This is one of my all time favorite bars. The walls are classic wood carved, there's an outside deck, a shuffleboard, and two pool tables. Once in a blue moon, the non tournament table might even give you a free game. There's plenty of space since they bought the restaurant next door, and man the whole place has character. Awesome bar, famously strong drinks, and the regulars are actually welcoming to youngsters like my friends and me.
Review Source:My local Ypsilanti watering hole. Have had the pleasure to be here a few times, a much cleaned up version of what it formerly was (or so I am told from long time Ypsilanti regulars).
I've been here for some NFL games, NCAA games, and each time there was plenty of room and good food to enjoy. Â Priced reasonably and good value food.
Try it out if you are in the area.
It took me a little while before I ever visited the Tap Room. Â I've lived here most of my life and a lot of my friends frequent this place, so it was about time I gave it a try.
I've only ever visited here during my lunch hour, so I cannot comment on the overall vibe of the place, but the food is VERY good! I've tried a few different things from the menu and everything I've had has been top notch (the Mexican meatloaf is legendary...and I mean it). Â It can take a little while to get your food, but they always provide pretty good service, which makes up for the wait.
It is a refreshing place to go for lunch, get out of the office, and feel like you are back in the real world...because the Tap Room is as real as it gets. Â I have to agree with the other reviewers by saying this place is a total dive bar, but in the best way possible.
"You wanna go where people know,
people are all the same,
You wanna go where everybody knows
your name."
 Yep,  that says it.  No yuppie crowd here.  Clients range from college students,  to small time pool hustlers,  to the senors from down the street at  Town Center.
 Really good drink specials, a generous pour and SHUFFLE BOARD!  I always feel comfortable coming in here.
I love Tap Room.
This is a classic hole in the wall bar where the beer is cold, the drinks are strong, the staff has been there for years (a great indicator of how the owner treats his employees), the food is great, and you can have a conversation with friends without every word getting drowned out wth a myriad of TV's blasting a sporting event. Â Don't get me wrong, I love sports, just not a big fan of a bar with TV's everywhere one looks.
Do's: Â Get the Reuben, grab a burger, check out the daily drink specials. Â Check out the live music.
Don'ts: Â Don't forget that they make real drinks here, you get your money's worth. Â If you drink as many drinks here as you would elsewhere you will regret it the next morning.
The crowd is diverse, ranging from college students, to blue collar workers, to professionals and everyone in between. Â I've had some great conversations with random people at the bar at every time of the afternoon, night, and evening.
Definitely a place to check out.
I have a torrid affair with Tap Room. I recommend people to attend it whenever people start the query of "Which bar should we go to tonight?" Why? Well I'll tell you what I tell my friends.
1. The bartenders at Tap Room don't mess around. I go to bars, A lot. It's not something I'm bragging about - it just happens I have several groups of friends who like to go to the bar at different days of the week. So I've attended Aubree's, Sidetracks, Tower Inn, Woodruffs, and even Buffalo Wild Wings all with the intention of First: Drinking, Second: Eating. Tap Room beats all of those for both categories, but lets focus in the drinks.
  a. I learned to respect the drinks made at Tap Room quickly. Very quickly. It took one night of "HAH, this is strong so I'll have my usual amount!" Which led to me waking up the next morning on the La-Z-Boy of a distant friend of a friend in an unfamiliar living room and a sad state of empty wine and beer bottles, playing cards, and a turtle.
Yes. A turtle.
Regardless, it had snowed that night and I was wearing heels and a skirt. So I had a nice arse-freezing walk home to do and I realized, oh-mi-gawd Jeff (blue-eyed bartender *sigh* =) but married now  ) was NOT joking around when he was making me those screwdrivers the other night.
I swear by this story and every group I've taken has confirmed that indeed Tap Rooms drinks are knock-you-off-your-ass strong and worth the money.
They have a website which lists their Daily Specials. Get them. They're affordable and worth it. Even if you don't, at least you know your drink isn't equivalent to those wussy wine coolers you got on sale at Kroger.
2. Food. Great. Amazing. Wonderful. I've never been really disappointed by the food here. I am still a hardcore fan of their Rueben's and it again is one of my pitches to people when we're weighing pros and cons of places to go. The burgers are fantastic, and aren't soggy like some of the burgers you can get at Sidetracks. Their prices did go up in the last year, though, so now their prices aren't quite as competitive as they used to be.
So can service be slow? Yep. Can it be crowded? Yep. Is it nearly as shetty as the service that you can get in A2 during the crowded weekends? Nope. Nothing can surpass that bullcrxp. Most of the wait staff here has been on board for longer than the 4 years of me attending. So that tells you something of knowing the ins and outs. I know most of the regular staff and they have hired a few new faces in the last year - but they've been sticking around. So that's good at least.
They don't have happy hour but have Day of the Week specials that last ALL day.
Their lunch specials are phenomenal and last from 11-3PM. They are dine in only.
Their only TVs are in the bar and the annex, and on the smallish side, so get a seat close to get a good view of the game if you're going on a game-day.
They have two pool tables and a huge shuffleboard, both very popular.
Their kitchen closes at 12AM.
They have a jukebox - so it's inevitable to get a MORONIC rotation of songs eventually by drunk sl00ts or the dud3s that come in. Sometimes you get some hicks too. Or ghetto fly. Not much you can do but mock them ceaselessly as you and your friend's ears bleed together.
I never saw the old Tap Room before they put the addition or whatever on, and I've not been here too much - only occasionally when my fianceé would play with his jazz combo on Tuesday nights last fall.
The waitstaff is friendly - I feel like I built a rapport with them after only being in twice. I had the same waitress both times, and she recognized me both times. That was nice.
I gotta say though, this place certainly does not pretend to be something it's not. It's a dive, and they like it that way. I have a feeling I would have liked this place a lot less before the smoking ban took effect, but ignorance is bliss. Drinks are strong, the pub grub may be my favorite and Ypsi and a very close second to Ashley's in A2 - and you've gotta get their potato skins. You've just. got. to.
There's a reason my friends & I are here at least once a week. Although there are a number of good watering holes in Ypsi, Tap Room just has that cozy, pretention-free atmosphere we love. Plus, no one seems to mind when we cram 16 people around 4 tables.
Service is always friendly, although maybe a little slow when it's busy. However, this is made up for by the fact that the waitresses make an effort & succeed in remember our names.
There's a full menu, but don't bother looking & just order the breadsticks - best in town & highly addictive.
Great nightly specials, but be warned - if you're drinking a mixed drink, have about half as many as normal - they sure know how to pour a stiff drink.
We spent the day at the Michigan beer festival and needed to find someplace to eat close to the hotel. Â The food was just what we needed, I had the chicken burrito, which was well seasoned and had a great sauce with it. Â My wife really enjoyed the Louis' special sandwich. Â They had some great beers on tap as well, Sky High Rye!!!
Review Source:I eat at Tap a lot. Mostly for convenience since I can get food late [after work] and I live around the corner. Â
The burgers are phenomenal when they're on, and darn good even when the kitchen is having an off night. The salads are surprisingly crisp & yummy for bar salads. The smothered cheese fries are spot on- crispy fries gooey cheese melt and tons of bacon & green onions with sour cream- somehow like a less greasy potato skin.
Service can be spotty and if you aren't in the mood to sit around and drink, ask for your tab when your meal is served or you might be waiting a half hour to cash out. Pick up orders translate well, but there's always something missing (and remember to order your burger under-done as it sits and steams in the to go box...)
ultimately, what I love about the Tap Room is that from my first visit, I was *surprised* at how good the food was for a smoky, dingy hole in the wall-lookin' place. Â it's a solid place to grab a drink, a great place to people watch and the outdoor seating in warmer months makes the people parade even more entertaining.
I have been going to the Tap Room since I went to Eastern and it has always been one of my favorite watering holes...but, Ok, I have to say that the best thing about the Tap Room is that there are many familiar faces there that once worked at T.C.'s Speakeasy! It's great to go to a bar and see your favorite bartenders and the doorman that you bought booze for for xmas when you thought that they were unemployed since T.C.'s closed! So yay for cheap booze and bartenders I love!
Review Source:The service here cancelled out the well made drinks, beautiful ambiance and smoke-cloud-free atmosphere. It took way too long to get anyone's attentions- it was not busy- and even longer to get our drinks- which were a beer and a vodka tonic. I might go back if I order a pitcher and need to be left alone, or want to use the Wifi, but I don't know if I could stomach the painfully slow and absent-minded service.
Review Source:I'd been wondering why I don't hit up the Tap Room more often, and tonight I got my answer.
Let's talk about the service - worst in recent memory. And no, I don't expect bad service just because it's a dive bar. In fact, I often find that dive bar and diner servers are some of the best in their industry. But the woman who waited on us tonight was like a spoof of a terrible waitress. So much waiting - to get her attention, to get the menu (which we asked for), to give our order. And then, after waiting 20 or so minutes for our food (no big deal if it had been busy, but it wasn't), she stonily appeared at our table with new menus. "Are you the people who wanted menus?" Nope.
Needless to say, she couldn't remember anything - who ordered what, the mayo I requested because it didn't come with my food, or the name on our tab. "Okay, are you guys Ashley? No? Well, does this bill look right to you?" Oh, the one with one less beer than we ordered? Yup, I'm Ashley! All that skill coupled with her relentless post-H1N1 hack was enough to turn me off from the Tap Room for good.
Okay, okay, I wouldn't base that opinion on one bad service experience. Tonight was exceptionally bad, but the few other times I've been there were not good. Also, I just don't like the vibe in that place. It reminds me of the nightmare sequence in "It's A Wonderful Life" when George Bailey visits his friend's bar only to get punched in the face and thrown out on his ass. This isn't the fun Ypsi neighborhood dive bar (that would be Powell's). This is the mean-spirited dive bar with terrible service and (duh duh duh) hipsters...
...and a pretty good burger, made from Knight's Market meat. And cheap beer specials. That's why they get 2 stars instead of 1.
The Tap Room is a great place to grab dinner and a cheap drink. They have nightly drink specials for liquor as well as beer, and since I unfortunately can't have beer, the $2.75 Absolut and Stoli nights are my friends. The drinks are VERY strong.
Last time I got the BBQ Bacon Chicken skillet which came with a cup of soup (I got yummy French Onion) and a side (a whole basket of fries) for $8.50 I believe. The service is incredibly attentive most of the time even if they are super busy. One tip: if you are looking to eat dinner, save yourself some hassle and make sure to ask to see the food menu right when you order your first drink. Sometimes it can take a while to snag a menu otherwise since they aren't left out in the open and I think their kitchen closes at 11.
I choose going to Tap Room any day over going to Sidetrack. Sidetrack has a higher noise volume, too. I think I've been guilty at having to shout my personal conversations at either place but it seems better than Sidetrack. Wonder who's overheard my embarrassing stories!? Tap is a great option for those who do not enjoy really smoky bars because there is a larger side that has been freshly renovated to be non-smoking with pool tables and jukeboxes and booths.
My favorite bar in the Ann Arbor/Ypsi area. Friendly, neighborhood bar vibe. Surprisingly good food. Drinks, especially the nightly specials, are super cheap. Friday night music is quite good.
I preferred the coziness of the pre-re-modeled (modeled?) bar as a music venue, but new rendition has the benefit of being a lot less smoky.
Was recently in the Tap Room's new, expanded space. Â I have to say, it's kept its ambiance, but it's no longer necessary to keep this little gem a secret.
Cheap, stiff drinks, harried waitresses that somehow avoid crossing the line into "surly", and a nice outdoor seating option which, the 30+ times I've been there, has ALWAYS had waitress service.
A decent menu of unhealthy pub grub means that your bar crawl can start and end here. Â TVs play sports, there are a few electronic game machines, and of course the people-watching is prime. Â I'd rather be here than at the Pub 13 complex any day.
The Tap Room was crowded on Thursday during Happy Hour.
They offer outdoor seating facing South Washington, the only venue downtown to do so. Drinking outside here would scare the heck out of my mom. Mainly because on this side of the street you really get an up close and personal look at the local panhandlers and alcoholics walking to and from the corner liquor store. Personally, I can handle this kind of peep watching.
As Jesse and I sat down, I overheard a conversation next to me. An entrepreneur explained to his guest's why the cutie-pie barkeep was bitchy today.
"Brian is to damn cheep to pay $2.75 an hour for a third waitress."
Well, this is sure not the first time I have heard this about Mr. Brickly, the owner- who also believes that the days of paying bands a couple hundred to play at local bars are dead.
Side note: Papapa pretty pleeze, when you see the tip jar floating around inside drop them some love. Brian sure won't!
With only two waitresses and the bar packed during Happy Hour, as you can see in the picture I added.
This is what you need to know...
Expect slow and annoyed service. If dining outside, you must go into the bar for service. I haven't seen a waitress serve outside yet. Also, plan on waiting about 10 minutes for your drinks and another 10 minutes to pay up. (If I were you I would kill two birds with one stone, get it all over at once.)
This is no big deal for me as I am well aware of this fact, which is why I also recommend to:
B.Y.O.F. For the Tap Room. i.e.:
Bring Your Own Flask
Conclusion: GREAT WIFI Service!
Ambiance: I wouldn't bring mom.
Prices: They are Alright.
Friendly Service: That all depends.
Smoking: Yes, thank you.
Flask: You will need it!
I'm no stranger to dive bars. Â I love them. Â I love cheap, strong drinks. Â However, I can't give a 5-star review to an establishment that, upon going into the ladies room, I see what may have been drug use or a sex act or something else freaky weird . . .before 7PM on a Friday. Â There were three people in the one holer--2 girls and a guy. Â After seeing this, someone was nice enough to watch the door to the men's room while I went in there, but let's be real--Nobody wants to see that. Â
I liked the atmosphere, the drinks were good, and the food wasn't bad, either. Â However, it's not the kind of place I'm going to get in line to go back to.
The Tap Room is one of a few bars along Michigan Ave and a few of the side streets in downtown Ypsi that can make a bar crawl through town last a lot longer than you'd expect. The outside area is great in the spring and summer to watch for friends coming and going around town.
The bartender is very kind and you don't have to know a secret handshake or have been a customer for five years or more to get a good drink. Cash in hand and you can be on your way happily.
Hey beast, I love ya, but man... someone had to say something about the way you smell...
I went here the other night, sat outside, ventured inside twice to use the bathroom and the next morning my clothes REEKED. Â My sense of smell is not known to be the most keen, so you know it's gotta be bad. Â
I just can't in good conscience justify the 5 star rating anymore.
Oh, Tap Room, you've ruined me for other bars. Your super cheap and excessively strong drinks make it hard for me to go elsewhere and pay for one drink what I pay for three in your stinky, wooden edifice. I'm far beyond needing a bar to be aesthetically pleasing to satisfy me as all I need is a place to chill with my friends and get a little buzzed. Bonus for an outdoor space in the summer so you don't get all stinky yourself. Plenty of good, bar food to satisfy that craving and the drink specials will introduce you to new combinations to get you out of your rut (watermelom bacardi and sprite is my new favourite.) Best neighbourhood bar not in my neigbourhood.
Review Source:
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