Westgate Tavern

Westgate Tavern
623 N Rosemary St.
Lansing, MI 48917
(517) 323-9170

We visited the Westgate Tavern - a first visit for all in our group - on Saturday, March 14, 2009 for dinner. There is an L-shaped bar that seats about 20, a pool table and additional seating at about 10-12 tables. A wood burning stove adds a cozy feel in one corner of the restaurant. Very few windows add to the typical dark tavern atmosphere. Several tables and bar stools were filled with folks who seemed to be regulars. We felt welcome immediately and our server was friendly and helpful. The only drawback was the fairly thick layer of smoke. There didn't seem to be great ventilation. Someone propped a door open halfway through our visit and that helped greatly!

Unfortunately for Rod and me, the beer selection left a lot to be desired. The tap line-up included the typical Budwesier and Miller products. Specialty taps were Blue Moon and Killian's -- neither our cup of tea. We asked about any bottled beers from Michigan -- no. What about Sam Adam's -- no. Rod stuck to water. I had a well gin and tonic. The water glasses around the table were kept full and my gin and tonic was perfectly acceptable for what it was.

The menu ranged from typical fried appetizers, hamburgers, wraps, dinners (fried chicken, fried perch, etc.) and pizza. Rod had the olive burger, prepared medium-rare and curly fries. Rod says the burger was cooked perfectly and had the texture of a homemade/hand-formed pattie. Rod loves the olive burgers from Dagwood's, Peanut Barrell and the Irish Pub -- he said this one was as good as any he's had. I tried a bite and agree it would definitely cure my hankering for an olive burger. The sauce was creamy and the large slices of green olives added a salty bite. Rod said the curly fries were crispy and well-seasoned. The thinness of the fries made for lots of crispy surface area, which Rod really enjoyed.

I settled on the grilled chicken sandwich and regular fries. The chicken was a restaurant-portioned piece of breast meat on a buttered and grilled bun with lettuce, tomato and mayo. I scraped off most of the mayo (although it was not too much for the average person). The lettuce was crispy and the slice of tomato was over a half-inch thick and very fresh. The fries were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside with great potato flavor.

Our bill was $15.42 for two sandwiches, two orders of fries and one gin and tonic. We left $19 and felt we got a pretty good value for our dollar. The server was attentive and the food was better than average bar food. The biggest drawbacks were the level of smoke and the lack of a good beer selection. We'd be most inclined to visit again at lunch time since we do enjoy a good beer when we go out for dinner and we're hoping it might be less smokey if more folks are there just for a meal rather than hanging out over drinks.

Dani -- 3/15/09