State Side Deli

We did not eat here, but we had drinks to escape the terrible Spartan stadium experience. This place WILL be stellar, given some time, though. Whom I assumed to be the owner was very friendly. He went out of his way to accommodate the five of us with an extra chair. Our server was very friendly, but definitely needs more training. I asked her what was in a couple of shots. She said she didn’t know, she wasn’t 21. Everyone else got regular beers. I then asked what kind of hard cider they had, she didn’t know. She brought me out one, after asking the bartender.
The music is really loud in here. It’s probably because I am old enough to be their target demo’s mother, but it was too much for us because we just wanted to chat and watch the game.
However, it is hip and vibrant, and with some training of the servers, it has great potential.

If you’re looking for a reuben there is no better place to go in East Lansing. All kinds of variations and they’re all delicious. My favorite is the Final Destionation (Corned Beef, Pastrami, Sauerkraut, Swiss Cheese, Russian Dressing on Grilled Rye). That always hits the spot for me, and never leaves me the least bit hungry. The $ 5 lunch special is a savior for the college student budget.

Lunch special $ 5 any sandwich! The fod here is no-​frills, but the ingredients are quality. Section of sandwiches is good, I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve ordered so far and the prices are reasonable. Also, the guy who works there (the owner?) is like, really hot.

Poor service, our waitress was inappropriate and lackluster.
Awful food, I had breakfast — the pancakes tasted like mush, hash browns were greasy, the bacon — amazingly — had NO flavor. Just incredibly disappointing. We tried it because we had a coupon and will NOT be returning.
Also, you pay upfront and the cashier asks whether you’d like to leave a tip. I ended up tipping more than was deserved given the awful service. It’s a very tasteless move. But such is the State Side Deli, it seems.
Don’t bother.

I should probably give this place one star, but I’m reserving those for establishments that are far worse. And the food here is (apparently/​unfortunately) on par with most lackluster EL offerings. You can probably skip this review by now, but please read on if you’re considering eating here.
Thus, I give them 1.5 stars and round up. But I’m not returning… Fortunately I used a coupon, otherwise I certainly would have asked for a refund. Even then, the corned beef sandwich and bowl of matzoh ball soup were overpriced.
The corned beef was fair, but far from acceptable at a place that claims to be the best around (although, and unfortunately, possibly true). Whomever voted this the best corned beef has never been to a New York deli, let alone a West Bloomfield deli. And similar to other reviewers, I’d rather drive an hour and pay a 200% premium just to have better (edible?) food.
I opted for the Reuben; the corned beef itself was slightly dry/​stringy and way too salty. Kraft 1000 island would have been a better dressing choice (it’s definitely not Russian as stated), and the swiss and sauerkraut were, IMO, nearly non-​existent. The bread was sub-​par and by «grilled» they mean slathered with grease and thrown on the panini press. Which, BTW, apparently costs extra for some sandwiches. To continue with the acronyms… OMG!
But the worst part was the soup. For the price (~$ 6), I expected homemade matzoh as promised. GROSS does not begin to describe this item. The broth: flavored salt water with undercooked carrots and celery thrown on top. The matzoh: words do not describe the flavor — or texture — of the ball of strangeness submerged within the relatively small bowl. It was 1) rock hard, 2) inexplicably strange tasting, and 3) had the texture of course oatmeal that just won’t soften. Perhaps if this had been advertised as a vegan, gluten-​free, spelt-​based, grain-​fed lump of dirt, I would understand.
Thus, if the corned beef was 2 stars, the soup is a negative 10. Service was okay, but nothing remarkable; I noted the two servers yelling at each other over the music. The interior looks like it has seen better days. I also defer to my dislike of styrofoam packaging, especially for hot liquids and such (a styrene-​free diet is certainly affordable at these prices!). Unfortunately, I just can’t find any redeeming value to warrant future trips — coupon or not.

Came by at 12:30 on a Sunday. Hours posted say open at noon, but locked up tight. Other passersby wanted in, too! We ended up down the street at cosi.

The chicken salad sandwich is good … Corned beef was good also. Bread was yummy for both. Decent for east Lansing but I’d rather drive the 45 min to zingermans any day.

This place is pretty good. The staff is very friendly and the food is fine. (I had both the pastrami and corned beef sandwiches.)
However, the sandwiches seemed a bit lacking. All I could taste was cole-​slaw and dressing. I really wish they didn’t smear the dressing on both sides of the bread and added more butter afterwards.
I asked for it toasted, but the bread got soggy from all the stuff on it by the time it got to my table. I literally had to scrape off some of it just so I could actually taste the meat.
The meat itself is fine, it had a good taste and was tender. However, it lacked that meaty & smokey flavor I associate with pastrami.
The rye bread had a good texture, but I couldn’t tell it was rye at all.
I also kinda wish they gave more meat, I know in the pictures, the meat seems plenty, but I still left pretty hungry. The meat is stacked, but it’s also smaller than the sandwiches I’m use to in LA.

I’m so surprised by the reviews I have read. Great sandwiches and awesome drink selection. Friendly staff. Nice place, great food.

Places come and go in East Lansing, I really hope this place stays. I’ve only been to this place once and I already know I must visit this place any time I’m in town.
So not only are the deli meats here phenomenal, the bread is superb. And lets be honest, the bread is critical to a great sandwich.
I ordered the Max’s Choice Sub Sandwich. What can I say, I’m a sucker when it comes to multiple kinds of deli meats all in a delicious sub topped with melty cheese, tomatoes, and lettuce. It also had a really good honey mustard that gave the sub a sweet and salty flavor. The others at my table ordered the famous deli sandwich — a ton of corned beef topped with coleslaw, swiss and Russion dressing.
We ordered the combos — which came with fries. The fries were good, but being that I barely finished the sandwich, I say unless you have a gargantuan appetite, skip the fries, and enjoy the delicious sandwiches that State Side Deli has to offer!

First. I LOVE the area near Michigan State University. I think that the energy is addictive and it looks as if it would be an awesome area to live while in college. State Side Deli was a lovely find. They have tons of sandwiches that they prepare as you wait.
I decided to try the burger special because the guy behind the counter said it was great (not to mention it was on special) He was right! The burger was seasoned well and just plain olé yummy. I loved sitting in the pub chairs facing the window so I can people watch. I will definitively stop back in to State Side anytime I am back in Michigan.

Just stopped into Stateside for dinner and the sandwiches were solid. I’m a big fan of delis so when I drove by yesterday I knew I had to make a point to come here.
Overall, the guys there were maybe the friendliest I’ve encountered around EL in awhile. As for the food, I went with the #28 Pastrami sandwich and was pleased. The meat had good flavorful and wasn’t overly fatty. Obviously you want some fat if it comes to pastrami but I find if there is too much the sandwich will be chewy and greasy.
The prices are average for a deli, which I think might not be ideal for a college town and people on a budget. My sandwich with chips and a drink was $ 10.50. Not crazy but students may opt for something cheaper. I hope this place can stay open because a lot of items are made in house and the guys there are great. The only drawback was the pickle. It was nasty. Hopefully they change the recipe or outsourced that item in the future.
Stateside is worth a look and I hope it stays around for awhile.

State Side Deli is very average. I thought the portion was reasonable for the $ 4.99 price tag. The quality was lacking a little. I’m going to give this place a second chance. (I kind of miss BackYard B-​B-​Q.)

Delicious! Had the pastrami reuben. Bread was fantastic. Generous portions of pastrami. New favorite sandwich spot in East Lansing. Tip: Try the Tomato Soup. Perfect during winter.

The corned beef here is awesome! The service is friendly and the food quality is way beyond most places in the area.

Visited our friend, Spencer Soka, on his second day of business at the new East Lansing location… wow…I think I used the term, B-​U-​R-​I-​E-​D, to describe just how busy they were. It was obvious he had a new, inexperienced crew, but I gotta tell ya, they made every effort to make things right. People were patient and, I think, sufficiently rewarded with a top-​notch product. After the rush died down (1:10p) Spencer came out from behind the counter to greet his guests, thanking them for their patience, for coming in. I think the guy has class and I hope when the students converge in a couple of weeks Spencer’s crew will be up to speed and the phenomenal success of the Okemos location will transfer to EL. We’re glad you’re here Spencer!