We were there Saturday, Jan 11th, 2025 @ 5:30 pm & had no wait for a table. If going @ a later time, then you may want to get reservations. Food was really good. There were 4 of us & we had the Union Rec Chips & Salsa appetizer. Of the 3 dips, they were all really good, the Peruvian salsa does have a kick to it (about 30 secs after putting it on your mouth), but it was still tasty & not overpowering. We ran out of the chips & the staff brought us more without asking. I had the Union Rec Burrito with the pork bbq meat. It was huge & very delicious. My husband had one of the Birria Beef Ramen bowl. Also it was a huge, filling & tasty. The atmosphere was really cool as well & not loud as some restaurants can be. We could easily talk to each other without talking really loud. The only issue was parking, we had no problem at 5:30 pm, but when we left @ 7 pm, cars were waiting for people to leave. It was kind of nuts getting out of the parking lot. read more

Union Rec - Birria Beef Ramen - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

Trendy is an understatement! Went for a Sunday dinner and was a calm, quiet, amazing meal during which I felt well cared for. That said, the atmosphere is reall great and I can see this becoming impossible to get in and find peace on UM football days! Anyway it is an amazing and interesting menu matched only by the food which quickly appeared. There's lots of beer on draft and wonderful mocktails. Fun for ages 8 to 80! Do not miss the s'mores pot pie dessert which puts any lava cake to shame without the need to order in advance! Sorry: no pictures! I was too busy being happy with the welcoming service and memorable food. read more

The foods ok it's not amazing but the waitstaff are not great. It takes forever to get your bill or any service and you end up sitting a lot longer than anticipated but it looks really cool inside read more

We liked the vibe and service, just wish the food was better. All the meat we had was very dry. Drinks were good but small pours.

Great bbq, awesome place to hangout and have drinks. Really cool cocktails. Lots of stuff you don't find at traditional bars. We were in town for a work trip, and for a college town, it's a really good place to go that isn't over run with students, even tho it's just off campus. Definitely recommend. read more

This is an ambitious project - the conversion of a warehouse/garage space into large yet cozy space. It delivers as best it can - the food is hearty and solid but because it is so trendy the place is packed! The pictures that simulate a living room are nestled between many tables and chances are you will not be able snag that coveted spot. read more

Overall the ambience is great, it's very cozy 70s. The service was ok not outstanding just your typical expectations. We got the bramble of the day. It was peach juice and blackberry infused tequila with a lemon slice. The drink was perfectly strong and sweet I'll be getting it again the next time!! To start we got the tres salsas which consisted of a verde chile, jalapeño lime crema, and a standard salsa. I 100% recommend getting this starter instead of the queso. Next we got the birria ramen, two tacos: the ginger honey beef and the Korean both with the champ shell with a side of the Union mac and the pulled pork sandwich with a side of fries. The birria ramen I've had here before so I knew to ask for extra broth otherwise it's a shallow bowl. The ramen was much better than last time, had the slow burn you usually get with the consume and a hint of an underlying brown sugar taste. The noodles though were extremely gummy to the palate bringing it down to a 7.8/10. The two tacos I had were delish. The champ taco shell created a perfect crunch to balance out the juicy meat filling the tacos. Between the two I would go with the ginger honey beef more. Overall an 8/10. The pulled pork sandwich was 7/10 it wasn't anything special, tasted great though. The Union mac was delightful and light, not too heavy but I wouldn't get it as a main, it's perfect as a side portion wise. 6.7/10. Overall I love this place, I thought I already did a review on it but I guess not. I come here as often as possible, and so should you!! read more

Union Rec - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

Friendly service. Comfort food and drinks, for a reasonable price. We had the mac and cheese, as well as the tortilla soup. I stop by for a seasonal coffee occasionally. The atmosphere of the entire place is impeccable. Colorful, vibrant, eclectic. Every detail was thought out, and it shows. Would love to go again and again, and highly recommend to anyone! read more

See all

Everyone has always been wonderful absolutely love how eclectic the menu is but still has the signature Mac and cheese cali tacos are an awesome vegetarian option read more

Place is so cool and cute but the food was so bad. I got the brisket ramen and couldn't even finish it. Change the menu and this place would kill it read more

Nice new AFFORDABLE place in A2. Whether you're looking for cozy cabin vibes, lunch, or dinner, union rec has you covered. The staff was super friendly and provided great recs (get it?) and the food was packed with flavor. The only thing I wish they had is more of a dedication towards weekend morning working as their coffee shop is more of a "grab n go" vibe. Momoe complaint though:) read more

See all

Positives = good beer selection Neutrals = decor concept. what is it? the food menu is mexican fare but the decor is....? Said beer selection is largely off the menu but only available via Beer Menu app. Negatives = food sucks. service is hot and cold. waaay overpriced. likely won't be coming back on my dime. read more

2-20-24 My family just celebrated 2 birthdays on Feb 18 at Union Rec Ann Arbor. We were in the party room and had a wonderful experience! The ambiance of the room is warm and welcoming and provided a perfect space for young children to move around and adults to mingle. Our server Colton did a fabulous job of attending to our every need, from Shirley Temple's for the kids to drinks and numerous appetizers for the adults. Our meal was excellent and everyone agreed this was the perfect space for a family holiday. read more

Union Rec - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

If you're looking for a cozy, eclectic vibe - look no further than union rec. This renovation of an old warehouse was extremely well done with every inch updated with incredible design. While there mainly for drinks, we couldn't resist the amazing smells and had to grab some queso to munch on. The cocktails were fantastic- the rec marg was light an refreshing while the brambled marg was a fun sour take. The service in the lounge area was a bit slow but the place was packed and they were nice. read more

See all

Atmosphere was good. The queso and guacamole were good however I had the pastrami Sandwich was extremely dry didn't end up eating it. Fries were good though left dirty dishes on the table the whole lunch. Wouldn't come back read more

Way overpriced, even for Ann Arbor. $15 margueritas and $18 for a burrito that was so-so at best. The barbecue cauliflower taco was good, but the brisquet taco was dried out and both were barely warm. Good service, but overpriced food and drinks. read more

I'll start with the positives: everyone enjoyed their food (chips and salsas, chicken tortilla soup, Korean pulled pork sandwich, bandeja bowl) and drinks (brambled margarita, painkiller, brown derby). The atmosphere is also very fun. However, the service was poor and overshadowed our experience. They are super busy and very new, so may still be understaffed or haven't worked out the kinks yet. We were a party of 3 given an estimated wait time of 25-30 minutes for a table around 6pm on Saturday. 45 minutes later, I checked in with the hostess and it turns out they wrote my phone number down wrong and so I had never gotten the text that our table was ready. Oops - human error. Unfortunately, it took 30 more minutes and a couple more prompts for them to put us back in the queue for a table. Once we were seated, it took another 15 minutes and more prompting for a server to come to our table. I was initially brought the wrong cocktail and had to flag someone down to send it back for the right drink. When we wanted to order a second round of drinks later, we had to flag someone down again. At the end of the night they put the incorrect cocktail on my bill, which was more expensive than the drink I actually ordered, so we spent some time getting that corrected as well... lots of chasing! I would not return for dinner, at least on a weekend, until they work out the kinks. However, I would happily get takeout or sit in the bar for just a round of drinks. read more

I'd give the food 5/5 stars, served warm and with a smile! The server told me the queso was life changing, and it was! Service is to die for as all the staff are very quick, accommodating, and friendly. Joe, one of the managers, dropped off our drinks, and he was such a ball of light! I just wanna give him a big bear hug. We were celebrating a birthday and we got a free dessert, as well as a large sparkler and optional song! They had a lovely drink selection, I've noticed they change our drink specials every few weekends, which me and the girls find super fun. The establishment has a campy, warm vibe. Very colorful. The lounge in the center of the restaurant surrounds a fireplace, a feature I haven't seen elsewhere in Ann Arbor. Overall, 10/10, I will be frequenting this restaurant from now on! read more

Ambiance and vibes were there but drinks severely lacked and food was not the best. We started our margs and could only taste bubbly dry soda taste and asked about it- were were informed the KEG was just changed and they'd bring us new ones. The second ones weren't bubbly anymore but gosh the sour mix stuck in our throat for hours. They lost me at keg margs.. we left and walked downtown for a way better drink. read more

See all

Food and drink are good!! Takes a long time for them to come though. At least on Saturdays, but that's the only time I've been here. Have a few veg options, which I enjoyed (Mushroom and cauliflower tacos were both yummy). The s'mores pot pie was soo good, definitely recommend. Their margaritas are good, nothing special though. Somehow they managed to make a great atmosphere and vibe in such a big place! It's great for groups, but they also have some nice tucked away spots for couples/etc. read more

Union Rec - Camp margarita - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

See all

The food was good and the service was too. On a Friday night it was so LOUD it was difficult to hear my friends talking across the table. I work nearby so will probably try it again, but not at a busy time. read more

I'm really excited about this place opening up! I went there this morning for a coffee and scone, which were terrific, and sat by the fire (!!) to get some work done. I was a bit thrown off by all the TVs surrounding the coffee shop area, and request that they consider turning off the TVs during morning coffee shop hours. It's distracting to see all that visual content, and there were maybe 10 people there besides me and definitely nobody was watching TV! read more

This place just opened in Ann Arbor on the site of the old lumbar yard. The decor is very interesting, lots of different fabrics and lights as well as the tents above the booths help to make it more intimate. Our server (Phoebe) was great, answered all our questions and checked in on us frequently. I found the menu to be a bit confusing, they the beer in bottles and cans but there is no list for the draft beers. When I asked Phoebe pulled out a worn excel sheet listing the drafts. I liked the chicken tortilla soup but my friend did not. The arepas were new and tasty. The queso was very bland. The hit of the night were the mini state fair donuts. You get 10 with caramel and chocolate dipping sauces. See you there. read more

Union Rec - The lounge and bar area. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

See all

Funky ambiance and food was pretty good but overpriced for the quality. Drinks weren't great (camp marg was really sweet and premixed). Liked the large booths - especially with kids. Also really appreciate their location. Worth a try if you've not been. read more

I have been to other Union Joint restaurants but this one takes the cake! The aesthetic and vibe is very retro/hodge podge/ cool 70s basement. I love the lounge seating near the bar and saw families, college students, couples on dates etc. It has appeal to a wide range of people and the servers and host were very welcoming. We had the smoked wings. Holy cow, amazing. They are tender and gave tons of flavor as is, but they are served with a delicious blue cheese dressing and there are 3 housemate sauces in bottles on the table. All of them were great. We also got a side of Mac & cheese (this is a Union restaurant....you have to get the Mac & cheese!). We also each got one taco (a pork and a brisket). The tacos come with a little side of lime cilantro rice, which was cooked perfectly and delicious with the sauces on the table! The tacos were a generous size and very very good. We finished with the s'mores brownie, which was one of the best desserts I've ever had (& I'm not normally a s'mores or a marshmallow fan!) Everything we had was incredible and so good that we forgot to take any photos of the food. I'm so excited for this addition to Ann Arbor and can't wait to go back! read more

Union Rec - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

See all

Not your usual Ann Arbor restaurant! Fun and funky vibe with unique drinks and a twist on the standard Mexican food menu. We loved the food and drinks but beware when asking the servers for recommendations. They will only recommend the most expensive drinks and food, saying it was their "favorite". read more

See all

Our favorite restaurant in Ann Arbor. Great vibe. Super fun atmosphere. Amazing food. Casual but cool. so many things to choose from on the menu. read more

Really cool and lively atmosphere. Service was good and I'm sure will only improve over time. Menu was not very deep, but offerings are interesting. Having worked under a Bolivian chef at an upscale restaurant, I was intrigued to see the influence of Central and South America on several dishes. I had the brisket with some slaw and mac and cheese. The brisket had very good flavor. It was just a touch dry, but was just tender enough. Really thick cut. Good portion for the cost. The mac and cheese really impressed. It was not the typical cheddar and American cheese mac, but was instead a bechamel base with delicate cheese flavor and a nice crispy top. Loved it. The Peruvian slaw was a bit of a letdown. I was surprised to taste a heavy dose of cumin in the dressing. There are many recipes for this type of slaw which have less dried spices and more onion, garlic, and citrus. I think maybe this recipe could use some adjusting. Looking forward to going again and trying some other dishes. The monster burgers my kids enjoyed might be next on my list. read more

So delicious and the very best service!!! You MUST check it out... you will love it!! The atmosphere is also awesome!

Excellent food, nice vibe, cool decor but a bit loud but it was a Sat night so it was packed and they also had music blasting. Our waitress was very friendly and it's a great place to meet up with friends. We had many appetizers and shared a few dishes: Mac and cheese and the disco fries were a hit and don't miss the mini donuts with caramel and chocolate sauces. Think mini churros! Would definitely go back again! read more

See all

I've yet to experience the fullness of the Rec, but I love all union businesses (woodshop is my fav). Finally, finally, I was able to try their food when the husband brought home some taquitos. They were absolutely out of this world. I'll be dreaming about them when I sleep. Crispy and cheesy and with sides of salsa!! Mmm. I can't wait to go back and try everything!! read more

I have to preface this review by saying Union Rec is one of our favorite restaurants in town. As a part of a larger group of restaurants throughout Michigan, you can trust that this establishment has it together in terms of quality of their product. Formerly Fingerle Lumber Company, the space is huge and can accommodate large groups, which is unique for spaces in downtown Ann Arbor. My husband and I have frequented multiple times since they opened earlier this year, and each time we've had a different experience (and menu). For the most part, I can say the quality of the food and drinks are consistent -- that is what keeps us coming back to visit. Because we've had so many different experiences, I've decided the best way to break this down is by the following categories: The Good, The Bad, and The Questions. Here we go: The Good: - Food: menu has changed multiple times since they've opened; I don't knock them for this since they are finding what works best for their kitchen and clientele. We enjoy their brisket-based tacos, taquitos, chips & salsa/guac, mac-&-cheese, and pulled pork plate with a side of seasoned fries. Dessert, like the s'mores brownie pot pie, is delicious. - Birthday: You can choose any dessert off the menu as a b-day treat! - Decor: Words & phrases used to describe this include... colorful, vintage, campfires (yes,actual campfires), cozy couches, eccentric knick-knacks, grandma's-house-meets-retro-ski-lodge. - Drinks: The actual drinks & draft menu are unique and I've miserably failed at trying to re-create their "Rec Marg," a coconut-based margarita, at home. - The coffee shop is delicious! - Busboy Service: Professional, quick, courteous, and hard-working! The Bad: - Waitstaff/Bar Service: completely hit-or-miss. Last night (10/13/23) was our worst night yet. We anticipated a wait since it was a Friday night and were added to their waitlist. There were some open seats near the bar, but we could. not. get. service. We were completely ignored by the bartender after multiple attempts, and finally grabbed the attention of someone tending to the other end of the bar to help us out. Once we finally got a table (which was a mistake, we should have stayed at the bar), it was a 30-minute wait time for another drink to be made & served to our table. - Food sits under lamps for too long until the rest of your food is ready to be served. How do I know this? I watched my two tacos sit under the lamp for 25 minutes waiting until my husband's food was finished and they could be served together. We joked, hoping they weren't mine, after noticing them sitting there for so long. :-) The Questions... 1) I'm confused about how the theme of decor goes with the flavor profile of the food. We have backyard campfire meets latin-forward BBQ on American food with Asian flare? 2) Can they add a function to the text message system so you know how long you'll be waiting for? Overall, giving Union Rec a bit of a break until the winter time, when things might be slower and we can get better service! read more

prices are ridiculous and food was incredibly bland (ordered a $20 burger that had no seasoning, a soggy tomato and big raw onion on it and they also don't carry ranch??) service was meh, waiter didn't really talk much and checked on us seldom. the inside is cool but not worth what you have to pay. wouldn't go back that's fasho. read more

Food was great, drink were good, service was awesome. The decor and vibe in the restaurant was very fun and inviting. There was a very nice bar with lots of seating and also a very nice lounge area for people to sit and just have a drink and watch tv or talk amongst each other. read more

Union Rec - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

Great service and atmosphere. Delicious food and cocktails. Nice place meet friends and hang with out.

We went for lunch on a non football Saturday. About 1:30 pm. We were told they were understaffed and we would need to wait 10 minutes. That was not an issue. The hostess seemed distracted and more interested in her manicure than her job. After close to twenty minutes she came over and called a completely wrong name that started with the same letter. As we were the only ones waiting it was us. We sat at the table for another 10-15 minutes without any acknowledgement. Tables seated after us were brought drinks and served apps. A waiter not assigned to our table brought us water and finally our waitress showed up. They did give us a free appetizer our wait which was a nice gesture. We went ahead and ordered the queso, a cup of chicken tortilla soup and a half chopped salad each. The queso was ok. Not great. Would have been disappointed if I'd paid for it. The tortilla soup was the highlight. It was delicious The salad was terrible. It was swimming in an oily vinegrette and was close to being inedible. It was disappointing. The restaurant's interior is cute and kitschy. But I will not be going back. While I appreciate that they were understaffed and they did try to make it right the $50 for two half salads and a cup of soup was already overpriced and there was nothing with going back for. read more

Great food, good service, but holy hell the music is loud... Fantastic tacos, good beer options. Everyone else's dishes looked great too. But turn down the music! It's like a nightclub. Could hardly hold a conversation without yelling. read more

The food was amazing and we loved the atmosphere. We had a very friendly server, but she did not come back to check on us at all once any of our food was served. My husband also saw a busser use a broom for the floor to brush things off a table behind us; neither of us saw whether anything was sprayed on the surface of the table to clean it after the broom used for the floor was swept across it. That being said, we did love the disco fries, the Mac and cheese, the pulled pork sandwich, and the drinks we ordered so we would absolutely return in the hope of some changes having been made. read more

Slowest service I've ever received. I will probably never come back here just because the service is so slow and the waiter didn't check on us not once read more

We love this place! The atmosphere is so fun and eclectic and vintage. Food is amazing. Korean Pulled Pork Tacos are amazing!