The Creole

Went here for a belated Valentine’s dinner. Ambiance is OK– the décor is cool but the tables are very on top of each other and it is very noisy/​crowded in there. My drink (hurricane of course) and the crab cakes were excellent. We should have called it a night at that point.
The side dishes are meant to be shared but everything is a la carte. We got the brussels sprouts with kale which was good. Disappointed that the entrees were so expensive but did not include sides. Both of us had the filet mignon– steaks were very small and were not cooked consistently, potatoes were good but a bit cold. Crème brûlée was sort of disappointing as well. For the price, not worth it in my book although maybe they are trying to be more of a «classy drinks and apps» kind of place?

Excellent food, cocktails, service and value. I have been here about ten times for breakfast now. Breakfast is great: wonderful french press coffee is a great value (at $ 3.50 for 4 cups), menu is limited but all is excellent and interesting, food quality and presentation are much better than usual for Lansing, the salmon tort is amazing. Just finished my second dinner (special menu this holiday weekend) and is was wonderful. Soft shell crab was the best I have eaten, scallops were fresh and the lemon butter caper sauce was very nice (and classic) — I do not know where else in the Lansing area to get this quality. The service is attentive, knowledgeable but not intrusive or stuffy. Overall, the food quality is as good as in Birmingham, Troy or Grand Rapids for a fraction of the cost and without the drive.

I was so excited when this restaurant came to Lansing and it lived up to my expectations. The craft cocktails were just perfect! I would love to see a lot more of these on the menu. The flavors were astounding, I also would like to see a larger food menu, I was surprised there weren’t many authentic creole options, although I heard the style is more French and also there may be more authentic options on the sister lunch side of the restaurant. The building and décor were spot on and made us feel as if we were back in New Orleans. The staff was very friendly, professional and knowledgable. The beignets were perfect, just like Nola! I was disappointed in the bathrooms, I was expecting something classier than high school stalls and I wasn’t a fan of the curtain when we walked in, it looked cheap. Other than that we will definitely be back, a great addition to Old Town.

What a fresh edition to Old Town. fantastic wines, beer and authentic classic cocktails… and the food is amazing… Lamb Chops… Pork Belly… Crab Cakes… Oysters…a must if your in the Lansing area!

I was told they had good coffee and they were new so I gave it a shot for Sunday brunch. Their coffee was predictably meh and they didn’t really offer anything out of the ordinary. Somewhere between strange matter and a typical restaurant.
The food is heavily weighted towards southern comfort food and you’ll be hard pressed to find a lighter option on the menu. Pricing is also a little stiff relative to the value. With a small menu it’ll be hard to get around these two problems. If you try to augment with the the side dishes you’ll be price gouged rather quickly, so be ware of the add-​ons when ordering.
If you’re in old town and want some decent breakfast food I’m sure you can do better until they figure their menu out and fix some of their staffing issues.

#1 PLACE in OLD TOWN!
I have been there for dinner service and for happy hour. The food is purely amazing! Words would not justify the quality and the taste of the food. I was hoping something would be not up to par so I could write about it, but everything is superb! You can really taste the heart and the passion in the food. The Filet Mignon was the tenderest piece of meat I have EVER had! (I have had a LOT) If I really had to say one thing though, it would be that the beignets still cannot compare to the ones I had in NO!
The restaurant is fairly new still in restaurant terms and it has a REAL CHEF who cares for the food! Save some money and definitely give this place a go because you will not regret it!
Service is excellent! Top notch! My man knew his entrée items and his alcohol! Impressive!

Excellent food, wine, and service. A tad on the pricey side if you get the «four courses» they suggested, but I was full after two items on the menu and a drink. I had the zucchini noodles and the cajun gumbo, which both blew me completely away. I’m in from Portland, and I did not expect such an awesome little food place way out here!

I really enjoyed our visit to The Creole. My husband and I had been waiting to try it for a while. We made reservations ahead of time and were seated immediately. The service was wonderful (not sure of our server’s name) and prompt.
I had an Abita Purple Haze, one of my favorites. My husband had a hurricane and said it was definitely worth it. Neither of us can really eat a lot, so we just ordered 2 small dishes. I had crab cakes, which were amazing. I would go back in a second just for those! My husband had the roasted asparagus and that was equally good. For dessert, we had the beignets and the chilled bread pudding. Our server told us the bread pudding was a must and she was right on!
We both loved the atmosphere — such a cool, laid back vibe, while still a little upscale. I don’t think it’s a place my husband would choose to go to regularly, but he did enjoy our visit in general. I would definitely go back and can’t wait to try more!

Awesome unexpected dinner in Lansing. Small quaint atmosphere. We enjoyed the cheese board and oysters both were a 10. Old Fashions were the cocktail of choice 10! My husband enjoyed braised pork shank 10. I enjoyed the blacken Ahi Tuna it was good but not a 10. I would say 7 it needed more of an Asian flare — lose the Hollandaise Sauce please! Desert = beignets 10+. Check it out!
Only tip… Make a reservation. We nabbed a bar seat but there was a 2 hour wait.

Cool laid back vibe. Great food. Not my style. Wife loved it. I had the asparagus with truffle shavings lobster bisque bread pudding and a hurricane. Great stuff. The lobster bisque was lobster flavored broth with three pieces of corn floating in it. Great flavor. Missing body. Then shortly after I came home and had all the delicious meat I missed out on at the restaurant. My own fault. Great service. Great food. Great atmosphere.

My wife and went for dinner last night after having breakfast a couple of times at its sister location, the Creole Coffee company which is excellent btw. I wanted the Creole to live up to those expectations and it just fell short. It was good but I hope it will become great with time. The service was good, the atmosphere is really cool, the food has a ways to go still. My wife and I each had the lobster bisque which is an odd color and had corn in it that tasted like it had not been cooked well enough. I had the filet which was good and my wife had the ahi tuna. She said the seasoning overpowered the taste of the tuna, which was disappointing. It is still a work in progress so I’m hoping it will become a true four or five star restaurant that Lansing desperately needs.

Great place to grab a cocktail. The oysters were amazing. We went just to kill time. The next time we go we will have dinner for sure.
The menu is worth the return. I’ll need to order another old fashioned too!

Nice! All I can say is this place is crazy good, I talked directly to the chief who recommended the duck. I have never had duck salad but all I can say is wow. So don’t hesitate to order what ever, I haven’t had a bad dish from this guy.

Stopped in the other day and was pleasantly blown away. Has a trendy yet casual and laidback vibe.
Mixologist type cocktails were a plus. Except get some copper mugs for the mules asap.
Highlights included the Zucchini Noodle dish and the Seabass with crab. Both were excellent.
Would like to have seen a bigger/​longer bar area. Seemed like they could have done without a couple of the tables on the back wall and extended the bar out. Maybe get rid of that asian style room separator folding wall thingy next to the bar. Add some appropriate art on the bare walls, not saying flair it up like a Applebees/​Fridays, but it was too minimal, the ceilings are high and the exposed brick, cement vibe is cool, but it just needs something else. The curtain you walk thru just as you enter the door seems too much, but kinda funny. Its like you enter the place and just walked out on stage.
Beignets were delicious, just as good as ive had at Café Du Monde. The chilled bread pudding was very good, too much bourbon sauce tho. Next time id ask for it on the side.
Definitely a much needed addition to the mid michigan food scene, hope they do real well!

We look for a «total experience» when dining out. We like to cook. We eat in most nights. It’s good stuff. (We like the staff and ambience. ;-))
Tonight, at The Creole, was a lovely, better than home,“Total Experience”. Good ambience, good service (thank you Roger), and fun, creative, SO good food. You cannot find this kind of on trend, thoughtful menu in m/​any places in the Lansing area. This is the food we drive to Midtown/​Detroit to enjoy. Go, eat, swoon.

Finally, Lansing has a restaurant with soulful food and menu options that have you planning your next visit before you leave. Incredible atmosphere, like your favorite old shoes, worn in but comfortable.

Went to ‘soft opening’ last night.
It already had a full bar, sophisticated cocktails,
full, diverse menu that will please everyone.
Our entrees and desserts were 5 star, big city restaurant quality.
Ambience. Soft lighting. Incredible staff.
But I saved the best for last. The Cornbread. With Cajun butter on the side. If nothing else, go in for a cocktail and the cornbread.
Then get a look at the menu!

I really loved this place. The ambiance, the drinks, the service, the gumbo, and of course the cheese plate were all just lovely. Will definitely be going back to check it out again once they have the full menu. Would definitely recommend!

This place was love at first sight. I loved everything from the décor, to the ambiance, to the drinks. They have a great selection of liquors, while educating you about them as well by categorizing them in the menu by type and region. If you are uncertain about a specific liquor, don’t be afraid to ask — the bartenders are very knowledgable and friendly.
I especially enjoyed, that even though the drink specials seem pretty inventive, which is a win in my book, the staff is super excited and down to make you a simple traditional drink as well. You can see their love and passion into every drink they make.
I was super disappointed to see the crowd pretty small here though. This is a place that I wish was in my local town, because I would frequent often. I wish there were more people to bring it business but also would never want it to get too busy because I wouldn’t want to not ever want to go. Ha I know, I have to be a bit selfish sometimes.
For those that like a great drink, relaxed atmosphere and great conversation, should definitely check this place out!
Another offer of advice: I would love to see the bar longer and some of the tables in the back taken out. It just seemed too full of tables and stiff. Keeping some open space will help creating that nice relax comfortable feel that the front offers.

I spent the tail end of their 3 hour long Happy Hour with my love (by the way Happy Hour is EVERY DAY of the week), and we both enjoyed the atmosphere, friendly staff, and quality menu. We ordered some Old Fashioneds, Moscow Mules, as well as their oysters on a half-​shell served on a block of Himalayan sea salt which was one of their Happy Hour specials, as well as a cheese board with porter cheddar and triple cream brie. WOW! Deliciously displayed and tasted amazing! I haven’t had such a LARGE and DELICIOUS Moscow Mule EVER (but I WAS surprised that it was served in a tall glass rather than the traditional copper mug). My love said that the Old Fashioneds were fantastic too! Since this establishment is brand new, and very close to our house we’re making this our neighborhood go-​to. Experienced, friendly, and competent staff made our dining experience exceptional.