I wish I could say a lot of good things about my experience at the Dixboro House, but I just can't. However, I will start with compliments about the service and the atmosphere of the restaurant itself. The location, the interior and exterior of the building itself is lovely. It's set at the same location as the old Lord Fox which I remember from my childhood. The interior is clean and simple, a combination of rustic and modern. It's very nice inside. The waitstaff were all very pleasant, professional and attentive. Our waiter was on point, and our water glasses were continually topped off. Absolutely no complaints there either. This was a special occasion as every year I take my family out for dinner as a gift for Christmas. There were 8 of us. Among us we ordered the Seared Scallops, the Seared Cod, a Pommes Aligot, a Lamb Shank and the Grilled Zabuton. The presentation was very nice, although the portions were quite small. I ordered the Seared Cod with crab rice, kombu butter, romesco & winter squash (see pic). I love fish and cod in particular. I'll describe the flavor in one word... Salty. It was extremely salty. The Cod was cooked ok, it was very lightly seared and I think it had a small bone fragment, but I expect that occasionally with fish. The "rice" was barely there, mushy and salty. The other components/ingredients were blended into a puree consistency and spread around the shallow bowl. I could taste the squash, but overall everything else was just the taste of salt. For $38 it was very disappointing. I sampled a bite of the Lamb Shank. It was cooked nicely, very tender, but it didn't seem to have much flavor, and the tamarind glaze didn't seem to complement the lamb in my opinion. I had a taste of the guanciale from the Seared Scallops, it sort of has the flavor of bacon. It was ok. I also tasted the Pommes Aligot. Basically, think cheesey mashed potatoes. I can say those were good, but not exactly a gourmet dish nor that unique. Additionally we all had dessert, the Chocolate Peanut Butter Tart, the Basque Cheesecake and the Seasonal Crisp. Again lovely in appearance, but the flavors weren't really there, nothing special. I didn't hear one oooh or mmmmm from anyone at the table, and we all have a sweet tooth. So to sum it up, I would say that the food here as has a lot of style, but not a lot of substance. If the Dixboro Project wants to live up to all the hype and truly be noted as memorable restaurant of higher caliber, significant improvements need to be made on the menu and in the kitchen. At this point I have no plans of returning. read more

Dixboro Project - SEARED COD crab rice, kombu butter, romesco, winter squash 38 - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

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Great place to eat! Perfect for Sunday morning brunch with family and friends. Wonderful waitress Maddie -- highly recommend! Bev G read more

I'm telling you, I've never written this before for anywhere I've eaten. However, this place completely exceeded all of my expectations. Service, 10/10 - food quality 12/10 - ambience 10/10! Make it a point to eat here and always ask for their off the menu specials. You will not be disappointed! read more

Really love this place, great pastries, but the last two times I've gone (both times on a Saturday) my latte has been half full. First time I went back and they (sort of begrudgingly) made me a new one. Went again today and same thing happened, literally half full. Would love for the coffee to be a bit more consistent and to have a coffee window since the room fills up with people waiting for their coffee. read more

The service was great , the food was 50/50, but overall not worth the price. My wife ordered the AGNOLOTTI DOPPI, a butternut squash filled pasta with a brown butter sauce and pesto. It was exceptional ; a very rich dish but cooked to perfection so it didn't push you over the top like so many dishes can. Our compliments to the chef on this one. But, a small side salad with it would have been perfect as a palate cleanser - something we were told was not available but we could order the larger dinner salad for another $17 - no thanks. I decided to try THE BURGER, which we were told was a house favorite. Let me just say between the vella jack cheese, roasted tomatoes, aioli, and onion marmalade, the bottom bun was so soggy it fell apart when I picked it up, and the flavor of the burger was entirely lost in the mix. Not a very good meal and very messy to eat. So my recommendation would be to go with someone you intend to share with. Order the AGNOLOTTI DOPPI and one of the dinner salads, and have a nice shared meal. And avoid the burger - I wish I had. read more

So I've been here a few times and this place is elevated in so many ways! Let's start with the cute little coffee shop attached with the most amazing honey cinnamon lattes, bakery items, salads and pizza. The aesthetic to the service is unbelievably above expectations. The interior of the restaurant is beautiful, tasteful and modern. I wish it was closer but I'll be back no doubt. read more

Dixboro Project - Key lime tart, cupcakes, etc - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

Always a unique experience. Love the food and setting. Service is consistently good, too.

Amazing food. Excellent service. Beautiful and warm atmosphere. Best service and food in the Ann Arbor area read more

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Warm reception on arrival for a Saturday night after basketball game . The place was vibrant , efficient with impeccable service by well trained staff . Can glimpse into open kitchen where the magic happens with carefully sourced premium ingredients creatively prepared and beautifully plated . Pricey but value for a special dining experience which included our group enjoying their octopus appetizer, salads large enough for two to share as prelude to mains which can recommend but scallops with smoked trout roe and oyster pan roast most unique . Dessert butter cake with sweet potato foam fun too. read more

Dixboro Project - Duck - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

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Overpriced and bad service. We came here for a friend's birthday lunch at 1:00. The food did not come out until 3:00 and was cold. They charged us for the birthday dessert and continued to make 15 people split a singular cupcake. I've worked in service so it makes me disappointed to see servers treat us with disdain and ignore our table. Overly formalized outfits for how poorly they treated us. No apology issued and very strange vibe. read more

Prices are high class, but the food and service are not. 4 staff at the maître d' stand, but no one to refill waters. Almost everyone around us got pizzas to share, and they were on track; everything else on the menu tastes boring and basic. I wish the pizza crust wasn't burned. Oblivious-- I cut the char off my pizza, and they came to ask "how is everything?" I was mid-chew, so I motioned to the charred bits, and they said "great" and briskly left. Forget asking for water refills. They don't have enough wait staff, so almost everyone around us had near-empty or empty glasses. However they are happy to refill your wine too-frequently, even if you say no thank you or hold your hand over your glass. I would hate to work here, knowing some areas are way over staffed and others understaffed. Unhygienic-- didn't wash hands between bussing dirty dishes and serving. The water pitcher touches the glass rim. I get that real estate is expensive and they're financially hurting, but they need a different tack (or to rely on investors) to stay afloat. read more

We didn't expect our dinner to be as good as it was. Creative, well prepared, well presented, and tasty. To start, we split a crostini appetizer with roasted peppers, tomatoes, cheese, and herbs -- fabulous. Our cocktails were creative and light and perfect for the season (summer). For entrees, my husband got the steak, which was flavorful and perfectly cooked; I got the scallops, which melted in my mouth. Presentation was lovely throughout the meal. (Though I confess I'm not a big fan of foam, which topped my scallops. It always looks a bit like vomit to me.) For sides, we got pommes aligot, which was a purée of potatoes and cheese with a drizzle of chive oil. Interesting and very rich. Best split by at least 4 people. We also got the rainbow chard, which my husband loved; loads of blue cheese. For dessert we split the peach crisp, which was excellent. The vegan ice cream that accompanied it, not so much. An odd choice. Our waiter was good -- just the right amount of service and good advice. Unfortunately he didn't introduce himself so I can't mention his name. A couple of cons: We did think some of the staff seemed a bit blasé and underwhelmed to be there. Not exactly a warm atmosphere. Maybe an off night? Also, when we asked to sit in the beautiful room with the huge windows, we were simply told "no," though there were plenty of empty tables. A simple explanation would've been nice. So we asked to sit outside, which turned out to be lovely. Aside from those hiccups, we were impressed. We'll be back. read more

A must try in Ann Arbor!! The mushroom pizza was definitely the best thing we tried, one of the best pizzas I've ever had! We also got the shrimp ravioli and potato puffs which were great but the ravioli was a very small portion. The waiter did tell us that their pastas are "delicate" portions which he was correct about. Amazing food, service was outstanding, and the restaurant has a great ambiance. @munchmontage on Instagram for more Ann Arbor content! read more

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We've had so many people recommend this place to us. We loved how big and open the place is. Our waitress was great, and most of the food was really good! Cocktails were excellent. To start I got a light blackberry flavored cocktail which was perfect for summer. It had notes of citrus which made it very refreshing and it was sweet but tart. We got the Gruyère puffs appetizer with Mornay sauce. I thought these were very good with the Mornay sauce which was so rich and cheesy. I think they could have been made better if the puffs had some type of herb butter on top as the actual puff was a little plain... but dipped in the Mornay sauce it didn't matter as much. The Zabuton steak was excellent and I wish I'd ordered that. I got the lamb with the mushroom and mustard breading. It was good but could've been better. It was a bit dry and could've been so much better if it was served with more of the natural jus or some other type of sauce. It only came with a little dollop. The only thing that came with it was a bit of cucumber, yogurt, and beans which didn't taste good to me at all and seemed kind of a weird choice. And for $50 I only got 2 small pieces of lamb... I get that lamb is expensive but still! I got the Pommes Aligot accompaniment, and this was just fantastic. So rich and creamy and it came covered with chive oil! It was so pretty and delicious. I got the cocktail special as a second drink and this blew me away! It was some type of berry flavor that grows in Michigan but I forget the name. The waitress said it tasted like blueberries and it was creamy like a milkshake! So I knew I had to try it... and yes I really enjoyed it! We were too full for dessert but we promised ourselves we would try it next time. We look forward to coming back. read more

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Excellent Taste in all dishes (6) guest Steak Tartar outstanding! Cod Fish entree and 3-pizzas, reasonable wine cost for full bottle Servers were top, Ambiance, well done, fully packed restaurant and the noise level medium read more

Overpriced. Pretentious. Ambiance is nice, however. Due to its strategic location there aren't many other restaurants in the vicinity.

Very good food and brilliant environment. The lamp and dessert were impressive. The building is gorgeous. read more

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It has lovely ambience. Everything is beautiful. The service was excellent. My friend had quiche which was wonderful. I had the mushroom sandwich which was excellent although bread heavy. It was wonderful homemade focaccia. read more

Food and service were good, but not at the level it aspires to and not for the prices charged. I think they're trying to be a Michelin contender but they're not there yet. Ridiculous upcharges on their wine list as well. read more

The fish portion was small and overcooked. The Japanese cheesecake was very tasty and different. The service was standard. I was not impressed as they also greatly reduced the menu. read more

Nice place...beautiful scenery...great staff behind the bar. Plenty of seating. Food...read the reviews, thought I could find some great wood fired pizza..bought 2, threw one away. Not good at all. Serious thumbs down on trying to be fancy and failing. Too bad really. read more

We were visiting family in Ann Arbor and had a wonderful dinner at Dixboro House. We happen to be there during their fried chicken dinner for two. It was excellent. Everyone of our party (7) was pleased by their meals. The servers were attentive and pleasant. If ever in Ann Arbor again we would return! read more

This place is special. They take care with every detail, right down to the martinis. Bring your wallet though. There is a price to pay for this experience. Every morsel was delicious. The service was decent. The atmosphere was perfect. Enjoy. read more

Had a fantastic time. Everything was excellent. Starters, pizza, cocktails and service all done tremendously well. Already planning our next visit to Ann Arbor with a visit here in mind! read more

This was our second time coming and our experience was great! Our server Meghan was friendly and knowledgeable. We enjoyed the hamachi, Caesar salad, mussels and the Parker rolls. I think my favorite part was the s'mores dessert! Beautiful restaurant with ample parking and an obvious manager presence keeping the restaurant moving & grooving! read more

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Cute restaurant with an eclectic menu. Items are carefully prepared and staff was very friendly.

Three of us went to Dixboro Project on 5/27/2024. They had only five main menu items. The server came back to tell us they were out of one of the main items. This was at 6:30pm!! We received our food 40 minutes after ordering. The food was good but small in portion size and very pricey. The ambiance was loud, making it difficult to hear the server. Won't be going back. read more

Great menu and excellent service. The only issue I had was that the air conditioning in the restaurant was almost non existent. If they get that going, this place is a gem! read more

Potato soup was tasty but a very small cup for $11. Pizza was good and service was excellent. Overall, would return for a special occasion but too pricey for a normal meal - expect to spend at least $25 per person with no drinks. read more

I don't review many restaurants- just the extremely good and the extremely bad. My experience at the Dixboro Project demands to be shared - it was INCREDIBLE. Every bite was an experience and the flavors on the plate joined together beautifully- you can tell a true Chef was involved in the creation of the menu. My wife and I went there to celebrate our 35th engagement anniversary - if she had taken one more taste of my banoffee dessert, it may have been our last. Nice atmosphere, excellent food, and an attentive staff- truly an amazing experience. read more

Sunday am for brunch. Party of 6. Food was outstanding! Everyone left singing the praises of the Dixboro House again. We go there often. read more

This a special place with excellent and interesting food. It is quite pricey but worth it occasionally.

2/29/2024 My husband and I came here in part to commemorate the site of the former Lord Fox, a place we used to go for special dinners when we were dating and both students at U of M back in the late '70's. We'd heard of the latest incarnation and also thought we'd read about a connection with the former Standard Bistro as Dan the bartender there was associated with this project which meant this new place was a must for our upcoming date night. As it turned out, the food, drinks, and service were amazing. The vaulted space was comfortable and attractive, but the food and drink were definitely the focus. My husband and I had the octopus and hamachi to start, and then the scallops and zabuton ((full flavored beefsteak). Everything was beautifully presented and delicious. The staff performs in a carefully orchestrated fashion which was really impressive to watch. Dan, if you're reading this, awesome job! We are excited to return and will probably try the pizza next - we saw several at other tables and they looked delicious as well. Thanks so much for a wonderful evening! read more

Excellent ambiance. The mushroom pizza is amazingly good, the best I have had. Highly recommend this place. read more

Dixboro Project - Menu. January 2023. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

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This place is absolutely unreal. I could not recommend it more. Environment is amazing, the food is amazing, the vibes are great.

I should have posted this review sooner--better late than never, though (perhaps). Our family celebrated our parents' 50th wedding anniversary here, as it was the place where they got engaged long ago, back when it was called The Lord Fox. What an all-around outstanding experience! The restaurant is beautiful. The staff is gracious, accommodating, and knowledgeable. The food is so fantastic. The people at Dixboro Project went out of their way to ensure that this get together was something that our family will remember forever; there were so many personal touches that were unexpected and appreciated, from a personal note to our parents, a wine tasting and food pairing service the day before the event to finalize wine selections, an attentive staff that took the time to answer questions about particular dishes from our guests, and much more. When one of the waitstaff was unsure about the way a particular dish was prepared (given the dietary concerns of one of our guests), the server checked in with the chef to verify information. I'm forgetting many other instances of first-class hospitality extended to our family/guests, but I will never forget the overall experience, which was just the best. The only sad thing I have to say is that I don't live near this restaurant. I look forward to traveling to Ann Arbor in the future and will definitely visit Dixboro Project again. This place is truly special. read more

We heard about this place and the pictures looked like a great brand new experience. The exterior and interior are definitely unique and alluring. The service is very good as well. Unfortunately the magic stops there. Each dish from salads, to appetizers, to our main (duck and steak) were flawed: served ice cold, the portion sizes are extremely small, inadequate seasoning, bad optimization of flavor profiles. Drinks watered down with barely any alcohol. It's unfortunate because service and ambiance is great. But management is realizing that the hardest thing to perfect with volume is the output quality. With one of the worst cost/quality ratios in metro, a return is impossible. Another place that can be binned into the overpriced, overhyped, under performing establishments of the metropolitan Detroit culinary scene. read more

Environment and staff is excellent. The food is just horrible. Pizza is always soggy & burnt, menu is has a small selection, small portions and large prices. read more

Love the atmosphere and the food. Having such caring, thoughtful staff makes it even more special.

Everything about this place is amazing. Food, service, setting, and surroundings. The wait staff are attentive, knowledgeable, and friendly. The food is top tier. Expensive but well worth it if you are looking for an exceptional meal and experience. read more