Sur La Table

I literally heard singing the first time I entered this store. I was like a kid in a candy store! Every single kitchen item you think you could ever want or need and even ones you didn’t even know existed and that you needed until you look around this store, you can find here. They have a really nice variety and selection of hard to find and unique kitchen supplies, utensils, and tools.
I stumbled upon the store by accident actually. It’s in the same complex as the North Face store as I was leaving, I was intrigued by the sign outside. I made my way in and felt like I have found a little gem. It was awesome! I was promptly greeted at the door and asked if I was looking for anything in particular. I wasn’t so I just looked around in awe. I saw things I had even heard of or tried: black truffle salt (which is amazing by the way), an egg separator, vanilla bean paste, a silicone oven mitt, a utensil crock, Scanpans, Silpat mats, and the list goes on and on. My first time in the store, I bought a bacon chocolate pancake mix and I knew I was hooked from then on.
Some of the items can be a bit pricey but you can tell the items and good quality and will last you quite some time. Sometimes, they have sales as well so you may be able to find some really quality items for a pretty good prices. I’ve also had to return items and it’s a pretty seamless process. Their website makes it easy to order things as well and may have more options online (Kitchen Aide stand mixers in pretty colors). The staff is pretty helpful as well, going out of their way to look up things on the computers or getting a ladder to reach high-​sitting items. They are pretty knowledgeable about the products and will give you hints for how to care for your items which is helpful.
I’ve bought several items from here. Some of my favorites include a beer making kit (for a friend who was very appreciative), red Kitchen Aide stand mixer, pasta machine, handheld lemon juicer, Popsicle maker, egg separator (priceless), variety of specialty salts (love them), and stainless steel OXO containers.
If you’ve never been, I definitely recommend going in and just taking a look around. I promise you, you’ll find something you want to walk out with. By the way, if you take a cooking class (their offerings are great), you can get 10% off anything in the store that day.

Had an amazing time taking a cooking class with Chef Nathan Brand. Attended the «spring in Paris» cooking class. The class was fun and functional with amazing tasting food that was simple enough to make at home but also elegant an inventive. Highly recommend attending for fun date night activity.

Must say that today I went for a specific item. The young lady I asked for direction seemed completely disinterested and was completely numb assisting me. Answering a few simple questions (I.e. What other options are available for me to look at?) seemed trying and without interest. Though she may have felt she was doing an adequate job, and perhaps even surprised I would comment on it, she delivered a distracted flat service. I asked her if she was bothered and she said «no». Oh well, gave it a 3 because they had what I was looking for and I like the item.

My friend and I love to take cooking classes so we were excited to sign up for a healthy cooking class at Sur La Table. The class at capacity at 16 and there was enough room in the kitchen for everyone to have an opportunity to move and cook. The recipe choices were excellent with a wide variety of dishes for us to cook and sample. The problem was with the organization and instruction of the class. The teacher was a trained chef and was quite kind but was not clear with her instructions. She had several helpers that were either not trained or very disorganized. One was even quite snippy. The class was filled with me, my friend and our other two cookmates looking at one another, trying to follow the recipes and finally just giving up and doing the best we could to complete the recipe as directed. For each dish a tray of the necessary ingredients were brought to our table but there was no consistency to the method. One time the tray was left with all the ingredients for our dish, the next time the ingredients were removed from the tray and placed on our counter, then another time ingredients were taken away from us which left us wondering where the heck the ingredient had gone (our helper had taken the ingredient away to be used later but didn’t tell us). The necessary utensils were not always available for our use and we didn’t have a pot holder for the pot lid at one point. We were told to each our food once everything was done but had no plates nor forks and then no napkins after our food was plated. The disorganization made the experience not as fun. My friend and I decided we were not going to take another class at Sur La Table. We did receive a 10% coupon to be used the day of the class so that was a nice gesture and we did love the recipe list. A side note: both my friend and a cookmate wear hearing aids and neither person could hear the chef.

I could actually buy everything in this store. Coffee makers, vitamix super power machines, things I don’t understand and don’t need but look pretty. Maybe the ultimate reason to get engaged is to go register at a store as awesome as this Sur La Table (kidding…but totally an engagement perk, let’s be real).
I’ve also taken one cooking class (Healthy and Delicious) and one demo (How to Make the Perfect Cup of Coffee) at this location. The employees are all very nice and helpful and excited about what they have to teach you. They also offer you a warm beverage right when you walk the door.
The Healthy and Delicious class was fun and also the food was healthy and delicious. I will be making the salmon dish and citrus/​date relish often. But if you aren’t a beginner cook (by beginner, you can’t even cook eggs), I’d try a different class since it was very straight forward and probably not worth the cost.
I loved the coffee demo. We got to try coffee made with tons of machines and also understand all the important things like bean size and water temperature. It was only five dollars and such a fun/​new way to spend a Sunday morning.
Summary in two words: magical place

I have been to this location three times, and each time it was a nice experience. Unlike some of the other Unilocalers who have reviewed so far, I prefer not to be smothered with attention.
That said, each time I have come in, at least one employee has pleasantly asked me if there is anything that they could help me with. Also, I’d say that I’ve never seen less than four staff on the floor at any given time. That someone has had trouble finding help here is just strange.
I do believe that many businesses in Ann Arbor suffer from poor customer service, but I don’t think that this is one of those businesses.
My five star rating is based on the helpful interactions that I have had with employees, the range of products that they offer, and an exchange that they did for me. I was given a kitchen accessory for Christmas, and I… goofed one of the accessories up a bit. Sur La Table replaced the piece for me, and were very nice about it.
With a fun array of products, good customer service, and community cooking classes– what more could you ask for?

Kitchen stores get me excited. All those pots, pans, gadgets, mixes, etc. Admittedly my favorite shop for this in the area is William Sonoma but I do love me some Sur La Table and was pretty psyched to have one open in Ann Arbor.
This shop is roomy and since it’s new very clean. The prices are fairly reasonable, considering the quality of the goods they carry. I’ve never been disappointed with anything I’ve purchased there. They don’t carry as many foodstuffs as William Sonoma but you can get some extracts, baking decorations, salts and such. My favorite part is that they offer cooking classes – girls nights out, date nights, or basic cooking/​baking on a theme. I haven’t done a class yet but it’s been on my list try try. Sushi workshops, tapas, surf and turf, french pastry, they offer it all! And for less than a baking class would be at Zingerman’s.
I will agree with other reviewers that the staff here is a little less than attentive. Evening opening day when they should have been at their most welcoming I was put off by the woman ringing me up (I don’t remember the specifics now but I remember leaving feeling disappointed in the interaction). However, that’s not enough to keep me from shopping here when I’m in the area. Or for signing up a class when the opportunity presents itself.

I know that I’m a big Williams-​Sonoma fan, but the other day I stopped by the recently-​opened Sur La Table in Arbor Hills. Meh about sums it up. I get what they are aiming to do with the interior aesthetic, but the result is that it just seems cluttered and not well organized. Sure, they have great products, but the atmospheric conditions of W-​S is just so much better, and the prices are no more expensive. That and the woman at the check-​out seemed disinterested and almost rude. I’ll stick to my favorites from now on, even though this is a much more convenient location.

I, too, am glad that Sur La Table opened in Ann Arbor. They have a lot of neat and useful cooking, serving and entertaining ideas and gifts.
I was also dissapointed by the lack of customer service. I was looking around for quite awhile before anyone offered to help me. I ended up purchasing a few items and it frustrated me that even before I took out my credit card to pay, the cashier was already helping the customer behind me. The staff person couldn’t wait another 45 seconds to finish my transaction before going on to the next customer? Kind of frustrating… I never had that problem at Williams Sonoma!
I’ll be back to shop becuase they have high quality items and I feel like the next iteration of Julia Child when I am in the store, but I sure hope they improve their customer service.

I had been anticipating the opening of Sur La Table all summer. I have shopped at the store at other locations and was impressed with the array of kitchen merchandise for serious cooks and novices alike. Their service had always been helpful and accommodating. I visited the store this week with my husband to shop for cookware. We received several emails with a special value on the brand with like and a coupon for $ 10 off our purchase. First impression of the store was wow! Beautiful, tasteful, loaded with everything you could ever want. There were two sales people working. We were 2 of 3 shoppers in the store. They did not acknowledge us and seemed to drift to the opposite end of the store to talk to each other. We looked around the store for 8 to 10 minutes until we found the cookware. They never approached us to offer help or answer questions. When I finally approached the sales person he was indifferent. He answered with one word,” no” and walked away. The few items I picked up to purchase I quickly put down and we walked out. We looked at each other and said William Sonoma! I would have expected the staff for a new store to be well trained and knowledgeable.