Dexter is a beautiful city in Washtenaw County in Michigan, USA. The city’s population was 4,508 at the 2021 population census.
Some associate Dexter Township with Judge Dexter, the chief justice of the Washtenaw County Court in the 1840s. His home on the northwest side of the town is recognized as a historic landmark today due to its Greek Revival architecture.
Many people like Dexter’s proximity to Ann Arbor, MI, as it is home to the University of Michigan and the Big House stadium. Like many US small towns, downtown Dexter has many boutiques, shops, cafes, and restaurants.
In this article, you are going to learn about the best restaurants that Dexter has to offer.
We will further discuss the restaurants, what they’re all about, and what their menu offers. So with this sufficient briefing, it’s time to know the top restaurants in Dexter!
Best Restaurants in Dexter
1. Dexter Bakery
Dexter Bakery is one of the best restaurants in Dexter, MI. Making makes brownies, donuts, cookies, bread, and cakes, Dexter Bakery is undoubtedly the highest-rated bakery in the city.
This bakery is a traditional bakery that is situated perfectly in the heart of Dexter. It makes pastries using old-time recipes with a little bit of modern touch. They serve apple fritters, cinnamon rolls, éclair with custard, chocolate chip muffins, hot cross buns, sugar cookies, easter eggs, and more.
Dexter Bakery is like a haven for anything that is baked because it produces a lot of pastries and confectioneries. They open by 6 am and close by 3 pm daily. They offer gluten-free food options and all offerings are reasonably priced.
Address: 8101 Main St 8101 Main St, 48130-1029, Dexter, Michigan, Dexter, MI 48130-1029. Phone: +1 734-426-3848
2. AW Restaurant
AW Restaurant is as well one of the best restaurants in Dexter, MI. AW Restaurant is a fast-food chain serving AW root beer, plus chicken, steaks, fries, and burgers. They serve high-quality meals to the Dexter community at all times.
The restaurant’s classic A&W Root Beer is their most popular item in the area. The Root Beer Float is another popular product from here. Some of the menu items you can find at AW Restaurant include onion rings, chicken sandwiches, foot-long chili dogs, bacon cheeseburgers, and French fries.
You can walk in and order their root beer with their foot-long hotdogs. It is an appropriate satisfying lunch food. Alternatively, you can buy a root beer float (milkshake) with a plant-based burger. They open by 11 am and close by 8 pm every day of the week.
Address: 8220 Dexter Chelsea Rd, Dexter, MI 48130-9786. Phone: +1 734-426-4427
3. Aubree’s Pizzeria & Grill
Aubree’s Pizzeria & Grill is a laid-back pizza joint that serves premium quality pizza at affordable prices. This food establishment has honed the art of making delicious pizza using recipes from the ones of the 1970s.
Aubree’s Pizzeria was founded by Bill and Sandee French in 1972. It was then a little corner bar in Depot Town, Ypsilanti, before transformation into what it is today decades later. Aubree’s makes a pizza buffet which is a delight to order. Its portions are big and satisfying even for a group of acquaintances, friends, and family.
Many of the pizza options are made in-house. Some include cheese bread pizza, pepperoni pizza, meat lovers’ pizza, supreme pizza, and personal hand-tossed Margherita pizza. Other menu items Aubree serves include perch tacos, Greek salad, firehouse burgers, spinach feta pizza rolls, pot roast poutine, fish & chips, Detroit burger, and so on.
You can visit their website to see more food menu offerings from Aubree’s Pizzeria & Grill. The restaurant opens by 11 am and closes the restaurant by 10 pm daily.
Address: 8031 Main St Ste 101, Dexter, MI 48130-1150. Phone: +1 734-424-1400
4. Dexter Riverview Café
Dexter Riverview Café is a brunch restaurant in downtown Dexter, Michigan. It is one of the top Dexter restaurants and a great place to eat. It is a family-owned restaurant business establishment on Main Street, Dexter, Michigan. It is a café where Dexter residents and visitors gather for breakfast and lunch.
They serve home-style cooked meals with healthy options and flavors. They sell rice pudding, roast beef, fruit bowl, ham mushroom American cheese omelet, and more. The restaurant’s staff does well in preparing some of the most delicious Reuben sandwiches around the area. It’s highly recommended.
Other sumptuous meals served at Dexter Riverview Café include corned beef hash, Greek omelet, hashbrown toast, bacon eggs & hashbrowns, Greek skillet, and country skillet from the heavens. The café is a perfect spot to eat breakfast in Dexter. They open by 7 am ad close by 3 pm daily.
Address: 8124 Main St, Dexter, MI 48130-1030+1 734-388-6028
5. Dexter’s Pub
If you want to go to a place to relax, drink some beer with friends, and watch sports, then Dexter’s Pub is a good spot for that. It is the highest-rated pub in Dexter, MI. It serves craft beers, name-brand beers, and international drinks and cocktails.
They offer dine-in and takeaway options for all customers. Aside from alcoholic drinks, Dexter’s Pub also serves chocolate bombs, pretzel bites, fish & chips, frickles, shroom burgers, huevos rancheros, and pulled pork barbecue platter.
We’d say keep it simple at Dexter’s Pub; just go for a chicken sandwich eaten along with bloody Mary. It is a tasty and satisfying drink-food combination. Chicken wings or grilled chicken can be another great choice. Eating classic pub foods while having your beer is the ideal theme Dexter’s Pub promotes.
Address: 8114 Main St, Dexter, MI 48130-1030. Phone: +1 734-426-1234
6. Bear Claw Coffee Co.
Do you want to enjoy premium coffee quality at an affordable price in Dexter, MI? Then Bear Claw is the best coffee shop to be at in the morning. The Bear Claw Coffee Company specializes in using mobile coffee trucks to sell their coffee and its food pairings.
Their coffee trucks are used to go to events, corporate coffee catering, and so on. The staff are usually professional, friendly and deliver fast service. So in all, you get great-tasting coffee at a great price, fast service, and yummy breakfast food items. What’s not to like about Bear Claw Coffee Company?
Some of the breakfast food they serve besides coffee are pretzels, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, and various types of sandwiches. You can order a cold frozen chai tea at noon, and you’ll find it refreshing. Theirs is highly recommended on a sunny Dexter afternoon. Bear Claw opens by 5 am and closes by 1 pm daily. Note that Fridays are reserved as veterans day for this amazing coffee shop.
Address: 9188 N Territorial Rd, Dexter, MI 48130-9607. Phone: +1 734-426-2608
7. Hotel Hickman
As the best barbecue sot in the city, Hotel Hickman Chuckwagon BBQ makes the list of top Dexter restaurants. It is designed with a cowboy theme and Texas-style BBQ dishes. They serve sandwiches, grilled fare, salads, and sides. Hotel Hickman tries to employ authentic chuckwagon cooking with a small dose of Texas cowboy styling, thus, the restaurant’s name.
This restaurant has a large outdoor seating arrangement. It has beef brisket; lunch special pulled chicken, pulled pork, Mac & Cheese, biscuits & gravy, and more. You can visit their Facebook page to see Hotel Hickman’s full menu list.
The restaurant’s brisket sandwich with Mac & Cheese is delicious. Also, their pulled chicken sandwich with baked beans and Mac & Cheese is even more delicious. We recommend either of those two dishes.
Hotel Hickman Chuckwagon BBQ has much to offer the Dexter community in terms of barbeque food. You can head down there and enjoy your grilled fare with a bottle of beer at hand. They open shop early in the morning, by 6 am, for those who want to start off their day eating breakfast here. Their closing time is 7 pm. The restaurant doesn’t open Mon-Wed.
Address: 8050 Main St, Dexter, MI 48130-1028. Phone: +1 734-646-6261
8. Sushi Time
One of the best places to eat in Dexter, MI, is at Sushi Time – the best Japanese restaurant in town. They serve authentic Japanese food of high quality every time. Their consistency in offering the best Japanese fare makes Sushi Time one of the top restaurants in Dexter, MI.
If you want delicious sushi in Dexter, Michigan, then Sushi Time is your sushi plug. This sushi restaurant takes sushi culinary arts to the next level. They have several types they do, and all of them are based on traditional recipes with a little modern touch.
Sushi Time’s menu includes tuna love roll, miso soup, chicken teriyaki, chicken hibachi, California roll, sashimi deluxe, seaweed salad, and more. You can check Sushi Time’s website and Facebook page to view the menu in full.
AAC rolls, Baja rolls, and shrimp tempura rolls are individually unique foods to try out in Sushi Time. This sushi and grill spot opens by 11 am and closes by 8 pm. Note that Fridays are reserved as veterans day for this amazing sushi restaurant.
Address: 7050 Dexter Ann Arbor Rd, Dexter, MI 48130-8659. Phone: +1 734-253-2581
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9. Dexter Creamery
As the best ice cream shop in the city, Dexter Creamery is also one of the best Dexter restaurants. It offers one of the best ice creams and their common flavors. It is located on Front Street, along with many other restaurants on this list.
For decades, Dexter Creamery has served the Dexter community delicious ice cream and sweet desserts. Thus, making this restaurant a paradise for kids in Dexter. They provide all service options of dine-in, curbside pickup, and delivery.
Their ice cream is served in different flavors, sizes, and cones. So, kids have a lot of variety to choose from while they’re at Dexter Creamery. The staff opens in the afternoon by 3 pm and closes by 9-10 pm.
Address: 8106 Main St, Dexter, MI 48130-1030. Phone: +1 734-619-7700
10. The Fillmore Bar & Grill
We assume you love a cozy fresh restaurant serving American comfort foods. The Fillmore Bar & Grill is such a delightful diner for solo or group dining and at that one of the best places to eat in Dexter, MI. The Fillmore Bar & Grill is a colorful, unassuming restaurant with vintage decorations, thus, relaxing your gustatory senses.
This restaurant serves happy hour drinks, fried chicken, shrimp, chicken sandwiches, and steaks. It is an enjoyable hub for comfort dishes and drinks, especially if you choose to sit outdoors to enjoy the iconic views better. Steak salad, pretzel sticks, fish & chips, liver & onion rings, chicken sandwiches, and hashbrowns are popular menu picks. These and all other menu items are homemade with love and culinary passion.
The Fillmore Bar & Grill is a great place to eat sandwiches, burgers, and desserts in Dexter, MI. They open early in the morning by 3 pm and close by 9 pm. Note that Fridays are reserved as veterans day for this amazing bar and grill.
Address: 7954 Ann Arbor St, Dexter, MI 48130-1344. Phone: +1 734-426-3727
11. Dairy Queen (Treat)
Dairy Queen is a popular fast-food restaurant chain that serves signature shakes and ice creams. On top of that, they serve yummy burgers, fries, and chicken better than other fast-food restaurant brand names.
Dairy Queen is a great place to eat if you’re in Dexter, Michigan. The menu highlights include chili cheese dog, chicken tender, bacon burger, side salad, and others. Some of the shakes you can order at Dairy Queen include a mint chocolate chip blizzard, a large milkshake, and a large ice cream sundae with extra hot fudge.
The restaurant is perfect for solo dining and group eating. All the service options, such as dine-in, drive-through, and curbside pickup, are available. They open by 10 am and close by 10 pm.
Address: 8041 Main St, Dexter, MI 48130-1027. Phone: +1 734-426-8647
12. Joe and Rosie
Adding to our teeming list of top restaurants in Dexter, MI is Joe Rosie Coffee & Tea. Joe and Rosie is the number coffee shop to be at in the morning and specialize in making coffee, tea, and food pairings. They are tagged to be “the coziest cafe” in Dexter, Michigan.
The staff are usually professional, friendly and deliver fast service. So in all, you get great-tasting coffee at a great price, fast service, and yummy breakfast food items. What’s not to like about Joe and Rosie? There are non-dairy and gluten-free drink options for customers who are lactose-intolerant and allergic to gluten.
Some of the breakfast food they serve besides coffee are pretzels, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, and various types of sandwiches. You can order a cold frozen chai tea at noon, and you’ll find it refreshing. Theirs is highly recommended on a sunny Dexter afternoon. Joe and Rosie open by 5 am and close by 1 pm daily.
Address: 8074 Main St, Dexter, MI 48130-1028. Phone: +1 734-253-2344
13. Classic Pizza
As the best pizza restaurant in the city, Classic Pizza is the adds to our list of best Dexter restaurants. It is a fine dining eatery for Dexter residents to come and enjoy pizza and other Italian entrees. You can’t go wrong ordering pizza from Classic Pizza. They’re simply the best pizzeria in Dexter, MI.
Customers’ favorites include extra-large Hawaiian pizza specials, deep-dish cheese pizza, chicken wings, meatballs, and an antipasto salad. Although Classic Pizza Restaurant is a strip mall joint for the best thin-crust pizza, it still prepares other delicious Italian eats.
Ham calzone, gyro, fried zucchini sticks, and spaghetti are menu highlights at the restaurant. Their super submarine sandwich is tasty, as positive online comments indicate. This submarine sandwich is just one of the numerous hearty sandwiches prepared by Classic Pizza Restaurant.
Deliveries open by 11 am and end at 8.30 pm daily. It is at a prime location at Huron Street, Suite A, Dexter, MI.
Address: 8015 Huron St Ste A, Dexter, MI 48130-1159. Phone: +1 734-426-1900
14. Beer Grotto
If you want to go to a place to relax, drink some beer with friends, and watch sports, then Beer Grotto is a good spot for that. It is the highest-rated pub in Dexter, MI. It serves craft beers, name-brand beers, and international drinks and cocktails.
They offer dine-in and takeaway options for all customers. Aside from alcoholic drinks, Beer Grotto also serves pub wings, pretzel bites, fish & chips, bacon eggs sandwiches, shroom burgers, huevos rancheros, and pulled pork barbecue platters.
We’d say keep it simple at Beer Grotto; just go for a chicken sandwich eaten along with a margarita. It is a tasty and satisfying drink-food combination. Chicken wings or grilled chicken can be another great choice. Eating classic pub foods while having your beer is the ideal theme Beer Grotto promotes.
Address: 8059 Main St, Dexter, MI 48130-1027+1 734-253-2194
15. Food Zone Chinese Restaurant
Food Zone Chinese Restaurant is the best Chinese restaurant with an all-you-can-eat buffet of classic dishes. There is a variety of Chinese fare served at Food Zone. From sushi to hot duck breasts, Food Zone Chinese Restaurant is a great eatery to eat if you live in the neighborhood.
The salad bar section is impressive as it contains a wide variety of salads to choose from. Small quantities of Mongolian beef and sushi rolls are good enough for a dine-in meal. There are fried chicken wings and rice with ice cream as dessert. The latter is also a fantastic choice at this buffet restaurant.
Food Zone prides itself on providing a good mix of American, Pan-Asian, and Chinese dishes in its buffets. The restaurant’s staff are super-friendly and fast with serving each customer. They open by 11 am and close by 9 pm on a daily basis and wraps up our list of best restaurants in Dexter, MI.
Address: 7023 Dexter Ann Arbor Rd, Dexter, MI 48130-8568. Phone: +1 734-426-3410
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Plan a Trip to Dexter
There are a lot of cool restaurants, cafes, and shops in Dexter, MI. As you may have noticed, the place is a good place to visit if you’re planning a food trip.
Dexter has a lot of tourist attractions and relaxation spots, including Nordman Lake, Dexter-Huron Metropark, Hudson Mills Metropark, and Mill Creek Park.
A visit to Dexter won’t just be about food but about having a fun time and enjoying all it has to offer. Start planning your trip today!