The first sunny, warm weekend of 2015 in Lansing - what could be better on Saturday afternoon than looking at the river and enjoying a couple of beers? My husband and I enjoyed several nice afternoons on the wonderful patio at the Waterfront last year. We love that we can bring our dog along with us, the tap list is decent, cocktails are ok but not great, and food is hit or miss (pizza is fantastic but rest of menu is not great). In the past we've had pretty good service there, but I felt really compelled to make sure that someone had warned people about how atrocious the service was recently. They were kind of busy (maybe 1/2 to 3/4 of tables full at any given time), and I'm sure it was a lot busier than it has been during the colder months, but there were some pretty inexcusable problems: -I got there first and was waiting for two other people to join me. Had the dog with me so didn't want to bring her inside with me to order a drink at the bar. Sat at the table for 20 minutes trying to make eye contact or wave at someone who worked there so I could order a drink and was ignored or not seen by both members of the waitstaff who seemed to have tables around mine (this was not just me - people around me were having the same problem and had resorted to ordering at the bar, getting their own plates from the server station, etc). -Finally got the attention of the waiter as he was bussing the table next to me. Asked if they do table service for drinks (at that point I was not sure!) and if I could order, he said he would come back. He never came back. 10 mins later he takes a food order at the table next to me after they had gone over to find him. I flag him down and ask again to place an order. Order a bloody mary and a water. -10 minutes later my husband and our friend show up and I've been there for 40 mins and still don't have a drink. My husband goes inside to order a drink at the bar and finds my bloody mary sitting there looking abandoned, confirms it's mine, and brings it out to me. We give up and only order drinks at the bar from that point forward. Bar staff busy but friendly and prompt. -Frankie's pizza is there, which, btw, is amazing. Similar in quality to the pizzas at Cosmos/Zoobies but more traditional toppings. It's nearly impossible to get in touch with a server, so I go over and ask the pizza guy (Frankie himself?) if I can directly order from him. He says no, but points me to the servers stand and says there are order forms there. We fill it out and I get up and take it over to the waiter and tell him we want to order the pizza. -Pizza is ready and the pizza man brings it over. he says the plates, etc are the responsibility of the waitstaff. Waiter nowhere in sight, so I go over to the server station area and ask another waitress if we could get some plates and cutlery, she is helpful and I bring our plates and napkins back to the table. Several other tables did this, and one table near us just never got plates and ate the pizza off the cardboard circle on the middle of their table. -Friend goes to get the waiter when we want to close the tab for the pizza. Waiter has no memory or record of what we ordered, but we tell him which pizza we had. He brings tab, friend immediately gives him his credit card as we were worried about whether we would ever see him again. Brings tab back with no pen to sign credit card receipt and disappears. I know this is a long ass rant, but this is literally the WORST service I have ever had in a bar or restaurant IN MY LIFE. Usually when places are busy you can tell that the waitstaff is in a crunch and a bit stressed out, and if they leave you hanging for 40 minutes and never actually bring out the drink that you ordered, they at least know it is a bad day and give some relatively sincere comment along the lines of "sorry we're so slammed, thanks for your patience." That's about all it takes for me to like you and leave a 20% tip even if the service wasn't good. The waiter we had at the Waterfront seemed to have no concept whatsoever that everyone in his seating area was just sitting there wondering if we even had a waiter at all?? I really want to like this place (and I do love the atmosphere for a summertime hangout), but I hope that the management reads these and can work out the service issues mentioned here and in the other reviews. I don't really mind if the service is a bit slow when I'm having a lazy afternoon on a nice patio, but it would be great if they could: 1) try to check on tables when they sit down and once every 20-30 mins to see if they need to order any drinks/food and 2) bring plates and forks when pizza is ordered (it takes a while to cook a freaking pizza, so there is plenty of time for this even if you are busy!) Next time, I'll be prepared to just order at the bar.
(2)
Jamie A.
40 minutes for them to bring our food to us. And they brought it out in To Go boxes. The place was, at most, 1/2 full. And that was when we first got there. Not once did the manager (who was our server) come to us and tell us our food was taking long. All we ordered was the crab dip (which took 20 minutes for them to get to us, I had to ask) and the Pulled Pork sandwich special (which when they finally brought it to us was some pulled pork on a bun and some chips. It does not take 40 minutes to put some pulled pork on a bun and put some chips on a plate.) I had to ask 3 separate times where our food was at and each time I was told it was coming right up. I watched a cook walk from the grill outside to inside (where we were seated) without anything in his hands and watched him go into a closet, pull a backpack out, and grab his phone charger. They had 2 cooks on from what I could tell. The manager did not really apologize for our food taking long. His excuse was there were people in front of us. Seriously?! Ended up leaving without the food, didn't pay for our drinks (which we were never offered a re-fill after our glasses were empty, and we went elsewhere. I drove from Grand Rapids to spend a nice day with my girlfriend and that was a horrible start to our day. I will NEVER go there again. Seriously the worst customer service I have ever received. Ever.
(1)
Jill M.
I really enjoy going to the Waterfront. It's been several months since I visited, but I am going to make sure that I visit more frequently. It's a little place and usually has a good size crowd seated at the bar. It's best to go with a friend or group of friends, but make sure you are not in a rush to get somewhere. The Waterfront is a place to enjoy good drinks, food and friends.
(5)
Diane S.
It's always pretty crowded here and, I agree, the service is iffy. You kind of feel like there are regulars who get good service and if you aren't one of them, you have to wait longer. I like the location and they used to have a wonderful Michigan house chard but they changed it to something else and that made me sad, I thought the food was good,
(3)
Brian S.
Cleary the best patio in Mid-Michigan; Bar is great and has character; Courtney (bartender) is wonderful; Perfect location - great spot to go for a few drinks/microbrews then head out on the town; Love it!
(5)
A K.
Great view, horrible service. Can't say much about the food or drinks due to the immense difficulty in catching a waitress. Everytime I've been here, I ended up to frustrated to even remember if the food is good. Not worth it.
(2)
Meg R.
Great patio. Food has always been good every time I have come here. Beers are a nice selection of local brews that you sometimes can't give somewhere else. That's all the good review. Now for the bad. Service is terrible if you aren't at the bar!!! Been waiting for my change back for at least 10 minutes now. Waitress never came around to check on us after we got our food or to even give us refills. They are a little busy but I think the service should be better. Very unsatisfied and almost makes me not want to come back and that is not something I want to do. After tracking our waitress down more after 15 minutes she doesn't know where our change is. This is unacceptable. After 20+ minutes tracked her down again and our change was just sitting at the bar in a pile like it was going to be for a tip and it was way more than a tip would be an she automatically thought it was a tip. Might not come back for awhile or until something changes.
(2)
Michael P.
Dales pale ale tasting good before the Lansing Jazz Fest. Food is good nice riverside patio as well.
(4)
Peter R.
I dont know why this place has 2 yelp listings, but here's my review once again. In hopes of ownership or management reading this review, I'll start by saying that I believe that this place has a lot of potential - Especially inside of the market. With that said... Service was atrocious. Two tables (my party included) were all that had to be tended to and I saw one single waitress twice. Once to take my order and another to take my plate away. Being a bar that advertises plentiful Michigan taps, especially with a sign in plain sight that touts Michigan taps -- The server just didn't cut it and had absolutely NO KNOWLEDGE about beer or what was available. A simple solution that I would have much appreciated when I let the server know I was in out of town in hopes of sampling local brew would have been to say: "You know what, I don't know much about beer, but let me ask the bartender for a recommendation for you" In fact, after having to go up to the bar to settle my check because the server was nowhere in sight, I WISH she had. The bartender was personable, tentative and obviously knew what I was talking about when I struck up conversation. Food was well... I'll say it left me wanting more: I ordered the Veggie and Spinach Sandwich. Now, Spinach was featured in the name of the dish -- But there were a total of 3 (yes I counted them, THREE) baby spinach leaves among my 1 leaf worth of shredded romaine. Served as is I recommend re-naming this dish Shredded Cheddar sandwich (omit mentioning veggies). Now, I understand Michigan is a meat and potatoes kind of town (no offense intended) but, really? I ordered a veggie sandwich and expected as much. I was literally handed 5 cents worth of vegetables, and compressed fist full of cheese in a tortilla. For emphasis I added a paragraph break -- I had ONE diced cube of bellpepper in my sandwich, (which I honestly believe ended up in it by accident) and 5 1/4" squares of cucumber. Even if you had served me my veggie sandwich PACKED with vegetable as I would have loved it -- Cost to the restaurant? less than a dollar for a $7, yes SEVEN DOLLAR SANDWICH. Thats 700% markup to cost. +.0000001 point for the server recommending it as a wrap for ease of eating. PLEASE see my photos... My sister ordered the "Grilled" Cheese sandwich, which was basically my veggie wrap served as a panini with a single slice each of cheddar, pepper jack and (maybe) swiss or monterey jack. This restaurant must think that Grilled Cheese means that it can be named as such after merely TOUCHING the grill (or in this case, panini press). Now, when I make a grilled cheese (even if its microwaved) I know its not done cooking until the cheese is melted, wouldnt you agree? How about COLD cheese Panini for a name revision? I suggest turning down the temperature of the panini press OR grill to ensure melting the cheese but not burning the bread -- I'm just sayin'. ------ Enough negativity, on to the positive! The bartender was warm, friendly, and personable. When paying for my bill i noticed a bottle fridge down below and saw a DogFish 90min next to what I knew to be a 60min IPA that I was WISHING was a 120min IPA. Why the excitement? I'm from California. I asked to confirm and told him that I was from California and that if it was indeed 120min I would have cleaned him out to take bottles home. His reply, "Smart man." and continued to inform me of the taps and how they like to rotate beer. I WISH I WOULD HAVE KNOWN, SERVER! (please just ask the bartender next time!). All in all, I hope that whomever from this establishment and reads this recognizes that the tune of this review was to be entertaining, not offensive and that the feedback is taken seriously. Cheers Mr. Bartender - I'd come back to buy you a drink, any day. 1 extra star just for the bartender. (slender older gentleman)
(2)
L K.
One of the few great outdoor eating spots in the city, because it faces the river instead of a street. Beautiful view, fresh air, a fine place for a relaxing late lunch. If only they could make the food live up to the location! I considered the grilled salmon sandwich and a couple of other enticing offerings, decided on pulled pork when I heard the waitress tell another table that they had taken the meat off the smoker that morning. I wanted one of the salad sides, but every single one contained a dairy ingredient, and all were pre-made. So I had to settle for chips. Fewer than half the tables were occupied, and most of those were finishing, yet it took over 30 minutes for my food to show up. The pulled pork had the texture and flavor of pulled lumber - that is, dry shreds of no taste. The "habanero" cole slaw topping was a few big chunks (not shreds) of cabbage in a very drippy sauce with a tiny hint of flavor. The chips were weird; I like pepper, but these had a sort of reheated quality that ruined the texture. Pickle totally wrong flavor. Food overpriced. Service adequate. Musical entertainer pleasant. Setting wonderful, but wasted on this menu.
(2)
Freddie Laurara K.
Amazing view from the patio overlooking the river. Small menu, but good selection of specials. Live music. Great place during warm months!
(4)
Chelsea M.
Like times 3. I like there food. (It tastes good and is reasonably priced.) I like the outdoor and indoor seating. I like their beer selection. The service has been good every time I've stopped in. (Including on St. Patty's Day) The food is consistently tasty.
(4)
Lindsey K.
My last 2 trips to the Waterfront have caused me to re-evaluate my opinion of them. My friend is a mimosa freak, and since she knows not all restaurants have bubbly, she called ahead. The person on the phone assured her they could make her a mimosa. We get there a few hours later, and the bartender said they could not make one, and whoever answered the phone had no idea what they were talking about. An hour later, a new bartender came on shift- I told my friend to ask again and see what they would say. This bartender said they could make one, but they were out of OJ, was Pineapple Juice OK? Surprise, the previous bartender had a case of DGAS (don't give a shits) apparently. On my most recent trip to the Waterfront, the server came by to get our order. We asked what they had on tap- the server said she didn't know. She said they just changed out a bunch of taps. I asked her if she had a list. She said they didn't have one written out. Then she just stood there. So you want me to order and I have no idea what is available? pretty much. She did not make any effort to find out what was available and instead acted inpatient. We ended up getting a standby bottled beer since we had no clue what else was available and then we left instead of hanging out. The lack of care by the server, coupled with slow service were enough for me to drop the stars. If it weren't for the water view this would be a 1 star rating. I will be looking for another patio to hang out on this summer since the Waterfront doesn't seem to want repeat business.
(2)
Dustin F.
This is one of my favorite places in Lansing during the warmer months. I found this on accident one evening riding my bike down the river trail, and heard some music further down the path... once it came into view, I saw an awesome patio on the river, with about 50 people dancing and having a GREAT time! The music was excellent and my friend who was riding with me and I decided to stop for a few drinks. We ended up having dinner and staying for hours! After moving into Lansing, I must admit I had been been kind of reluctant and disappointed with the lack of some local culture. Sure enough there is some here, you just have to know where to look! An evening on the river, with music, friends and a view of the Lansing 'Skyline' can't be beat. Great place to have some microbrews. As for the food I had a fresh market sandwich of veggies in season. It was suburb! Tons of Microbrews, I think ~ 4.50 per beer. When you have no plans, sometimes the best things happen.
(5)
Justin S.
Come for the drinks, stay for the atmosphere. The Waterfront Bar and Grill is a top notch downtown bar with an excellent tap selection year round. The food is *alright*, but it's no where near the main attraction here. The said, you won't find a better place to stop on a warm day or after work in downtown Lansing.
(4)
Lesley P.
Went here yesterday and was quite disappointed. I ordered a salmon BLT. The salmon portion only filled up 2/3 of the bun. And this is $9.50 sandwich. I had a side of baked mac and cheese. The most bland mac and cheese I had ever had. My friend agreed. I tried my brother's corn salad side dish. Really bland. It was corn, cheese, bell pepper, some kind of flavored corn chip, and mayo. No seasoning whatsoever. My brother ordered the chicken portobello sandwhich. They were out of the portobellos. He ordered it anyway. It was the most boring chicken sandwich he had ever had, and the breast also didn't cover the bun sufficiently. The only bright side was the strawberry blonde they had on tap was quite good, the bacon was large, thick, crisp slices, and the tomato was flavorful (not like a supermarket tomato). But my friend had the caprese panini and he said it was just okay.
(2)
Jen Z.
I'm rating their customer service only because I was so put off I didn't even eat there. I called after lunch hours to find out what band was playing tonight, but the host didn't know, and refused to ask a coworker. When I mentioned their business cards are incorrect and their website has no phone number, the host said, "Well, is there anything I can help you with?" The host should have made some kind of effort to answer my question and acknowledge the errors I mentioned. First impressions are important, and Waterfront should have a more capable person answering the phones.
(2)
Jason Z.
I have been to the Waterfront twice, and both time i have had very strange experiences. I love the city market and am usually there every weekend and was very excited to hear they were putting in a bar. The first time i was there, i took a seat outside on the patio and watched the waitstaff serving several groups, just not me and my friend. I made eye contact with them several times and no one came over to say anything. Finally, i stopped one and asked if i could place an order, i was informed that they didn't have patio service, and that i could go in to the bar to order. Couldn't they have just told me this when they saw us sit down? Also interesting since they had been serving everyone else except us, i did notice that a private party was going on, which explains some, however several other small families dropped in while i was waiting and saw both of them place orders and they certainly were not with the private party. Beer is good, I haven't had the food as i was never offered a menu Second time i was there I had pretty much the same experience. Private party going on outside (only like 10 people) and I was made to feel very unwelcome. Not really sure what the deal is with their service, their food looks excellent I just have never had to chance to order any of it.
(2)
Lorraine H.
Since Blues on the Square isn't happening this year, try Rhythms on the River, live music every Thursday evening through mid-September. Music is from 6-10 PM. I went here for the live music with my friends, and enjoyed it. However, service was very bad, we felt invisible. The servers had to go past our table to get to most of the others, but we were largely ignored. Some of our party went inside to order at the bar, it was that inattentive. I ordered a mushroom swiss burger with the tuna-pasta salad and a coke. The hamburgers were cooked outside on the grill, very near us. Mine was WAY overdone and dry. There wasn't much topping on it, and I had to ask for ketchup so it was edible. The lettuce, tomato and bun were quite fresh and nice. The coke was not watery, which is something I hate. The tuna-pasta salad was the best part about the meal. Too bad it was such a small serving! It came in a little cup, like a condiment cup. But it was tasty. I'll go back again for the music and maybe will try something different from the menu, as they need to redeem themselves, in my eyes.
(2)
Kate K.
Nice mix of locals. Friendly, exceptionally good service. Makes good use of attached farmer's market produce, cheeses etc. They make an excellent (very spicy!) bloody mary - using local pickled asparagus, yum! We were there on a Sunday (kitchen is closed on Sunday) but the bartender brought me a bowl of salt and pepper kettle cooked potato chips, and then a bowl for everyone else at the bar too! Can't beat the river views, even in the dead of winter!
(4)
Harry R.
Nice location with great patio, decent beer list, but lousy selection for the rest of the menu. There were only two appetizer options, nachos or cheese plate. The cheese plate was big and boring, with cubes of bland cheddar, pepper jack, and other block cheeses. Improve the food and I might consider ordering more than a beer here.
(2)
Chris M.
They're obviously still trying to figure things out. My daughter and I sat at one of their 10 open tables to have some gelato we purchased in the market that they share and they told us their tables are for customers only. So we had to eat it outside where it was 40 degrees. Very bad business to be this rude.
(1)
Holly N.
Waterfront was waterfantastic! I loved the new Lansing City Market... I remember when it was just a dark pavilion and now it's a bright new building which is open year round to take care of your local eating needs. My cousin and I decided to grab a brewski at The Waterfront Restaurant in LCM. In the summer months, the place provides ample outdoor seating - some tented seats & some seats out in the sunshine - for you to sit and enjoy a beer, appetizer, or lunch. We decided to split an appetizer and, though the hummus spread looked delicious (and extremely popular), we went for the nachos. They were super fresh and not overly soggy or messy. I'd get them again in a heartbeat! As for brews, I think they were about $4 each. I'd gladly go back to Waterfront for a second visit next time I'm in the 'hood.
(4)
Shawn K.
Not really sure why others can't see the simple elegance of this little pub offers a great selection of craft beer and lite food. Very nice. I only get here about one a year but I make sure I come back every time. Thank you.
(5)
Alicia W.
I love the location. Near the stadium. On the water. A good beer selection. Good food selection. Nice servers and bartenders. Love stopping by here on each of my trips to Lansing.
(4)
Sally C.
Enjoyed the beer selection and the view. Service was below par due to large crowds. But overall good experience.
(3)
Kelly W.
Relaxed outdoor atmosphere, our service was excellent (wish I could remember her name), reasonable prices and surprisingly good food but limited menu. We will be back!
(4)
Linda E.
Wonderful end to a early summer Sunday morning bike ride on the River Trail! We really enjoy the breakfast/brunch buffet with a mimosa or bloody Mary! Great outdoor seats and view of the River! You might even bump elbows with the Major and his beautiful family!
(5)
AMBER W.
We're traveling through town and this place was exactly what we had in mind the perfect blend of nature with a water front view and a $500K piece of art that is really lovely right around the corner I love the modern touches of the neighboring building a feast for the eyes. We soaked in the views and took advantage of live music playing on the patio, wood fired pizzas and $10 bottles of wine. I know, right, you're think really... that sounds too good to be true. But it is the real deal. I believe its part of a Thursday night routine there. The staff was attentive and made sure all our needs were met. The wine selection albeit not extensive was decent and the pizza - nothing came home.
(4)
Sara N.
First off the patio is great, it looks onto downtown lansing and the river which is so fun on a great summer day. The beer selection is full of good choices. I had a local beer and a Bloody Mary. The Bloody Mary was good but not spicy if you're looking for that. The food menu is small however offers some delicious food including great BBQ and salads. I feel as though you don't need a large food selection if all your good is great. They even grill and BBQ outside which is cool. I also recommended the guacamole which was delicious. The inside atmosphere is small and a little noisy since it's inside the city market but overall I really enjoyed the place. Even my picky husband enjoyed himself and he hates patios (who hates patios??)
(4)
Casey B.
How can you not love sitting on the patio, on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, having drinks? Love the patio here. It wasn't too crowded. Got a table and enjoyed happy hour. I can't complain about the drinks. I saw a sign that said "when the tigers are playing Bud Light and Labatts are only $2.00" you can't beat it. They wide variety of beer. I had the pretzel bun brat. It had a sweet taste to it, which kept thrown me off. The kettle chips were great. I will definitely will be coming back for more patio time.
(4)
Chiriga S.
Service is HORRIBLE, Anna was our waitress and it takes forever to get food. $5 for a small kettle of chips... burger horrible too..drinks are just juice. Waited 10 minutes for pretzels only to be told we are out.
(1)
Stacey F.
Four stars for the prices and pours...maybe just three for the food. Bartenders are very generous on giving a potable drink, instead of watering it down like most other places. I really enjoy that. However, walking in for the first time, you generally get a townie bar vibe and feel out of place. We've had the same waitress every time, so you think she would treat us like she at least waited on us before...but we seem like strangers every time. I guess you have to be in with "their" crowd to get treated like they really want you there. That's a big reason we stopped going so much. Great prices and drinks, but we always feel somehow out of place. The food is so so. It's better when they grill on the patio...pulled pork is yummy. Regular food isn't great. When it's summer...it's a lot of fun to sit out there and listen to live music tho!
(4)
Greg K.
Really the best patio in Lansing. Right on the water and at the City Market. Highly recommend the Sunday Brunch and getting whatever the specials are. They have a good beer list and have something for everyone.
(4)
Joe G.
Never had the food here but I have enjoyed the drinks and environment. Always a nice selection of beers and solid mixed drinks. The tavern offers a unique drinking environment that doesn't exist in downtown Lansing. Only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because I don't know how the food is.
(4)
Gerald R.
In full disclosure, my son works here. I really like this place. Great location and one of the best patio's in the Lansing area with views of the river. When they have their service running at full steam it is great. Because of the location, they tend to slow down in the winter months and then ramp up quickly when the weather warms. It can take a few weeks for the staffing and knowledge of the serving staff to catch up so be aware of this in late April and May when the weather starts to turn and patio days/nights become more prevalent. They have some great sandwiches and food overall. Frankie's wood-fired pizza is amazing.
(4)
Lauren C.
This place reflects the general crappiness of the Lansinng City Market. I'm new here and I really wanted to like the place. Both the market and the restaurant. However it's so unappealing it's just depressing. OK so it's Saturday, and it's summer and there's basically nobody here. But it's no surprise because they're blasting absolutely terrible 90s music on the patio. Like the worst kind. Haven't you heard of spotify?? Put a little effort into this. Or have some relaxing live music on the weekend (not playing lame covers please!!) I thought I would stop for a beer but I just really could not stand the music. It was completely uninviting and if you are that out of touch with today's world I'm gonna bet your food sucks too. The patio is also not even that nice .... No plants... Maybe I'll try the food and drinks someday but the atmosphere would need to improve substantially. Disappointed that it's so lame. Is be happy to update this in the future if things are better.
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Specialities
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch, Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Sarah C.
The first sunny, warm weekend of 2015 in Lansing - what could be better on Saturday afternoon than looking at the river and enjoying a couple of beers? My husband and I enjoyed several nice afternoons on the wonderful patio at the Waterfront last year. We love that we can bring our dog along with us, the tap list is decent, cocktails are ok but not great, and food is hit or miss (pizza is fantastic but rest of menu is not great). In the past we've had pretty good service there, but I felt really compelled to make sure that someone had warned people about how atrocious the service was recently. They were kind of busy (maybe 1/2 to 3/4 of tables full at any given time), and I'm sure it was a lot busier than it has been during the colder months, but there were some pretty inexcusable problems: -I got there first and was waiting for two other people to join me. Had the dog with me so didn't want to bring her inside with me to order a drink at the bar. Sat at the table for 20 minutes trying to make eye contact or wave at someone who worked there so I could order a drink and was ignored or not seen by both members of the waitstaff who seemed to have tables around mine (this was not just me - people around me were having the same problem and had resorted to ordering at the bar, getting their own plates from the server station, etc). -Finally got the attention of the waiter as he was bussing the table next to me. Asked if they do table service for drinks (at that point I was not sure!) and if I could order, he said he would come back. He never came back. 10 mins later he takes a food order at the table next to me after they had gone over to find him. I flag him down and ask again to place an order. Order a bloody mary and a water. -10 minutes later my husband and our friend show up and I've been there for 40 mins and still don't have a drink. My husband goes inside to order a drink at the bar and finds my bloody mary sitting there looking abandoned, confirms it's mine, and brings it out to me. We give up and only order drinks at the bar from that point forward. Bar staff busy but friendly and prompt. -Frankie's pizza is there, which, btw, is amazing. Similar in quality to the pizzas at Cosmos/Zoobies but more traditional toppings. It's nearly impossible to get in touch with a server, so I go over and ask the pizza guy (Frankie himself?) if I can directly order from him. He says no, but points me to the servers stand and says there are order forms there. We fill it out and I get up and take it over to the waiter and tell him we want to order the pizza. -Pizza is ready and the pizza man brings it over. he says the plates, etc are the responsibility of the waitstaff. Waiter nowhere in sight, so I go over to the server station area and ask another waitress if we could get some plates and cutlery, she is helpful and I bring our plates and napkins back to the table. Several other tables did this, and one table near us just never got plates and ate the pizza off the cardboard circle on the middle of their table. -Friend goes to get the waiter when we want to close the tab for the pizza. Waiter has no memory or record of what we ordered, but we tell him which pizza we had. He brings tab, friend immediately gives him his credit card as we were worried about whether we would ever see him again. Brings tab back with no pen to sign credit card receipt and disappears. I know this is a long ass rant, but this is literally the WORST service I have ever had in a bar or restaurant IN MY LIFE. Usually when places are busy you can tell that the waitstaff is in a crunch and a bit stressed out, and if they leave you hanging for 40 minutes and never actually bring out the drink that you ordered, they at least know it is a bad day and give some relatively sincere comment along the lines of "sorry we're so slammed, thanks for your patience." That's about all it takes for me to like you and leave a 20% tip even if the service wasn't good. The waiter we had at the Waterfront seemed to have no concept whatsoever that everyone in his seating area was just sitting there wondering if we even had a waiter at all?? I really want to like this place (and I do love the atmosphere for a summertime hangout), but I hope that the management reads these and can work out the service issues mentioned here and in the other reviews. I don't really mind if the service is a bit slow when I'm having a lazy afternoon on a nice patio, but it would be great if they could: 1) try to check on tables when they sit down and once every 20-30 mins to see if they need to order any drinks/food and 2) bring plates and forks when pizza is ordered (it takes a while to cook a freaking pizza, so there is plenty of time for this even if you are busy!) Next time, I'll be prepared to just order at the bar.
(2)Jamie A.
40 minutes for them to bring our food to us. And they brought it out in To Go boxes. The place was, at most, 1/2 full. And that was when we first got there. Not once did the manager (who was our server) come to us and tell us our food was taking long. All we ordered was the crab dip (which took 20 minutes for them to get to us, I had to ask) and the Pulled Pork sandwich special (which when they finally brought it to us was some pulled pork on a bun and some chips. It does not take 40 minutes to put some pulled pork on a bun and put some chips on a plate.) I had to ask 3 separate times where our food was at and each time I was told it was coming right up. I watched a cook walk from the grill outside to inside (where we were seated) without anything in his hands and watched him go into a closet, pull a backpack out, and grab his phone charger. They had 2 cooks on from what I could tell. The manager did not really apologize for our food taking long. His excuse was there were people in front of us. Seriously?! Ended up leaving without the food, didn't pay for our drinks (which we were never offered a re-fill after our glasses were empty, and we went elsewhere. I drove from Grand Rapids to spend a nice day with my girlfriend and that was a horrible start to our day. I will NEVER go there again. Seriously the worst customer service I have ever received. Ever.
(1)Jill M.
I really enjoy going to the Waterfront. It's been several months since I visited, but I am going to make sure that I visit more frequently. It's a little place and usually has a good size crowd seated at the bar. It's best to go with a friend or group of friends, but make sure you are not in a rush to get somewhere. The Waterfront is a place to enjoy good drinks, food and friends.
(5)Diane S.
It's always pretty crowded here and, I agree, the service is iffy. You kind of feel like there are regulars who get good service and if you aren't one of them, you have to wait longer. I like the location and they used to have a wonderful Michigan house chard but they changed it to something else and that made me sad, I thought the food was good,
(3)Brian S.
Cleary the best patio in Mid-Michigan; Bar is great and has character; Courtney (bartender) is wonderful; Perfect location - great spot to go for a few drinks/microbrews then head out on the town; Love it!
(5)A K.
Great view, horrible service. Can't say much about the food or drinks due to the immense difficulty in catching a waitress. Everytime I've been here, I ended up to frustrated to even remember if the food is good. Not worth it.
(2)Meg R.
Great patio. Food has always been good every time I have come here. Beers are a nice selection of local brews that you sometimes can't give somewhere else. That's all the good review. Now for the bad. Service is terrible if you aren't at the bar!!! Been waiting for my change back for at least 10 minutes now. Waitress never came around to check on us after we got our food or to even give us refills. They are a little busy but I think the service should be better. Very unsatisfied and almost makes me not want to come back and that is not something I want to do. After tracking our waitress down more after 15 minutes she doesn't know where our change is. This is unacceptable. After 20+ minutes tracked her down again and our change was just sitting at the bar in a pile like it was going to be for a tip and it was way more than a tip would be an she automatically thought it was a tip. Might not come back for awhile or until something changes.
(2)Michael P.
Dales pale ale tasting good before the Lansing Jazz Fest. Food is good nice riverside patio as well.
(4)Peter R.
I dont know why this place has 2 yelp listings, but here's my review once again. In hopes of ownership or management reading this review, I'll start by saying that I believe that this place has a lot of potential - Especially inside of the market. With that said... Service was atrocious. Two tables (my party included) were all that had to be tended to and I saw one single waitress twice. Once to take my order and another to take my plate away. Being a bar that advertises plentiful Michigan taps, especially with a sign in plain sight that touts Michigan taps -- The server just didn't cut it and had absolutely NO KNOWLEDGE about beer or what was available. A simple solution that I would have much appreciated when I let the server know I was in out of town in hopes of sampling local brew would have been to say: "You know what, I don't know much about beer, but let me ask the bartender for a recommendation for you" In fact, after having to go up to the bar to settle my check because the server was nowhere in sight, I WISH she had. The bartender was personable, tentative and obviously knew what I was talking about when I struck up conversation. Food was well... I'll say it left me wanting more: I ordered the Veggie and Spinach Sandwich. Now, Spinach was featured in the name of the dish -- But there were a total of 3 (yes I counted them, THREE) baby spinach leaves among my 1 leaf worth of shredded romaine. Served as is I recommend re-naming this dish Shredded Cheddar sandwich (omit mentioning veggies). Now, I understand Michigan is a meat and potatoes kind of town (no offense intended) but, really? I ordered a veggie sandwich and expected as much. I was literally handed 5 cents worth of vegetables, and compressed fist full of cheese in a tortilla. For emphasis I added a paragraph break -- I had ONE diced cube of bellpepper in my sandwich, (which I honestly believe ended up in it by accident) and 5 1/4" squares of cucumber. Even if you had served me my veggie sandwich PACKED with vegetable as I would have loved it -- Cost to the restaurant? less than a dollar for a $7, yes SEVEN DOLLAR SANDWICH. Thats 700% markup to cost. +.0000001 point for the server recommending it as a wrap for ease of eating. PLEASE see my photos... My sister ordered the "Grilled" Cheese sandwich, which was basically my veggie wrap served as a panini with a single slice each of cheddar, pepper jack and (maybe) swiss or monterey jack. This restaurant must think that Grilled Cheese means that it can be named as such after merely TOUCHING the grill (or in this case, panini press). Now, when I make a grilled cheese (even if its microwaved) I know its not done cooking until the cheese is melted, wouldnt you agree? How about COLD cheese Panini for a name revision? I suggest turning down the temperature of the panini press OR grill to ensure melting the cheese but not burning the bread -- I'm just sayin'. ------ Enough negativity, on to the positive! The bartender was warm, friendly, and personable. When paying for my bill i noticed a bottle fridge down below and saw a DogFish 90min next to what I knew to be a 60min IPA that I was WISHING was a 120min IPA. Why the excitement? I'm from California. I asked to confirm and told him that I was from California and that if it was indeed 120min I would have cleaned him out to take bottles home. His reply, "Smart man." and continued to inform me of the taps and how they like to rotate beer. I WISH I WOULD HAVE KNOWN, SERVER! (please just ask the bartender next time!). All in all, I hope that whomever from this establishment and reads this recognizes that the tune of this review was to be entertaining, not offensive and that the feedback is taken seriously. Cheers Mr. Bartender - I'd come back to buy you a drink, any day. 1 extra star just for the bartender. (slender older gentleman)
(2)L K.
One of the few great outdoor eating spots in the city, because it faces the river instead of a street. Beautiful view, fresh air, a fine place for a relaxing late lunch. If only they could make the food live up to the location! I considered the grilled salmon sandwich and a couple of other enticing offerings, decided on pulled pork when I heard the waitress tell another table that they had taken the meat off the smoker that morning. I wanted one of the salad sides, but every single one contained a dairy ingredient, and all were pre-made. So I had to settle for chips. Fewer than half the tables were occupied, and most of those were finishing, yet it took over 30 minutes for my food to show up. The pulled pork had the texture and flavor of pulled lumber - that is, dry shreds of no taste. The "habanero" cole slaw topping was a few big chunks (not shreds) of cabbage in a very drippy sauce with a tiny hint of flavor. The chips were weird; I like pepper, but these had a sort of reheated quality that ruined the texture. Pickle totally wrong flavor. Food overpriced. Service adequate. Musical entertainer pleasant. Setting wonderful, but wasted on this menu.
(2)Freddie Laurara K.
Amazing view from the patio overlooking the river. Small menu, but good selection of specials. Live music. Great place during warm months!
(4)Chelsea M.
Like times 3. I like there food. (It tastes good and is reasonably priced.) I like the outdoor and indoor seating. I like their beer selection. The service has been good every time I've stopped in. (Including on St. Patty's Day) The food is consistently tasty.
(4)Lindsey K.
My last 2 trips to the Waterfront have caused me to re-evaluate my opinion of them. My friend is a mimosa freak, and since she knows not all restaurants have bubbly, she called ahead. The person on the phone assured her they could make her a mimosa. We get there a few hours later, and the bartender said they could not make one, and whoever answered the phone had no idea what they were talking about. An hour later, a new bartender came on shift- I told my friend to ask again and see what they would say. This bartender said they could make one, but they were out of OJ, was Pineapple Juice OK? Surprise, the previous bartender had a case of DGAS (don't give a shits) apparently. On my most recent trip to the Waterfront, the server came by to get our order. We asked what they had on tap- the server said she didn't know. She said they just changed out a bunch of taps. I asked her if she had a list. She said they didn't have one written out. Then she just stood there. So you want me to order and I have no idea what is available? pretty much. She did not make any effort to find out what was available and instead acted inpatient. We ended up getting a standby bottled beer since we had no clue what else was available and then we left instead of hanging out. The lack of care by the server, coupled with slow service were enough for me to drop the stars. If it weren't for the water view this would be a 1 star rating. I will be looking for another patio to hang out on this summer since the Waterfront doesn't seem to want repeat business.
(2)Dustin F.
This is one of my favorite places in Lansing during the warmer months. I found this on accident one evening riding my bike down the river trail, and heard some music further down the path... once it came into view, I saw an awesome patio on the river, with about 50 people dancing and having a GREAT time! The music was excellent and my friend who was riding with me and I decided to stop for a few drinks. We ended up having dinner and staying for hours! After moving into Lansing, I must admit I had been been kind of reluctant and disappointed with the lack of some local culture. Sure enough there is some here, you just have to know where to look! An evening on the river, with music, friends and a view of the Lansing 'Skyline' can't be beat. Great place to have some microbrews. As for the food I had a fresh market sandwich of veggies in season. It was suburb! Tons of Microbrews, I think ~ 4.50 per beer. When you have no plans, sometimes the best things happen.
(5)Justin S.
Come for the drinks, stay for the atmosphere. The Waterfront Bar and Grill is a top notch downtown bar with an excellent tap selection year round. The food is *alright*, but it's no where near the main attraction here. The said, you won't find a better place to stop on a warm day or after work in downtown Lansing.
(4)Lesley P.
Went here yesterday and was quite disappointed. I ordered a salmon BLT. The salmon portion only filled up 2/3 of the bun. And this is $9.50 sandwich. I had a side of baked mac and cheese. The most bland mac and cheese I had ever had. My friend agreed. I tried my brother's corn salad side dish. Really bland. It was corn, cheese, bell pepper, some kind of flavored corn chip, and mayo. No seasoning whatsoever. My brother ordered the chicken portobello sandwhich. They were out of the portobellos. He ordered it anyway. It was the most boring chicken sandwich he had ever had, and the breast also didn't cover the bun sufficiently. The only bright side was the strawberry blonde they had on tap was quite good, the bacon was large, thick, crisp slices, and the tomato was flavorful (not like a supermarket tomato). But my friend had the caprese panini and he said it was just okay.
(2)Jen Z.
I'm rating their customer service only because I was so put off I didn't even eat there. I called after lunch hours to find out what band was playing tonight, but the host didn't know, and refused to ask a coworker. When I mentioned their business cards are incorrect and their website has no phone number, the host said, "Well, is there anything I can help you with?" The host should have made some kind of effort to answer my question and acknowledge the errors I mentioned. First impressions are important, and Waterfront should have a more capable person answering the phones.
(2)Jason Z.
I have been to the Waterfront twice, and both time i have had very strange experiences. I love the city market and am usually there every weekend and was very excited to hear they were putting in a bar. The first time i was there, i took a seat outside on the patio and watched the waitstaff serving several groups, just not me and my friend. I made eye contact with them several times and no one came over to say anything. Finally, i stopped one and asked if i could place an order, i was informed that they didn't have patio service, and that i could go in to the bar to order. Couldn't they have just told me this when they saw us sit down? Also interesting since they had been serving everyone else except us, i did notice that a private party was going on, which explains some, however several other small families dropped in while i was waiting and saw both of them place orders and they certainly were not with the private party. Beer is good, I haven't had the food as i was never offered a menu Second time i was there I had pretty much the same experience. Private party going on outside (only like 10 people) and I was made to feel very unwelcome. Not really sure what the deal is with their service, their food looks excellent I just have never had to chance to order any of it.
(2)Lorraine H.
Since Blues on the Square isn't happening this year, try Rhythms on the River, live music every Thursday evening through mid-September. Music is from 6-10 PM. I went here for the live music with my friends, and enjoyed it. However, service was very bad, we felt invisible. The servers had to go past our table to get to most of the others, but we were largely ignored. Some of our party went inside to order at the bar, it was that inattentive. I ordered a mushroom swiss burger with the tuna-pasta salad and a coke. The hamburgers were cooked outside on the grill, very near us. Mine was WAY overdone and dry. There wasn't much topping on it, and I had to ask for ketchup so it was edible. The lettuce, tomato and bun were quite fresh and nice. The coke was not watery, which is something I hate. The tuna-pasta salad was the best part about the meal. Too bad it was such a small serving! It came in a little cup, like a condiment cup. But it was tasty. I'll go back again for the music and maybe will try something different from the menu, as they need to redeem themselves, in my eyes.
(2)Kate K.
Nice mix of locals. Friendly, exceptionally good service. Makes good use of attached farmer's market produce, cheeses etc. They make an excellent (very spicy!) bloody mary - using local pickled asparagus, yum! We were there on a Sunday (kitchen is closed on Sunday) but the bartender brought me a bowl of salt and pepper kettle cooked potato chips, and then a bowl for everyone else at the bar too! Can't beat the river views, even in the dead of winter!
(4)Harry R.
Nice location with great patio, decent beer list, but lousy selection for the rest of the menu. There were only two appetizer options, nachos or cheese plate. The cheese plate was big and boring, with cubes of bland cheddar, pepper jack, and other block cheeses. Improve the food and I might consider ordering more than a beer here.
(2)Chris M.
They're obviously still trying to figure things out. My daughter and I sat at one of their 10 open tables to have some gelato we purchased in the market that they share and they told us their tables are for customers only. So we had to eat it outside where it was 40 degrees. Very bad business to be this rude.
(1)Holly N.
Waterfront was waterfantastic! I loved the new Lansing City Market... I remember when it was just a dark pavilion and now it's a bright new building which is open year round to take care of your local eating needs. My cousin and I decided to grab a brewski at The Waterfront Restaurant in LCM. In the summer months, the place provides ample outdoor seating - some tented seats & some seats out in the sunshine - for you to sit and enjoy a beer, appetizer, or lunch. We decided to split an appetizer and, though the hummus spread looked delicious (and extremely popular), we went for the nachos. They were super fresh and not overly soggy or messy. I'd get them again in a heartbeat! As for brews, I think they were about $4 each. I'd gladly go back to Waterfront for a second visit next time I'm in the 'hood.
(4)Shawn K.
Not really sure why others can't see the simple elegance of this little pub offers a great selection of craft beer and lite food. Very nice. I only get here about one a year but I make sure I come back every time. Thank you.
(5)Alicia W.
I love the location. Near the stadium. On the water. A good beer selection. Good food selection. Nice servers and bartenders. Love stopping by here on each of my trips to Lansing.
(4)Sally C.
Enjoyed the beer selection and the view. Service was below par due to large crowds. But overall good experience.
(3)Kelly W.
Relaxed outdoor atmosphere, our service was excellent (wish I could remember her name), reasonable prices and surprisingly good food but limited menu. We will be back!
(4)Linda E.
Wonderful end to a early summer Sunday morning bike ride on the River Trail! We really enjoy the breakfast/brunch buffet with a mimosa or bloody Mary! Great outdoor seats and view of the River! You might even bump elbows with the Major and his beautiful family!
(5)AMBER W.
We're traveling through town and this place was exactly what we had in mind the perfect blend of nature with a water front view and a $500K piece of art that is really lovely right around the corner I love the modern touches of the neighboring building a feast for the eyes. We soaked in the views and took advantage of live music playing on the patio, wood fired pizzas and $10 bottles of wine. I know, right, you're think really... that sounds too good to be true. But it is the real deal. I believe its part of a Thursday night routine there. The staff was attentive and made sure all our needs were met. The wine selection albeit not extensive was decent and the pizza - nothing came home.
(4)Sara N.
First off the patio is great, it looks onto downtown lansing and the river which is so fun on a great summer day. The beer selection is full of good choices. I had a local beer and a Bloody Mary. The Bloody Mary was good but not spicy if you're looking for that. The food menu is small however offers some delicious food including great BBQ and salads. I feel as though you don't need a large food selection if all your good is great. They even grill and BBQ outside which is cool. I also recommended the guacamole which was delicious. The inside atmosphere is small and a little noisy since it's inside the city market but overall I really enjoyed the place. Even my picky husband enjoyed himself and he hates patios (who hates patios??)
(4)Casey B.
How can you not love sitting on the patio, on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, having drinks? Love the patio here. It wasn't too crowded. Got a table and enjoyed happy hour. I can't complain about the drinks. I saw a sign that said "when the tigers are playing Bud Light and Labatts are only $2.00" you can't beat it. They wide variety of beer. I had the pretzel bun brat. It had a sweet taste to it, which kept thrown me off. The kettle chips were great. I will definitely will be coming back for more patio time.
(4)Chiriga S.
Service is HORRIBLE, Anna was our waitress and it takes forever to get food. $5 for a small kettle of chips... burger horrible too..drinks are just juice. Waited 10 minutes for pretzels only to be told we are out.
(1)Stacey F.
Four stars for the prices and pours...maybe just three for the food. Bartenders are very generous on giving a potable drink, instead of watering it down like most other places. I really enjoy that. However, walking in for the first time, you generally get a townie bar vibe and feel out of place. We've had the same waitress every time, so you think she would treat us like she at least waited on us before...but we seem like strangers every time. I guess you have to be in with "their" crowd to get treated like they really want you there. That's a big reason we stopped going so much. Great prices and drinks, but we always feel somehow out of place. The food is so so. It's better when they grill on the patio...pulled pork is yummy. Regular food isn't great. When it's summer...it's a lot of fun to sit out there and listen to live music tho!
(4)Greg K.
Really the best patio in Lansing. Right on the water and at the City Market. Highly recommend the Sunday Brunch and getting whatever the specials are. They have a good beer list and have something for everyone.
(4)Joe G.
Never had the food here but I have enjoyed the drinks and environment. Always a nice selection of beers and solid mixed drinks. The tavern offers a unique drinking environment that doesn't exist in downtown Lansing. Only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because I don't know how the food is.
(4)Gerald R.
In full disclosure, my son works here. I really like this place. Great location and one of the best patio's in the Lansing area with views of the river. When they have their service running at full steam it is great. Because of the location, they tend to slow down in the winter months and then ramp up quickly when the weather warms. It can take a few weeks for the staffing and knowledge of the serving staff to catch up so be aware of this in late April and May when the weather starts to turn and patio days/nights become more prevalent. They have some great sandwiches and food overall. Frankie's wood-fired pizza is amazing.
(4)Lauren C.
This place reflects the general crappiness of the Lansinng City Market. I'm new here and I really wanted to like the place. Both the market and the restaurant. However it's so unappealing it's just depressing. OK so it's Saturday, and it's summer and there's basically nobody here. But it's no surprise because they're blasting absolutely terrible 90s music on the patio. Like the worst kind. Haven't you heard of spotify?? Put a little effort into this. Or have some relaxing live music on the weekend (not playing lame covers please!!) I thought I would stop for a beer but I just really could not stand the music. It was completely uninviting and if you are that out of touch with today's world I'm gonna bet your food sucks too. The patio is also not even that nice .... No plants... Maybe I'll try the food and drinks someday but the atmosphere would need to improve substantially. Disappointed that it's so lame. Is be happy to update this in the future if things are better.
(2)