Tower Inn Cafe
701 w cross, Ypsilanti MI, ypsilanti, MI, 48197
Tower Inn Cafe Menu
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Address :
701 w cross, Ypsilanti MI
ypsilanti, MI, 48197 - Phone (734) 487-4000
- Website https://www.towerinncafe.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :10:00 am - 2:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : Yes
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
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Steph W.
Nice, casual place with an array of cocktails. I love frozen drinks so I was very happy to see so many on the menu. I had the tropical passion which is a pina colada with banana and mango liqueurs. It was perfect. They had several other varieties of pina coladas, daiquiris, and long islands. We ordered the Detroiter pizza which far exceeded my expectations. The mushrooms, spinach, cheese, and pepperoni tasted fresh and premium. The sesame crust was a tasty addition as well. The pizza was described as a deep dish on the menu. I guess I don't know what deep dish means anymore. It was about as deep as a pan pizza from pizza hut. Not Chicago style deep nor New York style deep which is what I expected. Nonetheless, it was delicious and we were very pleased. We will definitely crave this pizza again soon. We also had the greek chicken chapati. It was really big. Definitely enough to share.
(4)Saurabh S.
Came for a brunch buffet yesterday with my two other friends. The ingredients in the omelette were fresh and made right in front of us. I was killing that buffet and never imagined that I could eat so much. The crepes and waffles were amazing too. Alex, the chef, was manning the post like a boss. If the manager is reading this, hook a brother up and give him a raise. BTW, Alex, the honey nut sauce was delightful.
(4)Emily B.
We used to go here a lot for a quick meal. Food is good, nothing to write home about. After hearing waitresses training new waitstaff to flirt with the male customers for a tip and multiple rude encounters with Amanda, the manager, we no longer go to Tower Inn.
(2)Aaron J.
ok so... It is the first Friday of Lent and Fish and chips sounded really good! I spotted the Fish and Chips dinner on the menu and decided to go for it. It promised ON THE MENU (in laminated print) Fresh, Hand-battered cod. about 25 minutes later what arrived in front of me was 4 FROZEN, US foods or Sysco brand fish. Hand battered My BUTT! I am all about truth in advertising. if it is on the menu as one thing then that is what you MUST serve to the guests. If you as a business want to change an item because of cost, waste, time, etc. then you need to ENDURE THE EXPENSE OF CHANGING YOUR MENU TO REPRESENT THE NEW CRAP YOU ARE SERVING! or, better yet, don't offer that item, or only offer it seasonally and when appropriate. Think of what it says about a business, regardless of thier location, when they lie and misrepresent menu items to cut corners or save a buck. And this isn't even taking into count the amount of guests you could make a lot of money on during, in this case, Lenten Fridays if only you had a great fish dinner (which no place in Ypsi currrenyly has). People would eat that up... literally! they may even be willing to wait the 45 minutes thatbit often takes to get service once someone seats you! this is only the second time I have actually stayed and eaten here out of 5 visits because usually my table gets tired of waiting and we go down the street. Just some food for thought on why making menu item choices by product cost is not good. serve good food or get out of business! nobody likes your "white girl wasted" nasty Frathouse cocktails at 6 to 10 a pop anyways! such a shame for an EMU iconic business. I really want to like this place but they need to fix some things.
(1)Rachel D.
We love to go to Tower Inn Cafe for their pizza and breadsticks. Their Pizza Blanco is our favorite pizza! We don't make any changes to it!!! We also love the breadsticks as an appetizer. They are so hot, fresh, and yummy. I like dipping them in their delicious homemade ranch dressing. My husband likes the pizza sauce. If we are craving pizza, Tower Inn is our go to place! We've never been disappointed with those two items.
(4)Michael S.
This may be a bit high, rating-wise, but I'm hoping that the service was an anomaly. We decided to pop in for some food and a beer or two. Quickly seated and the waitress came by shortly after. Fortunately she had a beer list or else I'm not sure that she would have known. Her service was sketchy, at best, often forgetting to bring things or not knowing answers to questions. This was when she came by after long stretches not coming by. The food was very good. My calzone was great and the rest of my party seemed to enjoy their food. The beer list was not magnificent, but certainly respectable. Since the meal was fine, I'll return.
(3)Chris P.
First and last impression. The interior is nice. The wait staff are pleasant. However, the menu is somewhat overpriced for my taste. I don't mind paying 10 dollars for a salad, it just needs to be a great salad. It was not. And don't ask for the Italian dressing. They bring oil with sediment. And to top it off I was not offered a discount for the terrible salad I did not describe entirely and only ate a small portion of. . But the menu said 50 cents for an egg and they charged me 1 dollar. Obviously its not the money, its the idea of listing a price and charging said price.
(1)Vinny G.
I've been to tower inn many times in my college career. And it's always been a decent place for beer and pizza. This past week I went for the first time in about a year and I was very disappointed. Our server, who I've had before, was the taller gentleman with a pony tail. Normally he's great. He's very informative. Very helpful. Knows his stuff. Has been great in the past. But this experience was very poor. We got there and it took about 10 minutes to be recognized. Then we placed our orders. And it took 11 minutes to bring the first round to us. The food took about 30. And then I got another beer. That took 15 minutes. (Also. Why the heck didn't they have Oberon?! It's a Michigan staple that people flock to bars to get! College kids especially. I know it's only been out for less than a week. But some bars have already tapped their second keg of it) It wasn't busy. It wasn't slow either. We went around 330 when it's their slow hour. So naturally they don't have too many servers because most of the time it's slow. But there were no more than 6 tables total. Our server was running (literally) to get things done. And at one point the Bartender ran the food to us. The main problem was that meanwhile, when our server was running to get things. The manager seemed to be sitting down just hanging out with a regular. At no point did we see him helping either the bartender or our server. Even though they were both clearly in the weeds. It was happy hour so it was well worth the money. And again. Normally that server is awesome. Super helpful and informative. He could definitely be a manager if he wants. (Especially instead of the one on duty on 3/25/15). Don't get me wrong. I'll be back. This place has done well in the past and the food and drinks were good. The service was just the worst I'd had at this place.
(2)Tuukka R.
Shows up as a business that's open and delivering. Wheb selected, says this is not the case.
(1)Amanda A.
This is my favorite restaurant. I have been coming here since 2005 when my boyfriend and I were in college. We still make trips out here. My family comes here sometimes for birthday dinners-- 10 adults and everyone loves the food. I had my bridal shower here and my guests raved about the food and the service. Some of my favorite menu items here are the Mediteranean salad, the spinach triangles, the boroketios rice. and the veggie pizza and the pizza blanco. Some people commented on slow service. The food does take a little while to come out. That's been going on for 10 years at least. In my opinion the food is worth it. To me, it's the kind of place to come and relax and have a great meal. My only complaint was that in the last 5 years they redid their decor. It used to be so cute, with a Mediteranean feel-- now it's a little plain and sleeker.
(5)Miles S.
just paid 28 dollars for a "12 by 12 deep dish pizza" with a few toppings. tiny, wilted excuse for a pizza arrived 20 minutes late and cold in a wet, wrinkled box, and the delivery guy was rude and unenthusiastic. i could have gotten 5 hot n readys for this.... never bringing my money here again.
(1)Mike R.
It's a classic spot in Ypsi been here forever near Easterns campus and the big Dick. Great Late night food full menu and bar to wait at for carry out or delivery
(4)Pete P.
Went here for a pizza like I did back in my days at Eastern Michigan and I wasn't disappointed! The pizza was excellent!! The crust was square deep dish with sesame seeds on the crust. It was light and airy without being mushy under the sauce, cheese, and toppings. We got Pepperoni, sausage, & feta and the combo was very good on the pizza. We also got an order of cheesy bread. The only complaint here was we could have polished off an order twice the size of the one we got! Not that it was small, just not big enough for three hungry guys eating dinner! The server was nice and friendly and checked on us frequently to make sure we had everything we needed. I'm glad this place is doing well after not having been there for so many years. I'll have to bring my son here as he is a pizza hound just like his old man would really like it here!!
(4)Oliver C.
Just had a less than stellar experience at Tower Inn. Brought in a group-on for this "reputable" restaurant and the rude manager told us she can chose to accept group-ons at her own discretion and we looked too "cheap" for her. Way to support your student population Tower Inn.
(1)Dani A.
We have now ordered delivery twice from Tower Inn. First order- Our food was pretty good, I had a Chicken Caesar Chapatti. But here was my problem, on it was mushrooms, black olives, tomatoes, and a ton of other things not on a Caesar. On top of that I am not sure what this dressing was but it was definitely not Caesar. I thought, okay so I would eat from here again but just not that. Second order- Because I thought it was generally pretty good just not what I expected I went with the Greek Chicken Chapatti. On first glance it looked exactly the same plus feta. Okay so not really Greek, then I opened the dressing. Indelible is being nice. It tasted like old cheap olive oil with something settled at the bottom. My husband called because we thought clearly this was a mistake, but were told oh that's our homemade Greek dressing. No we will not do anything to compensate sorry you're not happy. Safe to say we will not be ordering or eating here again.
(2)Liz B.
I love this place. Good location ridiculously close to campus, free wifi, power outlets in the bench seats, friendly people, and ridiculously cheap breadsticks and beer during their numerous happy hours. A better place than anywhere on campus for both studying alone and meeting with friends.
(5)Emily F.
I was double charged at Tower Inn and the owners are "too busy" to seem to take my call in order to fix the issue. If that wasn't enough the service is slow and you CANNOT get in and out of here in a hurry. Our waitress had no idea what was going on and was on her own agenda. Horrible customer service all around a real shame for Ypsi.
(1)Andrea F.
I used to love dining at tower inn, but my most recent experience did not live up to my expectations. First, it was karaoke night and the music was so loud that you could hear it outside of the restaurant. The women's room was poorly maintained- out of toilet paper and an absolute disgusting mess. The service was extremely slow and poor.
(2)Harrison B.
Tower Inn Cafe is the hot spot to eat for EMU students, you will always run into college students. I Used to love this place. Today ruined it all for me. The food is okay, as good as cheesy sticks and pizza can get really. But today, the customer service is what I was appalled by. A very very tall man brought us to our table, he was in a dress shirt and tie, so he may be a manager. He was very rude and did not make eye contact with any of us. The restaurant was nearly empty when we showed up, but we did have 9 people. We wanted to sit in a huge booth that would fit all of us and he said no. We could fit in a smaller booth and pull up one chair, but he said no. We could have sat at a long table, but he said no. So he split up our group! Which is unheard of. I also am putting a picture of my straw up. Is it chewed up? They gave it to me like that. After we sat down at separate booths, they sat someone else in the huge booth and the table. I asked if it was reserved and they said no. It is very dissapointing because I wanted to sit with all of my company. Now, as I'm typing this they have not served us for 15 minutes, while serving everyone around us. They seem to be ignoring us.. Oh well. Atleast I have my whole group to talk to. Wait.... I just finished my drink and put it on the end of table, hopefully they come soon. I'll end this review by saying the service is very poor for lunch. I highly suggest to never come for lunch. They have a more competent dinner staff. I am very disappointed. Oh! An update! Got my pizza exactly one hour after ordered, and guess what!.... It's cold and stale..should have went to NYPD
(1)Mili T.
I'm giving 2 stars because I've been here more than once and enjoyed the food for the most part. However, a few weeks ago me and two friends went here to eat. The hostess seated us near the front of the building and we waited for someone to take our orders. We waited for over 20 minutes and with what I assume to be our intended long haired male waiter walking past us again and again without glancing at us. We stood up, looked for a hostess or anybody to ask about even getting a glass of water, nothing, nobody around. So, we got up and walked out and still nobody seemed to notice. Also, my favorite calzone was no longer on the menu so I wasn't too excited to eat there by that point (the vegetarian pestozone). The calzone is still on the online menu so if I do eat there again I might just order online because then I will not only get to eat what I like but also ensure my order is taken.
(2)Nancy S.
Terrible customer service. Ate part of a panini, honestly it smelled like BO and I tried to send it back. They claimed that I had eaten too much when over 3/4 of the plate was still full and the very rude manager would not adjust the bill, she only said that they would remake the sandwich which tasted gross anyway so why would I want another one? I have been a customer here for many years now and my friends and I will not be coming back until there is better management and customer service. BTW:I NEVER send food back and I am not a picky eater. It was just terrible. PRO TIP: clean your panini press and stop treating your customers like criminals when your food sucks.
(1)Gordon T.
Terrible customer service. Sent us the wrong pizza, wouldn't send a correct order because we had eaten some of what they sent us. We waited an hour and were starving. We weren't prepared to wait another hour for more cold pizza. The manager, Amanda, was very rude on the phone. Will not be eating here again. Which is fine, the pizza is as bad as the customer service.
(1)LuckyLefty L.
They are terrible man when it comes to delivery. They always forgetting something or something isn't cooked the way it should be. I've tried the chicken tenders with wedges the first time I've ever had tower inn it was good so I ordered it again, sh*t was trifling chicken tenders taste like they were reheated and my wedges were cold. Okay so then I tried the chicken club pita with fries....DISGUSTING. I called to tell them my food was horrible and they ain't care I hung up on them and threw my food away. Maybe dining in may be better but delivery hecks no
(1)Dave S.
Food is much better than it was in the past. The remodel on the inside is a must see. Great beers on special. The only downside is the usual slower service. Just be prepared to wait and have a few drinks.
(4)Gavin P.
I really only went here for Karaoke and drinks, but what I observed was this: The architecture is just plain and not really theme based, and I dont remember the menu being special. Mostly I saw pizza and plain American food, nothing greek except the salad. It's a small town restaurant that doesnt offer much except the karaoke. Which was great by the way. But besides that, didnt really see much going on here.
(2)Thomas S.
Definitely worth the stop. The FBI burger well worth a return again and again. A must when in Ypsilanti.
(4)Jeff T.
Hit or miss with Tower Inn. It used to be consistently amazing. But not so much any more. Pizza toppings were scarce on my order tonight of a "meat lovers." And the delivery guy was completely unfriendly. Used to love this pizza and restaurant... But my mind is changing
(2)Amy C.
I've been going to the Tower since 2003 and I always enjoy myself. The owners are great people and they are consistently revamping the place to make it more appealing. They just did a major re-do and I think the place looks wonderful. They actually worked with an interior design student from EMU which I think paints a nice picture of their connection to the University. My two favorite menu items are the Greek chicken chapati and the Huron St. sandwich. I really like the Mediterranean feel to the menu and the variety. They have a full bar which is really nice after a long day at school/work. The only issue I've ever had there is you can get a wait person that is tired or overwhelmed but the food has always been good and prepared correctly. Couldn't imagine Ypsi without it.
(4)Kris O.
The service is just off here. People seem friendly and nice and willing to do anything, but forgetful. I have a toddler who I often take to restaurants so my view is skewed by this. However, I often eat much earlier than the dinner rush. Bringing the wrong drinks. Forgetting items that were asked for. Inexplicably disappearing when we are ready to leave. - We waited more than ten minutes after we had finished eating for her to bring boxes. Another 3 or 4 for her to bring the check. 5 minutes for her to come back and pick up the check. Just crazy! (Mom tip for servers: we will leave you a bigger tip and get out of your section sooner if you are quick to bring takeout boxes and the check. You are not rushing us. Kids get anxious after meals and just want to run!)
(3)Mia M.
I heard decent things about Tower Inn and its vegetarian options, so I decided to give it a try. I've now been twice, and both times I left disappointed. On my first visit, I waited forever only to recieve the wrong order: pepperoni bread instead of the regular. On my second visit, I asked for a veggie burger, and they gave me that, but with meat on top. Also, the patty was crumbling and falling apart, fries were cold and hard, my malt was melted and disgusting, and the waitress was inattentive at best. I won't be returning.
(1)Daron D.
Great place to eat rather its inside or for delivery. As a Eastern Michigan alumni, tower inn is a campus institution and a must try. I feel like they are solid all the way around. There chicken Caesar wrap, godfather blackened burger, chapati (chicken Caesar) and their wings are the 4 best things on the menu. I also believe their ranch is homemade (and great also) and they do make one of the better pizzas in the area. They have something for everyone and their happy hours is one of the best in Ypsilanti (i would say only sidetracks have a better one as far as Ypsilanti bars are concern). A must eat in my opinion, especially if you plan on strolling through the city of Ypsilanti.
(4)Xinyu T.
The price is great. The pasta I had was a little bit oily...
(3)Juliann T.
I have been here 3 or 4 times in the last 6 months. Very impressed with the service. Waitstaff has been able to offer suggestions and describe dishes well. The owner or manager has stopped by the table to check that everything is ok. Draught beer selection is good and changes seasonally. Food is very good at a fair price. I will be back frequently.
(4)Jeka M.
A great local business with a wide variety-- Tower Inn has undergone some changes in recent years by simplifying the branding and decor. The service is friendly and it's definitely a family business. :) The love story on the front made me feel as if I actually knew Rois! I had the saganaki (best I've ever had, and done with flair!), spakitokopita/spinach puff appetizer (pretty good), and then the chicken chapati as entree. I had it again for lunch today and will have it tomorrow and possible the day after, because it is SO enormous and delicious! Definite recommendation for a well-priced, friendly lunch locale.
(4)Liz W.
The Tower Inn does reach a bit far. It's not bad for what it is, its just not great. We tried some entress on our visit and from what I saw go by I think we should have stuck with more sandwich/pizza type fare. They really talk up the gazpacho here but do not order it, it's bland and textureless. I mean a very very sad bowl of uber gringo salsa/tomato baby food substance topped with extremely stale and densely unchewable croutons. The yogurt was fine on it but that is the best I can say for it. It needed some acidic punch and a lot less time in the food processor (or as I suspect, blender). My chicken kabobs were small, really small but tasty. I liked them. At first I was annoyed the waitress got my order wrong and brought coated fries but when I got the rice I realized she did me a favor. Not a huge coated generic fry girl but they beat the overcooked dried out clumpy rice by a mile. The pita was plentiful, soft and puffy but I wish they had toasted or grilled it a bit as it was bland, even when dipped into their decent tzaziki sauce. I felt like the dish was a bit overpriced for what I had but it was overall decent. My husband had the blackened chicken and shrimp pasta. They are not joking about blackened, the chicken is indeed black from an overload of spice coated on. Edible when mixed into everything but on its own it is cough inducing, coughing so bad you may have a 80s flashback to when this dish was innovative. The shrimp were small but plentiful and tasty. The pasta was past al dente and a bit thin sauced but my husband was fine with it. The upside is cheap beer at happy hour, they have cheap mugs o drinks too like a 4 dollar mojito-ish concoction and the like. Yay for cheapy drinks, boo for cheapy drinks that taste cheap and watery. Sadly the apps we actually wanted were not on the happy hour menu either. They seem to play cheap overall which I am not a fan of. I don't want a fake bargain, I want a real bargain! Meh. I didn't hate it but I am not anxious to return.
(2)Paterno J.
Great happy hour specials and the food isn't half bad. Apps are half off after 10pm I believe so it's a great place to stop by for a quick snack
(4)Joshua E.
I've had to take my food back about 4 out of 5 times I order from here. The 5th time I just eat it cause I'm in a hurry. It used to look like an Italian restaurant, but last year they changed the outside to look like a KFC/ghetto liquor store. Now the new inner renovation is like being in purgatory. They even took out the wall separating the bar from the main dining room. It's like eating in a waiting room at a nice hospital. I've been a loyal diner there for years, but it's to far gone for there to be any hope. That being said, if the lazy cooks actually bother to read the ticket the burgers are awesome. You just have to sand it back 3 or 4 times to get what you ordered.
(1)Lisa Z.
Large and varied menu (not only Italian, but also lots if Greek), sweet & friendly service, plenty of parking and of course, super convenient to EMU campus. Plus, the owner, Rios, is a terrific guy. If you're in the area, go and check it out.
(5)Sylvonna R.
Tower Inn is one of my FAVORITE places in Ypsilanti; I order from here quite a bit for lunch and I have eaten a few times at the restaurant as well. Every time they offer consistent quality food that is DEEEELicious. They have a varied menu that has just about something for everyone.
(4)Shawna F.
If I could rate this lower I would. The waitress Whitney was great. The Calamari that they said was home made did not taste fresh. It was dried out and tasted like old chicken nuggets. The tomato basil was not good. It tasted like canned tomato soup. The broccoli soup had too much flour and so did the Alfredo sauce. The hamburger tasted like a McDonalds burger left to long under a hear lamp. It was overcooked and bland. I would not recommend this place. They did not have jazz because school was out so maybe people are rating it for the entertainment but, I'm rating it on food.
(1)Wayne S.
Tower inn is a good place to take friends ETC for an affordable meal. Their happy hour specials are a down right good deal! And they have a really tastey milkshake! The food quality isnt too high, but without spending $50 a plate you cant expect much in the way of ingredient quality (i.e. Grass fed beef, pasture chicken etc arent affordable to serve)
(3)Jen M.
My boyfriend wanted to show me around his alma mater, EMU, during a trip to IP and we popped in to Tower Inn. It was renovated since the last time we were there and was much nicer than I was expecting. We both got burgers and a beer. They were huge and amazing! My boyfriend said it was the best burger he'd ever had. I had the 1/3 lb and he tried the Italian burger. This is a great place for burgers and beer. Our server was great too!
(5)Mike S.
Awesome owners - awesome staff and great food. Everything is homemade, from the dough to the croutons. Totally worth having Spinakotopia and Saganaki Opa! for an appetizer. Great remodeled dining room and outside patio area. Worth checking out if you're in the Ann Arbor area!
(5)Karen T.
Tower Inn: not good, not terrible. Wonderful caring staff! Okay mixed drinks! Food that's.. okay. The vibe isn't cheesy or college, despite being across the street from EMU. Tower Inn is great for a cheap lunch or night out. Soup in bread bowls are $4 - cheapest decent meal in town?
(4)Rob P.
We (wife, son and I) went for lunch on a Saturday about six months ago. Wife and I got sick. horrible, horrible food. they know it. Wife = carbonara Me = Lasagna (absolute shiiite!). I always see the "Cisco" food truck delivering absolute pre-fab crap food they turn around to their "guests". shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiite. AND THEY KNOW IT!!!!!!.
(1)Meggie S.
I've been a semi-regular at Tower Inn since moving to Ypsi in 2006. I like supporting local businesses and most of the food is good. The pizza is really delicious and the service is great. They also have a great happy hour if you're a beer drinker, but the mixed drinks are really weak. I'm only giving them three stars because parking is awful (and the Ypsi parking people WILL ticket you) and I've had a couple negative experiences with their delivery service. Once I commented on their website, however, and the one of the owners herself called me to apologize and made it up to me with a free duplicate of my previous order. Overall, it's a pretty decent place to eat, but nothing grand.
(3)Becki B.
I've always gone to the Tower Inn for the company more than the food. The food is decent, and always keeps me alive another day, but the reason we're generally going is because they can deal with larger groups. As is easiest to split with groups of people, we usually end up sharing the pizza and roughly splitting the tab. Maybe it's been the groups I've gone with outnumbering the other patrons, but the Tower Inn never seems to be overrun with students, even with being so close to campus. I think the vibe also inspires something a little more 'chill' and less 'drunken ruckus.'
(3)Asia H.
I've been here twice and the first time was for my 21st birthday and I say I am unimpressed. For whatever reason you have to be 21 to sit in the karaoke section and the dj only called his friends up. My name never came up so I told my group it's time to go. It wasn't a horrible experience I've just had better than this place.
(2)Robin K.
White Pizza was good as advertised --very very tasty. I was disappointed by the chicken chapati--It was a cold day and I expected it would be hot chicken/Grilled. Instead It was toasted bread but cold chicken and cold salad fixings. I ordered the Greek version and was disappointed to have black garden olives and not Kalamata olives inside. The lettuce is Romaine, mixed greens might've been better. The Greek dressing with it was tasty. Just not what I expected. For the $1.99 upgrade for wedge fries we got a very small portion and they really weren't that tasty. Two of our party had the hamburgers and they were juicy and pretty well put together. One of the burgers had a fried egg on it and it was different. All in all decent food but nothing to get too excited about. Not sure I'll be itching to go back again soon. There are better restaurants nearby to go to instead.
(3)Stephen H.
The pizza here is very good and they keep the buffet table turning so it is frequently hot and fresh. They have anything from cheese only to meat lovers so the selection is great. Service is consistently good as well. You'll love it!
(3)Sarah R.
The Tower Inn is not going to wow your food snob friends, but the few times I've been there, I enjoyed the food. The interior is spacious, and the decor takes it up one notch from the average diner to a middle-of-the-road family restaurant. It is very near Eastern Michigan University, and you'd expect it to be a rowdy college hangout, but it's not. It does have a large student clientle, but middle-aged folks and families also frequent it. Most recently, I had the tuna wrap, and it was really good with a side of their wedge fries. A friend ordered the spinach pie and let me sample it. There was definitely enough to go around, since it was huge. And tasty! If you're looking for something lighter, check out the salads or the appetizer menu. My favorite from the salad section is the Mediterranean salad. It's lettuce, feta, veggies, olives, eggs, and beets in the salad, and it comes with three spinach and cheese triangles on top. Yum!
(4)Patrick R.
A pleasant surprise. Close to work. The lunch menu is good- the wraps are tasty- the Chipatis are huge. Service is good, fast and most importantly CONSISTENT. And menu is varied enough that you don't get bored.
(4)Mike L.
The Tower Inn has been around for ages. Located across the street from EMU it can get busy and parking is not an option unless you are there for other reasons. This was a very good place to go for breakfast to cure for what ales you on some mornings. Like most diners in the Detroit area it is Greek run so expect a large menu with lots of variety.
(3)Bryan D.
Decent food, great happy hour, and live jazz on Thursdays! I've always been on the fence with Tower Inn. I've been there a few times before and was never that impressed, until last night. Upon entering we immediately received a friendly greeting and were shown to a cozy booth. What really set last night apart was the ambiance, while there usually isn't much of it, there was some exceptional live jazz being played by two of Eastern Michigan University's music professors. This gave the place a really nice relaxed atmosphere with a touch of sophistication. Our server was very friendly and knowledgeable. We both ordered simple mixed drinks, as they had no good beer (mostly big-brand domestic choices) and the Saganaki (Opa!) as an appetizer. The drinks weren't anything special, not very strong, and later, we found out, rather pricey (about $6 each). The Saganaki is always a nice little show when it comes out, and our server did it justice. It tasted great, and came with freshmade pita bread. Unless you and your date want a coronary, this dish is best suited for 4 people! As for our entrees they were just okay. I ordered the Salmon Wellington Ala Greek, and she the Mediterranean salad. The salad was a typical Greek salad, nothing special, probably lettuce from a bag. The Salmon Wellington was okay, came out hot, but a little dry. Besides the good atmosphere and the okay food, the biggest shocker was the bill. Those mixed drinks really made an impact, and I've never thought a of Tower as being overly pricey. I later found out they have a happy hour 2-4pm and 10pm-1am. This place is, after all, next to a college campus. We will return, they have an extensive Greek menu, outdoor seating, and I'm looking forward to that happy hour (we live within walking distance)!
(3)Michelangelo S.
I'm surprised to see the number of high ratings here. I've patronized the Tower Inn perhaps once a year from 2004-2008 and every time I've been put off enough to avoid it. Service is slow and detached- perhaps because I'm neither a professor nor a frat boy, which seem to be their mainstays. And you CANNOT get in and out of here in a hurry. The staff seems to think their menu is so big that you need 20 minutes before you can be ready to order, and they're equally unhurried about taking your money to pay the bill. Less-than-stellar service is something I can live with if a restaurant serves quality food, but alas, this is not the case here. I've been served eggplant parmigiana that was still cold in the center, sat without a beverage for almost my entire meal, been given dirty silverware, and on my last and final visit, got sick after eating the pizza. Just say no to the Tower Inn. Unless you're drunk- then you might as well eat there, because you won't know the difference and you won't stink for 24 hours like you would if you ate at the Double Eagle.
(1)Tara R.
With their enormous menu, cheap lunch buffet and late hours, I keep going back to Tower Inn, even though the food is just okay. I've tasted a couple really yummy items, like the pesto artichoke pizzetta (with feta, too -mega flavor!) and the calamari (thick strips lightly battered, not deep fried confetti cartilage). The pizza is sometimes very tasty, sometimes gross, but usually alright. I went with Dan to the Pizza, Pasta, Chicken buffet today, which is currently offered every weekday for $4.99 until GM turns a profit. The quality was what you would expect for the price. Again, the pizza was alright. As Dan noted, you don't feel bad about not eating the crust when it's all-you-can-eat; then again, wouldn't you prefer crust that you want to devour? The chicken du jour was cooked in a red sauce - it tasted just fine on top of the cheesy pasta. They also had their homemade potato chips, which is a pretty weird accompaniment to an already super starchy selection. But actually, the chips were the best part. There were some funny looking bread stick thingies (they looked like deep-fried donut bits), but the tongs were so scorching hot that I couldn't pick up any of the pieces. Didn't look good enough to bother flagging down a server. If you're on the EMU campus and want a cheap, hot lunch, this will definitely fill your belly and fuel you, and it doesn't taste bad. But if you want a better Tower Inn experience, I suggest going to their Happy Hour (4-6pm and after 10pm on weekdays), getting a cheap giant beer (22oz $2.50, 34 oz $4.00) and a couple of apps.
(3)Chelsea M.
I enjoy the Tower Inn. I love the price on their drink specials. They have half off happy hour from 2-4 and 10-1. They sell 34oz beers with a price you can't beat! The food is pretty good, pizza is a little over priced. Atmosphere is enjoyable, service is adequate and fast. I would recommend this for a couple or a group for a laid back dinning experience.
(4)Tim K.
An EMU staple! Cheep food and beer, with a 'non-dive-non-half-club' atmosphere that other nearby places seem to carry, *caugh pub 13 caugh*. Service is so so, but also not the worst. Good times had here for sure. The Tower Mug is legendary!
(3)Chris P.
Four words for you: $4 34oz. Bell's Oberon. ... Let it sink in... After 10PM everyday, all draught beer is $4 for a giant 34oz "tower" of beer including one or two micro/craft brews. While the beer selection is small and pitiful compared to Sidetrack or Ashley's, they always carry a craft/micro brew of good or excellent quality (Bell's Oberon during the summer!) and the price makes it a sweet deal to behold. This place has everything in the world going for it: nearly on-campus, open late, low prices, inexpensive beer, good service, and good food; so why is it so dead at night? I may never figure that out, but what I have figured out is that this is the go to place in Ypsilanti during late night when both ABC Corner Brewery and Sidetrack are overly crowded. Parking can be difficult if you are not an EMU student and the public parking is taken up (there are many nearby EMU student lots), and I assume this turns many people off of the restaurants on W. Cross St. Don't despair as it is much easier to park near here than anywhere in downtown Ann Arbor. The food here is an interesting hybrid of Middle Eastern, Italian, and Greek cuisine, with Italian and Greek being the main focus. The meals are inexpensive and is usually only a couple of dollars more (total) than a coney island, how can you beat that? The selection of food is huge and many items are very good. Their Pizza is stone baked and delicious (but not the best I've had), and they make a mean Gyro and authentic shish kabob with homemade Tzatziki sauce. They give you free bread when you sit down, which is pretty disappointing compared to the pita bread they make here (which is excellent). The decor here is interesting to say the least, and the service is always excellent. I highly recommend a visit to the Tower Inn if you are in the Ypsilanti area or are in Ann Arbor and would like to have a good meal and a drink without the highway robbery seen downtown A2.
(5)Rob P.
I've recently stumbled upon the Tower Inn right off EMU's campus. After being used to the establishments of Ann Arbor, I wasn't quite prepared for the Tower Inn. The service is friendly, mostly quick and the servers are ready to recommend the restaurant's specialties. The menu is very reasonably priced and offers a wide variety of choices for even picky eaters. The restaurant itself provides a relaxed comfortable environment for college students, families and couples. If you're looking for a luxurious dinner, this is not the place. If you want a filling and satisfying, down to earth meal, the Tower Inn is the place for you.
(4)Amanda C.
Disgusting! Okay so the only reason we came here is because living social gave us a $20 gift certificate. The drinks are beyond awful! It is like the cheapest mix and no alcohol. We order the "prime rib" quesadillas, yeah I am pretty sure it is the same beef that taco bell uses. I would have not paid for this. The waitress was nice, but I am never going back!
(1)Matt B.
In just about any other town, the Tower Inn would probably warrant a four or five-star rating. The problem is, they're in the Ypsi/Ann Arbor area, which raises the bar on them a bit more than most. One of the most awesome things about Tower Inn is that they will deliver practically their entire menu to your door. Allegedly, their pizza is their star fare, but with such excellent pizza offerings in the area (e.g. Jet's), I admit that I haven't had Tower's pizza. What I have had is their burgers, and the burgers are excellent. Even when delivered, the burgers are flavorful, cooked perfect, and yummy; just what I want to see. So, as with my review for Roma, why is a place that gets good words from me only getting three stars? Several reasons. A) Price. The cost is more in line with a five-star meal but you're only getting three stars worth of food. A price tag of $5.99 for a burger looks awesome, until you realize that that's all you're getting. The "chips" they provide aren't all that filling, and potato wedges/fries are extra. The appetizers are also -outrageously- expensive when compared to the entrees. B) Longer than average wait times to just place an order. There have been times where I've called in to place an order and been placed on hold for as much as 10 minutes. It's rare, but it's unnerving when it happens. There's also been cases where I've called in and nobody answers the phone, even though it's supposedly during operating hours. If you can overlook those things, Tower's got a pretty solid offering. Just don't be prepared for an inexpensive experience when compared with someplace like Sidetrack.
(3)Craig G.
Great food! Great service! Never had a bad experience
(5)April J.
This place is pretty all right. It is close to campus and convenient, and it offers a quieter more relaxed setting than some places nearby. The food is pretty good but certainly nothing to rave about. Think: average coney island. Not cheap and gross but nothing wonderful either. Sometimes, it simply fits the ticket.
(3)Steven H.
I have yet to try food I don't like over there.
(5)Charlie K.
I am part of a recreational athletic group on campus and we go here almost every Tuesday evening. It is, first off, a great little restaurant, not too fancy, great Greek food and standard staples, great bar. But more than that, it is part of the EMU experience in Ypsilanti, a regulars place, a great place to make your regular hang out spot; if you need to study or you just got through playing hoops with some friends at the rec or want to watch the game and have an excellent 34 oz microbrew, hit the Tower. Definitely try to hit it during happy hour (weekdays after 10:00 PM) when there are specials on beer and other drinks and appetizers are half off. Also, great pizza and burgers. Tower 4 eva!!
(5)Alicia L.
Tasty, tasty pizzas and calzones with lots of great Italian seasoning. Delivery is fast. Happy hour specials are pretty tasty. Mmmm...
(4)Marie H.
I thought this place was pretty good, especially for the price. It's way better than any kind of Perkins or family-type restaurant, although it does fit into that category. There really is a wide variety of food on the menu, and I was very pleasantly surprised after reading some of the reviews here, although I didn't try the pizza or saganaki, I probably will next time. The staff is friendly and can make some good recommendations about the food and drink. I would disagree that the bar is raised on the Tower Inn for being in Ann Arbor/Yspi, in fact I would say it's lowered since there is a fairly homogeneous population of restaurants here. At any rate, it was good. Plus they have wine carafes! Wiiiiiine carafes!
(4)Sly F.
Tower Inn isn't normally a place I would have though to visit. Right on Cross Street, I figured it'd be busy, loud, and the service slow like much of the other bars lining that particular area. I prefer to go in, eat and drink relatively quickly and get out - otherwise I sit at the bar, and then it doesn't matter where I go for that! So I had never stopped at it until a mutual friend of my S.O. and I called and invited us down. Apparently it was karaoke (meh) night and their happy hour started at 10 pm (ooo!), and me being one to not pass up relatively cheap liquor with a side of appetizers dragged my Dearest out and down to the Inn. The décor is interesting, nothing overly commercialized though I did get a sense of Red Robin-y presence due to the numerous pictures over the wall - but the rest of it blended into the background with the people. That's fine, I'm not there to look at the walls, I'm there to drink! And eat. Usually in that order. On top of happy hour being early and a good deal, all their appetizers were half off as well. Super! However, I found their breadsticks (my usual favorite for any appetizer) to be lacking in taste. They did not hold up to Tap Rooms and the large party I was with ordered a numerous amount. Their appetizer menu is sadly small and lacking variety. With that sort of deal, I would expect them to expand the choices for more sales, but that is not the case. I wasn't interested in their beers, I'm more of a liquor girl, but not knowing the bar I went for my usual test drink - the long island. You can tell a lot about what sort of drinks you get from the attending bar tender by ordering one of them. Either it will be strangely sweet and lacking a kick, or sour, or just right. I managed to down 3 of their long islands before I started feeling a slight buzz. Usually it only takes 1 (woo Tap Room) or two (props Sidetracks) and I even had a shot and started to wonder if maybe I've been drinking too much since I'm strangely sober. So I account it to their drinks being on the weaker side of the spectrum (Tequila Sunrise for St Pattie's/Birthday drink wasn't very strong either) which makes it rank rather low on the list of bars I'd go out of my way to visit. The appetizers were okay, but again, selection was too small for my liking - I walked down to Jimmy John's instead that same St Patty's day and it worked out just fine. I can't say much for their entrée's as I go too late to really want to eat dinner, but I've heard great things for their lunches. My S.O. likes to go there for lunch while he's at EMU during the day and he's pickier than I am. So that says something about their food. Someday I'll stop by for a sammich and coke - I got some other places I'll go to drink and nom nom my appetizer cravings. Karaoke was pretty good by the way, not so obnoxiously loud that sitting in the same room made your ears bleed and sitting in the separated seating area you could barely tell what was going on unless you looked over. Well done! EDIT: Also noticed the service was slow the nights I went. It wasn't so bad the first one, but the next few times I went it was ridiculous. I was pretty annoyed by the time the waitress showed up again that I didn't allow anyone at the table to order anything since it'd be faster to just go somewhere else to continue drinking. On top of that, it took her so long to show up with change (luckily we didn't need much more than a couple dollars back) we just got up and left because she had taken our bill 20 minutes earlier. Yeesh! Normally I'm pretty tolerant (I have several waitresses in my family, I know their pain) but it was getting to the point of rudeness. I don't know if that's because it's the evening and the place is understaffed or what, but it was enough to get me to walk out and spend a big tab at another bar with more attentive waitstaff. Otherwise the Tower Inn waitstaff was pretty cordial, but not very friendly. Fine with me!
(3)Jackie H.
Been here a couple times whilst hanging with my EMU buddies. The atmosphere is nice and laid back. The menu is extensive, but I do recommend the pizza. Yum, indeed.
(4)Kurtiss B.
I find Tower Inn a wonderful place to dine. Although, I only tried them a few times, I found the wait staff to be friendly, compassionate, and caring in regards to delivering great service to their customers. I suggest that you give them a try, you'll be satisfied.
(4)Amy W.
Great pizza, as a college student with a long break at dinner time, this place was wonderful.
(5)Josh W.
Please don't pawn this off as another college pizza dive. This place is devoid of the frat boy crowd. Very surprising menu, with some nice Italian and Mediterranean dishes. Great for groups of people. Nice beer selection with cheap big tower beers. Edited down to 4 stars... Unless you get some of the better cooks your food can be less then stellar.
(4)Jason L.
I frequently go to Tower Inn a lot. We go with a group of friends mostly. They have nice drink specials and the food is good too! They can also accommodate a party or a large group. Their pizza buffet is pretty darn good for the price. You cannot beat it.
(5)Uzie E.
I eat here a few times a year. The pizza was always good and I really like the spinach triangles. So when I saw the Mothers Day Prime Rib Brunch for $10, I thought we would give it a try. For the price I wasn't expecting too much. It still ended up being a huge disappointment for everyone. The quality of the beef was the worst I have had. They should have not served it at all and concentrate on keeping the other food available, what little there was. I really hope they can work on the quality of the food and get it back to what it used to be. On the brighter side, all the servers were very good.
(2)Nani S.
The food here is just ok. It's definitely a step up from the fast food joints around town, but not by much. Their middling, mediocre Chicken Alfredo was not much better or more interesting than something I could make at home, so why bother? Their "Chicken Marsala" isn't even made with Marasala wine. I probably wouldn't have a problem coming here once in a while to break up a food rut, but the service is absolutely atrocious. They're slow to rectify orders that are incorrect, and we've even had a waitress who's argued with us over honoring a "misprinted" coupon that also happened to be the only reason we thought of going there in the first place (the misprint amounted to a difference of $1) . We've even had a delivery boy who scowled at us because he didn't get a bigger tip than he "deserved" for bringing food late. Based on the food alone, I'd give them 2 stars, but their abominable customer service brings it to 0 stars. I really wished better for a local business.
(1)Emily B.
They have a great lunch buffet, awesome pizza! Great happy hour and fast delivery!
(5)Celeste J.
They get the three stars because of the fantastically priced Tower Mugs, but God help you if you try to eat any of the food.
(3)