Leo's Outpost on S. Pennsylvania Ave. in Lansing
It’s time to go grocery shopping again and I didn’t feel like doing it today, so I picked my girlfriend up from work and took her out for a Friday night dinner. We both really liked Leo’s Lodge when we ate there a week or so ago, so we decided to give Leo’s Outpost a try.
As we pulled up to the log cabin style building on south Pennsylvania, we were concerned we weren’t going to be able to get a table. The parking lot alongside the building was packed. We turned down a side street next to Leo’s and found another parking lot which wasn’t as full. There are two entrances to the building. There’s one off of Pennsylvania and another on the side of the building. We entered through the side door which brought us to the bar. Just like Leo’s Lodge, the interior is decorated like a rustic cabin you’d like to find in the Upper Pennisula. There are deer heads mounted on the wall alongside birds that have been stuffed. The entire interior is sided with the same log cabin look that dominates the outside. Just like it’s sister restaurant, the chairs had the wicker weave for the seat and back. The bar and dining room was seperated by a decorative brick half wall.
My girlfriend assumed there would be a different menu from Leo’s Lodge, but we were handed the same exact menu that we ordered off last week. As much as I liked my hamburger at the Lodge (and I really, really liked it), I thought I should try something else. I didn’t stray too far though. I went with the French Dip….and it was a good choice. The six inch club roll was piled with shaved roast beef and provolone cheese. It came with a dipping cup of au jus and an order of fries. The thing that jumped out right away was the bun. They took a little extra care in preparing the sandwich and didn’t use just a seasame seed bun off the Butternut truck. It was a soft flaky bun which had some qualities similar to a chiabata. The rest of the sandwich was good, but nothing made it stand out from anywhere else. The bread is what really made it distinct.
My girlfriend ordered the buffalo chicken salad. Last time, she got the buffalo chick wrap and really liked it. She wanted a salad this time and figured if it was the same chicken, it should make for a good salad. She got what looked like a whole chicken breast breaded, deap fried and covered in Frank’s Red Hot on top of her salad. Alongside that she had ranch dressing and got two pieces of Texas Toast with her meal. The sandwich didn’t disappoint. Like the wrap, she was impressed with the salad.
Our bill was a little bit more this time. Now, I really am assuming the waitress forgot to add our drinks at Leo’s Lodge because they were on this bill and it made for a total of just over $21. Like I’ve said for most of this review…Just like Leo’s Lodge, we left happy and satisified. I can see both of these places becoming regular stops. The atmosphere is comforting and really only had one problem. My girlfriend sat down with her back to the windows that face Pennsylvania Avenue so I was facing them. It was so dark in there and that backlit here which made it really hard for me to see her. My eyes started hurting because when I’d look at her, the bright light coming behind her would almost blind me after my eyes got used to the darkness. Other than that minor problem which could be remedied by changing tables, Leo’s Outpost lived up to our expecations and a little more.
Mid-Michigan Dining 
They have what I think to be the best round pizza in town. Too bad it’s a bit pricey, though they do have Buy one, get one free on Sundays (which rocks!).