HopCat

The chef makes some really good selections with a beautiful and fun bar theme. They specially do a wonderful, inspiring job of incorporating beer, cheese, and potato. The beer battered Cosmik fries side with cracked pepper and cheese sauce is good and unique. The honey sriracha boneless wings with ranch are uniquely flavorful. These are a middle sized portion. As a third selection, the really good beer cheese soup is rich and creamy once moving past the beer taste. Without a side fry, the chef generously tops the soup with tasteful potato. I wish they served a heartier produce option of a side house salad filled with more quality vegetable. Also, I wish to find in more cities honey sriracha fried chicken and beer battered fries. 🐥 🍯 🥛 🍺 🥔 🧀

I can not say enough great things about our visit here! We were in East Lansing for work and my kids wanted to go out to dinner that same night. Hop Cat was within walking distance of our hotel. Our server Jacob was phenomenal! He was quite possibly the best server we have ever had. He was very patient with us while we were looking at the food menu and reviewing the drink menu. He offered many suggestions drink wise. Jacob also helped my fiancé find his “unicorn” beer (Toppling Goliath Sosus to be exact) later during our dinner. He recommended the raspberry basil meowgarita to me which was delicious. Our food arrived perfectly! We ordered an appetizer and a few sandwiches/burgers. Everything was hot and fresh. My sons really enjoyed the Buffalo Mac and Cheese and Rodeo Clown burger with loaded fries. Their cosmik fries are always a hit! Highly recommend coming to this location!

I went there on Saturday night; the vibes were great. I had to wait for 10 min to get my table ready but the service was fabulous. I ordered the cowboy burger and it was delicious. I wished it was bit spicy. Hockey and college basketball game were on. A lot of tvs and lovely chill vibe

My wife and I came here on a date night. The food and drinks were amazing and exactly what we wanted at that moment. The decorations and building itself are very interesting and nice. Definitely something to see wherever you look here, especially the bar. The service was good but seemed like they didn't want to be there. Overall we enjoyed ourselves and would return again.

First time to order from Hopcat and the food was average. I got fish and chips with coleslaw, fries and some sauce. The fish was crispy, the coleslaw was good, the fries was oily and the sauces were fine. 3 stars is enough as I have tried way better fish and chips in several other places.

This place is a must see great service as well as food. Very great job to all staff they killed it. They welcome everyone no party to small. Check them out.

The Impossible Burger (Veg) is awesome 🔥. I'm now a HopCat Fan. It's tasty and wow. 🥲 Please introduce 1 or 2 more Vegetarian options in each of the menu section... I want to come here every week 😭.

Great tasting food. They have a wide variety of MI beers. I had the IPA "Wax Wings Pulled Into Nazareth" because I love birds and it was hoppy and yet smoothe and not biting. The cheese curd appetizer is awesome. They come out as squares with white cheese in the middle. It is like biting into a really tasty mini grilled cheese. Service was great. Would definitely go again. The parking ramps in the area are about $3 for how short a time you are parked to eat.

Good food good service excellent atmosphere in great campus of Michigan State University

There was a fantastic brunch menu. And the burgers are lit!! I would definitely recommend.

If you are in East Lansing and looking for the quintessential "college bar experience," look no further than HopCat. Yes, I know it's a chain, but this place was perfectly located just across the street from campus and offers a FANTASTIC young-life vibe that I missed on other school visits. With two levels of dining options, patrons have plenty of room to enjoy excellent food, drink, and times with friends. Service was excellent, food was better, and the vibe was second-to-none. Give this place a try!

What's not to love about HopCat?! It's got a great vibe. The people who work here are super friendly and attentive and the beer on tap is excellent. It's kept at just the right cold temperature to really hit the spot on a hot day. We happened upon the location in Grand Rapids before a concert while we were killing time on our way from the parking garage to the concert venue and were glad we found a few extra minutes to throw down a cold one. You can find all walks of life here in the clientele and workers. The diversity is amazing. We're definitely coming back. I need to pick up a t-shirt next visit!

Delicious inexpensive proper smash burger. Fries weren't great but queso mac n cheese made up for it. Top tier college town American food.

Well let me tell you... Was in East Lansing last weekend (winter break = no students).... Went to a place just up the road, grabbed a menu, yikes $20 hamburgers, environment was very sterile. So, a little walk in the December rain, and HopCat seemed like the place. So, me and the lady friend went in, and "whoosh" the burgers were $10 dollars cheaper, and the atmosphere, so much more inviting! We ordered burgers, and they were gigantic. The sever was super great, kind, and helpful. Yum yum yum! Even had a half burger left for a breakfast surprise. And the potang, what an appetizer!!!!

We ordered the mac n cheese, double burger, ancient grains bowl, and the hash/sausage gravy biscuit skillet. Mac n cheese was about on par with Noodles and Co. not bad but not great, sauce was thin. Hash skillet was not good. The potatoes were too salty to eat and that makes up most of the dish. Ancient grains bowl was reported as being solid but a bit lukewarm. Out of the 4 dishes ordered, the burger seemed to get the best review. The fries were crispy and well seasoned and the burger patty was fairly decent. Service was pleasant but inefficient. Got food and it took another 5 min to get our silverware. Also had to send back the hash skillet because they undercooked eggs when I asked for over easy. Would not return and wouldn't give it any more than stars.

WOW! This bar/restaurant located in the heart of MSU territory has some very tasty food. Everything I had I was licking my fingers. The pretzel bites need to be bagged up like a potato chip and sold all over the world! The unique dipping sauce that comes with them is AMAZING! The Smashburger was sooooo yummy... I felt the juices from the burger go through my veins with every bite. Those seasoned fries and side sauce I could not get enough of! Our server, Sam, was very awesome. Always checked in and made this experience very memorable. If I'm ever back here I WILL make it to HopCat.

Always great food and service! Every time Me and my family come for brunch, it's always nice and full of interesting decorations. Love this place!

This place has a good vibe, and the environment is great. The food on the other hand is a bit mediocre. We ordered a few appetizers and some drinks instead of meals because we didn't see anything that stood out. It wasn't terrible but I had better at other similar restaurants. Overall, our server was awesome and made sure we were taken care of it while we were there but, the food needs some adjustments.

Had lunch at Hopcat with my parents today while taking a break from perusing the Art Festival and it hit the spot. I had the grilled cheese and the cheese was gooey and it was delicious with the red pepper soup. My fiancé had the Turkey bruschetta burger and he enjoyed it. My mom had the bbq Cobb salad and it was pretty big. And my dad had the club wrap which was filling. We had plenty of cosmik fries to go around and highly recommend getting the cheese dip for them. IYKYK!

Such an awesome place just outside of campus. Tons of beer options and a good menu focused around hamburgers and other easy make items. Customer service was on point and the prices were fair. I got in right before the lunch rush, but by the time I left the place was filling up! I recommend and will be back if ever in the area!

Great chain of restaurants that seem to all be in mid western college towns - nice beer list, tons of TVs for sports and a nice bar menu

Excellent beer selection, good menu variety, and nice, multilevel indoor dining area as well as good outdoor seating.

I had a positive experience at HopCat, which was just the place I needed after a long plane ride and a two-hour bus ride from DTW. It was a great pleasure for me to down a flight of three beers and a double smash burger. To be honest, I thought that the burger with its accompanying fries was ridiculously salty but not especially tasty, and also that it came out of the kitchen suspiciously soon after I placed my food order. But I really didn't care because I was ravenously hungry. Each of the three beers was great: I ordered six-ounce pours of the Screamin' Pumpkin from Griffin Claw Brewing Company, the Only Gose To Show from One Well Brewing and the Superior EH-aze from Big Lake Brewing. Yum! A detail that detracted slightly from my visit was the aggressive friendliness of my server, who acted like my new best buddy, tapped me on the shoulder and praised my every decision. Maybe that's how everyone acts in East Lansing, but I thought that it was much more likely that the dude was trying to maximize his tip. I tipped generously, just as usual, and ignored what struck me as his borderline strange behavior.

Cool vibe. The mezzanine is a nice touch. Lots of beers on tap. Great cup of chilli especially the on a cold rainy day in East Lansing.

Service wasn't great but it was a busy night with basketball in the Tournament, hockey championships and gymnastics championships. First two beers ordered were out and food was ok.

Wow!! HopCat was absolutely delicious!! I visited HopCat on a Monday night at 6:15 pm around Christmas. There was about a 15 minute wait, but there were a few seats beside the host stand so we didn't mind waiting! The staff was fantastic - the host was incredibly friendly and our server was great! As far as drinks went, we loved the selection. I ended up getting their sour (cotton mouth raspberry something?). I'm not a big beer person, and they did have plenty of cocktails, but I felt like a beer fit my meal and I was happily surprised with how delicious it was! From a drink perspective alone I'd happily recommend HopCat! However, when you add great food, it definitely made it to the top of my list of restaurants I'd go back to. I ordered the the grilled cheese, which had a garlic aioli, apple slices and honey. It also came with the smoked roasted red pepper soup. I'm normally not a big fan of my savory food having fruit, but WOW, it was amazing. I'd highly recommend it!! Overall, you really can't go wrong here! If I lived in the area, I'd be there every week.

I had the Cowboy DBL Smash Burger and my partner had a Beyond Burger, both were very good. Don't miss out on that cheese sauce for the fries! The service is a hit or miss.

Delicious burgers!! And you have to get the pretzel nugz.... Super fun atmosphere that is great for a quick dinner or a group night.

We were very pleased with our meals. Daughter and husband loved the Mac and cheese. I had the vegan and adobo chicken tacos. They were loaded with flavor; a bit of a kick spice wise, but unique satisfying taste.

Not sure what happened this week - but the service was a hot mess. Went there twice and I walked out both times before getting food. Today I took a seat was there for 10 minutes before anyone walked up to me went to the pumpkin instead. Last night it took forever to get a beer and a Ruben. I understand the people Who work the bar want to have as many tables as possible to maximize their tips., But at the end of the day, you gotta be able to do it. My observations over the past six months is the management is smoking hot mess. Three people hanging out all the time at the hostess desk, busy kitchen and people checking their phones, lack of accountability. This is a shame, because sometimes I've had incredible food and service at this place. I can tell you this much, if it does not improve people who actually tip ... big are gonna take care of business elsewhere. 40 dollar tip on 14 worth of beer last night - that ain't gonna happen again.

I LOVED this restaurant in East Lansing! My first trip to a HopCat, although there are several in Michigan. I was very pleased with the beverage menu to find loads of seasonal craft beers. The Bells Christmas Ale was my favorite! I love that the menu is digital and can be updated as new beers are introduced. I ordered the Al Fresco Mac N Cheese which was amazing, but a little more 'soupy' than I would have thought! The flavors were incredible though, and the jalapeños on top added the perfect amount of spice. After eating up most of my fries, I ended up putting them on top of the Mac, which was a game-changer for me. Maybe HoptCat can offer something crispy up on top to change up the texture in the future? Loved this restaurant!

I've been going to various Hopcat locations since I was in high school. I always look forward to the fries and cheese sauce - that's usually what brings me in every year or so. I stopped in here with a group of five while we dropped a friend off in EL. Overall we were satisfied with the food - it's a consistent place and a good space to meet up with friends. My friend was pretty disappointed in the size of the tacos, as they were pretty flat/unfilled for $14 (but I told him that's what he gets for ordering tacos at HopCat ‍). Overall, a good time.

Want to see college kids get drunk off high ABV beers using daddy's credit card? Then look no further then HopCat EL! 100 beers on tap, fantastic food, and the occasional drunk idiot. Pretzel nugs are a favorite.

The food was fantastic. I had the Cowboy Smash Burger (after waiter recommendation) and the fried jalapenos and pepper jack cheese were a flavorful combo. The fries with cheese dip were amazing too.

Staff is friendly and efficient, and the best selection of beer in the area,especially brown ales( the only kind worth drinking

We struggled to get into a place for lunch after the GRAM. We got right in and enjoyed our food. The service, ambiance, and Bloody Mary were the best.

Service was great, atmosphere lovely and I would have given them a good review anyway but OMG the pineapple salsa on the chicken tacos knocked it out of the park.

Austin, our waiter was friendly, attentive and offered good conversation. Beer selection was awesome. Burgers were great, but a bit dry, Fries - yum, enjoyed that hint of garlic seasoning.

This is a great spot to grab a burger and catch up with friends. They have an impressive beer menu that even includes a fruit & spice and cider section. I ordered a burger that came with fries and their special cheese sauce. We had to wait around 15 minutes to be seated but I attribute that to the restaurant not operating at full capacity. I'll be back the next time I'm in EL!

Each HopCat location is a bit different. Recently the food hasn't been great, and for some reason they are always out of fish and chips.

I usually order takeout from hopcat, so I can't say much about the service, however their food is the most consistent i've ever eaten, and that means a lot from someone who owns a car but chooses to takeout as most places get food wrong. Their blu burger is great, however they changed the fried onions to red onions, which is a let down, as they were a highlight. They also changed their cheese sauce for the better, as it was the only bad thing on the menu i have tried.

Great location. Nice, large, open space. We were there on a home football weekend, so it was pretty busy. It took a while to get a server (Kenny???) but once we had one, he was great. On top of things, kept our drinks coming and always had a smile. We returned the night after, sat in his section and remembered my drink preference from the night before. Bonus. I was not a fan of the food, especially the wings that we ordered. They were room temperature when they arrived and the skin was really rubbery and flabby. Gross. They also did not have wet naps. How do you serve wings and not have wet naps? Luckily, our awesome server came to the rescue with a nice hot towel like you used to get on the airplanes. :-) I would go back but try again on a slower day when the restaurant was not so slammed.

The menu is essentially the same as in GR, and the same high quality and reasonable portion sizes. Staff is also the same as in GR, young and enthusiastic. The Budda Bowl is a great intro if you're curious about vegan/vegetarian grub. Crunchy, substantial and flavorful. Also crunchy & flavorful: pretzel bites. We destroyed the creme brulee cheesecake before I could get my phone out of my pocket. Parking is OK, many structures around and pretty good on street. East Lansing itself has changed a lot in the 10 years since I worked there. I am a Walmart Wolverine, but it's worth a visit despite the Sp*****s.

Hop Cat is a pretty great place for beers and bites. They have a plethora of beer options that you can't go wrong with and they also let you try a sample just in case you aren't sure. If you don't want a beer, they have a full bar as well. Now this is my first Hop Cat and my second location is their Ann Arbor. Both are great. This location has wonderful staff who are very helpful, and the food is hot and ready. You must pay for parking unless otherwise stated but there is plenty of it. Occasionally, they change or add to the menu which is great for frequent goers like myself to try something new once and a while. Their pretzel nuggz with cheese and or their OG fries are crack, you can't stop eating it. Their burgers are juicy, the grilled cheese they serve has apples and I don't know why, but it works. Their pie is good as well, the one I'm talking about contains chocolate and peanut butter, I always forget the name, but the taste is righteous! Ohh and did I mention, they also offer beer to go, just saying. Enough said.

Me and my homies love HopCat. Good food, good drinks, and even better staff. Every-time I come in I sit at the bar so I can see and chat with the best bartender, Grace. Management, if you're reading this, GIVE EM A RAISE. Grace or bust IMO!

This restaurant is a gift to this earth. There's nothing I dream about more than the mad town grilled cheese and roasted red pepper soup with a side of cosmic fries. I simply love Hopcat.

Good food, great ambiance, and the service is always fantastic! We love the burgers and salads!

Excellent food and service. Always busy, college town vibe. They are doing everything right.

Food was very good, cooked to how my table and I wanted it. Waitress was awesome and very personable, especially on a Lions game day. Love the Cosmic "Crack" fries. Definitely recommend.

I will NEVER return to this restaurant. The reason being this stuff was TOO DANG good. Had no self control, ate too much and felt amazing. 0-10 would never recommend.

Food is awesome but my family and I came a couple weeks ago and took 20 minutes to get drinks as we watched the server stand across the restaurant from the bar and talk to a coworker.

Foods not bad. Every else is average, that means service and ambience. Nothing more to say

Wooot! I love HopCat. I've went to numerous locations all throughout the state and I've always great experiences. It seems like people love HopCat for two reasons: the food and the beer. First off I don't know how anyone actually chooses a beer here with the 700 million choices and all. I feel like you could spend the majority of your time just deciding what to drink. Whew! But since I've never met a cider I've never liked, I ended up with a Sir Lushington, one of my favorite ciders! Without even looking at the menu I immediately ordered a side of Cosmik fries (formerly Crack fries) with the cheese dipping sauce because its in my opinion the best thing on the menu and has been for years. They're flavorful, hot and always appetizing so they're a must have. In addition they're always out of the impossible burger, so I opted for the cauliflower quesadilla and OH BOY, I didn't see that coming. It almost tasted like it was chicken inside the tortilla. I'm not sure who's coming up with their menu items but I just found my new favorite thing to order. I practically inhaled it. In regards to the service, we always seem to sit at the bar and the bartenders are really good and let you try samples of things if you ask. HopCat seems to just keep getting better and better as the years go on and I hope they keep it up!

See my previous reviews. This is a good bar and they have a wide variety of beverages.

The fries and dip are where it's at!! Nice ambiance as well for an evening out. Friendly staff

HopCat still decent food, but moving toward maximum beer profit. The Michigan beer specials are gone. Many beers now served in a smaller-than-pint size. Is this a 12oz size now for the former price of 16oz? I see what you're doing there HopCat, and I don't like it. The bar was filthy and needed a good scrubbing. Dried food and sticky who knows what. Restauranting 101: keep tables and surfaces clean. Big food menu and huge beer menu, but for me the allure of old HopCat is gone. It's a safe bet, but now just OK. I probably would not return next time I'm in town. That disappoints me considering four years ago I thought this place was the fo shizzle.

Food was pretty good and the wait staff was friendly. They were a bit forgetful and we had to ask multiple times for utensils and napkins as they were not given to us when we sat down or when our food came out.

Brought my daughter and a few of college friends here for dinner. Server was pleasant and attentive. Food came out timely and exactly as ordered. I had the fire wings which were tasty and about the same heat as traditional buffalo wings. Fish fry and pretzel nuggets were rated high as well. Great beer selection