The Beer Grotto – Dexter

Met up with some friends to play cards. Took a seat back in the «Love Lounge» as indicated by the color changing neon arrow an the wall and settled in to watch the end of the Michigan/​Maryland game (Maryland won). The place is very cozy with dimmed lighting. The tables along the wall have padded benches and chairs with backs. The tall tables are barrels (if I remember right) with stools with no backs.
There is a small menu, I had the Cuban sandwich which was very good. The bartender seems to be the only one on duty but he came around as much as he could, there was a shift change and the second bartender was also attentive. The beer list was extensive and the staff was always ready to explain things and give you ideas of what might be good. It was a Sunday afternoon and their Bloody Mary, do it yourself, bar was open. Pretty generous Vodka pour and he didn’t blink at giving it a shot of Stout to hearty it up. The fixings were a little meager, it could have used some bacon or sausage, but I thought the pearl onions were unique.
We had a good time with friends, they have games and puzzles at the bar but we had brought our own. Boys against the girls (girls 2, boys 1), See you there.

Cool place. 40 + local beers on draught with options to take a growler home. Dart boards and overall cool atmosphere to hang for hours. They have a few snacks or you can bring in your own take out or call for delivery.

Every so often, I go here with a group of friends for trivia on Tuesday nights and I just love this place. No matter how busy they get, the staff is ready to help and give suggestions off the impressive beer list. They’ve definitely turned me on to some unexpected delights!
Happy hour is $ 4 for craft beers, which is a solid deal. Stay too long and the tab can run up, but that’s true of any specialty pub like this one. Try to take advantage of special nights, like the recent Bells and Dogfish Head events, in order to sample obscure flavors at Reasonable prices.
They only serve a few sides (pretzels and popcorn), but partner with local restaurants like Aubrees or Red Brick so you can order from there and have a complete evening in the Grotto.
Fun joint in the heart of Dexter, and I’d totally go even if there wasn’t a trivia night to lure me in. Good on you, Grotto!

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.

I like going here. They have a good selection on seasonal beers along with year round. They do offer a good deal i believe for Friday and Saturday nights bring your own food from another place and get a $ 1 off your beer. Nice place to stop in for a night cap and head back out of town. Keep up the good work.

I wish the food tasted as good as it sounds on the menu. Good beer with a descent selection.

Cozy beer on tap and wine to go. Towne kind of atmosphere — great for watching the uofm game.

Love this place! Great beers on tap, good bar food. The Cuban sandwich was very tasty. Pretzel was excellent. On a sat or sun football afternoon, this is the place to go.

This place was very cool and highly recommended!!! We would frequent if we lived closer! Loved the beer selection, food, games, and atmosphere! Highly recommended! ! Staff was really cool too!

This place is awesome in the heart of adorable downtown Dexter. It’s a perfect spot to throw a game of darts. Their food options are very limited, but allow you to bring in outside food. The bartender made me her own personal spin on a mojito and it was incredibly delicious. Definitely a spot worth checking out!

Craft beers are good, but sometimes it feels like you need to take a second mortgage on your house to afford them. That’s why I really liked the Beer Grotto in Dexter. For happy hour they had nearly every beer for only $ 4.
I sampled a pair of red ales — they seemed to have a lot of ales, porters and saisons in addition to the typical IPA’s. It was a unique selection and not the same three Michigan beers you see everywhere (Soft Parade, Oberon, Ghettoblaster).
Atmosphere was solid too — it was like a giant tasting room but with a big popcorn machine that stares at you lovingly as your blood sugar drops because of all the alcohol you are drinking.
The Grotto doesn’t have a ton of food — and the popcorn machine knows this. But you can also get $ 1 off any beer for bringing food in from a neighboring restaurant — so that’s cool too — just a bit of work.
Definitely worth a try if you are in the area. They also have wines too!

Their selection is hard to beat, heck it’s called the Beer Grotto. But so mNy places fail to live up to their name, not the case here. The atmosphere is friendly and there’s always a crowd with promise for a single guy.

Great place to stop in and have a beer or a few. Tasters and knowledgable bar tenders make this a great friendly stop.

Super cute. Not what I was expecting to find in Dexter at all. Beer and wine by the taste, small pour, glass, etc. Now if only they get a liquor license, then they’ll be five stars (also, limited food options, but good!).

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!

So. Much. Beer. Very knowledgeable staff. Fantastic grilled cheese (aged cheddar with basil and pesto). Get the truffle popcorn as your starter! You won’t be disappointed.

What started as a walk down the street to check out «downtown» Dexter turned into seeing a sign that included the word «Beer».
To the wife: what is that?
Opens the door to the Beer Grotto.
Leaves 2 hours later.
Pretty Decent tap lineup.
Craft beer accessories such as growlers and howlers
Food? Snacks. But don’t miss the Grilled Cheese or the Truffle Popcorn. Good stuff!
Atmosphere? Way cool. Place filled up quickly by the time we left.
We’ll be back!

Loved this place. Fantastic, friendly staff who are knowledgeable about the product they’re selling. The menu is perfect for this little establishment — the cheese plate was HUGE, delicious and, at only $ 12, a total steal.
We ended up buying some t-​shirts to take back to NYC with us, so we could represent Michigan beer, and the Grotto at home.
Will definitely return.

This place is one of the best things I have stumbled upon. I was in Dexter meeting up with a friend who lives a few hours away, so Dexter was a good meeting point for us. We were looking for something to do and came across TBG. It was very hip and modern. There were about 40 craft beers on tap. It was a great chance to try some of the beers I’ve wanted to before without spending $ 8 without knowing if I liked it!
The service was top notch, the bartender was not pretentious and did not act snooty when other patrons asked elementary beer questions. Had good knowledge of the beers and recommendations for us.
I cannot get over how affordable the prices are. The growler prices were very inexpensive and my friend and I left with 2 growlers each!
The setup was tasting room up front and then the back half of TBG was a lounge where you can order pints and bring in your own food or have some of their small plates. I considered getting food to go from a restaurant and just eating here but it was only lunchtime so I did not end up doing that (it’s 5 o’clock somewhere!).
I only wish it was closer to me (although that might be dangerous) and cannot wait until the Ann Arbor location opens so I can frequent it more. I am considering returning to Dexter just for this!

Great place in downtown Dexter!
My friend and I came for a drink before Dexter Daze. We came at about 4 and it was busy, but there was still room at the bar…
Its a cool set up, you get to try three small samples of their beers before you make your decision. They have 48 on tap, so there is something to meet most anyone’s taste buds!
I ended up having a Strawberry Blonde Ale from Arbor Brew Pub. It was excellent!
We went behind the bar to the lounge area and had a seat at one of the small tables. They also have a lot of couches, chairs and another bar area.
Despite what someone else said, I didn’t find it to be pretentious at all. The staff were friendly and helpful and the environment is very comfortable.
They don’t have a huge food menu, but have a few snacks (pretzels from the Dexter bakery, truffle oil popcorn, etc). They also have menus from local restaurants where you can order food.
They have a lot of cool t-​shirts, mugs, and other gifts to buy as well as bottled wine!
It’s a great place to hang out in quant Downtown Dexter!