The Old Bag of Nails Pub - Lansing

I have been here a half dozen times or more and enjoyed myself. This evening I went with two friends for their happy hour and dinner. This time was exceptional…ly regrettable.

1. slow and poor service.
2. “Loaded Nachos” came decidedly unloaded and devoid of beans. We asked for more beans and were told ten minutes later that they had run out making our nachos.
3. I am a fan of their onions rings and hand breaded chicken. It is premium. Tonight the chicken was inedible due to mouth destroying sodium levels. I ate the rings and when i flagged the server down at the end of our meal (she never checked in) she said that’s not the first time I have heard that. I said it was my first time having this experience with this meal. She said they would take it off the bill.
4. When the bill came we got a partial credit because I ate the rings. :/ we asked to talk to the manager. The manager would not come over and instead gave us another $5 credit.

We can no longer recommend this place.
It was not busy from a customers perspective. No wait. No dirty tables. Not full. Tuesday night.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 2

Service: 1

Great carrot cake

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Delicious!!!
Giant Pretzel to start off, fish and chips dinner with shrimp for main course.
Really pleased and super close to campus!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Fish and Chips

We went here to celebrate my mother’s birthday, and I asked the host if we could have a booth with a tv since the Michigan game was on. My mom is a huge Michigan fan and can’t see well. But the host said they have to sit in order for the servers, and wasn’t accommodating at all. It was 5:30 on a Saturday night but they acted like their tables wouldn’t fill up fast. There were several tables open that I requested but refused to sit us there. Thought it would be a nice birthday celebration and she would have been thrilled to be able to watch the game at the table but even after asking several times and with gifts in our hands they wouldn’t take any seating requests. The food was enjoyable but the portion sizes were a lot smaller than previous visits. First pic is from February 2023 and second pic is from tonight.

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 4

Service: 1

OMG! The Fish&Chips is amazing! The portion size is good for multiple servings IMO but more importantly the flavor was so delicious! I can't wait to go back.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Fish and Chips

Very good food and portions. Great atmosphere! Highly recommend and we'll go back again!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Fish and Chips, Fish Sandwich, Fried Mushrooms

Fish and chips were very good.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 4

First of all, why are the Employees allowed to Vape in the restaurant?!! Not okay! Also, we arrived an hour before closing and staff made us feel unwelcome and rushed. They were more concerned on closing than their guests.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

Staff is non caring to the customers. Hostess sat at the bar with an employee who is smoking a vape at the bar. Seriously, two steps to outside. Hostess seems bothered by anyone walking in and greets them from the bar being extremely grumpy . Bartender is rushing to clean up the bar and not giving customers service. We are the only two customers . He is Making us feel extremely rushed. We are here at 9:50 and the place closes at 11:00. They are moping the floor. The Cobb salad was delicious but the potato skins were cooked in very old oil. French onion soup not good. I understand since Ive managed restaurants that Oil is grossly expensive but better to not serve fried food over serving food cooked in rancid oil. The hostess is sitting with an EMPLOYEE who is SMOKING a vape AT the bar. My rating is kind. No paper towel the entire night in the Women’s room. WHY. Would anyone pay money for this experience?

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 1

Service: 1

The carrot cake that they portray as a signature dessert wasn't very good. I got a piece to go and when I went to eat it the entire bottom was burnt. I also got the chicken wings parmesan garlic but I couldn't tell because there wasn't much flavor on them. I'll give it another shot and try something else

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 3

Service: 5

Good food, good service, great cocktails! I'll be back for sure.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Jumbo Pretzel

We ate here on a wk day evening. This restaurant bldg sits South of the hotel on Michigan Ave. Parking near restaurant is limited. But there is a large lot on a lower level to the West. You need to drive out onto a street South of Old Bag, and then into that lot. Saw stairs, don't know if there's an elevator. But, very probably.
Place was busy. Were greeted and seated promptly. Both had very good chicken tenders. Draft beer during Happy Hour was inexpensive. Clam chowder was lukewarm, thin and watery; not hot or creamy. Fried mushrooms were larger button size. Again, lukewarm, not hot. A very good portion. Onion rings were hot; larger size, abt 5 or 6 pieces for $4. But, the onions were chewy. Much better onion rings at Red Robin.
Our server was very attentive, and on-the-ball. This place is OK. But needs to improve in a few areas.

Updating my review. Wish I could give 0 stars DONT COME HERE. A year after my first visit I Went back and the server gave himself an extra $9 tip on my $19 order. They used a payment option directly at the table and my bill for a sandwich and a 1/2 appetizer was $19 and some change I tipped 20% using the button on the device. He left came back and said the transaction was not processed, ran my card again. The only reason I caught this was the swiping my card twice seemed suspicious to me. I called the next day and was told they would refund me the overage and it’s been over a week and no change. No to mention parking was even more horrible this time around. Absolutely no where to park. When we got inside there were only a few tables seated so seems like the draw of the new restaurant has worn off.

Atmosphere: 1

Service: 1

Wonderful experience! First off, shout out to Johnathan who was very knowledgeable and helped me make some decisions as well as attentive. The cocktails were crafted perfectly and they had a variety of seasonal ones that had a fun twist. The fried mushrooms with the horseradish sauce were excellent! I had the shrimp po boy which was messy and delicious just as it should be. My date had the fish reuben which he described as fantastic. We both thought the fries were decent but not as amazing as the other food. Lastly we indulged in their famous carrot cake - best carrot cake I’ve had in ages. I’ll definitely be back for that if nothing else. All in all you won’t be disappointed. Check it out soon!

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Shrimp PO'Boy, Fried Mushrooms, Famous Carrot Cake

I had a fantastic experience at The Old Bag of Nails! The food was absolutely delicious, with fresh ingredients and perfectly cooked dishes. Everything we ordered was flavorful and made with care. The service was also outstanding—our server was attentive, friendly, and made sure we had everything we needed. The atmosphere is warm and inviting, making it a great place to enjoy a meal with friends or family. I highly recommend this place to anyone looking for quality food and excellent service!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Fish and Chips, Mussels & Jumbo Shrimp