Haab’s Barrel House brings historic Ypsilanti restaurant back to life
Haab's Barrel House replaced Haab's Restaurant in Downtown Ypsilanti earlier this year.
YPSILANTI – A beloved downtown Ypsilanti restaurant has reopened with a new look and some classic menu items.
Jason Mitchell opened Haab’s Barrel House in February after a remodel of the former Haab’s Restaurant that preserved most of the building’s historic interior, including the belt-driven fans that first drew Mitchell, a former HVAC mechanic, to the space.
Mitchell had been walking past the shuttered restaurant after it closed in 2022, when the paddle-shaped fans caught his eye through the window. More than a year later, he’s writing a new chapter in Haab’s history.
READ MORE: ‘Our customers were family.’ Haab’s Restaurant closing after 87 years in Ypsilanti
Mitchell and his business partners, Katie Nelson and Mike Nelson, owned Distillery Livonia in 2020. When the team decided to relocate in late 2023, the chance to revive a downtown Ypsi storefront offered a change of pace.
Renovations to Haab’s included a new hand-built bar made from live-edge maple, reclaimed wood paneling, updated seating and a full-house karaoke and lighting system. The 1932 restaurant’s original hand-hewn beams, tin ceiling and wall tiles and the famous fan system were preserved.
Mitchell worked with Haab’s Mike Kabat to source some of the ingredients that Haab’s Restaurant customers loved, including the breading for the restaurant’s famous fried chicken and the recipe for Haab’s meatloaf, which has proven to be a best-seller.
To add their own flair, Barrel House owners are bringing in a smoker that they plan to use for chicken, corned beef and pizza. Also new to the menu are house-made chips, truffle fries and new entrees like lamb chops and chicken Parmesean.
Mitchell and the Nelsons have also added nightly karaoke and a stage for live music, and plans are in the works to build an outdoor patio over the summer. So far the restaurant has been a hit – Mitchell says they’ve already hosted Haab’s faithful and groups like the Washtenaw County Bar Association and local business groups.
Mitchell says Haab’s Barrel House will also carry on several of its 87-year predecessor’s traditions, including offering a menu with 1930’s pricing one night each year and hosting customers for a Thanksgiving meal.
Haab’s Barrel House, 18 W. Michigan Ave., is open every day for lunch from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and serves dinner each day from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Customers can place orders online on the restaurant’s website or call (734) 596-7500 to place reservations for large parties.
