Beggar's Banquet

All of the food was very good but the truffle fries were the best! I’ve tried a lot of truffle fries and these were hands down better than any others. Their Bloody Mary was also so delicious. The fish was cooked perfectly on both the salmon and cod dishes and the Mac and cheese was creamy and flavorful. I’ll be back for brunch soon.

This place has been around a long time. Typically, you'll get some good service here last night, with no exception. But sometimes depending on you know game day sis at the other things you know the place can be crowded but in general it's a great atmosphere you'll see in the pictures what it's like good service food quality is usually really up to Snuff my Burgers you'll see in the picture was a little overcooked I don't know what's up with that maybe someone needs you talk to a new cook that's in there I'm not sure. I ordered it medium rare but told her medium is fine, and that's what I got. I'm just saying, but don't let that detract you from the quality of the food, but if you're ordering a burger in the next week or so, you might want to emphasize, don't overcook it. Other than that, the place has always been an enjoyable experience.

From the moment I walked in, I knew this place was special. The ambiance is warm and inviting, with a perfect blend of modern elegance and cozy charm. The staff was incredibly friendly and attentive, making sure we had everything we needed without being overbearing. The food was absolutely outstanding! Every dish was a masterpiece, bursting with flavor and beautifully presented. The chef’s special was a highlight of the evening, and the dessert was simply divine—light, rich, and perfectly balanced. The drink menu also offers some fantastic options to pair with your meal. Overall, 5/5 and Julia, Jackson, and justice is the nicest, most attentive server.

Hubby and I came here with our best friend for brunch and by the time we left, we knew we wanted to come back. BFF and I hadn’t been to Beggar’s since our college days years ago so we wanted to see what it was like. The food and drinks were delicious and the service was stellar. We had Libby as our server and she was friendly, helpful, and on top of things. We will absolutely be coming back soon.

We are 60 somethings but not picky. We stopped by today for the first time. Here are our observations. No street parkinganywhere near, but there is a parking garage behind the restaurant. For my handicapped wife it was a long walk as the elevator/stairs are mid garage and the backdoor to the restaurant is on the end. Then you need to walk thru to the front to the hostess. It's okay if walking is not an issue. At least it was Sunday so the hour we were there was free! Nice interior with barn wood walls and beams and lots of artwork/posters and T.V.'s. Service was excellent (thanks Jackson. M). I had the smothered burrito with home fries $18 and my wife had the Hippie bowl $16. Both were good however they were both luke warm at best. We didn't complain but I would next time if it were the same. Coffee was $3.75 each so we ended with $44 after tax and before tip. Not an inexpensive breakfast by any means but we didn't go away hungry. We would go back and give it another try. Oh, and the table outside the server entrance (front room) had uneven legs and it wobbles.

I love this place! I was referred by a few friends to try out the breakfast and had some time to stop by. I may be a little bias being a huge Rolling Stones fan but I absolutely loved the food and drinks. Callie was friendly and everything she recommended was great! Will now be my Sunday spot!

Great spot for breakfast, love the potatoes cakes and the corned beef hash. It’s never too busy and the staff are always very attentive. Great drink selection!

Visited on Saturday during East Lansing’s art fair. No wait for a table, but the servers seemed a bit overwhelmed. Excusable due to the event though. The brunch was simply outstanding. I had the veggie bowl and was impressed. My 11 year old got The King, which is basically a cross between French toast and bananas foster. She gave it 5 stars. It’s a little dark inside and feels more bar than restaurant, but not so much that it’s weird to eat there with kids. Overall, I say it’s one of the best breakfast/brunch spots in Mid-Michigan.

Came here on Christmas Eve. It was empty when we arrived but was absolutely packed by the time we left. If you plan on coming in, get there early! Our server was great! She took care of everything we needed! No complaints! The food was ok! I had the chicken and waffles sandwich and washed it down with a Bloody Mary. The Bloody Mary was boozy! It was good but very strong! The place itself is nice. No complaints about the restaurant overall. It was ok, nothing to write home about. There are a lot of options in the area. May return if an opportunity presents itself.

My brother in law booked a graduation dinner for 18 people months in advance. Two hours in, we realized we were not going get our dinners in time to make it to my nephew's graduation. Pathetic management. Don't bother coming here ever.

Beggar's Banquet is such an East Lansing staple and the food is already quality. The drinks get great care and attention seasonally as well.

I had the mushroom Mac and am still feeling quite sick. I couldn't finish the food, so a few hours later, my bf reheated it in the microwave and is now sick too. The mushrooms tasted very off, but I don't know if that is a special mushroom or not, but just be careful. Otherwise it was a very nice place to eat with very nice staff.

Our apartment agent man recommended Beggars Beunch and it did not disappoint! The Beggars Bowl was really good with that sauce!? AMAZING. French toast was good too, I'm just not a big sugary person for breakfast. Also lots of fun cocktail brunch options that I'd love to try next time.

Went to Beggar's for graduation with my family! Such a good time!! Our waiter was extremely attractive. Delicious food, quick service. Also, they had a system in place that let my sister, who couldn't make it, buy us all green tea shots! 6/5 stars!

Came in for a group lunch for the reason that they had an eclectic menu. Beggars feels like the definition of "jack of all trades, master of none". A solid menu variety yet no one in our group was blown away by the food. The burgers (ordered two and split with a friend) were both ordered medium and came out so well done that the flavor had left and needed my glass of water to swallow it down. Hoping this was an anomaly but it happened with most dishes at our table.

Eggs Benedict was extremely disappointing. The ham was very salty. The English muffins were not toasted at all. There was so little Hollandaise sauce on the eggs that I had to ask for more to be put on the eggs. It all felt like it was thrown together quickly because they were busy. Certainly not worth the trip to go to that specific restaurant and not worth the money.

This is not really a review, but a thank you letter from NJ. We were lucky to eat many times at one of Chef Mike's restaurants in NJ: Good Mojo in East Hanover. Amazing food and ambiance. We will miss him and his wife, but one man's loss is another man's gain. So good luck to you in New Orleans , Chef Mike and family. Your food is the best!

Went for brunch, the food was great (potato cakes are a must)! Their mimosas are really nice because juice and champagne come separately you get to DIY!! Highly recommend, my only complaint is that for how empty the restaurant was sat for 5+ minutes before anyone came over to us. Our waitress (Monica?) was not very attentive. Our drinks were never refilled.... we could see her chatting with coworkers at the host stand. She walked past multiple times without ever checking on us. For how slow the restaurant was I was unimpressed with our service, but the food and drinks made up for it. Would have left 5 stars if our service was better.

Why mat the cocktails be so awful? They're insulting. Bad. Jalapeño Marg is undrinkable, others grossly sweet.

Wednesday is half off bottle of wine night. Did you read that last part? Get here on a Wednesday, do it my hermanos

Service was fine. Atmosphere is nothing fancy, considering the price. We got right in on a Friday night. Food quality was fine, but extremely overpriced. I would have expected to pay $8 - $10 less for most entrees on their menu. With those prices we got no salad or bread. Very disappointing. Beer prices were on the high side. This was my first time coming here and will not be back or recommending to anyone.

Love brunch at Beggar's! Service was great too! We've hosted many private parties there and the food and service were both fantastic!

I don't know why they had to rebrand this place and make it all "hip and modern". It's an old favorite, I don't see a need to redo it into something which is probably going to age out of style soon anyway rather than keep the nostalgia. The food was just okay. The service was nice and friendly though.

Excelent food and quality. Awesome service and relax ambient. Strongly reccomended for family

While I have only been here once, it was a good experience. The food was fresh and high quality. It is a smaller venue which gives a cute aesthetic. The wait for the food was kind of long, but we went during a busy time. The weekends are very busy so plan ahead.

Stay away service sucks. Been sitting here for 90 minutes with no food. Staff is extremely rude and walk by and give you a dirty looks even though you've been the one waiting for 90 minutes for your food.

The food and service were amazing! Justice was kind and attentive! We'll definitely go back!

The food was disgusting. We had the steak and it was the worst meat I've ever had. The server was rude and the service was terrible. We went to the back room, to eat the ambiance was very ugly and it was very hot in the restaurant. You could smell the bathroom from everywhere in the restaurant, if I could I would give it zero stars. NEVER go here please!

Food was really pretty mediocre, great service gave them an extra star. We went one evening, it was pretty slow on a Friday night. The fish tacos I had were way overcooked and not terribly flavorful. The coleslaw was bland as could be - saving grace is the portion was tiny so I didn't miss much. Fries were purely average.

Love this place for brunch. Was here a few years ago visiting my mom in Haslett and visited again this past week. The blueberry cinnamon French toast was excellent, as was the coffee. We had a group of six and everyone enjoyed their selections. David was our server and he couldn't have been more accommodating or helpful or friendly. I will definitely be back on my next visit.

I did not know why my ex-wife chose this location to go after my daughter's graduation. The food was cold and yucky. It's way over priced. The buffet was not good at all. I don't even think it would pass a health department inspection for that buffet. I do not recommend this restaurant. The ambience is like a frat house. $600 for 10 people and we hardly ate anything.

Food and service was great. The eggs Benedick was top tier. My salmon patties could have been a little more crispy but that might just be me. The potato cakes are nothing special , McDonald ones taste better to me. Would go back

Long ass wait time between ordering and eating. Wasnt even all that crowded. Not worth it

The food is okay but it's not overly impressive. My boyfriends pancakes were crispy and overcooked. The breakfast sandwich lacked bacon. The wait for your food is beyond painful. It took over an hour for two breakfasts. No one really keeps up on filling drinks either. Overall, would not recommend unless you have a spare few hours

Never had a bad meal here! Enjoyed the Mac and cheese here more times than I can count. The real banger is the baked brie. This has always been the perfect spot as a student to take your parents out to eat on campus. Immaculate feel inside and the food is always top notch.

I put my name down on the waitlist and they claimed they called and texted my phone number and they never did. So then we were waiting for an additional 30 minutes and no one seemed to care. Just ridiculous. On top of that there was an open table and once we were seated we were placed on the exact table when we could've been 30 minutes ago just to at least sit down. I then asked if we could sit on the booth and they claimed they couldn't since it was so "busy" but then not even five minutes later a group was seated there.Then we waited for water for another 15 minutes. Don't go unless you have all the time in the world. For the cherry on top there was a huge hair in my food.

First time here after many people recommended. The Eggs Benny flight was fantastic as was the chicken and waffles. Very nice atmosphere. I hear it gets busy on the weekends but we went on a Thursday morning and got eight in!

Awesome place to brunch with friends or an awesome place to take your parents out when they come to visit you up at school! This place has fantastic vegetarian options for breakfast as well. Not the typical unseasoned vegetables type of vegetarian. I ordered the dude looks like a veggie bowl (pictured) this time and the Woodstock breakfast burrito last time. Can't say which is better because they're both so dang good. Just depends what you're in the mood for!

Breakfast/brunch has always been really good and expected the same for dinner. The truffle fries and mac& cheese-not bad, everything else was DRY! Salmon was ridiculous, more like 2oz. with no glaze/sauce for $22. Chicken piccata was deep fried and also dry. We had to ask for au jus for the French dip. Spicy chili was inedible.

I've made three trips to East Lansing and I've eaten at Beggar's three times. That's not a coincidence. Beggar's is an island of nostalgia and history and independence in in the shadow of a swelling sea of big city sweaty money developing shiny studios and retirement condos and corporate food. The neighborhood is getting gobbled up but here stands Beggar's with its local flair and allure. Steaks, sandwiches, appetizers, drinks, it's all four stars solid for me. Skip the chains and high rent and soak up some local charm.

Great game day service. The staff was hustling for the full house. We were able to find a table by the bar, grab a beer, order food and eat in under 30 minutes- pretty impressive on game day in East Lansing. I will definitely keep Beggar's Banquet in mind next time I'm in town for a game. Great bar selection (beer, wine, liquor) as well as a menu to make even the pickiest if eaters happy.

love this place so much. exactly what u want from brunch. lots of seating so no waits, all the alc for mimosas and such u want in the AM, and lots of options for lunch and breakfast!! the potatoe hashbrown circles are MY FAVORITE

Unassuming restaurant with decent brunch menu. I'm an Michigan State alum and I can admit that I have never been to Beggar's. It was never a pit stop for our bar crawls or nights out as a student. My friend and I decided to go here for brunch on Sunday since we had never been. Brunch doesn't seem to be as big an ordeal as brunch in Ann Arbor, but I was pleasantly surprised by the menu offered at Beggars. A lot of vegetarian options were available for me and prices were pretty reasonable. Some unique items were the various different versions of Benedict dishes they had, including a "flight". Our server was polite and attentive. The food was tasty and fresh, too. I ordered a "bowl" which had roasted red peppers, onions, spinach, artichokes and two poached eggs with some potatoes It was very filling, the eggs were cooked perfectly and the vegetables were fresh! The only downside to Beggars is that it's extremely dark. I can see it being great for a dinner or date night place, but for breakfast, I'd expect a little more light to keep me awake. We were also seated right by the kitchen, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it was hard to keep conversation going when every 2 minutes we'd hear someone yell "CORNER!". Overall, not a bad place. Not sure I'd come back, or if I did, I'd request to sit in the bar area since that had a bit more light than the rest of the restaurant.

Enjoyed a fine breakfast at Beggar's this morning. Service was perfectly fine, typical of the service one might expect near a major university. The food was very good. I enjoyed the chicken and waffles. If I had one complaint it's that the chipotle maple syrup needed a bit more spice. My wife got eggs Benedict and reported the hollandaise sauce was aggressively seasoned with lemon, which she loved. Over all a solid breakfast. We will be back.

Really enjoy the good,drink, and atmosphere. Relaxed,layed back, and good good. Many beer and drink specials, good for large OR small partiesy.

My absolute favorite place to brunch in Lansing! We come here every year for my moms birthday and it never disappoints. My mom is a huge fan of the benny flight but I personally love the B2 Sammich (for extra flavor ask for the chorizo gravy on the side). The staff is always wonderful and I'll never stop coming here. Thanks for making lansing a great place to brunch! Side note: I strongly recommend parking in the dublin lot, it's free on sundays and right across the street.

Updated 4/20/19: Grabbed breakfast at Beggars for the first time today and thought it was pretty good overall. I was toying with a 3.5 rating and decided to round up for their menu creativity. This is definitely not your traditional eggs and protein 'big breakfast' kind of spot. Their menu featured several different eggs Benedict options, as well as a Benedict flight if you wanted to try three of their more popular options. They also had some creative omelette options, including one with kalamata olives and goat cheese ) which I plan to go back and try someday). I am also interested in trying their breakfast burritos as they looked delicious! Today I had the Red Cedar Bene, which is featured on their weekend brunch menu. Instead of a traditional muffin, the poached eggs came on top of smoked salmon cakes. I thought the eggs were a little small, but poached well. Also, the salmon cakes were good, but a little salty for my liking. My boyfriend tried the southerner omelette and enjoyed it. We both tried the home fries which were tri-colored (purple, sweet, white) deep fried potatoes, and enjoyed them. They were unique and flavorful. We both felt the portions were just the right size as we left feeling comfortably full. We'll definitely be back to try other menu options in the future. --- Great food for a local bar/wine joint. Nice atmosphere and cool spot to take friends from out of town!

Busy and delicious brunch spot right in the middle of EL. Had a short wait which I'm told is pretty common for this place. They have mimosas, beermosas and delicious bloody Mary's. I got the the Bene Flight which lets you sample 3 of their eggs Benedict plates. So much food and so delicious! Seems like a popular MSU student spot but had plenty for everyone.

Fun atmosphere. Excellent breakfast food and drinks. Staff was friendly and accommodating!

The place was empty and soundless on a sultry summer's eve. We showed up hot and thirsty, grateful to be seated and so very polite and earnest when we ordered our drinks from the beauty school babe. And that was that. The babe vanished. Our drinks never left the bar. We sat there wondering if the babe would ever come back, would the idle bartender bring us our drinks, should we get them ourselves?? In the end, we just left. As thirsty as we came.

Such good food and very attentive waitstaff. Thank you to Cooper our server for putting up with my friend and I -- picky eaters. We love Beggar's!

Best brunch ever! Service could've been better. The Elvis French toast was phenomenal! Peanut butter, Nutella yumminess!! We ordered that for our appetizer, asked our server to bring it first, but it came at the end of our meal. So I guess it was our dessert. I ordered the Hippie Bowl with sweet potatoes instead of regular potatoes. I'm still trying to recreate it for breakfast myself!! My friends ordered the breakfast burrito and she really liked. I would 100% recommend this place for brunch!

Two trips and I'm sold. I haven't had a bad meal here yet, granted I've only been twice but I am confident they won't let me down. Another college town dining experience I grossly underestimated. Another place that on Wednesdays draws in the groups for the half-off experience. Wine half-off! Yes, two bottles please! Excellent selection, noir, gris, chardonnay everything my tastebuds could fancy. Now they have liquor and beer but wine is what you want here if for no other reason than the bargain. The seating is comfortable and spacious, the decor is warm and rich. The food though. The food! My first visit was for wine and I hadn't expected to order but I did. A spicy vegetarian dish. Oh my. The broccoli, haricot verts, the mushrooms, the onions, the chili, the pineapple, the brown rice, the sauce and all of the warmth in this dish had me ordering a second serving. I really appreciate that you can order a smaller dish or larger based on your appetite. Most of them though, you'll want the larger portion for left overs or sharing, but I really didn't want to share with my friends. Efficient and quality service marks this place like a seal for all to remember and respect. All servers in both experiences here, whether my own or another tables', were beyond professional but without the shrewd treatment many quality dining establishments provide. Come for the wine, food and service.

I want to love Beggars sooo bad! I love the interior and stained glass, amazing ambiance! The main reason I am only giving them 3 stars is because the food is just so overpriced for how completely bland it is!! I even asked them to SEASON my food extra one time and it still tasted like it had no flavor! I have tried every breakfast burrito and they just seem to get blander and blander. The home fries would be amazing if they put the slightest bit of seasoning! Staff is also not the friendliest, except Maya I love her sweet face!! And I also love their spicy bloody mary's! Overall 3 stars because it is very overpriced!

We've been coming to Beggar's since 1973... I started graduate school at MSU and never left... I remember the years with Bob and Terry...and our son even worked there... It's the only remaining fine dining restaurant/bar for "adults" left in downtown East Lansing...

I am so disappointed in Beggars Banquet to the point where I have to write this review. After our dinner last night, which we were not impressed with at all, I was not going to but after follow up today after my grandmother left her credit card there last night I feel writing this is a must. The service was absolutely awful. I understand being short staffed with everything that is going on right now but it was a little ridiculous. We walked in and the three of us were seated right away, which made sense as there was one other group in the area we were sitting, as it was not busy at all. We were on our way to a show at the Wharton Center which started at 7:30 and thought 2 hours to eat in advance would leave us stress free and with no rush to get to the show...wrong! The waitress took our orders and got us drinks. We were never offered more water for the entirety of our meal. Between us we ordered the duck, a seafood meal, and a burger which subbed the beef for chicken, an option on the menu so nothing that was out of the ordinary. After about 45-60 minutes of waiting for our food with NO check in from the waitress at all, no water nothing, she comes to our table to let us know that the kitchen made the burger into a wrap.... confused and caught off guard we didn't really know what to say because we simply just wanted our food at this point as it was getting close to the show time. She asked if they should make it into a burger again or to keep it as a wrap we said we did not care at this point. The food still then takes about 15 minutes after that after even telling her that we were trying to make that show, there was no effort or consideration on the restaurant end. We ate our food with haste and even after receiving the late food, the waitress does not come to our table. We had to find her within the restaurant to try and pay our bill. The burger was taken off the bill which was kind but doesn't exactly make up for the lack of service of it all. After paying the bill we were quick to leave the restaurant when my grandma realized with all of this forced rushing she had left her card within the booklet with the bill. We called and they said they couldn't look right then but will call if it shows up.... ok. We then went back this morning in person assuming it would be there in which my grandma was rudely greeted and was told that they were too busy to look and when my grandma then said that she could personally look through the booklets if they were busy she was told no and that they would just call her. My grandma does not live in the area and was just here for the show, so calling her does not really do much and now she will just have to cancel the card and go through the hassle of getting a new one. I have eaten here before and not had this experience, but this certainly does make me disappointed in these staple East Lansing restaurants. There were unforeseen circumstances here but I believe much of it could have been alleviated with decent service and common decency.

Their beer and wine selection is perfect. Service friendly and on point. And their London Broil is a dish that the angels in heaven sent down to earth to prove that god loves us, and wants us to be happy. Well, that, and beer and bacon. Bottom line, I need more stars to give.

Cheap drinks and middling food that isn't worth the calories. Pros: + Hollandaise sauce uses real lemon + Siracha, Tabasco, Franks, Chalula + eggs were poached well in the benedict +breakfast potatoes were a medley of colors Cons: - skimpiest eggs benedict I've experienced. They cut the tomato slices in half, which is just odd. Also floppy muffin. - breakfast Burrito bland and textureless, could be thrown on grill to heat up a tad - breakfast potatoes dry and cold