Side Bar East Lansing

One of my go-to places when I visit East Lansing…read more Good food and good service!

Trying to hard to pretend to be an Irish Pub when they are nothing more than a college drunk place…read more Bartenders have 0 personality. I was in on 5/22/2026 around 9pm and left after 5 minutes of being watched and made uncomfortable by the staff. Every college town has college bars so why not just advertise as such if that is all you are so others don't waste their time hoping for a truely Dublin experience. Looking to get drunk with college kids = this is you place Looking for an authentic Dublin experience = you will be extremely disappointed.

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Wildlife Pub

5.0(1 review)

4.6 mi

Am currently a Bath resident. Was very nervous as I first walked in. "Is this the right place?" My…read moreroommates nervously asked. And let me tell you, I was very unsure. The indoor bar that is open during the winter hours has something for everyone. High tech LED lights recently installed for a beautiful ambiance. Two dart boards as well for added entertainment. Music is always on point. A covered smoking area for all tobacco users. And if you're even lucky enough to know a member you can be taken up to special areas that have restricted access to the general public. The outdoor experience is just as wonderful. Cornhole always available for competitive or even friendly matches between friends and/or family member . The insanely competitive prices ($1-$5) for a beer depending on whether you've managed to find yourself in their happy hour world where you can taste delicious beverages for almost free. Could not say better things about this majestic bar, come in and find out for yourself.

From the owner: Come enjoy a Pub like no other. Centered in the middle of beautiful Michigan wilderness, right down…read morethe street. The Wildlife Pub is open to the public and private members. Come grab a beer or cocktail and listen to some great live music. We offer indoor and outdoor seating on our 3,600 sqft deck covered by a glass roof above Priggooris Lake. 259 private acres and a disk golf course, with miles of trails for you to explore. Live music, festivals, card and cornhole leagues, and more! Check out our website for more information. All proceeds from the pub go towards our mission work to preserve wildlife and habitat.

House Concerts

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Henry's Place

3.9(110 reviews)

3.8 mi

Yes Henry's Place is in a strip mall and is a locals type place. We found it to be welcoming spot…read moreto eat, drink and be merry! We sat at the bar but there are many tables for dining. Our bartender did his best to keep our drinks full and helped us with our food order. We had a shrimp and fries basket and a smash burger. Both items were very good and fresh. The shrimp were hand breaded and huge. Henry's is a worthwhile stop, check it out.

Just found this place. Food and staff are great. It has a very friendly neighborhood kind of place…read more Jimmy the bartender is the best!!!!

Reuben Egg Roles

Lobster Roll

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Grilled Salmon and Brussels

Buddies Pub & Grill

3.8(43 reviews)

1.1 mi

Trivia night on Wednesday is a blast! Fun prizes to boot. Particularly large food and drink menu…read morewith something for everyone. A good time with old friends.

Buddies in East Lansing definitely gives all the feels when it comes to a hometown bar!…read more Whether you're in the mood for sports on TV with delicious wings, a yummy appetizer, a quick bev, or even a tasty dinner...this place has it all! One side of the restaurant is traditional family-style dinner seating with nice open space great for large groups too! The other side is the bar and patio both spacious with comfortable seating. The team members are super delightful, with welcoming attitudes and smiles! We always look forward to seeing them. We love our neighborhood bar!

Long Drink and potato skin

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Main Entrance

Roadhouse Pub

2.8(12 reviews)

1.0 mi

Call me Wes!! You totally blew it!!! I'm pissed!! Way to go. What was the misunderstanding? How…read moredid you screw it ip so badly. Wes should have come out of the kitchen and apologize for his incompetence... but he chose to hide. Who owns Harrison Roadhouse??? Wes - you F'd up.

Though the staff is nice, the timeliness of following through with your order of food is…read moreridiculous. We ordered a 3-topping pizza, and it still didn't come out after an hour and half. I understand that the food comes from Harrison Roadhouse, but seriously? Even the staff had no idea when the pizza was going to come out! Absolutely horrible! Don't order the pizza, and if you do, definitely ask how long it'd take to get the food. They really should put on the menu that it'll take some time. I've never heard of pub food taking over an hour and half to come out! On the bright side, it's a great place for beers, and there are plenty of activities (TV, pool, darts, etc)

REO Town Pub

4.2(13 reviews)

4.0 mi

This a great place to make new friends and enjoy life. These pictures are from Wednesday steak…read morenight. Good people and great staff that work hard. There is a patio too.

I've always liked going to this bar, it's exactly what you want in a small location. Dim lighting…read moreand good ambiance. The bartenders were very nice, and the drinks cold! I ordered a pint with a whiskey back, but the waitress had never heard of a whiskey back. She was younger, so I'm guessing this is an old timers drink order. Overall definitely check this place out!

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Boost your vitamin c

Dusty's Tap Room

3.4(64 reviews)

3.8 mi

Well place is nice with tall bar tables and a few low tables but food is just okay. Ordered the…read morehummus appetizer. Got big size glob of hummus that had the consistency of play dough and very dry. Veggies were celery, carrots, sliced cucumbers and some fried 1/2 round (ritz sized) chip. For me at least the appetizer wasn't very tasty and I'm glad I had some water to drink! Ordered some soup and soup was decent but ordering a "bowl" results in getting a 1 1/2 size cup of soup. A member of my party ordered the football shaped pot pie which had a nice presentation with some burnt edges. To me at least it was more of a corn and chicken pot pie instead of having the vegetables I'm used to seeing (peas, green beans, etc). Tastes fine but I've tasted much better. One member of the party loved the sweet potato tots and their wrap. Only one person tending the bar and tables. Food took a while to be served. Tip level started at 20%! I'm not interested in going back.

We went for dinner a couple days ago. Ordered the Brussels sprouts as an appetizer and they came…read moreout literally 5 minutes after we ordered them. They were microwaved and still had the stems on them which means they weren't cleaned up at all. Really nasty and not what you would expect from a fine dining spot. The entrees came out and the plates had food stains on them. So the back of the house definitely isn't following best practices when it comes to cleaning and sanitizing which is a really huge eww. This used to be a great spot to get a good meal but things have definitely changed for the worse. Service was not good either. We saw 3 groups of people leave after not being acknowledged by the wait staff. This place needs new management asap.

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Moriarty's Pub

3.7(34 reviews)

3.1 mi

Fun fact about Moriarty's: they host jazz bands on Tuesday nights, and for that I love them…read more Ok, I'm wildly biased by the jazz offering. The pub itself is super divey, hole-in-the wall. Opposite of upscale. Drink and food selection are not great. But the staff are really kind and responsive, so that helps.

We play DJ Trivia here every Thursday. The staff is friendky. The menu is limited, but everything…read moreis tasty and reasonably priced. I'm looking forward to getting another of theirolive burgers. All of their soups are homemade. The room where we play trivia is kinda small which creates an intimate vibe. The DJ adds to this by chatting with the guests.

Monday night. No servers tonight to take orders.

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The unrivaled & mysterious Black & Tan.

Jimmy's Pub

3.2(79 reviews)

1.8 mi

Stopped by Jimmys for an early dinner (4pm) while visiting our daughter at MSU. I had the Italian…read moreSub which was huge and cut in half. It had good flavor and plenty of meat. It was baked perfectly. The wife and daughter both had the Jimmys Burger. Again huge sandwich with enough fries to take some home. The wife mentioned that the burger was so big they could have split one. Service was attentive but not too much. Prices were fair in this economy. Will be going back when in town.

The summer months have arrived, and nothing is more of a spatial tribute to warm weather than a…read morepatio bar. Many examples around the area offer guests the chance to dine or imbibe al fresco in the open air while enjoying rays of sunshine and seasonal treats. A late spring or early summer breeze while enjoying a cold one with friends or sharing a delectable appetizer with family is peak Pure Michigan, minus a drive north of Clare. Lucky for me, this month's review allowed for both -- and a chance to revisit an old haunt from my younger days. Friday happy hours were fundamental destinations for my colleagues and me after working long weeks in the Lansing School District. The years I worked or volunteered at Sexton High School, my dear alma mater, would often lead to one or two adult beverages and a burger at Harry's Place. My time at Gardner Middle School on the south end of town lent itself to visiting Sammy's Restaurant & Lounge on Jolly Road. When I returned north to work at Otto Middle School, where my father was principal for many years, Jimmy's Pub's previous Frandor location hosted several early evening gatherings. We certainly enjoyed the camaraderie, but the food and periodic live entertainment were also highlights. When Jimmy's Pub moved to the Chandler Crossings development north of Lake Lansing Road in the late aughts, it reopened as one of the area's first smoke-free establishments, ahead of the 2010 Michigan law banning cigarettes in bars and restaurants. At the time, it was considered a risky business move, which seems almost inconceivable nearly two decades later. Jimmy's survived those early questions, and by leveraging an old-world Irish pub feel, coupled with genuine Midwestern kindness in its staff and regular clientele, it has continued to be a regular watering hole for college-aged customers and more senior, seasoned guests alike. During the times I visited recently, staff members were very courteous and accommodating during both the lunch rush and happy hour windows. Similarly, the regulars were friendly and welcoming, eager to share the good times on their minds with new faces. For a throwback, I was even able to connect with some former colleagues on the patio for happy hour. What needs work The traditional wings (5 for $10, 10 for $18 or 20 for $32) were of the standard bone-in variety. Nicely broiled with some lightly charred edges, they had a nice bite, if missing some next-level flavor had they been smoked first. I ordered them with the Carolina gold barbecue sauce, which delivered a pungent tanginess with a subtly sweet undertone. Less impressive were the fried shrimp ($12) off the summer lunch menu. When an item is presented as a seasonal special, I expect more than something from the freezer section at the local grocer. These bites were lacking in flavor and life. The accompanying french fries, however, had a nice dusting of peppery seasoning. What's good Faithful readers will know I had to try the olive burger ($14). With a price point that necessitates a top-notch handheld, this one came close to delivering value. It had chopped olives, which I always prefer over diced olives. It was sufficiently lathered in sauce and cooked to a proper medium. The house-made potato chips served as the perfect vehicle for the loose olives that fell off the burger and were themselves wonderfully crisp and salty. Similarly, the chicken Alfredo ($18) was a quality dish. Slices of grilled chicken breast rested atop a mound of cheesy, creamy penne pasta. The chicken was flavorful and tender and meshed well with the cream sauce, which was equal parts rich and yummy. The side Caesar salad and garlic toast were above par, too. Best bites Since my first time visiting the original Jimmy's Pub, I've been a big fan of both the Lebanese breadsticks ($8) and the ranch dressing they're served with. This shareable appetizer consists of pita bread that's cut into strips and fried to perfect crispiness yet retains the tenderness one expects from pita. The garlicky seasoning salt that the strips are dusted with keeps you going back for more. Dunking these strips in the ranch dressing, which is often in the discussion for best in the area, will have you adding Jimmy's Pub to your list of summer hangouts.

Lebanese Breadstix

Appetizer Coconut Shrimp

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Pub

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4 reviews that are not currently recommended

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Mark K.

0

2

0

2 months ago

Sidebar is hands down one of the best places I've eaten in the area. From the moment I walked in, the atmosphere was welcoming and the staff made me feel right at home. Everyone was friendly, attentive, and made sure I had everything I needed throughout my visit. The food was outstanding. Everything came out fresh, hot, and full of flavor. You can tell the kitchen takes pride in what they serve because my hot honey sandwich was cooked perfectly and looked just as good as it tasted. I got a Mediterranean salad the portions were generous, and the quality was well worth the price. I'll absolutely be coming back, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for great food, excellent service, and a welcoming atmosphere. Five stars all the way! read more

Dylan D.

0

1

0

2 years ago

I came in to sidebar hoping for a good experience I walked in with my two daughters and were sat down by jimmy very nice guy. We ordered a bbq pizza and a charcuterie board it was good but very very overpriced 12 inch pizza for almost 22 dollars? And a 40 something dollar charcuterie board yeah no... about 20 minutes later the owner started talking to the table behind us and he was licking his lips and was very awkward when he walked by us and gave us a weird side eye look. We paid tipped and headed out kind of a weird experience but I don't know. lol I felt judged but it don't think it's that serious lol read more

Shannon C.

70

7

1

8 months ago

Your 8.00 Tito's & soda is now 15.00.... Laughable. New management must be trying to ruin another neighborhood meet up.

Thomas L.

0

1

0

5 years ago

New menu has no variety and the items on the menu lack quality. Until things change, will likely not be coming back.

Side Bar East Lansing - pubs - Updated September 2026

People who viewed Side Bar East Lansing also viewed

Henry's Place

3.9

(110 reviews)

Yes Henry's Place is in a strip mall and is a locals type place. We found it to be welcoming spot…read moreto eat, drink and be merry! We sat at the bar but there are many tables for dining. Our bartender did his best to keep our drinks full and helped us with our food order. We had a shrimp and fries basket and a smash burger. Both items were very good and fresh. The shrimp were hand breaded and huge. Henry's is a worthwhile stop, check it out.

Just found this place. Food and staff are great. It has a very friendly neighborhood kind of place…read more Jimmy the bartender is the best!!!!

The Irish Pub

4.2

(37 reviews)

Had a nice time service, food, and drinks for real good…read more Friendly staff. Nice place to hang out.

Dined here at 12 pm on a Saturday, small amount of people so it wasn't too busy…read more Service: it was good, waitress was very nice and was quick with refills and the bill Food: there was a lot of options for food, I ended up getting the Guinness Chicken which came with bread and two sides, I got onion rings and a Caesar salad. All for $14 which is a really good deal. The chicken was some of the best chicken I've had ever, it was drenched in their bbq sauce which I love, the Caesar was a good portion size and onion rings were crisp. There was a lot of TVs in the bar to watch sports, and had many great deals for food as well, highly recommended coming to eat here. I will be back

Midtown Brewing Co.

3.5

(219 reviews)

Great atmosphere, very friendly server and fantastic food. We had the Fabreu Cuban sandwich and a…read morebyo burger, with fried banana peppers to start. highly recommend this place!

We stumbled upon this great brewery while traveling with our dogs. The Morning Neighbor IPA was…read morecrisp and refreshing on a hot day. We tried the banana peppers. I was surprised how light they were for something fried. We appreciate our pups being allowed on the patio. The bartender was so sweet checking on us from time to time, being a Monday lunchtime. Loved the bathroom decor! Looking forward to our next visit!

Dagwood's Tavern & Grill

3.9

(152 reviews)

I have enjoyed Dagwood's for nearly 60 years. As an MSU student, I thought it was a very "classy"…read morejoint back then: Michelob on tap and beer mugs that had a unique handle; a curve connected at the bottom with a gap of about half an inch at the top. Big time, baby!! In those 58 years, the exterior has not changed except for a patio on the back side. The men's room is really small; much like Texaz Grill in Phoenix!! No door on the toilet stall to this day. Seating area has same setup; booths and tables appear to have been replaced over those years. Dagwood's offers 10 or more draft beers today. The classic MIchelob is absent. I had ham and bean soup, cheeseburger and fries. The soup is homemade and just what I wanted. Burgers are all smash-style; cooked to order and still juicy. To me, the fries are the hit; hand-cut fresh potatoes fried to order and great! Saturday afternoon was a little spotty but they got the job done. Dagwood's is a classic college dive bar with good food cooked behind the bar for all customers to see.

I can remember the first time I was here back in 1992 (yes, I'm old), I don't think I ever had a…read morenon-fast burger before, but I can tell you without a doubt this burger single handedly changed the meaning of my existence. Fresh meat, flat top grill that has been well seasoned over decades (I'm assuming it's not new) of use. I think one of the reasons I've been so thrilled with the recent smash burger uprising is because they remind me so much of these style of pub burgers. Coming back 30 years later, I can't say that much has changed. The burger was still delicious, the service was still solid and if you love dive bars and old classic pubs as much as I do, the decor was solid and pleasing. You get what you see here, there is nothing fancy, but everything is great. If you love burgers (or wings which are also yummy but drumstick style) this is an absolutely underrated spot to get a basic bacon cheeseburger and fries. As you can imagine, they have a good selection of beer and liquor along with tradtional pop. Can't wait to come back and get another burger soon.

Bridge Street Social

4.4

(127 reviews)

We loved the Bridge Street Social. However it is not for everyone! If you're a Foody you'll love…read moreit! If you like to try new ingredients together or if you like craft drinks, c'mon! If you like career servers who love to tell you their history when asked, you'll love BSS! But if you like predictable, standard fare, with a predictable seating arrangement then you'll probably enjoy Outback better.

This is a big yes for me. Every item I ordered was plated intentionally and SO delicious. My steak…read moretasted like Spring. My server was excellent and talked up the rotating menu, making sure we were well-informed about the restaurant. Ideally located; limited rotational menu with each item having incredible flavor; cute and cozy. You'll have to give this a try, and probably more than once.

Beggar's Banquet

3.4

(223 reviews)

This humble and clearly well-loved restaurant ended up being the perfect spot for a quick brunch…read morewhile our daughter enjoyed gymnastics camp at MSU's Jenison Fieldhouse, about a 10 minute walk away. I'm so glad we found it. The food was incredible, the service was friendly and efficient, and the ambiance is quiet yet energized with the buzz of a college town. I went with the classic eggs Benedict and couldn't pass on the potato cakes and a $5 Bloody Mary. I kid you not when I say that everything was perfect - all the way down to the smoky salt rimming the glass of the Bloody Mary. My wife went with a $5 mimosa as well as a bowl with some sort of delicious egg/veggie/potato mixture and ate it before I could snap a photo. Needless to say, we were very pleased and will be sure to come back the next time we are in town!

Look, you can get a giant bowl of liquor here. This is true. You can also get a lovely and amazing…read morebrunch. The biscuits are perfect. Eggs are cooked exactly to your preferences. There are no specialty coffees, but the juice is perfect. Know what you are getting into and enjoy it.

Joe's On Jolly

3.4

(111 reviews)

Service, selection, seating…read more.. Great friendly staff Lots of great food choices Outdoor seating on this beautiful day I had the Roasted Beet salad but was able to sample from others fries and green olive burger and pretzel The fries are real good (ketchup is an in-house creation). Pretzel was quite tasty. Burger was cooked amazing. The beet salad was fantastic.

This one is hard to review…read more TLDR; Inconsistent food and service, Long wait times for a table, big parking lot no parking spot, MAGA in 2026 Food: it depends on who is in the kitchen. *sometimes my gluten free burger comes out GOD TIER. sometimes meh. * sometimes the fries are good, sometimes too salty, sometimes too old and dry. * their gluten free calamari is delicious and usually fried very well. *their salads are huge and very high quality, not overdressed. * i tried their tacos once and remember i was very disappointed Drinks: Generally decent cocktails, they can make you what you want within reason Location: Huge parking lot but can never find parking? There is always a wait for tables and you'll see people waiting right by the front door. Lots of tvs to watch sports. There is a quieter back room and I think they might have some games back there Events: During summer evenings they have live music for free out back where there is cornhole, a second bar, and some seating. Ambiance: Families come here, people come here for first dates, groups of friends too. It's not upscale but there is something about the space that triggers my social anxiety. It kind of feels like a stage. Price: I guess they charge premium for the vibes because it is very overpriced. Service: Highly variable. sometimes you get someone nice, sometimes you get someone mean, sometimes you just get someone who is incompetent. mostly new faces every time i go in. Politics: I used to go here more often before I found out they're MAGA. and.. still MAGA in 2026. do with that information what you will. locally they are known for this. personally, there are many other options (right down the street) i can choose from where i feel good about spending money there. especially when their menu is overpriced.

Zoobie's Old Town Tavern

4.2

(127 reviews)

While hosting family visiting from New Jersey, we spent part of the afternoon enjoying an activity…read morealong the river in downtown Lansing. About halfway through, everyone started getting hungry, so I asked my sister-in-law to pick a restaurant in Old Town that looked appealing. She chose Zoobie's because she thought she had seen it featured on a Food Network show, and the menu looked diverse enough that everyone in our group would find something they liked. Being from New Jersey, my sister-in-law firmly believes there is no good pizza outside of New Jersey or New York. Well, Zoobie's proved that great pizza can be found anywhere. I ordered the pear pizza without the meat, and it was absolutely delicious. The flavors worked perfectly together, and I never felt like I was missing anything by skipping the meat. My sisters each ordered different pizzas and thoroughly enjoyed them, while my nephew had a burger that disappeared quickly, which is always a good sign. My wife ordered the bruschetta and spoke so highly of it that I had to try some myself. She was right, it was delightful. Another pleasant surprise was the atmosphere. The restaurant was quite busy, with a full bar and a group celebrating some kind of event, yet the noise level remained very manageable. As someone who is sensitive to loud environments, that can make or break a dining experience, and Zoobie's got it right. For context, we visited on a weekday around 2:00 PM, so that certainly may have contributed to the comfortable atmosphere. Still, every aspect of our visit exceeded expectations. Great food, attentive service, a welcoming environment, and perhaps most impressively, pizza that won over a skeptic from New Jersey. We'll definitely be back the next time we're in Old Town Lansing.

Fun lunch spot with friends! Got the trust us pizza in veggie form and it did not disappoint. The…read moregarlic aioli was so good and I do love a surprise. Please get the popcorn here too- absolutely delicious. Prices are very reasonable. Great spot to watch MSU sports and enjoy some quality bar food with a drink in hand.

Knob Hill Tavern

4.2

(18 reviews)