The Sand - La Salle

I wanted to order a drink, but my go-to martini seemed unwise given the situation, so I opted for a margarita—a simple, festive choice that should be a staple at any restaurant like this. We approached the bar, but it was clear ordering anything was nearly impossible. The two bartenders were overwhelmed, churning out drinks for the waitstaff, and even the waitresses were mixing drinks for themselves. I can't imagine how much business this place is losing due to their service issues. To top it off, the manager pushed us aside to grab some drink straws without even saying "excuse me." One would think he’d prioritize sales over straws, but what do I know? After waiting about 15 minutes for a drink, our table was finally ready. They seated us on the patio, outside the screened area. The picnic tables were hexagonal, anchored to the concrete, and the seats were fixed, making them impossible to move. These seats were extremely uncomfortable—designed perhaps by the Marquis de Sade! They might be tolerable for 20 minutes, but beyond that, it becomes painful in ways you didn’t know were possible. They could have easily used these during the Spanish Inquisition; we should have considered them instead of waterboarding. After sitting for around 10 minutes, our waitress finally approached us to take drink orders. Another 10 to 15 minutes later, she returned with our drinks. My margarita looked like watered-down Mountain Dew, with just a hint of tequila, lime juice, and club soda. I couldn't drink it. Strangely, I noticed many others around me sipping on similar drinks; they grimaced after each sip but somehow managed to keep going. After three sips, I threw in the towel and sent it back—it was awful! Years ago, I worked at Chi-Chi’s in Toledo, where we served a huge volume of margaritas. We mixed large batches in stainless-steel containers (think oversized milk cans) and dispensed them through a soda gun. I don't know how they do it here, but with the backups at the bar, I have serious doubts there’s any efficient method in place. If they are mixing in bulk, then the person doing it really needs to taste the product before serving it. If their batches taste anything like what I received, then I can't believe people weren’t sending them back. Ten dollars for a drink that wasn't even drinkable! When our waitress returned to take our food order, she disappeared once more. After waiting 35 to 40 minutes, four out of our five meals finally arrived, with the fifth arriving a full 10 minutes later—a completely unacceptable wait. The food looked like it had come straight from a food truck, and they clearly couldn’t keep up with orders, even with their limited menu. I ordered steak tacos, but what I received were three stale flour tortillas with barely an ounce of meat on each. There were some griddled onions and peppers, along with a little sour cream and possibly some cheese—I say "possibly" because I can't recall seeing it at all, though I can’t imagine tacos without cheese. Those three tacos cost $14.00. Despite the discomfort of the patio, we did enjoy some nice views of boats and great weather—the temperature was pleasant, with a nice breeze. That said, if I hear this is the dinner destination before getting into the car, I’d prefer to decline and head to 7-11 for a roller dog; it would definitely be a better option than what they serve at The Sandbar.

The food and atmosphere were nice, and the service was attentive. However, the menu was quite limited, and I found the prices to be excessively high. I’m willing to spend money for a great experience, but it felt a bit over the top.

During our trip to Ann Arbor, we wanted to discover a unique local spot for lunch. It was a bit tricky to get there, but absolutely worth the journey. We had a great time watching the boats and enjoying the refreshing breeze from the water while sipping on a Creamsicle cocktail. The steak bites with horseradish sauce and the fries were delicious! The staff was very friendly, making our experience even better. It was definitely worth the effort to find this gem. If we lived closer, we would definitely visit again!

Great fries live music spot. Perfect post-boating or mid-boating spot to refuel. I *truly* enjoyed the blue frozen life preservers.

Great food super kind people and really cool area to sit down. I definitely recommend this place to everyone