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Cocktail lounge serving classic cocktails and BBQ - Bitter Truth, Ypsilanti, MI

Bitter Truth

4.5
4.5
13 Reviews
$31 to $50
Barbecue

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2 people
19:00
Booked 4 times today
  • Great for creative cocktails
  • Neighbourhood gem
  • Good for special occasions
Intimate barbecue restaurant/cocktail lounge with an Art Deco vibe. Perfect for date night, a celebration with friends or just a cozy retreat. Enjoy a cocktail from our curated menu, paired with genuine smokehouse barbecue.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Barbecue, Cocktail Bar, Speakeasy
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon–Thu 5:00 pm–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–11:00 pm Sun 11:00 am–3:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (734) 340-2381
  • Dress code
    Business Casual

What 13 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.5
4.5 based on recent ratings
  • 4.4Food
  • 4.6Service
  • 4.7Ambience
  • 4.2Value

NoiseEnergetic

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Bitter Truth offers a "chill ambiance" with a "relaxed and warm atmosphere" perfect for date nights. Renowned for "amazing drinks" and "delicious BBQ," it boasts a fantastic cocktail list. With "phenomenal service" and unique menu items like Garbage Fries, it promises a delightful dining experience.

13 Reviews
  1. Anna

    Detroit

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    The food here is FIRE. Smoked wings were juicy with perfectly crispy skin! The ribs are dry rub and you can pull the bone right out, and the original house made sauce was sooooo good, it’s the slightly vinegary kind which is my fave. The mac and cheese is bomb but the portion size was disappointing for $12. The place was full (valentine’s day) but the seating is spacious - even at the bar - you don't feel crammed in and there is a very comfortable distance to the next table. Nice decor, speakeasy vibe and comfy velvet chairs. The music kept cutting out, like the person whose phone is connected to the bluetooth speakers walked too far away pretty frequently. As someone who is hypersensitive to background music it was annoying, but most people would prob not notice. Cocktails were fantastic but unfortunately the drink service was incredibly slow (20 min wait per drink). Staffing another bartender would easily fix this. To be fair, the bartender was never goofing around, and the bar back, host, and bus staff were giving all the support they could, but since they cant make drinks, there was a true bottleneck. Certainly not enough to keep me away - when I go back, I will just order doubles.

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  2. Evan

    San Francisco

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    My new favorite spot in Ypsi. Went here on Valentine's Day and had a great experience with my wife at the bar, the food was excellent but as a setting it really stands out. Entire restaurant was staffed well, which was nice to see. As much as anything, it's *quiet*, not covered with hard surfaces that reflect sound like some of these modern restaurants, which drives me nuts.

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  3. Humza

    Detroit

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 4 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Place was nearly empty, I think we were the only ones in there. For it being our first visit, that was a little disappointing. Delicious food, fantastic bar, and the place looks great. Attractive and friendly service.

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  4. Liz

    Detroit

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 31 January 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Amazing drinks, truly some of the best I have had in metro Detroit. Food was a slam dunk. Everything delicious. Ambience was perfect. Service phenomenal. We will be back!!!

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  5. Tina

    Northern MI

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 17 January 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Everything was delicious & beautifully presented. Very friendly vibe! Highly recommend!

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  6. Tim

    Detroit

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 28 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    It was great to see the previous Red Rock BBQ in downtown Ypsi reopen as the Bitter Truth. The new decor provided a relaxed and warm atmosphere. The restaurant exuded a chill ambiance with a major positive being that there were no big screen TV's to take away from the setting. The menu was primarily BBQ fare and carried over the excellent taste and hearty portions from Red Rock. The cocktail list was solid and the whiskey sour and Paper Plane that my wife and I had were outstanding. The only small nit that I had was that the side item menu was a bit limited but our server informed us that the menu would be expanding little by little. Overall an excellent dining experience at the Bitter Truth and we for sure will be back!

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  7. Gary

    Detroit

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 7 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great service, excellent food. The drinks were well mixed with a god balance. Waiting to see if they do more signature cocktails, maybe something to play off the smoky flavors of the barbecue like scotch or mezcal. Definitely a good date spot. Garbage Fries and Barbecutrie Board are real winners.

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  8. Donna

    Detroit

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on 29 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Lovely spot to sit and enjoy good conversation and great background music. Staff is great! Make sure to try the burnt ends!

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  9. Tom

    Chicago

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 16 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great place to enjoy drinks and some great BBQ. The atmosphere strikes a balance between cool and intimate, making it ideal for a quiet date night. Dim lighting, comfortable seating, and no overwhelming noise create a space where conversation flows easily. If you’re looking for delicious food, fantastic drinks, and a stylish yet relaxed setting, check out Bitter Truth

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  10. Emma

    Cancun

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on 9 November 2024

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    The service was wonderful at our table, our server was so pleasant. The sides were delicious and the cornbread was truly the highlight of the meal. We order the trifecta and the ribs were so dry, same with the brisket. We’ve been guests at red rock before, so we were expecting something even better considering the price influx of everything and it didn’t met our expectations.

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FAQs

Bitter Truth is rated 4.5 stars by 13 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 4 times today
Google Map for Bitter Truth

207 W Michigan Ave, Ypsilanti, MI 48197-5440

Additional information

  • Area
    Ypsilanti
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon–Thu 5:00 pm–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–11:00 pm Sun 11:00 am–3:00 pm
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Barbecue, Cocktail Bar, Speakeasy
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Parking details
    None
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