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.

I had the BEST chicken Caesar salad at Sidebar! The chicken was perfectly cooked and, most…read moreimportantly, NOT dry. The Caesar dressing is made in-house and it honestly tastes phenomenal. As someone who's a big salad person, I'm pretty picky about my Caesar salads, and theirs definitely exceeded my expectations! The service was also amazing, and the managers were so friendly and welcoming. The whole place has such a warm, homey vibe, with really good food and great people. I absolutely loved my experience and will definitely be coming back! Highly recommend Sidebar if you're looking for a really good chicken Caesar salad!

Moody, upscale bar with excellent eats. Great cocktail menu with classic options like Last Word,…read morePaper Plane, and Old Fashion. We went on a Wednesday evening around 6pm and were sat right away but the bar was about 75% full. Service was decent as the bartenders doubled as the waiters. Somewhat limited food menu, but had options ranging from wraps to filets. Sandwiches were around $20 and the main dishes were in the $30-$60 range. Overall good experience and we will be back.

The Riv was always one of the most popular bars in East Lansing when I was in college. They're…read moreknown for Burgerama on Thursdays, with cheap burgers and pitchers of beer. Lines would wrap all the way around the block at times on Thursdays. Nate and I were in town recently and decided to stop in and catch part of the Lions game. I laughed out loud when they asked for our IDs to enter - but glad to see they're enforcing this for all patrons. They have Truly on tap, which I don't see very often. With the help of the bartender we ordered a pitcher of Truly to share - their pitchers are small, and this one was full of ice. I think they're about 30 ounces or so. There are a lot of TVs and fun neon signs for all your Instagram needs. There are two areas of the bar - a main seating area with the stage and pool tables (which were converted to water pong tables) and the side room with the bar. It was pretty early on a Sunday afternoon, so it was quiet with only a handful of other people at the bar, which was nice. I'm sure The Riv is still a busy place on evenings and weekends.

Good service great vibe!! Good amount of girls to guys if that's wat ur keepin an eye out for…read more Can't refill our water. Not cool. Cool ducks madi loved the ducks she wanted 2 tho wudve made it a 10/10 2 ducks not drinks I didn't even say drink I shud delete that but I'm not gonna. Perky period purrrr Riv Rizz gods in here. Purr Riv Thank you for everything period

The following is a text from my best friend and former roommate, Shoe. We've known each other since…read morewe were six, so she's allowed to hit me with my most embarrassing moments of all time without needing forgiveness. Shoe: "I saw a TikTok yesterday where someone talked about getting so drunk that they peed in their closet at 3 AM, and it reminded me of that time you got drunk, woke up in the middle of the night, and relieved yourself on that pile of clothes on your floor at Stormy Garcia (the name we gave our apartment based on its previous occupant). Oh, good times. Anywho, happy holidays!" Oddly, this story has been coming up a lot lately. Before you hear it from someone else, I'd like to go on record. This is my 8 Mile B. Rabbit vs. Papa Doc final rap battle story. The prelude is a little foggy, as this happened nearly twenty years ago and there was alcohol involved. I came home trashed from whatever Wicker Park hipster dive bar I chose to be over-served at that particular night and immediately passed out in my twin bed. I remember having a very vivid dream about needing to pee, but being far too tired to walk the five steps across the narrow hallway to the bathroom right outside my room. I had the brilliant idea to just go on the floor, squatting off the side of my bed. This is genius. I should do this more often. Great idea. I'll just give it a quick Swiffer in the morning. Everyone's gonna be doing this. Zzzzz. When I woke up, I was dry, fully clothed, but something was suspiciously off. I never have dreams that are as clear as that. It's normally an H.R. Pufnstuf bowling-alley strike-screen jumble--. I had, in fact, gone off the side of my bed but into a laundry basket full of my clothes. Not just any clothes. Clothes that had been recently laundered, folded, and had just been minding their own business, waiting to be put away. I remembered this godawful moment for the next nineteen years with a shiver of mild embarrassment. One day, absolutely out of the blue, I reconnect with an old friend. The kind with benefits, backdoor privileges, and a copy of my apartment key at the time. He recounts the exact same story with vivid details, not because I had shared this with him previously, but because he was a primary source. He was in the bed with me, trying (feebly) to dissuade me, and then forced to watch while this all transpired. How the hell did I block that part out? "But I know something about you. You went to Cranbrook. That's a private school." I still don't know what this information was meant to accomplish. As if private education was going to un-do the laundry basket. The Avenue in downtown Lansing reminds me of this moment and of being twenty-three years old again. It's messy, it's weird, it's a bit skanky, it's mixing every spirit behind the bar with reckless abandon, and it couldn't possibly be more fun. I've only been there twice, but it always seems to be "Ratchet Night," which I respect deeply. There was an amateur drag show the last time I was there, so I found myself hobnobbing with the who's-who of the Lansing-area LGBTQIA+ scene. This included a girl in a gimp mask and a bartender dressed as a literal clown. Face paint. Lavender pigtails. A polka-dotted hat with a pom-pom on top. Whatever. It doesn't really matter, because this clown made me one of the best drinks I've had in a very long time. It was a pistachio espresso martini, and it was a work of art. Real pistachios. Whipped cream. It took at least five minutes to assemble. I wanted to order ten more, but on a busy Saturday night, I could not bring myself to be that person with a high-maintenance drink order. After I mixed many exotic drinks together, I took to the dance floor and absolutely destroyed it to I'm Lookin' for the Hoes by Sexyy Red, followed by that seminal work on big jugs, Tia Tamera by Doja Cat. The rest is kind of a blur, but I do remember getting a shoutout from the emcee before I left. They said, "Judith hit so sticky." I said, "Thank you very much." Bent the whole world over and said, "Spank you very much." Nah, I'm just playin'. I went home and got sick in a sink that night. At least I didn't ruin a hamper, though.

Tasty food with a variety of heat on the noodles or rice dishes depending on a person's tolerance…read morefor spicy. The bartender was working double duty waiting tables though kept up with our needs at the table. Prices are on par with other places that are bar meets food options. Be aware music can be on the loud side however for a place with a great variety of pinball machines, pool tables, and a few other game machine this is a given. This is a bar with food not a traditional sit down so it aligns. Fun time as a fan of pinball and ramen.

Bartenders where extremely efficient. Drinks made to regulation almost to the ounce. Atmosphere was…read moreexceptional. Cleanliness was very good. Very few bars I can audit as a secret customer pass at this level of service. I would highly recommend this establishment. 0 code violations is a rarity. Passed with flying colors. Seems tin can has stepped its game up. I applaud them all the way.

One bartender walked right past an empty glass multiple times. One bartender asked me three times…read moreif I wanted another and forgot. It's a bar I guess

Second time here and this time I wasn't as impressed. I got a bacon cheeseburger with fries and…read morethey were both good, but not the best. One thing that did impress was the fried pickle spears! Amazing with ranch! If you like dill pickles, I definitely recommend. Our service was good and ambience was fine. I don't live in the area so likely won't be back but I know Swany's is a local favorite.

Mattie our server was the nicest young lady who recommended the Brosted pork chop special for…read morelunch. That came with farmers potatoes (fried potatoes with onions and peppers), and a salad and rolls. Everything was delicious right down to the hot buttered rolls. The ambiance is that of an old Irish pub with lots of primitive memorabilia around the walls. While this was my first visit here it's obvious by the number of locals having lunch that it is a local favorite

It's a great hole in the wall bar. Burgers and pizza are on point! My Dad said it's one of the best…read moreOlive Burgers around.

Was waited on then waitress kept talking to people at the bar and laughing and telling stories and…read moredidn't get my drink and another couple also came in which were getting aggravated at not being waited on. Very annoying-food ok

Cool bar with great food and even more friendly staff! I especially love when they have stand up…read morecomedy!

Was great in the 80's! Got in quick when a girl projectile vomited on the line in front of me. No…read morewaiting. Cool