April | 2008 | Mid-Michigan Dining

Fleetwood Diner – Lansing

11 04 2008

2211 S Cedar Street
Lansing, MI 48910-3131
Phone: (517) 267-7606
Website
Menu

The Fleetwood Diner is a throwback and exactly what you think of when you think of the word “diner.” My first weekend in Lansing, I accidently stumbled on the Fleetwood while driving around lost trying to get back to my new place, so, of course, the next day we headed back for breakfast.

The Fleetwood is an interesting place. The exterior is a metallic silver. The inside is cramped. You walk into the counter and to either side is a small dining room. One smoking and one non-smoking. There is a bench that runs along with wall with tables pushed up against them and chairs on the other side and there are a couple booths along the back wall plus a few tables in between. We were seated at one of the in between tables.

The host gave us the menus and took drink orders. A different waitress came back with drink and took our meal order. I got a bacon omelet which came with four pieces of toast and hash browns. The omelet took up a good portion of the plate and had big chunks of cripsy bacon. The toast could have used a little more butter and I didn’t really dive into the hashbrowns since I’m not really a fan.

The other guy in my group got the french toast and a cup of coffee. His plate came with 6 pretty good slices of bread which he polished off pretty quickly.

Now, the ladies dove right into the Fleetwood’s specialty….the Hippie Hash. My girlfriend got eggs and toast and got the Hash as a side. She didn’t say anything about either the eggs or the toast, but really enjoyed the hash. Hippie Hash consists of the Fleetwood’s homemade hash browns topped with grilled tomato, green pepper, onion, mushroom and broccoli topped with feta cheese. On the plate, it just looks like a mess, but both my girlfriend and her mom (who ordered the Hippie Hash as a meal) enjoyed it and will probably go back for it.

The Fleetwood is just a classic 24 hour diner. The people were great, the atmosphere is that retro diner feel I’m always looking for in a new city. The food was alright, but I’m sure this is a place I’m going to take anyone and everyone who comes to town for a visit. You just have to see the Fleetwood. I always thought this would be a great place for the Food Network show Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, but when I e-mailed the producer, he e-mailed back and said they’ve contacted The Fleetwood and the owners weren’t intersted. Too bad because that would have made a great episode

Comments : 3 Comments »
Tags: 24-Hour, breakfast, Diner, Fleetwood, Lansing
Categories : 24-Hour Diner, Diner, Lansing, Local Flavor, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews

The Nuthouse Sports Grill

11 04 2008

420 E Michigan Ave
Lansing, MI 48933-1421
Phone: (517) 484-6887
Website
Menu

The Nuthouse Sports Grill has a great location just across the street from Oldsmobile Park in downtown Lansing. It’s hard to miss driving by as the huge signs out front scream out to you as your driving by.

After finding parking in their tiny lot, we went inside where the hostess showed us to a table in the main dining room near the bar. There are also a couple more rooms that are available for private parties which I was told they use as overflow dining when the main room is packed.

Our server came over and took drink orders. By the time he came back, we were ready to order.

I got the Black & Bleu burger. A 100% Angus beef patty with a cajun spice came topped with provolone and crumbled bleu cheese. The meat itself was alright, but the combination of the two cheese really gave the burger a lot of flavor and made me want another one. The sandwich came with a side of cajun fries which were nothing special, but tasty and complimented the sandwich well.

My girlfriend got the Garden Burger. A 100% meatless patty came topped with provolone on a kaiser roll. She said the guacamole that was served on the side is what made the sandwich for her. Like my burger, hers also came with the cajun fries which she enjoyed more than I did.

Once he took our order, the server seemed to disappear. Someone else brought our meal. When it was time for drink refills, he was no where to be found. I was sucking on ice cubes. I think he finally noticed when my date held her glass up to show me she was empty. Then he came with a couple Cokes.

The price wasn’t too bad for a sports bar and we left stuffed. They look like they have pretty good drink specials and you couldn’t ask for a better location. I’m sure the place is hopping before a baseball game. I’m sure once we move to Lansing, we’ll be spending a lot of time at The Nuthouse.

Comments : 8 Comments »
Tags: Add new tag, Lansing, Sports Bar
Categories : Lansing, Local Flavor, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews, Sports Bar

New To Lansing

1 04 2008

I just moved to Lansing and I’m looking forward to diving into the culinary world here. I don’t eat everyday, but my girlfriend and I do eat out a lot and for the most part, we don’t eat at the same place twice unless it absolutely blows both of us away. We’re huge on local diners and love the history and culture that surround such places. It’s very, very rare that you will see us at one of the major chains, but it does happen (family in town, convience, etc.). I’ve been posting my reviews on the website we8there.com for about three years, but I thought on the move to Michigan, I would start my own site and get some discussion going. Since I started posting on We8there, I’ve reviewed over 300 restaurants with the majority being in my old home town of Peoria, IL. I won’t transfer those over, but if I ever travel, you will probably see those reviews here too.