Grizzly Peak Brewing Company in downtown Ann Arbor.
Our day in Ann Arbor was coming to an end and I was starting to get really hungry again. Earlier in the week, I asked for suggestions on where to eat dinner and there was no shortage of recommendations. Since we had spent a pretty good chunk of money on lunch and shopping, I didn’t want to hit up one of fancier restaurants on Main Street even though they were quit tempting.
What we settled on was the Grizzly Peak Brewing Company which was a suggestion from Amy. Grizzly Peak is located just off of Main Street in a big corner building. We parked across the street in a public lot and walked over to the brewery. When we walked in, we found the hostess station. There was a lady bent over the stand and I just assumed she was the hostess. Nope. She was waiting for her husband or something. A waiter saw us standing there and came over to seat us. Here was my big complaint about the meal. I probably should have asked to be seated in the bar so I could watch the football game, but I didn’t. Outside of the bar, there was one other couple eating and one large group. The dining rooms at Grizzly Peak are huge and there are several options. They seated both us and the other couple right next to the large group in a cramped dining room near the back of the space. Come on now. Why would you seat a couple next to a group in an empty restaurant. We just wanted to enjoy a nice dinner, but the group wanted to catch up and you know how people get when they haven’t seen each other in a while. Grandpa at one end of the table is yelling to his grandson at the other end of the table. Doesn’t make a good dining experience for anyone around them and we were right next to the table.
Our waiter came back with drinks and we were ready to order. This month’s special is a few award winning mac ‘n cheese dishes. They all looked really good, but I was in the mood for a burger. I got the Grizz burger with bleu cheese. The waiter asked if I wanted fries, but I passed for an extra $1.50. The burger came with just a burger. They threw a few pickles on the plate and called that a side, but for $8.20, I felt a little cheated. The burger is a 1/2 lb of aged sirloin served on an onion roll. I couldn’t taste a difference. It tasted like a burger to me. I ordered it medium. It came medium rare. That doesn’t bother me and I ate, but most people would have freaked out at the blood on the plate. I actually prefer burgers medium rare even though I know I shouldn’t. The burger was good, but not very filling. It really needed some kind of side. I don’t care if it was just chips. Eight bucks was too much for the burger.
Grizzly Peak in Ann Arbor
J got the Cherry Chicken Salad. She got a huge grilled chicken breast on top of a fresh greens, toasted pecans, Maytag bleu cheese, and dried cherries. The dressing was a tart cherry vinaigrette. She loved her salad. She said the greens were so fresh they still tasted like weeds which apparently is a compliment. There was too much chicken for her and I got a little bit of that. She said the salad and dressing were delicious.
Our bill was $25 and like I said, I don’t think I got enough food for the price. J, on the hand, loved her meal and the salad was more than enough for her. Desserts looked good, but she was full and I didn’t need chocolate. On the way out, we stopped in the bar area to check out the scores from the football games. Grizzly Peak is actually a really good space. The whole interior is dark, distressed woods. It has sort of an outdoorsy feel to it. The first thing you notice when you walk in is the brick oven. The kitchen is kind of set up in the middle of the restaurant and it’s entirely open. You can see the flames shooting from the back of the oven. I probably should have tried one of the pizzas. I love brick oven pizza. There are two bars at Grizzly Peak with flat screens plastered all over the place. Besides the usual pub tables, the bar area had drink bars where you can stand and socialize, but still have a place to set your beer down. We didn’t try any of their micro brews, but they had the usual suspects. An ale, a pale ale, an Irish stout, etc.
Grizzly Peak is a really cool bar. The seating arrangements left a bad taste in my mouth and the value of my meal was defiantly not a good one. J would have a totally different opinion on the value of her meal. I think she really liked it and didn’t leave hungry. We had a mixed experience at Grizzly Peak. Maybe I was just tired and it wasn’t as bad as I thought, but the choice of seating set the tone for the whole meal for me. Too bad. I really wanted to love the place. I love brew pubs and atmosphere wise, this was one of the best. The meal just didn’t match.
Mid-Michigan Dining 
Great choice J…that is what I always get. The vinaigrette is good. If you hit the brewery in Traverse City…or Grand Rapids (all under same ownership) you will find it there too!