The Last Word

Absolutely the best place for a cocktail in all of Ann Arbor. The food is outstanding as well. The lights are dim, the service is EXCELLENT, and the every detail is accounted for. The entire experience is wonderful.

Try to check out this place earlier on Friday but there was a line out the door so we came back for last call and were not disappointed… Bartender was super helpful and drinks were great! Love the all the whole vibe

This establishment is located on the West Huron street and there is no marking on the door… so if you are first timer, be careful! Park on the street or across from the Miki restaurant.
When you walk in, it’s dark, so watch you steps… in addition, it’s self seating, so find yourself a table and grab it and mark you spot. We got here around 7pm and was able to find a table by the restroom, and as others left, we moved to a bigger table. When we left though, the place was full and line almost out the door.
We came here on Wednesday and I would recommend that you come on Wednesdays, if you haven’t tried different types of Whiskey… coming on Wednesday is perfect opportunity for you to try different offerings they have. The special on Wednesday is that you get the 2oz whiskey for the price of 1oz, but it’s 50% off… I had Nikka Yoichi 15yr — 2oz, which is $ 25, but at 50% off on 1oz price, had it for $ 7.25… this gave me an opportunity to try other drinks as well.
Service — it can take some time… when we got there, there was only one server and by the time we left (2 hours later), another server was working.
Line — can get long if you get there late… and when you exit, it’s a battle to leave the building because everyone is inside blocking the path to the door.
If you are a whiskey fan, then swing by on Wednesdays to take advantage of their special!

I’ve been to this place several times but my most recent experience was by far the least enjoyable. In my previous visits, the servers have been less than helpful with drink questions. Last night our server was really slow and less than attentive. The food was below average. I read a review saying their sliders were outstanding. The sliders we had were so overdone and over seasoned, I’ve had better burgers at Dairy Queen. Also, the kitchen apparently lost half our order and we didn’t get the rest of our food for almost 30 minutes. Don’t think I will eat there again.

First time here. Drinks were absolutely amazing. Atmosphere was even more amazing. I would love for them to get a better host; someone who actually wants to be here. He was just quiet, not friendly, and kept telling us 10 more minutes and we would wait another 20 every time. One last thing I would like to see improve is the music. It was god awful and did not match the atmosphere. The music was muffled and full of bass; I think it was rap but couldn’t tell.

Enjoyed yet another couple of rounds of awesome cocktails — and got into the food. Fun, creative, and damn tasty — lamb sliders and korma poutine were especially tasty!

Went to the Last Word with my girlfriend to top off a date night. I loved the unmarked door, reminds me of some of the really hipster places in the Logan Square neighborhood of Chicago. There were a lot of people waiting around 10 pm but it only took maybe 15 – 20 minutes for the two of us to get seated.
Dim lighting, old school pictures on the walls and a pretty eclectic music selection playing in the background… definitely the speakeasy vibe. Service was solid and steady throughout the evening. Our first round I ordered the Osborn (Gin, pineapple, jalopenos, ginger beer) and my gf got the Cali 75 (raspberry liquor, absinthe, champagne). The Osborn was a very refreshing drink; the other ingredients complemented the gin well. The Cali was very fruity, with the champagne dominating the finish. Their drink menu is very extensive so we opted to try some beer and wine for our second round.
Really neat place. High quality cocktails in a speakeasy type atmosphere without the suffocating «hipster» vibe you might get in some bigger cities. Will definitely come back next time I’m in town!

SETTING:
Came with a buddy of mine at 5pm. It was dark, with light jazz music. Nobody else was there – it was just the two of us. He turns to me and says, «it feels like we’re on a date».
FOOD/​DRINKS:
My boy blue is my go-​to. You can definitely taste the bourbon, and it is perfectly paired with a lighter component of elderflower, lemon, and muddled blueberries. Not as an attempt to mask the bourbon, but to supplement it. Refreshing is an understatement.
The fries are also on point! Do yourself a favor and get it with paprika, please! Comes out hot and fresh. It’s a big enough portion to share with a friend… or for one sad man eating away his sorrows.
SERVICE:
Prompt when they take your order and bring out the drinks. They check up on you once. After that, you’re kind of on your own unless you flag them down.
IMPRESSIONS:
The interior is simple and classy (but not pretentious), just the way I like it. That, and the drinks and fries make this place a must-​visit. Here, you can take refuge from the chaos/​stress that is your life outside these walls. Here, you can find peace and be in the moment with your friends. It’s a special place. This is what I would want my future man-​cave to be like.

This place came highly recommended by Unilocal and colleagues from work. I struggled to give this place four stars. I really wanted to give it five.
The entrance is kind of hidden right on Huron — no big deal. I was meeting friends and was greeted by someone inside checking id’s.
I was greeted right away by the server. She didn’t say much other than «do you know what you want to drink». For a first time visitor I would have liked to feel less rushed. I would have appreciated a recommendation or two.
I didn’t even know they severed food until I saw other waitstaff bring food from the kitchen.
I ordered the Osborn cocktail followers by the volcano thing. They were both strong but enjoyable. Not too fruity.
For food I ordered the beef sliders and no joke I think they were the best burgers I’ve had in Ann Arbor. Seasoned perfectly.
My server was not very attentive and kept going MIA… that’s the reason I gave four stars instead of five.
I would still highly recommend this place!

Not for single folk, it’s got a unique ambiance. Assigned seating definitely creates an unsuitable environment for the aforementioned bereft individual. Good for group friend sitcheeations? Drink presentation ekes out a 3.

I’d been trying to go to this place for months about a year ago, as my luck works out I was going during the months when they were remodeling. Finally got in last time I was in town and I love it! Plenty of whiskey’s to choose from, I pretty much left drunk, the bartenders were all from around my hometown, Flint Michigan, and the bar aesthetic was true to a genuine speakeasy. Now there were a lot of loud undergrads there the night I went but that comes with the territory when you go to a bar in a college town. There are a couple of speaks that are right above it one in New Orleans the other in Chicago but this one isn’t far behind at all. I will DEFINTELY be going back to this place when I go to Ann Arbor, I’ll just try to pick a more inconspicuous evening so that I can hear the music rather the commotion of over studied students.

I love places like this. So classy, cozy, timeless. It is a little hard to find, but that is the fun of it.
I have been to speakeasies in other cities, this one is at the top of my list.
The drink choices had me indecisive!
But the best part of all was the had my Left Hand Nitro Milk Stout. My favorite!
⁵⁄₅ would go back again and again.

It’s very easy to miss this bar on the side of the Live night club building but it’s definitely a great place to grab drinks and mellow out for the night — especially Thursdays when there’s live jazz music.
There are little to no non-​alcoholic options but they have a wide and creative selection of drinks priced around $ 6-​$ 13. The bar food is surprisingly delicious and portioned well (at the very least, get the «potatoes» with sea salt for a flavorful and shareable basket of french fries).
What makes this bar great is its casual yet refined ambiance. Sitting while listening to the jazz, it’s almost like going back in time to the roaring 1920’s. I’m not even a drinker but thoroughly enjoyed just sitting at a booth with friends after a busy week of work.

Love it here! Their cocktail offerings are legit, although I’ve noticed consistency does vary slightly, since I usually only order from a range of 3 specific cocktails. I enjoy their bites menu– such a great spot to go have a drink and share food with friends.
Always a fan of dim mood lighting, the atmosphere is spot on. The service and staff interactions have ranged from awesome to not so great, but latter experiences haven’t stopped me from going back yet.

I would give them zero but I can’t. We came in after dinner for a drink and the guy at the door (we’ll call him a-​hole) told us there was
A 15 – 20 minute wait. We said there are 4 seats at the bar, he said we don’t encourage people to walk around.
I was thinking if I owned this place and knew this guy was the greeter of all new clients
I would fire him in a minute. We walked to vinology and the staff was great and we had a great time. If you want to deal with arrogant douchey people you will be right at home here. My recommendation AVOID!

This place reminds me of a library, but for horses and in my grandma’s basement. That is to say it’s got a nice vibe.
The cocktails are all fancy and well-​crafted and expensiveish.
They weren’t very busy when we went on a Friday night and we didn’t wait at all.
If you don’t know where you’re going (or I guess even when you do…) it’s really easy to miss because it’s not really marked.

I had heard great things about this place for a while and finally made the trip. I am glad to say that it did not disappoint. This bar is like Sugar House in Detroit or The Oakland in Ferndale. Also, since it is located in Ann Arbor, you had a much young crowd, which added to the spectacular people watching. Plenty of the beautifully bearded hipsters, but with a smattering of older people as well. Nice eclectic scene.
From what I experienced the bar has great cocktails and a nice selection of craft beers/​whiskey. I was glad to see beers were around the $ 4 – 5 range and the cocktails are around $ 10, which is commensurate with the other places I mentioned. My only complaint as to the drinks was that I felt the pours were very small. I ordered a Manhattan #1 on the rocks and despite the fact that it was full of huge ice cubes the tumbler was barely half-​full. That said; it was still delicious.
However, this place is distinguishes itself from other speakeasy style bars by the fact that they also have a nice menu. I had a Cubano and it was exactly what I wanted it to be. Salty, savory, sweet with a hit of sour from the pickles and mustard. They had what looks to be a nice selection of food, which I will continue to try on my future trips. I would have taken pictures, but it was dark, crowded and I did not want to be that-​guy.
Either way, if you are in A2 and are looking for a nice cocktail with some solid eats. Make the trip to the Last Word.

This place is dope.
Ambience 6: It’s located in DT Ann Arbor, underneath a dance bar. They couldn’t be more polar opposites. There’s no standing at this bar, which I like, and is the standard for a speakeasy bar. There’s not much of a waiting room but once you finally get in, you walk down a set of steps into a, wide open, classy joint straight out of the early 1900’s. I felt like an aristocrat; all I was missing was an elegant cane and a resplendent top hat. The walls were covered with paintings, and the tables were filled with patrons. We sat at the bar; I was on a date. I typically try to sit at the bar for a little bit closer, intimate, interaction. The bar wasn’t huge but the best part was what was behind the bar, a wall of amazing top end intoxicants.
Food/​spirits 5: I had the potatoes, and meat and cheese platter. Both were excellent, and were up to the standard of my pompous tastes. I had two drinks, one was a mixed drink, I don’t remember what it was called but it was good. I find myself not liking anything sweet these days; mostly spirits on the rocks. I had four roses small batch. It was delicious. I highly recommend it.
Service 5: The service was excellent. The bartenders were extremely accommodating and attentive. They answered all our questions and were really patient with my date’s indecisiveness. The other thing I noticed, is the manager does a great job of staffing. It allowed the bartender the time to be chatty and engaging.
Overall it was a great experience. It’s a bit pricey, so if you’re not an aristocratic baller like myself, you may want to check out another place.

The drinks and food are phenomenal at the Last Word Bar! I am a whiskey drinker and they have so many whiskey options. I’ve tried several of their drinks and out of all of them, You’re my Boy Blue, is the one that stands out the most.
Food was amazing and complimented our drinks really well. I am in love with the beignets. They are some of the best I’ve had. The Merguez sliders were very flavorful. I thought that the chickpeas at Grange were good but the chickpeas here are even better.
Sit at the bar. The service is better.

Updating this to give a shout out to the food menu. It is GREAT! Lots of delicious snacks like cheese and meat boards, oxtail poutine, fried chickpeas, sliders and more.
But the real standout for a sweet tooth like me? The desserts! Particularly the beignets! Fluffy and warm powdered sugar covered pillows served with a warm salted caramel. Ohhhh man. Also awesome? The chocolate cremeau – luscious chocolate squares with crème anglaise and tuile cookies. Had both on my birthday last month and I’ve been craving them since.
Cocktails? Still amazing. Ambiance? Awesome. Music? Rad. Staff? The best. And now food! Yessss. One of my favorite spots in Ann Arbor for sure.