Absolutely and completely inaccessible for anyone who is a wheelchair user or who struggles with…read moremobility. I am a wheelchair user and I reached out to inquire about the accessibility of the LGBT Halloween Drag Event, and unfortunately as is the case with most community events that are supposed to be inclusive, I was very disappointed with the response I received. "Hi Isobel, The event does take place upstairs. However, you are welcome on the first floor. We have a closed circuit camera upstairs that displays the show on a first floor monitor over the bar. If you choose to attend, staff will make sure to accommodate you on the first floor. I hope that helps." I am aware that the website of the North Star Lounge does not claim to be accessible, due to the size of the building they are not required to meet ADA accessibility requirements. I personally do not think this excuse is good enough for a venue hosting what is supposed to be community based events. This may be due to infrastructure, but infrastructure can be discriminatory and this is not a revolutionary concept. There is no other group of people that would be told they can pay to watch an event from an entirely different floor in a different room on a TV screen above a bar and that is considered acceptable. It is discriminatory and ableist, plain and simple. I would not recommend this venue to anyone in the disabled community, and if you care about the rights of disabled people you should not be attending either. If venues could tie profitability to accessibility we would have a whole different story, so please consider that before attending a community event in an inaccessible space. Disabled people belong every single place that you belong!

One of my favorite things about going to a city like New York are those small intimate venues like…read morethe Blue Note, where you can eat and drink and watch some music. Yes, many restaurants around have performers but there's something different about this kind of spot. The performers are not an afterthought. They're the focus and why people are there and the enjoying of music is a communal experience. North Star Lounge scratches that itch I have for a venue like that here in Ann Arbor. A friend of ours was playing a show here which made my first visit even more enjoyable and special. As a music venue this place is small but not uncomfortable in the slightest. It's what one might call, "intimate." For the show they had set out some rows of chairs but there were several tables and booths if you prefered to have a little more space or would like to eat while you watch the show. They have a limited menu for food and it's prepared at Detroit Filling Station next door (also NSL's owners) which means it's vegan and also delicious. It was a cold evening so went with comfort food and ordered the mac and cheese, which was as excellent as when I've ordered it from DFS. They have a nice cocktail/beer/wine menu but also a substantial NA/Mocktail selection. I've pumped the breaks on alcohol recently so I went with a hot tea to warm up and a mocktail with some muddled fruit and mint (the drinks are seasonal so the menu from that time is no longer posted for me to recall the name but it was very good). Good tunes, good food, good drinks, friendly folks. What else could you need? Check out their calendar of events now and plan your visit!

Went for a drink with wife and sons. Very nice area to begin an evening relaxing listening to…read moremusic to get things started or even wind down. Pick a nice day, evening to go as we did get caught in the rain today and cover was sparse with the amount of people looking for cover. This place definitely draws younger crowd which adds to the positive energy. We did not eat, drinks you walk up order and leave with on the spot in the beer garden itself.Service was fast, friendly and knowledgeable. Parking surprisingly wasn't an issue especially seeing how busy this place gets.

Basic concept of beer and sitting outside. No food but a great way to spend a Saturday.read more

Blue LLama Jazz Club bas been on our list of places to check out for quite a while. We had heard…read moregood things about it. We made reservations Friday night for the 7:00PM show. They have two performances 7:00 PM & 8:30 PM. The interior decor is modern with the lounge vibe, kind of what you would expect for a Jazz Club. We were pleasantly greeted by the Hostess when we arrived, checked in and were taken to our table. Our server Julia, promptly greeted us and took our cocktail order. Great craft cocktails! They have a nice diverse menu with many options to choose from. We opted to go for small plates and had the Joey D's Killer Cornbread; sweet potato, with chipotle maple butter. It is served warm of course and it was very, very good. We also ordered the Fried Green Tomatoes, with pimento cheese. They were nicely battered and had great taste and flavor. The pimento cheese was a nice accompaniment. Lastly, we ordered the Apricot-Prosciutto Flatbread with sage-ricotta, burrata and arugula. The only thing we did not care for was the flatbread, it was not browned or crispy like most flatbreads dishes we have had, cooked in a pizza oven. Its consistency was doughy. All the other ingredients on it were good, just not the flatbread itself. The Jazz for the evening was performed by the Noah Hogan Quartet and they were fantastic. Would definitely go see them again. Overall a great experience. Would definitely recommend checking them out. There is a $25 per person cover charge. Reasonable for such a nice club.

This was my first time at a jazz club and it was a lot of fun. The servers and other employees were…read moreall very helpful and kind. There are a couple larger tables on the floor and many bar seats/tables for 2. The shows start at 7&9 most nights. We saw a quintet perform and it lasted about an hour. The musicians were very talented and passionate. The food was just ok. I liked the gnocchi and the micro greens and breadcrumbs were a nice touch. The blue mitten baby lettuce salad was pretty simple, I wished there were more toppings on it. I parked behind the building in a paid lot & it wasn't too expensive but filled up quick on the weekend.

This place is a super, cute bar in downtown Ann Arbor. They offer great cocktails and a dim, lively…read morevibe. The customer service was great. They have pool tables and an open space for sitting and standing. I would recommend this place if you're looking for good, quality drinks.

Awesome time here. Really cool basement bar that has a great liquor selection. Did have to wait…read moreabout 10 minutes to get in but there was not a cover. Located right in the middle of downtown Ann Arbor. Did seem like a bit of a college bar of note, but also plenty of people a little older than that too. Pretty easy to get drinks though, and it was reasonably priced. Overall great time here and would come back.

No food service. Which is the only negative thing I can say about this establishment…read more The owner and the manager are great people. We had cocktails and a tour. The bourbon is pretty good but the gin and the liquors were the best. The inside is rustic industrial with a unique casual elegance. They have only been open 8 months and are headed to great things. Owner Scott is dedicated to expanding and improving. Love this place!!

Water Tower Distilling is a cool place to hang out, offering a solid combination of good drinks,…read moreample seating options, and live entertainment. A friend and I recently stopped into Water Tower Distilling so we could catch up, have a drink, and see some live music. We were able to see a jazz trio perform, and try out a few of WTD's drink offerings -- definitely some solid options on the menu! We especially liked the Black Cat, but appreciated the diversity of options within the drink menu, especially that there were some interesting NA choices! The service was great and our server was helpful in allowing us to try out different elements of the menu. Overall, I'm glad that Water Tower Distilling has joined the foray of bar options in Downtown Ypsi - I'll be back!

Great venue! It's a nonprofit so you have to have a membership if you want to drink there. We saw…read morelocal classical pianist BLKBOK. He did a Juneteenth show there and it was amazing. Great music with a lot of history sprinkled in.

When you talk about community theater/music, you have to think of the ark. The quality of…read moreperformers that the art attracts is truly amazing. Tonight I'm here to see. BlkBok, a classical/fusion electronic artist. Being a Detroit native, performing at the sort of like a homecoming. What I love about the arc is that it is really run by volunteers and as a nonprofit. The other aspect, which is great is that it's an intimate space, you are not far from the performers at any seat. I highly recommend this for entertainment in Ann Arbor..

Good spot, great service, lots of seating. I got an Iced Salted Maple Latte that wasn't great, no…read moreflavor to it but the House Iced Tea was really good. I love how much seating there is both inside and out. There's dine in and carry out options (less waste for dining in!) Parking is difficult but other reviews have tons of tips on how to find a spot. Clean interior, friendly and quick service, overall would return!

Hostile? Don't go here unless you want attitude that borders on contempt for customers. 2 people…read moremanning the counter. A spoon for my coffee? Eyeroll. "We don't have any." Lukewarm coffee? "Oh, it will take at least 10 minutes to brew." Incredulous attitude. When I check back, I could hear the muttering. I am reluctant to write this because the owner of Sic Transit and the entire crew at the bike shop are good friends. I've known them for years and everyone who works at the shop are awesome. I don't know why Joe is hiring people like these 2, alienating everyone, but this was the second time I gave the place a try. Same. Never going back. I might get bitten next time.

Zal Gaz Grotto is one of those places I always SAY I should go to on a weeknight, until work…read moreinterferes. Not this time, since I'm on the road, and family is involved. For the uninitiated, ZGG is an organization for master masons, whose charitable cause is providing dental care for special needs children. It does so through providing a venue for food and music. Many Monday nights, the Paul Keller Orchestra provides the music. The night we attended, they were Paul-Kellerless, but with special guests. Therese H.'s brother is regular in the PKO, and we enjoyed this opportunity to hear them play. Good drinks, good music, fun times. Pro tip: bring your concert ear plugs. Thanks ZGG.

Great place to enjoy music and others who enjoy dancing. Am looking forward to our next visitread more