Mid-Michigan Dining

• 505 E. Shiawassee St.
• Lansing, MI 48912
• (517) 374-3565
• No Known Website
• Menu

The Corner Bar & Grill on Shiawassee Street in downtown Lansing.

J and I called it quits early on Be A Tourist In Your Own Town.  After the zoo, we tried to go to MSU, but couldn’t find parking and just gave up.  We spent a few hours at the zoo and we were getting hungry and I had to go to work in a few hours, so we decided to find lunch/dinner.  Since we were in East Lansing, J suggested Buffalo Wild Wings which is usually a hit with me, but on our way, J also pointed out that a lot of the blog entries recently have been chains and I hate doing that.  I wanted to get back to something local.  A couple weeks ago, Runs With Spatula reviewed a bar that I haven’t been to yet.  Her blog made my mouth water.  We were saving it for after a Lugnuts game, but bar food sounded good and it would put me back on the local track.

The Corner Bar & Grill is on the corner of Shiawassee and Cedar across the street from the City Market and just a block down from Oldsmobile Park.  Before we moved here, the building housed the Club 505 which I’m told was a lesbian bar.  Now, it’s kind of taken on a biker bar feel.  Maybe that’s because there are scooters from the neighboring business parked on the sidewalk. 

There’s a gravel parking lot across Shiawassee Street that has signs for parking.  When we pulled in, there was only a couple cars in the parking lot, but it was an odd time.  We were eating lunch around 3:00 which isn’t a prime meal time.  We crossed the street and walked into the building which opens up into the bar.  There aren’t really any tables in this area.  It’s got more of a bar feel.  We walked into another room which has a number of tables, booths, and of course, flat panel TV’s.  A third room was set up for live music and there was a guy running around setting up some gear for later in the evening.

We were the only ones in the place and we didn’t see anyone behind the bar when we walked in.  I chose a table close to the bar hoping we would be noticed.  It didn’t take long for the bartender to come out and see us sitting there.  We ordered our Pepsi and looked over the menus that were already on the table. 

The menu was surprising.  Most of the choices are bar staples, but they take everything up a notch.  J was really intrigued by the mac ‘n cheese entrees.  I really thought that was going to be her selection, but she noticed the deluxe grilled cheese in the sandwich section which she ultimately chose.  The sandwich came with American and Provolone cheese, lettuce, tomato, and onion on  garlic herb buttered Texas Toast.  J left off the tomatoes and onions and added bacon.  She really liked the sandwich.  She said it was a BLT with cheese instead of tomato and the mixture of American and Provolone isn’t something she has had before.  She got the choice of fries or chips with her meal.  She chose fries which was a mistake.  The fries were fine, but the chips…..I’ll get to that in a second.

The Corner Bar & Grill near Oldsmobile Park in Lansing.

I ordered the bacon cheeseburger.  No surprises here.  American cheese, bacon, and a hamburger on a Kaiser roll.  It was delicious.  For some reason, it’s been a while since I’ve had a good, greasy cheeseburger and that’s exactly what this was.  Since J chose fries, I chose the homemade chips.  They were awesome.  I got a pretty big portion of chips that were definitely sliced and fried in house.  They were nice and warm and came with a cup of ranch dipping sauce which I didn’t even use.  The chips were that good on their own.

Our bill was just over $17 which is much cheaper than we anticipated.  The food was really good and better than most bar food.  The menu still has a lot which we intend to try.  It’s a great pre or post Lugnut game spot and they have great deals after games.  With a ticket stub, you get 1/2 off appetizers and they have $3 25 oz. mug beer specials. 

The atmosphere was pretty laid back when were there.  The bartender would yell across the room from behind the bar when she needed to talk to us, but that was alright with us.  She did a great job of not forgetting we were there as she was getting ready for the evening rush.  There is a lot of room, so even on a busy night, you shouldn’t feel like a sardine.  I got a good vibe from the place, but I’m most comfortable in a dive bar. 

The Corner Bar & Grill is easy to miss if you’re not looking for it, but it is a place that’s worth looking for.  There aren’t a lot of great options in the area for a meal before or after a game within walking distance of Olds Park….the Corner Bar & Grill fills that need and then some.