5 Great Dive Bars to Check Out Around Ann Arbor

WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI — Sometimes people just want to slow down and have a cheap drink among familiar faces.

Ann Arbor is full of bars and restaurants offering a variety of experiences. However, there are only a few select bars in and around town that offer patrons a “dive bar” experience filled with cheap drinks and a cozy atmosphere.

Here are five different examples of dive bars in and around Ann Arbor.

An alley art installation titled “Urban-Fetti” by LAA Office, a design studio in Columbus, Indiana, next to the Alley Bar near Liberty Street in downtown Ann Arbor on December 2, 2022.

Sit back, relax and sip just about any drink you fancy at the Alley Bar.

The West Liberty Street bar offers a great selection of drinks including whisky, draft beers, wine, tequila and a cocktail list.

Some may consider the Alley Bar a “casual cocktail bar” while others may categorize it as an “upscale dive,” according to its website.

“These days, our goal at The Alley is to run a bar that we ourselves would like to drink at,” says The Alley Bar’s website. “That means good quality fresh ingredients, great cocktails, Michigan craft beer, and good cheap cans in a simple, casual setting.”

Alley Bar, 112 W. Liberty St., is open from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. daily. Find him online, on social media or by phone at 734-662-8757.

“LOOMROOM,” a new art installation featuring “multi-colored portals” in the alley next to the Blind Pig Concert Hall and 8 Ball Saloon off First Street in downtown Ann Arbor on March 30, 2023.

This Ann Arbor saloon may be the perfect spot for people looking for a drink and an evening filled with real bar activity.

Located below Ann Arbor’s Blind Pig, 8 Ball offers patrons a place to play pool, order inexpensive drinks, play darts, eat popcorn, listen to a jukebox, or watch live sporting events. some big screens.

8 Ball Saloon, 208 S. First St., is open from 4:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. daily. Find him on social media or by phone at 734-996-8555.

Casey’s Tavern, 304 Depot St. in Ann Arbor on Wednesday, March 30, 2022.

Casey’s Tavern has been around since 1986 and serves “lots of good, inexpensive food and dozens of beers,” according to its website.

The Ann Arbor Bar at the former Washtenaw Lumber Co. on Depot Street strives to bring a casual environment to customers by providing a place for a drink and a bite to eat.

The tavern offers an extensive menu, including burgers, sandwiches, salads, fish and a blackboard special that changes weekly. Customers can accompany anything they order with bottled or canned beer, draft beer or a glass of wine.

Casey’s Tavern, 304 Depot St., is open 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. Find him online, on social media or by phone at 734-665-6775.

The Tap Room located on W. Michigan Ave. in Ypsilanti, seen on the evening of September 11, 2014. Tyler Stabile | Ann Arbor News

Ypsilanti’s Tap Room got its start in 1941 before changing hands in 1993 and becoming a “hot spot” for Washtenaw County music in the ’90s, according to its website, adding that the company is still known as a “neighborhood bar with good drinks and good food.”

People can also find live music, comedy, boylesque or even just a place to play pool here. And the menu is full of appetizers, chilies, soups, salads, burgers and sandwiches.

Find Tap Room, 201 W. Michigan Ave., online, on social media or by phone at 734-482-5320.

University of Michigan students tend to flock to the Scorekeepers Sports Grill and Pub, especially on game days.

Scorekeepers, otherwise known as Skeeps, is on Maynard Street and has a long history in Ann Arbor. The business started as a bar in 1974 when it opened as Dooley’s. It was renamed in 1992.

The bar now brings back fond memories to many current and former University of Michigan students who experienced happy hour, dinner, or the pub dance.

Menu items include chicken fingers, wings, and pretzel sticks, as well as salads, wraps, sandwiches, nachos, and burgers.

Scorekeepers, 310 Maynard St., is open 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Find him online, on social media or by phone at 734-995-0100.

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