Went in for a low-key Friday late night dinner and ended up with a beautiful cozy live music filled night. The space was lovely and walking up to the restaurant saw the tiki torches in the front and people having a good time. We wanted to sit in the front and enjoy the nice breeze but then heard the live music and decided to stay inside. Wow, the music was fantastic and the perfect backdrop to enjoy Midtown's amazing in-house beers and their delicious entrees. I ordered the Bánh mà and while it wasn't close to the original it was a really nice rendition. My boyfriend ordered the Cubano and was slightly dissapointed but the garlic pub fries made up for it, we also ordered the mac & cheese and that was the highlight of the night besides the beers. Overall it was a great experience, the servers were attentive but not overbearing and the drinks were delicious. It would be nice to know when they have live music though because the crowd was pretty dismal for a Friday night.
(4)
Erica D.
Very cool surprise. Our bartender was amazing! He made us laugh, taught us a thing or two about their unique beer options, and made me the best non-alcoholic mojito-esque drink ever. It was so refreshing. MBC has a lot of alcoholic offerings I'd never heard of before. It's a great place to explore your booze palette. The food looked good too, although we weren't there to eat. I'll definitely be back to try it! Only turn off is the interior. Pretty plain/slightly rustic.
(4)
Nicholas P.
I should start by stating that I am a fan of the Michigan Brewing Co.'s beer, and I think beer fans should make the trip on the merits of the beer alone. I went in with my family during a Spartan football away game at noon on a Saturday, and a football-watching crowd sparsely populated the restaurant. The game was on a large projection screen, and the sound did not in any way disturb our conversation yet was certainly loud enough for those watching to hear. The food is above-average bar fare, and the sandwiches were a good size and the prices were just right. The MBC restaurant is great for a relaxing time watching your favorite sports team!
(4)
Chris M.
Because I lived less than four blocks away, MBC quickly became one of my haunts. Two of the bartenders understood that I was a die-hard Oregon Ducks fan, and would reserve at least one television on Saturdays for football games. When you consider that every tv in Lansing would be on whatever respective Michigan-based sports team was playing, and here is Spartans country, they went above and beyond in doing that for me. As for the business itself, great! They always make sure to have plenty of beers on tap, dominated by regional and local brews. Their food never let me down, and being a poor college student, the house-cut garlic fries were a steal, and delicious to boot. Quite possibly the best fries in Lansing & East Lansing. There you go. Give MBC a try. They never let me down.
(5)
Tim M.
My review here is the exact same one as for the "Michigan Brewing Company" because despite Yelp's bizarre insistence that the "Michigan Brewing Company" (this specific pub, that is; not the actual brewery in Williamston) is closed it is not... It just no longer brews it's own poor quality beer and now they sell other breweries good quality beers; so they changed their name to reflect that; thus dropping the word "brewing" from the name. --------------------- Midtown Beer Company (MBC) used to be affiliated with MBC (the Michigan Brewing Company) an actual brewery that used to be located in Williamston. MBC's (the brewery) beer wasn't very good and apparently MBC (the brewery) wasn't very good at paying their rent so suffice it say: they folded and the Lansing pub changed its name and started carrying other Michigan crafts (which was a substantial step up in beer quality). MBC (the pub) offers the traditional selection of pub fare (Reuben's, burgers, chicken wings, etc...). None of it is extraordinary, it may in fact be a bit overpriced, but it's not bad by any means. The real issue with MBC is the venue. Located at the far south end of the downtown Lansing-Washington sq businesses, MBC is a large open space with high vaulted ceilings featuring poor acoustics. As a result it requires very few people to be present before the noise gets out of control. Which makes the decision to push the tables to the wall and feature local musicians a confusing one. Don't get me wrong - I love music and want to support local musicians but the acoustics are so shoddy and the lack of any real performing space really kills the experience. MBC would be a significantly better pub if they just installed some noise dampening foam or heavy fabric drapes. Additionally, MBC should consider reorienting it's furniture; as it is the layout is disjointed and doesn't lend itself to the performers well; every time musicians arrive the bar looses effective seating. As it is the noise makes the bar to uncomfortable for me to remain for more than one drink during peak hours. I'm sure I'm not the only one...
(3)
Cristy C.
All of the food was really fantastic. The lobster pizza was rich, but tasty. The pulled pork on the nachos and Hog's Heaven was sooo good. Service was initially very slow, we probably sat for 15 mins before they recognized that we had fallen through the cracks. After that, things went smoothly. Looking forward to going back to try the crab cakes! All beer choices were good, but the cider was served a little warm.
(4)
Roberta M.
After waiting 15 min with no waitstaff at our table, we went to the bar for service. Not cool, people. Good selection of wine and beer. 40 min. Still no waitstaff. Now we don't have time to order food. WTF. Lots of interesting items on the menu, but glad we grabbed appetizers at Troppo first!
(1)
Andy O.
I would have given four stars because it's always crowded when I go, but I can't fault them for being awesome. The servers have CONSISTENTLY been polite and knowledgeable. The beer is amazing (especially in the fall, try their pumpkin spice ale). The food is incredible, in fact, I've NEVER had waffle fries that I liked until going here (it took some solid convincing on my friends' parts to even try them before I then had to order some for myself). I'm surprised to see an overall mediocre rating. This place is really high on my list for meeting spots with clients or colleagues, and large groups.
Great spot! Usually when I order a flight of beer I only like a few lf them, but NOT the case at Midtown! Loved them all. Food was super duper awesome too. Staff was friendly and inviting. No wait at all on a Saturday. Will definitely be back. Oh, they also have a great selection of board games!
(5)
McSaddle X.
If there are bees in the Biergarten, let owner and proprietor Marc Wolbert know, he will ward them off with special bee telepathy. If you forgot your EpiPen, make sure you tip your server well. Also, they are brewing all sorts of new drafts these days, stop in if you haven't in a while.
(4)
Matt O.
If you want to come to a restaurant where you make a reservation and then the manager gives it away right before you get there? This is the place for you. Apparently here, making a reservation means making a time where you beginning waiting for a table to clear. Hope you have a great meal
(1)
Paul D.
Second visit to the Midtown. Love the food, the service and the beer. The chef is on point, the lamb burger with the spicy feta makes my mouth water just thinking about it. The bahn mi is very good too, nice and spicy, well balanced. Great atmosphere.
Haven't been here since it was the other MBC, and I'm glad I gave it a shot. The bistro steak salad had enough protein to be a legit post workout meal, if you aren't VERY hungry, go for the half. Service was a bit slow at first finished well, I'll be back for sure.
(4)
Qiana G.
First time here. Service was great...very honest about what I had questions about. I got the lobster roll with totes and it was soooooooo good. I highly recommend.
(5)
Champion S.
Really good food, absolutely awesome beer but zero good looking women and the atmosphere was ridiculously boring. I'd go again but I am bringing like every friend I can muster!
(3)
Richard K.
This is a gem of downtown lansing. I wish I knew about it sooner and there were more like it.
(5)
Peter C.
We have been to MBC multiple times, and I want to like it, but it continually falls short. Recommendations: The crab cakes are very good (for Michigan). Ask to try the beers before ordering. Some are much better than others. Avoid the fries. Sometimes they are good, but usually they taste terrible. They don't seem to clean their oil often enough. The burgers aren't that great. There are better burger options in downtown Lansing. Our most recent visit was the worst visit we had there. It was on a Sunday afternoon. The place was not crowded, but our server seemed to work hard at neglecting our table. I ordered a fish sandwich with french fries. The sandwich was ok, but the fries were completely inedible. No one at our table could eat them. When the server eventually made her way back to our table, we complained about the fries, she said, "Oh, that's just how they are here. Sorry you didn't like the taste." And she charged us for four orders of fires even though clearly no one ate more than one or two off of their plate. We like the atmosphere here and it is a good place to meet friends to drink some beers together. They have complimentary peanuts waiting on all the tables when you sit down and the appetizers are decent.
(2)
Catherine M.
I go to MBC weekly, for their trivia night, and sometimes bi-weekly just for the beer alone. I am a huge fan of their Celis beers, and their specials. $6 growler refills on Tuesdays, happy hour all day on Sunday? Super sweet. But the trivia night, where I can yell at my dad and tell him he is wrong? Priceless. I would skip the deep fried pickles. I was super amped about them, and they felt like exploding eyeballs in my mouth. Beyond that I never really eat here, just drink. Its an odd crowd of after work professionals, meets 20 something dudes, with a little bit of middle aged folks who look straight up lost.
(4)
James F.
This is a nice brewpub in downtown Lansing on Washington Ave. The brews are excellent. When I was there, the selection was down somewhat, but the 7 or 8 micros I tried were all quality. I particularly enjoyed the High Seas IPA, an 11.9% smooth IPA. The food is upscale for a brewpub. My wife had the crabcake salad, and I tried the "Build Your Own" Burger with sauteed onions and fried pickles on a pretzel bun. Both were very good. The decor is a bit sterile, but is comfortable. The service was a little slow at first, but once we were noticed, the wait staff was helpful and prompt. The bartender was excellent on the second night we stopped by. Overall, this is probably the best place to get a good quality beer in Lansing. If you are a fan of a good craft beer, don't miss this gem in Michigan's capital.
(4)
Angela S.
As of May 11th, MBC is not filling growlers or selling 6-packs to go due to the Webberville location closing. They also have a modified beer menu with different brews like Key Lime Wheat in the meantime. Check it out if you're up for something new from your local hangout. At least they're compensating and still offering a great experience until the dust settles.
(3)
Walter K.
Take my review as 3.5. I want to give it four stars but the food brings it down. Beer is good especially their stout Irish. Ate the BBQ burger with tater tots. Burger was 1/3 allegedly. Service was great at 2100 on a Sunday.
(4)
Laura H.
Don't get the pizza. You can find a better tasting pizza in the frozen aisle for less than $2. The waitress and workers were very friendly and service was good. The other people we were with got burgers and sandwiches which looked delicious. I really hope they take the pizza off their menu unless they decide to improve and not use a frozen pizza.
(2)
Matt C.
Good beer, good food, good service (most of the time). Its a good bar. Not exceptional, but good. The bartenders are knowledgeable, and friendly. The menu has traditional bar fare with cleaver twists. Weekly specials are a bargain, especially Wacky Mug Wednesday. Bring your mug in, and they'll fill it with 22oz of house beer for $3! Personally, its my first choice for pubs downtown Lansing, and that's why I go regularly. So with all the good things, why three stars? Because after all said and done, its a brewpub. And it doesn't even have the brewery there. The environment is good, but not great; the food is above average for Lansing, but not amazing; and the prices are reasonable. In other words, it is a solid place to get beer and food, so three stars.
(3)
Paul D.
Great local gem! We decided to give this a try to hook up with an old friend that lives and works down by the capitol, and had a great time. Their beer selection is vast, though a bit IPA-heavy for the moment, with all Michigan craft beers. They serve peanuts-in-the-shell as a complimentary appetizer, which is a great accompaniment for craft beer. Finally, the menu was vast and seemed well thought-out and prepared. We had a salad, a burger and a chicken sandwich and all were quite good. It used to be the Michigan Brewing Company tasting room, but with the demise of the parent brewery they had to re-brand and adapt. I hope this place does well, it seems to be off to a strong start in its new model.
(5)
Tom F.
Dinner, Book Store and Spartan Basketball game. It doesn't get any better than this unless it's a football game. This is a decent sports bar with a great selection of beer. The food was just on par with a sports bar. I had the burger. It was decent. Nothing fancy or special. The fries were ok. I would definitely would go here again before a basketball game or just to hang out.
(3)
Erick P.
4 stars because nobody gets 5 in my book. We had a really good time here at an after work function. Our server great. He was very knowledgeable about the beers. He was also very entertaining. It may have beenthe chocolat strawberry stout. We had a fun time. I would recommend coming.
(4)
Morris N.
They serve fancy bar food at reasonable prices. Place is casual and service was great. Street parking was easy to find on a weekday for lunch. I had the fish and chips which included fries, and coleslaw. Portions were large and not too expensive.
(3)
Lyn I.
Clean and pleasant place for a beer, cocktail and/or meal. Has an outdoor patio. WiFi available with TVs at the bar. Had the smoked whitefish salad and was pleasantly surprised. Beer selection is good.
(4)
Karen C.
This is just a food review since we didn't order any drinks. We went on a Monday night and found out they have half off burgers! Normally, the prices of burgers are around $10-13. I don't remember the name of the burger I had but it had cheddar cheese and BBQ sauce. It was ok. I ordered it with their pub garlic fries which were really good! My bf got the black bean burger since he's a vegetarian and he really enjoyed it! The patty had a good texture; not too mushy. He had the sweet potato fries and that was really good too. Oh yeah, with their burgers you get to choose a variety of potatoes! Like their pub garlic fries, sweet potato fries, tater tots, and waffle fries!! It was very difficult for me to choose. I would come back just to try some other things out and order some drinks. Seems like they had a good variety of beers on tap. I think I'll try their home made crab cake sandwich!
(3)
Chelsea M.
Let me start of by saying the beers were really good, and over all we enjoyed our experience at MBC in Downtown Lansing. However the management and waitstaff really need to get their acts together! Before going to MBC we checked out their website to see if they had a happy hour, any specials, etc. We were pleasantly surprised to see they had $1 off pints and a $4 app from 3-6 Mon.-Thur. So, into to MBC we go for their happy hour. The waitress was extremely cold from the moment she first approached the table. No greeting- nothing. We ordered drink and reviewed the appetizer menu. There was nothing about special pricing on any of the items listed. So we asked-"We don't have any appetizer specials, we got a new menu." We told her it was listed on the website. "I'll go check." Over comes the manager- "We haven't had those specials since the middle of November. We can't get our web developer to change the website so we're not doing that anymore and there isn't anything I can do about the website." Not one offer of anything because of their issue with their website. No discounted apps or drinks... "it's not my fault" Well, it's a good the beer was good because that manager was pretty redic. We did end up ordering fried pickles (pretty good but the dipping sauce could use some serious improvement) and onion rings (nice and crispy with good batter). If you are thinking about heading to MBC, skip the trip to the website. Apparently they are not responsible for it's content anyway. PS- bring money for the parking meters.
(2)
Holly N.
I still really enjoy MBC, even the second time around. I like the ambiance and the feel for a mid-Michigan establishment. However, pops didn't appreciate the volume of the music because he found it hard to hear the two of us sitting with him. There definitely seemed to be some after work regulars and some families moseying in for an early evening dinner. Our waitress was so much better than the waitress had been the first time around! She was prompt, pleasant, and polite. Not to mention that she actually had an opinion about the food and drinks she was serving, unlike the server we had back in November. When trying to make a decision about what to order I asked her and her eyes rolled back into her head as she proclaimed that the burgers there are "ahhhhhmazing!" I wouldn't necessarily go that far to say ahhhhhmazing, but both my pops and I had a burger and they were good. We also went for the salad, which was an added $2 or something, but were quality "side" salads. Another improvement that can be made is adding the menu to the website... I know they have the beers listed there, but the menu is great and it's a bummer I can't go back and figure out exactly what burger I had. I appreciate how hard this place is trying to make a great impression and I think they are well on their way!
(4)
M G.
Really surprised not to see higher ratings on this place. I had a steak sandwhich recommended by the bartender and it was really good. they had an arcadia tap takeover, which is slightly disapointing, because i'm curious what they usually have on tap, but the arcadia selection i had, nut brown, was really good. would definitely go back if i were downtown for lunch.
(4)
Cait C.
I was a little hesitant to try this place. After my date suggested it, I yelped MBC and was put off by the mixed reviews. After my first visit, I have to say that I was very pleasantly surprised. First of all, I love the atmosphere. Felt like I was hanging at a friends house. Comfortable, relaxed, and without any tacky decor (we'll save that for Applebee's). It's a shame I didn't try any beer, but my date got the raspberry one and liked it. I'm not a frequent beer drinker so that's about all I can report on that. I ordered the twisted turkey sandwich and it was absolutely delicious. The flavors of each component stood out and yet really came together. I got waffle fries on the side and those were crispy & perfectly done. My date got the crab cake sandwich and really enjoyed it. The prices were not outrageous at all. I can't wait to try MBC again. I highly recommend.
(4)
Douglas S.
Somebody mentioned new management...uh yeah...the place is no longer Michigan Brewing Company...they went out of business.
(1)
kerry m.
Let me see... delicious Michigan Craft Brews - check, free peanuts - check, random board games to play - check! MBC is wonderful, and if you don't love it, you probably don't love Lansing. Or fun. Biggest tip I can give? Go after September 1 and get a Screamin' Pumpkin. They brew it with canned pumpkin instead of roasting the pumpkin like most other pumpkin ales. It seriously takes like pumpkin pie beer, and in my opinion is the only thing needed to make a fall season complete. Grand Cru is also an incredible beer. If you sweet talk the bartender he just may make you a beer bloody mary on an evening instead of a Sunday (they have brunch!), complete with spicy green beans. Yum!
(4)
Bella D.
My sister goes to law school in the city and insisted we all have dinner here. I absolutely loved MBC. The service was absolutely SUPERB. It has been years since I have seen service as good as this. I ordered the roasted vegetable sandwich (made with zucchini, mushrooms, and hummus), and it was fantastic. I would definitely go here again when I am in the area.
(5)
Roy R.
Decent beers, but the service is slow, the food cold. I had looked forward to eating here, what a disappointment! The day we ate there our waitress was somewhat friendly, but a little rude. I could understand her attitude though after watching the staff in action. The place about half full and our waitress was going on a full tilt the whole time we were there, while 3 or 4 other staff members stood by the kitchen window and watched the world go by. Our food sat on the counter waiting her and slowly got cold. I don't believe that the poor service was a result of her, rather poor management. Don't think I will bother with here again
(1)
Tiffany H.
I go to MBC for the delicious beer (duh) and trivia night (Tuesdays). I've found many new favorite brews on their menu, and at $4.50 each, it's worth sampling a few to find your favorites as well. I'm partial to the porter and the nut brown, myself, and the Grand Cru is nice for a little extra ABV (8%). Their weekly trivia night is way more intense than other trivia nights in the area, but definitely fun if you're into a challenge. As for everything else, it's true that MBC has zero personality. The staff is friendly, but it has that fake-homey feel of a corporate chain restaurant that makes me cringe. They are also home to Kid Rock's brew, complete with life-size Kid Rock decal on the wall. (I once speculated that the brew probably tasted like water. The waitress confirmed that it was "more like Bud Light or Coors Light" than an MBC beer... why??) Food options are typical, unmemorable pub fare (and the prices are slightly steep for downtown). I did try deep-fried pickles for the first time in my life here, but items like their portabello sandwich are really unpleasantly bland. Most recently, I ordered the House Salad, whose "fresh greens" turned out to be a bed of iceberg, that most nutritionally empty and flavorless of lettuces, topped with way too much raw onion. Only plus side - the sweet onion vinaigrette was DELICIOUS. But it wasn't a hard competition. In short: mmmmmmm beer. But eat somewhere else.
(3)
Jenny C.
Went in for lunch. Food service was a little slow for the number of people that were in there but not too bad. Our drinks were refilled promptly and the waitress was friendly. The food was OK, but the seasoning just a bit bland. I had the egg and pepper sandwich with chipolte mayo (I know, how can that be bland?). Tasty but while the spice level was fine, it needed a bit of acidity to make the flavors really pop. I added some Frank's hot sauce to the mayo (a bit vinegary) and suddenly the sandwich flavors stood out so much more. DH said his twisted turkey sandwich also need something but he couldn't quite put his finger on what. I'll try it again but I'm not particularly excited about it. We didn't try the beers as it was mid-day but they had 6 packs in the cooler for sale as we left. Maybe next time!
(3)
Erin O.
We've gone to MBC for trivia night twice in the past month. They do a free trivia night on Tuesdays and its a lot of fun. The first time we won a round of beer, and the next time we won a 6 pack! Their beers are really good- I liked the Belgian White and my husband likes their IPA. They have a nice beer list with great descriptions, and the waitresses know even more. Both of our waitresses were friendly and helpful. The food was never really impressive. It was basic bar food... nothing too fancy. They cooked their fish well though. It wasn't overcooked or too greasy. The atmosphere is great! It is a wide open feel and it has been busy every time we've gone (nice for downtown Lansing).
(4)
Stacey T.
I went here over the holidays and I was happy to see that Lansing is getting more good and fun restaurants! I had their white Belgium beer (not sure what they named it) and it was very good! I ate their french dip sandwich which wasn't bad but it wasn't anything to rave about. The sweet potato fries were good. They were playing a free trivia game which we participated in. That was fun and entertaining! We didn't do too good but it was fun to come up with random horrible answers for the questions! A couple of my friends really wanted wine with their dinner and this is a beer only place. It would be nice if they would add wine! We all had a good time. The waitress was pretty slow at getting our beers out. I think she forgot a couple times that we had ordered more, it was kinda annoying but since we were playing the trivia game it kinda distracted us from her lack of service! I like that you get peanuts to munch on before your meal! :)
(4)
James B.
Nothing special. Worth visiting once if ur in the area. Some beers not available due to facility issue.
(2)
Ed C.
It's nice to have an actual Brewpub in Lansing. I don't count Harpers because it's in East Lansing and is awful. Michigan Brewing Co is not the best brewery in the world. None of their beers are really earth shattering (leave that to Short's and Bell's), but they are all pretty good. If you want a brown ale, for example, MBC's brown ale will do right by you.Their Celis Grand Cru is the only one that REALLY stands out of the Michigan microbrew crow. All of the beers are $4.50 for a pint, which is reasonable. The food is pub food, but done quite well. They have veggie burgers, which is nice. You can also get fried pickles on your burger, which is delicious. They do them the correct Southern way: breaded slices that are deep fried, not spears. They also have some tasty sweet potato fries. So the food and beer are good and reasonably priced. It's also in a great location and has good hours. But what really puts it over the top for me is the ambience. It's non-smoking. There are no TVs and the music is kept low, so you can actually have a conversation. Also, the ceilings are high and they have large windows facing the street, so it's pretty well lit. Essentially, it's the exact opposite of a dank hole in the wall. Sometimes I want a dank hole in the wall, but not all the time.
(4)
Troy B.
The beer selection is plentiful. Their chicken wings were done just right and the salads are HUGE! A very popular night spot in downtown Lansing.
(4)
M V.
Good beer, decent food. the service is TERRIBLE! Expect to wait a while to get your drinks, and if you get those quickly then expect to wait a while to get your food. my roommates and friends and I go there often because thursdays are 35 cent thursdays, and the beer is good. But every time we go, whether it's lunch or dinner, the service is always terrible. i went once where I actually had a good waitress. she deserves about 4 stars, but that was only about once time.
(2)
Christopher M.
This is a great place to hang and have a beer or three. Great ambiance and usually easy to find seating. Mostly friendly staff. Great beers and decent food. The fall seasonal "screaming pumpkin" is one of my all time favorite beers. FREE PEANUTS!!!!
(4)
Erich Z.
MBC recently opened a location in Lansing, their second after the Webberville brewery. There is a wide selection of beers, of course, this being a brewpub. I personally liked their Porter, which has a bit of coffee and dark flavor. MBC also scores points with their selection of local fish, from perch to walleye and Lake Superior whitefish. The walleye was tasty if a bit overcooked and a tad bony, but the perch was fantastic. Even the half order was plenty - 4 perch fillets! The waffle fries were a great addition as well, and starting with fried pickle spears is always a great choice. Okay, it's not going to blow you away, but it's high time Lansing had a brewpub with local brews and decent pub food. As a huge bonus, you can get a giant growler of beer to go for like $11, and refills are $8. Super deal for some great beer. Extra extra bonus: they're open til 2 AM! Food until like 1:30 AM! In downtown freaking Lansing.
(4)
LAURA M.
Excited that more businesses are coming to downtown Lansing. I couldn't wait to take my husband there, as he is a beer connisseur. Initially I was not impressed with the decor or atmosphere. It is very stark, bright and boring. I couldn't hear the music, but people were so loud and echoing, that my husband and I could barely hear eachother.The bar is the LEAST inviting counter I've ever encountered. The host didn't offer us a basket of peanuts (in shell, like Texas Roadhouse). The server didn't come by too soon or too frequently, which was slightly bothersome, especially when your bottle of beer has been empty. We were sat at a small table up against a small wall section, blocking our view of the entire other half of the restaurant, very boring. Thankfully we enjoy looking at eachother :) The food was decent. I always attempt to make my meal as healthy as I can, omitting certain toppings or sides. It wasn't so easy, but I kinda caved and order fried pickles anyways. These were decent, I think they used Claussens. They were too thick tho, giant spears, mostly pickle, not much breading. My husband ordered some Bad Ass Kid Rock burger special. It was huge and pretty good. The waffle fries were terrific tho, but I did have to send them back the first time. They were still raw. I also had to send my sandwhich back because they forgot to put anything that I asked for on it (lettuce, pickles, onions, etc...) The odd thing is, they were things that are suppose to come on the sandwhich. The tab was reasonable, especially with 2 sandwhiches/fries, appetizer and 2 beers. It was under $25. I probably won't go there again, which is a disappointment. I am always excited to bring revenue to downtown Lansing.
(2)
Jon T.
When I heard MBC was opening a 2nd location in downtown Lansing, I was kinda stoked, hoping it would be a good hangout spot. But... Now, I've never had poor service or bad food here so please take that into consideration. But if I'm going out for a drink and casual bite, I like some ambiance. This place feels like it has no pulse. The staff is pretty stiff, doesn't talk much and they don't seem to be enjoying themselves in the slightest. This is a bar, right??? Plus, there's only one little tv behind the one end of the bar and it there was music on when I've been a few times, I really don't remember. I'd like to see MBC do well. They have some good beers but opt to drink them at home until they break this place in.
(2)
Diane U.
MBC makes above average beers, but most of them are not memorable. I really like the IPA I sampled, last night, but one of my favorite beers--period--is their Screamin' Pumpkin Spiced Ale. Love that stuff, and it's really incredible when it's from the tap instead of the bottle. ...but this isn't about the beer. It's about the establishment in downtown Lansing--the whole shebang. I was very excited to try MBC, so I made the two-hour journey from Detroit to meet some friends. I showed up late, and it took about 20 minutes to even get the waitress' attention, and then she forgot about me. After flagging her down, again--when we could actually find her--I finally had to say, "I'd like to order a Pale Ale and could I see the menu, please?" Things finally got rolling, but it still took a while to get my beer once I ordered it--probably 10 or 15 minutes. I ordered a burger, because burgers are usually a guarantee of a good meal. The waffle fries were boring and tasteless. The burger, well, the burger!--where's the beef?! The beef patty was thinner than a McDonald's burger! The bun was HUGE. I ate a few bites and pushed it away. When the waitress finally came around again, I told her that the burger was awful, and all she did was say, "I'm sorry," and handed me my bill. Really? I've had restaurants take back food and remove it from my bill for a hell of a lot less, and I didn't even say anything. Applebees, for example: the bartender noticed that I didn't eat my appetizer, and she asked me about it and I just kept saying, "That's okay! You guys didn't do anything wrong, I just didn't like it." I totally didn't expect them to remove it from my bill, but they did, and the manager even came and chatted with me for a while. I'm pretty disappointed that a Michigan microbrewery couldn't offer the same, if not superior service, to a chain restaurant. It was the worst dining experience I ever had. McDonald's would have given me better service and a better burger. For the first time, EVER, I didn't leave a tip. That's another funny thing: when she brought back my change, she didn't bring the coins. She just gave me the cash. Sure, it wasn't a lot of money, but how dare a business short me on my change! It was a waste of a two-hour drive for me, but I wouldn't even recommend this place for a five-minute walk. Lansing has other restaurants that are a hell of a lot better. Go check out the Nuthouse, if you're in the area.
(1)
Bethycorn Y.
want to grab a decent beer, well above average bar food, and avoid skeezy east lansing undergrads?!? go here! first of all, the beers are great. really big selection and they do a bunch of mixes of their brews -- like a black & tan -- our favorites are the trail mix and anything with the grand cru. they arent cheap, but they are delicious. foodwise this place is not fancy, but it is tasty...and a little more interesting than a typical bar. waffle and sweet potato fries are great and we have decimated a decent portion of the sandwich selection with great success. cant go wrong with a pretzel bun here. atmosphere can definitely vary -- sometimes bustling with professionals (after work?), sometimes crowded with families, and there can be big groups of people. outdoor seating is a nice perk when the weather is decent. going for drinks late is met with mixed results -- it can be dead -- but you can grab a seat at the bar and still have a good time. also -- they have a tv now -- if you care for watching games or keeping an eye out for tornado warnings : )
(5)
Tim H.
Went there for a business lunch. Got the fish & chips, was good quality -- though a bit smaller portions than some places. Colleague got the chicken salad which she didn't care for -- too much mayo she said. I'll update this review once I check out their happy hour specials.
(3)
J A.
Great beer and great pub-style food: I really enjoy the Twisted Turkey sandwich (on a pretzel roll, no less), sweet potato fries, Celis Raspberry beer, and (fried) pub pickles. There's also a less well-known brunch menu on Sunday, and there's a plethora of delicious breakfast/lunch combinations. Only downside is that the service is usually slow.
(4)
J.D. O.
Because of the variety of breweries in the Detroit area where I live, it's disappointing to see so few breweries in the Lansing area, with Michigan Beer Co being about the only choice. The Good: MBC has a great location in downtown Lansing. It's away from the craziness of East Lansing while still being close enough to drive. The food was amazing. We started off with deep fried pickles, which were much better than I thought they could be. The batter was perfect and they tasted great. I ordered a BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger and it was one of the best burgers I've had recently. The burger was cooked to a perfect juicy medium and the BBQ sauce was delicious. It came with a side of sweet potato fries that needed no salt or ketchup, as they were delicious. The Average (or maybe just above average): The beer list on the table is very impressive, although you'll need to make sure to check out the chalkboard above the bar to see what's available. I tried the Maibock and a seasonal that I can't think of right now (something akin to a porter or stout). They were both okay, but nothing that I would say I need to have again. I would've tried the porter and stout if they had them at the time, but they didn't. The selection was large enough that I'll need to go back and make sure I'm not forming my opinion too early. The Bad: The service was awful. Our waiter was very friendly, but it took him about 10 minutes after we came in to get our drink order. Throughout the meal, it took him much longer than it should to get new drinks and he did not check on us very often, which left us waiting quite a few times. All said, the excellent food and large beer selection will lead me back to MBC next time I'm in town.
(3)
Andre P.
Overrated beer If you are a business and you make something yourself, I would expect it to be better than what I can just buy at the store. Not true for the beer at MBC. We went there on a Monday (burger night) and I had a discount burger and a beer sampler. After tasting a sampling of all their brews I found it hard to choose one I would want to consume an entire glass of. They also had a ridiculous guy playing the guitar there as though they were going to provide some awesome music bar atmosphere on an otherwise boring Monday night. The music was painfully loud and we could only talk between the songs. I just wanted it to over but the service was so ridiculously slow that my agony was unnecessarily prolonged. Don't bother, there are now so many bars and restaurants on Washington Square that you don't need to waste your time on this one.
(2)
J S.
I was sooooo thankful when I found out that Lansing/East Lansing would finally have a brewery. This place is meh. The beer is okay, but the ambiance needs A LOT of work, and the food is so-so. Still, in the cultural wasteland of Lansing, where people think that Rick's is an awesome bar and that Club Rush is a good danceclub, I will take what I can get.
(3)
Ania S.
I was excited by the yam fries. Beats hopping down to Sevah to get them. Why doesn't MBC serve a great sauce with these though?? I too was disappointed by the atmosphere. It is definitely not cozy. The perch was good. I will probably be back for the yam fries.
(2)
Karen B.
This place is growing on me. I don't like microbrews normally but I'm ok with the Celis Grand Cru. Kudos to the staff. They do a good job even on a busy night. Not wild about most of the food. Don't get the burgers. Appetizers are about the only food I've liked here so far. I'll keep trying. They are still new and they have promise.
(3)
Lorraine H.
For lunch, I had only 1/2 hour so decided to order takeout for my first visit. I sat at a table and was served very quickly by friendly staff. She gave me a beverage to-go and placed my order, french onion soup and the house salad. It arrived pretty quickly, but while I waited, I enjoyed the free peanuts. Price was quite reasonable. Someone on yelp indicated that it's "not good for kids," but when I was there, three adults and four children were seated and were enjoying lunch. I was in and out in 15 minutes. I will definitely go back again!
(4)
T M.
Just giving a positive note about their Sunday brunch. It's nothing fancy, but much better than I'd expect from a bar. Nice job!
(4)
Patty R.
Beer way to weak compared to Harper's Brewpub in EL...too expensive for the beer too. TERRIBLE FOOD but desent service. Get a grip on making your beer stronger because we expect a bold flavor when it is freshly brewed. I given this place a chance 5 times now but I will opted for Harper's anyday.
(1)
Jason R.
After over a years delay, MBC is finally open. I had the chance to go for lunch today, and was quite impressed. The food was good, and the portions were large. The service was fast, and there were plenty of employees on hand. They had a bunch of beers on tap, all local brews. No national mega corporation beers here. $4.50 for a pint. Caution: Do not plan on going to the bar and watching a game on TV, as there is NO TV in the place. This must be corrected if they ever want to have a crowd on a sunday.
(4)
Carol C.
Go for a beer & eat somewhere else. They took the wings off menu, bummer. I had a blue cheese burger that had teeny tiny amount of cheese. Downtown spot is nice tho.
(2)
Lorraine H.
For lunch, I had only 1/2 hour so decided to order takeout for my first visit. I sat at a table and was served very quickly by friendly staff. She gave me a beverage to-go and placed my order, french onion soup and the house salad. It arrived pretty quickly, but while I waited, I enjoyed the free peanuts. Price was quite reasonable. Someone on yelp indicated that it's "not good for kids," but when I was there, three adults and four children were seated and were enjoying lunch. I was in and out in 15 minutes. I will definitely go back again!
(4)
T M.
Just giving a positive note about their Sunday brunch. It's nothing fancy, but much better than I'd expect from a bar. Nice job!
(4)
Patty R.
Beer way to weak compared to Harper's Brewpub in EL...too expensive for the beer too. TERRIBLE FOOD but desent service. Get a grip on making your beer stronger because we expect a bold flavor when it is freshly brewed. I given this place a chance 5 times now but I will opted for Harper's anyday.
(1)
Jason R.
After over a years delay, MBC is finally open. I had the chance to go for lunch today, and was quite impressed. The food was good, and the portions were large. The service was fast, and there were plenty of employees on hand. They had a bunch of beers on tap, all local brews. No national mega corporation beers here. $4.50 for a pint. Caution: Do not plan on going to the bar and watching a game on TV, as there is NO TV in the place. This must be corrected if they ever want to have a crowd on a sunday.
(4)
Carol C.
Go for a beer & eat somewhere else. They took the wings off menu, bummer. I had a blue cheese burger that had teeny tiny amount of cheese. Downtown spot is nice tho.
(2)
Bella D.
My sister goes to law school in the city and insisted we all have dinner here. I absolutely loved MBC. The service was absolutely SUPERB. It has been years since I have seen service as good as this. I ordered the roasted vegetable sandwich (made with zucchini, mushrooms, and hummus), and it was fantastic. I would definitely go here again when I am in the area.
(5)
Roy R.
Decent beers, but the service is slow, the food cold. I had looked forward to eating here, what a disappointment! The day we ate there our waitress was somewhat friendly, but a little rude. I could understand her attitude though after watching the staff in action. The place about half full and our waitress was going on a full tilt the whole time we were there, while 3 or 4 other staff members stood by the kitchen window and watched the world go by. Our food sat on the counter waiting her and slowly got cold. I don't believe that the poor service was a result of her, rather poor management. Don't think I will bother with here again
(1)
Tiffany H.
I go to MBC for the delicious beer (duh) and trivia night (Tuesdays). I've found many new favorite brews on their menu, and at $4.50 each, it's worth sampling a few to find your favorites as well. I'm partial to the porter and the nut brown, myself, and the Grand Cru is nice for a little extra ABV (8%). Their weekly trivia night is way more intense than other trivia nights in the area, but definitely fun if you're into a challenge. As for everything else, it's true that MBC has zero personality. The staff is friendly, but it has that fake-homey feel of a corporate chain restaurant that makes me cringe. They are also home to Kid Rock's brew, complete with life-size Kid Rock decal on the wall. (I once speculated that the brew probably tasted like water. The waitress confirmed that it was "more like Bud Light or Coors Light" than an MBC beer... why??) Food options are typical, unmemorable pub fare (and the prices are slightly steep for downtown). I did try deep-fried pickles for the first time in my life here, but items like their portabello sandwich are really unpleasantly bland. Most recently, I ordered the House Salad, whose "fresh greens" turned out to be a bed of iceberg, that most nutritionally empty and flavorless of lettuces, topped with way too much raw onion. Only plus side - the sweet onion vinaigrette was DELICIOUS. But it wasn't a hard competition. In short: mmmmmmm beer. But eat somewhere else.
(3)
Jenny C.
Went in for lunch. Food service was a little slow for the number of people that were in there but not too bad. Our drinks were refilled promptly and the waitress was friendly. The food was OK, but the seasoning just a bit bland. I had the egg and pepper sandwich with chipolte mayo (I know, how can that be bland?). Tasty but while the spice level was fine, it needed a bit of acidity to make the flavors really pop. I added some Frank's hot sauce to the mayo (a bit vinegary) and suddenly the sandwich flavors stood out so much more. DH said his twisted turkey sandwich also need something but he couldn't quite put his finger on what. I'll try it again but I'm not particularly excited about it. We didn't try the beers as it was mid-day but they had 6 packs in the cooler for sale as we left. Maybe next time!
(3)
Erin O.
We've gone to MBC for trivia night twice in the past month. They do a free trivia night on Tuesdays and its a lot of fun. The first time we won a round of beer, and the next time we won a 6 pack! Their beers are really good- I liked the Belgian White and my husband likes their IPA. They have a nice beer list with great descriptions, and the waitresses know even more. Both of our waitresses were friendly and helpful. The food was never really impressive. It was basic bar food... nothing too fancy. They cooked their fish well though. It wasn't overcooked or too greasy. The atmosphere is great! It is a wide open feel and it has been busy every time we've gone (nice for downtown Lansing).
(4)
Stacey T.
I went here over the holidays and I was happy to see that Lansing is getting more good and fun restaurants! I had their white Belgium beer (not sure what they named it) and it was very good! I ate their french dip sandwich which wasn't bad but it wasn't anything to rave about. The sweet potato fries were good. They were playing a free trivia game which we participated in. That was fun and entertaining! We didn't do too good but it was fun to come up with random horrible answers for the questions! A couple of my friends really wanted wine with their dinner and this is a beer only place. It would be nice if they would add wine! We all had a good time. The waitress was pretty slow at getting our beers out. I think she forgot a couple times that we had ordered more, it was kinda annoying but since we were playing the trivia game it kinda distracted us from her lack of service! I like that you get peanuts to munch on before your meal! :)
(4)
James B.
Nothing special. Worth visiting once if ur in the area. Some beers not available due to facility issue.
(2)
Ed C.
It's nice to have an actual Brewpub in Lansing. I don't count Harpers because it's in East Lansing and is awful. Michigan Brewing Co is not the best brewery in the world. None of their beers are really earth shattering (leave that to Short's and Bell's), but they are all pretty good. If you want a brown ale, for example, MBC's brown ale will do right by you.Their Celis Grand Cru is the only one that REALLY stands out of the Michigan microbrew crow. All of the beers are $4.50 for a pint, which is reasonable. The food is pub food, but done quite well. They have veggie burgers, which is nice. You can also get fried pickles on your burger, which is delicious. They do them the correct Southern way: breaded slices that are deep fried, not spears. They also have some tasty sweet potato fries. So the food and beer are good and reasonably priced. It's also in a great location and has good hours. But what really puts it over the top for me is the ambience. It's non-smoking. There are no TVs and the music is kept low, so you can actually have a conversation. Also, the ceilings are high and they have large windows facing the street, so it's pretty well lit. Essentially, it's the exact opposite of a dank hole in the wall. Sometimes I want a dank hole in the wall, but not all the time.
(4)
Troy B.
The beer selection is plentiful. Their chicken wings were done just right and the salads are HUGE! A very popular night spot in downtown Lansing.
(4)
Angela S.
As of May 11th, MBC is not filling growlers or selling 6-packs to go due to the Webberville location closing. They also have a modified beer menu with different brews like Key Lime Wheat in the meantime. Check it out if you're up for something new from your local hangout. At least they're compensating and still offering a great experience until the dust settles.
(3)
Erich Z.
MBC recently opened a location in Lansing, their second after the Webberville brewery. There is a wide selection of beers, of course, this being a brewpub. I personally liked their Porter, which has a bit of coffee and dark flavor. MBC also scores points with their selection of local fish, from perch to walleye and Lake Superior whitefish. The walleye was tasty if a bit overcooked and a tad bony, but the perch was fantastic. Even the half order was plenty - 4 perch fillets! The waffle fries were a great addition as well, and starting with fried pickle spears is always a great choice. Okay, it's not going to blow you away, but it's high time Lansing had a brewpub with local brews and decent pub food. As a huge bonus, you can get a giant growler of beer to go for like $11, and refills are $8. Super deal for some great beer. Extra extra bonus: they're open til 2 AM! Food until like 1:30 AM! In downtown freaking Lansing.
(4)
LAURA M.
Excited that more businesses are coming to downtown Lansing. I couldn't wait to take my husband there, as he is a beer connisseur. Initially I was not impressed with the decor or atmosphere. It is very stark, bright and boring. I couldn't hear the music, but people were so loud and echoing, that my husband and I could barely hear eachother.The bar is the LEAST inviting counter I've ever encountered. The host didn't offer us a basket of peanuts (in shell, like Texas Roadhouse). The server didn't come by too soon or too frequently, which was slightly bothersome, especially when your bottle of beer has been empty. We were sat at a small table up against a small wall section, blocking our view of the entire other half of the restaurant, very boring. Thankfully we enjoy looking at eachother :) The food was decent. I always attempt to make my meal as healthy as I can, omitting certain toppings or sides. It wasn't so easy, but I kinda caved and order fried pickles anyways. These were decent, I think they used Claussens. They were too thick tho, giant spears, mostly pickle, not much breading. My husband ordered some Bad Ass Kid Rock burger special. It was huge and pretty good. The waffle fries were terrific tho, but I did have to send them back the first time. They were still raw. I also had to send my sandwhich back because they forgot to put anything that I asked for on it (lettuce, pickles, onions, etc...) The odd thing is, they were things that are suppose to come on the sandwhich. The tab was reasonable, especially with 2 sandwhiches/fries, appetizer and 2 beers. It was under $25. I probably won't go there again, which is a disappointment. I am always excited to bring revenue to downtown Lansing.
(2)
Jon T.
When I heard MBC was opening a 2nd location in downtown Lansing, I was kinda stoked, hoping it would be a good hangout spot. But... Now, I've never had poor service or bad food here so please take that into consideration. But if I'm going out for a drink and casual bite, I like some ambiance. This place feels like it has no pulse. The staff is pretty stiff, doesn't talk much and they don't seem to be enjoying themselves in the slightest. This is a bar, right??? Plus, there's only one little tv behind the one end of the bar and it there was music on when I've been a few times, I really don't remember. I'd like to see MBC do well. They have some good beers but opt to drink them at home until they break this place in.
(2)
Tim H.
Went there for a business lunch. Got the fish & chips, was good quality -- though a bit smaller portions than some places. Colleague got the chicken salad which she didn't care for -- too much mayo she said. I'll update this review once I check out their happy hour specials.
(3)
J A.
Great beer and great pub-style food: I really enjoy the Twisted Turkey sandwich (on a pretzel roll, no less), sweet potato fries, Celis Raspberry beer, and (fried) pub pickles. There's also a less well-known brunch menu on Sunday, and there's a plethora of delicious breakfast/lunch combinations. Only downside is that the service is usually slow.
(4)
J.D. O.
Because of the variety of breweries in the Detroit area where I live, it's disappointing to see so few breweries in the Lansing area, with Michigan Beer Co being about the only choice. The Good: MBC has a great location in downtown Lansing. It's away from the craziness of East Lansing while still being close enough to drive. The food was amazing. We started off with deep fried pickles, which were much better than I thought they could be. The batter was perfect and they tasted great. I ordered a BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger and it was one of the best burgers I've had recently. The burger was cooked to a perfect juicy medium and the BBQ sauce was delicious. It came with a side of sweet potato fries that needed no salt or ketchup, as they were delicious. The Average (or maybe just above average): The beer list on the table is very impressive, although you'll need to make sure to check out the chalkboard above the bar to see what's available. I tried the Maibock and a seasonal that I can't think of right now (something akin to a porter or stout). They were both okay, but nothing that I would say I need to have again. I would've tried the porter and stout if they had them at the time, but they didn't. The selection was large enough that I'll need to go back and make sure I'm not forming my opinion too early. The Bad: The service was awful. Our waiter was very friendly, but it took him about 10 minutes after we came in to get our drink order. Throughout the meal, it took him much longer than it should to get new drinks and he did not check on us very often, which left us waiting quite a few times. All said, the excellent food and large beer selection will lead me back to MBC next time I'm in town.
(3)
Andre P.
Overrated beer If you are a business and you make something yourself, I would expect it to be better than what I can just buy at the store. Not true for the beer at MBC. We went there on a Monday (burger night) and I had a discount burger and a beer sampler. After tasting a sampling of all their brews I found it hard to choose one I would want to consume an entire glass of. They also had a ridiculous guy playing the guitar there as though they were going to provide some awesome music bar atmosphere on an otherwise boring Monday night. The music was painfully loud and we could only talk between the songs. I just wanted it to over but the service was so ridiculously slow that my agony was unnecessarily prolonged. Don't bother, there are now so many bars and restaurants on Washington Square that you don't need to waste your time on this one.
(2)
J S.
I was sooooo thankful when I found out that Lansing/East Lansing would finally have a brewery. This place is meh. The beer is okay, but the ambiance needs A LOT of work, and the food is so-so. Still, in the cultural wasteland of Lansing, where people think that Rick's is an awesome bar and that Club Rush is a good danceclub, I will take what I can get.
(3)
Diane U.
MBC makes above average beers, but most of them are not memorable. I really like the IPA I sampled, last night, but one of my favorite beers--period--is their Screamin' Pumpkin Spiced Ale. Love that stuff, and it's really incredible when it's from the tap instead of the bottle. ...but this isn't about the beer. It's about the establishment in downtown Lansing--the whole shebang. I was very excited to try MBC, so I made the two-hour journey from Detroit to meet some friends. I showed up late, and it took about 20 minutes to even get the waitress' attention, and then she forgot about me. After flagging her down, again--when we could actually find her--I finally had to say, "I'd like to order a Pale Ale and could I see the menu, please?" Things finally got rolling, but it still took a while to get my beer once I ordered it--probably 10 or 15 minutes. I ordered a burger, because burgers are usually a guarantee of a good meal. The waffle fries were boring and tasteless. The burger, well, the burger!--where's the beef?! The beef patty was thinner than a McDonald's burger! The bun was HUGE. I ate a few bites and pushed it away. When the waitress finally came around again, I told her that the burger was awful, and all she did was say, "I'm sorry," and handed me my bill. Really? I've had restaurants take back food and remove it from my bill for a hell of a lot less, and I didn't even say anything. Applebees, for example: the bartender noticed that I didn't eat my appetizer, and she asked me about it and I just kept saying, "That's okay! You guys didn't do anything wrong, I just didn't like it." I totally didn't expect them to remove it from my bill, but they did, and the manager even came and chatted with me for a while. I'm pretty disappointed that a Michigan microbrewery couldn't offer the same, if not superior service, to a chain restaurant. It was the worst dining experience I ever had. McDonald's would have given me better service and a better burger. For the first time, EVER, I didn't leave a tip. That's another funny thing: when she brought back my change, she didn't bring the coins. She just gave me the cash. Sure, it wasn't a lot of money, but how dare a business short me on my change! It was a waste of a two-hour drive for me, but I wouldn't even recommend this place for a five-minute walk. Lansing has other restaurants that are a hell of a lot better. Go check out the Nuthouse, if you're in the area.
(1)
Bethycorn Y.
want to grab a decent beer, well above average bar food, and avoid skeezy east lansing undergrads?!? go here! first of all, the beers are great. really big selection and they do a bunch of mixes of their brews -- like a black & tan -- our favorites are the trail mix and anything with the grand cru. they arent cheap, but they are delicious. foodwise this place is not fancy, but it is tasty...and a little more interesting than a typical bar. waffle and sweet potato fries are great and we have decimated a decent portion of the sandwich selection with great success. cant go wrong with a pretzel bun here. atmosphere can definitely vary -- sometimes bustling with professionals (after work?), sometimes crowded with families, and there can be big groups of people. outdoor seating is a nice perk when the weather is decent. going for drinks late is met with mixed results -- it can be dead -- but you can grab a seat at the bar and still have a good time. also -- they have a tv now -- if you care for watching games or keeping an eye out for tornado warnings : )
(5)
Ed C.
It's nice to have an actual Brewpub in Lansing. I don't count Harpers because it's in East Lansing and is awful. Michigan Brewing Co is not the best brewery in the world. None of their beers are really earth shattering (leave that to Short's and Bell's), but they are all pretty good. If you want a brown ale, for example, MBC's brown ale will do right by you.Their Celis Grand Cru is the only one that REALLY stands out of the Michigan microbrew crow. All of the beers are $4.50 for a pint, which is reasonable. The food is pub food, but done quite well. They have veggie burgers, which is nice. You can also get fried pickles on your burger, which is delicious. They do them the correct Southern way: breaded slices that are deep fried, not spears. They also have some tasty sweet potato fries. So the food and beer are good and reasonably priced. It's also in a great location and has good hours. But what really puts it over the top for me is the ambience. It's non-smoking. There are no TVs and the music is kept low, so you can actually have a conversation. Also, the ceilings are high and they have large windows facing the street, so it's pretty well lit. Essentially, it's the exact opposite of a dank hole in the wall. Sometimes I want a dank hole in the wall, but not all the time.
(4)
Troy B.
The beer selection is plentiful. Their chicken wings were done just right and the salads are HUGE! A very popular night spot in downtown Lansing.
(4)
M V.
Good beer, decent food. the service is TERRIBLE! Expect to wait a while to get your drinks, and if you get those quickly then expect to wait a while to get your food. my roommates and friends and I go there often because thursdays are 35 cent thursdays, and the beer is good. But every time we go, whether it's lunch or dinner, the service is always terrible. i went once where I actually had a good waitress. she deserves about 4 stars, but that was only about once time.
(2)
Christopher M.
This is a great place to hang and have a beer or three. Great ambiance and usually easy to find seating. Mostly friendly staff. Great beers and decent food. The fall seasonal "screaming pumpkin" is one of my all time favorite beers. FREE PEANUTS!!!!
(4)
Erich Z.
MBC recently opened a location in Lansing, their second after the Webberville brewery. There is a wide selection of beers, of course, this being a brewpub. I personally liked their Porter, which has a bit of coffee and dark flavor. MBC also scores points with their selection of local fish, from perch to walleye and Lake Superior whitefish. The walleye was tasty if a bit overcooked and a tad bony, but the perch was fantastic. Even the half order was plenty - 4 perch fillets! The waffle fries were a great addition as well, and starting with fried pickle spears is always a great choice. Okay, it's not going to blow you away, but it's high time Lansing had a brewpub with local brews and decent pub food. As a huge bonus, you can get a giant growler of beer to go for like $11, and refills are $8. Super deal for some great beer. Extra extra bonus: they're open til 2 AM! Food until like 1:30 AM! In downtown freaking Lansing.
(4)
LAURA M.
Excited that more businesses are coming to downtown Lansing. I couldn't wait to take my husband there, as he is a beer connisseur. Initially I was not impressed with the decor or atmosphere. It is very stark, bright and boring. I couldn't hear the music, but people were so loud and echoing, that my husband and I could barely hear eachother.The bar is the LEAST inviting counter I've ever encountered. The host didn't offer us a basket of peanuts (in shell, like Texas Roadhouse). The server didn't come by too soon or too frequently, which was slightly bothersome, especially when your bottle of beer has been empty. We were sat at a small table up against a small wall section, blocking our view of the entire other half of the restaurant, very boring. Thankfully we enjoy looking at eachother :) The food was decent. I always attempt to make my meal as healthy as I can, omitting certain toppings or sides. It wasn't so easy, but I kinda caved and order fried pickles anyways. These were decent, I think they used Claussens. They were too thick tho, giant spears, mostly pickle, not much breading. My husband ordered some Bad Ass Kid Rock burger special. It was huge and pretty good. The waffle fries were terrific tho, but I did have to send them back the first time. They were still raw. I also had to send my sandwhich back because they forgot to put anything that I asked for on it (lettuce, pickles, onions, etc...) The odd thing is, they were things that are suppose to come on the sandwhich. The tab was reasonable, especially with 2 sandwhiches/fries, appetizer and 2 beers. It was under $25. I probably won't go there again, which is a disappointment. I am always excited to bring revenue to downtown Lansing.
(2)
Jon T.
When I heard MBC was opening a 2nd location in downtown Lansing, I was kinda stoked, hoping it would be a good hangout spot. But... Now, I've never had poor service or bad food here so please take that into consideration. But if I'm going out for a drink and casual bite, I like some ambiance. This place feels like it has no pulse. The staff is pretty stiff, doesn't talk much and they don't seem to be enjoying themselves in the slightest. This is a bar, right??? Plus, there's only one little tv behind the one end of the bar and it there was music on when I've been a few times, I really don't remember. I'd like to see MBC do well. They have some good beers but opt to drink them at home until they break this place in.
(2)
J A.
Great beer and great pub-style food: I really enjoy the Twisted Turkey sandwich (on a pretzel roll, no less), sweet potato fries, Celis Raspberry beer, and (fried) pub pickles. There's also a less well-known brunch menu on Sunday, and there's a plethora of delicious breakfast/lunch combinations. Only downside is that the service is usually slow.
(4)
Tim H.
Went there for a business lunch. Got the fish & chips, was good quality -- though a bit smaller portions than some places. Colleague got the chicken salad which she didn't care for -- too much mayo she said. I'll update this review once I check out their happy hour specials.
(3)
J.D. O.
Because of the variety of breweries in the Detroit area where I live, it's disappointing to see so few breweries in the Lansing area, with Michigan Beer Co being about the only choice. The Good: MBC has a great location in downtown Lansing. It's away from the craziness of East Lansing while still being close enough to drive. The food was amazing. We started off with deep fried pickles, which were much better than I thought they could be. The batter was perfect and they tasted great. I ordered a BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger and it was one of the best burgers I've had recently. The burger was cooked to a perfect juicy medium and the BBQ sauce was delicious. It came with a side of sweet potato fries that needed no salt or ketchup, as they were delicious. The Average (or maybe just above average): The beer list on the table is very impressive, although you'll need to make sure to check out the chalkboard above the bar to see what's available. I tried the Maibock and a seasonal that I can't think of right now (something akin to a porter or stout). They were both okay, but nothing that I would say I need to have again. I would've tried the porter and stout if they had them at the time, but they didn't. The selection was large enough that I'll need to go back and make sure I'm not forming my opinion too early. The Bad: The service was awful. Our waiter was very friendly, but it took him about 10 minutes after we came in to get our drink order. Throughout the meal, it took him much longer than it should to get new drinks and he did not check on us very often, which left us waiting quite a few times. All said, the excellent food and large beer selection will lead me back to MBC next time I'm in town.
(3)
Andre P.
Overrated beer If you are a business and you make something yourself, I would expect it to be better than what I can just buy at the store. Not true for the beer at MBC. We went there on a Monday (burger night) and I had a discount burger and a beer sampler. After tasting a sampling of all their brews I found it hard to choose one I would want to consume an entire glass of. They also had a ridiculous guy playing the guitar there as though they were going to provide some awesome music bar atmosphere on an otherwise boring Monday night. The music was painfully loud and we could only talk between the songs. I just wanted it to over but the service was so ridiculously slow that my agony was unnecessarily prolonged. Don't bother, there are now so many bars and restaurants on Washington Square that you don't need to waste your time on this one.
(2)
Diane U.
MBC makes above average beers, but most of them are not memorable. I really like the IPA I sampled, last night, but one of my favorite beers--period--is their Screamin' Pumpkin Spiced Ale. Love that stuff, and it's really incredible when it's from the tap instead of the bottle. ...but this isn't about the beer. It's about the establishment in downtown Lansing--the whole shebang. I was very excited to try MBC, so I made the two-hour journey from Detroit to meet some friends. I showed up late, and it took about 20 minutes to even get the waitress' attention, and then she forgot about me. After flagging her down, again--when we could actually find her--I finally had to say, "I'd like to order a Pale Ale and could I see the menu, please?" Things finally got rolling, but it still took a while to get my beer once I ordered it--probably 10 or 15 minutes. I ordered a burger, because burgers are usually a guarantee of a good meal. The waffle fries were boring and tasteless. The burger, well, the burger!--where's the beef?! The beef patty was thinner than a McDonald's burger! The bun was HUGE. I ate a few bites and pushed it away. When the waitress finally came around again, I told her that the burger was awful, and all she did was say, "I'm sorry," and handed me my bill. Really? I've had restaurants take back food and remove it from my bill for a hell of a lot less, and I didn't even say anything. Applebees, for example: the bartender noticed that I didn't eat my appetizer, and she asked me about it and I just kept saying, "That's okay! You guys didn't do anything wrong, I just didn't like it." I totally didn't expect them to remove it from my bill, but they did, and the manager even came and chatted with me for a while. I'm pretty disappointed that a Michigan microbrewery couldn't offer the same, if not superior service, to a chain restaurant. It was the worst dining experience I ever had. McDonald's would have given me better service and a better burger. For the first time, EVER, I didn't leave a tip. That's another funny thing: when she brought back my change, she didn't bring the coins. She just gave me the cash. Sure, it wasn't a lot of money, but how dare a business short me on my change! It was a waste of a two-hour drive for me, but I wouldn't even recommend this place for a five-minute walk. Lansing has other restaurants that are a hell of a lot better. Go check out the Nuthouse, if you're in the area.
(1)
Bethycorn Y.
want to grab a decent beer, well above average bar food, and avoid skeezy east lansing undergrads?!? go here! first of all, the beers are great. really big selection and they do a bunch of mixes of their brews -- like a black & tan -- our favorites are the trail mix and anything with the grand cru. they arent cheap, but they are delicious. foodwise this place is not fancy, but it is tasty...and a little more interesting than a typical bar. waffle and sweet potato fries are great and we have decimated a decent portion of the sandwich selection with great success. cant go wrong with a pretzel bun here. atmosphere can definitely vary -- sometimes bustling with professionals (after work?), sometimes crowded with families, and there can be big groups of people. outdoor seating is a nice perk when the weather is decent. going for drinks late is met with mixed results -- it can be dead -- but you can grab a seat at the bar and still have a good time. also -- they have a tv now -- if you care for watching games or keeping an eye out for tornado warnings : )
(5)
J S.
I was sooooo thankful when I found out that Lansing/East Lansing would finally have a brewery. This place is meh. The beer is okay, but the ambiance needs A LOT of work, and the food is so-so. Still, in the cultural wasteland of Lansing, where people think that Rick's is an awesome bar and that Club Rush is a good danceclub, I will take what I can get.
(3)
Ania S.
I was excited by the yam fries. Beats hopping down to Sevah to get them. Why doesn't MBC serve a great sauce with these though?? I too was disappointed by the atmosphere. It is definitely not cozy. The perch was good. I will probably be back for the yam fries.
(2)
Karen B.
This place is growing on me. I don't like microbrews normally but I'm ok with the Celis Grand Cru. Kudos to the staff. They do a good job even on a busy night. Not wild about most of the food. Don't get the burgers. Appetizers are about the only food I've liked here so far. I'll keep trying. They are still new and they have promise.
(3)
Lorraine H.
For lunch, I had only 1/2 hour so decided to order takeout for my first visit. I sat at a table and was served very quickly by friendly staff. She gave me a beverage to-go and placed my order, french onion soup and the house salad. It arrived pretty quickly, but while I waited, I enjoyed the free peanuts. Price was quite reasonable. Someone on yelp indicated that it's "not good for kids," but when I was there, three adults and four children were seated and were enjoying lunch. I was in and out in 15 minutes. I will definitely go back again!
(4)
T M.
Just giving a positive note about their Sunday brunch. It's nothing fancy, but much better than I'd expect from a bar. Nice job!
(4)
Patty R.
Beer way to weak compared to Harper's Brewpub in EL...too expensive for the beer too. TERRIBLE FOOD but desent service. Get a grip on making your beer stronger because we expect a bold flavor when it is freshly brewed. I given this place a chance 5 times now but I will opted for Harper's anyday.
(1)
Jason R.
After over a years delay, MBC is finally open. I had the chance to go for lunch today, and was quite impressed. The food was good, and the portions were large. The service was fast, and there were plenty of employees on hand. They had a bunch of beers on tap, all local brews. No national mega corporation beers here. $4.50 for a pint. Caution: Do not plan on going to the bar and watching a game on TV, as there is NO TV in the place. This must be corrected if they ever want to have a crowd on a sunday.
(4)
Carol C.
Go for a beer & eat somewhere else. They took the wings off menu, bummer. I had a blue cheese burger that had teeny tiny amount of cheese. Downtown spot is nice tho.
(2)
Morris N.
They serve fancy bar food at reasonable prices. Place is casual and service was great. Street parking was easy to find on a weekday for lunch. I had the fish and chips which included fries, and coleslaw. Portions were large and not too expensive.
(3)
Lyn I.
Clean and pleasant place for a beer, cocktail and/or meal. Has an outdoor patio. WiFi available with TVs at the bar. Had the smoked whitefish salad and was pleasantly surprised. Beer selection is good.
(4)
Karen C.
This is just a food review since we didn't order any drinks. We went on a Monday night and found out they have half off burgers! Normally, the prices of burgers are around $10-13. I don't remember the name of the burger I had but it had cheddar cheese and BBQ sauce. It was ok. I ordered it with their pub garlic fries which were really good! My bf got the black bean burger since he's a vegetarian and he really enjoyed it! The patty had a good texture; not too mushy. He had the sweet potato fries and that was really good too. Oh yeah, with their burgers you get to choose a variety of potatoes! Like their pub garlic fries, sweet potato fries, tater tots, and waffle fries!! It was very difficult for me to choose. I would come back just to try some other things out and order some drinks. Seems like they had a good variety of beers on tap. I think I'll try their home made crab cake sandwich!
(3)
Chelsea M.
Let me start of by saying the beers were really good, and over all we enjoyed our experience at MBC in Downtown Lansing. However the management and waitstaff really need to get their acts together! Before going to MBC we checked out their website to see if they had a happy hour, any specials, etc. We were pleasantly surprised to see they had $1 off pints and a $4 app from 3-6 Mon.-Thur. So, into to MBC we go for their happy hour. The waitress was extremely cold from the moment she first approached the table. No greeting- nothing. We ordered drink and reviewed the appetizer menu. There was nothing about special pricing on any of the items listed. So we asked-"We don't have any appetizer specials, we got a new menu." We told her it was listed on the website. "I'll go check." Over comes the manager- "We haven't had those specials since the middle of November. We can't get our web developer to change the website so we're not doing that anymore and there isn't anything I can do about the website." Not one offer of anything because of their issue with their website. No discounted apps or drinks... "it's not my fault" Well, it's a good the beer was good because that manager was pretty redic. We did end up ordering fried pickles (pretty good but the dipping sauce could use some serious improvement) and onion rings (nice and crispy with good batter). If you are thinking about heading to MBC, skip the trip to the website. Apparently they are not responsible for it's content anyway. PS- bring money for the parking meters.
(2)
Peter C.
We have been to MBC multiple times, and I want to like it, but it continually falls short. Recommendations: The crab cakes are very good (for Michigan). Ask to try the beers before ordering. Some are much better than others. Avoid the fries. Sometimes they are good, but usually they taste terrible. They don't seem to clean their oil often enough. The burgers aren't that great. There are better burger options in downtown Lansing. Our most recent visit was the worst visit we had there. It was on a Sunday afternoon. The place was not crowded, but our server seemed to work hard at neglecting our table. I ordered a fish sandwich with french fries. The sandwich was ok, but the fries were completely inedible. No one at our table could eat them. When the server eventually made her way back to our table, we complained about the fries, she said, "Oh, that's just how they are here. Sorry you didn't like the taste." And she charged us for four orders of fires even though clearly no one ate more than one or two off of their plate. We like the atmosphere here and it is a good place to meet friends to drink some beers together. They have complimentary peanuts waiting on all the tables when you sit down and the appetizers are decent.
(2)
Catherine M.
I go to MBC weekly, for their trivia night, and sometimes bi-weekly just for the beer alone. I am a huge fan of their Celis beers, and their specials. $6 growler refills on Tuesdays, happy hour all day on Sunday? Super sweet. But the trivia night, where I can yell at my dad and tell him he is wrong? Priceless. I would skip the deep fried pickles. I was super amped about them, and they felt like exploding eyeballs in my mouth. Beyond that I never really eat here, just drink. Its an odd crowd of after work professionals, meets 20 something dudes, with a little bit of middle aged folks who look straight up lost.
(4)
James F.
This is a nice brewpub in downtown Lansing on Washington Ave. The brews are excellent. When I was there, the selection was down somewhat, but the 7 or 8 micros I tried were all quality. I particularly enjoyed the High Seas IPA, an 11.9% smooth IPA. The food is upscale for a brewpub. My wife had the crabcake salad, and I tried the "Build Your Own" Burger with sauteed onions and fried pickles on a pretzel bun. Both were very good. The decor is a bit sterile, but is comfortable. The service was a little slow at first, but once we were noticed, the wait staff was helpful and prompt. The bartender was excellent on the second night we stopped by. Overall, this is probably the best place to get a good quality beer in Lansing. If you are a fan of a good craft beer, don't miss this gem in Michigan's capital.
(4)
Angela S.
As of May 11th, MBC is not filling growlers or selling 6-packs to go due to the Webberville location closing. They also have a modified beer menu with different brews like Key Lime Wheat in the meantime. Check it out if you're up for something new from your local hangout. At least they're compensating and still offering a great experience until the dust settles.
(3)
Joann R.
Went in for a low-key Friday late night dinner and ended up with a beautiful cozy live music filled night. The space was lovely and walking up to the restaurant saw the tiki torches in the front and people having a good time. We wanted to sit in the front and enjoy the nice breeze but then heard the live music and decided to stay inside. Wow, the music was fantastic and the perfect backdrop to enjoy Midtown's amazing in-house beers and their delicious entrees. I ordered the Bánh mà and while it wasn't close to the original it was a really nice rendition. My boyfriend ordered the Cubano and was slightly dissapointed but the garlic pub fries made up for it, we also ordered the mac & cheese and that was the highlight of the night besides the beers. Overall it was a great experience, the servers were attentive but not overbearing and the drinks were delicious. It would be nice to know when they have live music though because the crowd was pretty dismal for a Friday night.
(4)
Erica D.
Very cool surprise. Our bartender was amazing! He made us laugh, taught us a thing or two about their unique beer options, and made me the best non-alcoholic mojito-esque drink ever. It was so refreshing. MBC has a lot of alcoholic offerings I'd never heard of before. It's a great place to explore your booze palette. The food looked good too, although we weren't there to eat. I'll definitely be back to try it! Only turn off is the interior. Pretty plain/slightly rustic.
(4)
Chris M.
Because I lived less than four blocks away, MBC quickly became one of my haunts. Two of the bartenders understood that I was a die-hard Oregon Ducks fan, and would reserve at least one television on Saturdays for football games. When you consider that every tv in Lansing would be on whatever respective Michigan-based sports team was playing, and here is Spartans country, they went above and beyond in doing that for me. As for the business itself, great! They always make sure to have plenty of beers on tap, dominated by regional and local brews. Their food never let me down, and being a poor college student, the house-cut garlic fries were a steal, and delicious to boot. Quite possibly the best fries in Lansing & East Lansing. There you go. Give MBC a try. They never let me down.
(5)
Andy O.
I would have given four stars because it's always crowded when I go, but I can't fault them for being awesome. The servers have CONSISTENTLY been polite and knowledgeable. The beer is amazing (especially in the fall, try their pumpkin spice ale). The food is incredible, in fact, I've NEVER had waffle fries that I liked until going here (it took some solid convincing on my friends' parts to even try them before I then had to order some for myself). I'm surprised to see an overall mediocre rating. This place is really high on my list for meeting spots with clients or colleagues, and large groups.
(5)
James F.
This is a nice brewpub in downtown Lansing on Washington Ave. The brews are excellent. When I was there, the selection was down somewhat, but the 7 or 8 micros I tried were all quality. I particularly enjoyed the High Seas IPA, an 11.9% smooth IPA. The food is upscale for a brewpub. My wife had the crabcake salad, and I tried the "Build Your Own" Burger with sauteed onions and fried pickles on a pretzel bun. Both were very good. The decor is a bit sterile, but is comfortable. The service was a little slow at first, but once we were noticed, the wait staff was helpful and prompt. The bartender was excellent on the second night we stopped by. Overall, this is probably the best place to get a good quality beer in Lansing. If you are a fan of a good craft beer, don't miss this gem in Michigan's capital.
(4)
Stacey T.
I went here over the holidays and I was happy to see that Lansing is getting more good and fun restaurants! I had their white Belgium beer (not sure what they named it) and it was very good! I ate their french dip sandwich which wasn't bad but it wasn't anything to rave about. The sweet potato fries were good. They were playing a free trivia game which we participated in. That was fun and entertaining! We didn't do too good but it was fun to come up with random horrible answers for the questions! A couple of my friends really wanted wine with their dinner and this is a beer only place. It would be nice if they would add wine! We all had a good time. The waitress was pretty slow at getting our beers out. I think she forgot a couple times that we had ordered more, it was kinda annoying but since we were playing the trivia game it kinda distracted us from her lack of service! I like that you get peanuts to munch on before your meal! :)
(4)
James B.
Nothing special. Worth visiting once if ur in the area. Some beers not available due to facility issue.
(2)
Ania S.
I was excited by the yam fries. Beats hopping down to Sevah to get them. Why doesn't MBC serve a great sauce with these though?? I too was disappointed by the atmosphere. It is definitely not cozy. The perch was good. I will probably be back for the yam fries.
(2)
Karen B.
This place is growing on me. I don't like microbrews normally but I'm ok with the Celis Grand Cru. Kudos to the staff. They do a good job even on a busy night. Not wild about most of the food. Don't get the burgers. Appetizers are about the only food I've liked here so far. I'll keep trying. They are still new and they have promise.
(3)
M V.
Good beer, decent food. the service is TERRIBLE! Expect to wait a while to get your drinks, and if you get those quickly then expect to wait a while to get your food. my roommates and friends and I go there often because thursdays are 35 cent thursdays, and the beer is good. But every time we go, whether it's lunch or dinner, the service is always terrible. i went once where I actually had a good waitress. she deserves about 4 stars, but that was only about once time.
(2)
Christopher M.
This is a great place to hang and have a beer or three. Great ambiance and usually easy to find seating. Mostly friendly staff. Great beers and decent food. The fall seasonal "screaming pumpkin" is one of my all time favorite beers. FREE PEANUTS!!!!
(4)
Joann R.
Went in for a low-key Friday late night dinner and ended up with a beautiful cozy live music filled night. The space was lovely and walking up to the restaurant saw the tiki torches in the front and people having a good time. We wanted to sit in the front and enjoy the nice breeze but then heard the live music and decided to stay inside. Wow, the music was fantastic and the perfect backdrop to enjoy Midtown's amazing in-house beers and their delicious entrees. I ordered the Bánh mà and while it wasn't close to the original it was a really nice rendition. My boyfriend ordered the Cubano and was slightly dissapointed but the garlic pub fries made up for it, we also ordered the mac & cheese and that was the highlight of the night besides the beers. Overall it was a great experience, the servers were attentive but not overbearing and the drinks were delicious. It would be nice to know when they have live music though because the crowd was pretty dismal for a Friday night.
(4)
Erica D.
Very cool surprise. Our bartender was amazing! He made us laugh, taught us a thing or two about their unique beer options, and made me the best non-alcoholic mojito-esque drink ever. It was so refreshing. MBC has a lot of alcoholic offerings I'd never heard of before. It's a great place to explore your booze palette. The food looked good too, although we weren't there to eat. I'll definitely be back to try it! Only turn off is the interior. Pretty plain/slightly rustic.
(4)
Chris M.
Because I lived less than four blocks away, MBC quickly became one of my haunts. Two of the bartenders understood that I was a die-hard Oregon Ducks fan, and would reserve at least one television on Saturdays for football games. When you consider that every tv in Lansing would be on whatever respective Michigan-based sports team was playing, and here is Spartans country, they went above and beyond in doing that for me. As for the business itself, great! They always make sure to have plenty of beers on tap, dominated by regional and local brews. Their food never let me down, and being a poor college student, the house-cut garlic fries were a steal, and delicious to boot. Quite possibly the best fries in Lansing & East Lansing. There you go. Give MBC a try. They never let me down.
(5)
Andy O.
I would have given four stars because it's always crowded when I go, but I can't fault them for being awesome. The servers have CONSISTENTLY been polite and knowledgeable. The beer is amazing (especially in the fall, try their pumpkin spice ale). The food is incredible, in fact, I've NEVER had waffle fries that I liked until going here (it took some solid convincing on my friends' parts to even try them before I then had to order some for myself). I'm surprised to see an overall mediocre rating. This place is really high on my list for meeting spots with clients or colleagues, and large groups.
(5)
Tim M.
My review here is the exact same one as for the "Michigan Brewing Company" because despite Yelp's bizarre insistence that the "Michigan Brewing Company" (this specific pub, that is; not the actual brewery in Williamston) is closed it is not... It just no longer brews it's own poor quality beer and now they sell other breweries good quality beers; so they changed their name to reflect that; thus dropping the word "brewing" from the name. --------------------- Midtown Beer Company (MBC) used to be affiliated with MBC (the Michigan Brewing Company) an actual brewery that used to be located in Williamston. MBC's (the brewery) beer wasn't very good and apparently MBC (the brewery) wasn't very good at paying their rent so suffice it say: they folded and the Lansing pub changed its name and started carrying other Michigan crafts (which was a substantial step up in beer quality). MBC (the pub) offers the traditional selection of pub fare (Reuben's, burgers, chicken wings, etc...). None of it is extraordinary, it may in fact be a bit overpriced, but it's not bad by any means. The real issue with MBC is the venue. Located at the far south end of the downtown Lansing-Washington sq businesses, MBC is a large open space with high vaulted ceilings featuring poor acoustics. As a result it requires very few people to be present before the noise gets out of control. Which makes the decision to push the tables to the wall and feature local musicians a confusing one. Don't get me wrong - I love music and want to support local musicians but the acoustics are so shoddy and the lack of any real performing space really kills the experience. MBC would be a significantly better pub if they just installed some noise dampening foam or heavy fabric drapes. Additionally, MBC should consider reorienting it's furniture; as it is the layout is disjointed and doesn't lend itself to the performers well; every time musicians arrive the bar looses effective seating. As it is the noise makes the bar to uncomfortable for me to remain for more than one drink during peak hours. I'm sure I'm not the only one...
(3)
Cristy C.
All of the food was really fantastic. The lobster pizza was rich, but tasty. The pulled pork on the nachos and Hog's Heaven was sooo good. Service was initially very slow, we probably sat for 15 mins before they recognized that we had fallen through the cracks. After that, things went smoothly. Looking forward to going back to try the crab cakes! All beer choices were good, but the cider was served a little warm.
(4)
Roberta M.
After waiting 15 min with no waitstaff at our table, we went to the bar for service. Not cool, people. Good selection of wine and beer. 40 min. Still no waitstaff. Now we don't have time to order food. WTF. Lots of interesting items on the menu, but glad we grabbed appetizers at Troppo first!
(1)
Nicholas P.
I should start by stating that I am a fan of the Michigan Brewing Co.'s beer, and I think beer fans should make the trip on the merits of the beer alone. I went in with my family during a Spartan football away game at noon on a Saturday, and a football-watching crowd sparsely populated the restaurant. The game was on a large projection screen, and the sound did not in any way disturb our conversation yet was certainly loud enough for those watching to hear. The food is above-average bar fare, and the sandwiches were a good size and the prices were just right. The MBC restaurant is great for a relaxing time watching your favorite sports team!
Great spot! Usually when I order a flight of beer I only like a few lf them, but NOT the case at Midtown! Loved them all. Food was super duper awesome too. Staff was friendly and inviting. No wait at all on a Saturday. Will definitely be back. Oh, they also have a great selection of board games!
(5)
McSaddle X.
If there are bees in the Biergarten, let owner and proprietor Marc Wolbert know, he will ward them off with special bee telepathy. If you forgot your EpiPen, make sure you tip your server well. Also, they are brewing all sorts of new drafts these days, stop in if you haven't in a while.
(4)
Matt O.
If you want to come to a restaurant where you make a reservation and then the manager gives it away right before you get there? This is the place for you. Apparently here, making a reservation means making a time where you beginning waiting for a table to clear. Hope you have a great meal
(1)
Paul D.
Second visit to the Midtown. Love the food, the service and the beer. The chef is on point, the lamb burger with the spicy feta makes my mouth water just thinking about it. The bahn mi is very good too, nice and spicy, well balanced. Great atmosphere.
Haven't been here since it was the other MBC, and I'm glad I gave it a shot. The bistro steak salad had enough protein to be a legit post workout meal, if you aren't VERY hungry, go for the half. Service was a bit slow at first finished well, I'll be back for sure.
(4)
Qiana G.
First time here. Service was great...very honest about what I had questions about. I got the lobster roll with totes and it was soooooooo good. I highly recommend.
(5)
Champion S.
Really good food, absolutely awesome beer but zero good looking women and the atmosphere was ridiculously boring. I'd go again but I am bringing like every friend I can muster!
(3)
Richard K.
This is a gem of downtown lansing. I wish I knew about it sooner and there were more like it.
(5)
Walter K.
Take my review as 3.5. I want to give it four stars but the food brings it down. Beer is good especially their stout Irish. Ate the BBQ burger with tater tots. Burger was 1/3 allegedly. Service was great at 2100 on a Sunday.
(4)
Laura H.
Don't get the pizza. You can find a better tasting pizza in the frozen aisle for less than $2. The waitress and workers were very friendly and service was good. The other people we were with got burgers and sandwiches which looked delicious. I really hope they take the pizza off their menu unless they decide to improve and not use a frozen pizza.
(2)
Matt C.
Good beer, good food, good service (most of the time). Its a good bar. Not exceptional, but good. The bartenders are knowledgeable, and friendly. The menu has traditional bar fare with cleaver twists. Weekly specials are a bargain, especially Wacky Mug Wednesday. Bring your mug in, and they'll fill it with 22oz of house beer for $3! Personally, its my first choice for pubs downtown Lansing, and that's why I go regularly. So with all the good things, why three stars? Because after all said and done, its a brewpub. And it doesn't even have the brewery there. The environment is good, but not great; the food is above average for Lansing, but not amazing; and the prices are reasonable. In other words, it is a solid place to get beer and food, so three stars.
(3)
Paul D.
Great local gem! We decided to give this a try to hook up with an old friend that lives and works down by the capitol, and had a great time. Their beer selection is vast, though a bit IPA-heavy for the moment, with all Michigan craft beers. They serve peanuts-in-the-shell as a complimentary appetizer, which is a great accompaniment for craft beer. Finally, the menu was vast and seemed well thought-out and prepared. We had a salad, a burger and a chicken sandwich and all were quite good. It used to be the Michigan Brewing Company tasting room, but with the demise of the parent brewery they had to re-brand and adapt. I hope this place does well, it seems to be off to a strong start in its new model.
(5)
Tom F.
Dinner, Book Store and Spartan Basketball game. It doesn't get any better than this unless it's a football game. This is a decent sports bar with a great selection of beer. The food was just on par with a sports bar. I had the burger. It was decent. Nothing fancy or special. The fries were ok. I would definitely would go here again before a basketball game or just to hang out.
(3)
Erick P.
4 stars because nobody gets 5 in my book. We had a really good time here at an after work function. Our server great. He was very knowledgeable about the beers. He was also very entertaining. It may have beenthe chocolat strawberry stout. We had a fun time. I would recommend coming.
(4)
Holly N.
I still really enjoy MBC, even the second time around. I like the ambiance and the feel for a mid-Michigan establishment. However, pops didn't appreciate the volume of the music because he found it hard to hear the two of us sitting with him. There definitely seemed to be some after work regulars and some families moseying in for an early evening dinner. Our waitress was so much better than the waitress had been the first time around! She was prompt, pleasant, and polite. Not to mention that she actually had an opinion about the food and drinks she was serving, unlike the server we had back in November. When trying to make a decision about what to order I asked her and her eyes rolled back into her head as she proclaimed that the burgers there are "ahhhhhmazing!" I wouldn't necessarily go that far to say ahhhhhmazing, but both my pops and I had a burger and they were good. We also went for the salad, which was an added $2 or something, but were quality "side" salads. Another improvement that can be made is adding the menu to the website... I know they have the beers listed there, but the menu is great and it's a bummer I can't go back and figure out exactly what burger I had. I appreciate how hard this place is trying to make a great impression and I think they are well on their way!
(4)
M G.
Really surprised not to see higher ratings on this place. I had a steak sandwhich recommended by the bartender and it was really good. they had an arcadia tap takeover, which is slightly disapointing, because i'm curious what they usually have on tap, but the arcadia selection i had, nut brown, was really good. would definitely go back if i were downtown for lunch.
(4)
Tim M.
My review here is the exact same one as for the "Michigan Brewing Company" because despite Yelp's bizarre insistence that the "Michigan Brewing Company" (this specific pub, that is; not the actual brewery in Williamston) is closed it is not... It just no longer brews it's own poor quality beer and now they sell other breweries good quality beers; so they changed their name to reflect that; thus dropping the word "brewing" from the name. --------------------- Midtown Beer Company (MBC) used to be affiliated with MBC (the Michigan Brewing Company) an actual brewery that used to be located in Williamston. MBC's (the brewery) beer wasn't very good and apparently MBC (the brewery) wasn't very good at paying their rent so suffice it say: they folded and the Lansing pub changed its name and started carrying other Michigan crafts (which was a substantial step up in beer quality). MBC (the pub) offers the traditional selection of pub fare (Reuben's, burgers, chicken wings, etc...). None of it is extraordinary, it may in fact be a bit overpriced, but it's not bad by any means. The real issue with MBC is the venue. Located at the far south end of the downtown Lansing-Washington sq businesses, MBC is a large open space with high vaulted ceilings featuring poor acoustics. As a result it requires very few people to be present before the noise gets out of control. Which makes the decision to push the tables to the wall and feature local musicians a confusing one. Don't get me wrong - I love music and want to support local musicians but the acoustics are so shoddy and the lack of any real performing space really kills the experience. MBC would be a significantly better pub if they just installed some noise dampening foam or heavy fabric drapes. Additionally, MBC should consider reorienting it's furniture; as it is the layout is disjointed and doesn't lend itself to the performers well; every time musicians arrive the bar looses effective seating. As it is the noise makes the bar to uncomfortable for me to remain for more than one drink during peak hours. I'm sure I'm not the only one...
(3)
Cristy C.
All of the food was really fantastic. The lobster pizza was rich, but tasty. The pulled pork on the nachos and Hog's Heaven was sooo good. Service was initially very slow, we probably sat for 15 mins before they recognized that we had fallen through the cracks. After that, things went smoothly. Looking forward to going back to try the crab cakes! All beer choices were good, but the cider was served a little warm.
(4)
Roberta M.
After waiting 15 min with no waitstaff at our table, we went to the bar for service. Not cool, people. Good selection of wine and beer. 40 min. Still no waitstaff. Now we don't have time to order food. WTF. Lots of interesting items on the menu, but glad we grabbed appetizers at Troppo first!
(1)
Nicholas P.
I should start by stating that I am a fan of the Michigan Brewing Co.'s beer, and I think beer fans should make the trip on the merits of the beer alone. I went in with my family during a Spartan football away game at noon on a Saturday, and a football-watching crowd sparsely populated the restaurant. The game was on a large projection screen, and the sound did not in any way disturb our conversation yet was certainly loud enough for those watching to hear. The food is above-average bar fare, and the sandwiches were a good size and the prices were just right. The MBC restaurant is great for a relaxing time watching your favorite sports team!
Great spot! Usually when I order a flight of beer I only like a few lf them, but NOT the case at Midtown! Loved them all. Food was super duper awesome too. Staff was friendly and inviting. No wait at all on a Saturday. Will definitely be back. Oh, they also have a great selection of board games!
(5)
McSaddle X.
If there are bees in the Biergarten, let owner and proprietor Marc Wolbert know, he will ward them off with special bee telepathy. If you forgot your EpiPen, make sure you tip your server well. Also, they are brewing all sorts of new drafts these days, stop in if you haven't in a while.
(4)
Matt O.
If you want to come to a restaurant where you make a reservation and then the manager gives it away right before you get there? This is the place for you. Apparently here, making a reservation means making a time where you beginning waiting for a table to clear. Hope you have a great meal
(1)
Paul D.
Second visit to the Midtown. Love the food, the service and the beer. The chef is on point, the lamb burger with the spicy feta makes my mouth water just thinking about it. The bahn mi is very good too, nice and spicy, well balanced. Great atmosphere.
Haven't been here since it was the other MBC, and I'm glad I gave it a shot. The bistro steak salad had enough protein to be a legit post workout meal, if you aren't VERY hungry, go for the half. Service was a bit slow at first finished well, I'll be back for sure.
(4)
Qiana G.
First time here. Service was great...very honest about what I had questions about. I got the lobster roll with totes and it was soooooooo good. I highly recommend.
(5)
Champion S.
Really good food, absolutely awesome beer but zero good looking women and the atmosphere was ridiculously boring. I'd go again but I am bringing like every friend I can muster!
(3)
Richard K.
This is a gem of downtown lansing. I wish I knew about it sooner and there were more like it.
(5)
Walter K.
Take my review as 3.5. I want to give it four stars but the food brings it down. Beer is good especially their stout Irish. Ate the BBQ burger with tater tots. Burger was 1/3 allegedly. Service was great at 2100 on a Sunday.
(4)
Laura H.
Don't get the pizza. You can find a better tasting pizza in the frozen aisle for less than $2. The waitress and workers were very friendly and service was good. The other people we were with got burgers and sandwiches which looked delicious. I really hope they take the pizza off their menu unless they decide to improve and not use a frozen pizza.
(2)
Matt C.
Good beer, good food, good service (most of the time). Its a good bar. Not exceptional, but good. The bartenders are knowledgeable, and friendly. The menu has traditional bar fare with cleaver twists. Weekly specials are a bargain, especially Wacky Mug Wednesday. Bring your mug in, and they'll fill it with 22oz of house beer for $3! Personally, its my first choice for pubs downtown Lansing, and that's why I go regularly. So with all the good things, why three stars? Because after all said and done, its a brewpub. And it doesn't even have the brewery there. The environment is good, but not great; the food is above average for Lansing, but not amazing; and the prices are reasonable. In other words, it is a solid place to get beer and food, so three stars.
(3)
Paul D.
Great local gem! We decided to give this a try to hook up with an old friend that lives and works down by the capitol, and had a great time. Their beer selection is vast, though a bit IPA-heavy for the moment, with all Michigan craft beers. They serve peanuts-in-the-shell as a complimentary appetizer, which is a great accompaniment for craft beer. Finally, the menu was vast and seemed well thought-out and prepared. We had a salad, a burger and a chicken sandwich and all were quite good. It used to be the Michigan Brewing Company tasting room, but with the demise of the parent brewery they had to re-brand and adapt. I hope this place does well, it seems to be off to a strong start in its new model.
(5)
Tom F.
Dinner, Book Store and Spartan Basketball game. It doesn't get any better than this unless it's a football game. This is a decent sports bar with a great selection of beer. The food was just on par with a sports bar. I had the burger. It was decent. Nothing fancy or special. The fries were ok. I would definitely would go here again before a basketball game or just to hang out.
(3)
Erick P.
4 stars because nobody gets 5 in my book. We had a really good time here at an after work function. Our server great. He was very knowledgeable about the beers. He was also very entertaining. It may have beenthe chocolat strawberry stout. We had a fun time. I would recommend coming.
(4)
Morris N.
They serve fancy bar food at reasonable prices. Place is casual and service was great. Street parking was easy to find on a weekday for lunch. I had the fish and chips which included fries, and coleslaw. Portions were large and not too expensive.
(3)
Lyn I.
Clean and pleasant place for a beer, cocktail and/or meal. Has an outdoor patio. WiFi available with TVs at the bar. Had the smoked whitefish salad and was pleasantly surprised. Beer selection is good.
(4)
Karen C.
This is just a food review since we didn't order any drinks. We went on a Monday night and found out they have half off burgers! Normally, the prices of burgers are around $10-13. I don't remember the name of the burger I had but it had cheddar cheese and BBQ sauce. It was ok. I ordered it with their pub garlic fries which were really good! My bf got the black bean burger since he's a vegetarian and he really enjoyed it! The patty had a good texture; not too mushy. He had the sweet potato fries and that was really good too. Oh yeah, with their burgers you get to choose a variety of potatoes! Like their pub garlic fries, sweet potato fries, tater tots, and waffle fries!! It was very difficult for me to choose. I would come back just to try some other things out and order some drinks. Seems like they had a good variety of beers on tap. I think I'll try their home made crab cake sandwich!
(3)
Chelsea M.
Let me start of by saying the beers were really good, and over all we enjoyed our experience at MBC in Downtown Lansing. However the management and waitstaff really need to get their acts together! Before going to MBC we checked out their website to see if they had a happy hour, any specials, etc. We were pleasantly surprised to see they had $1 off pints and a $4 app from 3-6 Mon.-Thur. So, into to MBC we go for their happy hour. The waitress was extremely cold from the moment she first approached the table. No greeting- nothing. We ordered drink and reviewed the appetizer menu. There was nothing about special pricing on any of the items listed. So we asked-"We don't have any appetizer specials, we got a new menu." We told her it was listed on the website. "I'll go check." Over comes the manager- "We haven't had those specials since the middle of November. We can't get our web developer to change the website so we're not doing that anymore and there isn't anything I can do about the website." Not one offer of anything because of their issue with their website. No discounted apps or drinks... "it's not my fault" Well, it's a good the beer was good because that manager was pretty redic. We did end up ordering fried pickles (pretty good but the dipping sauce could use some serious improvement) and onion rings (nice and crispy with good batter). If you are thinking about heading to MBC, skip the trip to the website. Apparently they are not responsible for it's content anyway. PS- bring money for the parking meters.
(2)
Holly N.
I still really enjoy MBC, even the second time around. I like the ambiance and the feel for a mid-Michigan establishment. However, pops didn't appreciate the volume of the music because he found it hard to hear the two of us sitting with him. There definitely seemed to be some after work regulars and some families moseying in for an early evening dinner. Our waitress was so much better than the waitress had been the first time around! She was prompt, pleasant, and polite. Not to mention that she actually had an opinion about the food and drinks she was serving, unlike the server we had back in November. When trying to make a decision about what to order I asked her and her eyes rolled back into her head as she proclaimed that the burgers there are "ahhhhhmazing!" I wouldn't necessarily go that far to say ahhhhhmazing, but both my pops and I had a burger and they were good. We also went for the salad, which was an added $2 or something, but were quality "side" salads. Another improvement that can be made is adding the menu to the website... I know they have the beers listed there, but the menu is great and it's a bummer I can't go back and figure out exactly what burger I had. I appreciate how hard this place is trying to make a great impression and I think they are well on their way!
(4)
M G.
Really surprised not to see higher ratings on this place. I had a steak sandwhich recommended by the bartender and it was really good. they had an arcadia tap takeover, which is slightly disapointing, because i'm curious what they usually have on tap, but the arcadia selection i had, nut brown, was really good. would definitely go back if i were downtown for lunch.
(4)
Cait C.
I was a little hesitant to try this place. After my date suggested it, I yelped MBC and was put off by the mixed reviews. After my first visit, I have to say that I was very pleasantly surprised. First of all, I love the atmosphere. Felt like I was hanging at a friends house. Comfortable, relaxed, and without any tacky decor (we'll save that for Applebee's). It's a shame I didn't try any beer, but my date got the raspberry one and liked it. I'm not a frequent beer drinker so that's about all I can report on that. I ordered the twisted turkey sandwich and it was absolutely delicious. The flavors of each component stood out and yet really came together. I got waffle fries on the side and those were crispy & perfectly done. My date got the crab cake sandwich and really enjoyed it. The prices were not outrageous at all. I can't wait to try MBC again. I highly recommend.
(4)
Douglas S.
Somebody mentioned new management...uh yeah...the place is no longer Michigan Brewing Company...they went out of business.
(1)
kerry m.
Let me see... delicious Michigan Craft Brews - check, free peanuts - check, random board games to play - check! MBC is wonderful, and if you don't love it, you probably don't love Lansing. Or fun. Biggest tip I can give? Go after September 1 and get a Screamin' Pumpkin. They brew it with canned pumpkin instead of roasting the pumpkin like most other pumpkin ales. It seriously takes like pumpkin pie beer, and in my opinion is the only thing needed to make a fall season complete. Grand Cru is also an incredible beer. If you sweet talk the bartender he just may make you a beer bloody mary on an evening instead of a Sunday (they have brunch!), complete with spicy green beans. Yum!
(4)
Bella D.
My sister goes to law school in the city and insisted we all have dinner here. I absolutely loved MBC. The service was absolutely SUPERB. It has been years since I have seen service as good as this. I ordered the roasted vegetable sandwich (made with zucchini, mushrooms, and hummus), and it was fantastic. I would definitely go here again when I am in the area.
(5)
Roy R.
Decent beers, but the service is slow, the food cold. I had looked forward to eating here, what a disappointment! The day we ate there our waitress was somewhat friendly, but a little rude. I could understand her attitude though after watching the staff in action. The place about half full and our waitress was going on a full tilt the whole time we were there, while 3 or 4 other staff members stood by the kitchen window and watched the world go by. Our food sat on the counter waiting her and slowly got cold. I don't believe that the poor service was a result of her, rather poor management. Don't think I will bother with here again
(1)
Tiffany H.
I go to MBC for the delicious beer (duh) and trivia night (Tuesdays). I've found many new favorite brews on their menu, and at $4.50 each, it's worth sampling a few to find your favorites as well. I'm partial to the porter and the nut brown, myself, and the Grand Cru is nice for a little extra ABV (8%). Their weekly trivia night is way more intense than other trivia nights in the area, but definitely fun if you're into a challenge. As for everything else, it's true that MBC has zero personality. The staff is friendly, but it has that fake-homey feel of a corporate chain restaurant that makes me cringe. They are also home to Kid Rock's brew, complete with life-size Kid Rock decal on the wall. (I once speculated that the brew probably tasted like water. The waitress confirmed that it was "more like Bud Light or Coors Light" than an MBC beer... why??) Food options are typical, unmemorable pub fare (and the prices are slightly steep for downtown). I did try deep-fried pickles for the first time in my life here, but items like their portabello sandwich are really unpleasantly bland. Most recently, I ordered the House Salad, whose "fresh greens" turned out to be a bed of iceberg, that most nutritionally empty and flavorless of lettuces, topped with way too much raw onion. Only plus side - the sweet onion vinaigrette was DELICIOUS. But it wasn't a hard competition. In short: mmmmmmm beer. But eat somewhere else.
(3)
Jenny C.
Went in for lunch. Food service was a little slow for the number of people that were in there but not too bad. Our drinks were refilled promptly and the waitress was friendly. The food was OK, but the seasoning just a bit bland. I had the egg and pepper sandwich with chipolte mayo (I know, how can that be bland?). Tasty but while the spice level was fine, it needed a bit of acidity to make the flavors really pop. I added some Frank's hot sauce to the mayo (a bit vinegary) and suddenly the sandwich flavors stood out so much more. DH said his twisted turkey sandwich also need something but he couldn't quite put his finger on what. I'll try it again but I'm not particularly excited about it. We didn't try the beers as it was mid-day but they had 6 packs in the cooler for sale as we left. Maybe next time!
(3)
Erin O.
We've gone to MBC for trivia night twice in the past month. They do a free trivia night on Tuesdays and its a lot of fun. The first time we won a round of beer, and the next time we won a 6 pack! Their beers are really good- I liked the Belgian White and my husband likes their IPA. They have a nice beer list with great descriptions, and the waitresses know even more. Both of our waitresses were friendly and helpful. The food was never really impressive. It was basic bar food... nothing too fancy. They cooked their fish well though. It wasn't overcooked or too greasy. The atmosphere is great! It is a wide open feel and it has been busy every time we've gone (nice for downtown Lansing).
(4)
Peter C.
We have been to MBC multiple times, and I want to like it, but it continually falls short. Recommendations: The crab cakes are very good (for Michigan). Ask to try the beers before ordering. Some are much better than others. Avoid the fries. Sometimes they are good, but usually they taste terrible. They don't seem to clean their oil often enough. The burgers aren't that great. There are better burger options in downtown Lansing. Our most recent visit was the worst visit we had there. It was on a Sunday afternoon. The place was not crowded, but our server seemed to work hard at neglecting our table. I ordered a fish sandwich with french fries. The sandwich was ok, but the fries were completely inedible. No one at our table could eat them. When the server eventually made her way back to our table, we complained about the fries, she said, "Oh, that's just how they are here. Sorry you didn't like the taste." And she charged us for four orders of fires even though clearly no one ate more than one or two off of their plate. We like the atmosphere here and it is a good place to meet friends to drink some beers together. They have complimentary peanuts waiting on all the tables when you sit down and the appetizers are decent.
(2)
Catherine M.
I go to MBC weekly, for their trivia night, and sometimes bi-weekly just for the beer alone. I am a huge fan of their Celis beers, and their specials. $6 growler refills on Tuesdays, happy hour all day on Sunday? Super sweet. But the trivia night, where I can yell at my dad and tell him he is wrong? Priceless. I would skip the deep fried pickles. I was super amped about them, and they felt like exploding eyeballs in my mouth. Beyond that I never really eat here, just drink. Its an odd crowd of after work professionals, meets 20 something dudes, with a little bit of middle aged folks who look straight up lost.
(4)
Cait C.
I was a little hesitant to try this place. After my date suggested it, I yelped MBC and was put off by the mixed reviews. After my first visit, I have to say that I was very pleasantly surprised. First of all, I love the atmosphere. Felt like I was hanging at a friends house. Comfortable, relaxed, and without any tacky decor (we'll save that for Applebee's). It's a shame I didn't try any beer, but my date got the raspberry one and liked it. I'm not a frequent beer drinker so that's about all I can report on that. I ordered the twisted turkey sandwich and it was absolutely delicious. The flavors of each component stood out and yet really came together. I got waffle fries on the side and those were crispy & perfectly done. My date got the crab cake sandwich and really enjoyed it. The prices were not outrageous at all. I can't wait to try MBC again. I highly recommend.
(4)
Douglas S.
Somebody mentioned new management...uh yeah...the place is no longer Michigan Brewing Company...they went out of business.
(1)
kerry m.
Let me see... delicious Michigan Craft Brews - check, free peanuts - check, random board games to play - check! MBC is wonderful, and if you don't love it, you probably don't love Lansing. Or fun. Biggest tip I can give? Go after September 1 and get a Screamin' Pumpkin. They brew it with canned pumpkin instead of roasting the pumpkin like most other pumpkin ales. It seriously takes like pumpkin pie beer, and in my opinion is the only thing needed to make a fall season complete. Grand Cru is also an incredible beer. If you sweet talk the bartender he just may make you a beer bloody mary on an evening instead of a Sunday (they have brunch!), complete with spicy green beans. Yum!
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch, Dinner Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Good For Dancing : No Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Happy Hour : Yes Coat Check : No Smoking : No Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Joann R.
Went in for a low-key Friday late night dinner and ended up with a beautiful cozy live music filled night. The space was lovely and walking up to the restaurant saw the tiki torches in the front and people having a good time. We wanted to sit in the front and enjoy the nice breeze but then heard the live music and decided to stay inside. Wow, the music was fantastic and the perfect backdrop to enjoy Midtown's amazing in-house beers and their delicious entrees. I ordered the Bánh mà and while it wasn't close to the original it was a really nice rendition. My boyfriend ordered the Cubano and was slightly dissapointed but the garlic pub fries made up for it, we also ordered the mac & cheese and that was the highlight of the night besides the beers. Overall it was a great experience, the servers were attentive but not overbearing and the drinks were delicious. It would be nice to know when they have live music though because the crowd was pretty dismal for a Friday night.
(4)Erica D.
Very cool surprise. Our bartender was amazing! He made us laugh, taught us a thing or two about their unique beer options, and made me the best non-alcoholic mojito-esque drink ever. It was so refreshing. MBC has a lot of alcoholic offerings I'd never heard of before. It's a great place to explore your booze palette. The food looked good too, although we weren't there to eat. I'll definitely be back to try it! Only turn off is the interior. Pretty plain/slightly rustic.
(4)Nicholas P.
I should start by stating that I am a fan of the Michigan Brewing Co.'s beer, and I think beer fans should make the trip on the merits of the beer alone. I went in with my family during a Spartan football away game at noon on a Saturday, and a football-watching crowd sparsely populated the restaurant. The game was on a large projection screen, and the sound did not in any way disturb our conversation yet was certainly loud enough for those watching to hear. The food is above-average bar fare, and the sandwiches were a good size and the prices were just right. The MBC restaurant is great for a relaxing time watching your favorite sports team!
(4)Chris M.
Because I lived less than four blocks away, MBC quickly became one of my haunts. Two of the bartenders understood that I was a die-hard Oregon Ducks fan, and would reserve at least one television on Saturdays for football games. When you consider that every tv in Lansing would be on whatever respective Michigan-based sports team was playing, and here is Spartans country, they went above and beyond in doing that for me. As for the business itself, great! They always make sure to have plenty of beers on tap, dominated by regional and local brews. Their food never let me down, and being a poor college student, the house-cut garlic fries were a steal, and delicious to boot. Quite possibly the best fries in Lansing & East Lansing. There you go. Give MBC a try. They never let me down.
(5)Tim M.
My review here is the exact same one as for the "Michigan Brewing Company" because despite Yelp's bizarre insistence that the "Michigan Brewing Company" (this specific pub, that is; not the actual brewery in Williamston) is closed it is not... It just no longer brews it's own poor quality beer and now they sell other breweries good quality beers; so they changed their name to reflect that; thus dropping the word "brewing" from the name. --------------------- Midtown Beer Company (MBC) used to be affiliated with MBC (the Michigan Brewing Company) an actual brewery that used to be located in Williamston. MBC's (the brewery) beer wasn't very good and apparently MBC (the brewery) wasn't very good at paying their rent so suffice it say: they folded and the Lansing pub changed its name and started carrying other Michigan crafts (which was a substantial step up in beer quality). MBC (the pub) offers the traditional selection of pub fare (Reuben's, burgers, chicken wings, etc...). None of it is extraordinary, it may in fact be a bit overpriced, but it's not bad by any means. The real issue with MBC is the venue. Located at the far south end of the downtown Lansing-Washington sq businesses, MBC is a large open space with high vaulted ceilings featuring poor acoustics. As a result it requires very few people to be present before the noise gets out of control. Which makes the decision to push the tables to the wall and feature local musicians a confusing one. Don't get me wrong - I love music and want to support local musicians but the acoustics are so shoddy and the lack of any real performing space really kills the experience. MBC would be a significantly better pub if they just installed some noise dampening foam or heavy fabric drapes. Additionally, MBC should consider reorienting it's furniture; as it is the layout is disjointed and doesn't lend itself to the performers well; every time musicians arrive the bar looses effective seating. As it is the noise makes the bar to uncomfortable for me to remain for more than one drink during peak hours. I'm sure I'm not the only one...
(3)Cristy C.
All of the food was really fantastic. The lobster pizza was rich, but tasty. The pulled pork on the nachos and Hog's Heaven was sooo good. Service was initially very slow, we probably sat for 15 mins before they recognized that we had fallen through the cracks. After that, things went smoothly. Looking forward to going back to try the crab cakes! All beer choices were good, but the cider was served a little warm.
(4)Roberta M.
After waiting 15 min with no waitstaff at our table, we went to the bar for service. Not cool, people. Good selection of wine and beer. 40 min. Still no waitstaff. Now we don't have time to order food. WTF. Lots of interesting items on the menu, but glad we grabbed appetizers at Troppo first!
(1)Andy O.
I would have given four stars because it's always crowded when I go, but I can't fault them for being awesome. The servers have CONSISTENTLY been polite and knowledgeable. The beer is amazing (especially in the fall, try their pumpkin spice ale). The food is incredible, in fact, I've NEVER had waffle fries that I liked until going here (it took some solid convincing on my friends' parts to even try them before I then had to order some for myself). I'm surprised to see an overall mediocre rating. This place is really high on my list for meeting spots with clients or colleagues, and large groups.
(5)Catalin B.
I like this place. For me it's convenient because I live across the street and it's open late. So if I want a good brew or a nice meal, later in the evening, Midtown is a sure thing. The beer is good. It's a little heavy on the IPAs. They had a phenomenal Carmel Wheat and a great Coconut Stout that I enjoyed. When it comes to beer, if you're a hophead this place is for you. The cocktails are still being refined. Of course it's a brewery, so expectation management is key. That being said, they have fresh herbs and the bartenders are smart and open-minded. They can make up just about anything and are always willing to experiment. The food is really creative for pub food. They have the great burgers and assortment of fried food normally found at a bar but they also have lobster grilled cheese sandwiches and a bistro streak salad layered with greens, hash, made to order steak and topped with an egg. The wings are also amazing if you're looking for jumbo sized, smoked wings with a near perfect amount of heat. The service is polite but it is slow. This is especially true around lunch time. This has to do with the volume of costumers. If catching a quick meal when you're on a tight clock is your plan, this isn't the place. This is a cool brewery where you go if you have a little time to relax and enjoy the food and company of friends. Between the décor, the outdoor seating and live music, trivia and open mic nights Midtown has a great ambiance. I would definitely recommend this place to friends.
(4)Karlye P.
Great spot! Usually when I order a flight of beer I only like a few lf them, but NOT the case at Midtown! Loved them all. Food was super duper awesome too. Staff was friendly and inviting. No wait at all on a Saturday. Will definitely be back. Oh, they also have a great selection of board games!
(5)McSaddle X.
If there are bees in the Biergarten, let owner and proprietor Marc Wolbert know, he will ward them off with special bee telepathy. If you forgot your EpiPen, make sure you tip your server well. Also, they are brewing all sorts of new drafts these days, stop in if you haven't in a while.
(4)Matt O.
If you want to come to a restaurant where you make a reservation and then the manager gives it away right before you get there? This is the place for you. Apparently here, making a reservation means making a time where you beginning waiting for a table to clear. Hope you have a great meal
(1)Paul D.
Second visit to the Midtown. Love the food, the service and the beer. The chef is on point, the lamb burger with the spicy feta makes my mouth water just thinking about it. The bahn mi is very good too, nice and spicy, well balanced. Great atmosphere.
(4)Brandy R.
I have always liked this place even when it used to be that other "MBC". The food and drinks are still excellent! They even make their own beer now which is pretty awesome, and I can't wait till that expands to a larger production! I love this place so much, that after my fiancé and I got engaged we came here right after for dinner and celebratory drinks! Wouldn't you know we also booked this place for a wonderful rehearsal dinner the day before our wedding! We had a large party of 40 people and they accommodated us with a special limited menu and drinks. The service was great as always and everyone had an amazing time! This place is highly recommended and I hope to celebrate many more anniversaries here! Thank you MBC for being the place I have enjoyed throughout various milestones throughout my life! You rock!
(5)Friedrich S.
Haven't been here since it was the other MBC, and I'm glad I gave it a shot. The bistro steak salad had enough protein to be a legit post workout meal, if you aren't VERY hungry, go for the half. Service was a bit slow at first finished well, I'll be back for sure.
(4)Qiana G.
First time here. Service was great...very honest about what I had questions about. I got the lobster roll with totes and it was soooooooo good. I highly recommend.
(5)Champion S.
Really good food, absolutely awesome beer but zero good looking women and the atmosphere was ridiculously boring. I'd go again but I am bringing like every friend I can muster!
(3)Richard K.
This is a gem of downtown lansing. I wish I knew about it sooner and there were more like it.
(5)Peter C.
We have been to MBC multiple times, and I want to like it, but it continually falls short. Recommendations: The crab cakes are very good (for Michigan). Ask to try the beers before ordering. Some are much better than others. Avoid the fries. Sometimes they are good, but usually they taste terrible. They don't seem to clean their oil often enough. The burgers aren't that great. There are better burger options in downtown Lansing. Our most recent visit was the worst visit we had there. It was on a Sunday afternoon. The place was not crowded, but our server seemed to work hard at neglecting our table. I ordered a fish sandwich with french fries. The sandwich was ok, but the fries were completely inedible. No one at our table could eat them. When the server eventually made her way back to our table, we complained about the fries, she said, "Oh, that's just how they are here. Sorry you didn't like the taste." And she charged us for four orders of fires even though clearly no one ate more than one or two off of their plate. We like the atmosphere here and it is a good place to meet friends to drink some beers together. They have complimentary peanuts waiting on all the tables when you sit down and the appetizers are decent.
(2)Catherine M.
I go to MBC weekly, for their trivia night, and sometimes bi-weekly just for the beer alone. I am a huge fan of their Celis beers, and their specials. $6 growler refills on Tuesdays, happy hour all day on Sunday? Super sweet. But the trivia night, where I can yell at my dad and tell him he is wrong? Priceless. I would skip the deep fried pickles. I was super amped about them, and they felt like exploding eyeballs in my mouth. Beyond that I never really eat here, just drink. Its an odd crowd of after work professionals, meets 20 something dudes, with a little bit of middle aged folks who look straight up lost.
(4)James F.
This is a nice brewpub in downtown Lansing on Washington Ave. The brews are excellent. When I was there, the selection was down somewhat, but the 7 or 8 micros I tried were all quality. I particularly enjoyed the High Seas IPA, an 11.9% smooth IPA. The food is upscale for a brewpub. My wife had the crabcake salad, and I tried the "Build Your Own" Burger with sauteed onions and fried pickles on a pretzel bun. Both were very good. The decor is a bit sterile, but is comfortable. The service was a little slow at first, but once we were noticed, the wait staff was helpful and prompt. The bartender was excellent on the second night we stopped by. Overall, this is probably the best place to get a good quality beer in Lansing. If you are a fan of a good craft beer, don't miss this gem in Michigan's capital.
(4)Angela S.
As of May 11th, MBC is not filling growlers or selling 6-packs to go due to the Webberville location closing. They also have a modified beer menu with different brews like Key Lime Wheat in the meantime. Check it out if you're up for something new from your local hangout. At least they're compensating and still offering a great experience until the dust settles.
(3)Walter K.
Take my review as 3.5. I want to give it four stars but the food brings it down. Beer is good especially their stout Irish. Ate the BBQ burger with tater tots. Burger was 1/3 allegedly. Service was great at 2100 on a Sunday.
(4)Laura H.
Don't get the pizza. You can find a better tasting pizza in the frozen aisle for less than $2. The waitress and workers were very friendly and service was good. The other people we were with got burgers and sandwiches which looked delicious. I really hope they take the pizza off their menu unless they decide to improve and not use a frozen pizza.
(2)Matt C.
Good beer, good food, good service (most of the time). Its a good bar. Not exceptional, but good. The bartenders are knowledgeable, and friendly. The menu has traditional bar fare with cleaver twists. Weekly specials are a bargain, especially Wacky Mug Wednesday. Bring your mug in, and they'll fill it with 22oz of house beer for $3! Personally, its my first choice for pubs downtown Lansing, and that's why I go regularly. So with all the good things, why three stars? Because after all said and done, its a brewpub. And it doesn't even have the brewery there. The environment is good, but not great; the food is above average for Lansing, but not amazing; and the prices are reasonable. In other words, it is a solid place to get beer and food, so three stars.
(3)Paul D.
Great local gem! We decided to give this a try to hook up with an old friend that lives and works down by the capitol, and had a great time. Their beer selection is vast, though a bit IPA-heavy for the moment, with all Michigan craft beers. They serve peanuts-in-the-shell as a complimentary appetizer, which is a great accompaniment for craft beer. Finally, the menu was vast and seemed well thought-out and prepared. We had a salad, a burger and a chicken sandwich and all were quite good. It used to be the Michigan Brewing Company tasting room, but with the demise of the parent brewery they had to re-brand and adapt. I hope this place does well, it seems to be off to a strong start in its new model.
(5)Tom F.
Dinner, Book Store and Spartan Basketball game. It doesn't get any better than this unless it's a football game. This is a decent sports bar with a great selection of beer. The food was just on par with a sports bar. I had the burger. It was decent. Nothing fancy or special. The fries were ok. I would definitely would go here again before a basketball game or just to hang out.
(3)Erick P.
4 stars because nobody gets 5 in my book. We had a really good time here at an after work function. Our server great. He was very knowledgeable about the beers. He was also very entertaining. It may have beenthe chocolat strawberry stout. We had a fun time. I would recommend coming.
(4)Morris N.
They serve fancy bar food at reasonable prices. Place is casual and service was great. Street parking was easy to find on a weekday for lunch. I had the fish and chips which included fries, and coleslaw. Portions were large and not too expensive.
(3)Lyn I.
Clean and pleasant place for a beer, cocktail and/or meal. Has an outdoor patio. WiFi available with TVs at the bar. Had the smoked whitefish salad and was pleasantly surprised. Beer selection is good.
(4)Karen C.
This is just a food review since we didn't order any drinks. We went on a Monday night and found out they have half off burgers! Normally, the prices of burgers are around $10-13. I don't remember the name of the burger I had but it had cheddar cheese and BBQ sauce. It was ok. I ordered it with their pub garlic fries which were really good! My bf got the black bean burger since he's a vegetarian and he really enjoyed it! The patty had a good texture; not too mushy. He had the sweet potato fries and that was really good too. Oh yeah, with their burgers you get to choose a variety of potatoes! Like their pub garlic fries, sweet potato fries, tater tots, and waffle fries!! It was very difficult for me to choose. I would come back just to try some other things out and order some drinks. Seems like they had a good variety of beers on tap. I think I'll try their home made crab cake sandwich!
(3)Chelsea M.
Let me start of by saying the beers were really good, and over all we enjoyed our experience at MBC in Downtown Lansing. However the management and waitstaff really need to get their acts together! Before going to MBC we checked out their website to see if they had a happy hour, any specials, etc. We were pleasantly surprised to see they had $1 off pints and a $4 app from 3-6 Mon.-Thur. So, into to MBC we go for their happy hour. The waitress was extremely cold from the moment she first approached the table. No greeting- nothing. We ordered drink and reviewed the appetizer menu. There was nothing about special pricing on any of the items listed. So we asked-"We don't have any appetizer specials, we got a new menu." We told her it was listed on the website. "I'll go check." Over comes the manager- "We haven't had those specials since the middle of November. We can't get our web developer to change the website so we're not doing that anymore and there isn't anything I can do about the website." Not one offer of anything because of their issue with their website. No discounted apps or drinks... "it's not my fault" Well, it's a good the beer was good because that manager was pretty redic. We did end up ordering fried pickles (pretty good but the dipping sauce could use some serious improvement) and onion rings (nice and crispy with good batter). If you are thinking about heading to MBC, skip the trip to the website. Apparently they are not responsible for it's content anyway. PS- bring money for the parking meters.
(2)Holly N.
I still really enjoy MBC, even the second time around. I like the ambiance and the feel for a mid-Michigan establishment. However, pops didn't appreciate the volume of the music because he found it hard to hear the two of us sitting with him. There definitely seemed to be some after work regulars and some families moseying in for an early evening dinner. Our waitress was so much better than the waitress had been the first time around! She was prompt, pleasant, and polite. Not to mention that she actually had an opinion about the food and drinks she was serving, unlike the server we had back in November. When trying to make a decision about what to order I asked her and her eyes rolled back into her head as she proclaimed that the burgers there are "ahhhhhmazing!" I wouldn't necessarily go that far to say ahhhhhmazing, but both my pops and I had a burger and they were good. We also went for the salad, which was an added $2 or something, but were quality "side" salads. Another improvement that can be made is adding the menu to the website... I know they have the beers listed there, but the menu is great and it's a bummer I can't go back and figure out exactly what burger I had. I appreciate how hard this place is trying to make a great impression and I think they are well on their way!
(4)M G.
Really surprised not to see higher ratings on this place. I had a steak sandwhich recommended by the bartender and it was really good. they had an arcadia tap takeover, which is slightly disapointing, because i'm curious what they usually have on tap, but the arcadia selection i had, nut brown, was really good. would definitely go back if i were downtown for lunch.
(4)Cait C.
I was a little hesitant to try this place. After my date suggested it, I yelped MBC and was put off by the mixed reviews. After my first visit, I have to say that I was very pleasantly surprised. First of all, I love the atmosphere. Felt like I was hanging at a friends house. Comfortable, relaxed, and without any tacky decor (we'll save that for Applebee's). It's a shame I didn't try any beer, but my date got the raspberry one and liked it. I'm not a frequent beer drinker so that's about all I can report on that. I ordered the twisted turkey sandwich and it was absolutely delicious. The flavors of each component stood out and yet really came together. I got waffle fries on the side and those were crispy & perfectly done. My date got the crab cake sandwich and really enjoyed it. The prices were not outrageous at all. I can't wait to try MBC again. I highly recommend.
(4)Douglas S.
Somebody mentioned new management...uh yeah...the place is no longer Michigan Brewing Company...they went out of business.
(1)kerry m.
Let me see... delicious Michigan Craft Brews - check, free peanuts - check, random board games to play - check! MBC is wonderful, and if you don't love it, you probably don't love Lansing. Or fun. Biggest tip I can give? Go after September 1 and get a Screamin' Pumpkin. They brew it with canned pumpkin instead of roasting the pumpkin like most other pumpkin ales. It seriously takes like pumpkin pie beer, and in my opinion is the only thing needed to make a fall season complete. Grand Cru is also an incredible beer. If you sweet talk the bartender he just may make you a beer bloody mary on an evening instead of a Sunday (they have brunch!), complete with spicy green beans. Yum!
(4)Bella D.
My sister goes to law school in the city and insisted we all have dinner here. I absolutely loved MBC. The service was absolutely SUPERB. It has been years since I have seen service as good as this. I ordered the roasted vegetable sandwich (made with zucchini, mushrooms, and hummus), and it was fantastic. I would definitely go here again when I am in the area.
(5)Roy R.
Decent beers, but the service is slow, the food cold. I had looked forward to eating here, what a disappointment! The day we ate there our waitress was somewhat friendly, but a little rude. I could understand her attitude though after watching the staff in action. The place about half full and our waitress was going on a full tilt the whole time we were there, while 3 or 4 other staff members stood by the kitchen window and watched the world go by. Our food sat on the counter waiting her and slowly got cold. I don't believe that the poor service was a result of her, rather poor management. Don't think I will bother with here again
(1)Tiffany H.
I go to MBC for the delicious beer (duh) and trivia night (Tuesdays). I've found many new favorite brews on their menu, and at $4.50 each, it's worth sampling a few to find your favorites as well. I'm partial to the porter and the nut brown, myself, and the Grand Cru is nice for a little extra ABV (8%). Their weekly trivia night is way more intense than other trivia nights in the area, but definitely fun if you're into a challenge. As for everything else, it's true that MBC has zero personality. The staff is friendly, but it has that fake-homey feel of a corporate chain restaurant that makes me cringe. They are also home to Kid Rock's brew, complete with life-size Kid Rock decal on the wall. (I once speculated that the brew probably tasted like water. The waitress confirmed that it was "more like Bud Light or Coors Light" than an MBC beer... why??) Food options are typical, unmemorable pub fare (and the prices are slightly steep for downtown). I did try deep-fried pickles for the first time in my life here, but items like their portabello sandwich are really unpleasantly bland. Most recently, I ordered the House Salad, whose "fresh greens" turned out to be a bed of iceberg, that most nutritionally empty and flavorless of lettuces, topped with way too much raw onion. Only plus side - the sweet onion vinaigrette was DELICIOUS. But it wasn't a hard competition. In short: mmmmmmm beer. But eat somewhere else.
(3)Jenny C.
Went in for lunch. Food service was a little slow for the number of people that were in there but not too bad. Our drinks were refilled promptly and the waitress was friendly. The food was OK, but the seasoning just a bit bland. I had the egg and pepper sandwich with chipolte mayo (I know, how can that be bland?). Tasty but while the spice level was fine, it needed a bit of acidity to make the flavors really pop. I added some Frank's hot sauce to the mayo (a bit vinegary) and suddenly the sandwich flavors stood out so much more. DH said his twisted turkey sandwich also need something but he couldn't quite put his finger on what. I'll try it again but I'm not particularly excited about it. We didn't try the beers as it was mid-day but they had 6 packs in the cooler for sale as we left. Maybe next time!
(3)Erin O.
We've gone to MBC for trivia night twice in the past month. They do a free trivia night on Tuesdays and its a lot of fun. The first time we won a round of beer, and the next time we won a 6 pack! Their beers are really good- I liked the Belgian White and my husband likes their IPA. They have a nice beer list with great descriptions, and the waitresses know even more. Both of our waitresses were friendly and helpful. The food was never really impressive. It was basic bar food... nothing too fancy. They cooked their fish well though. It wasn't overcooked or too greasy. The atmosphere is great! It is a wide open feel and it has been busy every time we've gone (nice for downtown Lansing).
(4)Stacey T.
I went here over the holidays and I was happy to see that Lansing is getting more good and fun restaurants! I had their white Belgium beer (not sure what they named it) and it was very good! I ate their french dip sandwich which wasn't bad but it wasn't anything to rave about. The sweet potato fries were good. They were playing a free trivia game which we participated in. That was fun and entertaining! We didn't do too good but it was fun to come up with random horrible answers for the questions! A couple of my friends really wanted wine with their dinner and this is a beer only place. It would be nice if they would add wine! We all had a good time. The waitress was pretty slow at getting our beers out. I think she forgot a couple times that we had ordered more, it was kinda annoying but since we were playing the trivia game it kinda distracted us from her lack of service! I like that you get peanuts to munch on before your meal! :)
(4)James B.
Nothing special. Worth visiting once if ur in the area. Some beers not available due to facility issue.
(2)Ed C.
It's nice to have an actual Brewpub in Lansing. I don't count Harpers because it's in East Lansing and is awful. Michigan Brewing Co is not the best brewery in the world. None of their beers are really earth shattering (leave that to Short's and Bell's), but they are all pretty good. If you want a brown ale, for example, MBC's brown ale will do right by you.Their Celis Grand Cru is the only one that REALLY stands out of the Michigan microbrew crow. All of the beers are $4.50 for a pint, which is reasonable. The food is pub food, but done quite well. They have veggie burgers, which is nice. You can also get fried pickles on your burger, which is delicious. They do them the correct Southern way: breaded slices that are deep fried, not spears. They also have some tasty sweet potato fries. So the food and beer are good and reasonably priced. It's also in a great location and has good hours. But what really puts it over the top for me is the ambience. It's non-smoking. There are no TVs and the music is kept low, so you can actually have a conversation. Also, the ceilings are high and they have large windows facing the street, so it's pretty well lit. Essentially, it's the exact opposite of a dank hole in the wall. Sometimes I want a dank hole in the wall, but not all the time.
(4)Troy B.
The beer selection is plentiful. Their chicken wings were done just right and the salads are HUGE! A very popular night spot in downtown Lansing.
(4)M V.
Good beer, decent food. the service is TERRIBLE! Expect to wait a while to get your drinks, and if you get those quickly then expect to wait a while to get your food. my roommates and friends and I go there often because thursdays are 35 cent thursdays, and the beer is good. But every time we go, whether it's lunch or dinner, the service is always terrible. i went once where I actually had a good waitress. she deserves about 4 stars, but that was only about once time.
(2)Christopher M.
This is a great place to hang and have a beer or three. Great ambiance and usually easy to find seating. Mostly friendly staff. Great beers and decent food. The fall seasonal "screaming pumpkin" is one of my all time favorite beers. FREE PEANUTS!!!!
(4)Erich Z.
MBC recently opened a location in Lansing, their second after the Webberville brewery. There is a wide selection of beers, of course, this being a brewpub. I personally liked their Porter, which has a bit of coffee and dark flavor. MBC also scores points with their selection of local fish, from perch to walleye and Lake Superior whitefish. The walleye was tasty if a bit overcooked and a tad bony, but the perch was fantastic. Even the half order was plenty - 4 perch fillets! The waffle fries were a great addition as well, and starting with fried pickle spears is always a great choice. Okay, it's not going to blow you away, but it's high time Lansing had a brewpub with local brews and decent pub food. As a huge bonus, you can get a giant growler of beer to go for like $11, and refills are $8. Super deal for some great beer. Extra extra bonus: they're open til 2 AM! Food until like 1:30 AM! In downtown freaking Lansing.
(4)LAURA M.
Excited that more businesses are coming to downtown Lansing. I couldn't wait to take my husband there, as he is a beer connisseur. Initially I was not impressed with the decor or atmosphere. It is very stark, bright and boring. I couldn't hear the music, but people were so loud and echoing, that my husband and I could barely hear eachother.The bar is the LEAST inviting counter I've ever encountered. The host didn't offer us a basket of peanuts (in shell, like Texas Roadhouse). The server didn't come by too soon or too frequently, which was slightly bothersome, especially when your bottle of beer has been empty. We were sat at a small table up against a small wall section, blocking our view of the entire other half of the restaurant, very boring. Thankfully we enjoy looking at eachother :) The food was decent. I always attempt to make my meal as healthy as I can, omitting certain toppings or sides. It wasn't so easy, but I kinda caved and order fried pickles anyways. These were decent, I think they used Claussens. They were too thick tho, giant spears, mostly pickle, not much breading. My husband ordered some Bad Ass Kid Rock burger special. It was huge and pretty good. The waffle fries were terrific tho, but I did have to send them back the first time. They were still raw. I also had to send my sandwhich back because they forgot to put anything that I asked for on it (lettuce, pickles, onions, etc...) The odd thing is, they were things that are suppose to come on the sandwhich. The tab was reasonable, especially with 2 sandwhiches/fries, appetizer and 2 beers. It was under $25. I probably won't go there again, which is a disappointment. I am always excited to bring revenue to downtown Lansing.
(2)Jon T.
When I heard MBC was opening a 2nd location in downtown Lansing, I was kinda stoked, hoping it would be a good hangout spot. But... Now, I've never had poor service or bad food here so please take that into consideration. But if I'm going out for a drink and casual bite, I like some ambiance. This place feels like it has no pulse. The staff is pretty stiff, doesn't talk much and they don't seem to be enjoying themselves in the slightest. This is a bar, right??? Plus, there's only one little tv behind the one end of the bar and it there was music on when I've been a few times, I really don't remember. I'd like to see MBC do well. They have some good beers but opt to drink them at home until they break this place in.
(2)Diane U.
MBC makes above average beers, but most of them are not memorable. I really like the IPA I sampled, last night, but one of my favorite beers--period--is their Screamin' Pumpkin Spiced Ale. Love that stuff, and it's really incredible when it's from the tap instead of the bottle. ...but this isn't about the beer. It's about the establishment in downtown Lansing--the whole shebang. I was very excited to try MBC, so I made the two-hour journey from Detroit to meet some friends. I showed up late, and it took about 20 minutes to even get the waitress' attention, and then she forgot about me. After flagging her down, again--when we could actually find her--I finally had to say, "I'd like to order a Pale Ale and could I see the menu, please?" Things finally got rolling, but it still took a while to get my beer once I ordered it--probably 10 or 15 minutes. I ordered a burger, because burgers are usually a guarantee of a good meal. The waffle fries were boring and tasteless. The burger, well, the burger!--where's the beef?! The beef patty was thinner than a McDonald's burger! The bun was HUGE. I ate a few bites and pushed it away. When the waitress finally came around again, I told her that the burger was awful, and all she did was say, "I'm sorry," and handed me my bill. Really? I've had restaurants take back food and remove it from my bill for a hell of a lot less, and I didn't even say anything. Applebees, for example: the bartender noticed that I didn't eat my appetizer, and she asked me about it and I just kept saying, "That's okay! You guys didn't do anything wrong, I just didn't like it." I totally didn't expect them to remove it from my bill, but they did, and the manager even came and chatted with me for a while. I'm pretty disappointed that a Michigan microbrewery couldn't offer the same, if not superior service, to a chain restaurant. It was the worst dining experience I ever had. McDonald's would have given me better service and a better burger. For the first time, EVER, I didn't leave a tip. That's another funny thing: when she brought back my change, she didn't bring the coins. She just gave me the cash. Sure, it wasn't a lot of money, but how dare a business short me on my change! It was a waste of a two-hour drive for me, but I wouldn't even recommend this place for a five-minute walk. Lansing has other restaurants that are a hell of a lot better. Go check out the Nuthouse, if you're in the area.
(1)Bethycorn Y.
want to grab a decent beer, well above average bar food, and avoid skeezy east lansing undergrads?!? go here! first of all, the beers are great. really big selection and they do a bunch of mixes of their brews -- like a black & tan -- our favorites are the trail mix and anything with the grand cru. they arent cheap, but they are delicious. foodwise this place is not fancy, but it is tasty...and a little more interesting than a typical bar. waffle and sweet potato fries are great and we have decimated a decent portion of the sandwich selection with great success. cant go wrong with a pretzel bun here. atmosphere can definitely vary -- sometimes bustling with professionals (after work?), sometimes crowded with families, and there can be big groups of people. outdoor seating is a nice perk when the weather is decent. going for drinks late is met with mixed results -- it can be dead -- but you can grab a seat at the bar and still have a good time. also -- they have a tv now -- if you care for watching games or keeping an eye out for tornado warnings : )
(5)Tim H.
Went there for a business lunch. Got the fish & chips, was good quality -- though a bit smaller portions than some places. Colleague got the chicken salad which she didn't care for -- too much mayo she said. I'll update this review once I check out their happy hour specials.
(3)J A.
Great beer and great pub-style food: I really enjoy the Twisted Turkey sandwich (on a pretzel roll, no less), sweet potato fries, Celis Raspberry beer, and (fried) pub pickles. There's also a less well-known brunch menu on Sunday, and there's a plethora of delicious breakfast/lunch combinations. Only downside is that the service is usually slow.
(4)J.D. O.
Because of the variety of breweries in the Detroit area where I live, it's disappointing to see so few breweries in the Lansing area, with Michigan Beer Co being about the only choice. The Good: MBC has a great location in downtown Lansing. It's away from the craziness of East Lansing while still being close enough to drive. The food was amazing. We started off with deep fried pickles, which were much better than I thought they could be. The batter was perfect and they tasted great. I ordered a BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger and it was one of the best burgers I've had recently. The burger was cooked to a perfect juicy medium and the BBQ sauce was delicious. It came with a side of sweet potato fries that needed no salt or ketchup, as they were delicious. The Average (or maybe just above average): The beer list on the table is very impressive, although you'll need to make sure to check out the chalkboard above the bar to see what's available. I tried the Maibock and a seasonal that I can't think of right now (something akin to a porter or stout). They were both okay, but nothing that I would say I need to have again. I would've tried the porter and stout if they had them at the time, but they didn't. The selection was large enough that I'll need to go back and make sure I'm not forming my opinion too early. The Bad: The service was awful. Our waiter was very friendly, but it took him about 10 minutes after we came in to get our drink order. Throughout the meal, it took him much longer than it should to get new drinks and he did not check on us very often, which left us waiting quite a few times. All said, the excellent food and large beer selection will lead me back to MBC next time I'm in town.
(3)Andre P.
Overrated beer If you are a business and you make something yourself, I would expect it to be better than what I can just buy at the store. Not true for the beer at MBC. We went there on a Monday (burger night) and I had a discount burger and a beer sampler. After tasting a sampling of all their brews I found it hard to choose one I would want to consume an entire glass of. They also had a ridiculous guy playing the guitar there as though they were going to provide some awesome music bar atmosphere on an otherwise boring Monday night. The music was painfully loud and we could only talk between the songs. I just wanted it to over but the service was so ridiculously slow that my agony was unnecessarily prolonged. Don't bother, there are now so many bars and restaurants on Washington Square that you don't need to waste your time on this one.
(2)J S.
I was sooooo thankful when I found out that Lansing/East Lansing would finally have a brewery. This place is meh. The beer is okay, but the ambiance needs A LOT of work, and the food is so-so. Still, in the cultural wasteland of Lansing, where people think that Rick's is an awesome bar and that Club Rush is a good danceclub, I will take what I can get.
(3)Ania S.
I was excited by the yam fries. Beats hopping down to Sevah to get them. Why doesn't MBC serve a great sauce with these though?? I too was disappointed by the atmosphere. It is definitely not cozy. The perch was good. I will probably be back for the yam fries.
(2)Karen B.
This place is growing on me. I don't like microbrews normally but I'm ok with the Celis Grand Cru. Kudos to the staff. They do a good job even on a busy night. Not wild about most of the food. Don't get the burgers. Appetizers are about the only food I've liked here so far. I'll keep trying. They are still new and they have promise.
(3)Lorraine H.
For lunch, I had only 1/2 hour so decided to order takeout for my first visit. I sat at a table and was served very quickly by friendly staff. She gave me a beverage to-go and placed my order, french onion soup and the house salad. It arrived pretty quickly, but while I waited, I enjoyed the free peanuts. Price was quite reasonable. Someone on yelp indicated that it's "not good for kids," but when I was there, three adults and four children were seated and were enjoying lunch. I was in and out in 15 minutes. I will definitely go back again!
(4)T M.
Just giving a positive note about their Sunday brunch. It's nothing fancy, but much better than I'd expect from a bar. Nice job!
(4)Patty R.
Beer way to weak compared to Harper's Brewpub in EL...too expensive for the beer too. TERRIBLE FOOD but desent service. Get a grip on making your beer stronger because we expect a bold flavor when it is freshly brewed. I given this place a chance 5 times now but I will opted for Harper's anyday.
(1)Jason R.
After over a years delay, MBC is finally open. I had the chance to go for lunch today, and was quite impressed. The food was good, and the portions were large. The service was fast, and there were plenty of employees on hand. They had a bunch of beers on tap, all local brews. No national mega corporation beers here. $4.50 for a pint. Caution: Do not plan on going to the bar and watching a game on TV, as there is NO TV in the place. This must be corrected if they ever want to have a crowd on a sunday.
(4)Carol C.
Go for a beer & eat somewhere else. They took the wings off menu, bummer. I had a blue cheese burger that had teeny tiny amount of cheese. Downtown spot is nice tho.
(2)Lorraine H.
For lunch, I had only 1/2 hour so decided to order takeout for my first visit. I sat at a table and was served very quickly by friendly staff. She gave me a beverage to-go and placed my order, french onion soup and the house salad. It arrived pretty quickly, but while I waited, I enjoyed the free peanuts. Price was quite reasonable. Someone on yelp indicated that it's "not good for kids," but when I was there, three adults and four children were seated and were enjoying lunch. I was in and out in 15 minutes. I will definitely go back again!
(4)T M.
Just giving a positive note about their Sunday brunch. It's nothing fancy, but much better than I'd expect from a bar. Nice job!
(4)Patty R.
Beer way to weak compared to Harper's Brewpub in EL...too expensive for the beer too. TERRIBLE FOOD but desent service. Get a grip on making your beer stronger because we expect a bold flavor when it is freshly brewed. I given this place a chance 5 times now but I will opted for Harper's anyday.
(1)Jason R.
After over a years delay, MBC is finally open. I had the chance to go for lunch today, and was quite impressed. The food was good, and the portions were large. The service was fast, and there were plenty of employees on hand. They had a bunch of beers on tap, all local brews. No national mega corporation beers here. $4.50 for a pint. Caution: Do not plan on going to the bar and watching a game on TV, as there is NO TV in the place. This must be corrected if they ever want to have a crowd on a sunday.
(4)Carol C.
Go for a beer & eat somewhere else. They took the wings off menu, bummer. I had a blue cheese burger that had teeny tiny amount of cheese. Downtown spot is nice tho.
(2)Bella D.
My sister goes to law school in the city and insisted we all have dinner here. I absolutely loved MBC. The service was absolutely SUPERB. It has been years since I have seen service as good as this. I ordered the roasted vegetable sandwich (made with zucchini, mushrooms, and hummus), and it was fantastic. I would definitely go here again when I am in the area.
(5)Roy R.
Decent beers, but the service is slow, the food cold. I had looked forward to eating here, what a disappointment! The day we ate there our waitress was somewhat friendly, but a little rude. I could understand her attitude though after watching the staff in action. The place about half full and our waitress was going on a full tilt the whole time we were there, while 3 or 4 other staff members stood by the kitchen window and watched the world go by. Our food sat on the counter waiting her and slowly got cold. I don't believe that the poor service was a result of her, rather poor management. Don't think I will bother with here again
(1)Tiffany H.
I go to MBC for the delicious beer (duh) and trivia night (Tuesdays). I've found many new favorite brews on their menu, and at $4.50 each, it's worth sampling a few to find your favorites as well. I'm partial to the porter and the nut brown, myself, and the Grand Cru is nice for a little extra ABV (8%). Their weekly trivia night is way more intense than other trivia nights in the area, but definitely fun if you're into a challenge. As for everything else, it's true that MBC has zero personality. The staff is friendly, but it has that fake-homey feel of a corporate chain restaurant that makes me cringe. They are also home to Kid Rock's brew, complete with life-size Kid Rock decal on the wall. (I once speculated that the brew probably tasted like water. The waitress confirmed that it was "more like Bud Light or Coors Light" than an MBC beer... why??) Food options are typical, unmemorable pub fare (and the prices are slightly steep for downtown). I did try deep-fried pickles for the first time in my life here, but items like their portabello sandwich are really unpleasantly bland. Most recently, I ordered the House Salad, whose "fresh greens" turned out to be a bed of iceberg, that most nutritionally empty and flavorless of lettuces, topped with way too much raw onion. Only plus side - the sweet onion vinaigrette was DELICIOUS. But it wasn't a hard competition. In short: mmmmmmm beer. But eat somewhere else.
(3)Jenny C.
Went in for lunch. Food service was a little slow for the number of people that were in there but not too bad. Our drinks were refilled promptly and the waitress was friendly. The food was OK, but the seasoning just a bit bland. I had the egg and pepper sandwich with chipolte mayo (I know, how can that be bland?). Tasty but while the spice level was fine, it needed a bit of acidity to make the flavors really pop. I added some Frank's hot sauce to the mayo (a bit vinegary) and suddenly the sandwich flavors stood out so much more. DH said his twisted turkey sandwich also need something but he couldn't quite put his finger on what. I'll try it again but I'm not particularly excited about it. We didn't try the beers as it was mid-day but they had 6 packs in the cooler for sale as we left. Maybe next time!
(3)Erin O.
We've gone to MBC for trivia night twice in the past month. They do a free trivia night on Tuesdays and its a lot of fun. The first time we won a round of beer, and the next time we won a 6 pack! Their beers are really good- I liked the Belgian White and my husband likes their IPA. They have a nice beer list with great descriptions, and the waitresses know even more. Both of our waitresses were friendly and helpful. The food was never really impressive. It was basic bar food... nothing too fancy. They cooked their fish well though. It wasn't overcooked or too greasy. The atmosphere is great! It is a wide open feel and it has been busy every time we've gone (nice for downtown Lansing).
(4)Stacey T.
I went here over the holidays and I was happy to see that Lansing is getting more good and fun restaurants! I had their white Belgium beer (not sure what they named it) and it was very good! I ate their french dip sandwich which wasn't bad but it wasn't anything to rave about. The sweet potato fries were good. They were playing a free trivia game which we participated in. That was fun and entertaining! We didn't do too good but it was fun to come up with random horrible answers for the questions! A couple of my friends really wanted wine with their dinner and this is a beer only place. It would be nice if they would add wine! We all had a good time. The waitress was pretty slow at getting our beers out. I think she forgot a couple times that we had ordered more, it was kinda annoying but since we were playing the trivia game it kinda distracted us from her lack of service! I like that you get peanuts to munch on before your meal! :)
(4)James B.
Nothing special. Worth visiting once if ur in the area. Some beers not available due to facility issue.
(2)Ed C.
It's nice to have an actual Brewpub in Lansing. I don't count Harpers because it's in East Lansing and is awful. Michigan Brewing Co is not the best brewery in the world. None of their beers are really earth shattering (leave that to Short's and Bell's), but they are all pretty good. If you want a brown ale, for example, MBC's brown ale will do right by you.Their Celis Grand Cru is the only one that REALLY stands out of the Michigan microbrew crow. All of the beers are $4.50 for a pint, which is reasonable. The food is pub food, but done quite well. They have veggie burgers, which is nice. You can also get fried pickles on your burger, which is delicious. They do them the correct Southern way: breaded slices that are deep fried, not spears. They also have some tasty sweet potato fries. So the food and beer are good and reasonably priced. It's also in a great location and has good hours. But what really puts it over the top for me is the ambience. It's non-smoking. There are no TVs and the music is kept low, so you can actually have a conversation. Also, the ceilings are high and they have large windows facing the street, so it's pretty well lit. Essentially, it's the exact opposite of a dank hole in the wall. Sometimes I want a dank hole in the wall, but not all the time.
(4)Troy B.
The beer selection is plentiful. Their chicken wings were done just right and the salads are HUGE! A very popular night spot in downtown Lansing.
(4)Angela S.
As of May 11th, MBC is not filling growlers or selling 6-packs to go due to the Webberville location closing. They also have a modified beer menu with different brews like Key Lime Wheat in the meantime. Check it out if you're up for something new from your local hangout. At least they're compensating and still offering a great experience until the dust settles.
(3)Erich Z.
MBC recently opened a location in Lansing, their second after the Webberville brewery. There is a wide selection of beers, of course, this being a brewpub. I personally liked their Porter, which has a bit of coffee and dark flavor. MBC also scores points with their selection of local fish, from perch to walleye and Lake Superior whitefish. The walleye was tasty if a bit overcooked and a tad bony, but the perch was fantastic. Even the half order was plenty - 4 perch fillets! The waffle fries were a great addition as well, and starting with fried pickle spears is always a great choice. Okay, it's not going to blow you away, but it's high time Lansing had a brewpub with local brews and decent pub food. As a huge bonus, you can get a giant growler of beer to go for like $11, and refills are $8. Super deal for some great beer. Extra extra bonus: they're open til 2 AM! Food until like 1:30 AM! In downtown freaking Lansing.
(4)LAURA M.
Excited that more businesses are coming to downtown Lansing. I couldn't wait to take my husband there, as he is a beer connisseur. Initially I was not impressed with the decor or atmosphere. It is very stark, bright and boring. I couldn't hear the music, but people were so loud and echoing, that my husband and I could barely hear eachother.The bar is the LEAST inviting counter I've ever encountered. The host didn't offer us a basket of peanuts (in shell, like Texas Roadhouse). The server didn't come by too soon or too frequently, which was slightly bothersome, especially when your bottle of beer has been empty. We were sat at a small table up against a small wall section, blocking our view of the entire other half of the restaurant, very boring. Thankfully we enjoy looking at eachother :) The food was decent. I always attempt to make my meal as healthy as I can, omitting certain toppings or sides. It wasn't so easy, but I kinda caved and order fried pickles anyways. These were decent, I think they used Claussens. They were too thick tho, giant spears, mostly pickle, not much breading. My husband ordered some Bad Ass Kid Rock burger special. It was huge and pretty good. The waffle fries were terrific tho, but I did have to send them back the first time. They were still raw. I also had to send my sandwhich back because they forgot to put anything that I asked for on it (lettuce, pickles, onions, etc...) The odd thing is, they were things that are suppose to come on the sandwhich. The tab was reasonable, especially with 2 sandwhiches/fries, appetizer and 2 beers. It was under $25. I probably won't go there again, which is a disappointment. I am always excited to bring revenue to downtown Lansing.
(2)Jon T.
When I heard MBC was opening a 2nd location in downtown Lansing, I was kinda stoked, hoping it would be a good hangout spot. But... Now, I've never had poor service or bad food here so please take that into consideration. But if I'm going out for a drink and casual bite, I like some ambiance. This place feels like it has no pulse. The staff is pretty stiff, doesn't talk much and they don't seem to be enjoying themselves in the slightest. This is a bar, right??? Plus, there's only one little tv behind the one end of the bar and it there was music on when I've been a few times, I really don't remember. I'd like to see MBC do well. They have some good beers but opt to drink them at home until they break this place in.
(2)Tim H.
Went there for a business lunch. Got the fish & chips, was good quality -- though a bit smaller portions than some places. Colleague got the chicken salad which she didn't care for -- too much mayo she said. I'll update this review once I check out their happy hour specials.
(3)J A.
Great beer and great pub-style food: I really enjoy the Twisted Turkey sandwich (on a pretzel roll, no less), sweet potato fries, Celis Raspberry beer, and (fried) pub pickles. There's also a less well-known brunch menu on Sunday, and there's a plethora of delicious breakfast/lunch combinations. Only downside is that the service is usually slow.
(4)J.D. O.
Because of the variety of breweries in the Detroit area where I live, it's disappointing to see so few breweries in the Lansing area, with Michigan Beer Co being about the only choice. The Good: MBC has a great location in downtown Lansing. It's away from the craziness of East Lansing while still being close enough to drive. The food was amazing. We started off with deep fried pickles, which were much better than I thought they could be. The batter was perfect and they tasted great. I ordered a BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger and it was one of the best burgers I've had recently. The burger was cooked to a perfect juicy medium and the BBQ sauce was delicious. It came with a side of sweet potato fries that needed no salt or ketchup, as they were delicious. The Average (or maybe just above average): The beer list on the table is very impressive, although you'll need to make sure to check out the chalkboard above the bar to see what's available. I tried the Maibock and a seasonal that I can't think of right now (something akin to a porter or stout). They were both okay, but nothing that I would say I need to have again. I would've tried the porter and stout if they had them at the time, but they didn't. The selection was large enough that I'll need to go back and make sure I'm not forming my opinion too early. The Bad: The service was awful. Our waiter was very friendly, but it took him about 10 minutes after we came in to get our drink order. Throughout the meal, it took him much longer than it should to get new drinks and he did not check on us very often, which left us waiting quite a few times. All said, the excellent food and large beer selection will lead me back to MBC next time I'm in town.
(3)Andre P.
Overrated beer If you are a business and you make something yourself, I would expect it to be better than what I can just buy at the store. Not true for the beer at MBC. We went there on a Monday (burger night) and I had a discount burger and a beer sampler. After tasting a sampling of all their brews I found it hard to choose one I would want to consume an entire glass of. They also had a ridiculous guy playing the guitar there as though they were going to provide some awesome music bar atmosphere on an otherwise boring Monday night. The music was painfully loud and we could only talk between the songs. I just wanted it to over but the service was so ridiculously slow that my agony was unnecessarily prolonged. Don't bother, there are now so many bars and restaurants on Washington Square that you don't need to waste your time on this one.
(2)J S.
I was sooooo thankful when I found out that Lansing/East Lansing would finally have a brewery. This place is meh. The beer is okay, but the ambiance needs A LOT of work, and the food is so-so. Still, in the cultural wasteland of Lansing, where people think that Rick's is an awesome bar and that Club Rush is a good danceclub, I will take what I can get.
(3)Diane U.
MBC makes above average beers, but most of them are not memorable. I really like the IPA I sampled, last night, but one of my favorite beers--period--is their Screamin' Pumpkin Spiced Ale. Love that stuff, and it's really incredible when it's from the tap instead of the bottle. ...but this isn't about the beer. It's about the establishment in downtown Lansing--the whole shebang. I was very excited to try MBC, so I made the two-hour journey from Detroit to meet some friends. I showed up late, and it took about 20 minutes to even get the waitress' attention, and then she forgot about me. After flagging her down, again--when we could actually find her--I finally had to say, "I'd like to order a Pale Ale and could I see the menu, please?" Things finally got rolling, but it still took a while to get my beer once I ordered it--probably 10 or 15 minutes. I ordered a burger, because burgers are usually a guarantee of a good meal. The waffle fries were boring and tasteless. The burger, well, the burger!--where's the beef?! The beef patty was thinner than a McDonald's burger! The bun was HUGE. I ate a few bites and pushed it away. When the waitress finally came around again, I told her that the burger was awful, and all she did was say, "I'm sorry," and handed me my bill. Really? I've had restaurants take back food and remove it from my bill for a hell of a lot less, and I didn't even say anything. Applebees, for example: the bartender noticed that I didn't eat my appetizer, and she asked me about it and I just kept saying, "That's okay! You guys didn't do anything wrong, I just didn't like it." I totally didn't expect them to remove it from my bill, but they did, and the manager even came and chatted with me for a while. I'm pretty disappointed that a Michigan microbrewery couldn't offer the same, if not superior service, to a chain restaurant. It was the worst dining experience I ever had. McDonald's would have given me better service and a better burger. For the first time, EVER, I didn't leave a tip. That's another funny thing: when she brought back my change, she didn't bring the coins. She just gave me the cash. Sure, it wasn't a lot of money, but how dare a business short me on my change! It was a waste of a two-hour drive for me, but I wouldn't even recommend this place for a five-minute walk. Lansing has other restaurants that are a hell of a lot better. Go check out the Nuthouse, if you're in the area.
(1)Bethycorn Y.
want to grab a decent beer, well above average bar food, and avoid skeezy east lansing undergrads?!? go here! first of all, the beers are great. really big selection and they do a bunch of mixes of their brews -- like a black & tan -- our favorites are the trail mix and anything with the grand cru. they arent cheap, but they are delicious. foodwise this place is not fancy, but it is tasty...and a little more interesting than a typical bar. waffle and sweet potato fries are great and we have decimated a decent portion of the sandwich selection with great success. cant go wrong with a pretzel bun here. atmosphere can definitely vary -- sometimes bustling with professionals (after work?), sometimes crowded with families, and there can be big groups of people. outdoor seating is a nice perk when the weather is decent. going for drinks late is met with mixed results -- it can be dead -- but you can grab a seat at the bar and still have a good time. also -- they have a tv now -- if you care for watching games or keeping an eye out for tornado warnings : )
(5)Ed C.
It's nice to have an actual Brewpub in Lansing. I don't count Harpers because it's in East Lansing and is awful. Michigan Brewing Co is not the best brewery in the world. None of their beers are really earth shattering (leave that to Short's and Bell's), but they are all pretty good. If you want a brown ale, for example, MBC's brown ale will do right by you.Their Celis Grand Cru is the only one that REALLY stands out of the Michigan microbrew crow. All of the beers are $4.50 for a pint, which is reasonable. The food is pub food, but done quite well. They have veggie burgers, which is nice. You can also get fried pickles on your burger, which is delicious. They do them the correct Southern way: breaded slices that are deep fried, not spears. They also have some tasty sweet potato fries. So the food and beer are good and reasonably priced. It's also in a great location and has good hours. But what really puts it over the top for me is the ambience. It's non-smoking. There are no TVs and the music is kept low, so you can actually have a conversation. Also, the ceilings are high and they have large windows facing the street, so it's pretty well lit. Essentially, it's the exact opposite of a dank hole in the wall. Sometimes I want a dank hole in the wall, but not all the time.
(4)Troy B.
The beer selection is plentiful. Their chicken wings were done just right and the salads are HUGE! A very popular night spot in downtown Lansing.
(4)M V.
Good beer, decent food. the service is TERRIBLE! Expect to wait a while to get your drinks, and if you get those quickly then expect to wait a while to get your food. my roommates and friends and I go there often because thursdays are 35 cent thursdays, and the beer is good. But every time we go, whether it's lunch or dinner, the service is always terrible. i went once where I actually had a good waitress. she deserves about 4 stars, but that was only about once time.
(2)Christopher M.
This is a great place to hang and have a beer or three. Great ambiance and usually easy to find seating. Mostly friendly staff. Great beers and decent food. The fall seasonal "screaming pumpkin" is one of my all time favorite beers. FREE PEANUTS!!!!
(4)Erich Z.
MBC recently opened a location in Lansing, their second after the Webberville brewery. There is a wide selection of beers, of course, this being a brewpub. I personally liked their Porter, which has a bit of coffee and dark flavor. MBC also scores points with their selection of local fish, from perch to walleye and Lake Superior whitefish. The walleye was tasty if a bit overcooked and a tad bony, but the perch was fantastic. Even the half order was plenty - 4 perch fillets! The waffle fries were a great addition as well, and starting with fried pickle spears is always a great choice. Okay, it's not going to blow you away, but it's high time Lansing had a brewpub with local brews and decent pub food. As a huge bonus, you can get a giant growler of beer to go for like $11, and refills are $8. Super deal for some great beer. Extra extra bonus: they're open til 2 AM! Food until like 1:30 AM! In downtown freaking Lansing.
(4)LAURA M.
Excited that more businesses are coming to downtown Lansing. I couldn't wait to take my husband there, as he is a beer connisseur. Initially I was not impressed with the decor or atmosphere. It is very stark, bright and boring. I couldn't hear the music, but people were so loud and echoing, that my husband and I could barely hear eachother.The bar is the LEAST inviting counter I've ever encountered. The host didn't offer us a basket of peanuts (in shell, like Texas Roadhouse). The server didn't come by too soon or too frequently, which was slightly bothersome, especially when your bottle of beer has been empty. We were sat at a small table up against a small wall section, blocking our view of the entire other half of the restaurant, very boring. Thankfully we enjoy looking at eachother :) The food was decent. I always attempt to make my meal as healthy as I can, omitting certain toppings or sides. It wasn't so easy, but I kinda caved and order fried pickles anyways. These were decent, I think they used Claussens. They were too thick tho, giant spears, mostly pickle, not much breading. My husband ordered some Bad Ass Kid Rock burger special. It was huge and pretty good. The waffle fries were terrific tho, but I did have to send them back the first time. They were still raw. I also had to send my sandwhich back because they forgot to put anything that I asked for on it (lettuce, pickles, onions, etc...) The odd thing is, they were things that are suppose to come on the sandwhich. The tab was reasonable, especially with 2 sandwhiches/fries, appetizer and 2 beers. It was under $25. I probably won't go there again, which is a disappointment. I am always excited to bring revenue to downtown Lansing.
(2)Jon T.
When I heard MBC was opening a 2nd location in downtown Lansing, I was kinda stoked, hoping it would be a good hangout spot. But... Now, I've never had poor service or bad food here so please take that into consideration. But if I'm going out for a drink and casual bite, I like some ambiance. This place feels like it has no pulse. The staff is pretty stiff, doesn't talk much and they don't seem to be enjoying themselves in the slightest. This is a bar, right??? Plus, there's only one little tv behind the one end of the bar and it there was music on when I've been a few times, I really don't remember. I'd like to see MBC do well. They have some good beers but opt to drink them at home until they break this place in.
(2)J A.
Great beer and great pub-style food: I really enjoy the Twisted Turkey sandwich (on a pretzel roll, no less), sweet potato fries, Celis Raspberry beer, and (fried) pub pickles. There's also a less well-known brunch menu on Sunday, and there's a plethora of delicious breakfast/lunch combinations. Only downside is that the service is usually slow.
(4)Tim H.
Went there for a business lunch. Got the fish & chips, was good quality -- though a bit smaller portions than some places. Colleague got the chicken salad which she didn't care for -- too much mayo she said. I'll update this review once I check out their happy hour specials.
(3)J.D. O.
Because of the variety of breweries in the Detroit area where I live, it's disappointing to see so few breweries in the Lansing area, with Michigan Beer Co being about the only choice. The Good: MBC has a great location in downtown Lansing. It's away from the craziness of East Lansing while still being close enough to drive. The food was amazing. We started off with deep fried pickles, which were much better than I thought they could be. The batter was perfect and they tasted great. I ordered a BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger and it was one of the best burgers I've had recently. The burger was cooked to a perfect juicy medium and the BBQ sauce was delicious. It came with a side of sweet potato fries that needed no salt or ketchup, as they were delicious. The Average (or maybe just above average): The beer list on the table is very impressive, although you'll need to make sure to check out the chalkboard above the bar to see what's available. I tried the Maibock and a seasonal that I can't think of right now (something akin to a porter or stout). They were both okay, but nothing that I would say I need to have again. I would've tried the porter and stout if they had them at the time, but they didn't. The selection was large enough that I'll need to go back and make sure I'm not forming my opinion too early. The Bad: The service was awful. Our waiter was very friendly, but it took him about 10 minutes after we came in to get our drink order. Throughout the meal, it took him much longer than it should to get new drinks and he did not check on us very often, which left us waiting quite a few times. All said, the excellent food and large beer selection will lead me back to MBC next time I'm in town.
(3)Andre P.
Overrated beer If you are a business and you make something yourself, I would expect it to be better than what I can just buy at the store. Not true for the beer at MBC. We went there on a Monday (burger night) and I had a discount burger and a beer sampler. After tasting a sampling of all their brews I found it hard to choose one I would want to consume an entire glass of. They also had a ridiculous guy playing the guitar there as though they were going to provide some awesome music bar atmosphere on an otherwise boring Monday night. The music was painfully loud and we could only talk between the songs. I just wanted it to over but the service was so ridiculously slow that my agony was unnecessarily prolonged. Don't bother, there are now so many bars and restaurants on Washington Square that you don't need to waste your time on this one.
(2)Diane U.
MBC makes above average beers, but most of them are not memorable. I really like the IPA I sampled, last night, but one of my favorite beers--period--is their Screamin' Pumpkin Spiced Ale. Love that stuff, and it's really incredible when it's from the tap instead of the bottle. ...but this isn't about the beer. It's about the establishment in downtown Lansing--the whole shebang. I was very excited to try MBC, so I made the two-hour journey from Detroit to meet some friends. I showed up late, and it took about 20 minutes to even get the waitress' attention, and then she forgot about me. After flagging her down, again--when we could actually find her--I finally had to say, "I'd like to order a Pale Ale and could I see the menu, please?" Things finally got rolling, but it still took a while to get my beer once I ordered it--probably 10 or 15 minutes. I ordered a burger, because burgers are usually a guarantee of a good meal. The waffle fries were boring and tasteless. The burger, well, the burger!--where's the beef?! The beef patty was thinner than a McDonald's burger! The bun was HUGE. I ate a few bites and pushed it away. When the waitress finally came around again, I told her that the burger was awful, and all she did was say, "I'm sorry," and handed me my bill. Really? I've had restaurants take back food and remove it from my bill for a hell of a lot less, and I didn't even say anything. Applebees, for example: the bartender noticed that I didn't eat my appetizer, and she asked me about it and I just kept saying, "That's okay! You guys didn't do anything wrong, I just didn't like it." I totally didn't expect them to remove it from my bill, but they did, and the manager even came and chatted with me for a while. I'm pretty disappointed that a Michigan microbrewery couldn't offer the same, if not superior service, to a chain restaurant. It was the worst dining experience I ever had. McDonald's would have given me better service and a better burger. For the first time, EVER, I didn't leave a tip. That's another funny thing: when she brought back my change, she didn't bring the coins. She just gave me the cash. Sure, it wasn't a lot of money, but how dare a business short me on my change! It was a waste of a two-hour drive for me, but I wouldn't even recommend this place for a five-minute walk. Lansing has other restaurants that are a hell of a lot better. Go check out the Nuthouse, if you're in the area.
(1)Bethycorn Y.
want to grab a decent beer, well above average bar food, and avoid skeezy east lansing undergrads?!? go here! first of all, the beers are great. really big selection and they do a bunch of mixes of their brews -- like a black & tan -- our favorites are the trail mix and anything with the grand cru. they arent cheap, but they are delicious. foodwise this place is not fancy, but it is tasty...and a little more interesting than a typical bar. waffle and sweet potato fries are great and we have decimated a decent portion of the sandwich selection with great success. cant go wrong with a pretzel bun here. atmosphere can definitely vary -- sometimes bustling with professionals (after work?), sometimes crowded with families, and there can be big groups of people. outdoor seating is a nice perk when the weather is decent. going for drinks late is met with mixed results -- it can be dead -- but you can grab a seat at the bar and still have a good time. also -- they have a tv now -- if you care for watching games or keeping an eye out for tornado warnings : )
(5)J S.
I was sooooo thankful when I found out that Lansing/East Lansing would finally have a brewery. This place is meh. The beer is okay, but the ambiance needs A LOT of work, and the food is so-so. Still, in the cultural wasteland of Lansing, where people think that Rick's is an awesome bar and that Club Rush is a good danceclub, I will take what I can get.
(3)Ania S.
I was excited by the yam fries. Beats hopping down to Sevah to get them. Why doesn't MBC serve a great sauce with these though?? I too was disappointed by the atmosphere. It is definitely not cozy. The perch was good. I will probably be back for the yam fries.
(2)Karen B.
This place is growing on me. I don't like microbrews normally but I'm ok with the Celis Grand Cru. Kudos to the staff. They do a good job even on a busy night. Not wild about most of the food. Don't get the burgers. Appetizers are about the only food I've liked here so far. I'll keep trying. They are still new and they have promise.
(3)Lorraine H.
For lunch, I had only 1/2 hour so decided to order takeout for my first visit. I sat at a table and was served very quickly by friendly staff. She gave me a beverage to-go and placed my order, french onion soup and the house salad. It arrived pretty quickly, but while I waited, I enjoyed the free peanuts. Price was quite reasonable. Someone on yelp indicated that it's "not good for kids," but when I was there, three adults and four children were seated and were enjoying lunch. I was in and out in 15 minutes. I will definitely go back again!
(4)T M.
Just giving a positive note about their Sunday brunch. It's nothing fancy, but much better than I'd expect from a bar. Nice job!
(4)Patty R.
Beer way to weak compared to Harper's Brewpub in EL...too expensive for the beer too. TERRIBLE FOOD but desent service. Get a grip on making your beer stronger because we expect a bold flavor when it is freshly brewed. I given this place a chance 5 times now but I will opted for Harper's anyday.
(1)Jason R.
After over a years delay, MBC is finally open. I had the chance to go for lunch today, and was quite impressed. The food was good, and the portions were large. The service was fast, and there were plenty of employees on hand. They had a bunch of beers on tap, all local brews. No national mega corporation beers here. $4.50 for a pint. Caution: Do not plan on going to the bar and watching a game on TV, as there is NO TV in the place. This must be corrected if they ever want to have a crowd on a sunday.
(4)Carol C.
Go for a beer & eat somewhere else. They took the wings off menu, bummer. I had a blue cheese burger that had teeny tiny amount of cheese. Downtown spot is nice tho.
(2)Morris N.
They serve fancy bar food at reasonable prices. Place is casual and service was great. Street parking was easy to find on a weekday for lunch. I had the fish and chips which included fries, and coleslaw. Portions were large and not too expensive.
(3)Lyn I.
Clean and pleasant place for a beer, cocktail and/or meal. Has an outdoor patio. WiFi available with TVs at the bar. Had the smoked whitefish salad and was pleasantly surprised. Beer selection is good.
(4)Karen C.
This is just a food review since we didn't order any drinks. We went on a Monday night and found out they have half off burgers! Normally, the prices of burgers are around $10-13. I don't remember the name of the burger I had but it had cheddar cheese and BBQ sauce. It was ok. I ordered it with their pub garlic fries which were really good! My bf got the black bean burger since he's a vegetarian and he really enjoyed it! The patty had a good texture; not too mushy. He had the sweet potato fries and that was really good too. Oh yeah, with their burgers you get to choose a variety of potatoes! Like their pub garlic fries, sweet potato fries, tater tots, and waffle fries!! It was very difficult for me to choose. I would come back just to try some other things out and order some drinks. Seems like they had a good variety of beers on tap. I think I'll try their home made crab cake sandwich!
(3)Chelsea M.
Let me start of by saying the beers were really good, and over all we enjoyed our experience at MBC in Downtown Lansing. However the management and waitstaff really need to get their acts together! Before going to MBC we checked out their website to see if they had a happy hour, any specials, etc. We were pleasantly surprised to see they had $1 off pints and a $4 app from 3-6 Mon.-Thur. So, into to MBC we go for their happy hour. The waitress was extremely cold from the moment she first approached the table. No greeting- nothing. We ordered drink and reviewed the appetizer menu. There was nothing about special pricing on any of the items listed. So we asked-"We don't have any appetizer specials, we got a new menu." We told her it was listed on the website. "I'll go check." Over comes the manager- "We haven't had those specials since the middle of November. We can't get our web developer to change the website so we're not doing that anymore and there isn't anything I can do about the website." Not one offer of anything because of their issue with their website. No discounted apps or drinks... "it's not my fault" Well, it's a good the beer was good because that manager was pretty redic. We did end up ordering fried pickles (pretty good but the dipping sauce could use some serious improvement) and onion rings (nice and crispy with good batter). If you are thinking about heading to MBC, skip the trip to the website. Apparently they are not responsible for it's content anyway. PS- bring money for the parking meters.
(2)Peter C.
We have been to MBC multiple times, and I want to like it, but it continually falls short. Recommendations: The crab cakes are very good (for Michigan). Ask to try the beers before ordering. Some are much better than others. Avoid the fries. Sometimes they are good, but usually they taste terrible. They don't seem to clean their oil often enough. The burgers aren't that great. There are better burger options in downtown Lansing. Our most recent visit was the worst visit we had there. It was on a Sunday afternoon. The place was not crowded, but our server seemed to work hard at neglecting our table. I ordered a fish sandwich with french fries. The sandwich was ok, but the fries were completely inedible. No one at our table could eat them. When the server eventually made her way back to our table, we complained about the fries, she said, "Oh, that's just how they are here. Sorry you didn't like the taste." And she charged us for four orders of fires even though clearly no one ate more than one or two off of their plate. We like the atmosphere here and it is a good place to meet friends to drink some beers together. They have complimentary peanuts waiting on all the tables when you sit down and the appetizers are decent.
(2)Catherine M.
I go to MBC weekly, for their trivia night, and sometimes bi-weekly just for the beer alone. I am a huge fan of their Celis beers, and their specials. $6 growler refills on Tuesdays, happy hour all day on Sunday? Super sweet. But the trivia night, where I can yell at my dad and tell him he is wrong? Priceless. I would skip the deep fried pickles. I was super amped about them, and they felt like exploding eyeballs in my mouth. Beyond that I never really eat here, just drink. Its an odd crowd of after work professionals, meets 20 something dudes, with a little bit of middle aged folks who look straight up lost.
(4)James F.
This is a nice brewpub in downtown Lansing on Washington Ave. The brews are excellent. When I was there, the selection was down somewhat, but the 7 or 8 micros I tried were all quality. I particularly enjoyed the High Seas IPA, an 11.9% smooth IPA. The food is upscale for a brewpub. My wife had the crabcake salad, and I tried the "Build Your Own" Burger with sauteed onions and fried pickles on a pretzel bun. Both were very good. The decor is a bit sterile, but is comfortable. The service was a little slow at first, but once we were noticed, the wait staff was helpful and prompt. The bartender was excellent on the second night we stopped by. Overall, this is probably the best place to get a good quality beer in Lansing. If you are a fan of a good craft beer, don't miss this gem in Michigan's capital.
(4)Angela S.
As of May 11th, MBC is not filling growlers or selling 6-packs to go due to the Webberville location closing. They also have a modified beer menu with different brews like Key Lime Wheat in the meantime. Check it out if you're up for something new from your local hangout. At least they're compensating and still offering a great experience until the dust settles.
(3)Joann R.
Went in for a low-key Friday late night dinner and ended up with a beautiful cozy live music filled night. The space was lovely and walking up to the restaurant saw the tiki torches in the front and people having a good time. We wanted to sit in the front and enjoy the nice breeze but then heard the live music and decided to stay inside. Wow, the music was fantastic and the perfect backdrop to enjoy Midtown's amazing in-house beers and their delicious entrees. I ordered the Bánh mà and while it wasn't close to the original it was a really nice rendition. My boyfriend ordered the Cubano and was slightly dissapointed but the garlic pub fries made up for it, we also ordered the mac & cheese and that was the highlight of the night besides the beers. Overall it was a great experience, the servers were attentive but not overbearing and the drinks were delicious. It would be nice to know when they have live music though because the crowd was pretty dismal for a Friday night.
(4)Erica D.
Very cool surprise. Our bartender was amazing! He made us laugh, taught us a thing or two about their unique beer options, and made me the best non-alcoholic mojito-esque drink ever. It was so refreshing. MBC has a lot of alcoholic offerings I'd never heard of before. It's a great place to explore your booze palette. The food looked good too, although we weren't there to eat. I'll definitely be back to try it! Only turn off is the interior. Pretty plain/slightly rustic.
(4)Chris M.
Because I lived less than four blocks away, MBC quickly became one of my haunts. Two of the bartenders understood that I was a die-hard Oregon Ducks fan, and would reserve at least one television on Saturdays for football games. When you consider that every tv in Lansing would be on whatever respective Michigan-based sports team was playing, and here is Spartans country, they went above and beyond in doing that for me. As for the business itself, great! They always make sure to have plenty of beers on tap, dominated by regional and local brews. Their food never let me down, and being a poor college student, the house-cut garlic fries were a steal, and delicious to boot. Quite possibly the best fries in Lansing & East Lansing. There you go. Give MBC a try. They never let me down.
(5)Andy O.
I would have given four stars because it's always crowded when I go, but I can't fault them for being awesome. The servers have CONSISTENTLY been polite and knowledgeable. The beer is amazing (especially in the fall, try their pumpkin spice ale). The food is incredible, in fact, I've NEVER had waffle fries that I liked until going here (it took some solid convincing on my friends' parts to even try them before I then had to order some for myself). I'm surprised to see an overall mediocre rating. This place is really high on my list for meeting spots with clients or colleagues, and large groups.
(5)James F.
This is a nice brewpub in downtown Lansing on Washington Ave. The brews are excellent. When I was there, the selection was down somewhat, but the 7 or 8 micros I tried were all quality. I particularly enjoyed the High Seas IPA, an 11.9% smooth IPA. The food is upscale for a brewpub. My wife had the crabcake salad, and I tried the "Build Your Own" Burger with sauteed onions and fried pickles on a pretzel bun. Both were very good. The decor is a bit sterile, but is comfortable. The service was a little slow at first, but once we were noticed, the wait staff was helpful and prompt. The bartender was excellent on the second night we stopped by. Overall, this is probably the best place to get a good quality beer in Lansing. If you are a fan of a good craft beer, don't miss this gem in Michigan's capital.
(4)Stacey T.
I went here over the holidays and I was happy to see that Lansing is getting more good and fun restaurants! I had their white Belgium beer (not sure what they named it) and it was very good! I ate their french dip sandwich which wasn't bad but it wasn't anything to rave about. The sweet potato fries were good. They were playing a free trivia game which we participated in. That was fun and entertaining! We didn't do too good but it was fun to come up with random horrible answers for the questions! A couple of my friends really wanted wine with their dinner and this is a beer only place. It would be nice if they would add wine! We all had a good time. The waitress was pretty slow at getting our beers out. I think she forgot a couple times that we had ordered more, it was kinda annoying but since we were playing the trivia game it kinda distracted us from her lack of service! I like that you get peanuts to munch on before your meal! :)
(4)James B.
Nothing special. Worth visiting once if ur in the area. Some beers not available due to facility issue.
(2)Ania S.
I was excited by the yam fries. Beats hopping down to Sevah to get them. Why doesn't MBC serve a great sauce with these though?? I too was disappointed by the atmosphere. It is definitely not cozy. The perch was good. I will probably be back for the yam fries.
(2)Karen B.
This place is growing on me. I don't like microbrews normally but I'm ok with the Celis Grand Cru. Kudos to the staff. They do a good job even on a busy night. Not wild about most of the food. Don't get the burgers. Appetizers are about the only food I've liked here so far. I'll keep trying. They are still new and they have promise.
(3)M V.
Good beer, decent food. the service is TERRIBLE! Expect to wait a while to get your drinks, and if you get those quickly then expect to wait a while to get your food. my roommates and friends and I go there often because thursdays are 35 cent thursdays, and the beer is good. But every time we go, whether it's lunch or dinner, the service is always terrible. i went once where I actually had a good waitress. she deserves about 4 stars, but that was only about once time.
(2)Christopher M.
This is a great place to hang and have a beer or three. Great ambiance and usually easy to find seating. Mostly friendly staff. Great beers and decent food. The fall seasonal "screaming pumpkin" is one of my all time favorite beers. FREE PEANUTS!!!!
(4)Joann R.
Went in for a low-key Friday late night dinner and ended up with a beautiful cozy live music filled night. The space was lovely and walking up to the restaurant saw the tiki torches in the front and people having a good time. We wanted to sit in the front and enjoy the nice breeze but then heard the live music and decided to stay inside. Wow, the music was fantastic and the perfect backdrop to enjoy Midtown's amazing in-house beers and their delicious entrees. I ordered the Bánh mà and while it wasn't close to the original it was a really nice rendition. My boyfriend ordered the Cubano and was slightly dissapointed but the garlic pub fries made up for it, we also ordered the mac & cheese and that was the highlight of the night besides the beers. Overall it was a great experience, the servers were attentive but not overbearing and the drinks were delicious. It would be nice to know when they have live music though because the crowd was pretty dismal for a Friday night.
(4)Erica D.
Very cool surprise. Our bartender was amazing! He made us laugh, taught us a thing or two about their unique beer options, and made me the best non-alcoholic mojito-esque drink ever. It was so refreshing. MBC has a lot of alcoholic offerings I'd never heard of before. It's a great place to explore your booze palette. The food looked good too, although we weren't there to eat. I'll definitely be back to try it! Only turn off is the interior. Pretty plain/slightly rustic.
(4)Chris M.
Because I lived less than four blocks away, MBC quickly became one of my haunts. Two of the bartenders understood that I was a die-hard Oregon Ducks fan, and would reserve at least one television on Saturdays for football games. When you consider that every tv in Lansing would be on whatever respective Michigan-based sports team was playing, and here is Spartans country, they went above and beyond in doing that for me. As for the business itself, great! They always make sure to have plenty of beers on tap, dominated by regional and local brews. Their food never let me down, and being a poor college student, the house-cut garlic fries were a steal, and delicious to boot. Quite possibly the best fries in Lansing & East Lansing. There you go. Give MBC a try. They never let me down.
(5)Andy O.
I would have given four stars because it's always crowded when I go, but I can't fault them for being awesome. The servers have CONSISTENTLY been polite and knowledgeable. The beer is amazing (especially in the fall, try their pumpkin spice ale). The food is incredible, in fact, I've NEVER had waffle fries that I liked until going here (it took some solid convincing on my friends' parts to even try them before I then had to order some for myself). I'm surprised to see an overall mediocre rating. This place is really high on my list for meeting spots with clients or colleagues, and large groups.
(5)Tim M.
My review here is the exact same one as for the "Michigan Brewing Company" because despite Yelp's bizarre insistence that the "Michigan Brewing Company" (this specific pub, that is; not the actual brewery in Williamston) is closed it is not... It just no longer brews it's own poor quality beer and now they sell other breweries good quality beers; so they changed their name to reflect that; thus dropping the word "brewing" from the name. --------------------- Midtown Beer Company (MBC) used to be affiliated with MBC (the Michigan Brewing Company) an actual brewery that used to be located in Williamston. MBC's (the brewery) beer wasn't very good and apparently MBC (the brewery) wasn't very good at paying their rent so suffice it say: they folded and the Lansing pub changed its name and started carrying other Michigan crafts (which was a substantial step up in beer quality). MBC (the pub) offers the traditional selection of pub fare (Reuben's, burgers, chicken wings, etc...). None of it is extraordinary, it may in fact be a bit overpriced, but it's not bad by any means. The real issue with MBC is the venue. Located at the far south end of the downtown Lansing-Washington sq businesses, MBC is a large open space with high vaulted ceilings featuring poor acoustics. As a result it requires very few people to be present before the noise gets out of control. Which makes the decision to push the tables to the wall and feature local musicians a confusing one. Don't get me wrong - I love music and want to support local musicians but the acoustics are so shoddy and the lack of any real performing space really kills the experience. MBC would be a significantly better pub if they just installed some noise dampening foam or heavy fabric drapes. Additionally, MBC should consider reorienting it's furniture; as it is the layout is disjointed and doesn't lend itself to the performers well; every time musicians arrive the bar looses effective seating. As it is the noise makes the bar to uncomfortable for me to remain for more than one drink during peak hours. I'm sure I'm not the only one...
(3)Cristy C.
All of the food was really fantastic. The lobster pizza was rich, but tasty. The pulled pork on the nachos and Hog's Heaven was sooo good. Service was initially very slow, we probably sat for 15 mins before they recognized that we had fallen through the cracks. After that, things went smoothly. Looking forward to going back to try the crab cakes! All beer choices were good, but the cider was served a little warm.
(4)Roberta M.
After waiting 15 min with no waitstaff at our table, we went to the bar for service. Not cool, people. Good selection of wine and beer. 40 min. Still no waitstaff. Now we don't have time to order food. WTF. Lots of interesting items on the menu, but glad we grabbed appetizers at Troppo first!
(1)Nicholas P.
I should start by stating that I am a fan of the Michigan Brewing Co.'s beer, and I think beer fans should make the trip on the merits of the beer alone. I went in with my family during a Spartan football away game at noon on a Saturday, and a football-watching crowd sparsely populated the restaurant. The game was on a large projection screen, and the sound did not in any way disturb our conversation yet was certainly loud enough for those watching to hear. The food is above-average bar fare, and the sandwiches were a good size and the prices were just right. The MBC restaurant is great for a relaxing time watching your favorite sports team!
(4)Catalin B.
I like this place. For me it's convenient because I live across the street and it's open late. So if I want a good brew or a nice meal, later in the evening, Midtown is a sure thing. The beer is good. It's a little heavy on the IPAs. They had a phenomenal Carmel Wheat and a great Coconut Stout that I enjoyed. When it comes to beer, if you're a hophead this place is for you. The cocktails are still being refined. Of course it's a brewery, so expectation management is key. That being said, they have fresh herbs and the bartenders are smart and open-minded. They can make up just about anything and are always willing to experiment. The food is really creative for pub food. They have the great burgers and assortment of fried food normally found at a bar but they also have lobster grilled cheese sandwiches and a bistro streak salad layered with greens, hash, made to order steak and topped with an egg. The wings are also amazing if you're looking for jumbo sized, smoked wings with a near perfect amount of heat. The service is polite but it is slow. This is especially true around lunch time. This has to do with the volume of costumers. If catching a quick meal when you're on a tight clock is your plan, this isn't the place. This is a cool brewery where you go if you have a little time to relax and enjoy the food and company of friends. Between the décor, the outdoor seating and live music, trivia and open mic nights Midtown has a great ambiance. I would definitely recommend this place to friends.
(4)Karlye P.
Great spot! Usually when I order a flight of beer I only like a few lf them, but NOT the case at Midtown! Loved them all. Food was super duper awesome too. Staff was friendly and inviting. No wait at all on a Saturday. Will definitely be back. Oh, they also have a great selection of board games!
(5)McSaddle X.
If there are bees in the Biergarten, let owner and proprietor Marc Wolbert know, he will ward them off with special bee telepathy. If you forgot your EpiPen, make sure you tip your server well. Also, they are brewing all sorts of new drafts these days, stop in if you haven't in a while.
(4)Matt O.
If you want to come to a restaurant where you make a reservation and then the manager gives it away right before you get there? This is the place for you. Apparently here, making a reservation means making a time where you beginning waiting for a table to clear. Hope you have a great meal
(1)Paul D.
Second visit to the Midtown. Love the food, the service and the beer. The chef is on point, the lamb burger with the spicy feta makes my mouth water just thinking about it. The bahn mi is very good too, nice and spicy, well balanced. Great atmosphere.
(4)Brandy R.
I have always liked this place even when it used to be that other "MBC". The food and drinks are still excellent! They even make their own beer now which is pretty awesome, and I can't wait till that expands to a larger production! I love this place so much, that after my fiancé and I got engaged we came here right after for dinner and celebratory drinks! Wouldn't you know we also booked this place for a wonderful rehearsal dinner the day before our wedding! We had a large party of 40 people and they accommodated us with a special limited menu and drinks. The service was great as always and everyone had an amazing time! This place is highly recommended and I hope to celebrate many more anniversaries here! Thank you MBC for being the place I have enjoyed throughout various milestones throughout my life! You rock!
(5)Friedrich S.
Haven't been here since it was the other MBC, and I'm glad I gave it a shot. The bistro steak salad had enough protein to be a legit post workout meal, if you aren't VERY hungry, go for the half. Service was a bit slow at first finished well, I'll be back for sure.
(4)Qiana G.
First time here. Service was great...very honest about what I had questions about. I got the lobster roll with totes and it was soooooooo good. I highly recommend.
(5)Champion S.
Really good food, absolutely awesome beer but zero good looking women and the atmosphere was ridiculously boring. I'd go again but I am bringing like every friend I can muster!
(3)Richard K.
This is a gem of downtown lansing. I wish I knew about it sooner and there were more like it.
(5)Walter K.
Take my review as 3.5. I want to give it four stars but the food brings it down. Beer is good especially their stout Irish. Ate the BBQ burger with tater tots. Burger was 1/3 allegedly. Service was great at 2100 on a Sunday.
(4)Laura H.
Don't get the pizza. You can find a better tasting pizza in the frozen aisle for less than $2. The waitress and workers were very friendly and service was good. The other people we were with got burgers and sandwiches which looked delicious. I really hope they take the pizza off their menu unless they decide to improve and not use a frozen pizza.
(2)Matt C.
Good beer, good food, good service (most of the time). Its a good bar. Not exceptional, but good. The bartenders are knowledgeable, and friendly. The menu has traditional bar fare with cleaver twists. Weekly specials are a bargain, especially Wacky Mug Wednesday. Bring your mug in, and they'll fill it with 22oz of house beer for $3! Personally, its my first choice for pubs downtown Lansing, and that's why I go regularly. So with all the good things, why three stars? Because after all said and done, its a brewpub. And it doesn't even have the brewery there. The environment is good, but not great; the food is above average for Lansing, but not amazing; and the prices are reasonable. In other words, it is a solid place to get beer and food, so three stars.
(3)Paul D.
Great local gem! We decided to give this a try to hook up with an old friend that lives and works down by the capitol, and had a great time. Their beer selection is vast, though a bit IPA-heavy for the moment, with all Michigan craft beers. They serve peanuts-in-the-shell as a complimentary appetizer, which is a great accompaniment for craft beer. Finally, the menu was vast and seemed well thought-out and prepared. We had a salad, a burger and a chicken sandwich and all were quite good. It used to be the Michigan Brewing Company tasting room, but with the demise of the parent brewery they had to re-brand and adapt. I hope this place does well, it seems to be off to a strong start in its new model.
(5)Tom F.
Dinner, Book Store and Spartan Basketball game. It doesn't get any better than this unless it's a football game. This is a decent sports bar with a great selection of beer. The food was just on par with a sports bar. I had the burger. It was decent. Nothing fancy or special. The fries were ok. I would definitely would go here again before a basketball game or just to hang out.
(3)Erick P.
4 stars because nobody gets 5 in my book. We had a really good time here at an after work function. Our server great. He was very knowledgeable about the beers. He was also very entertaining. It may have beenthe chocolat strawberry stout. We had a fun time. I would recommend coming.
(4)Holly N.
I still really enjoy MBC, even the second time around. I like the ambiance and the feel for a mid-Michigan establishment. However, pops didn't appreciate the volume of the music because he found it hard to hear the two of us sitting with him. There definitely seemed to be some after work regulars and some families moseying in for an early evening dinner. Our waitress was so much better than the waitress had been the first time around! She was prompt, pleasant, and polite. Not to mention that she actually had an opinion about the food and drinks she was serving, unlike the server we had back in November. When trying to make a decision about what to order I asked her and her eyes rolled back into her head as she proclaimed that the burgers there are "ahhhhhmazing!" I wouldn't necessarily go that far to say ahhhhhmazing, but both my pops and I had a burger and they were good. We also went for the salad, which was an added $2 or something, but were quality "side" salads. Another improvement that can be made is adding the menu to the website... I know they have the beers listed there, but the menu is great and it's a bummer I can't go back and figure out exactly what burger I had. I appreciate how hard this place is trying to make a great impression and I think they are well on their way!
(4)M G.
Really surprised not to see higher ratings on this place. I had a steak sandwhich recommended by the bartender and it was really good. they had an arcadia tap takeover, which is slightly disapointing, because i'm curious what they usually have on tap, but the arcadia selection i had, nut brown, was really good. would definitely go back if i were downtown for lunch.
(4)Tim M.
My review here is the exact same one as for the "Michigan Brewing Company" because despite Yelp's bizarre insistence that the "Michigan Brewing Company" (this specific pub, that is; not the actual brewery in Williamston) is closed it is not... It just no longer brews it's own poor quality beer and now they sell other breweries good quality beers; so they changed their name to reflect that; thus dropping the word "brewing" from the name. --------------------- Midtown Beer Company (MBC) used to be affiliated with MBC (the Michigan Brewing Company) an actual brewery that used to be located in Williamston. MBC's (the brewery) beer wasn't very good and apparently MBC (the brewery) wasn't very good at paying their rent so suffice it say: they folded and the Lansing pub changed its name and started carrying other Michigan crafts (which was a substantial step up in beer quality). MBC (the pub) offers the traditional selection of pub fare (Reuben's, burgers, chicken wings, etc...). None of it is extraordinary, it may in fact be a bit overpriced, but it's not bad by any means. The real issue with MBC is the venue. Located at the far south end of the downtown Lansing-Washington sq businesses, MBC is a large open space with high vaulted ceilings featuring poor acoustics. As a result it requires very few people to be present before the noise gets out of control. Which makes the decision to push the tables to the wall and feature local musicians a confusing one. Don't get me wrong - I love music and want to support local musicians but the acoustics are so shoddy and the lack of any real performing space really kills the experience. MBC would be a significantly better pub if they just installed some noise dampening foam or heavy fabric drapes. Additionally, MBC should consider reorienting it's furniture; as it is the layout is disjointed and doesn't lend itself to the performers well; every time musicians arrive the bar looses effective seating. As it is the noise makes the bar to uncomfortable for me to remain for more than one drink during peak hours. I'm sure I'm not the only one...
(3)Cristy C.
All of the food was really fantastic. The lobster pizza was rich, but tasty. The pulled pork on the nachos and Hog's Heaven was sooo good. Service was initially very slow, we probably sat for 15 mins before they recognized that we had fallen through the cracks. After that, things went smoothly. Looking forward to going back to try the crab cakes! All beer choices were good, but the cider was served a little warm.
(4)Roberta M.
After waiting 15 min with no waitstaff at our table, we went to the bar for service. Not cool, people. Good selection of wine and beer. 40 min. Still no waitstaff. Now we don't have time to order food. WTF. Lots of interesting items on the menu, but glad we grabbed appetizers at Troppo first!
(1)Nicholas P.
I should start by stating that I am a fan of the Michigan Brewing Co.'s beer, and I think beer fans should make the trip on the merits of the beer alone. I went in with my family during a Spartan football away game at noon on a Saturday, and a football-watching crowd sparsely populated the restaurant. The game was on a large projection screen, and the sound did not in any way disturb our conversation yet was certainly loud enough for those watching to hear. The food is above-average bar fare, and the sandwiches were a good size and the prices were just right. The MBC restaurant is great for a relaxing time watching your favorite sports team!
(4)Catalin B.
I like this place. For me it's convenient because I live across the street and it's open late. So if I want a good brew or a nice meal, later in the evening, Midtown is a sure thing. The beer is good. It's a little heavy on the IPAs. They had a phenomenal Carmel Wheat and a great Coconut Stout that I enjoyed. When it comes to beer, if you're a hophead this place is for you. The cocktails are still being refined. Of course it's a brewery, so expectation management is key. That being said, they have fresh herbs and the bartenders are smart and open-minded. They can make up just about anything and are always willing to experiment. The food is really creative for pub food. They have the great burgers and assortment of fried food normally found at a bar but they also have lobster grilled cheese sandwiches and a bistro streak salad layered with greens, hash, made to order steak and topped with an egg. The wings are also amazing if you're looking for jumbo sized, smoked wings with a near perfect amount of heat. The service is polite but it is slow. This is especially true around lunch time. This has to do with the volume of costumers. If catching a quick meal when you're on a tight clock is your plan, this isn't the place. This is a cool brewery where you go if you have a little time to relax and enjoy the food and company of friends. Between the décor, the outdoor seating and live music, trivia and open mic nights Midtown has a great ambiance. I would definitely recommend this place to friends.
(4)Karlye P.
Great spot! Usually when I order a flight of beer I only like a few lf them, but NOT the case at Midtown! Loved them all. Food was super duper awesome too. Staff was friendly and inviting. No wait at all on a Saturday. Will definitely be back. Oh, they also have a great selection of board games!
(5)McSaddle X.
If there are bees in the Biergarten, let owner and proprietor Marc Wolbert know, he will ward them off with special bee telepathy. If you forgot your EpiPen, make sure you tip your server well. Also, they are brewing all sorts of new drafts these days, stop in if you haven't in a while.
(4)Matt O.
If you want to come to a restaurant where you make a reservation and then the manager gives it away right before you get there? This is the place for you. Apparently here, making a reservation means making a time where you beginning waiting for a table to clear. Hope you have a great meal
(1)Paul D.
Second visit to the Midtown. Love the food, the service and the beer. The chef is on point, the lamb burger with the spicy feta makes my mouth water just thinking about it. The bahn mi is very good too, nice and spicy, well balanced. Great atmosphere.
(4)Brandy R.
I have always liked this place even when it used to be that other "MBC". The food and drinks are still excellent! They even make their own beer now which is pretty awesome, and I can't wait till that expands to a larger production! I love this place so much, that after my fiancé and I got engaged we came here right after for dinner and celebratory drinks! Wouldn't you know we also booked this place for a wonderful rehearsal dinner the day before our wedding! We had a large party of 40 people and they accommodated us with a special limited menu and drinks. The service was great as always and everyone had an amazing time! This place is highly recommended and I hope to celebrate many more anniversaries here! Thank you MBC for being the place I have enjoyed throughout various milestones throughout my life! You rock!
(5)Friedrich S.
Haven't been here since it was the other MBC, and I'm glad I gave it a shot. The bistro steak salad had enough protein to be a legit post workout meal, if you aren't VERY hungry, go for the half. Service was a bit slow at first finished well, I'll be back for sure.
(4)Qiana G.
First time here. Service was great...very honest about what I had questions about. I got the lobster roll with totes and it was soooooooo good. I highly recommend.
(5)Champion S.
Really good food, absolutely awesome beer but zero good looking women and the atmosphere was ridiculously boring. I'd go again but I am bringing like every friend I can muster!
(3)Richard K.
This is a gem of downtown lansing. I wish I knew about it sooner and there were more like it.
(5)Walter K.
Take my review as 3.5. I want to give it four stars but the food brings it down. Beer is good especially their stout Irish. Ate the BBQ burger with tater tots. Burger was 1/3 allegedly. Service was great at 2100 on a Sunday.
(4)Laura H.
Don't get the pizza. You can find a better tasting pizza in the frozen aisle for less than $2. The waitress and workers were very friendly and service was good. The other people we were with got burgers and sandwiches which looked delicious. I really hope they take the pizza off their menu unless they decide to improve and not use a frozen pizza.
(2)Matt C.
Good beer, good food, good service (most of the time). Its a good bar. Not exceptional, but good. The bartenders are knowledgeable, and friendly. The menu has traditional bar fare with cleaver twists. Weekly specials are a bargain, especially Wacky Mug Wednesday. Bring your mug in, and they'll fill it with 22oz of house beer for $3! Personally, its my first choice for pubs downtown Lansing, and that's why I go regularly. So with all the good things, why three stars? Because after all said and done, its a brewpub. And it doesn't even have the brewery there. The environment is good, but not great; the food is above average for Lansing, but not amazing; and the prices are reasonable. In other words, it is a solid place to get beer and food, so three stars.
(3)Paul D.
Great local gem! We decided to give this a try to hook up with an old friend that lives and works down by the capitol, and had a great time. Their beer selection is vast, though a bit IPA-heavy for the moment, with all Michigan craft beers. They serve peanuts-in-the-shell as a complimentary appetizer, which is a great accompaniment for craft beer. Finally, the menu was vast and seemed well thought-out and prepared. We had a salad, a burger and a chicken sandwich and all were quite good. It used to be the Michigan Brewing Company tasting room, but with the demise of the parent brewery they had to re-brand and adapt. I hope this place does well, it seems to be off to a strong start in its new model.
(5)Tom F.
Dinner, Book Store and Spartan Basketball game. It doesn't get any better than this unless it's a football game. This is a decent sports bar with a great selection of beer. The food was just on par with a sports bar. I had the burger. It was decent. Nothing fancy or special. The fries were ok. I would definitely would go here again before a basketball game or just to hang out.
(3)Erick P.
4 stars because nobody gets 5 in my book. We had a really good time here at an after work function. Our server great. He was very knowledgeable about the beers. He was also very entertaining. It may have beenthe chocolat strawberry stout. We had a fun time. I would recommend coming.
(4)Morris N.
They serve fancy bar food at reasonable prices. Place is casual and service was great. Street parking was easy to find on a weekday for lunch. I had the fish and chips which included fries, and coleslaw. Portions were large and not too expensive.
(3)Lyn I.
Clean and pleasant place for a beer, cocktail and/or meal. Has an outdoor patio. WiFi available with TVs at the bar. Had the smoked whitefish salad and was pleasantly surprised. Beer selection is good.
(4)Karen C.
This is just a food review since we didn't order any drinks. We went on a Monday night and found out they have half off burgers! Normally, the prices of burgers are around $10-13. I don't remember the name of the burger I had but it had cheddar cheese and BBQ sauce. It was ok. I ordered it with their pub garlic fries which were really good! My bf got the black bean burger since he's a vegetarian and he really enjoyed it! The patty had a good texture; not too mushy. He had the sweet potato fries and that was really good too. Oh yeah, with their burgers you get to choose a variety of potatoes! Like their pub garlic fries, sweet potato fries, tater tots, and waffle fries!! It was very difficult for me to choose. I would come back just to try some other things out and order some drinks. Seems like they had a good variety of beers on tap. I think I'll try their home made crab cake sandwich!
(3)Chelsea M.
Let me start of by saying the beers were really good, and over all we enjoyed our experience at MBC in Downtown Lansing. However the management and waitstaff really need to get their acts together! Before going to MBC we checked out their website to see if they had a happy hour, any specials, etc. We were pleasantly surprised to see they had $1 off pints and a $4 app from 3-6 Mon.-Thur. So, into to MBC we go for their happy hour. The waitress was extremely cold from the moment she first approached the table. No greeting- nothing. We ordered drink and reviewed the appetizer menu. There was nothing about special pricing on any of the items listed. So we asked-"We don't have any appetizer specials, we got a new menu." We told her it was listed on the website. "I'll go check." Over comes the manager- "We haven't had those specials since the middle of November. We can't get our web developer to change the website so we're not doing that anymore and there isn't anything I can do about the website." Not one offer of anything because of their issue with their website. No discounted apps or drinks... "it's not my fault" Well, it's a good the beer was good because that manager was pretty redic. We did end up ordering fried pickles (pretty good but the dipping sauce could use some serious improvement) and onion rings (nice and crispy with good batter). If you are thinking about heading to MBC, skip the trip to the website. Apparently they are not responsible for it's content anyway. PS- bring money for the parking meters.
(2)Holly N.
I still really enjoy MBC, even the second time around. I like the ambiance and the feel for a mid-Michigan establishment. However, pops didn't appreciate the volume of the music because he found it hard to hear the two of us sitting with him. There definitely seemed to be some after work regulars and some families moseying in for an early evening dinner. Our waitress was so much better than the waitress had been the first time around! She was prompt, pleasant, and polite. Not to mention that she actually had an opinion about the food and drinks she was serving, unlike the server we had back in November. When trying to make a decision about what to order I asked her and her eyes rolled back into her head as she proclaimed that the burgers there are "ahhhhhmazing!" I wouldn't necessarily go that far to say ahhhhhmazing, but both my pops and I had a burger and they were good. We also went for the salad, which was an added $2 or something, but were quality "side" salads. Another improvement that can be made is adding the menu to the website... I know they have the beers listed there, but the menu is great and it's a bummer I can't go back and figure out exactly what burger I had. I appreciate how hard this place is trying to make a great impression and I think they are well on their way!
(4)M G.
Really surprised not to see higher ratings on this place. I had a steak sandwhich recommended by the bartender and it was really good. they had an arcadia tap takeover, which is slightly disapointing, because i'm curious what they usually have on tap, but the arcadia selection i had, nut brown, was really good. would definitely go back if i were downtown for lunch.
(4)Cait C.
I was a little hesitant to try this place. After my date suggested it, I yelped MBC and was put off by the mixed reviews. After my first visit, I have to say that I was very pleasantly surprised. First of all, I love the atmosphere. Felt like I was hanging at a friends house. Comfortable, relaxed, and without any tacky decor (we'll save that for Applebee's). It's a shame I didn't try any beer, but my date got the raspberry one and liked it. I'm not a frequent beer drinker so that's about all I can report on that. I ordered the twisted turkey sandwich and it was absolutely delicious. The flavors of each component stood out and yet really came together. I got waffle fries on the side and those were crispy & perfectly done. My date got the crab cake sandwich and really enjoyed it. The prices were not outrageous at all. I can't wait to try MBC again. I highly recommend.
(4)Douglas S.
Somebody mentioned new management...uh yeah...the place is no longer Michigan Brewing Company...they went out of business.
(1)kerry m.
Let me see... delicious Michigan Craft Brews - check, free peanuts - check, random board games to play - check! MBC is wonderful, and if you don't love it, you probably don't love Lansing. Or fun. Biggest tip I can give? Go after September 1 and get a Screamin' Pumpkin. They brew it with canned pumpkin instead of roasting the pumpkin like most other pumpkin ales. It seriously takes like pumpkin pie beer, and in my opinion is the only thing needed to make a fall season complete. Grand Cru is also an incredible beer. If you sweet talk the bartender he just may make you a beer bloody mary on an evening instead of a Sunday (they have brunch!), complete with spicy green beans. Yum!
(4)Bella D.
My sister goes to law school in the city and insisted we all have dinner here. I absolutely loved MBC. The service was absolutely SUPERB. It has been years since I have seen service as good as this. I ordered the roasted vegetable sandwich (made with zucchini, mushrooms, and hummus), and it was fantastic. I would definitely go here again when I am in the area.
(5)Roy R.
Decent beers, but the service is slow, the food cold. I had looked forward to eating here, what a disappointment! The day we ate there our waitress was somewhat friendly, but a little rude. I could understand her attitude though after watching the staff in action. The place about half full and our waitress was going on a full tilt the whole time we were there, while 3 or 4 other staff members stood by the kitchen window and watched the world go by. Our food sat on the counter waiting her and slowly got cold. I don't believe that the poor service was a result of her, rather poor management. Don't think I will bother with here again
(1)Tiffany H.
I go to MBC for the delicious beer (duh) and trivia night (Tuesdays). I've found many new favorite brews on their menu, and at $4.50 each, it's worth sampling a few to find your favorites as well. I'm partial to the porter and the nut brown, myself, and the Grand Cru is nice for a little extra ABV (8%). Their weekly trivia night is way more intense than other trivia nights in the area, but definitely fun if you're into a challenge. As for everything else, it's true that MBC has zero personality. The staff is friendly, but it has that fake-homey feel of a corporate chain restaurant that makes me cringe. They are also home to Kid Rock's brew, complete with life-size Kid Rock decal on the wall. (I once speculated that the brew probably tasted like water. The waitress confirmed that it was "more like Bud Light or Coors Light" than an MBC beer... why??) Food options are typical, unmemorable pub fare (and the prices are slightly steep for downtown). I did try deep-fried pickles for the first time in my life here, but items like their portabello sandwich are really unpleasantly bland. Most recently, I ordered the House Salad, whose "fresh greens" turned out to be a bed of iceberg, that most nutritionally empty and flavorless of lettuces, topped with way too much raw onion. Only plus side - the sweet onion vinaigrette was DELICIOUS. But it wasn't a hard competition. In short: mmmmmmm beer. But eat somewhere else.
(3)Jenny C.
Went in for lunch. Food service was a little slow for the number of people that were in there but not too bad. Our drinks were refilled promptly and the waitress was friendly. The food was OK, but the seasoning just a bit bland. I had the egg and pepper sandwich with chipolte mayo (I know, how can that be bland?). Tasty but while the spice level was fine, it needed a bit of acidity to make the flavors really pop. I added some Frank's hot sauce to the mayo (a bit vinegary) and suddenly the sandwich flavors stood out so much more. DH said his twisted turkey sandwich also need something but he couldn't quite put his finger on what. I'll try it again but I'm not particularly excited about it. We didn't try the beers as it was mid-day but they had 6 packs in the cooler for sale as we left. Maybe next time!
(3)Erin O.
We've gone to MBC for trivia night twice in the past month. They do a free trivia night on Tuesdays and its a lot of fun. The first time we won a round of beer, and the next time we won a 6 pack! Their beers are really good- I liked the Belgian White and my husband likes their IPA. They have a nice beer list with great descriptions, and the waitresses know even more. Both of our waitresses were friendly and helpful. The food was never really impressive. It was basic bar food... nothing too fancy. They cooked their fish well though. It wasn't overcooked or too greasy. The atmosphere is great! It is a wide open feel and it has been busy every time we've gone (nice for downtown Lansing).
(4)Peter C.
We have been to MBC multiple times, and I want to like it, but it continually falls short. Recommendations: The crab cakes are very good (for Michigan). Ask to try the beers before ordering. Some are much better than others. Avoid the fries. Sometimes they are good, but usually they taste terrible. They don't seem to clean their oil often enough. The burgers aren't that great. There are better burger options in downtown Lansing. Our most recent visit was the worst visit we had there. It was on a Sunday afternoon. The place was not crowded, but our server seemed to work hard at neglecting our table. I ordered a fish sandwich with french fries. The sandwich was ok, but the fries were completely inedible. No one at our table could eat them. When the server eventually made her way back to our table, we complained about the fries, she said, "Oh, that's just how they are here. Sorry you didn't like the taste." And she charged us for four orders of fires even though clearly no one ate more than one or two off of their plate. We like the atmosphere here and it is a good place to meet friends to drink some beers together. They have complimentary peanuts waiting on all the tables when you sit down and the appetizers are decent.
(2)Catherine M.
I go to MBC weekly, for their trivia night, and sometimes bi-weekly just for the beer alone. I am a huge fan of their Celis beers, and their specials. $6 growler refills on Tuesdays, happy hour all day on Sunday? Super sweet. But the trivia night, where I can yell at my dad and tell him he is wrong? Priceless. I would skip the deep fried pickles. I was super amped about them, and they felt like exploding eyeballs in my mouth. Beyond that I never really eat here, just drink. Its an odd crowd of after work professionals, meets 20 something dudes, with a little bit of middle aged folks who look straight up lost.
(4)Cait C.
I was a little hesitant to try this place. After my date suggested it, I yelped MBC and was put off by the mixed reviews. After my first visit, I have to say that I was very pleasantly surprised. First of all, I love the atmosphere. Felt like I was hanging at a friends house. Comfortable, relaxed, and without any tacky decor (we'll save that for Applebee's). It's a shame I didn't try any beer, but my date got the raspberry one and liked it. I'm not a frequent beer drinker so that's about all I can report on that. I ordered the twisted turkey sandwich and it was absolutely delicious. The flavors of each component stood out and yet really came together. I got waffle fries on the side and those were crispy & perfectly done. My date got the crab cake sandwich and really enjoyed it. The prices were not outrageous at all. I can't wait to try MBC again. I highly recommend.
(4)Douglas S.
Somebody mentioned new management...uh yeah...the place is no longer Michigan Brewing Company...they went out of business.
(1)kerry m.
Let me see... delicious Michigan Craft Brews - check, free peanuts - check, random board games to play - check! MBC is wonderful, and if you don't love it, you probably don't love Lansing. Or fun. Biggest tip I can give? Go after September 1 and get a Screamin' Pumpkin. They brew it with canned pumpkin instead of roasting the pumpkin like most other pumpkin ales. It seriously takes like pumpkin pie beer, and in my opinion is the only thing needed to make a fall season complete. Grand Cru is also an incredible beer. If you sweet talk the bartender he just may make you a beer bloody mary on an evening instead of a Sunday (they have brunch!), complete with spicy green beans. Yum!
(4)