I kind of dig REO Town. It's not Old Town, but I like that's it's not trying to be either. It has…read moreits own vibe. Just a quick skip across I-496 from downtown Lansing, the shops, salons, and eateries offer a small town feel as there's just enough walkability/bike access. However, it has plenty of edgy eclectic charm to balance the adjacent park and garden spaces making it an attractive location for many festivals. The anchors of the area include GM's Grand River Assembly Plant. the Board of Water & Light that occupies a former train depot, and several visual and performing arts hubs. The area has seen good BBQ, coffee, craft beer, New American, breakfast, and pizza but longevity continues to be a challenge. Even this month's review, REO Town Clubhouse, has gone through a change over the last 24 months having just been Ellison's Brewing Co. which we reviewed in August of 2023. REO Town Clubhouse took over a massive footprint on S. Washington and benefits from the previous facility upgrade work turning the warehouse into a brewhouse. The transition to the Clubhouse has been nothing short of extraordinary with modern lighting, seating, and décor in abundance. Marketed as an Italian restaurant, pizza shop, event space, and pool hall, REO Town Clubhouse aims to have a lasting place in the area and serve as a new anchor for entertainment. Walking in and you will be immediately taken aback by the sheer vastness. To the left, you'll find the upstairs event space, which is spacious and lovely, as is the main dining room on the first floor. To the right sits the pool hall, which is also quite large offering sharks and beginners alike enough room to run the table. In the middle sits the pizza shop with its rounded stone hearth oven shrouded in beautiful teal tile. What's Uneven? The brunch menu is intriguing, offering many traditional American breakfast items and others with a more Italian flare. I arrived around 11 on a Sunday morning with my much better half and the littlest of my daughters, having seen the brunch service started at 9 AM on REO Town Clubhouse's own social media. We walked into a mostly empty restaurant and a service crew that seemed to be scrambling to find their sea legs as coffee had not yet been brewed and the waitstaff, while very pleasant, reminded me of a team that hadn't yet had their first cup of coffee yet either. The food was also fairly uneven. My Biscuits and Gravy ($15) was quite tasty. The gravy was creamy and savory with notes of black pepper and the biscuits were dense enough to stand up to the gravy but not sit too heavy afterwards. The golden fried potatoes were crispy, and the sausage patties were large and packed with sage flavor. My much better half enjoyed a Bloody Mary ($9) that had a Caprese skewer atop the glass. She also ordered the Sweet Crespelle Crepes ($15) that looked better than they tasted. The lemon curd overpowered the palette, and the Sugar Cured Ham ($4) is an absolute waste of protein and money. Limp and lifeless with not a single hint of sugar to be found nor a streak of a sear on the meat itself. What's Better I met a mentor/friend/colleague for lunch and had a much better experience. We both ordered the Lunch Pasta Combo. The Caesar salads were fresh and plentiful, especially to be part of lunch combos. I had the Spaghetti and Meatballs ($14) and though the crushed tomatoes will never be my favorite, the meatballs were large and packed with layers of garlic, herbs, and parmesan cheese. The pasta was a bit overcooked, but the dish overall was solid. My companion ordered the Chicken Alfredo ($16) and said it was one of the best she'd ever had. Thick and creamy alfredo sauce was a yummy revelation. The chicken was more well done than I typically care for but spot on for her. She wanted me to be sure to relay that she would return at least 17 times. Best Bite The Fried Shrimp ($16) with a Calabrian pepper sauce were very good. The breading on the shrimp had been fried hard enough to withstand the oil and butter-based bath in which they rested. The sauce was tasty and perfectly spicy for lunch.

I really love what they've done with the place. I've been a few times and so far the best thing on…read morethe menu is the wood fired pizza. Esp if you do the Build-Your-Own. The pasta is CONSISTENTLY a miss. I'm not sure what it is with the sauces but they never turn out right. The chicken Marsala sauce was gelatinous. The flounder with lemon butter and capers, was sour. The Tuscan chicken pasta was just olive oil. All in all, I keep coming back because they have so much potential and I don't want them to close. But man do they need some work when it comes to pastas and actually making sauces that taste good and actually stick to the noodles.

We have visited Lansing Shuffle several times. Each time we have enjoyed the atmosphere, options,…read moreand prices. On this particular instance we attended a "roadtrip" event. For a cover charge you got to sample nice sized portions from each location. The MC was hilarious, the DJ fantastic, it was open to everyone. It was an all around good time! The parking can be a major annoyance but once you find a space it's worth it! I do wish that there were table wipes readily available since the tables turn over so quickly but don't always get wiped down between patrons.

Great location right on the river. The indoor space has shuffle games and a few other activities…read morelike corn hole. My only beef is $6 to park for an hour when there is no event and parking lot is empty! Lots of different cuisine to choose from. The crab nachos were insanely good. We really loved the tikka masala as well. Everyone was so friendly and helpful while we walked around and tried to decide what to eat.

What an absolutely wonderful nature center! There are so many nooks & crannies to this space and…read morejust so much educational learning to be had here. I came here in the winter and really loved walking the trails throughout the center. It helped that one of my friends, Dan, manages the programs here and would point out all the cool trees, plants, and general history as we walked along. He truly made my first time at Woldumar so memorable and his passion for this nature center truly shines through in everything he does - even when he's off the clock just showing boring ol' me around! I've heard so much of all the work Dan has put into this place over the years and he truly makes Woldumar shine bright for all those who come and visit, whether for an afternoon or for a summer-long program! I imagine this place overrun with kids and adults alike when the weather is great and can only imagine how much fun it would be to experience this place in the summertime. There is truly something for everyone here and definitely recommend this if you're looking for a low-key place where not a ton of people will be with some majorly high-key fun and exploration!

Our family loves WNC! Snow shoeing the winter trails is magical and one of our favorite traditions!read more

Didn't get any pictures. But this place was awesome!! The bartender she was amazing!! Drinks were…read morestrong and not expensive. Line went pretty fast. Owner was cool! Food from what i remember was good lol. Definitely would go again. We went to the area for Krampus.

I like this cozy venue, it's small intimate serves, food, alcohol, and beer…read more They have many different Acts from comedy to music. I would say that the food and drinks are reasonably priced.

Think Space is a fantastic venue to hold a meeting of any kind! Work Meeting, Board Meeting,…read moreNon-Profit Meeting, Book Club; you name it, Think Space will make it a wonderful experience. The staff made sure the event was prepared for success. Our experience could not have been better & I highly recommend Think Space for your next meeting space!

From the owner: Think Space is a unique business meeting and retreat center focused on providing you a creative and…read moreamazing experience. We have spent countless hours in dull conference rooms struggling to stay awake and wishing there were a better way to energize our meetings and improve results. That's why we created Think Space, where new ideas are born. We believe when you combine the right elements, inspiration and creativity ensue. We have those key ingredients - a passionate team of innovators, a historic building on the banks of the Grand River, and a focus on creativity, flexibility, and comfort. Think Space is specifically designed to help your team have fun and productive meetings. Whether you seek to invent the next great product or you simply want to energize a training session, Think Space is your destination for something different.

What an amazing atmosphere and the FOOD WAS OUTSTANDING!!! The service was great and the mimosas…read morewere tasty. Highly recommended

What's Good This is the kind of place I generally root for…read more Locally owned, attention to ambience and identity, a focused menu that doesn't try to do too much, and an effort to make you feel welcomed. Batter Up Bistro reminds me of several places I've visited in New Orleans with a jazz trio playing ragtime as I enjoyed brunch and maybe a midday Hurricane cocktail. The interior is rustic chic while still being warm and inviting and I really enjoyed the beverages I ordered. The Apple Crisp Latte ($8) I ordered for my breakfast visit was hot and made me feel even more cozy. Apple simple syrup paired with house coffee blend and oat milk with notes of cinnamon was very pleasing to the palette without been blown away by apple flavor. The Baron ($15) was a pre-dinner cocktail with whiskey, ginger beer & liquor, almond bitters, and a hickory smoked finish. It was strong, but not breathtaking, a well-balanced flavor profile. What's Really Good Dinner service was suitable even if a bit slow, especially given the few diners that were also in attendance that evening. The bar tender was also waiting tables and while he was capable and hospitable, he clearly had too much on his plate running the front of house solo. I started with the Sea Scallop appetizer ($17). Three substantial scallops with a dill forward dusting sit atop a lovely, creamy parsnip puree. The puree was slightly sweet and the microgreens that were likely intended more as a garnish offered a nice textural note. The scallops were cooked uneven if I'm being honest where only one out of the three had a desirable brown crust and the other two were grayer. Dinner went up several notches with the Pan-seared Salmon ($32) which I ordered blackened. The fish was tender and flaky, and the blackened seasoning was right on target. The salmon paired quite well with the roasted Brussels sprouts, which themselves had a lovely char, and the wild rice. I also appreciated the accompanying blackberries which offered a touch of sweetness without compromising earthiness. Best Bite My first visit was a bit lonely as I was the only patron dining on a Thursday mid-morning. Perhaps the previous day's snowfall had scared others away, but I was itching to get out and about finding the breakfast selections a respite from winter's doldrums. I ordered the Eggs Benny ($20) with perfectly poached eggs atop their delightful house baked toast which was dense enough to hold up the thinly sliced ham, eggs, microgreens, and herbaceous hollandaise sauce. The sauce was rich and creamy with a pleasant punch of lemon and dill. The dish is served with garlic and herbed red skin breakfast potatoes and they were a hit. Also, a star was the side of thick cut bacon ($8) which was smokey and a perfect medium cook. Chef Cari came out to express her gratitude for my visit, which only made me wish more folks had joined me that day.

Such a cute place to get a tree a the train ride to Santa's cabin is amazing. Such a great time…read morewith the family

This was our first year for the Santa Experience. We took our four kids, 6yrs-8yrs at 7pm on…read moreWednesday. What an amazing experience. It was so pretty, all lit up. The staff was beyond friendly and gave very clear instructions. The trains were running about 20 minutes behind but the kids were running around, petting animals, playing on the playground. A lot of things to see even in the dark. The train ride was very magical for them. Most legit looking Santa I've seen in a while! Each family (only four cars on the train) had time to take pictures. Free cocoa by the fire, while waiting for the train to come back, was perfect!