![]() |
I forgot to take a picture of the place. This photo is courtesy of http://www.betterondraft.com |
Welcome to Cheeseburgers in Michigan! We are James the Dad and Jerome the Teenager. We have a passion for the best meal in the world: a cheeseburger and fries. Our goal is to review every cheeseburger in Michigan. We will be joined by Erin the Matriarch and Bucky the Preschooler as well as other guests. Here is our review of Lansing Brewing Company aptly located in Lansing.
When I moved back to Lansing, I thought it was odd that I’d never heard of Lansing Brewing Company before. Their logo is designed to look old-timey, and it says right on there “Est. 1898.” How did a brewery that’s been around for that long fly under my radar? Well, it hasn’t been around for that long.
The original Lansing Brewing Company opened in 1898. So, technically, a Lansing Brewing Company was established then, and their claims are not a complete lie. However, the original LBC shut down in 1914, allegedly because of the strong temperance movement in the city. The newest incarnation of LBC opened in 2015 on East Shiawassee in a former tool and die shop – not the original location of the brewery.
Despite these liberties with the truth, I was interested in LBC’s menu and beers. So, on a hot Saturday evening, Erin and Bucky joined us for the walk to the restaurant as the Lugnuts played nearby.
Jerome’s Review
![]() |
You should see the pictures Jerome didn't want me to post. |
The Lansing Brewing Company is one restaurant I know I’m going to revisit quite frequently. We were seated fairly quickly despite all seats being almost full. For an appetizer we ordered a basket of wings, and honestly, I could have eaten those wings all night. The BBQ sauce was delicious and the wings themselves rivaled the ones I had back in Eugene. When the burgers came they were cooked exactly as ordered and weren’t at all dry. The buns were also tasty which is somewhat uncommon. Overall, I’d give the place 8.5/10 and recommend going if you're in town.
James’s Review
Cheeseburger 19/25
Lansing Brewing Company essentially has one beef burger and three vegetarian burgers: quinoa, portobello mushroom, and the Beyond Burger. The Basic Burger comes with lettuce, tomato, and cheddar cheese on it. Above the basic, you can add a variety of different items, including smoked brisket, fried egg, and smoked gouda, for an extra charge. I decided to spice things up with bacon.
I ordered my burger “medium,” and it came out medium-well to well. There was only a hint of pink to be found. I’ve grown accustomed to restaurants doing me like that. They claim that the patties are “seasoned with a blend of seasonings and spices”, but it was fairly bland.
![]() |
I took this picture after giving most of my fries to Bucky. |
Those were the negatives. Overall, it was a decent burger. I liked how thick the patty was. You could tell you were eating a hunk of meat. I didn’t like that I had to specifically ask for mayonnaise. It wasn’t automatically on the burger or delivered on the side, but I’m getting nitpicky.
Fries 23/25
The star of the show was the fries. There was a nice, well-seasoned breading. There weren’t a lot of the terrible end pieces. The fries were slightly underdone but not too bad. I had to battle Bucky for a lot of them because he also enjoyed them. Fortunately, Erin let me eat some of her poutine, which was also excellent.
![]() |
The Kid going to town. |
Value 18/25
Here’s what our receipt looked like:
- Wings $11.99
- Flights (2 @ $8) $16
- Poutine $10.99
- Basic Burger with Bacon and Fries $14.98
- Basic Burger with Bacon $12.99
- Sorbet (2 @ $4.49) $8.98
- Total with tax: $80.49
- Tip: $19.51
$100 for a dinner for a family of four is kind of a bit much for most. But, we did get an appetizer, alcoholic drinks, and desserts so it’s understandable. Still, I don’t like having to pay extra for fries when the burger is already $12.
![]() |
Name that film: "If I'm gonna get my balls blown off for a word, my word is 'poutine.'" |
Ambiance 10/15
Our table was incredibly sticky. And, the whole place was loud AF. I had to practically yell for Erin to hear me. We let Bucky play on his tablet so we could enjoy our dining experience, and he had the thing blasting. No one noticed because the ambient noise drowned it out.
Aside from that, Lansing Brewing Company appears to attract the judgy suburban crowd. At one point, we noted a table of middle-aged white people glaring at a table of people of color. I guess they didn’t like them being at their restaurant. On the bright side, we did have a nice discussion about how to be a good ally on the walk home.
Service 8/10
Our waitress looked like a cross between the musical artist Grimes and that one actress from Don’t Trust the B---- in Apartment 23. This has nothing to do with anything. It just gives you a glimpse into the idle conversation we had while waiting for our food. We arrived at about 7:45 in the evening and were out the door by 8:45. Not bad for a semi-busy Saturday night. There was no wait for a seat, but the place is darn spacious.
My biggest quibble was that I ordered mayo on the side, and it didn’t come on the side. I had to ask for mayonnaise again. At that point, I looked like a desperate little fat man who just needed nothing more out of life than to smear white viscid substances on my mouth.
Lansing Brewing Company’s Overall Score: 78/100
![]() |
Erin having a working dinner. |
I will probably go to Lansing Brewing Company again, but I probably won’t order the burger again. The menu has so many other things that outshine the unremarkable burger. Plus, there are plenty of good brews to be had. The flight is a great deal. Go to LBC for the other stuff, skip the burger.