Ypsilanti’s restaurants punch well above the town’s size.
Ten minutes east of Ann Arbor, the best restaurants in Ypsilanti are split across three walkable pockets: Depot Town, where East Cross Street meets the river; the downtown stretch of Michigan Avenue; and the West Cross blocks near Eastern Michigan University. You can park once in any of them and eat well without moving the car. Here are eleven worth the drive, sorted by neighborhood, with hours verified in September 2026.
Depot Town
The couple of brick blocks where East Cross Street meets North River Street hold the highest concentration of good food in town. For the full walk – coffee, the auto museum, the river park – see our Depot Town guide; this is the eating shortlist.
Sidetrack Bar & Grill
The burger that put Ypsilanti on the map. Sidetrack has been the anchor of Depot Town for decades, and the Man v. Food fame is earned – a genuinely great char-grilled burger in a room full of railroad-era brick and regulars. Come for the burger, stay for a local draft, and get a table by the window if you can.
56 E Cross St. See the listing.
Regular hours: closed Mon; Tue-Thu 11am-11pm, Fri-Sat 11am-midnight, Sun 11am-10pm. Verified 8 Sep 2026.
MAIZ Mexican Cantina
The other Depot Town institution, and the one that stays open latest. MAIZ does made-from-scratch Mexican – the guacamole and the mole are the tells – in a lively cantina room that runs to midnight most nights. It is the rare Ypsilanti kitchen you can still reach at 11pm on a Friday.
36 E Cross St. See the listing.
Regular hours: Mon 11:30am-9pm, Tue-Sat 11am-midnight, Sun 11:30am-9pm. Verified 8 Sep 2026.
Aubree’s Pizzeria & Grill
The neighborhood standby. Aubree’s is where Depot Town goes for a pizza and a pitcher without a plan – pub pies, a solid patio, and a lunch buffet 11am-2pm every day if you want to eat fast. Easy with kids, easy after a river walk.
39 E Cross St. See the listing.
Regular hours: Sun-Thu 11am-10pm, Fri-Sat 11am-11pm; daily buffet 11am-2pm. Verified 8 Sep 2026.
734 Brewing Company
Ypsilanti’s own production brewery, a few doors down on Cross Street. The taproom pours beer brewed on site in a small, unfussy room, and it is the local answer to “where’s the good beer in Ypsi.” Hours skew to Thursday through the weekend, so call ahead early in the week before you make the drive.
15 E Cross St. See the listing.
Regular hours: weekend-focused, roughly Fri 4pm-midnight and Sat-Sun from noon; limited or closed early in the week – call (734) 340-3468 to confirm. Verified 8 Sep 2026.
Corner Brewery
Arbor Brewing Company’s Ypsilanti home, on Norris Street just off Depot Town. This is the big one – a cavernous former warehouse with a beer garden, a full kitchen with vegan and gluten-free options, and enough room that it rarely feels full. Open daily, which in Ypsilanti counts for a lot.
720 Norris St. See the listing.
Regular hours: Mon-Sat noon-11pm, Sun noon-10pm (kitchen closes an hour earlier); happy hour Mon-Thu 3-5pm. Verified 8 Sep 2026.
Vertex Coffee Roasters
Not a restaurant, but the morning half of any Depot Town day. Vertex roasts its own beans on River Street and does a small food menu alongside a properly pulled espresso – the place to start before Sidetrack opens.
307 N River St. See the listing.
Regular hours: Mon-Fri 7am-6pm, Sat-Sun 8am-6pm. Verified 8 Sep 2026.
Downtown, on Michigan Avenue
Ypsilanti’s other main strip runs along Michigan Avenue, a straight shot from downtown Ann Arbor. This is where the town’s diner history and its newer kitchens sit side by side.
The Bomber Restaurant
An aviation-themed diner that has been feeding Ypsilanti since 1936, named for the Willow Run plant that built B-24s next door. The portions are the point – the breakfasts are famous for defeating people – and the room is full of local history and regulars. Breakfast and lunch only, and closed the first two days of the week, so plan for a weekend morning.
306 E Michigan Ave. See the listing.
Regular hours: closed Mon-Tue; Wed-Sun 8am-2pm. Verified 8 Sep 2026.
Ma Lou’s Fried Chicken
Nashville hot chicken done right, and one of the best reasons to be on Michigan Avenue hungry. Ma Lou’s sells sandwiches and tenders by heat level, and the line at lunch tells you everything. Get it hot if you mean it.
15 W Michigan Ave. See the listing.
Regular hours: closed Sun; Mon-Sat 11am-9pm. Verified 8 Sep 2026.
Dos Hermanos Mexican Grill
A grill and a Mexican market side by side on West Michigan Avenue, run by the same family. The grill turns out fresh, made-to-order tacos and plates from early morning, and the market next door stocks the ingredients and imports to cook it yourself. Open every day, early – a genuine everyday-Mexican spot, not a night-out one.
402 W Michigan Ave. See the listing.
Regular hours: Mon-Sat 7am-9pm, Sun 8am-6pm. Verified 8 Sep 2026.
Near campus and out west
The West Cross blocks by Eastern Michigan and the western reach of Michigan Avenue hold two of Ypsilanti’s most-loved kitchens.
Basil Babe
The best Thai food in Ypsilanti, and a good reason to drive out here on its own. Basil Babe is run by an EMU alum and her mother, Vasanna, the original owner of Siam Square in Ann Arbor, so the family cooking runs deep. Counter service, fresh and bright, near campus on West Cross. Closed Sunday and Monday, so aim for midweek or Saturday.
701 W Cross St. See the listing.
Regular hours: closed Sun-Mon; Tue-Sat noon-9pm. Verified 8 Sep 2026.
Harvest Moon Cafe
An all-day breakfast spot out on the western end of Michigan Avenue, and the local vote for the best eggs in Ypsilanti Township. Harvest Moon does the classics well – big skillets, house corned beef hash, real maple – in a comfortable room that opens early every day. Worth the extra few minutes west.
5484 W Michigan Ave. See the listing.
Regular hours: Mon 7:30am-4pm, Tue-Sun 7:30am-8pm. Verified 8 Sep 2026.
How to plan it
If you only make one trip, make it Depot Town – Vertex for coffee, Sidetrack for the burger, MAIZ or Corner Brewery to close the night, all on foot. For breakfast, the Bomber (weekends) and Harvest Moon (daily) are the two to know. And watch the closed days: Sidetrack and 734 Brewing take Mondays, the Bomber closes Monday and Tuesday, Basil Babe closes Sunday and Monday, and Ma Lou’s closes Sunday. Hours drift, so it never hurts to call the day before.
For a deeper look at one neighborhood, read our Depot Town guide or our roundup of the best breweries around Ann Arbor, which includes 734 and Corner Brewery. And if you want more than food, here is what to do in Ypsilanti.
