as was my burger. The $36 chicken, which was so unbelievably small, was dry and completely lacked flavor. $36 for chicken should have completely impressed. Not the case. The banana cream pie was not good, either. Staff was fabulous as always.

Delicious food, attentive service, pleasant environment. We go there every time we're in Chelsea.

If you are in the Ann Arbor, Jackson, Hillsdale area and you have time to drive to Chelsea, Common Grill is a can't miss restaurant. The manager helped us get a table for a large party. Our server, Justin, did a great job getting our appetizers, cocktails, and food for kiddos. We ordered shrimp lobster fettuccine, seafood bouillabaisse, steak tenderloin, white fish, and goat cheese ravioli. Everything was amazing. Great experience. Worth the price. Nothing like this in the area. I personally ordered the seafood bouillabaisse and loved that this dish was perfectly seasoned: not too salty at all which is usually the problem in most restaurants. The saffron was amazing and the quality of the fish was second to none.

Despite the fact that Chef Common retired two years ago, the Common Grill hasn't really changed much in almost 30 years. And that is in no way a bad thing. Consistently great food, reasonable prices and excellent service. It's not the cutting edge of haute cuisine (at least for Michigan) it was 25 years ago, but it's still worth a visit. Protip: make sure you try the lobster spring roll app.

We had a double date for dinner here with friends. I was impressed with how busy they were: our reservation was for 8:00 pm, and the place was completely full throughout our dinner, and just started to lighten up when we left around 9:30. Their bread was very good, and looked like a cross between biscuits and rolls, a little salty, soft inside and topped with poppy seeds. I tried some of my friends' oysters, which tasted very fresh and were served with butter, capers, lemon, and tartar sauce. For dinner I had the steak salad. I'm used to steak salad being served with cheese, so I asked for some Parmesan on mine. They were generous with the steak, but perhaps overshot my requested medium-well by a little bit. The biggest surprise of the dish were the croutons, which seemed to be made of French toast, soft in the middle though still crispy on the outside. My wife was happy with her primavera pasta, and said the papardelle tasted high quality and homemade. Overall it was a good meal in a nice setting of Downtown Chelsea, and I would eat here again.

Always friendly great food and service! Food outstanding! Beth and Connie always great service and conversation! We highly recommend going there!!

This place is located in the quaint area of downtown Chelsea, on Main St. I recently stopped in for cocktails, but I had enjoyed phenomenal food there, in the past. The seafood ravioli, scallops, freshly made bread and unique cocktails make this place a stand out. Do yourself a favor and sit by the window for a great view.

Understaffed, oversalted, underwhelming. Man has it gone down the tubes with the new owners. Does anyone taste what they are putting on the plates? The sherry scallops were so over salted but I just picked at them since I was the guest of others. Slow slow service but still left a good tip. Not her fault they were understaffed. No one that worked there was smiling. Guess that says everything.

I don't know how this restaurant has an overall 4-star rating! It is wildly overpriced and the food is just not that good anymore! I ordered the Crispy Asian Ribs, a side of mashed potatoes, a side of wild rice and a side of "French" green beans. The ribs were partially burnt (and I mean black) and lacking flavor, the potatoes had the consistency of wallpaper paste -- literally that thick -- and had an odd flavor, the wild rice was adequate but a bit mushy, and worst, the "French" green beans were not the skinny haricot verts, i.e., true French green beans, they were plain-old regular green beans and ... wait for it ... basically RAW/UNCOOKED! What a disappointment!!!

Great food and service. Will be back, plenty of options on the menu to satisfy anyone's appetite!

The service was great. Very attentive waitstaff. Ambiance was nice - but a bit loud for my taste. We shared a rosemary French fries to start - they were hot, but not a lot of rosemary flavor came through. We got the Lavaza Latte - really great. I ordered from the brunch menu - got the country scramble with potatoes and multi-grain toast. The eggs were very well cooked - enjoyed the mix of flavors and portion size. The potatoes were disappointing - deep fried potato chunks (frozen I suspect) with little seasoning - would have preferred traditional hash browns or true home fries with onions and more seasoning. Toast was good - nice whipped butter - but was kind of disappointed with a plastic packet of grape jelly - why not some nice local preserves? My dining companion got the mahi mahi tacos - cooked nicely but could have used more slaw on the taco. Tacos would be improved by offering pico de gallo on the side or a selection of salsas. Spent $63 for everything - not sure it was worth the price.

We really wanted the food to be good, but it was mediocre at best. The steak salad was pre-packaged lettuce (brown around the edges), whole cherry plum tomatoes, and steak cut totally wrong! Big chunks instead of thin slices. Don't even get me going on the pretense of Bleu cheese dressing. My companions had two different fish dishes, both of which were okay but certainly nothing special. The meal might be something I would expect at Dennys. Service was great! Hence, the 3 stars rather than one.

Mother's Day buffet not worth $45 per adult - could have made scrambled eggs hash browns and bacon at home - way too expensive such bland food.

The staff is very friendly and helpful. The restaurant is lively but not overly loud. The food was delicious but I struggled with options as a lot of them featured seafood. I'm allergic to shellfish and have had bad experiences with cross contamination so I tend to avoid restaurants with a lot of seafood and shellfish options, but didn't have any issues here. I might eat here again since I've heard the menu changes sometimes.

Service: no real complaints. We were a group of 8 which can be a challenge but servers were pleasant and attentive w/o being obnoxious. Food? Mediocre at best. My whitefish was inexplicably swimming in oil (from the vegetables?) and not very good, yet high priced. Seemed like the scallop dinner was the best at the table. We haven't been there for several years (mostly because of the noise factor which hasn't improved) and it's clear the quality of the food has dropped significantly. Fresh fish done really well was a trademark - I'd lean toward safer seafood pasta kinds of selections if I go back. And I won't go back at busy times - you cannot have a conversation when it's packed.

Special occasion for my bride of 28 years. Always thought of this as a destination restaurant not no more. Why the waiter even brought this dish out boggles my mind. $34 Chicken was dry, burnt, and of course after remaking and serving the rest of are party had finished eating. So miss the original owners. Quality is not on the menu.

Ambiance was good. Server was very good, friendly and knowledgeable. Food was fine, not bad, average. It was way overpriced for the quality of the food. We won't return for this reason.

Where do I start? The coffee? Yes the coffee was a high quality blend and served generously by our waiter Alex. We started off with a lobster knuckle appetizer served with grilled bread. God that was full of juicy flavor and delicious. The bread rolls seem to come with a flavor that the owner and chef Craig Common carried with him from his years managing the Muer Restaurant dynasty . Not just the rolls though as it was the very essence if the restaurant details in order, perfect service and exquisite food served to lucky Chelsea locals. I ordered the maryland crab cakes which were outstanding! They were served with wild rice and fresh green beans cooked to perfection. My wife had the shrimp salad and it was perfect! My salad had a wine vinegargrette with blue cheese, walnuts and boiled slices of pear!!! So worth our 45 minute drive! You could help but notice that Chef and Owner Craig Common rolls up his sleeves and is in the mix of things with his well trained staff.

Still good. Still pricy. Went in for dinner for the 1st time since Craig Common left ... food is still great, service is ok. Kind of frustrating : I ordered the blacken beef salad, rare/med rare. It came out well done! After a few minutes of trying to find our waitress, I grabbed someone else. They made it right and made me a new salad. It's the little things that are slipping : we had to ASK for rolls (their FAMOUS ROLLS!), I had to ask for a steak knife, had to ask for pepper ... The food is still good ... everything else ... kinda slipping. 3& 1/2 stars, if I could do a half.