Gandy Dancer

We’ve gone to the Gandy Dancer for years. The service was still very good, and the food was very good. Two stars only because the portions were so tiny I was shocked! Salmon — farmed Atlantic salmon for $ 28 — my serving was about 1 ½ inches by 4 inches! Tiny piece of salmon!!! My husband got the white fish. Same thing. Both were delicious but not enough food to eat. His white fish was 2 small pieces flat as a pancake. Ice cream for dessert– I’m sure it wasn’t even ½ cup scoop. And they used Sanders Dark chocolate topping– NOT Sanders hot fudge topping like it says on the menu. Stingy portions. Great atmosphere. But we didn’t get our money’s worth. We won’t be back.

Consistently a great place to go for Sunday brunch or a nice dinner date.
Brunch is a wonderful assortment of hot and cold food. I swear I eat half my body weight in peel and eat shrimp and steamed mussels. The waffles are fabulous. Never had anything bad here (except when I grazed off the kids part of buffet — ugh… fish sticks!)
Dinner is always a treat — every course is so good. Tonight I had shrimp fresco. Loved the lump crab on top
You will want to join their dining club — you will find yourself back here a few times a year!

Hubby and I went out to honor him on Fathers’ Day. Decided to try the Twilight Pre-​Fix which gives you 3-​course (select soup or salad, main entrée, and desert) for a set price.
After munching on a generous supply of delectable hot bread with my salad and sipping on the peach sangria, I was ready for the main entrée.
The shrimp Daniel arrived with a pyramid of rice, delicate side of broccoli, and lightly sautéd shrimp.
Hubby chose lobster bisque soup, steak and coconut shrimp. His selection was very generous and much more than he could consume (even with me help!); we both carried out leftovers.
Everything tasted wonderful with the exception of the raspberry sorbet which was a bit sweet and the sangria which advanced to a watered down drink with hints of its former self.
Our server was attentive as one might expect from Gandy Dancer. We had a great view of the train field and river walk. Expect to pay top dollar for this spot but worth it.

Ate lunch here today during Ann Arbor Restaurant Week. The starters and entrees were all excellent and enjoyed by the table for only $ 15/​person. Had the always good and sizable Caesar salad and broiled salmon with quinoa and cherry tomatoes. Both were excellent. Others had the gazpacho and one had a shrimp dish for her entrée. All were the typical portion size; no cutbacks due to it being a restaurant special week. Also, enjoyed the garlic rolls and seeded crackers which come with a delicious salmon spread. Service was outstanding. Many fine restaurants fail to refill a coffee cup but our waiter Kyle was most attentive and kept the caffeine coming and also promptly refilled water and ice teas for the table. A very fine dining experience all the way around!

We were in Ann Arbor for a concert and decided to give Gandy Dancer a try as its rated pretty high on Trip Advisor. The restaurant is in a charming, restored old Depot. We were there for lunch so it wasn’t crowded at all. The food was great. We had the cocktail shrimp, the Dynamite Scallops as starters. They were good but not at all near worth the $ 15 a piece I paid for. The scallops were about the size of a small marshmallow. The cocktail sauce for the shrimp was scarce at best. I had the TOURNEDOS & SHRIMP and it was delicious however I would NEVER pay $ 29 for it ever again. You maybe get 3oz worth of beef and 3 shrimp with this. $ 29 is a ripoff as far as I am concerned.
Now why did I give a 3? The service was horrible and slow. It took nearly 2 hours from start to finish for LUNCH. Our drinks were not kept full at all and even had to ask for more several times and it would take atleast 10 mins each time to even get it. Took nearly 30 mins for starters to get to the table and another 35 mins after we were done with starters to get the main course.
Honestly, this restaurant is overrated for me. If I pay nearly $ 100 for 2 people for lunch I expect to have stellar service and food,

We went their Friday night for our anniversary dinner. The food was good, but honestly coming from Savannah, Ga the food just wasn’t nearly as impressive as I expected. The presentation was just OK. I can’t say it wasn’t good. But for the price I just expected more.

I liked the Gandy Dancer, but I didn’t love it. I had heard a lot about the restaurant and was very excited to try it!
The rolls were delicious and the shrimp Fresca I had was amazing as well. However, I think it’s a little pricey for the food you get and the environment wasn’t as special as I thought it would be given the railroad setting and cultural background I thought we would get to hear.

Amazing ambience. This restaurant has never disappointed me. From lunch to dinner you can consistently get a great meal. In the evenings, enjoy the sunsets. The dynamite mahi mahi with crab was fantastic.

Like the «Big House», the Gandy Dancer is an Ann Arbor institution. It’s been host to numerous weddings, celebration dinners, holiday brunches and Univ. of MI graduation events.
I haven’t been to the Gandy Dancer for any of the circumstances mentioned above, but twice to enjoy a nice meal with friends.
The atmosphere is beautiful. Like everyone else has mentioned, it’s in an old train station. The décor is very nice and both times I have been there the staff were very attentive and friendly.
The food, on the other hand, I find to be just ok. In particular, the last time I visited. I ordered the «shrimp fresca». The menu made it out to be pasta with shrimp and crab. And it was, just not how I expected to be presented or taste. The shrimp were large, but were so overly breaded, it’s all you could taste. They also had the tails on, which made it difficult to eat with pasta. The crab was just a scoop of crab meat. The pasta was a very, very bland, very mushy spaghetti. I really don’t feel it was $ 28 well spent.
The wedge salad I had was perfect. Plenty of lettuce, tomatoes, fantastic blue cheese and red onions.
During the week they offer lunch and dinner. I’ve never been for lunch, but the menu looks to have sandwiches, salads, soups, and smaller entrees. The dinner menu has several seafood entrees as well as appetizers, salads, and a few pasta dishes.
They have an in-​house pastry chef. I’ve never partaken in their desserts, but I’ve read that they are fantastic.
They also offer a Sunday brunch that I’ve heard is sensational.
Happy Hour is in the bar/​patio until 6 and offers deals on drinks and appetizers.
The location isn’t far from the UM Campus, and UM hospitals.
Overall, it’s a worthwhile stop in Ann Arbor.

My friend moved to Ann Arbor 40 years ago and this year we are planning to visit all the bars and restaurants who have been in the Ann Arbor/​Ypsilanti area for that long. We went for happy hour and were delighted. The Gandy is known for it’s Sunday Buffet which is good but probably not the best buffet in town but it is still very good. It is also known as being in an old converted train station, the diners cheer and clap whenever the trains roll by. The happy hour menu was really good the day we were there. It changes all the time so they may not have your favorite by the time you go back. We had a flatbread and the shrimp tacos. Both were really good.
The area of the bar is pretty small, people jumped on our table as soon as we left. The service was tremendous, our server was there when we needed her but stayed out of our way and let us have a good conversation most of the time. We’ll be back, for the happy hour anyway.

As Unilocal says for a 4-​star review, «I’m a fan,» but it definitely wasn’t the best classy restaurant I’ve been to. Maybe it was because we went during graduation weekend, but service was extremely slow; it took us 2.5 hours to finish our dinner!
One of the biggest highlights was definitely the bread they serve before the entrees. Their rolls are not just regular rolls; they’re garlicky and cheesy and so savory. And they don’t only come with butter, they come with salmon pâté! It’s such a great way to start off the meal. If only the bread basket was offered as an entrée…
Anyway, since this place is a seafood restaurant, I resisted my urge to order a big piece of steak. I ordered a pecan-​encrusted white fish, and though I don’t know what white fish is, specifically, it was really tasty! It was so flaky and really moist. and it paired so well with the little apple slaw they served on the side!
Finally, I don’t think you can go wrong with any of the dessert options. The Media Luna was a ball of rich, soft, and creamy dark and white chocolate. The texture was almost like the inside of a 3 musketeers, but creamier. It came with a raspberry sauce that complemented the chocolate so well.
All in all, the environment is really cool — right next to the river and train tracks, in an old train station. I hope the service isn’t like this all the time because if it were, that would be a shame.

Beware: during Michigan graduation weekend, the menu is much smaller than usual. When making the reservation months in advance, no warning was given despite that they knew then as they do it every year. (This year, the only vegwtable they had on the menu was asparagus — very hit-​or-​miss with my party.) If it is not on the menu during this super busy time, it is not available. So, caution! Be prepared for it!
Throughout the meal, there were several highs and lows. On the plus side, the ambience was wonderful! There was Frank Sinatra-​esque music playing in the background and the décor was a modern-​vintage match. The waitstaff was pleasant and patient, despite whatever frustrations I failed to hide. The waiter was quite charasmatic and was always happy to take our requests. (Upon one’s complaint at the small menu not offering half of the options noted online, he spoke to his manager to see if there was a way to meet her request — and the manager came to our table to explain the situation of the high-​volume weekend.)
But generally, the negatives weighed on my mind more than I could focus on the good. For example, I had to request various things, such as water glass refills, of waitstaff not tending to our table because our waiter would disappear for twenty to thirty minutes at a time. The menu was so small it literally offered me nothing of interest beyond two appetizers our table shared. (My mother was mortified I ordered the $ 9 side salad instead of the $ 42 entrée [which was the average/​median price] for dinner, but it was literally the only item of interest to me that had not yet hit the table. However, it was a good, though not excellent, caprese salad.) Additionally, the bathrooms were beautiful but smelled of urine more than potpourri and could have been better tended to.
The food was not inspirational. I was excited for the portobello stuffed mushroom cap and the fried brie, but each left me with a feeling of «meh.» Despite our very sharing attitude towards food, no exclamations of, «You *have* to try this,» crossed anyone’s lips. The drinks offered light pours and were strangely sweeter than anticipated. (One of our party had the drink with gin and cucumber liquor; it was by far sweeter than the berry mojito I ordered.) My one must-​try on the menu is the free bread: it is baked fresh, the crust is well-​seasoned, and it is served with a wonderful crab spread.
On that note, we asked our waiter for more bread three times before he remembered to get it, making it too late to pair with our main courses. More frustrating was that upon the first request, he promised it in thirty seconds. Don’t tell me seconds when it takes half an hour to even remember it! Our waiter did have the decency to scamper off quickly with a face of remorse the third time the request was made.
As we discussed our mutual disinterest in dessert based on the lackluster everything else and general fatigue, two desserts appeared on the table, apparently as an apology for the transgressions of the night. We all felt obligated to try them, but I think I am the only person who is glad about that. The lemon chiffon cake was also a «meh,» but I am not a fan of cake anyway. However, the slice of «chocolate decadence» was delicious. It appeared to be chocolate mousse («meh») atop a flourless chocolate cake (yum) with a layer of raspberry preserves in the middle of the mousse. The mousse was nothing without the raspberry (even bordered on chalky), but it was fantastic with it! («Nothing soothes the angry beast like chocolate,» my mother said as I smiled for the first time since my drink arrived.) The other desserts people around us had looked playful, but I observed more playing with them than eating them.
Overall, it is probably a great restaurant, but avoid it on high-​volume days — and ask if the menu is altered before arrival!
— Heather

I thought the food was decent but the presentation of the food wasnt impressive like the other high end restaurants I’ve been too. Service was nice, I especially liked the atmosphere.

Visiting from Chicago for a business celebration with my husband. The location was super fun. Because the restaurant is an old train station, actual trains comes through and the restaurant erupts in applause. Fun!
Food is fantastic! Recommend the crab/​guacamole app., as well as the crab cakes. (I was gettin’ my crab on… clearly.) Good wine-​by-​the-​glass selection and I’m pretty picky. Service was pleasant and attentive. Will return with kids. Definitely recommend for a different kind of experience… memorable!

My experience at Gandy Dancer was nothing short of amazing from the complimentary parking, to the waitstaff and our food was excellent.
As an appetizer, I enjoyed the scallops. It is a very small portion, but very yummy!!! My husband was not crazy about the Caesar salad, but that is probably because he passed on the anchovies :)
For our main course, I enjoyed the surf and turf. My steak could’ve been warmer and the lobster should’ve been served with warm butter, for that price, but it was very delicious! My husband had the NY strip steak and ate it. He noted that it could’ve been seasoned slightly better but he ate it all!
For dessert, we enjoyed the red velvet cheesecake which was beautifully plated and deliciously rich! I do not eat cake or cheesecake but I tasted it because it was so beautiful.
During the meal, the entire restaurant clapped as the trains passed by. What an experience :)

Had a wonderful dinner at one of our favorite restaurants They made our 16^th anniversary extra special. Sat in the private alcove and menu had a message written on it wishing us a happy anniversary. We had the Oysters, East meets West Tuna apps, Ora King Salmon special& Pan seared Scallops with Gnocci. ALL DELICIOUS! Then because our waitress talked us into trying the Ref Velvet Cheesecake OMG with Cappuccino with a shot of Chambord. The Atmosphere is the best anywhere with a fireplace and views of trains going by. One of our first dates and 16 years later just as special!

I have been here multiple times for brunch, dinner as well but my review is about the brunch. I don’t even know where to start with this brunch people… it is literally my dream come true… huge, fluffy, made-​right-​in-​front-​of-​your-​face waffles (they had me at waffle)…all you can eat shrimp, eggs many ways, omelettes any way you like, beef stroganoff, need I say more? The service is great and the drinks are strong and delicious. If it weren’t for the steep price of 25.00 a person I would probably come every weekend. The reason that I chose not to write about the dinner is because I am not a fan. Go to the brunch people. You will die of happiness and be in a food coma before you know it.

Absolutely deserted on a weekday night, but still fully staffed and elegantly decorated, tablecloths and all.
The calamari was amazing, the clam chowder was super is highly recommended, the shrimp was delicious, and the broccolini was steamed to perfection. The bread is fresh and steamy and constantly refilled.
Highly recommend this place, but it’s definitely not the cheapest.

The hubby and I made reservations here for date night, as I had never been. The ambience was nice and the service was solid, though I had to send back the cup brought out for me hot tea. It still had lipstick on it from the last customer.
Due to the mixed reviews on Unilocal,we both ended up ordering the crab cakes. While the portion was smaller than expected, the flavor did not disappoint. The cakes filled with crab meat and contained very little filler. I finished with the dessert special, a peanut butter tower that was ridiculously decadent, but oh so worth it. Overall we had a pleasant dining experience and good food. I would return, but only after visiting some other places first.

My friends and I attended a rehearsal dinner at this spot and had a great time. We were in their event space, which is beautiful and overlooks the railroad tracks. It’s pretty cool that the train runs right next to the restaurant. We didn’t get to see it go by, but I’ve heard things get cray-​cray when it does… lol.
This is the kind of establishment that was probably frequented by the cast of Mad Men. It has that sort of feel. It has dim lighting, the bar looks cool… like a great spot to have an Old Fashioned. It was a really nice space. It is definitely a fancier place, so if you are celebrating a special occasion, come to this spot.
Let’s talk about the food! My hubby had the steak and I had the lobster. Both items were yummy, but not mind blowing. My lobster came with mashed potatoes and asparagus. Both were cooked well and enjoyable enough. I also had the crème brulee, which was awesome. It is my favorite dessert, so naturally, I loved it. I think if I was visiting Gandy Dancer on another occasion, I might try something else on their menu, but we had a great experience, overall.
The staff was really friendly and attentive to our group, so I don’t have any complaints about the service. Definitely hit up this spot if you are planning a special occasion!