Ashley’s

Enjoyed the Wittekerke white wheat beer… nice bar nice location
I ate chicken wings and my friend had fish tacos. Good service and bar ambience

A popular spot for grad students with a ton of great draft options. The food isn’t bad but it’s not world class. Also, the servers are indifferent, sometimes bordering on rude. But the atmosphere is plenty of fun and it’s one of the better spots on South U. to grab a drink with friends.

Cruised by this spot on my first night in Ann Arbor! I like it! Lot of beers to choose from on tap, lots of TVs, and a relatively younger crowded mainly catering to the local Michigan students. I dig it. Go blue!
I tried the Pineapple Sculpin by Ballast Point on my visit here. Not bad not bad! Basically a solid IPA with a hint of pineapple. I may be biased though being originally from Southern California.
Either way, come for the beer selection and the mellow laid back crowd. Would definitely come by again!
‘Til next time, cheers!!!

Super good college bar! It was loud, but that’s to be expected. I was super thrilled with the drink options they have for people who aren’t quite as fond of beer. I ended up with a super tasty orange martini!
We got the spinach and artichoke dip to share. It was surprisingly spicy! I was super grateful that it was covered in tomatoes, cause those really cut through the heat. Super good!
For dinner I got the badger burger and pesto fries. The burger was massive, almost to the point where it was just too much. It’s a small thing, but they also don’t toast their buns, which I think makes a big difference on a burger. It was honestly a pretty average burger — nothing special.
Overall a good experience. The food isn’t spectacular, but it is just a college bar so you can only expect so much. It has a nice vibe, the service was great, and hey, they even have trivia twice a week!

We had eaten here a couple of times years ago, couldn’t quite remember what we’d had, though didn’t remember it being bad, so we decided to try Ashley’s again when we got a taste for fish and chips recently. After all, Unilocalers swore by it.
By and large they were right. The batter was crisp, the fish tender and mild. The fries also were crispy, and the only complaint I can have about the meal was that it was a little cool by the time we got it. Hot from the fryer, this would have been first rate. The piquant, crunchy, non-​creamy coleslaw on the side was also standout.
We did get a little confused with the beer menu and didn’t get a suitable accompaniment for the F&C. We saw the selection of rotating drafts chalked on a board when we entered and assumed those were the beers on offer. Most were on the strong side and didn’t sound like something that would complement the meal. Opted for the Arcadia Whitsun, only to learn they were out (flashback to our earlier visits… on each, they were out of at least two beers we ordered).. We ended up with a barrel aged IPA which was nice as a sipper, only to see the larger array of taps behind the bar. Next time…
If there is a next time. I’d like to try some of the other things on the menu, but was really put off by the noise level (and Unilocal gets that right too… LOUD!). I suppose we asked for it… dinner hour on a Friday night at a bar and grill next to a campus… all the same, didn’t make for a very enjoyable meal. Which probably shows my age more than anything else. If you’re a twentysomething and/​or feeling a little boisterous, this may be a great place for a sandwich (or, of course, fish and chips). Otherwise, a late lunch on a weekday might be the best way to appreciate Ashley’s.

I used to come here a lot when I worked downtown. The service is pretty hit or miss, in my opinion, but they do a have a good and lengthy beer and beverage list. The real reason I come here though is to sit right outside on a summer night and enjoy one of the several varieties of fries that they have. Super yummy. Great place to stop for a drink, but gets really busy so best to come at not a peak time.

O melhor bar de Ann Arbor! Se vc estiver com vontade de descobrir novas cervejas, neste bar eles possuem mais de 70 rótulos!!! Seg a sexta das 16 as 18h eles tem happy hour tb, e vale a pena!

After attending the Folk Festival @ Hill Auditorium, I was dying for a beer. Found Ashley’s on here and walked the 2 blocks. Restaurang was comfortably full at 11:30pm and I found a seat at the bar. Excellent beer selection and I loved the pre designed flights! I got the Michigan Dark Beer flight, which was a perfect mix of some of Michigan’s top beer contenders. Needing a snack, I opted for the fried cheese curds — cooked perfectly!
A 4 from me means I thoroughly enjoyed myself and service was spot on. Didn’t care for the music playing (too much sublime, 311, etc.) and wished the curds came with marinara. Over all, a great find in Ann Arbor!

My husband and I were in Ann Arbor for a short weekend trip to check out the school and one night after an early dinner we stopped in here. I will say this is most definitely a college bar, so we were surrounded by rambunctous college kids, but there was plenty of seating and a warm atmopshere.
It was fun to sit there with our delicious craft beers and just enjoy the noise and warmth. Definitely recommend it and even if you’re not a ‘beer’ fan they have a lot of fun ciders and whiskeys. I want to also say they had other mixed drinks, but I cannot remember!

Thee
To go for large selection of craft beers. cool atmosphere. A little on the pricey side. But it’s worth it. Will come back!

First time coming here tonight after a year of grad school at UM, and man was I missing out! Not only is this place much larger than it looks from the outside, but I really liked the ambiance and grown up feel of a true craft beer bar in the middle of central campus (full disclosure I’m not a beer drinker, but like to try variations of whiskies and ciders that seem interesting).
I tried 2 drinks that I’d never had before, the Mead and a hard cider with a funny name I can’t remember. Both were sweet and surprisingly delicious. 2 other people in my party ordered the Mead after tasting mine, and life was good after the 19% a.b.v. kicked in, lol.
Our waitress, Z, was fun, fast, and friendly, and gave us plenty of attention without seeming like she was working for tips. She also had some great recommendations and made me want to come back to try more things that I didn’t get to this time. They also have a fun world beer contest thing that sounds cool for groups.
Giving it a 4 because given the competition of other craft beer spots in Ann Arbor, they could do a bit more to differentiate. The location is great for a round with friends, but I found the food selection a bit lacking and the prices pretty high compared to comparable places. That said, I think the price point brings in a more grown up crowd, which I’m not mad about either.
Overall great spot that I’ll find more reasons to visit before graduation !

If you’re looking for greasy, big-​portioned food, you’ve come to the right place.
Service was excellent; the waiter was patient and checked in on us often, even offering to replace one of our orders when he realized he made a mistake. Nothing to complain about here.
On to the good stuff: the portions, as i mentioned earlier, are HUGE. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but the burgers/​sandwiches are easily the size of my head. A lot of bang for your buck, and pretty damn tasty too. I had the Chipotle Chicken Sandwich and highly recommend it to any others. Just the right combination of cheese, bacon, chicken, and chipotle sauce — and I might add, it tastes even better after a night in the fridge.
All in all, Ashley’s is a great place for a group hangout!

Superb beer selection with great bar food.
Date of Visit: 9÷13÷15
Ann Arbor was our last Michigan road trip stop, and a few people mentioned that Ashley’s was the best beer selection in the area. It’s a very old school joint, with a lot of wood finishes and a very pub-​like atmosphere. They have a great beer list, with both local MI beers and some funky brews you’re not likely to find elsewhere.
For food, we started with the Poutine and Fried Cheese Curds; both were ok but left a little to be desired in the flavor department. That said, ⁵⁄₆ of us got the Fish & Chips (cod filet in Gulden Draak Ale batter), and I don’t think there was a single morsel left on any plate; it was that good.
All in all, if you’re looking for a great beer list in a laid-​back setting, Ashley’s is the go-​to spot.

The place is great, unfortunately we ran into a little bit if dishonest service. Bringing in a large group we expected limited seating options, when asking about an empty 6 top in the rear I got the curt response of «people are sitting there.» I walked back and the table was free.
The server ‘Outta or Ada’ informed us that someone was going to be there. I was unaware reservations were possible here. Looks like it was an inside job, good to have friends. She then directed us to a 4 top where she threw the menu on the table and turned her back on us, terribly poor customer service, unfortunate for what is a great historic venue.
Go Blue.

The service is the best thing about it. I got the poutine fries but they were not as good as real Canadian poutine.
Get the curry chicken fries they are bomb.
My waiter kicked ass he recommended really good craft beer.
Trivia night was fun but we lost miserably. Team Canadian Poutine didn’t do so hot tonight.

I love me a good pub! This place was just what I needed for a quick yet delicious lunch with some reading I had to get done. I love that all the tables have the writings/​carvings of past customers on the wood! Also, as a kind of disclaimer, I didn’t get to try any of the beers while I was here so I can’t be much help there.
I did have the Fried Cheese Curds and they were great! Super crunchy and just the right amount of tooth-​squeak when you chew! Awesome. Then I moved into the Fish Tacos! They looked just as good as they tasted. The fish was also super crunchy and the slaw on top was really nice. By the time I got to the final taco the slaw did become a bit much though and was starting to make the tortilla a touch soggy, but to be fair I wasn’t eating at my normal, inhalation rate of speed because I was also reading. The menu also said that the tacos came with a mango salsa, but I didn’t get much of that flavor.
Overall, if I’m in the area again, I’ll stop in!

I have been a patron of Ashley’s for years. I remember when I first came to Ann Arbor at the ripe age of 21. I essentially had never had access to different kinds of beer (I’m from PA where you have to buy beer by the case and as a broke college student, that means nothing but PBR and beast served at parties. Yuengling is the only «craft» beer in the price range.) Ashley’s helped form my palette. I will always fondly remember my time It’s always the meeting place for my friends and colleagues. It’s ALWAYS packed, loud, and will always be a required stopping point whenever I visit Ann Arbor, despite it’s quirks.
Everyone I know has sort of a love/​hate relationship. Those who are more in tune with their feelings than mundane issues like terrible service, extremely mediocre/​inconsistent food (except the Stilton fries. yum.) lean towards love. The restaurant its self is slowly decaying. Last year, for almost the entire year, the women’s restaurant was non functioning. I’m happy to report that after a year of living in another city, it’s back online (though you still have to squeeze yourself in next to the exposed pipes).
Another time, the internet was out and they couldn’t process credit card orders, but of course no one had cash… The waitress said that waiting for the machines to come back online was required, but the last bus for home was leaving in 20 minutes… so the resolution was to write down what was owed with promises that the diners would return the next day and pay off the bills. This seems like an interesting way to do business, but surprisingly, ever person involved returned to settle the bill the next day.
My most recent visit was with a group of 6 people on a Friday afternoon in August. We were seated almost immediately (this will probably not be your experience if you try this after Labor Day). The server seemed a little new at his job (or just not the best at it) but when you’re with a large group of friends and everyone gets the beer they’ve ordered, you stop caring after a few glasses. The food came out hot and although my burger was on the underdone side, I was pretty happy with it. But seriously — don’t go here for just the food. Go here for the beer.

When in Ann Arbor for work, I’d wanted to find a cool joint that would offer a craft take on regional food while also offering a good feel for the University of Michigan crowd — which Ashley’s definitely provides.
To begin with a drink, their craft beer selection is huge — veritably offering something for any preference.
Their menu was great for someone new and offered many staples (fish and chips, burgers, etc.) with different takes such as poutine (the reason I came here) as well as lobster rolls and a craft beer infused sausage with root vegetables. I ended up getting the sausage which was fantastically crafted: not too ‘meaty’, very flavorful, and tender. I absolutely loved it. The poutine was also great — a Canadian dish of fries, cheese curds, and gravy that I’ve wanted to try for awhile. Definitely a Michigan/​CAN treat if you can find it.
The atmosphere was really nice as well. It had a very east coast college vibe and is a joint that seemed to have a lot of young professionals and grad students that frequent it.
Ashley’s is an awesome spot that I’ll be sure to come by again should I be in Ann Arbor.

Beer is five stars. Beer list is always changing, and you are sure to find something that strikes your fancy. I’ve recently had a Roak IPA that I enjoyed. They also have some rarer items on tap; Bae raved about the Expedition Stout.
Food is three stars. Between the two locations, I’ve had quite the selection from their menu. It’s meh. Glad that they added poutine.
Also: location — meh. Hard to park, hard not to hit an undergrad. :/

I had a great experience here. We came here to chill, watch a game and beer pleasure. We had a very knowledgable and personable staff and I couldn’t ask for more.
We had the ARTISANAL CHEESE PLATE AND FRIED CHEESE CURDS. These were super good. The fried cheese were served fresh and hot, the way I liked it.
I liked the loudness of the crowd and it was pretty busy. We chose the bar table this time and it was a great spot to enjoy the TV screens.

I had not been back to Ashley’s since undergrad, so probably since 2009 or so, and I went here with a friend yesterday to redeem my free birthday pizza (sign up online for their FOTO — Friend of the Owner — club!).
The place was pretty much the same as I remembered it to be. Fun atmosphere although a bit loud since a few football games were on. We got the fries as an appetizer (comes with three different types of sauces/​aiolis, yum) and a mushroom and sundried tomatoes pizza — you get a 2-​topping pizza free during your birthday month.
I also tried a frambois (raspberry beer) which I haven’t had since the one time I went to Belgium — their beer/​drinks list is INSANE at Ashley’s, it’s literally a 10+ page booklet. Tons of drinks on tap too.
I felt a bit old going back (I’m 28 now, the majority of people dining there were 21+ year old students) but the food/​drinks are still pretty good. I’d go back again when in town.

I’m sorry folks, but the reason I like to go to dive bars is that they generally have very few rules. Ashley’s, however, has more rules than a professional sports league.
There were 10 of us in total that had planned to descend on Ashley’s on a Monday night. We weren’t all assembled together, but were instead trickling in from another event. I was one of two who entered first, and we grabbed seats at the bar near the hostess. I explained to her that we had 8 others joining us, and that’s when the rules began.
I learned it was trivia night. And apparently that’s a big deal up in these parts. There is no standing at the bar. If you don’t have a stool, you can’t be near the bar.
I then explained that we would be happy to move to a table. She explained they did not have a table large enough to seat us. There were two open four tops right in view, albeit not near one another, that I offered to take. We were then told that would be fine, but we were instructed to not get up and mingle between the two tables. Asked why, the hostess explained that the waitresses don’t want to track who’s ordering what at which table. Huh? I told her we would do two separate checks based on anything ordered at each table. She pushed back some more, basically insisting that each table would need to remain sitting at their own table.
Our colleagues had now begun to join us, and in hearing the conversation between the hostess and I, basically said «screw this,» and walked out. I had already ordered drinks and a plate of poutine at the bar, so my buddy and I had to stay behind and deal with that, ultimately joining up with the rest of them later.
Maybe I’m missing something here, but when you have 10 reasonable grown-​ups looking to plunk down cash for food and drink, you usually try to accommodate them. But I guess they do things differently at Ashley’s. A shame too, because we probably ended up spending close to a grand at BWWs just down the street.
One and done. (Good poutine, though!)

Ashley’s has 70 kinds of beer on tap. In addition to that their menu contains a beer listing with details about the beers in many categories, like I have only seen done for wines before.
If you are serious about tasting them all, they offer a «beer pass» where they will testify your consumption of all beer types so you kan better keep track.
On mondays there’s also «quiz night», and I hear there’s other special events on other nights, too!