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The Beer Grotto - Dexter

4.0 (63 reviews)
ModeratePubs
Open • 3:00 pm - 12:00 am (Next day)

The Beer Grotto - Dexter Photos

Business Info

THE BEER GROTTO - DEXTER ATMOSPHERE

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

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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

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!

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.

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

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

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1 year ago

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4 years ago

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3 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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4 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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Lisa M.

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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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5 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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9 years ago

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11 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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11 years ago

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7 years ago

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12 years ago

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12 years ago

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12 years ago

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10 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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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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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.

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Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales - Brussels and bacon

Brussels and bacon

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

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IPA....

Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales + Kitchen

Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales + Kitchen

4.1(50 reviews)
1.1 mi
•$$

First time coming here and was looking forward to their pizza! Arrived on a Saturday afternoon…read morearound 530 and they weren't too busy yet. Snagged a booth and my party placed their order quickly. It was a bit dark inside but the booth was comfortable. I loved the outdoor setup and want to come visit on a cooler day! Food arrived fast and we all enjoyed our orders. The kiddos loved their chicken tenders and fries - the RANCH! Yum! Their mixed spring salad was great and I really enjoyed my guanciale and fig pizza (a little too heavy on the fig jam though so I did remove a lot of it). The others in my party had a pepperoni pizza that was great as well. Absolutely best crust I've had on a pizza in awhile! Overall very good, just nothing spectacular so giving 3 stars.

First time visiting Jolly Pumpkin and really enjoyed it. Wish the patio had been open…read more.but in due time. Inside has a fun vibe and I like that you order ag the counter vs waiting for service. That said we still had excellent service in that we were greeted at our table, welcomed in, and plates cleared. Was pleasantly surprised to see that they have a nice NA menu as most breweries do not. They were out of the one I wanted to try, so maybe next time. The burger was amazing. Like truly amazing. Fries were pretty good...overall I liked them but a bit salty even for me. Dipping sauce was fantastic! The pizza was good in that the crust was excellent. I'm not typically a fan of the pizza you get at bars....it's too crispy. This crust though OMG so good!! The flavor of the toppings, however, were lacking. The one we ordered was supposed to have pesto and hot honey on it. I tasted no pesto and barely any hot honey. What you could taste was just very sweet.

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Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales + Kitchen - Tonight's yelling at my kids for touching the tap handles finally culminating in putting up a sign!

Tonight's yelling at my kids for touching the tap handles finally culminating in putting up a sign!

Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales + Kitchen - Fried chicken bites

Fried chicken bites

Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales + Kitchen - Chorizo pizza

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Chorizo pizza

Zukey Lake Tavern - Reuben

Zukey Lake Tavern

3.3(297 reviews)
8.9 mi
•$$

I've been coming here since I was a small child, and while the size of the dining room has changed…read morethe food has remained the same. I love that I can count on my pizza being the same flavor I had as a kid, and that now my kid can enjoy it too. I like sitting in the new dining room the best to get a great view of Zukey Lake! The service is generally very quick and efficient

I hate to poop on a local favorite. But I just didn't get the hype. The service. Amazing. The…read moreambiance great. The establishment. Very clean. We got Mott sticks. Kids spaghetti. With chocolate milk Smokehouse pasta with the French onion soup And the Zukey melt with a soda. The meal started off great. Mott sticks hard to mess up. And the soup was amazing. I had such high hopes for all the local praise. But was all down hill from there. The kids spaghetti was penne noodles and red sauce. Pickyier kids would pushed that away The smokehouse pasta was just a steak Marsala but how the onion soup was sooo good the pastas carmalized onions were at best translucent red onions that I picked around. As for the zukey melt. They brought it out with the disclaimer that it only looked burnt bc it's rye bread. Sure tasted burnt. With hardly any cheese or onions. Basically a meat Pattie. That was so bad in fact we didn't bother to bring the left overs home. Now I got left over pasta for myself and the kid. But the real no thanks never again was the bill. With tip it was $97. Which ain't bad I guess in today's world. But if I want a meh meal that leaves us all disappointed we could get a pizza from hungry howies for $15

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Zukey Lake Tavern - Tavern Burger, the view and a Yingling!

Tavern Burger, the view and a Yingling!

Zukey Lake Tavern - Chicken Ceasar Pita

Chicken Ceasar Pita

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The Beer Grotto - Dexter - pubs - Updated October 2026

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