Old Town Tavern

Cute little bar. Service was great. The food had no flavor. I was very disappointed with food. I was very excited for the bruschetta but it was not what I was expecting. Usually it’s served with bread not chips. The chips had no salt on them. The steak tacos had no flavor either nor did beans and rice. Then I was over charged for the bruschetta. The menu stated it was $11 but was charged $15. The waitress did get that corrected.

I stopped at this restaurant on Liberty Street on the advice of a friend who works downtown. I ended up having the club sandwich which was substantial and delicious. The kettle chips that came with it were very good. If you're in Ann Arbor, which has a plethora of restaurant options, you can't go wrong with this place.

This is a nice little place to have some beers and some food in an easy going atmosphere. I ordered a vegetarian Tempeh burger with additional fries and cheese. The burger was really delicious, I especially liked the patty consisting of fermented soy beans and rice. Also the fries were ok. And I drank a kind of wheat beer that went well with it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ We had an awesome experience at Old Town! I took my son and his girlfriend there for their first time — and of course, Old Town didn’t miss. Food? 🔥 Spot-on. Service? 🔥 Even better. We were lucky enough to have Monica as our server on her very first night on the floor! After three great years at HopCat (no shade to them — they’re awesome too), Monica made the move to Old Town, and I have to say, she crushed it. Some of the best service I've had anywhere, hands down. Also, a huge shoutout to Chris, the owner — you can tell he’s truly hands-on and committed to making Old Town a special place. If you haven’t been yet, GO! If you’ve been thinking about going back — GO! Old Town never disappoints. 🙌 THANK YOU MONICA!

One of my Fav towny places to eat and enjoy the atmosphere in the heart of Downtown Ann Arbor 💖. The food is so good here! It's a gem that not everyone knows about. Definitely try the chili cheese fries 🍟

Nice bar that served nice fish and chips!

This place never fails with their delicious food... fair pricing... great service... cozy atmosphere... definitely worth taking the time to share a review...

PHENOMENAL food- my partner and I went here months ago but I still have not stopped thinking about the fish and chips. Truly the tastiest fish and chips I have ever had in my life, and my partner loved the spicy chicken sandwich as well. I could not recommend this place enough. 🙌🙌😋

My BFF and I dined here before seeing a band play at the Blind Pig. We both ordered drinks to start, Bloody Mary for her and a Manhattan for me and they were made very well. Our waiter was awesome; very attentive, funny and knowledgeable about the menu. I had the fish and chips and she had the chicken Caesar wrap. Everything was excellent. I will definitely dine here again when I'm in the area.

Stopped in for a drink after dinner nearby. They accommodated our larger group. The drinks were OK. Nothing special. The beer was solid and the atmosphere was pubby and laid back. Would go back again to try some of the food.

We happen to be in the area and wanted to stop some place for lunch. It was late afternoon so it was a seat yourself situation. The waitress came by right away and brought us waters. My husband got the virgin Mai Tai and he loved it. I got the minestrone soup and we both ordered the salmon bowl. My husband really liked the salmon bowl. The salmon was prepared perfectly and the sauce was delicious. The minestrone soup was bland so I had to add a lot of salt and pepper to eat it. We plan on coming back for happy hour so we can try some of the drinks. The tavern atmosphere is really welcoming.

Met a young woman who has been employed here 15 years!!!! Boy, that's loyalty!!!!! Very nice, very professional. Full bar, a lot of variety in terms of whiskeys, tequilas, gins, and rum. They had some delicious sounding gumbo and I passed so I hope I make it back sometime. The burger and fries was very good toasted bun nice crisp vegetables, great dill pickles.... The meat patty was quality meat but certainly not hand formed or freshly made. The fries were not greasy, fried crisply and perfectly. I don't believe they're freshly cut. Great atmosphere. Brick walls with lots of old photos which makes it look quaint. My darling partner and I enjoyed our lunch and we will try to make it back sometime!!!

Again, the best CHILIE CHEESE FRIES!!!! Good lord they are amazing. Customer service is always amazing (Malie I think) was grade A! Truly come here absolutely amazing

It's an excellent low-key place to have a beer and a burger. I live within walking distance and have been known to show up twice in one week! The staff are friendly and attentive, even when things are busy--I was in the Saturday of St. Patrick's Day weekend and still received excellent service. My favorite time is mid-afternoon: it's a quiet and friendly place to people-watch out the front windows and eat some generally delicious pub food, whether alone or with friends!

The Old Town is a grub pub that I have been to many times years ago. It has been over 10 years since I last visited the Old Town. Visited March 16, 2024. Had three drinks and lunch. Craft Beer I had was Edmund Fitzgerald. Very good. The food I had was the beef hamburger. I ordered burger medium. Arrived WELL DONE. In most instances I would have sent it back. However, it was 2:00 in the afternoon and this was my first lick of food all day and I was too hungry to wait around. Ordinarily, hunger will disguise flavor, but not today. What the burger lacked in proper cooking, it missed more on account of lacking in flavor. The burger was flavorless and disappointing. Food aside, the beer was Very Good. The service was outstanding. Staff is wonderful and friendly. I give the Beer a 4.5. I give the service a 5. I give the Burger a 1.5. I give a 5 for ambience. Overall I give a 4 for the entire experience. I will give the Old Town another chance.

Stopped in for a drink before dinner because we liked the look of the place, and we are so glad we did. Lots of locals at the bar; the bartender knew everyone by name. I wish we had gotten hers...she was amazing! Very engaging and funny, we really enjoyed the drinks and our conversation with her. Thank you for the fun happy hour!

Jenny made me the best old fashioned. I normally prefer high dining but this quiet, quaint, and beautiful establishment really struck home. The atmosphere and kind hearted staff really sealed the deal for me. Will be back, if Jenny is working, ask for an old fashioned. 12/10

Great service. Friendly staff. Bathrooms are ok but tequila tastes like summer which of course I love

Place is AMAZING, great food and excellent service. My little sister accidentally dropped a glass of water and they immediately came to clean it up in less than 2 minutes and were completely nice about it. Great place overall

I came here for the first time this weekend while in Ann Arbor for the Cinetopia film fest. We had drinks at Beer Grotto and then wanted to go to one more place. My friend who lives in town suggested Old Town. Their cocktails are $6-7 (very reasonably priced). I ordered a Dark and Stormy and it was pretty good. I'd like to come back here for food sometime too, the menu looked good. They must serve food late too because we were there around 1am on a Friday night and food orders were still being served.

The drinks are overpriced and the staff is extremely rude. I've come here several times and have been extremely dissatisfied every time. There are much better bars a few steps away.

Stopped in this weekend with a party of 12. We were excited to try this place. It was NOT crowded at all. The man who greeted us was very rude and told us "next time maybe call ahead" We understood it was a large group, but there was ample open seating, we would have been willing to wait, and we were patient. After the rude interaction, we decided to take our business elsewhere. Unfortunate for them because we spent around $400.

They have the best chicken tenders and sweet potato fries! I discovered this place in the fall when my friends and I would order carryout here and have it delivered to Bill's Beer Garden.

This place had really good food. I was with a large group and everyone said everything was delicious. I got the Philly cheesesteak and it was probably the best one I've ever had. Our waiter was very fast and accurate. I would love to give this place 5 stars, however, the picture that was over our table was not appropriate for a restaurant. I'm thankful we did not have any kids in our group.

Standard pub style bar with your run of the mill bar food. The beer and food menus were on the limited side but they got the job done. We used the QR code contactless menu, and all of the waitresses were wearing masks. The street was closed off for patio seating, and the tables were equipped with umbrellas for shade. I wouldn't go out of my way to go back for any of the food in particular, but if you're craving a quick burger and a beer in a low key bar, then this would be a solid option to consider.

People kept recommending the food here so I came hungry 12AM on a Friday night and was able to get street parking. I ordered the 7oz hamburger with lettuce, tomato, and American cheese. Noteworthy is that they use patties from Knight's Market, which you can tell is high quality burger because it taste good and feels soothing to the stomach even the next morning. For $10.50 without cheese, it's an excellent deal and it comes on a Kaiser roll, steak fries, and a pickle spear. They did over do the fries a bit.

Old Town is an underrated Ann Arbor classic. Pre-COVID, it was a great place for townies to hear live music and get a beer; their food is also very good. College kids beware, though; this isn't a local dive where they will warm up to wasted kids or obnoxious behavior. This is a spot for chill, adult drinking and relaxing.

I came here on a Sunday night with some friends. It's a really classic looking tavern & had live music & pretty nice bar food! The vegetarian options were pretty varied- from loaded bean nachos, Beyond Burgers & standard salads. Definitely a place you would just end up on a night like this, but I wouldn't go out of my way to bring out of town friends here. Beer selection is pretty limited but the crowd stays mostly tame- they're only open until 11pm! As I type this there's a man at the bar screaming along to the music so I guess keep an open mind if you're planning on a less chaotic night. A bar is a bar though! Don't count this place out.

I used to LOVE Old Town. It was just the chill place you could come relax, grab a beer and talk with friends. No pretense, no expectations--just a solid townie bar. I used to work right across the street. At least once a week, I'd hunker down at Old Town, grab some food and a beer and get in a couple good hours of work. The ambient music and the light white noise made it the perfect place to crank out what you otherwise couldn't get done in the office. But since they fired a server named Liz, who had worked there for over 25 years, and long-time server, Heath, who worked day shifts, the place has changed. The service was never great, pretty much always slow; it still is. But now it lacks a friendliness and warmth it once had. They also stopped serving the best thing ever: the southwestern salad with chicken tenders (the best chicken strips in town!). When I've asked about it, twice, no one has been friendly. The kitchen still serves both dishes independently; you'd like to think maybe they could try even a little bit to accommodate someone who's been coming here for years. Nope, because why? That's not really Old Town's thing. Thank goodness I love the food and environment so much.

Old Town is located around the corner from my old office. An Ann Arbor institution, Old Town caters to long-time Ann Arborites and local folk. My favourites include: Beef chili Clam chowder Turkey club sandwich Caprese salad Any of their excellent burgers Fish & chips (when offered) Cheesesteak sandwich Tuna salad sandwich Southwestern salad Salmon dinner Street parking is closest. There is a large city surface lot the next block over. Enjoy! -EBS

Since I moved to Ann Arbor, this has been my favorite bar in town. The front of house staff delivers quality service every time, and I always feel well taken care of no matter time of day or night. Great rotating taps and whiskey selection.

With Old Town being on the far end of Liberty, I feel as if it's easy to miss. The big food/destination hubs are the State and Liberty area and Main. If you're near Old Town, chances are good that you're heading to drink at Grotto or Bill's. It's certainly worth checking in for a bite. The problem, however, is that Old Town is a perfectly competent bar/upscale pub in a veritable sea of really good bars and restaurants. It gets overshadowed. Old Town really feels on par with, say, Grizzly Peak or ABC. They're all the same shade of decent-to-good trendy pubs. They all have a strong rustic wood based interior look. They all have their minor little twist on standard bar/pub food. They all have locally sourced Michigan beers. It's no frills, good and just fine. I had the tempeh burger, which was pretty good. Tempeh can be spongey and bland, but they gave it a crisp, firmer texture and seasoned it well. My mixed drink was reasonably priced (at $9) and pretty good. Again, the take away here is "pretty good." It gets the job done and you'll walk away satisfied. The problem is that the bar is higher in Ann Arbor, and it doesn't really distinguish itself from the other pub-y places.

Great cocktail menu. Lots of wood and high ceilings. Nice staff. Nice ambiance. The burrito was not to my liking but I don't like ranchero beans. I had a Paloma (mezcal and grapefruit) and a Toronto (bourbon, simple syrup, orange). Who really cares about the food.

Maybe on a less busy night this place is better - it definitely seemed like it had potential to be good, but today was not that day. Overall terrible service, food was sporadically edible, mostly mediocre. We seated ourselves as directed by their sign, and were moved after we got drinks. Not a big deal but I watched this happen three times to other people as we ate our meal. Nachos with chicken & beans had about one scoop of beans, super heavy on the garlic which I enjoy but could see putting someone else off. The chips were stale. The sirloin steaks were remarkably tough, and because they were served without steak knives it was pretty much impossible to get through. The two people at our table who got steaks ended up finishing all other sides on their plate - when knives finally arrived the steaks were cold. Chicken tenders were awesome and the margaritas were sufficient. I don't know if it was understaffing or a lack of training, or just an off night, but in the future this is definitely last on our list of places to eat.

I've written a number of reviews already about the Old Town as it is one of my favorite places to eat and drink in this town. But for the first time in my memory they have moved outside. This is great because that's the only place we go during the quarantine. Heather (the bartendress) and Chris (one of the owners) came out to chat and fill us in on what was happening with the bar and what the outlook for the place was. I'm sorry to say: no plans for rooftop dining. We were only there for a quick drink but we did order their cookies. What a find. White chocolate chip cookies that were still warm. Who says beer and cookies don't go well together. The outside space is not ideal but the ability to frequent one of my favorite watering holes was worth it. See you there.

Having read the reviews this spot was on my list of restaurants to try when in Ann Arbor for the football game. Post game we made a bee-line for Old Town and miraculously we got the last open table before it really got swamped. The place is not big so this indeed was lucky. Our waitress was busting her butt with the rush of fans descending on the place but she did a good job keeping things moving and all with a good sense of humor. The food is not fancy here: sandwiches, burgers, etc. My burger was correctly medium rare with a decent chunk of bacon - it came with steak fries, not my preferred style of fries, so that was a minus. The club sandwiches were also good as was the gumbo but the artichoke dip was just ok. Overall a good experience.

Went during the Art Fair. They do a bang-on Black and Tan. Would recommend for a drink, haven't gone for food but I'm sure it's solid. Will have to visit again.

This place is as advertised: Casual atmosphere all around, large drink selection, fairly cheap, greasy, and tasty bar food. Decent amount of noise, enough to make it feel very lively at 11pm on a Friday but not too loud to where we couldn't talk at a table of four. Two of us commented that it was one of the most hopping places we had seen in Ann Arbor as a late night venue.

One of my favorite joints in town to get a beer and a burger. Usually busy but not so busy it's hard to get a table on the weekends and the food is pretty darn tasty. I love their aforementioned burgers which is my regular order although I have had the chicken sandwich (in an attempt to be healthy) and I found it to be way above average. It's nothing super special but it still tastes great. This can be hard to achieve with a chicken sandwich, you know. Nice and juicy. So high fives. They've got a rotating beer list of really awesome local and non-local brews plust bottled stuff like a very tasty cider that I most recently had (the name of which escapes me). Friendly bar and waitstaff, good prices, and did I mention it's easy to get a seat on a Friday or Saturday night? That is clutch. I dig Old Town. A consistently awesome spot in downtown A2!

We pop in here for beers now and then. Ate here years back, couldn't remember if we liked it or not, so we went for dinner last night after hearing some good things about the food from friends. My wife got the burger--not bad, but a little dry for her taste, meat not the most flavorful. She did think the steak fries were quite good. For once I wasn't in the mood for a burger. Mexican sounded good, so I ordered the burrito with chicken and enjoyed it very much. A fairly standard bar burrito, but above average in flavor. The beans filling most of it were creamy and nicely seasoned, pleasantly contrasted by the chunkiness of the chicken. The tomatoes and lettuce on the side were fresh. Melted jack and cheddar thinly blanketed the burrito instead of threatening to drown it, as you see at a lot of places. Sauce likewise was restrained, even though I'd ordered the burrito wet. Less was more with this item, and I'd certainly order it again. As always, enjoyed the throwback atmosphere and the craft beer offerings. Service was pleasant and quick. A satisfying enough outing to warrant further exploration of the menu.

Cozy and decorative environment, reasonably priced drinks & decent food. AMBIENCE The decoration is lovely and so unique. Posters and paintings in beautiful mismatched frames, elegant designs on a black painted ceiling, and red brick walls with wooden tables. All comes together for a sophisticated yet cozy feel. Well-lit and filled with grad students and professionals alike. Feels like the bar setting in Cheers. FOOD Classic pub food. Not amazing, but decent. DRINKS Reasonably priced. SERVICE Very friendly staff. Well-attentive.

Old Town Tavern is one of my favorite spots in Ann Arbor. The bar is cozy and hosts a number of regulars, townies and grad students alike. When you enter Old Town your first responsibility is trying to figure out where to sit. You can always tell who the newcomers are because they hesitate in the doorway, unsure if they'll be seated or if they're supposed to just make themselves at home. You're supposed to make yourself at home. Occasionally on a busy night the manager will greet you at the door and assist you in finding a spot for your group. The bar fills the right-side wall in the front section, which is the smoking section. The back section is the non-smoking section, and offers a number of square tables and two booths tucked in the back, near the restroom. The mood is casual, people tend to sit at their tables and chat with who they came with - it's not really a place to meet new people, unless you are sitting at the bar. The lighting is low and not too harsh; I love looking up at the original tin ceiling and reading the history of the building, which is printed on the back of the menus. The crowd is a combination of townies and grad students, it fortunately has not been tapped by the younger, freshly 21-year-old crowd as "the place to be". Thank goodness! The drinks are usually well made and one of the great things about Old Town is that they have a beverage menu which actually lists out all the liquors they sell and what their prices are. How nice is that?! I love being able to know exactly what I'm paying for something ahead of time. Our groups are always happy with their food, the chicken sandwich and the sweet potato fries always seem to be a hit. The service can be spotty, depending on who you get, things can be pretty slow. However, if you're lucky enough to get Liz as your server, you will never have your needs unmet. She is spot on, attentive but not obtrusive. She recognizes her regular customers and greets them kindly, even when she's bustling about. BOTTOM LINE: A great place - fair drink prices, good food and a nice, relaxed atmosphere.

Went here for dinner and drinks on a Sunday night. I thought it was just so-so. The tap list was alright, but not stellar. Overall, the drink offerings were just okay. For dinner, I had a veggie pita, which was just okay. The place itself was a little lack-luster, but alright. That night, there was live music, which was a nice addition. The service was also just so-so. I would be willing to give it another shot, but my initial impression wasn't anything great.

This is the only bar I really like going to in Ann Arbor. And I love bars. Seems to cater to the mid-to-late 20s/early 30s set and locals, which is great. (Not an undergrad playground.) Awesome atmosphere--warm without being dingy; very inviting. Love the giant painting in the back. The drinks are made well, i.e. nice and stiff. I haven't had anything more complicated than a basic mixer, so I can't speak to craftsmanship on, say, a martini. Service is pretty good, a couple times I've had to wait too long to get my drink refilled or pay my bill and I've gotten unwarranted attitude a couple times, but normally it's very friendly and quick. Also, three words: pulled. pork. sandwich. It is wonderful. So wonderful. Besides that I haven't had much of the food, but what I have had I've liked.

We were in Ann Arbor last weekend and stopped in to the old town tavern. It was last stop on our short pub crawl. The atmosphere was festive with there was a full house with much chatter between couples and small groups. Good music in the background too. The menu was a good cross section of bar and restaurant food. I decided to get a bowl of chili with my draft beer. Jodi had a mixed drink only. Wait staff was helpful and attentive. The chili was very flavorful and spicy and it hit the spot. It Was a good decision to stop in and will not hesitate to stop and eat there again.

I had gone here to meet up with a friend for lunch and hadn't heard of it before or expected anything in particular. I definitely like the atmosphere of the place and seemed like a nice place to grab a bite to eat or grab a drink. I was completely blown away by how good the Reuben was. This was easily one of the best Reuben's I have ever had in Ann Arbor. Based on this experience I will want to go back a couple more times to explore the rest of the menu, if their other items are as good as the Reuben I might have found another nice place to add to my lunch list!

Old Town is Old School fun. We went for live Jazz mid week. Great bar food. Cocktails are good, and the beer list has a nice mix. Good crowd for the music.

Old Town is awesome. The inside is cozy and beautiful. The stamped tin ceiling is a great detail along with the gorgeous bar and the old framed pictures on the walls. Things really haven't changed much in the over ten years I've been going here, except I didn't see Jen or Phillipe last time I was in. If you'd like a little something to nibble on while you drink, the chips and salsa are fabulous. I've been known to stop in just for chips and salsa and accidentally meeting up with someone I know and staying for a drink or two.

Walked right in on a Friday night and got a table right next to window, which was pretty enchanting, because the street was bustling with people, and Christmas lights are beginning to be put up. The atmosphere of the place is really good, reminded us all of the tv show "Cheers". Old timey, classy, but cool enough for a date night/evening with the girls. Had some pretty good chicken tenders and artichoke dip, alongside my cider (waitress recommended me get something on tap, which was cheaper/better tasting than what I originally wanted, yay honesty success). Place was a bit tight for space, but what can you say about a cozy place on a Friday night?

Great atmosphere! Nice wait staff Best cheeseburger I've eaten in a long time! Awesome!

Came here for lunch. Service is a little slow. Seat yourself, and the waitress will come find you. Ordered the grilled cheese with bacon added on (for 20 cents). The sandwich was good, but I could've done without the the flavorless tomato slices dripping out. The mushrooms inside are all right. It's grilled on pumpernickel, which was tasty. The sweet potato fries were very good. They were cut thin and came out crispy and flavorful. The only problem was they got cold quickly, given their high surface area to volume ratio. Easily solved -- eat them quickly. Friend had the tempeh burger, which came with their regular fries. He enjoyed it. Waitress was quick to refill drinks.

Stopped here for dinner on a night out in Ann Arbor. It's pretty small, but we were still able to get a table without a problem at dinner time. My cheeseburger with BBQ sauce was pretty good and everyone else seemed to like their meals as well. The beer selection wasn't huge, but they did have a nice bar that looked to be well-stocked. Service was very good. Our waitress was prompt and returned to the table many times during our dinner.

One of the best bars in town for great food, staff and atmosphere. An Ann Arbor institution.

Okay, this place is really good. The setting is cozy, almost more pub than tavern or bar. It's deep, so there are more tables inside than you would think from the street. The menu is broad, with soups, salads, lots of sandwiches, and other stuff. They have great, fat, proper, steak-fries, if you like that sort of thing. Interestingly, their sweet-potato fries are closer to shoe-string sized, and not terrific... But the salads are fresh and very good, as is the chili, which is very tomato-forward in a good way, along with a few beans and some meat. It's different, and good. The burgers are standard stuff, but are well prepared, and come with those cool fries. The service is great - attentive and helpful. Wish I lived closer, because I would come back to this place. Give them a try.

Jenny is 30. She's been working here for 4 years. My entire group agreed she deserves a 25cent raise. French fries (steak) -6.5/10. Ppl 10/10.

We dropped in for lunch during the Ann Arbor Street Fair. Not too busy and the atmosphere was vintage. Many historic photos and the booths felt like they were also from the 1800s; classic, but uncomfortable. I ordered a Pastrami Reubin with chips. It took quite a while before our food arrived but the sandwich was above average. I'd repeat for lunch.

This is where a good portion of the Jolly Pumpkin staff go for drinks and food after our shifts, and we are always greeted kindly and treated well. I am a bit obsessed with the nachos, and love the rotating taps. One of my "Ann Arbor" spots for sure.