The West Side of Ann Arbor has a liquor problem. Well, a liquor store problem anyway. There's a couple sketchy places out on Stadium and Maple. There's the Wine Castle, which does the trick in a pinch. But if you're all the way out there, why not just go to Plum Market or Arbor Farms or even Kroger for beer?
That brings us to A2 Party Center. When I moved to the Virginia Park area two years ago, I was distressed that there wasn't a liquor store within close walking distance from my new place. Little did I realize, this place (nestled in the split-off of Jackson and Dexter), was only a few blocks behind me. Oh, what a glorious day it was when I made that discovery! I mean, I knew it was there, I just didn't realize that I had to go behind my new 'hood to get there on foot in under 10 minutes. I vaguely remember coming here once many moons ago--it used to be a lot bigger with more grocery items, but I could be wrong?
I go here regularly now, and prefer it to any other West Side liquor store. They've recently revamped it and it looks a little classier, with a nice wine section. The guys at the counter are always nice, always card me, and always say "Whoa, you can't be 30!" Yes, they know how to get repeat customers. There's also usually a basket of really cheap sale shot bottles on the counter too. The beer is about as slightly overpriced as it is at any other A2 liquor store, but they have a decent selection. I do love that the wheat beers have a rack of lemons and oranges connected to the fridge door. They're not always the freshest fruits, but I love that the owners understand that sometimes you just gotta have an orange and you don't want to make an extra trip to the grocery store. Speaking of groceries, the snacks and other items here are way too costly, but they do have a decent chip selection.
My biggest beef with this place is that it closes way too early. But all of the liquor stores in this neighborhood close before midnight, so I can't fault it too much for that.
Otherwise, it gets 4 stars simply because it's the best liquor store on the West Side. read more