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    The Riv

    3.3 (49 reviews)
    InexpensiveSports Bars, American
    Open 12:00 pm - 2:00 am (Next day)
    Updated 2 months ago

    The Riv Photos

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    Steve P.

    Greatest dive bar in East Lansing! The Riv is known for Burgerama, which is every Thursday afternoon, which they have specials on beer pitchers and burgers. Burgerama will be filled with drunk college kids. The beer selection is limited to 10-12 taps, but they have something for everyone. In recent years they've seem to get rid of waitstaff and everything is ordered at the bar. The food is actually decent at the Riv, which I'm impressed. Their Burger menu has really stepped up its game! The bar does smell of stale beer, but it's a great place to go before a game.

    Odd use of space

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    4 years ago

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    18 years ago

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    7 years ago

    Rama is fun but not when you wait 3 hours only to have the bouncer let his friends in over you

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - The Riv

    Review Highlights - The Riv

    While Thursday nights are the best nights to go, it can get very crowed, and there may be a large line.

    Mentioned in 8 reviews

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    Art & Jake's

    Art & Jake's

    3.7
    (47 reviews)
    2.4 mi

    My son wanted to have dinner here after his graduation as this one of his favorite places to eat…read more The place was lively with fresh graduates and family members celebrating! My wife and I ordered the Detroit style pizza (Green Pepper and Onions), cheese curds, fried pickles and french fries to share with the table. The server was very attentive and came back multiple times to check on us and refill our water. As for the the food - the pizza was delicious and the crust was fluffy on the inside and has a crisp on the outside. The edges were nicely cooked with the carmilized cheese. The cheese topping still has some nice pull. The cheese curds were hot and fresh. The pickles were crispy and seasoned just right as were the french fries. The fries had a light breading on it. What a great night with family and friends and appreciated everyone coming. Service was great and food was delicious. When we come back, we will visit here again!

    Came in on a quiet Sunday afternoon (snowstorm at the time). Service was fast and polite, the…read moreambiance was good considering it's a sports bar and you go there for burgers and a beer. Unfortunately that doesn't make up for the food issue. My party and I split some Mozzarella Sticks which were good, but that's a very basic dish. The issue was with the Duke Burger that came out overly grilled (to the point of being charred on 80% of the surface), which is sad since the actual internals were cooked perfectly. The other item ordered were the Fish & Chips, it came out with 2/3rds of the plate just being french fries, a dollop of mediocre coleslaw, and some actually pretty decent Fish & Chips, just a smaller than average portion. Overall, I want to like this place, but the food was pretty mediocre for price tag. Excuse the lack of photos, I didn't really come in with intention of writing such a negative review.

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    Art & Jake's
    Art & Jake's
    Art & Jake's

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    Dagwood's Tavern & Grill

    Dagwood's Tavern & Grill

    3.9
    (148 reviews)
    1.6 mi
    $

    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.

    after reading several other shady reviews concerning greed, i decided to tell my tale. i paid with…read moremy debit card & next day reviewing my account, realized they had charged me an extra $40...i had a burger & a beer. of course, it was an "accident" although i had bad vibes from the bartender from the get-go. the owner left $40. cash for me behind the bar as a "refund", when i picked it up i was told by the same bartender "i know where to find you." i won't be going back ever & if YOU do, make sure to count your money...seems there's a trend! shame on you Dagwood's!!!

    Photos
    Showing off the kitchen
    Showing off the kitchen
    Bacon burger
    Bacon burger
    Dagwood's Tavern & Grill

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    Edmund's Pastime

    Edmund's Pastime

    4.6
    (7 reviews)
    2.0 mi

    Edmund's is located in a stand-alone building along the gateway to the Downtown area. There is…read morestreet parking and a rear parking lot offering ample parking. The venue is large with plenty of seating options to include outdoor accommodations as well. There is a banquet hall that can be rented for private events. And, it appears to be an option for watching sportsball events as there are several TV's strategically placed for optimal viewing. The menus and specials seemed adequate and the service team was beyond friendly and welcoming. The drinks were ok as was the food, no real complaints but also nothing worth especially mentioning. We would try this place again simply because the staff were great and the environment seemed chill and everything was clean and organized from the bar to the bathroom.

    Edmund's located on Michigan Ave & Fairview st., lot's of…read morestreet parking. We arrived around 4:00 pm and where able to seat ourselves, plenty of seating, numerous tvs and plenty of sports to watch. The menu is simple,drinks on one side, food on the other. We ordered fried pickels and the southwest spring rolls, which were both pretty good. I ordered the pulled pork which was pretty good, however it had to be forked, too much BBQ sauce. Sue ordered spaghetti & meatballs/bread,now here's a plate worth every bite, with three large Italian meatballs,smothered in meat sauce, and plenty of pasta. Our waiter was pretty good and answered our questions. I would recommend this to friends and family. $$

    Photos
    Southwest spring rolls
    Southwest spring rolls
    Tv's and Wheaties
    Tv's and Wheaties
    Buffalo Chicken Dip

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    Buffalo Chicken Dip

    The Riv - sportsbars - Updated June 2026

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