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    The Beer Grotto - Dexter

    4.0 (63 reviews)
    ModeratePubs
    Closed 3:00 pm - 10:00 PM

    The Beer Grotto - Dexter Photos

    Business Info

    THE BEER GROTTO - DEXTER ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - The Beer Grotto - Dexter

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    Katrina P.

    Stopped in for a flight while visiting Dexter and it was a pleasant experience. Large selection of beers, wines and cocktails. Clean open seating, dart boards and TV's to watch live sports and outdoor patio setup to enjoy a beautiful day.

    Happy me

    Kate Arbour was one of if not the best waiter I have ever had so sweet and so enduring. Definitely deserves a raise. Easiest 5 stars I will ever give.

    Lousy ahh burger. Definitely wouldn't order burger from here again, nice atmosphere tho

    Rough waters
    Dawn V.

    Don't ignore this place if beer isn't your thing! Just had the best cocktail here: Rough Waters See pic Sit at the bar Great service and friendly vibe Love it!

    Harish V.

    Lemon grass cider is awesome.Try it for sure. Pros: -------- Free Parking Spacious Clean restroom You can order food from outside Cons: ------- Not attentive staff Less food options

    Cheese board and truffle popcorn
    Beth H.

    Downtown Dexter is the perfect place to hang out on a relaxing Friday night. This was my first visit to The Beer Grotto and wasn't sure how they operated. Staff was very friendly and helped immensely. I quickly learned that Beer Grotto allows you to bring in outside food, to enjoy with your beer. They do have a limited menu of small bits and two sandwiches, however, the BBQ joint across the street goes much better with one of the hearty stouts on tap. I was impressed by the cheeseboard and beer flights. The Truffle popcorn is a must. This was plenty of food and drink for two people to hangout and nosh for the evening. Besides beer, they also have a nice selection of wine, cider and a couple craft cocktails; some made with beer too. Small outdoor seating area, makes this place as good as it gets. They do have happy hour 3-6pm. My kind of place.

    Taps
    Annette J.

    Stopped in late on a Friday night after dinner at Aubrees to check it out. Won't be the last time we visit! First, the space is very cool. The front section is more of a retail/tasting room where you can sample some beers, fill a growler, buy some beer goodies and Grotto schwag, etc. They also have a bit of wine (on "tap" no less) but their real area of expertise is the beer. They've got plenty of it. 48 taps with a wide variety from Michigan to across the country, fruity to stouts to IPAs....there's something for everyone and the folks are happy to help you find something you might like. Even folks who say they don't like beer will probably find something they might like. During our visit I had the Founders "Blushing Monk" and really enjoyed it. If you like a lambic give it a shot! Beers come in a few sizes from a small 3 oz sample (which was perfect for me since I wasn't feeling so great) to pints to a full growler. Prices are fantastic and the staff knows what's up with every beer they've got. In the back is a lounge/bar area with plenty of casual seating at the bar, small tables, etc. There isn't a huge menu (think more snacks than meals) but since we had just eaten we didn't check that out. The area is a bit smaller but it wasn't terribly crowded for a Friday night. Really enjoyed it and I'm so glad to see them in Dexter. We'll definitely be back!

    Brian C.

    This is a great new venue for Dexter since I was last home a few years back. It's nice to have a place to drink and socialize with friends (young adults between 25-50) without going into Ann Arbor. Their beer selection is extensive and covers all tastes and preferences. The server staff was very knowledgeable about recommendations, and readily offered samples to taste before purchasing. Pricing is also very palatable for a small town establishment. The couple criticisms I have are in regards to the service and Tate of the food. Our waiter was friendly, but forgot party members drinks on several occasions. It became such an issue that we ended up going to the bar repeatedly to order directly. In addition grilled cheese. The dish appeared to have potential, but was very bland to taste. Our server even commented that the sandwich was not made in the back but simply put on a hot plate to warm up (not something you want your waitstaff offering unsolicited information to customers). I certainly recommend this place for a tasty beer at a good price in a comfortable environment.

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    8 months ago

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    11 months ago

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    3 months ago

    very rude bartender! would never return nor recommend. Place smells like a sour mop as well.

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    2 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    2 years ago

    We had not been here in a couple years. First trip back and we loved the upgrades and the food. Really enjoy the atmosphere.

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Waited 20 mins with no service. Walked out. They were not busy and there was ample wait staff if they were not just standing around

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    2 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Great food but not so great service. Servers are not the most attentive and guests end yo waiting on their food and drinks because of this.

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    10 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    6 years ago

    Updating review since they stopped refilling growlers. Looks like we will not be coming back anytime soon thanks to COVID.

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    Lisa M.

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    9 years ago

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    4 years ago

    As an underage drinker in dexter, I must recommend to others (joke) it's very good.....

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    7 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    Lisa M.

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    9 years ago

    One of the best beer bars around. Terrific selection, great to chill and relax or take out in a growler (or a howler).

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    10 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - The Beer Grotto - Dexter

    Review Highlights - The Beer Grotto - Dexter

    Since I live roughly 5 minutes from downtown Dexter it seemed like the obvious choice.

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    Sam Hill - beard hair

    Sam Hill

    4.1(94 reviews)
    4.0 mi

    Had a nice first time weekend lunch here and look forward to coming back again to enjoy the yard…read more(outdoor area) and music! Looks like there are yard games and it's family and dog friendly. Sat inside which was large and spacious. Service was friendly and attentive. Got a chicken caesar wrap, which I enjoyed. The house made chips were really good - thick and crunchy. Wrap and chips were made even better with a touch of hot sauce on the side. Also shared the mini pasties. Haven't seen this on menus, and these were good! Super buttery pastry, a nice savory beef and vegetable filling, and gravy.

    Ok. We've given Sam Hill 5 visits and we are done. From the first disaster at brunch to last…read morenight's ridiculousness, we are done with Sam Hill. I'm sure others like it though I'm not sure why or how. Monday night. Two adults and one kid. Service was very sweet. Husband ordered an Old Fashioned with Markers Mark instead of their well. What he got was a super sweet cocktail. Almost too sweet to drink. He said it was fine. He didn't want to fuss. Let's just move on to the food. We both were feeling like a patty melt. I asked to add mushrooms and leave off the special sauce (thousand island type stuff). What we got was a plate with soggy sourdough stuffed with salty saucy pot roast covered in cheese and onions. That is not a patty melt. I looked up the description on the menu online and it doesn't say pot roast but braised beef. I get it after seeing what was on the plate and wouldn't have ordered it if there was a picture or if it said it was saucy POT ROAST. The side salad I ordered for a $4 up charge was great. Beautiful and fresh. Even their ranch is really good. I tried to eat the sandwich but it was too salty and disappointing. I wanted a patty melt. Pot roast isn't a frickin patty. My husband powered through his. He was too hungry. The waitress offered to talk to the manager and came back to offer one of their smash burgers. I asked if it can be a patty melt on grilled bread instead of a bun. She was clueless. I ordered a burger and said just put it on the bread. It came out after my husband and little was well finished with their food. Her talking to the manager took way too long. The burger wasn't a smash burger either, it was two tiny over cooked patties. Smash burgers are thin and with crispy edges. This was not. The caramelized onion fondue cheese sauce was the highlight but at this point I was just eating to fill my belly and get out of there. Husband and little ordered the strawberry shortcake dessert just so they weren't sitting there waiting for me to finish. Idk what that rock hard shortcake was made out of but it took muscle to get thru it. It wasn't dry just very dense and tasteless. There was too much biscuit to macerated strawberries. It needed to be dunked in the syrup to get some flavor. It's was stout enough to handle it. When the bill was brought out, I had to ask for an iced tea refill. No refills were offered or given the whole visit. Total was ~$73 before tip. This is it for us. They have a nice private dining room that I would have loved to consider for our company holiday party but only if the food was better. They are consistently poor in either the execution or description of their menu items.

    Photos
    Sam Hill - Bar area

    Bar area

    Sam Hill - French fries

    French fries

    Sam Hill - Outside

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    Outside

    Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales - Bar area

    Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales

    4.3(16 reviews)
    1.1 mi
    $$

    I was lamenting the other day to my husband how I haven't yet found a pizza place in the Ann Arbor…read morearea that has those delectable little pepperoni cups I grew up with in the pizzarias closer to Detroit. You know, the kind the curl upwards and fill up with little bits of grease that clog your arteries but make your tastebuds sing? So he made it his mission to find some options for our regular Pizza Thursday takeout. A Yelp search showed that Jolly Pumpkin in Dexter has the goods I was looking for and we placed an order that week for carryout. And yes!! The photos did not lie. Those perfect little cups were everything I had wanted and more. The cheese was nice and gooey and there's a drizzle of honey that adds a bit of sweetness to the pie. It also comes with peppers but since I wanted to enjoy just straight up pep, we left them off. My husband also ordered the bacon brussels pizza which was also quite good but we agreed that the pepperoni was the star of the show. Dexter is a bit of a drive for us for pizza so I'm not sure how often we'll be doing this but it's good to know I can fulfill my craving when it comes!

    There are multiple locations and versions, and they have unique menus. The one in Ann Arbor has a…read morelarger menu. This one in Dexter has limited menu of pizzas, some sandwiches, and a few apps. After a home game, we felt this location would serve us well and it did. Of course we went right as it opened at 4pm on a Saturday. The decor and ambience are typical industrial/micro brew, with booths, tables, and high top seating. The bar is large and there is another room you can reserve for events. Speaking of the bar, you order everything at the bar and they bring it to your table. Not awful, wondering how that works when it gets busy. The beer is good. Had a Hefeweizen that had a different, crisper flavor than what you might expect, which I don't mind. It wasn't served cold, rather slightly chilled. Might be on purpose to let certain flavors through. Personally, I like beer cold. End of story. Also had their Noel seasonal. Boozy at over 9% however not too heavy or overpowering. Had sugar plum notes, which at first threw me a bit. When paired with the mushroom pizza though, I thoroughly enjoyed. Pizza is solid, nice doughy crust with some char to it. If you're looking for some good beers to try and a bit of food, I highly recommend.

    Photos
    Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales - Brussels and bacon

    Brussels and bacon

    Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales
    Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales - IPA....

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    IPA....

    The Grotto - Dogfish Head IPA

    The Grotto

    4.3(122 reviews)
    8.2 miDowntown Ann Arbor
    $$

    We stumbled across this pub on our way to the ice cream place, and we decided to give it a try!…read moreOverall, we were impressed-- super cozy indoor/outdoor space, fast service, and an amazing list of draft beer options! They don't serve any food though, so might not be a good choice if you're hungry. - Dogfish Head Grateful Dead IPA: 10000/10 (an amazing, refreshing IPA that isn't too strong! Medium-bodied, pretty fruit-forward with notes of pineapple and mango. Honestly one of the best IPAs I've had in a whileee) - Kasteel Wit: 9/10 (light-body wheat beer that's also super refreshing and flavorful!) - Hacker Pschor Oktoberfest: 10/10 (great marzen) - Rhineheist Cheetah lager: 8/10 (decent lager) - Guinness: 6/10 (the Guinness was wayyyyy too watery!!!) - Ferndale Project Apple Pie: 9/10 (actually tastes like apple pie and vanilla! It's def on the sweeter side though, so you might not like it if you're not into sweet beer) Overall, I definitely want to come back and sit outside when the weather is nicer!

    This spot is pretty chill! I was thinking it was a beer only watering hole but they actually have…read morean AWESOME selection of bourbon. However, I made a grave mistake of ordering on the QR code/Toast rather than at the bar. I say grave because fellow bourbon whisky enthusiasts will cringe -- I was pretty stoked to see that they had Basil Hayden Toasted. So, I ordered it but also selected "add water" with the anticipation that it would be like a dropper of water. Nope, they made a cocktail out of my 2oz pour of Basil Hayden. Whiskey water. At that point, it could've been Makers Mark or Jack and I wouldn't have known the difference. User error though so I did make sure I still tipped accordingly and NOW I know. I'll be back though.

    Photos
    The Grotto - Outside

    Outside

    The Grotto - Outside

    Outside

    The Grotto - Local Hazy IPA

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    Local Hazy IPA

    The Beer Grotto - Dexter - pubs - Updated May 2026

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