Had not reviewed the West End Grill after a delightful meal there last year. Our daughter who frequents Ann Arbor and is a U of M graduate took a U f M department head there this week and reminded us of what a delightful place this was. We even bought a gift certificate for the friends we stayed with as it is probably one of the best restaurants we have been to in Ann Arbor. Food, service, and decor are outstanding. I would be shocked if you did not enjoy this place. read more

Two people from Cape Cod, who have access to fresh seafood that is only minutes from the boat, go to an "inland" restaurant in Ann Arbor. What could possibly go wrong? At the West End Grill, not a thing! We were delighted to find great fresh tasting scallops for our entrée and some astonishingly good (albeit small) lobster puff pastries as a prelude. Our experience would've merited a rave review 'on the coast.' This is a sweet spot in Ann Arbor and offers a wonderful atmosphere and very personable, careful and competent service [and ample coctails]. We look forward to returning on our next time through. Parking is easy in a municipal lot 1/2 block away and an easy walk. Nice, nice, nice! read more

Excellent food and ambience!!!! I had the Chilean seabass and he had the grouper. Our waiter Kevin was superb! Highly recommended...

Love this place! Every time we come here it's been amazing! We usually order: the crab cakes, artichoke, mussels, short ribs, lamb, mushroom gnocchi, and sea bass. All excellent!! read more

The West End Grill knows how to do it right- from the food, to the drinks, to the ambiance, to the service. It truly is a five star experience. What I love most about the West End Grill is that you can feel the owner's presence. It's clear that a lot of personality and love as been put into this restaurant. I've been going to West End for over six years now, and not once have I been disappointed. It's a great destination for parties,for special occasions, or for just meeting up with a friend at the bar. The drinks are strong- I mean strong, and the bartenders (Jordon in particular) are so entertaining. They have the perfect balance of friendliness (fun) and professionalism. Honestly, everything on the menu is to die for, but my top three appies are the crab rangoons, shrimp lollipops, and the mini burgers (OMG, the mini burgers!!!). As for the Entrees, the lamb and the sea bass are out of this world. The filet mignot is also a favorite of mine. If you're going to do desert, go with the key lime pie or the sticky pudding (both made from scratch and worth every calorie). What is so unique about the West End Grill is that it feels special without being stuffy- I always have so much fun when I go there! read more

Not Good For Food Allergies!!!!! Warm Red wine : ( Warm bottle of red wine (for the price it should have been at least room temp.) !! I called prior to our visit and was told that I would have many choices and when the server reviewed the options that were gluten free I had only a couple and then one option with no sauce- if I am going to spend $100 plus per person for dinner I do not want beef broiled plain and dry!! The only gluten free dessert choices were vanilla ice cream or fresh berries. I eat at restaurants that have well trained chefs so that I can have delicious food prepared gluten free. Many of the entrees were made with soy sauce containing gluten which made it difficult and did not offer a gluten free tamari sauce like many restaurants. The service was good but until the menu changes and has more choices for those with gluten allergies we will not be back. read more

Had dinner here for the first time earlier this week on a business trip, and all the talk is true! This is the best restaurant in Ann Arbor! In downtown, at least. Loved our ahi tuna, steak, salad, those little hot rolls, and the molten chocolate cake dessert! Service was impeccable. The menu on the chalkboards are a nice touch. It's pricey but no more than other similar establishments in the area. Will definitely come again. read more

WOW. I had the spicy undon prawns, filet bearnaise, and key lime pie and it was one of my favorite meals that I've had in ann Arbor!! SOOO good. Great service too. Even the bread biscuits are excellent. read more

Superb dining experience. We usually go for my birthday and have never been disappointed. Great selection of appetizers and entrées. This time we started with the shrimp wrapped in Applewood smoked bacon. I had the sea bass and Honey had the scallops with coconut risotto. The host always makes you feel welcome and our waiter Mike was very charming. Found a sweet little Fume Blanc to complement our dinner. Complimentary dessert was an excellent Key lime pie. We could go back every night and enjoy something different as there are so many great choices. read more

i've been here several times and always have had very good service. friends have called this restaurant romantic however i don't feel that way. i feel the tables are quite close and not as comfortable as I would like. My last experience was okay. We celebrated our anniversary and was given the option of 2 glasses of champagne or dessert. we opted for the free dessert and i highly recommend the brownie...it was out of this world. Their bread and drinks were good-we ordered a half bottle of pinot noir. But my appetizer?(crabcakes), soup (seafood bisque), and entree (sea bass) were not very good; too salty. My husband's entree was delicious-the lamb. I was really looking forward to eating well there but instead it was okay. I would go back for drinks and dessert and maybe try a different entree and order salad next time. read more

We were here about 2 years ago and the dinner was fantastic. We went last week and it was just okay. We ordered appetizers: gourmet biscuits and gravy...cold and not very tasty. The dessert we ordered which was a spice cake with ice cream was AMAZING. One of the best desserts I've had in a long time. I just wished the dinner matched the dessert. Oh and it didn't help that there were a bunch of really loud sales weasels that took up most of the small restaurant. The staff did nothing to keep the noise down, which was a weird considering this restaurant is more on the romantic side. I know, the fellas need a good steak, but how about hoofin' it over to Knight's Steak House instead?! read more

My husband and I went here for a special occasion dinner on the recommendation from some good friends who describe it as their favorite restaurant in ann arbor. Everything we had was good, but not great. Nothing was particularly unique and given the prices, it just wasn't worth what we spent. We wished we had gone to eve, which we have found to be a superior in every facet for similar prices. read more

I love the West End Grill dining experience, services and the staff. It is classy place and the top of notch. I will visit over and over again! Must visit dinning place in AA! read more

Phenomenal food and drinks! A nice, quaint place downtown A2 where you can sit back and enjoy everything...

I took my mom here when she came to visit me for the first time in Ann Arbor, and it was an excellent choice. We initially found he waiter coming over and reading the menu... well, bizarre, but looking back I can see the value of it, and we were able to ask questions about the choices without feeling like pests. There was an ample selection. For appetizers, we ordered bleu cheese tarts (wonderful) and mushroom strudel (OMG so good) . We both ordered steak that was cooked perfectly and was very good. One negative thing: I ordered a glass of wine and it was $15. I found that ridiculous, but I guess it was mostly my fault for not paying attention. The dinner was definitely expensive but I didn't resent the price, minus the wine, because it was fantastic. Would definitely recommend. read more

Love this place! They do an excellent job from the food down to the decor. No detail is missed. Roland and the crew are top notch.

Excellent service, generous portions, but just OK food. I wouldn't disregard West End, but I wouldn't hurry back, either. Many years ago we tried this place and came away with the opinion that it was a great looking menu that was ham-handedly executed. Well, not much has changed. Had the rack of lamb that was covered with so much rosemary, it looked like a porcupine. Biscuits & Gravy app (scallops on risotto cake) was good. Wine prices are reasonable but the selection is just OK. One negative for me... this is a very noisy restaurant. The brick walls and tin ceiling (while looking nice) really create a din when the restaurant is full. Some sound absorbing materials would definitely help. Frankly, for about the same price you can eat at Logan (1 block away) and have much better and more creative food in a more peaceful environment. read more

One of the best dining experiences I've had. Small, quaint atmosphere. Knowledgable and diligent servers. The food was a bit on the pricey side but well worth it in my opinion. Definitely not a place you could frequent often but great for special occasions! read more

The West End Grill - American Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

Service started a little slow, but afterwards it was great. The Chilean sea bass was very good, the short ribs were also very tender and delicious. First time to the restaurant and I would definitely go back read more

The West End Grill - Grilled artichoke - American Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

Amazing appetizer (honey mustard glazed bacon wrapped shrimp), entrees (mushroom gnocchi and salmon), and service. More bread could have been brought to the table however. read more

My favorite place for a special meal in Ann Arbor ! I had the filet béarnaise and my husband had the Kobe steak and both were done exactly as we ordered and delicious. My meal also came with mashed potatoes which were really tasty. The service and atmosphere were very pleasant. We moved to Ann Arbor a few months ago and are trying a lot of new places, this is a restaurant that I can definitely recommend. read more

Came during restaurant week. Sat at the bar. Food was very good. Breads or buns that they bring out are good. Kind of an old stuffy crowd in the dining area. Bartendress was kinda bitchy. read more

Had been thinking about trying West End Grill for months. Finally made it last Thursday for an early dinner at 530. No reservation but snagged a four-top for the two of us. Place is small but well laid out with cool bar in back that you might not see looking thru the windows. No two-top tables and nice space between the tables so never will you be spending your evening listening to someone else's dinner conversation. On to the drinks and food. They do not have a cocktail menu ... Seriously?? ... but as an excuse the waitress offers "we can make whatever you might want". I order an old fashioned with Bullet Rye. But they don't have bullet rye and what they have is something I am not familiar. However I figure why not. Drinks come .. The old fashioned is a great pour but not nearly enough bitters. 3 out of 5 stars. We get two appetizers - grilled artichokes and bruschetta. Grilled artichokes are perfect and the aioli is very very well done so I can highly recommend. Dinners were short ribs and tuna done rare. Good portions but the short ribs were looking for some liquid as they were a bit dry. The tuna was cooked rare as ordered but lacked the needed boost of seasoning for flavor. Pacific Rim tuna beats West End Grill tuna hands down. The service was just bordering on slow. I noticed a lot of the customers seemed like they were regulars as staff hugged and chatted with many if them so a very friendly place. One more complaint is the entire menu, and it is a good sized one, is on a chalkboard. So our server had to describe to us each and every entree and appetizer .. Amounting to almost 15-20 dishes. She wasn't excited about doing it and her descriptions took on the monotone pace of the teacher in Ferris Bueller. I guess they think it adds to ambiance but maybe limit the chalkboard to the daily specials. Overall I must admit I had pretty high expectations but the given the drinks, food, service, and amount of the bill .. Those expectations were not exceeded nor even met. read more

I've been going to West End Grill 2-3 times a year for almost 10 years, and I considered that the ultimate 'date night' restaurant in AA. The last time was our last time. It was a complete disaster. Almost every item on the chalk board was out. We'd order something, then the server said it was out, then we ordered something else and that was also out. Then we ordered an appetizer. That was out. We left the restaurant without eating. It's a shame, because I have have a lot of good memories of this place. Romantic, great food, nice atmosphere. Not any more. They've lost their way. read more

Fabulous! Amazing! Pure perfection! Roland and his team are great! I have NEVER had a bad meal or experience here.

Hats off to an enticing creative menu, well cooked food, and genuine service in a locally appreciated environment. I feel like this is the best of AA based on other experiences. Avoid the hype from other places, kick back and eat well here. read more

This is the best place in Ann Arbor. I come here weekly not only because the food it always excellent but because of the staff. They are always, always friendly and welcoming! Emmy the bartender will always give you her best even on a busy night. But everyone of the staff are friendly and professional. It may not be your place on a regular because of the price point but you can't come here and not feel well treated by all ... Unless there is something wrong with you. read more

Excellent food and fun atmosphere. Appetizers and entrees were tasty and I would highlight the sea bass entree and spicy prawns appetizer as standouts. Good local brew on tap and extensive wine selection. read more

What a great time we had Friday night. I had not been here for several years but I came with my wife and college age kids to celebrate my birthday. Yes, it is expensive but definitely worth it. Everything we ate was creative, high quality and delicious. The rack of lamb was just as tasty as I remembered and as good as it gets. We topped it off with the toffee bread pudding which was close to orgasmic! Our server did not miss anything and watched my ice tea level constantly. She even offered to brew a fresh pot of decaf ice tea for my wife when she heard that my wife could not drink caffeine. She gave great suggestions and had a nice personality. Everyone at the restaurant is friendly and makes you feel at home. For my money, this restaurant is still amongst my favorites in metro Detroit. read more

There is no better place in town for that special occasion or when you want to impress someone from out of town with the best that Ann Arbor has to offer. We ate here last night for our anniversary. The service is phenomenal. The waiter will go over each menu item and each appetizer to make sure you fully understand what you are ordering. It's refreshing to go to a restaurant where there are many things on the menu that I would like to order. We started with the brie cheese tarts and salmon crab cakes as an appetizer. Both were delicious. The black bean soup was great, with just enough kick, but not too much that it makes you not want to eat it if you don't like spicy foods. We both ordered a fillet mignon, one was au poivre and the other was bearnaise. Both were cooked to perfection in. The desserts were complementary as it was our anniversary, and they were wonderful. The pace of the dining experience is perfect, nothing rushed, but not taking so long that you are waiting forever between courses. It's obviously a very pricey restaurant, but for those times when you want "special", this is the place to go. read more

Great food and service. Loved the sable. Warm rolls and butter were awesome. Veal dumplings ok, not amazing . Same for artichoke. Chef is obviously talented and artistic. Servers did good job on a busy Friday night when we dropped in without reservations and were accommodated ! read more

A big shout out to hostess Kerrianne who squeezed as in for a 6:30 reservation on U of M graduation weekend for our anniversary!! She stayed that they would make sure it was a memorable evening. And it was. Complimentary champagne and a great meal in a great atmosphere. read more

We celebrated our Anniversary at West End Grill. It was our first time and can't wait to go back. We were very impressed with our appetizers, dinner and dessert. read more

Based upon the reviews...I cancelled a reservation at a different restaurant to eat here. We were disappointed. At $200 for 3 people, I expected the food to be outstanding, not just "average." Steak with lobster stuffing with Bearnaise sauce.. was ok, not great. Sable on seaweed, the best was the sauce. Potato encrusted halibut was probably the best dish. Kudos to the waiter who overheard our toast...welcome to Michigan and happy birthday...and gave our daughter a free dessert. The best dessert ever!! an Oreo cheesecake that was so light and creamy. With the number of restaurants in town, will not be back at this one when we visit next. read more

Simply the best atmosphere combined with an incredible menu. The bartender was great, funny, drinks were also good and strong! I would say an experience worth every penny, you'll need quite a few pennies, but like i said you'll enjoy it. try the Chilean Sea Bass!! read more

The West End Grill is the best of Ann Arbor in my opinion. The dishes are prepared with the best ingredients, and the service is impeccable. The wine list has some unique and special items as well. You get what you pay for, so expect to pay premium rates, though I've found the wine prices to be reasonable. read more

This is our favorite restaurant in Ann Arbor. We have been going there since it opened in the mid to late 90's. The food is wonderful and always consistent. My words will not convey how great the food is. The atmosphere is small, warm, and intimate, but great for two or large parties. The staff is very professional, and Roland, the owner is almost always there to greet you at the door with a warm welcome. You will never feel rushed and you will leave feeling your money was well spent. read more

Up until now, the West End Grill was my favorite restaurant in Ann Arbor. The atmosphere and service are very good. The best part of the West Grill experience is the wine. Not only do they serve the Rumbauer Chardonnay and the Brown Zin but they are reasonably priced and you can purchase by the glass as well. On the food side, the apps were good- Seafood Strudel is the best. The veal dumplings were a disappointment as the dumpling and veal were falling apart. Overcooked. For entrees, the halibut was very good but could have used more sherry cream sauce. But the biggest disappointment was the beef short rib. The plate consisted of a single small short rib which had very little flavor but was priced at $39. The presentation was actually ridiculous. This entrée was overpriced and should be adjusted by either providing a more reasonable portion or lowering the price. This is a very easy dish to prepared and is not a costly cut of beef. The short rib hurt the rating. read more

We're fairly new to Ann Arbor and went here for our anniversary. We had received a generous gift card from our realtor, so it was a good opportunity to spend it. I called for reservations on Friday for Saturday evening. All they had left was 5:00 or 5:30 or after 9:00. We took the 5:30 and the restaurant was 1/2 to 1/3 empty the 90 minutes we were there. Odd. Anyway, we were given a nice table in a secluded little cubby, with 4ft walls on two sides. It felt nice and cozy. Our waiter was friendly and attentive. He asked what we were celebrating and then offered us a choice of either complementary sparkling wine or dessert. It does take some time to for the waitstaff to recite the menu and you do lose track of it after a few. The beignets were yummy and the house salad is fresh. My husband tried the spare ribs. He compared it with a tender pot roast. I had the Delmonico steak, which is a nicely marinated and seasoned marbled ribeye. I ordered it medium well and it came out a bit charred and well on its way towards blackened. It was still tender and flavored well. I think it would have been better if it was how I ordered it. The sides were just ok and a bit skimpy - one red potato cut in half, a handful of snap peas and one tiny ginger glazed carrot. We opted for the orange cake and ice cream for our complementary dessert. So refreshing after a heavy meal! It was a nice special occasion place - 2 dinners and 1 glass of wine totaled just over $100. read more