Written by Nada Rida and edited by Jeffery Lo
The city of Ann Arbor is filled with culture, history, and diversity. There’s so many places to discover with friends in this lively city: from watching a movie at our historic theaters, shopping at local boutiques, to enjoying new places to eat and drink coffee.
In Ann Arbor, the restaurant options are endless and include a huge variety of styles. Here are my top 3 must-eat restaurants with some information about their history and fun facts!
Well-known and Must eat places in Ann Arbor
Zingerman’s Delicatessen
“One of the top 25 food markets in the world.”- Food & Wine
Located on 422 Detroit
Price: Breakfast sandwiches range from $9.99-14.50. Small deli sandwiches range from $12-16 while large sandwiches average about $17-19.
Menu: http://www.zingermansdeli.com/menus/
Zingerman’s Delicatessen, established in 1982, first opened with five square tables containing four seat and four stools. Originally planned as simple and quick a “made-to-go” sandwiches restaurant, the deli store became a place to house a large selection of Jewish specialty sandwiches ranging from Sherman’s Sure Choice corn beef to vegetarian options like the Amazing Grace’s Family Shroom sandwich. The owner’s main focus was “never to be one of the biggest, only one of the best,” though the store eventually expand the shop to include “Zingerman’s Next Door,” a cafe containing pastries, coffee, and homemade ice cream.
Zingerman’s Deli has a deep history and a well-known reputation; it is one of the must-visit places in Ann Arbor. Even President Obama enjoyed a Reuben after speaking at the 2010 spring commencement at the University of Michigan. If you fall in love with your sandwich, they sell all the essential components including deli meat and toppings, making it really easy to have one at home!
Frita batidos
Located on 117 W Washington St
Price: Their happy hour is between 4:30-6pm. Fritas range between $8-11 for a single or double. Each additional topping $1.25.
Menu: http://www.fritabatidos.com/menu/
This Cuban-inspired street restaurant has a casual, upbeat feel and predominantly serves their famous fritas. A frita is a traditional burger made with either spicy chorizo, fish, chicken, black bean, or beef. It includes shoestring fries and any other topping of your choice. Toppings include muenster cheese, a sunny side-up egg, cilantro-lime salsa, tropical slaw, and avocado spread. However, you can’t go wrong with “making it loco” which includes all the amazing toppings. Sides dishes are also a must-have and complement the frita. Dishes include some traditional Cuban favorites like crispy plantains and coconut-ginger rice. Food is enjoyed with a batidos. Batidos are tropical milkshakes and come in flavors including coconut cream, fresh lime, hibiscus, passion fruit, chocolate espanol.
Angelo’s
Located on 1100 Catherine St.
Price: Varies depending on meal time
Menu: http://angelosa2.com/specials
Established in 1956, Angelo’s is a family owned diner located on Catherine Street right by Michigan Medicine and Taubman Library. The couple who owned this diner arrived to Ann Arbor in 1951 from Greece, looking to make a living doing something they love. They succeeded with this historical diner and eventually expanded in 1995 to include a coffee shop and bakery house named “Angelo’s On the Side” for on-the-go customers. The diner is still operated by the original family with the owner’s son at the helm. The dedicated staff continue Angelo’s legacy by remaining extremely busy, especially on Sundays, and staying true to family recipes! Food includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner options ranging from French toast to an original cheese burger. Prices are reasonable and dishes vary depending on the time of the day. If you want a creative summary of the full experience at Angelo’s, check out their famous Angelo’s song by Dick Siegel.
Link to song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nc1V260ryE0
Everything is better with coffee
Pharmacy school may be a bit rigorous but having some fun, upbeat coffee shops/cafes to study at can make it less painful.
Lab Cafe
Located on 505 E Liberty St # 300
This very vintage, artsy coffee shop is filled with beautiful portraits, floral arrangements, and most importantly, great coffee. Not only is this place a cool space to hang out with friends, it is also used as a study spot if you enjoy a more upbeat environment. This coffee place is unique and one of my personal favorites because of their variety of delicious coffee and tea drinks. They often have some of my favorite desserts including chocolate peanut butter cake and French macarons. Their desserts are usually provided by the Songbird Cafe and include many vegan options.
Comet Coffee
Located on 16 Nickels Arcade
Recognized as one of “America’s Coolest Coffeehouses,” Comet Coffee is a small coffee shop located inside of Nickels Arcade. Compared to traditional methods of brewing coffee, this owner has his staff using Asian traditions to hand brew each cup of coffee. They have a tremendous variety of bean roasts, some with flavors profiles including apple and lemon zest.
Avalon Cafe and Kitchen
Located on Pretzel Bell Building, 120 E Liberty St
Avalon Cafe is new to the Ann Arbor area, however it has been dominating the corner of Detroit since 1997. They first raised $6,000 from friends and family which helped open their doors. They had the help of many of their volunteers who assisted in the making, baking, and selling of their international bread. Now, their cafe and kitchen in Ann Arbor serves coffee, breakfast, sandwiches, pies, and salad. They also have many vegan and vegetarian options! The cafe also sells their famous international bread.
Exploring art and nature
There are many other things to do in Ann Arbor that doesn’t include stuffing your face with food and coffee. Art plays a huge part in the history of this city. Walking through campus, you will notice the unique and carefully detailed architect in all the surrounding buildings.
Ann Arbor Park and Recreation
If you enjoy the water and outdoors, spend a day tubing from the Argo Canoe Livery. There are 3 different paths to take depending on how far you would like to travel. More information can be found on this website: http://www.a2gov.org/departments/Parks-Recreation/play/Pages/Tubing.aspx.
Price: It’s $10 per tube or 2-hour rentals.
Other activities and areas at the Park and Recreation include canoeing, dog parks, ice skating, and cultural arts such as concerts and song writing!
Movies
Besides the local Rave and Goodrich movie theaters, downtown Ann Arbor has two operational movie places located on State and Liberty street. The State and Michigan theaters are nonprofit centers for fine film and performing arts. They feature select movies, plays, and documentaries. The Michigan Theater opened in 1928 and was designed by a Detroit architect, Maurice Finkel. These theaters are absolutely beautiful and can make your whole movie experience different from the rest.
Price: Tickets range between $7-10 depending on the event
University of Michigan Museum of Art
Interested in spending time at a local museum? Check out the University of Michigan Museum of Art located on State Street across from the Union. This museum opens daily from 8AM-6PM. Admission is free. This museum contains more than 20,000 works of art, representing over 150 years at Michigan. Their collection is one of the oldest university-managed in the. Visitors even have the option of hosting events at the museum, such as: weddings, corporate events, and lectures/films. This museum has more than 240,000 visitors per year!
Price: FREE. Donations are appreciated and will help this museum continue being a historical landmark at this university.
The life of a Michigan pharmacy student can be a bit stressful at times, so make sure to spend some time enjoying the city that will be your home for the next 4 years! If you have any questions or are in need of a food buddy, feel free to email me!
University of Michigan College of Pharmacy - Pharmacy Student Ambassadors 