Lowertown Bar & Cafe
Where morning coffee meets evening cocktails in Ann Arbor's historic Northside.
The story
This building started life in 1938 as a mechanic's garage. It was a cinder-block box when we got it, and honestly it still is one. We added warm wood, comfortable booths, and enough windows to let the day in. We liked the bones. Lowertown has always been a working neighborhood, and the room still shows it.
The space
Sun in the windows all morning, warmer light as the day winds down. The patio is the local favorite: fire pits when it snows, open sky all summer. Dogs welcome outside.
What we pour
Mornings run on Hyperion coffee, roasted down the road in Ypsilanti, with pastries from Botanical Bakeshop and Beara Bakes. Later the taps and the cocktail list take over: Michigan beer, wine, and drinks we fuss over more than we should. The Camo Latte crosses espresso with matcha. The Michigan Rattler pours over a hibiscus syrup we steep for days. There's a real non-alcoholic list too, not an afterthought. We don't have a kitchen, so food trucks park outside most evenings and do what they do best.
The neighborhood
Lowertown predates most of downtown Ann Arbor. The oldest commercial building in the city is a short walk from our door, and about ten thousand people live within walking distance. Every neighborhood needs a room where you can meet people without driving across town. This is ours. Come by, we've saved you a seat.