Rachel's Guidebook for Williamston, MI

Rachel
Rachel's Guidebook for Williamston, MI

Food scene

Looking for craft beer or unique and tasty pub fare? Tavern 109 is a gem in the heart of downtown Williamston that's both a local and regional favorite. Cool vibe, great food.
Tavern 109
109 E Grand River Rd
Looking for craft beer or unique and tasty pub fare? Tavern 109 is a gem in the heart of downtown Williamston that's both a local and regional favorite. Cool vibe, great food.
Local brewery with casual restaurant out front. Yummy casual eats. The kind of place you could go to every week and not get tired of it. IPAs, Lagers, Microbrews, my beer connoisseur friends tell me this place is great! Definitely kid friendly, too.
Old Nation Brewery
1500 E Grand River Rd
Local brewery with casual restaurant out front. Yummy casual eats. The kind of place you could go to every week and not get tired of it. IPAs, Lagers, Microbrews, my beer connoisseur friends tell me this place is great! Definitely kid friendly, too.
Local hole in the wall. Nice people. Chill vibe. Yummy food. I've never had a bad meal there.
Williamston Pub & Grill
132 E Grand River Rd
Local hole in the wall. Nice people. Chill vibe. Yummy food. I've never had a bad meal there.
Great cuisine. This and Tavern 109 bring people from all over the area. Better food than we deserve in a small town like Williamston. A bit more formal than Tavern, but not at all stuffy.
The Bistro
151 S Putnam St
Great cuisine. This and Tavern 109 bring people from all over the area. Better food than we deserve in a small town like Williamston. A bit more formal than Tavern, but not at all stuffy.
OK, so this is probably my personal favorite in Williamston. Jose first started his place in the back of a gas station in Lansing and thrived with lunch orders from the downtown crowd at the state capital. More recently, he opened a storefront in a strip mall here in Williamston. Super nice guy. Delicious and unique cuban-style sandwiches. Give it a try!
Jose's Cuban Sandwich &Deli
725 West Grand River Avenue
OK, so this is probably my personal favorite in Williamston. Jose first started his place in the back of a gas station in Lansing and thrived with lunch orders from the downtown crowd at the state capital. More recently, he opened a storefront in a strip mall here in Williamston. Super nice guy. Delicious and unique cuban-style sandwiches. Give it a try!
Yum Yum Yum. Pizza piled with fresh toppings that fall off when you're eating it. Subs are amazing, too! They'll deliver, too. Unassuming decor, more like an old cafeteria. Nothing fancy, just really good pizza and subs!
Brent's Pizza and Subs of Williamston
222 West Grand River Avenue
Yum Yum Yum. Pizza piled with fresh toppings that fall off when you're eating it. Subs are amazing, too! They'll deliver, too. Unassuming decor, more like an old cafeteria. Nothing fancy, just really good pizza and subs!
High end steak house. A local standard for entertaining clients. Their seafood chowder is pretty amazing. I don't see many children there. I'm told they have a decent wine list.
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Capital Vine
2320 Showtime Dr
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High end steak house. A local standard for entertaining clients. Their seafood chowder is pretty amazing. I don't see many children there. I'm told they have a decent wine list.
Small place, few tables, get a reservation early, but I'm told the steaks are UNBELIEVEABLE. I've yet to go personally, but if you try it out, let me know. Just writing this makes me think I should probably carve out an evening to go there!
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Bowdies Chophouse
320 E Michigan Ave
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Small place, few tables, get a reservation early, but I'm told the steaks are UNBELIEVEABLE. I've yet to go personally, but if you try it out, let me know. Just writing this makes me think I should probably carve out an evening to go there!
Everyone loves Saddleback BBQ. Try Smoke in Old Town and see which BBQ you prefer, then let me know!
Saddleback BBQ Okemos
1754 Central Park Drive
Everyone loves Saddleback BBQ. Try Smoke in Old Town and see which BBQ you prefer, then let me know!
Mexican food truck. Yummy Yummy! Bilingual. It's on the North side of Michigan Avenue, just east of Highway 127. Give me a Big Burrito from carne asada and a Jarritos, and I'm good to go!
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El Oasis
2511 E Michigan Ave
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Mexican food truck. Yummy Yummy! Bilingual. It's on the North side of Michigan Avenue, just east of Highway 127. Give me a Big Burrito from carne asada and a Jarritos, and I'm good to go!
The best Ethiopian food in town! Careful, it's addicting!
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Altu's Ethiopian Cuisine
1312 E Michigan Ave
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The best Ethiopian food in town! Careful, it's addicting!

Local Entertainment

Nationally recognized small professional theatre. Check out their website and see if you can catch a show. Their small casts and intimate theatre provide a truly unique and entertaining experience. Some productions may be better suited for mature audiences, check their website or call them for specifics.
Williamston Theatre
122 S Putnam St
Nationally recognized small professional theatre. Check out their website and see if you can catch a show. Their small casts and intimate theatre provide a truly unique and entertaining experience. Some productions may be better suited for mature audiences, check their website or call them for specifics.
Big 10 athletics is something special. Top notch programs with top notch athletes. Crazy loyal fans. Amazing marching bands. Catch an athletic event while you're here and you won't be disappointed (unless your team loses). Football, basketball and hockey are a few of the larger ones I'd recommend.
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Stadium Spartan
325 W Shaw Ln
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Big 10 athletics is something special. Top notch programs with top notch athletes. Crazy loyal fans. Amazing marching bands. Catch an athletic event while you're here and you won't be disappointed (unless your team loses). Football, basketball and hockey are a few of the larger ones I'd recommend.
Large local theater. Home of the Lansing Symphony. Many traveling broadway shows and other events frequent the Wharton Center.
Wharton Center
750 East Shaw Lane
Large local theater. Home of the Lansing Symphony. Many traveling broadway shows and other events frequent the Wharton Center.
Catch a bit of the local music scene. I haven't tried their food, so if you do, let me know and I'll update the review!
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The Green Door Bar & Grill
2005 East Michigan Avenue
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Catch a bit of the local music scene. I haven't tried their food, so if you do, let me know and I'll update the review!
Great local park. Fun toys for kids. Lots of grass. Amphitheatre with free summer concerts. On the banks of the Red Cedar River with kayak launch points. Right by downtown, so you can play at the park then grab some dinner or a show.
McCormick Park
123 High Street
Great local park. Fun toys for kids. Lots of grass. Amphitheatre with free summer concerts. On the banks of the Red Cedar River with kayak launch points. Right by downtown, so you can play at the park then grab some dinner or a show.
Take a trip into yesteryear. This theatre only has one screen and one or two showings a night, so check their website. Cheap tickets, cheap popcorn, no frills, just an old fashioned movie theatre beloved by the locals. For lots of screens and more modern theater experience, check out Celebration, Studio C at the Mall, or Eastwood towne center.
Sun Theatre
150 W Grand River Ave
Take a trip into yesteryear. This theatre only has one screen and one or two showings a night, so check their website. Cheap tickets, cheap popcorn, no frills, just an old fashioned movie theatre beloved by the locals. For lots of screens and more modern theater experience, check out Celebration, Studio C at the Mall, or Eastwood towne center.
Lansing's higher end outdoor shopping center. Has some decent national brands for clothing, jewelry, and restaurants. Movie theater, too.
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Eastwood Towne Center
3003 US-127
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Lansing's higher end outdoor shopping center. Has some decent national brands for clothing, jewelry, and restaurants. Movie theater, too.
Fun park. Connects to the River trail for miles of walking, running, or biking along the grand river and Red Cedar. Has a splash pad for kids in the summer. Swimming in the lake. Playgrounds, pavilions, tubing hill with lift. I believe there's a small per-car charge at the gate.
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Hawk Island Park
1601 E Cavanaugh Rd
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Fun park. Connects to the River trail for miles of walking, running, or biking along the grand river and Red Cedar. Has a splash pad for kids in the summer. Swimming in the lake. Playgrounds, pavilions, tubing hill with lift. I believe there's a small per-car charge at the gate.
Miles of paved and boardwalk trail along the Red Cedar and Grand Rivers. Connects MSU to Downtown and Old Town and also to Hawk Island Park. Running, walking, biking are all welcome and encouraged. You could probably rollerskate or rollerblade on parts, but not the boardwalks.
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Lansing River Trail
Lansing River Trail
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Miles of paved and boardwalk trail along the Red Cedar and Grand Rivers. Connects MSU to Downtown and Old Town and also to Hawk Island Park. Running, walking, biking are all welcome and encouraged. You could probably rollerskate or rollerblade on parts, but not the boardwalks.
How do fish get past a dam to spawn upstream? A fish ladder, of course! Believe it or not, we get salmon spawning all the way from Lake Michigan to Lansing. The fish ladder is an interesting thing to check out on a Sunday afternoon stroll along the Lansing River Trail. Start out with some pizza or BBQ in Old Town and then go explore. Maybe check out the Turner-Dodge House while you're at it! At Christmas, it's especially lovely.
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Brenke Fish Ladder
216 East Grand River Avenue
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How do fish get past a dam to spawn upstream? A fish ladder, of course! Believe it or not, we get salmon spawning all the way from Lake Michigan to Lansing. The fish ladder is an interesting thing to check out on a Sunday afternoon stroll along the Lansing River Trail. Start out with some pizza or BBQ in Old Town and then go explore. Maybe check out the Turner-Dodge House while you're at it! At Christmas, it's especially lovely.
Catch a glimpse of historic Lansing at this landmark. Don't plan your day around it, but if you're in the Old Town section, be sure to stop by and check it out.
Turner-Dodge House
100 E North St
Catch a glimpse of historic Lansing at this landmark. Don't plan your day around it, but if you're in the Old Town section, be sure to stop by and check it out.
I love this trail. It's a quick mile and a half loop or so. Beautiful trees. Reminds me of trails in the Pacific Northwest (ok, without the 100 ft tall evergreens). Has a little elevation change to keep it interesting. Not too challenging. Fun for a quick run.
Ted Black Woods
540 West Grand River Avenue
I love this trail. It's a quick mile and a half loop or so. Beautiful trees. Reminds me of trails in the Pacific Northwest (ok, without the 100 ft tall evergreens). Has a little elevation change to keep it interesting. Not too challenging. Fun for a quick run.
Great trail for walks, runs, biking. It roughly follows the Red Cedar River and you can access at Legg Park, Harris Nature Center and Meridian Road park. Partly paved, mostly dirt. I've never seen it crowded.
Red Cedar Nature Preserve & River Trail
1400 Sylvan Glen Road
Great trail for walks, runs, biking. It roughly follows the Red Cedar River and you can access at Legg Park, Harris Nature Center and Meridian Road park. Partly paved, mostly dirt. I've never seen it crowded.
Are the kids tired of being inside on a rainy day? Check out the trampoline park! Also has basic food and laser tag. Fun for kids birthday parties.
Launch Trampoline Park Lansing
1982 W Grand River Rd
Are the kids tired of being inside on a rainy day? Check out the trampoline park! Also has basic food and laser tag. Fun for kids birthday parties.
Bowling, a midwest staple!
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Spare Time Entertainment Center
3101 E Grand River Rd
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Bowling, a midwest staple!
Go-Karts! Axe Throwing! Lots of fun!
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High Caliber Karting and Entertainment
1982 W Grand River Rd
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Go-Karts! Axe Throwing! Lots of fun!
Lovely park by a lovely lake. Ice cream stand across the street. Enjoy a dip in the water and a picnic. This is an all-sports lake, as well, if you have access to a boat.
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Taman Tasik Lansing Selatan
1621 Pike St
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Lovely park by a lovely lake. Ice cream stand across the street. Enjoy a dip in the water and a picnic. This is an all-sports lake, as well, if you have access to a boat.