Bobcat Bonnie’s
637 E. Michigan Ave., Lansing
11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday
11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday
10 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday
10 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday
(517) 657-7522
bobcatbonnies.com
From its opening in 1902 as a passenger railroad depot to its 38 years as beloved eatery Clara’s Lansing Station, the building at 637 E. Michigan Ave. has held a place in Lansing’s heart and history for more than a century. My family enjoyed an abundance of special occasions at Clara’s, and I have fond memories of its massive menu, the special dining in the railcar and the nostalgic scene from the second-floor balcony.
Today, the space is occupied by a Starbucks on one side and the newest location of Michigan-based chain Bobcat Bonnie’s on the other. Founded in Detroit’s Corktown neighborhood, Bobcat Bonnie’s offers New American fare in comfy and fresh environments. The Lansing location honors the past but offers more than a fresh coat of paint. The renovations are aesthetically pleasing, and I could envision young professionals cozying up to the bar or families enjoying celebratory meals in the train car.
I visited with a friend on a Friday afternoon, and though the restaurant was sparsely populated when we arrived, the main dining room was soon filled. Downtown Lansing needs more viable dining options, and I hope the inclusive spirit emanating from Bobcat Bonnie’s will lead to years of sustained success.
Train wrecked
Usually, a first bite of soup requires one to cautiously touch the spoon to their lips and take a soft sip before going all in so as not to scald their tongue or the roof of their mouth. This wasn’t the case with my dining companion’s fairly bland, barely room-temperature chicken tortilla soup ($7/bowl). Two or three turns of his spoon into the not-so-spicy Southwestern stew didn’t uncover any consolatory chicken shreds or chunks. Our table was also a little shaky, and whenever one of us bumped into it, I could see how watered down and thin the soup was.
Service seemed slow. We were the only ones in the main dining room, but it took a while to place an order and then get our drinks. While the waitstaff was friendly, the food took longer than expected. A lot of attention seemed to be paid to the diners in the railcar and less to me and my friend. I will say, however, that once the staff realized the soup wasn’t being eaten, they offered to replace it, which we politely declined.
Also on the lackluster side of the meal were the truffle tots ($11), a cup of typical tater tots seasoned with black truffle and parsley and topped with shredded Parmesan. They were okay, but the Parm kept falling off, and I found myself searching for some aioli to dunk the tots in.
Back on the rails
A far better bite was the 24K gold wings ($15). They weren’t quite as crispy as I would have preferred, but they were a nice size and came with an intriguing dusting of edible gold that shimmered in the light. The star of the show was the side of honey sriracha, which was tangy, sweet and offered just the right amount of kick.
The fried Brussels sprouts ($10) had a lovely char, and the toasted almonds were an interesting accompaniment. I wish the sprouts would have been paired with some citrus or balsamic to cut the sweetness of the honey sriracha, but overall, they were a win and got my dining experience back on track.
Best bite
This month’s best bite goes to the Bobcat burger ($16). Two quarter-pound beef patties were smothered with cheddar cheese and barbecue sauce and topped with thick-cut bacon strips and a large, beer-battered onion ring. Although I wasn’t asked how I wanted the burger cooked, it was almost perfect, though perhaps a bit well-done for my liking. The brioche bun was buttery and toasty, and each bite was flavorful and juicy. My discerning palate could tell these were well-seasoned patties. The Bobcat definitely joined the ranks as one of my favorite burgers in town.
I generally don’t believe that the adage “when someone shows you who they are, believe them” applies to restaurants, but the two experiences I’ve had at Bobcat Bonnie’s have been so unpleasant that maybe I should reconsider.
My first visit was a Saturday night dinner date. Mr. She Ate and I had childcare, so we had plenty of time to enjoy a leisurely dinner. Evidently, it’s easy to confuse “leisurely” and “have you forgotten I’m here?” because although we weren’t the only diners on the patio, I’m certain our server forgot about us for the last 40 minutes we were seated.
We started with the fried goat cheese ($9.50), which was unremarkable except for the fact that it desperately needed something savory. A balsamic glaze or fresh herb sauce would have been appropriate. I had the kale salad with added chicken ($19.50), which was quite good and large enough to save half for lunch the next day. Mr. She Ate enjoyed the K-chix sandwich ($14.50) and particularly liked the well-seasoned tots.
While we ate and chatted and drained our glasses, we noticed that the tables surrounding us were getting service, but we weren’t. We didn’t see our server for 40 minutes, until the moment I exited to go to the restroom. She hadn’t come to check in, apologize for her abscence or see if we’d like anything else — she’d brought the bill.
To ensure my first negative experience wasn’t caused by an underprepared server, an off night or one of the myriad other things that could have gone wrong, Mr. She Ate and I decided that the next time, we wouldn’t go back for a dinner for two. Instead, we brought the kids and my father-in-law for Sunday brunch.
Our return visit, quite frankly, ruined my mood for the rest of the day. The table next to us was laden with dirty dishes, which were still there by the time we left, two excruciating hours later. That was the opposite of appetizing. We were seated outside, and the moment I sat down, I remembered why I didn’t want to sit outside — the tables were a completely inappropriate height for the benches. I, an adult, had to sit on top of two pillows to semi-comfortably eat off my plate on the table. The kids? Forget it.
We ordered a cinnamon roll ($12) to start because my children were complaining about how hungry they were, and we assumed a simple pastry wouldn’t take 30 minutes to appear. When the cold roll finally arrived, it was followed almost immediately by our entrees. My son had the carnival waffle ($11), which was topped with chocolate drizzle, a scoop of ice cream and sprinkles. I would descend into madness if I ate that for brunch, but he’s 6 years old, so it was no problem. My daughter had the buttermilk pancakes ($8), which were adequate. I love a pancake with crispy edges.
Mr. She Ate and his dad both had the breakfast burrito ($13), which they professed to be tasty and flavorful. I had the avocado toast ($12) and left half of it on the plate. It was completely bland, and since there was no salt and pepper on the table and no server in sight, it was a lost cause.
I enjoyed my coffee, and both Mr. She Ate and I requested refills from the server. She said she was brewing some and would bring it out shortly. Then she came back and explained that a few larger tables had been seated in her section. She vanished and didn’t even bring the coffee when I was standing, packed up, ready to leave. Water would have been nice as well.
A group of girlfriends seated close to us made a brilliant observation about what restaurants are calling “mocktails.” While I love a good alcohol-free drink, I’m not going to pay $8 for strawberry lemonade just because you’ve muddled some mint into it. Bobcat Bonnie’s mocktail menu is cute, but the prices are out of control for what’s basically glorified juice.
I didn’t want to write this review because, contrary to what some believe, I don’t like to bash local restaurants. My co-reviewer and I have pulled the plug on reviews when our experiences missed the mark, whether it was because we felt the restaurant deserved more consideration or because we realized it just wasn’t an appropriate review. But my two meals at Bobcat Bonnie’s were the worst dining experiences I’ve had in recent memory. I know the complaint is that “people in Lansing don’t want to pay for good food,” but if you can show me where the good food (and service) is, I’ll gladly pay up.
By BRYAN BEVERLY
From its opening in 1902 as a passenger railroad depot to its 38 years as beloved eatery Clara’s Lansing Station, the building at 637 E. Michigan Ave. has held a place in Lansing’s heart and history for more than a century. My family enjoyed an abundance of special occasions at Clara’s, and I have fond memories of its massive menu, the special dining in the railcar and the nostalgic scene from the second-floor balcony.
Today, the space is occupied by a Starbucks on one side and the newest location of Michigan-based chain Bobcat Bonnie’s on the other. Founded in Detroit’s Corktown neighborhood, Bobcat Bonnie’s offers New American fare in comfy and fresh environments. The Lansing location honors the past but offers more than a fresh coat of paint. The renovations are aesthetically pleasing, and I could envision young professionals cozying up to the bar or families enjoying celebratory meals in the train car.
I visited with a friend on a Friday afternoon, and though the restaurant was sparsely populated when we arrived, the main dining room was soon filled. Downtown Lansing needs more viable dining options, and I hope the inclusive spirit emanating from Bobcat Bonnie’s will lead to years of sustained success.
Train wrecked
Usually, a first bite of soup requires one to cautiously touch the spoon to their lips and take a soft sip before going all in so as not to scald their tongue or the roof of their mouth. This wasn’t the case with my dining companion’s fairly bland, barely room-temperature chicken tortilla soup ($7/bowl). Two or three turns of his spoon into the not-so-spicy Southwestern stew didn’t uncover any consolatory chicken shreds or chunks. Our table was also a little shaky, and whenever one of us bumped into it, I could see how watered down and thin the soup was.
Service seemed slow. We were the only ones in the main dining room, but it took a while to place an order and then get our drinks. While the waitstaff was friendly, the food took longer than expected. A lot of attention seemed to be paid to the diners in the railcar and less to me and my friend. I will say, however, that once the staff realized the soup wasn’t being eaten, they offered to replace it, which we politely declined.
Also on the lackluster side of the meal were the truffle tots ($11), a cup of typical tater tots seasoned with black truffle and parsley and topped with shredded Parmesan. They were okay, but the Parm kept falling off, and I found myself searching for some aioli to dunk the tots in.
Back on the rails
A far better bite was the 24K gold wings ($15). They weren’t quite as crispy as I would have preferred, but they were a nice size and came with an intriguing dusting of edible gold that shimmered in the light. The star of the show was the side of honey sriracha, which was tangy, sweet and offered just the right amount of kick.
The fried Brussels sprouts ($10) had a lovely char, and the toasted almonds were an interesting accompaniment. I wish the sprouts would have been paired with some citrus or balsamic to cut the sweetness of the honey sriracha, but overall, they were a win and got my dining experience back on track.
Best bite
This month’s best bite goes to the Bobcat burger ($16), two quarter-pound beef patties smothered with cheddar cheese and barbecue sauce and topped with thick-cut bacon strips and a large, beer-battered onion ring. Although I wasn’t asked how I wanted the burger cooked, it was almost perfect, though perhaps a bit well-done for my liking. The brioche bun was buttery and toasty, and each bite was flavorful and juicy. My discerning palate could tell these were well-seasoned patties. The Bobcat definitely joined the ranks as one of my favorite burgers in town.
Bobcat Bonnie’s
637 E. Michigan Ave., Lansing
11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday
11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday
10 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday
10 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday
(517) 657-7522
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