For awhile, Jeff and I had been searching for a place (and by “place”, I do mean “bar”) to call our own. We tried Bar A near our house, and it was too smoky and the beer too generic. We tried Bar B in downtown and it was too trendy and the beer too overpriced. Then we tried the Corner Brewery and, like Little Bear’s bed, it was just right.

Prior to establishing ourselves as “regulars” anywhere, we had a few criteria: atmosphere, bartenders and, of course, beer. Here is a rundown of why we love our CB.

Atmosphere: The Corner has three public parts to it: the beer garden, the tasting room and the lounge. The lounge has the television sets and comfortably worn couches and chairs. The tasting room has more well-loved furniture, the booths and the bar. When you sit at the bar (like we do), you get to stare out at the outdoor beer garden and it’s sometimes better than anything you could see on TV. The chairs at the bar are all “sponsored” by folks who originally invested in the place (I really wish I’d known about this, because I would have dug through the change in my couch for this opportunity). Behind the bar is where the magic (read: beer) happens.

The colors are all subdued darks—none of that electric blue and pink metallic stuff or those “stand up” tables (sorry, but the idea of standing up at a table is counterintuitive to me) that haunt some of the trendy spots. There is no smoking at the Corner (except in the beer garden). There are games to play (I suggest Roll a Role after a couple pints), books to read and free wi-fi. Since those are three things that could keep me occupied for years, I could easily go to the Corner and Owners: Matt & Renee Greff (photo courtesy Ypsilanti Courier)never leave…except that they do close. Their hours are 2:00 p.m.—midnight (except for Sundays when it is 2:00 p.m. —10:00 p.m.).