Though initially I thought of it as a place only for my parents, the Earle has grown on me in recent years. Now I really do like it. For me, though, it seems that I like it better with a bit of a discount. They often have surprisingly inexpensive meal options early in the week, and coupons always seem to be around as well. I'd suggest giving the Earle a try for happy hour first -- you'll get the chance to check out the wine list as well as sample some lighter fare before making a commitment to a full meal. If you are hungry, though -- the French Onion soup is a great deal and the perfect way to thaw out on a chilly day! read more

This is one of those nice restaurants in Ann Arbor that is often overlooked. The service and atmosphere is amazing (5 stars without a doubt). Hidden in a downstairs basement, you can enjoy a variety of dishes that are delicious. The portions and price are definitely not aligned. I would recommend coming here only for specials such as restaurant week. It is definitely a great place to try out though if you are looking for a new date spot. read more

The Earle Restaurant - White fish - restaurant week. - Wine Bars Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

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This place isn't bad, but not a restaurant I would want to drive far to eat at. I think what threw me off the most was the ambiance. Being in the basement makes the lighting dark and dreary. The food and wine was good. Nothing stuck out, but I have no complaints either. I had the scallops and salad. I guess if you are nearby this place wouldn't be too bad, but not worth a drive out of any sort. read more

The Earle Restaurant - Wine Bars Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

We enjoyed my birthday dinner here. Bonus- birthday girl gets her meal free! I had the basil and pesto- stuffed salmon. He had the vegetarian phillo dish. Both were wonderful, made with skill and quality ingredients. We enjoyed the soft music and the atmosphere was intimate. The wine list is extensive. Happy hour is from 5-8pm. We had a pleasant surprise at the end of our visit. Citrus sweet/ tart sorbet with a birthday candle was a sweet touch to a nice evening. We can't wait to return! read more

The Earle Restaurant - Wine Bars Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

The ambience is ok, the wait staff was nice, the food came out fast. I had the onion soup, Caesar salad and the duck breast. Their onion soup was full of flavor and had a generous amount of Gruyere to top it off. Portion size was generous. The Caesar salad was good, it tasted like the dressing was made in house and had ground up little pieces of anchovies in it. I enjoyed it, but if anchovies aren't your thing you may want to tell them to hold them. The duck breasts were cooked to a perfect medium rare. They did not taste gamey at all. I did not care for the mashed potatoes or the "salad" on the plate or the pears that they used to cook the duck in. Unfortunately none of these items were really photo worthy but service was acceptable for this price range of a restaurant. read more

I didn't need another reason to love Ann Arbor. Then I tried the duck breast at the Earle, and there it is. I had heard the duck here was good. I recalled eating here back in my days as a student only when family was in town, had means and was willing to pay. I recall that happened twice and both times I liked the food in a general sense. That was 30 years ago. Today, visiting with my son during his campus day, we had heard the duck was good. We both like duck and I figured, why not? So I made a reservation and, of course, we both ordered the duck. This is no ordinary duck. 2 breasts cooked to medium rare tender perfection smothered in apples and plump raisins and a sauce with just a hint of sweetness. Delish! I'm getting hungry again just thinking about it. Worth the visit to town just to get the duck. But we're not done. Desert is made in house. My son had the lemon tart with blueberries. I had the almond tart and asked them to leave off the raspberry goop. As an aside, I don't understand the recent fad of adding raspberry goop to desert, it is such a strong flavor that it overpowers everything else. If your desert needs that, it's not worth serving. This almond tart did not need it. It was moist and flavorful with the delicate taste of slightly caramelized almonds. The lemon tart was zesty and citrusy, though the pastry was a bit tough (at least it wasn't soggy. Service as quick, polite and crisp. Perhaps a bit too quick, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Overall, this remains a great place to visit in a town full of great places, especially if you love duck. read more

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This is so disappointing...I really don't enjoy giving two stars to restaurants, especially ones that are highly recommended..but this place did not fit my cup of tea. I went to the restaurant during restaurant week (maybe that was my first mistake) with a few friends and ordered from the $25 dinner menu. I got the pureed spinach soup, which was probably the best part of the meal. It tasted a lot like cream of broccoli (which I like), the tomato chicken stuff with pesto and a side of veggies and pasta looking rice and white chocolate cheesecake. My friends got the duck (which had the weirdest taste... wish I could explain it but I would highly recommend staying away from it since my friend said she was feeling nauseous afterwards) & salmon wrapped in a puff pastry (that's just an oxymoron to me). The service was absolutely horrible. Our waiter had such a sad solemn look on his face and was not very helpful. Not to mention a bit rude when we asked about the ingredients in a couple dishes. I understand that working in a restaurant in a basement can't be the greatest thing during restaurant week, but C'MON!! You gotta be personable, friendly, and nice if you want a nice tip... We were also sat near the wine cellar which was kinda cool but we were also close to the kitchen and would get whiffs of really bad bathroom smells. Why the hell would anyone set up I'm giving this restaurant a big two thumbs down =/ read more

Having been to a few of the signature restaurants in the area (Chop House, Real Seafood, Pacific Rim), we thought it'd be good to try The Earle for Restaurant Week. Plus, the Ann Arbor News website recommended it for it's romantic ambiance. As with any place, ambiance is only as good as your seat. We had a booth next to the entrance and greeting booth, so....ambiance was zero. Guests could peer over the very-old curtain partition as they walked in. Also, there was a gnat problem, which according to the staff, was a problem that had begun recently. We ordered the Bean Soup and Green Salad for the 1st course, and neither of us was familiar with Bean Soup, so it was surprising to see it as more of a meaty "stew". The salad was very vinegary with a single small tomato wedge and no cheese or croutons. Not necessarily a bad thing depending on your taste, just not what I expected. I ordered the chicken stuffed with pesto, my wife ordered the whitefish, and neither was exceptional. The chicken flavors blended into a slightly pesto-y and salty taste, the whitefish was riddled with bones (which my wife said isn't all that unusual, just not expected from a high-quality restaurant). The bread basket was just a sliced-up white bread loaf. The sides were very good for the chicken dish - orzo and brussel sprouts - both were delicious. They were just "ok" for the whitefish dish - spinach and potatoes - nothing taste-wise made them special. The staff was very nice, but oddly, we saw the person pushing alcohol more than we saw the person who took our meal order. There seemed to be an emphasis on ordering from the bar, which I finally relented and ordered a beer from their menu....but they were out. This was 45 minutes after opening. I don't like reviewing a place after just one attempt, but some places just don't "click", or give you something you can grab on to for the next visit, and that's probably the best description. There wasn't anything from any aspect that made us want to return. Comparing it to the other places I mentioned in the beginning: Pacific Rim was excellent on almost all fronts; the Chop House is pricey but has excellent food; Real Seafood was OK, but there was still a feel that made a return visit possible. We don't want to return to The Earle, there's just too many other choices in the area, and this place did not present anything to look forward to. It turned out to be a dank place with gnats and "OK" food. read more

Came here at a friend's recommendation. French onion soup - good. Bread service - good. Service - poor. Invaded my personal space multiple times. No assistance on extensive wine list. Abruptly walked away without drink orders. Bruschetta - skip it unless you want a pile of garlic pesto. Couldn't taste anything else. Entree - I had the special chicken paillard w panzanella. More garlic. Couldn't taste anything else. Chicken was average breast. Not thin. Rubbery. Overall expensive and disappointing. read more

This is our favorite restaurant in Ann Arbor. We have eaten there dozens of times over the past 20 years. It is our go-to spot to celebrate birthdays, Valentine's day, and our anniversary. The food is fantastic (we've sampled pretty much everything on the menu), but our favorites are the duck and beef dishes (Steak au poivre!! Beef Roquefort!! OMG!) For an appetizer, the calamari is always cooked perfectly. For a side salad, try the Gorgonzola--delicious! And make sure to save room for the dessert: we especially love the tiramisu, chocolate mousse, creme brulee, and almond cake, but have not gone wrong with anything else we've tried. The wine cellar is *huge*, and very reasonably priced. Our 20-something children love the cocktail list and have high praise for many items therein. (I'm a classic martini guy. Bring on the Hendrick's!) The atmosphere is calming and inviting--definitely a warm bistro feel. During the weekends there is a jazz trio playing background music, but it is quiet and does not interfere with table conversation at all. During the rest of the week there is an acoustic jazz guitarist. The staff is professional and solicitous, but know how to time the dishes so as not to overly hasten or slow your experience. We especially like Dwayne as our waiter. We've enjoyed his work for years. read more

The Earle is an Italian restaurant located downtown Ann Arbor... the restaurant has a menu with something for everyone. I would say it's not very kid friendly lol but they definitely accommodated us with our two year old. The food was delicious, I got the salmon in the puff pastry while my date got the duck.. the sauce was very good and the sauce on top was to die for. Dwayne was very nice and attentive and made the visit even better. Thank you very much, we'll definitely be back to try other items on the menu! Ps the carrot cake was delicious! Great suggestion! read more

We've been trying to support local restaurants as much as we can afford it given this time, so last night we got take-out from The Earle. Wow! It was every bit as delicious as eating in the restaurant without the Covid-19 concerns. You can drive up and they deliver to your car in a paper bag. My husband had the tenderloin tip sandwich with sautéed mushrooms and onions, on Earle bread with melted mozzarella. It came with a small tossed salad. An amazing deal for 11.95--lots of food. I had the sautéed beef tenderloin with pepper. It had the tenderloin rolled in coarsely ground black pepper (yum!) with a brandy sauce and wild mushrooms and potatoes. Truly delicious. More expensive, of course, but I was able to take part of it to lunch today. read more

Everyone has already raved about the duck at The Earle, and everyone is right! One of the best Restaurant Week meals I've had in the last 7 years (10+ Restaurant Weeks) in Ann Arbor. The other 2 times I've had duck in Ann Arbor were at Chop House and Pacific Rim, neither were good, their meat was chewy and gamy. If you go to Chop House for steak, Pacific Rim for sablefish, The Earle you definitely go for the duck. Also, our waiter Robert (? Rob? Bob?) was excellent. Very prompt, polite, and friendly! read more

Their cocktails are insanely good and strong! Great experience with our waiter and loved the live music.

The Earle has an allusive and desirable appeal in the midst of a college town. With expensive prices, a decadent menu, and fancy name, most 20-something students bring parents here. Locals seem to go for an anniversary or special occasion, as it seems to be a higher end, appropriate choice in town. However, while I enjoy an expensive cocktail and meal if I think it's a great experience, I'm not sure if The Earle hit the spot for a high end meal. Here's why: 1. The ambiance of the Earle is nice. Live jazz music, brick walls and cool cork decor makes the restaurant feel traditional and classy. They just need to update their chairs and table cloths to make it more swanky, less 80s Italian. 2. The service is great. Our waitress was knowledgeable and attentive. It was my birthday (which we said), so we *maybe* expected a little dessert offering, but in the midst of covid it makes sense for free dessert to not be compensated. 3. The drinks .....yikes. This is where we might get a little mean. The first class of Cabernet tasted like a glass from a $5 Trader Joe's bottle. It was basic and drinkable, but not $13 or delicious by any means. The Aviation cocktail was not balanced in terms of gin vs flavoring (so strong I sent it back upon first sip and got a Cosmo to be safe). The Cosmo with Grey Goose tasted as expected. 4. The food! What you care about! We ordered the Duck and the Scallops based on reviews. They gave us complimentary bread and butter that wasn't toasted and tasted more like wonder bread than something made fresh. It wasn't even warm which is weird to me. But it's bread and no one cares that much about it, but I just expected more crusted, soft interior hot bread for a place like this. The duck: I LOVE duck and thought the brandy / apple / raisin sauce accompanying was both sweet and flavorful. However, the duck breast was a bit over cooked (or maybe it was just a tough piece as there was a very hard stringy line through the meat that was unenjoyable). It was a bit hard to cut through and harder to chew at some points. However, it was a LARGE portion of duck so I thought it was super reasonably priced for how much we got. Not to mention, the potato parsnip purée and buttery greens made it filling and satisfying. The scallops: I thought these outshone the duck, but my friend thought otherwise. I felt the sherry-cream sauce with mushrooms was both indulgent and delicious, but my friend felt that it overpowered the natural sweetness / beauty of the scallops (which were cooked to soft seared perfection). I still tasted the fresh, sweet scallops and I agreed the sauce was heavy, but thought it was yummy enough that I didn't mind. However, they were SWIMMING in it and if you didn't like the sauce you'd be mad. The scallops came with the same side of greens the duck did, sort of cheapening both meals. To add, the rice that came with the scallops literally tasted the exact same as this Costco one I've tried and felt undercooked. There were a lot of scallops so the price felt reasonable, but the more-than-average sides made it feel less valuable. I wish they let you either pick your sides or put something a bit more refined with both entrees. Overall - the Earle is good but not GREAT. It's traditional and is yummy but... a bit basic. read more

I just really need to talk about the scallops here. Often with expensive restaurants I don't feel like the food tastes good enough to justify the cost. Like if I'm going to pay $30 or $40 for a dish it had better be memorable, right? I literally can't recall what I ordered first time I went to The Earle, but my girlfriend ordered the scallops and was nice enough to share. They were excellent. Specifically, it's all about the sauce they're in-- it's this sweet brown sauce, probably some kind of wine-based concoction-- it's just insane. There's not much I wouldn't do to get my hands on the recipe. And it pairs incredibly with the scallops, it's a knockout pairing. Don't even bother with the menu, just find a drink (they have an enormous wine selection, if that's your thing) and order the scallops. It's not a ton of food, so maybe get two orders. I'm not over-hyping them. The scallops are just that good. I'd say the other thing to note about the Earle is that the ambiance is very cool. They've got this dark, underground vibe going with some cute lighting. Perfect date spot. It doesn't even really matter though, even in quarantine we ordered their take-out (two orders of scallops, of course). Otherwise, there's nothing else you need to know about this restaurant. Just get the scallops. read more

This is one of the reasons why I'm willing to move to Michigan. I've gone to this restaurant 2 times with my boyfriend. This place is amazing. Atmosphere is romantic with dim lighting. You can tell the place has history with the brick walls and wine cork decors. Don't be fooled when you find the door to this place. It's the correct door; just open it and you'll be transformed into another world. Turn left if you want the restaurant; turn right if you want the bar. First time I went, I ordered the Sautéed Duck Breasts. I fell head-over-heels for this dish that I HAD to order it the second time I was there. My boyfriend ordered the Sautéed Beef Tenderloin with Black Pepper the first time and changed it up to Salmon en Croute the second time. Both meals he really enjoyed. What I thought was really cool was the dessert presentation. They literally bring out a tray of all their desserts and explained to you each one of them. It's quite a sight (mouth watering, really); and even though we were full, we still ordered a dessert haha. I highly recommend this place! My boyfriend and I are planning to come back again soon to celebrate our anniversary. I definitely can't wait! Thank you for the great experiences, The Earle! read more

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I went here for my husband's birthday to get the Ann Arbor birthday-person-eats-for-free deal (if you don't know about it yet look it up, it has its own wiki page). I'm glad we went for this occasion because otherwise it would definitely not be worth the money. We got the Goat Cheese and Escargot appetizers, and two orders of the Sauteed Duck Breasts. If you're going to get dinner, I was told: IF YOU DON'T GET THE DUCK YOUR'E MAKING A MISTAKE. So we got the duck and it was cooked extremely well! But we felt like the sauce was too rich and sugary, and the dish was absolutely swimming in it. If you're not that into slathering everything you eat in sauce, I'd recommend requesting the sauce on the side. The food was okay, but nothing really blew me away. And for how expensive it is, I didn't think it was worth it. I do hear that they have good happy hour deals, but for regular dinner I didn't think it was worth it. read more

The entrees were mediocre, the portions seemed smaller than 2 years ago. But the size of the appetizer is what prompted me to write this review. We ordered the crab cakes with red pepper sauce. I was expecting something similar to the ones at Real Seafood or Pacific Rim, but I was wrong...these were half of the size of crab cakes normally and quality isn't even as good. Two mini crab cakes for $12.95??? I might have paid $6. Since they are half of the size, then it makes sense to charge half price as well. Service wasn't on point either. We has three different servers come to our table and there was no communication between the three as we would get asked the same questions or the dessert tray was brought out after we asked for the bill. read more

The Earle Restaurant - Crab cake appetizer. And I have pretty small hands. Half the size of other crab cakes in the area and doesn't even taste better - Wine Bars Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

I went here for dinner with friends. If I compare with food and price, I did not really satisfied and felt overpriced. The food decorations are not well displayed. The dish looks so brown colors and don't look good. The waiter was unhappy and I did not like the way he treated us. But the Jazz band was great! I would try some other places for dinner next time. read more

The Earle Restaurant - Wine Bars Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

Other than our terrible table (we made a reservation days in advance to) the food was terrific. We got the smoked salmon tapa which was fantastic except that it didn't come with bread or crackers or anything. We had a bottle of sparkling wine which was very good and the sommelier was very nice and professional. The highlight was the main courses. I had a pasta dish which was amazing. The sauce was rich and delicious. My fiancé had the whitefish which he says was excellent and one of the best fish meals he's had at a restaurant. The desert options were lackluster but that's okay. Overall a nice experience. read more

This place is amazing, the food is ON POINT! Super lowkey, quiet and nice ambiance inside! The Roquefort steak is one of the best steaks I've had! The creamy garlic dressing with the salad is delicious.. The portions have drastically decreased from when I first started coming... Overall a good place to dine, somewhat pricey but the quality is good! read more

My poor husband. He took me here for my birthday and was so excited to take me somewhere nice since I killed it when I took him out for his birthday when we were still living in LA and had set the bar really high. Sadly, from the start, our experience was very disappointing. We were seated at a small table on the upper level immediately above another table of about six people on the lower level. We could hear every word of their conversation and could awkwardly watch everything happening at the table. My husband asked the hosts to move us to one of their empty booths and mentioned that it was his wife's birthday. They gave him a hard time and told him, "Next time, can you just let us know ahead of time?" Right, cause *everyone* has been there before and knows the layout of their restaurant. Not like he didn't say it was a special occasion when he made the reservation. Because he did. Eventually they moved us. Then, as soon as we sat down we were hurriedly asked what we wanted to drink. We hadn't even had a chance to grab the menu, much less peruse their wine list of over 100 bottles (so they say). Apparently the person who asked us for our drink orders wasn't our server, because she came by later, never introduced herself, and took our order. I honestly do not understand their service model. We discussed just leaving and going somewhere more pleasant, but we're brand new to the area, and we're the type of people who never complain, so we finished our meal. The food was fine. The experience was disappointing and made more so because he really wanted this to be nice. It was our first real date out since we moved here a month ago, and we can certainly say we'll never be here again. Thank goodness The Last Word was a couple blocks away and we were able to salvage the night over some nice cocktails. read more

Incredible service and food. Our server Dwayne is second to none. He made for a special evening for my wife and I. Many returns!!

Everything is made in the house, the atmosphere is jazzy and their duck breast is : delicieux! Oh and by the way: one of the best wine cellar in the country! Un classique à Ann arbor! read more

I love this place. I must have eaten here half a dozen times in the past two years. I admit that is is a little pricey, but its worth a couple extra bucks to give yourself a decent meal. They change their menu seasonally so everything you eat is always fresh and perfect for the weather. Their steak dishes, however, are on the menu year-round and are delicious. I usually have a salmon dish which I am always pleased with, which is surprising because I don't really love salmon. I always finish with their Tuscan Torte which is a small piece of dense vanilla cake with dried pears and a hint of anise in a bed of sweet cream. It is delicious and very subtle, not too sweet or overpowering. My favorite! read more

They give 1000 points on open table if you eat at a random early time for dinner. The food was fine. It was all right for restaurant week. read more

Have been to this place with co-workers a few times for drinks/dinner. The menu is a little pricey (usual for Ann Arbor), but their happy hour is quite decent. I had their shrimp and it was good. The table bread is very soft and is served with butter, which I really liked. Have tried their assorted bruschetta and mussels both of which were good as well. Great place to eat, especially during their happy hour. Nice atmosphere too. read more

The Earle is a wine bar/French/Italian restaurant located in the basement of a building. It's pretty expansive and there are multiple rooms and a huge wine cellar. They have so many wines available that I'm betting that they have the largest selection in Ann Arbor. There's also a bar located in the center of the restaurant with happy hour specials. We dined there during graduation so it was pretty busy. The menu consists of appetizers, soups, salads, entrees, and pasta. Complimentary bread and butter is given. I went with the veal scallopini which is in a marsala sauce, topped with mushrooms, and accompanied by orzo and a small salad. The meat itself was cooked perfectly and a really quality cut of veal which is a good size. The orzo with parmesan was also on the money. The sauce, however, left something to be wanted as it was a bit too sweet for my taste. We also enjoyed a nice Chilean wine. The biggest downside was the length of time it took to get our food. I know The Earle is upscale but it took a super long time. From what my sister says, she had the same experience on a non-graduation visit. read more

My favorite restaurant in Ann Arbor, great food and ambiance

Wonderful food, ambience & service! Wow! The risotto balls, veal and duck was amazing as well as the creme brûlée! read more

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We came here for my friend's birthday dinner - They have a 50% off the meal for the 2 of us (it's only 30% off for 3). They do check your I'd so don't forget to bring it! We were seated promptly & the waiter was attentive. I had their dessert being my second dinner & a spare tyre date. She enjoyed her meal & my dessert was great. I have not had bad creme brulee though. I also ordered pasta to take away and it tasted great even the day after, despite the plastic taste that probably came off the container.. It was a paper box with a varnish-like inside. And no, I did not microwave it in that box! Lost half star there in my opinion. We also had a work event here late last year & the food was reasonable. I would not mind eating here again but I would try somewhere else. read more

I really wanted to like this place but we were all very underwhelmed. Food was just okay. Service was good not great. Gazpacho tasted like salsa with chunks of tomatoes, onions. Bruschetta very heavy on basil pesto and a very small piece of fresh mozzarella. I ordered the chicken and was served a different meal of chicken (most expensive) I think the server could have clarified which one I was ordering. Stuff chicken was drenched in butter/oil. Steak and fries came with no fries because "they ran out of fries" and chef put two small steam potatoes on the plate and did not ask before if we wanted to substitute the fries with another side. I had one soft drink but charged for two. The best meal was the tortellini which we all enjoyed and the wine. read more