by Max Conroy: 

It doesn’t sound like it’d be all that great, hanging out at an Elks lodge on a Friday night, but it’s not at all what you’d expect.  This place is sweet, positively the coolest bar, club, venue, night spot I’ve been to since I’ve moved to Ann Arbor.  There may be better places to go in this area, but I can’t imagine it.

My friend rents a huge house from the Elks.  It’s on a hill overlooking the city; it’s large, seemingly affordable, and right next to the lodge.  We ate dinner at her place and had a few beers, we’d already been at the Old Town for a good number of rounds, and she proposed that we should go the Elks for a beer.  I was down.  I mean shooting the shit with a bunch of older dudes in funny hats sounds like a good time to me, but I was not prepared for this place.

It’s an old school black Elks lodge, patronized by a bunch of real nice fun loving, soulful dudes.  The bar is downstairs and the rules for the guests are posted on a huge sign on the ceiling of the stairway as you enter, gents must remove their hats upon entering.  I guess it’s a three dollar cover, but we got by because we know their tenant.  The ambiance of the place is enough to make it a cool spot: salmon colored walls, orange vinyl booths, a dark cavernous feel, a vintage bar, and a cozy dance floor packed with hipsters.  Heinekens are three bucks and the DJ spins old and new soul, funk and hip hop; it was great to hear Sharon Jones’ What Have You Done for Me Lately blaring through the place followed by James Brown’s Sex Machine.  It’s a shame that I don’t dance or if I do I have to be in a state where I can’t possibly remember it.  I held down the booth and sipped my Heineken while my people hit the dance floor, digging the scene, choking on smoke, loving watching the Elks get down, hanging out and serving drinks.  As we left, they were closing the doors presumably because the place was to capacity, so get there before one AM.  I’ll definitely be coming back to this place.

The Elk’s lodge also has live jazz on Mondays and Tuesdays and is open to the public on Fridays and Saturdays to swing from the rafters.  I also believe that they host barbecues, which I’d love to check out.