Penn Ave. Diner

16 04 2008
  • 6031 S. PennsylvaniaPenn Ave. Diner
  • Lansing, MI 48911
  • (517) 272-0504
  • No Known Website
  • Menu

When you take the first letter from each word in the name of the Penn Ave. Diner, you get the word PAD.  The Penn Ave. Diner has taken that theme and ran with it.  As you walk into the restaurant, there’s a sign that says “Welcome to the PAD.”  Do you see where I’m going with this yet?  No?  Look at the picture to the right.  See anything there that jumps out at you?  Yeah.  It’s frogs.  Frogs everywhere.  The diner is painted green and adorned with stuffed frogs, ceramic frogs and anything else you can make a frog out of. 

Penn Ave. DinerI picked my girlfriend up at work and we took a quick dinner break at the PAD.  We walked in and waited for a waitress at the front counter.  The waitress came out and asked smoking or non-smoking.  We chose non-smoking which is a pretty small dining room in the front of the restaurant.  There’s a wall that seperates that space from the smoking section, but windows still allow the smoke to sneak through.  The non-smoking side of the dining room is actually pretty big.  I headed back that way to the restrooms and there were quite a few people back there enjoying their meals in the thick, smoky air.  Most of the patrons back there seemed to know each other as converstions extended beyond their own tables.

Dinner was what you expect at little family diners like this.  I chose the Penn Ave. Diner because I was in the mood for a greasy cheeseburger and fries, so that’s what I ordered.  Unfortunately, the sandwich didn’t come with fries.  It came with chips, so I had to order fries and they had to charge me extra.  The burger itself was really good for a diner burger.  They took a little extra time to toast the bun and the meat was a little bit better than a frozen patty.

My girlfriend went with comfort food too and ordered a grilled cheese sandwich.  Like me, she wanted fries instead of chips and added on the extra.  She took her first bite and the look on her face was enough to tell me the PAD passed when it comes to making comfort food.  Both her and my sandwich came with coleslaw as well as the chips.  I don’t really like coleslaw so I passed and my g/f only took a couple bites and didn’t say anything.

Penn Ave. DinerThe Penn Ave. Diner passed the test as a greasy spoon diner.  They didn’t really do anything that made them standout, but most people don’t go to a place like this for something super special.  The bill seemed to be a little high to me coming in at $15 before tip.  I’m sure it was the extra we had to pay for a fry cook to open a bag of fries and drop them in the oil.  It was a quick meal though as we were in and out in about 20 minutes.  The PAD has a unique design and food that satisfies, but doesn’t wow.


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Categories : Diner, Lansing, Local Flavor, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews

Rendezvous on the Grand

15 04 2008
  • 226 E. Grand River Ave.Rendezvous on the Grand
  • Lansing, MI 48906
  • (517) 853-0300
  • Website
  • Menu

I saw a review for Rendezvous on the Grand in The Hub‘s 2 for $20 feature shortly after moving to Lansing.  We got up early one day and decided to hit Rendezvous for lunch before my girlfriend had to go to work.

We stopped in on a Tuesday afternoon just after the lunch rush.  The place was empty.  The waitress/bartender and the cook were wrapping silverware at a table near the back.  They were very friendly when we walked in and took a table near the bar.  The Rendezvous is located in Old Town which is the hip, artsy part of Lansing.  The decor of the old bank building embodies that spirit.  When you walk in, you walk into a spacious, high ceiling space filled with art deco chairs and tables.  The feature that jumped out to me was the light fixtures.  They took something as simple as conduit and bent it into an art piece.  The lights on the end of each condiut are spot lights that are plugged right into a junction box on the end of each piece of conduit.  There’s an upstairs area with a few more tables and a pool table then there’s a dance floor in front of a stage with permanent stage lighting hanging from the ceiling.

Rendezvous on the GrandWe took a seat near the bar and the waitress came over with paper menus to take our drink order.  Since it was early, we both went with Pepsi’s.  The menu is pretty interesting with salads, sandwiches, and personal french bread pizzas.  I went fairly safe and got the Beefeater sandwich.  The kaiser roll was filled with sliced roast beef, cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, and bistro sauce.  I left the lettuce and tomato off and went straight for the meat.  The meat itself was nothing special.  It actually kind of tasted like they went to the deli and got some roast beef.  The bistro sauce was interesting and I couldn’t really place what it actually was, but it was good and added some flavor to a sandwich that really wasn’t much more than cold meat sandwich.  The sandwich came with chips and a pickle spear.

My girlfriend got a little more adventerous and got the chicken satay.  The waitress almost accidently talked her out of it because it’s probably supposed to be an appetizer and not a meal, but when the waitress said it came with mashed potatoes, she figured it could be a meal.  With this meal, chicken breasts were wrapped in bacon and skewered with green pepper, tomato, and pineapple then the whole thing is drizzled with a sweet BBQ sauce.  The two skewers came beautifully presented on the plate with a drizzling of the same BBQ sauce underneath.  Heck, they even put the BBQ sauce on the garlic mashed potatos.  One bite and she knew that she had made the right choice.  The chicken had a delicious smokey flavor from the bacon and the grilled veggies were a great compliment to the meal.

After we ordered, we realized neither of us ordered fries.  I tracked down the waitress and asked if we could still put in an order.  She said the fryer had been down all morning and she wasn’t sure if it was hot enough to actually cook the fries.  After talking with the cook, she came out and apologized that the oil wasn’t hot enough.  A few minutes later, she came back and said the oil had warmed up, so we went ahead and told her to fry some up.   The cook came out 5 minutes later with an order of fries.  Nothing special here, but I really like the way the staff handled it.  Most places would have just tried to pass off the fries as cooked, but these two were not going to serve something that wasn’t done right.  The first couple my g/f bit in to she said were a little under done, but I didn’t notice.

We picked Rendezvous because of the claim the Lansing State Journal made about two meals under $20.  As promised, this meal came in under the $20.  With tip, we paid $17 and made it in and out with enough time to spare to walk around Old Town.


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Categories : Lansing, Local Flavor, Michigan, Old Town, Pub, Restaurant, Reviews, Uncategorized

Clara’s Lansing Station

14 04 2008
  • 637 E. Michigan Ave. Clara's Lansing Station
  • Lansing, MI 48912
  • (517) 372-7120
  • Website
  • Menu

Wow!  That was my first thought once walking inside Clara’s Lansing Station in downtown Lansing.  We knew just from looking at the outside that the restaurant was an old train depot, but had no idea the care that was taken to preserve that charm inside the building as well.  The first thing you see when you walk in is a waiting room.  There are are old benches and a lot of railroad artifacts just in this room alone.

Next, you walk up a ramp into the main dining room.  You’re greeted at the door by the hostess then shown this massive three level dining space.   My girlfriend and I stopped in for an early dinner on Sunday night.  We were shown to a booth on the first level of the dining room near the rear of the restaurant.  Just behind from us was the steps that lead to an upstairs level.  To the right were the stairs that lead to an balcony level.  If that isn’t enough for you, there’s also an old dining car connected to the building that was being used for a party.  The decorations are gorgeaus.  The windows are stained glass.  The wood is distressed dark woods.  There are chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and paitings adorn the walls.  You get the feel that Clara’s is a find dining establishment, but the atmosphere is cozy and casual.  Waiters walk around in shorts and ball caps and the menu is full of sandwiches and dining car favorites.  A real interesting feature is the soundtrack.  Yes, the restaurant has a sound track.  I have to admit, both my girlfriend and I were competely fooled.  There are tain noises piped into the building.  Some of them sound like you’re in the car, but others make it sound like there is a freight train or Amtrack running by the building. 

Clara's Lansing StationThe place was gorgeaus, but how would the food stack up?  Our waiter came over for drinks.  My girlfriend went with one of their many cocktails.  I had a Pepsi.  The drink menu is just about the same size as the dinner menu.  I’m not sure I’ve ever been handed a menu so thick.  Meals range from burgers to steaks and everything in between.  I went with my new favorite, the Black and Bleu burger.  The half pound burger with Cajun seasoning comes on a Ciabatta roll with blue cheese crumbles and hardwood smoked sugar cured bacon strips.  The waiter said it was a good choice as Clara’s is known for that burger.  The sandwich came with the standard out-of-the bag fries which were crispy and salty, so no complaint there.  The sandwich was delicious…except I didn’t realize it was going to have mayo on it.  The menu doesn’t say anything about mayo and I was really surprised when I took a bite to find that there.  The first few bites it was overpowering and took away from the taste of the cheese, but the more I ate, the more the bleu cheese flavor came out.

My girlfriend got the Califronia Chicken Sandwich.  The chicken is marinated in a fajita sauce then served on  sourdough bread topped with roasted red bell peppers, shredded lettuce, sauted mushrooms, ranch dressing, two avocado slices and melted pepper jack cheese.  She went with the homemade cole slaw as a side instead of the fries.  She could barely put the sandwich down to tell me how good it was.  The neat thing about both dinners, and this goes back to the elegant yet casual theme, is the plates.  I would call them faux china, but they could have easily passed for real china.  It was an interesting choice to serve sandwiches on and added to the aura of the place.

We were both very happy with Clara’s.  It was a nice casual night out, but it felt like more.  The building is beautiful and the huge menu has something for everyone.  If it wasn’t for that surprise on my burger, I wouldn’t have anything bad to say.  Our bill with drinks was $30 and on a Sunday night, we were to get in and eat dinner and still make it home in time to catch The Simpsons.


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Categories : Burgers, Lansing, Local Flavor, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews

Art’s Bar and Grill

13 04 2008
  • 809 E. Kalamazoo St.Art's Bar and Grill
  • Lansing, MI 48912
  • (517)482-8328
  • No Known Website
  • Menu

Art’s Bar and Grill claims to be Lansing’s oldest sports bar serving up award winning pizza and out of the ordinary pub food. After doing some Internet research, my girlfriend and I decided to give it a shot for a Saturday night dinner.

We both had a few reservations as we were heading to the bar.  The neighborhood surrounding Art’s is full of rundown buildings and it just didn’t look that inviting…nor did the exterior of Art’s, but we thought we’d give it a chance anyway since it has been highly recommended on the web.

When you walk in, you come right to the main dining room.  There’s also a bar area to the back and video games are spread throughout the space.  We found a table near the back of the dining room near the shuffleboard table.   There was only one waitress working the entire restaurant and she was busy.  She noticed us right away and yelled over that she’d be right there.  After unloading her tray
filled with drinks, she came over with menus and took our drink order.  After coming back with drinks we were ready to order.

My girlfriend went with the chicken strip basket.  Deep fried chicken strips and fresh cut fries.  YES!  FRESH CUT FRIES!  This place already scores extra points with me.  She liked the chicken and the fries and the portion size was more than enough for her with a little left over for me so I could get a quick bite of the chicken.

I went for a house special.  Art’s Burger.  I didn’t realize what I was getting into when I ordered this.  1lb. of burger broken up into two 1/2lb patties that had a 2oz. slice of ham wedged between them.  With cheese on top, this made for one helluva sandwich.  I couldn’t even get the thing in my mouth.  The burger was nice and juicy and the ham and bun were both toasted adding this amazing flavor.  The burger came with chips on the side and a pickle.  The waitress asked me if I wanted fries and I said yes assuming that the fries would replace the chips, but they didn’t.  I got a huge side of the fresh cut fries on top of the meal. I think it goes without saying, but I definately did not leave the table hungry.

Art’s was a chance we took and we’re both so glad we did.  The clientel was all over the board including many different social groups.  Art’s has great pub food in a great atmosphere.  From my table I could see at least three different TV’s including a giant screen projection in the corner.  After a little hesitation up front, we will probably be going back to Art’s regularly.

 


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Categories : Burgers, Lansing, Local Flavor, Michigan, Reviews, Sports Bar

Biggby Coffee

11 04 2008
  • 6439 S Cedar St
  • Lansing, MI 48911-5960
  • Phone: (517) 393-2332
  • Website
  • Menu

Biggby Coffee got it’s start in East Lansing, MI in 1995. 12 years later, they’ve expanded to 150 shops in the midwest. I had never heard of it before coming here, but my girlfriend was told it was a local place, so she wanted to try it. I’m not much of a coffee drinker, so I just went in to check it out, but I found out they do serve sandwiches and salads for lunch.

It was late afternoon when we stopped in so the place was pretty empty. There was a college student on her laptop doing homework while drinking a coffee and a few people sitting at the tables. My girlfriend placed her order then waited while the barista made the drink. In total, we were in the store less than 5 minutes. I asked how it was and she said it was good and better than that big chain I hate so much.

The atmosphere is that of a typical coffeehouse. Lots of dark woods and low lighting and of course, they offer Wi-Fi for those looking to get a little work done.


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Categories : Coffee, Lansing, Local Flavor, Michigan, Reviews

Coach’s All-American Pub-Grill

11 04 2008
  • 6201 Bishop Rd
  • Lansing, MI 48911-6208
  • Phone: (517) 882-2013
  • Website
  • Menu

Coach’s is your typical sports bar. There’s a bar when you walk in, multiple pool tables, dart boards, and dozens of TV’s. There’s also two pretty large dining rooms where they serve not your typical pub food.

My girlfriend and I stopped in on a Saturday night for dinner. We were a little worried because the NCAA tournament was on, but surprisingly, the place wasn’t crowded. We showed ourselves to a table in the first dining room and a server was right behind us to get drinks.

The menu had your typical pub fare plus entrees and unique pizza combinations including calzones. My date ordered the chicken strip and fries basket plus a side salad. She liked the crispy fries and said her chicken strips were good. I grabbed a bite of one and it all tasted like someone opened a bag and dumped them in the deep fryer. Doesn’t matter what I think, she enjoyed her dinner and that’s what really coungts.

I ordered the Bourbon Chicken Dinner. Two boneless chicken breasts come covered in a Bourbon BBQ glaze with fries, a salad, and a cheese breadstick. The BBQ was sweet and added a nice touch to chicken. THe fries were the same as my dates. The portion was a pretty good size. I didn’t leave stuff, but I didn’t leave feeling cheated either. The side salad was your typical greens with croutons, cucumber, and tomatos. I got the Italian dressing which was a little thicker than usual, but still good.

The bill with three drinks was about $30. There’s a lot on this menu I really wanted to try. I’ve heard the pizzas were good, the burgers looked good and there were a few more dinners that looked appetizing. Coach’s really tries to be more than just another sports bar and with this menu, they are succeeding at doing so.


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Categories : Burgers, Lansing, Local Flavor, Michigan, Pizza, Restaurant, Reviews, Sports Bar

Weston’s Kewpee Sandwich Shop

11 04 2008
  • 118 S Washington Sq
  • Lansing, MI 48933-1704
  • Phone: (517) 482-8049
  • Website
  • Menu

My girlfriend and I were checking out downtown Lansing one day and decided to stop into Kewpee for lunch. They had a menu posted outside and some of the selections looked interesting so we figured why not. The waitress claimed that Kewpee is famous for their burgers, which include an Oliveburger and a Cherry Burger…for once in my life, I probably should have had the burger.

Instead, I went with the club sandwich. Usually, my girlfriend orders the club…I order the burger, and I end up saying I should have got the club. Not this time. It should have been a sign as to how the meal was going to go when the waitress brought our drinks in styrofoam cups…but I was hoping the food would make up for that. We both ordered a side of fries with our sandwiches and the waitress brought those to the table before the sandwiches like they were an appetizer. My g/f liked the fries noting they were nice and crispy. To me, they’re just out of the bag fries.

Our sandwiches came a few minutes later. Like I said, I got the club. It was served on hamburger bun…not toasted white bread or something that would have provided less bread than a hamburger bun. There were a couple slices of ham and turkey, a slice of provolone, a piece of lettuce, a half slice of tomato and probably 3 gallons of mayo. Needless to say, I wasn’t all that happy with the sandwich.

My girlfriend ordered the BLT. Lots of bacon, and lettuce on toasted white bread. She didn’t really comment on the food. She just said she didn’t have an appetite because of a smell in the store. I’ll be nice and not write what she said it smelled like, but it was enough to make her lose her appetite.

The Kewpee has a really good location and the restaurant itself has a neat layout with exposed brick and separators that make sure you have a private dining experience. Maybe the burgers are great, but I’m not sure I want to give them another chance to try. Our meal, which neither of us were happy with, still cost $18….I could have made it at home for less than $5


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Categories : Burgers, Downtown, Lansing, Local Flavor, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews

Dairy Dan

11 04 2008
  • 7035 S Cedar St
  • Lansing, MI 48911
  • (517) 268-1264‎

     

  • No Website Known

     

  • No Menu Online

     

Dairy Dan’s is a little ice cream shop in the south side of Lansing. We got a craving for ice cream one night and I had noticed it while out running errands, so we went back and got some ice cream.

The shop is a little shack with a walk up window, a drive thru and a few picnic tables all outside. The menu is posted on the windows…with pictures. We both got a peanut butter cup flurry….flurry sounds a lot like Blizzard, doesn’t it…yeah. It was just like the more famous treat, but they added whipped cream and a cherry.

There were a lot of other interesting creations…it was just cold the night we were there so we didn’t want to look around too much..just get our ice cream and leave. Both flurries cost us about $7 and it only took a few minutes. I’m sure the wait is longer in the summer.

 

 


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Categories : Ice Cream, Lansing, Local Flavor, Reviews

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


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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.


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Categories : Lansing, Local Flavor, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews, Sports Bar

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