Bearclaw Coffee

After living in Ann Arbor for 5 years and driving past this place (literally) over a hundred times, I figured it was about time I gave it a try. MAN, am I glad I did! Seriously, THE best chai tea latte I’ve ever had. It took the chai tea to the next level as it was a little extra cinnamon-​y than I’m used to and with the accompanying ginger, cardamom, and almost an background pepper, it was unreal. I didn’t want my cup to go empty. I savored and sipped so slow, and when it got cold I didn’t just down it all in one gulp — NO NO! I heated it right back up and sipped it even slower for my entire morning.
Bearclaw, you have changed my thoughts around chai lattes and I’ll be drooling every time I pass!

Great concept. Great location. Fair pricing. Nothing but a drive-​thru where the employees come outside and take your order. Everyone was friendly and professional. We ordered 2 drinks. Both were OK at best.

Went here today for the first time, loved it. Bearclaw has great coffee and really friendly baristas unlike most places around here. Not to mention the place has charm that is otherworldly. Wonderful local gem!

I’m bumping this from 3.5 to 4 stars for a beautiful espresso I just got. Bold, a little bitter, but not burnt or too sour. Hard to find.

This place is so good! A true hidden gem of ann arbor. Better than your 4 dollar starbucks drink any day. It doesnt look very crowded because the service is so quick.

The coffee and bagels are pretty standard. Good but not outstanding. What is outstanding is the car-​side service. I am always in and out in just a few minutes and the servers are always very pleasant.

I love this place! Yes, it’s a bit of an odd location, but very convenient when heading out of Ann Arbor. And the shop is adorable!
In terms of the coffee, I’ve only had positive experiences. Baristas are prompt and friendly, with great attention to detail. I’ve made alterations to a number of drinks here and have never gotten an incorrect order. And I love strong coffee, so this is perfect for me.
I’ve only gotten food here once, a muffin. It was tasty– not spectacular, but not bad for breakfast on the go.
Keep up the good service, Bearclaw!

The «bearclaw» pastry is not like any bearclaw you’ve ever had from a real bakery — it’s more like chemical cream inside a piece of bread — literally vending-​machine quality. Straight coffee was… adequate. Service was mediocre — I got the wrong pastry, and when she replaced it the server did not feel the need to apologize… much less anything along the lines of «thank you for your business.»
I guess it’s worth one star for being able to get a small coffee and a pastry for (just) under four bucks — that feels like a bargain these days.

Now this is the cutest drive through I have ever seen.
When we first drove into Ann Arbour had it not been night I would have stopped right away.
A stone cabin with a drive through on each side, lots of wood, I was in love.
I went to the other location in Dexter and had the worst coffee in my life there and couldn’t accept the fact that I spent $ 10 on 2 coffees
(thats right folks, the worst coffee ever will cost you $ 4.75 a cup)
so I went to this drive in to complain.
The girl here was also great, can;t knock the people they have working for them, all extreamly attentive and genuinly nice.
She thanked me several times for bringing it to their attention, she said their coffee is strong but should not taste bitter or burnt, especially with the caramel, chocolate and whipped cream.
So she made us 2 free cups, extra caramel, cream and chocolate but still the coffee here just tastes like shit!
Why is it so bitter and burnt, what a shame, this is the cutest coffee chain ever and I love supporting local chains trying to make it.

Who says you can’t walk through the drive-​through?
Bearclaw Coffee is within walking distance of my place of employment. Although it is a drive-​through shop, the baristas happily take my walk-​up orders at the back door. They even have a little «Walk-​Up» window.
The baristas are always friendly and quick on their feet. I usually order either coffee, an americano, or a latte. My repeated visits have proven Bearclaw’s drinks to be high quality and consistent.
Now I just need summer to come around so I don’t have to stand in the snow while I wait for my drink!

I LOVE this coffee stop and make it a priority to visit whenever I am in the area. Its a unique twist for most Michigan coffee shops, however if you’re from the western US like I am you’ll feel right at home at this drive-​up coffee stop. I enjoy the products and the service equally. I can’t wait for my next cup!

Their coffee is really bad. I normally get a latte from any coffee shops. Once I ordered an iced latte from the Bearclaw; it was too strong. The other time I got a latte; it tasted like the coffee was burnt.
The smell was far from a great smell of espresso.
I don’t know how they won the best coffee place in Ann Arbor. I am just not a big fan at all.

I got a specialty coffee drink and it was okay, but what I found almost comical is that they didn’t have a toaster and could only «warm» my bagel in a microwave? Isn’t that the classic coffee shop upsell? A bagel? Is there a shortage of toasters in Ann Arbor?
I would like to try their straight-​up coffee and I will update my review once I have.

I can’t speak for every Bear Claw location, but every cup of coffee I’ve had here has tasted pretty iffy. You might as well just go down the street to the Starbucks in Barnes & Noble — at least then you’ll know what you’re getting yourself into. Their smoothies are pretty good, but nothing heart-​stoppingly impressive. Pass Bear Claw by in favor of a coffee shop with a bit more personality and stronger offerings.

Drive-​through caffeine! I love it. On a cold and nasty day I pull up and out pops the friendly and polite espresso fairy. He takes my order and returns quickly with a hot, strong double latte plus a complimentary tootsie roll. Off I go, caffed up and sweetened up. Service is friendly and quick, coffee is strong. I am very happy to steer my business toward this sweet and quirky little joint.

I drive past here multiple times a day but it never seems the right time to go in and obey all the signs about how you should try their frozen, steamed, foamed, sweetened, caffienated, decaffineated, oriental, modern, ancient, obscure, popular, artistic, god-​like, European, American, … beverages and snacks. I’m waiting to see if the person in a Bear Suit reappears this year as the weather permits.

Have you ever heard of an ATM turning into a coffee joint? Well, this is what happened with Bearclaw. What used to be just the elusive University Bank’s drive-​thru ATM is now a drive-​thru coffee stop, adding an element of wonder to an already quagmirish intersection – not to mention lots and lots of advertising.
The latte and cup of coffee I had from here were pretty decent. The baked goods, one hit and one miss. But my real problems are (1) this place has so many signs screaming «I’M OPEN!» on its little peninsula that it’s started to seem desperate to me, and (2) that bear with wings coming out of its face logo is just creepy, man.