Alumni Bar

About a week before we moved, I got an invitation on Facebook to join the UM Young Alumni Club for a happy hour in Uptown (which is the name of the downtown district...I don't know why). Unfortunately, the gathering was still while we were in Michigan. However, I made sure to copy down the name of the bar for future reference.

We decided to give the place a try on Tuesday evening. Since we were still without furniture and cooking implements, we knew we had to go out somewhere…why not the Michigan bar? I called Dru and Kate, who had gotten in from their honeymoon the day before, and invited them to join us.

Sadly, there are no pictures of this place online, and I didn’t think to take any. It’s unfortunate, because it’s a very cool establishment. The interior is dark wood, with high tables and a dim atmosphere. The ceilings are high, giving the impression of a lot of space. There are large TVs all over, and the bar sits right in the middle of the floor. There is also a large patio for outdoor eating, but we didn’t check that out much.

The Décor is all sports. There is a neon block M, a Michigan flag, and a “Those who stay will be champions” banner hanging on the walls. There is also an abundance of Buffalo Bills and Sabres paraphernalia. They seem to do well catering to the out of town crowds.

The food was really good...standard pub fare and generally unhealthy stuff...but took a long time to come to us. A party of six in a half-empty restaurant should be able to get burgers and sandwiches in under 35 minutes. Since we were there to talk and BS as much as anything, the wait didn’t bother us too badly.

In all, while Tavern on the Tracks won’t blow anyone away for being the greatest restaurant/sports bar in the history of man, it seems an ideal place to pass two or three hours with beer and friends. It will be a must-see whenever you all come out.