Sava's — Restaurant in Ann Arbor

To the Pulpo Group / Sava’s Management,

I have been a long time supporter and always loved this establishment. Unfortunately I recently visited Sava’s and left feeling disappointed and frustrated. During my visit, I noticed that bartenders and servers were putting their hands inside glasses, which raises serious concerns about hygiene. Additionally, the staff seemed unfamiliar with the new drink menu and were unable to answer basic questions about the offerings.

Beyond the service, I was also taken aback by the newly added 3% “Sustainability Surcharge.” While I understand that businesses face economic challenges, the term “sustainability” in Ann Arbor often connotes environmental responsibility—such as paper straws, reduced plastic use, or eco-conscious sourcing. In this context, the surcharge felt misleading, especially without a clear explanation of what it’s funding.

Your website offers a vague and convoluted rationale that doesn’t provide specific details about how the funds are used. If the surcharge is meant to offset the cost of sourcing higher-quality materials or support fair labor, then please state that transparently.

Additionally, it’s confusing to see this cost passed onto customers when the Pulpo Group is reportedly expanding (including ventures like Pulpo in Florida) and has projected revenues between $5 and $28 million. Records also show that the business received federal assistance through the Paycheck Protection Program, which further raises questions about the necessity of this added fee.

I stant correct as there is no affiliation between Pulpo Kitchen Florida. That being said I would like to add, however, from a customer perspective, it’s difficult to reconcile that message of financial strain with the recent expansion into The Dixboro Project, a high-concept, multi-venue dining destination. While I respect the vision and ambition behind it, it can create the perception that guests are being asked to subsidize hardship, while major investments are being made elsewhere. That kind of messaging can feel inconsistent — especially when paired with surcharges and pricing that already reflect a premium experience.

Overall, the visit left me questioning both the operational practices and the messaging behind your brand. I hope you’ll take this feedback seriously and consider being more transparent with your...

We had reservations at 5:45pm and were seated promptly. The menu had a lot of interesting items, the food was well prepared and delicious with one exception which I will detail below, and the ambiance was great. Service was extremely slow which I will also detail below.

The one exception on the food was the black bean wrap. It unexpectedly came grilled/pressed much like a panini, which should have been fine. Unfortunately, the wrap had a strong burnt flavor. Confusingly the outside wrap, despite being overly crispy from the grill, wasn't burnt. Opening it up, I discovered the layer of black bean filling had a scorched crust on it where it was next to the wrap, presumably from the grilling/pressing. It was a first for me to find something burnt on the inside but not the outside.

On the service front, our drinks and app came out promptly. From there, the service basically ended. Nearly an hour after being seated, at 6:40, the manager came and said "We're very sorry for the delay in your food. I just checked, and it is being placed on a tray as we speak. It should be right out." It was not.

About 10-15 minutes later our waitress and the manager brought most of our food out by hand (no tray in sight.) The manager assured us the rest would be out immediately (it was not) and to apologize for the delay, would give us free desserts.

As a point of reference, a table of six that was sat immediately before us, who ordered drinks, apps, and mains, were finishing their desserts just as we were receiving the first of our food.

Approximately 10 minutes later (around 7), the manager brought out the rest of our food, and as a further apology, said the last items in addition to the desserts would be free.

Around 7:10, our waitress came to see if we would like any desserts. We informed her that we had tickets for a 7:30 show at the theater across the street, so if possible, could we get them to go.

At 7:20, she came to check on us and to let us know our desserts would be right out. I stopped her as she was leaving and gave her my credit card and asked if she could take care of our bill immediately because we needed to leave. She brought the desserts and receipts out a few...

Wonderful appetizers. Seriously! You could just order several of these appetizers for a tapas; That is how we started the meal. With the beets the hummus & the olives appetizers. So good!

Savory sweet fresh flavors balanced with nice textual and taste surprises! Wonderful portioning and plating. You will not be disappointed! In addition I tried the cauliflower as from the sides or "additions" menu. The cauliflower is yummy and mild spicy. Savory yum!

For dinner, My daughter ordered the turkey club, very big and heavy on turkey generous portions (thin fries. yummy) took 3/4 of sandwich togo so big yum! Husband got a chicken pasta dish He was pleasantly surprised. Yummy! We will have to try more next time we go to Sava's. And yes, that's a definite (already planning our return visit) you will want to go again as well. The atmosphere is great. Side note: What you don't see well in the pictures is that there are several half moon booths all down one wall. We sat in one of those booths closer to the open kitchen. A slight drawback but please do not let this detour you in any. The curved booth seats we sat in was a bit low for the table. I had to fold up my coat to sit on it like a cushion. A positive is the seats are comfortable. The table height to seat height ratio might be a tad off. So be ready for that. Again Do not let this deter you. If you think it might be a problem then just ask sit at one of the tables Instead of the booths, This might have been only that booth, but be ready to test for- table height to seat height ratio.

On an extremely positive note, ❤️ The wait staff is top notch. With a talented chef curating the menu.

For dessert my husband had the cheesecake. My daughter had a pot of tea that was loose leaf tea served in a wonderful teapot. (Very high-end tea from the tea shop down the street ) lovely heavy metal teapot. The waiter mentioned this serves two. You can get another cup and both enjoy, a lovely cup of tea. If you are a tea drinker definitely this is something you will want to order. 🫖☕💕

Overall, this meal and ambience exceeded my...