You’ll notice two dominant features in the first dining room: the pressed tin ceiling and walls and the massive, 30-foot African Mahogany bar (manufactured by Brunswick Balke, Collendar Company). These were added during a major renovation in 1906.

The other two dining rooms were added by expanding into two adjacent storefronts. They are decorated in an Ante Bellum motif, with heirlooms from the original Haab Family homestead in Lodi Township scattered throughout. The hand-hewn oak beams, although they provide no support, do enhance the early American atmosphere./p>

HAAB’S reputation was not built on its decor, but rather, on quality food served in a friendly, warm atmosphere at affordable prices. Over the past 67 years, over nine million people have been served in this single location. Seldom does a day go by that one or two guests don’t remark that it has been 20 years since they last visited, and fortunately for them, the service and food quality are just as they had remembered. Well-known restaurants are generally known by signature menu items. HAAB’S RESTAURANT is no exception.

A thick-cut New York Strip Sirloin Steak broiled to perfection is unquestionably HAAB’S most famous item. HAAB’S was acclaimed locally in the Ann Arbor News reader poll as “Washtenaw County’s No. I steak house” every year until the category was retired. HAAB’S reputation has spread beyond the county, however, as evidenced by the article from Detroit Monthly, prominently displayed at the front entrance, “For the Best Steak in Detroit, Go to Ypsilanti!”

Ironically, the New York Strip Steak is not HAAB’S most popular item. The Prime London Broil, as featured in Ford Times Magazine, consistently outsells everything else on the extensive menu. Seafood has also become increasingly popular in recent years, and HAAB’S has adjusted its menu to include over 15 fresh and frozen seafood items. In fact, it is not uncommon for customers to proclaim that, although they summer on Michigan’s Leelanau Peninsula, they await their return to HAAB’S to experience really great whitefish.