Check out our 20th anniversary celebration page!
- See what throwback dishes we’re showcasing for a limited time!
- Share your favorite Roadhouse memories
- View our favorite snapshots of the past two decades
Be the first to know
Roadhouse News
Special Event: Mini Camp Bacon with Nueske’s Applewood Smoked Meats
A sizzlin’ evening full of bacon, bacon, and more bacon!
Tuesday, Novemver 7th 7:00pm
The Roadhouse is thrilled to announce the most sizzlin’ event of the season! We’ve had the great pleasure of cooking, serving, and eating Nueske’s smoked bacon every day at Zingerman’s for over forty years. We couldn’t be more excited to welcome our friends from Nueske’s for a very special evening featuring what we think is the best bacon you’ll ever eat.
Nueske’s also played a prominent role in celebrating their smoked goodness at our former annual event, Zingerman’s Camp Bacon. Bob Nueske, the much loved patriarch of the first family of bacon, graced us with his stories and love for pork at Camp Bacon for many years. In his memory, we have fondly dubbed this dinner after Camp Bacon, and we hope to revive the same sense of community around our favorite smoked meat with all of you. For this dinner, we will welcome his daughter and CEO of Nueske’s, Tanya, to regale us with stories about her family and what they do best—bacon.
Nueske’s bacon is a much favored ingredient across our Roadhouse menus. Smoked for 24 hours over smoldering applewood embers, giving it a deep, smoky flavor and a crisp, tender texture, the bacon stands up well in many of our rich dishes. Featured heavily on our breakfast menu, Nueske’s bacon is also a favorite on our pasture-raised beef burgers, in our award-winning mac and cheese, and is integral to our braised greens.
For this event, Chef Bob has created an incredible five course dinner showcasing just how good Nueske’s smoked bacon is in a variety of ways. We will taste an incredible fusion of artisanal flavors with bacon sausage, kale and bacon salad, chicken with bacon gravy, whitefish with bacon jam, and so much more.
Do not miss our first special dinner with our favorite bacon family! Join us as we gather around the proverbial campfire with Tanya Nueske and savor all the bacon we can eat!
Westside Farmers’ Market Returns
Your Neighborhood Farmers’ Market!
Thursdays, 3-7pm
Roadhouse Parking Lot
Families and communities have gathered at outdoor markets for thousands of years. The Westside Farmers’ Market
We are excited to celebrate with more local food, artisanal products, really great people, and fun entertainment, every Thursday from 3-7pm in the Zingerman’s Roadhouse parking lot. What better way to show how grateful we are for our friends and family in the A2 area than to welcome them to gather, eat, and connect, all while supporting our local farmers and producers?
The Roadhouse is honored to host your neighborhood farmers’ market on the westside! Stop in and visit us when you are done shopping for something delicious.
Highline Spirits
World-Class Flavor, Local Roots
Highline Spirits believes that just as each of us is a blending of our accumulated unique experiences, great whiskies can come from the blending of great unique ingredients. The founder, Christi Lower, seeks to find art and inspiration in all her blends, and is blazing a trail by establishing a line of spirits in Dexter, Michigan, where she grew up. This woman-owned and woman-run company seeks to create delicious offerings that don't feel the need to adhere to tradition, history, or heritage. Rather, they create whiskies that showcase their outlook on crafting libations, with an eye on artistry, excellence, and upending expectations. We're proud to showcase their creations, whether in a tumbler, with or without ice, or in one of our craft cocktail creations.
Zingerman’s Roadshow
‘Showcase Drinks
Matcha Latté
Our base latte with house-made vanilla syrup, cinnamon, and garnished with Demerara raw sugar to give it that cookie-like snap!
Short $5.50 | Tall $6.50
About
Zingerman’s Roadhouse
The seventh member of Zingerman’s Community of Businesses, located in Ann Arbor, Mich., the Roadhouse opened in 2003 with the vision of bringing really good American food to the community, using only the best available ingredients. The Roadhouse has worked hard to create its own truly unique food culture, transforming high-quality ingredients into traditional, full-flavored dishes. Even after years of studying American foodways, the Roadhouse is only beginning to fully understand and appreciate our country’s regional food microcultures and subcultures, and the professionals who preserve them.
about
Our food
With chef Bob Bennett at the helm of the kitchen, and our staff’s dedication to service, the Roadhouse draws in regulars from all over, whether they’re coming from right down the block or making sure to pop in during their annual visit to Ann Arbor. Our guests have their favorites on our menu, dishes they come back for, time and time again. Why are they favorites? Because we use the highest quality ingredients and traditional methods to make them delicious and authentic. By spending time with artisans, chefs, food experts and historians, we learn about the stories behind the food we make and the best way to serve them. We also listen to your stories and recommendations about the food you love best!
What menu offerings do we hear about the most Buttermilk Fried Chicken, award-winning Mac ‘n Cheese made with Martelli artisan pasta, NOLA Gumbo, Nashville Hot Chicken, Cornmeal Fried Catfish, full-flavored burgers, Grits n’ Bits Waffles, and Donut Sundaes are just a few Roadhouse specialties that people look forward to every time they dine with us. Beyond these tried-and-true dishes, the Roadhouse is also a destination for really good BBQ!
Whole-hog pit fire
Our BBQ
In 2004, we welcomed BBQ pitmaster Ed Mitchell from Raleigh, North Carolina to help us design and build our 13-foot BBQ pit, located just outside the restaurant. Ed taught us the secrets to really good whole-hog Eastern North Carolina BBQ. His invaluable training has been passed along to continue in the hands of our current pitmaster, who continues to smoke the tender, full-flavored pork and beef we proudly serve. Many of our guests say it’s the best BBQ they’ve ever had!
Our Pork
The quality of the pork we bring in at the Roadhouse takes the flavor of our BBQ to a much higher level, and matches the traditional style we prepare it with. The story of our pork begins with Niman Ranch. Bill Niman and Paul Willis started up the pork division of Niman Ranch in 1994 with a mission to raise livestock traditionally, humanely and sustainably to produce the finest tasting meat in the world. We purchase our spare ribs from Niman Ranch because we prioritize high-quality ingredients. According to Iowa hog farmer Rex Thompson, “[Niman Ranch is] helping the small farmer be able to compete and stay in business. That has a trickle-down effect that keeps kids in a community, and then it helps the community with schools and businesses.”
In an effort to reduce our carbon footprint, the Roadhouse collaborated with Bill and Paul to source their hogs from two farms in Michigan. One of the small farm’s owners, David Yoder, has been selling Niman Ranch hogs directly to the Roadhouse for over 12 years from Homer, MI. These pasture-raised Old English breeds are the animals we use exclusively for our whole- hog pit barbecue. Whether they are Brookshire, Duroc or Chester White breeds, the hogs are smoked slowly for 14 hours over oak, giving our pork intense flavor.
Dine with us
Reservations
Celebrating a special occasion with us? The Roadhouse can order a cake for you from Zingerman’s Bakehouse with 48 hours notice! Just give us a call at 734.663.3663. If you plan on bringing your own dessert, we do charge a dessert fee of $5.00 per person. For private parties, contact our Events Team.
Call Us
734-663-3663 (FOOD)
Visit Us
2501 Jackson Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48103
Email Us
Events
Special Events
Recognition
Awards
James Beard Finalist, Outstanding Hospitality 2020
James Beard Finalist, Outstanding Service 2019
James Beard Award, Best Chef Great Lakes 2011
Roadie Spotlight
Zingerman’s Staff
Meet the Team
The Roadhouse team is dedicated to providing the best service possible! We are a family here, and we are grateful for the opportunity to include you as part of our family. Our staff loves to serve you really good food and tell you the stories behind the food. Ask us about our favorites on the menu!
Bob Bennett
HEAD CHEF
Bob Bennett has been with Zingerman’s since 2002, and with the Roadhouse since it opened in 2003. Check that, since before it opened–he painted the walls of the restaurant, and has been here ever since. His dedication to the success of the Roadhouse is unparalleled. You can taste it in his food!
Lisa Schultz
MANAGING PARTNER
Lisa began working at Zingerman’s Roadhouse in 2004 as a server. She worked her way up to become the Restaurant Manager in 2013, and as of 2022 is the official Managing Partner of the Roadhouse! Lisa has played an integral role in creating the service culture of the Roadhouse. She has a passion for providing excellent service and a focus for helping the managers and staff be the best they can be everyday.
If you can
Give
The Zingerman’s Community of Businesses is featuring Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra as our September Nonprofit Spotlight and their fabulous connection to us through the Westside Farmers’ Market! Check out more info at zcob.me/spotlight!
