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| All of these people are drinking on The Peanut Barrel's patio during their lunch break. |
Welcome to our new blog. This is a review blog mainly featuring James and Jerome, a father-son duo with a passion for the world’s greatest meal: cheeseburgers and fries. Previously, we had a blog called Cheeseburgers in Eugene, but since we recently moved to Lansing, Michigan, it is time for us to change our geographic focus. In the coming months, we will review all of the cheeseburgers in Michigan. Occasionally, Bucky the Preschooler and Erin the Matriarch will join in. We might even have some special “dads only” nights. Anyway, here is our review of The Peanut Barrel.
We’re definitely not the first people to review Peanut Barrel. Located across the street from Michigan State University’s Broad Art Museum, this East Lansing landmark has served as a backdrop to many students’ awkward life experiences since 1973, when it first opened and was briefly known as the “Jacks or Better Restaurant.”
Here, I have fond memories of some blackout-drunk stranger picking a fight with me out of the blue. Fortunately, I’m always surrounded by strong women who chase these wayward fellas away. Another morning, after going fishing at 5 am and catching nothing but a sunburn, we opened up the Barrel and enjoyed shots of whiskey dropped into pints of Guinness at one of the coveted patio tables.
On this visit, I was with my sons, and it was just after the lunch rush on a Thursday: I was not interested in alcohol. Cheeseburgers were on our minds.
Jerome’s Review
Being the first Cheeseburgers in Michigan review, I felt that the first burgers had to be truly special. Judging by looks alone, The Peanut Barrel appeared to be just a simple bar and restaurant, but only after being seated and ordering, did I notice the atmosphere. The waitress was extremely kind, and simply listening around I could hear friendly conversations with the bartender or between strangers. This welcoming attitude shared throughout the place really made me feel comfortable and almost at home.
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| Jerome taking an actual real bite out of his Papa Joe's Cheeseburger. |
But anyway, onto the actual food. While it was nowhere near out-of-the-ordinary, it did do one thing exceptionally well. Although the food wasn't extremely unique, it was darn good. The burgers did everything that a burger should but to a tee. The patty was cooked to near perfection, not overly done so it wasn't too dry, and not undercooked so as not to be too raw. The lettuce seemed to be fresh with a great crunch, and the fries (though a little low on salt) were great.
In the end, The Peanut Barrel’s burgers weren't an exploration of what it means to be a burger but more of a celebration of what burgers are. Maybe that’s giving them too much credit, but I really liked their burgers.
Bucky’s Review
“I would like all of the fries.”
James’s Review
Cheeseburger 21/25
The Peanut Barrel offers eight different types of burgers, including a garden burger and sub-quarter-pound baby burger. The olive burger caught my fancy, and I added cheddar cheese to it to fit the parameters of this blog. The Peanut Barrel olive burger is considered one of the best in the Lansing Area. I was given the option of a white, rye, or wheat bun. Like a moron, I chose rye. As soon as I took my first bite, I regretted it. Since this was my mistake, I’m not docking the Peanut Barrel for the rye. There were other reasons this burger wasn’t perfect.
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| The Peanut Barrel olive burger served on a bed of fries. |
First of all, I wasn’t given the option of how done I wanted the burger. What I got was at least medium well. It wasn’t that juicy. I did appreciate that they seasoned the patty well. The olive sauce was heavy on olives and light on mayonnaise. Within one bite, the whole thing was falling apart, which I attribute to somewhat stale buns – perhaps people don’t order rye very often.
These are the critiques. Overall, the flavor was very good. 21 is not a low rating, and the bar is high for 25.
Fries 21/25
I reserve the highest fry ratings for those that are battered and well-seasoned. The Peanut Barrel did a good job of seasoning these fries, but there were no frills. As we got to the final fries, we started to fight over them. Fortunately, we ordered a Reuben to go for Erin so we pillaged her fries. Please don’t tell her.
The burger was served in a basket on top of the fries. So, as it exploded into several pieces after the first bite, it fell onto the fries giving me “olive burger fries.” Not bad. I really liked that they had mayonnaise on the table in little packets so I didn’t have to feel like a fat slob asking for some to dip my fries in.
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| Little containers of onions on the table. That's not weird. |
Value 19/25
The Peanut Barrel is not as expensive as your average sit-down restaurant, but it’ll cost you more than some of the local fast food joints. For my olive burger, Jerome’s Papa Joe’s cheeseburger, and Erin’s Reuben (all with fries), the total came to $28.67 with tax. Plus, we added a $6 tip.
What I did not like was that I had to pay extra (85 cents) for lettuce and tomato on my burger and for fries ($1.60.) Though, I suppose giving patrons the option to opt-in to these luxury condiments and sides is better than spreading the cost out across everyone and potentially have food go to waste. But, I don’t like paying extra for things. Dammit!
Ambiance 9/15
I was expecting a younger crowd, but school is out. And, I, a 37-year-old, was among the youngest people in the joint. I assumed everyone else there was also trying to relive some lukewarm college days. The interior of the place is drab and screams “dive bar.” It’s not really the place to take kids as the guy on his cell phone at the table next to us yelled expletives. I’m okay with cuss words, but yelling on cell phones doesn’t make for great ambiance.
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| I can get behind this. |
Service 8/10
We arrived at 1:15 pm just as the staff was finishing up with a big rush. It took a little while (more than five minutes) before anyone acknowledged us, but the server was incredibly apologetic. From the time we entered to the time we paid the bill, it was about 45 minutes, which is good in my book.
The Peanut Barrel’s Overall Score: 78/100
I will definitely be back to the Peanut Barrel. I will likely only go when MSU is on break or while very intoxicated. Either way, I am unlikely to bring the boys again. I’d take Jerome, but Bucky was kind of a pain. Why don’t more bars have kids play areas?!?
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