Northside Grill is both a homey and eclectic Ann Arbor joint established in 1993 and located at 1015 Broadway.
We frequented the establishment back when we were in college and visited it again recently to see how it might have changed.
It was very much as we remembered it, with a menu full of breakfast and lunch favorites and customers ranging from families to townies to college kids.
In 2021, it was voted best breakfast in Washtenaw County in the Current Dining Guide.
We recalled when we visited as students how there was always a long wait to be seated, and when we returned this time, it was still the same!
Upon this visit, they said the wait was 40 minutes, so we took the opportunity to stroll around the corner and take a walk in Argo Nature Area/park; we walked along the rapids and enjoyed the abundant beautiful nature so close to Northside.
The grasses along the walkway were dried but beautifully textured and caramel colored. Rapids and rocks complement the winter air. We walked for about thirty minutes viewing the serene sights before returning to the restaurant.
When they were ready, the hostess happily seated us. The waitstaff was professionally attentive. All the workers were dressed in Hawaiian floral shirts for the Hawaiian Day event, making the atmosphere feel warm and tropical, despite the outside chill. To stay in theme, decorative images were placed on the walls such as Hawaiian tropical flowers and announcements for a luau.
Since this was the 25th Annual Hawaiian Sunday, they featured many specials that the customers were enjoying, including Ono Banana Buttermilk Pancakes, Hawaiian Style French Toast, and Hawaii Five-O Omelet.
Since we arrived a bit later in the day, we sampled both brunch and lunch items. We enjoyed their club sandwich, vegetarian chili, blueberry oat bran pancake, and WEMU Bourbon Street Scramble.
The vegetarian chili was a great vegan option packed with many beans in a comforting tomato sauce. Their club sandwich was served with toast that was a beautiful and perfected browned hue, ample sliced turkey, and all the fixings.
We were happy to have more oat bran in the blueberry pancake for extra fiber and it too has a comforting color and pleasant texture and taste. The WEMU Bourbon Street Scramble almost tasted like a pizza with the toppings within the eggs: andouille sausage, ham, onions, green peppers, and tomatoes—mixed in the scrambled eggs and served with a delectable salsa.
We recommend Northside and hope to be back soon.
An upcoming notable event is “Mardi Gras Sunday” on Feb. 19, which is sure to feature other specialty food items. Mardi Gras is French for “Fat Tuesday” and is known as the opportunity to eat more calorie-heavy and slightly less healthy foods before the traditional Lenten fasting.
