HopCat (Ann Arbor)
311 Maynard StreetSaturday was kind of a down day in our weekend in Ann Arbor.
We were in town for the Dr. Porter Synchronized Skating Classic. L’s team competed on Friday afternoon. B’s team competed on Sunday. We decided to just stay in town because three of our other teams competed on Saturday and the kids wanted to watch their friends skate.
We spent part of the day at the Biggby Coffee Ice Cube, a small portion of the day at the Arctic Edge Ice Arena in Canton to pick up new skates for L and part of the day in our hotel.
B and I headed back to the rink around 3:00 to watch our two of our teams compete. When the second was over around 5:30, I started to grab B to head back to the hotel. I assumed J and L would want to stay and watch more of the competition but they were tired and hungry so we all left.
We had mostly eaten fast food so far this weekend and J wanted a sit down meal. I asked what she wanted and she just said find a pub.
I put in good pub’s in Ann Arbor and almost all of them came up near U of M’s campus. I figured, what the hell. It was still pretty early so I wasn’t worried about the college types yet. I found a place on South State Street that looked good, had a good tap list and a kids menu but I couldn’t find a parking spot. I knew there was parking garage a block over so I headed there.
When we came out of the garage, the kids both saw a familiar restaurant. It met all of the criteria we were looking for and it was known to the kids. We decided to eat there instead.
HopCat in Ann Arbor is on Maynard Street just south of Liberty Street. The Michigan chain has 11 restaurants including the original Grand Rapids location, an East Lansing location and the one in Kalamazoo that my kids are familiar with. This location is in a two story brick building connected to the Maynard Street Parking Structure that was originally a regional department store then Borders Bookstore for decades.
We walked in to the restaurant just before 6:00 on a Saturday night. It was busy but wasn’t packed yet. The first thing you see when walking in is the bar area. It’s a large bar that takes up a good portion of the middle of the restaurant. There are several TV’s hanging above the bar in this area and a huge tap list of beers.
There’s some seating in this area too and the other side of the bar. Most, if not all, of the tables in HopCat are pub tables. The seats kind of give off middle school vibes but at a pub table level. They’re very minimalistic with a small wooden back and a metal frame. They’re not super comfortable but not the worst chairs I’ve sat in at a restaurant either.
The space is kind of unique. It’s longer than it is wide and it’s a pretty open restaurant. We were taken to a table near the back of the space on a little landing where there are tables for larger parties. The space is pretty open and pretty loud. The ceilings are left open with the pipes exposed. The walls are bright yellow and painted with murals with Ann Arbor themes.
J and I both started with drinks as soon as the waitress got to us. I almost stuck to my usual Two Hearted Ale but switched things up and ordered a tall Pyscho Kitty from Short’s Brewing Company. This is a throwback to my beer drinking hey day when I would just order beers based on their names. It’s a tasty Dry Hopped Pale Ale but I usually go for the hoppier IPA’s. The beer was delicious and tasted really good after a weekend sitting at the rink.
J picked the Classic Red Sangria. This simple drink is cabernet, orange juice, fresh fruit, and citrus.
The kids both got pretty excited for the Dirty Pops. Both ordered the Cherry Dreamsicle which is made with Starry, cherry syrup, vanilla syrup, and cream. B, of course, drank almost all of his before we could stop him and remind him he would need something to drink once his meal came.
The reason we ended up going to HopCat is because everyone likes the food from HopCat. We figured there would be no complaints and no fighting about eating.
I really like the burgers so that’s what I stuck with.
My order was the Hangover Helper. This sandwich is two burger patties topped with a garlic aioli, American cheese, applewood smoked bacon, a hash brown patty, and a sunny side egg served on a pretzel bun. I forgot this sandwich came with the hash brown patty so that actually surprised me at first. I ended up taking this off after I realized it was there just because it kind of drowns out the rest of the flavors. It’s almost like there’s too much bread between bun and the hash. Without the hash brown, this burger is super tasty. There’s a delicious crispiness from the bacon and some gooeyness from the egg. The burger patties kind of get lost but then all of a sudden, you’ll get a hint of saltiness from the meat. The sandwich comes with Cosmik Fries…which if you’re an old school HopCat fan, you’ll remember as Crack Fries. The Cosmik Fries are the exact same thing and still the best part of going to HopCat. This is the one time I will say I really like battered fries but it’s because the seasoning is so damn delicious it’s hard to even notice that the fries are battered. The seasoning is a cracked black pepper seasoning which some addition of sugar….which is what makes them so addicting.
J’s favorite HopCat meal…and maybe even favorite from any restaurant meal, is the Madtown Grilled Cheese. The sandwich is a grilled cheese made with dill Havarti, smoked gouda, and Muenster cheese with the addition of apple slices, honey, and a garlic aioli on sourdough bread. The sandwich is a pretty heavy grilled cheese and delicious on it’s own but it’s the addition of the red pepper gouda bisque that really makes this meal for her. The whole plate is a huge upgrade to the classic grilled cheese and tomato soup thing. But wait, there’s more. This meal also comes with Cosmik Fries. It’s probably one of the best values on the menu and the main reason J will always say yes to going to HopCat. We ended up taking half the sandwich and some of the fries back to the hotel with us because it is a lot of food.
L was really the one pushing to go to HopCat because she wanted the mac and cheese. She’s still able to order off the “HopKittens” menu…at least, technically, for another month or so. The meal is shell pasta in a home made cheese sauce. She devoured it. There was a time when we’d go to restaurants and she would only eat Kraft Mac & Cheese but she’s finally grown out of that and appreciates the really good restaurants Mac & Cheese meals. Her meal also came with Cosmik Fries. She ate most of those as well but to be fair to her.
B chose the Jr. Cheeseburger Meal off the HopKittens menu. This meal is what it says it is. A smaller cheeseburger and Cosmik Fries. B has gotten to the point he typically orders burgers but the only thing he likes on them are cheese, bacon, and maybe lettuce. That used to be me until not very long ago actually so I get that. He’s not a huge fan of fries so it wasn’t much of a surprise he only ate a few of the Cosmik Fries but that was fine. More for me.
Our bill for dinner was right around $66 before tip which actually surprised me considering J and I both got drinks. I was shocked in a good way. I expected it to be a lot more.
HopCat is a place we always know everyone is going to be happy with their meals. It wasn’t our plan when I headed towards this part of town but once the kids saw it, they kind of redirected me to go there instead of my original plan. It worked out. Everyone was happy and we got a great meal out of it before heading back to the hotel to hang out with teammates for the rest of the evening.
SW Michigan Dining 