Just not what it could be. Definitely not living up to its' potential.
The wine list is just okay. The decor is cool, but the crowd is lacking, and the service isn't stellar.
I have been to a lot of wine bars all over and this one needs work.
The small plates are boring items.
The prices are fine.
I'm sure for Lansing this is great, but I guess compared to other wine bars in bigger cities it's just lacking.
Love it. The others who have said that this place is exactly what Downtown Lansing needed are spot on. It's comfortable enough that you can go in casually, hang out, and relax, but classy enough for an evening situation. The service is terrific. It was a bit spotty when they first opened, but it's really solidified over the last few months and they have hired terrific folks.
What I love about this place is that it represents progress and growth in Downtown Lansing. It helps it feel less like a ghost town evenings and weekends. It's a fun place in an area that could use a few more of those.
The wine selection itself is great, and they have some pre-selected flight options that are really stellar. I'm also a fan of the tasting event on Saturday afternoons - $10 for 5 pours of your choice of any wine available by the glass on the menu.
The food options are...average+. They're getting better with each new menu release. But honestly, this is not a restaurant. It's a wine bar with some snack options. Go into it with that mentality, and you'll be really happy.
P Squared is exactly what downtown Lansing needed. My only reason for docking one star is the space is on the small side with a limited number of seats, I'm not sure if I'd be able to be serviced on a busier night.
P Squared offers an intimate setting with chairs in the nooks and crannies, and a very large wine menu. The older I've become the more I find myself only drinking wine, and P squared couldn't have opened at a better time! I wouldn't necessarily recommend coming with a large crowd, but this may be the best spot in Lansing for a twosome to talk and laugh.
The I Want Candy wine flight was right up my alley and I highly recommend to sweet and crisp white wine lovers. I discovered two types of wine I never knew I'd like, and I've done the leg work! My compadre had another flight choice, which we agreed was not quite as tasty as mine, but an interesting adventure nonetheless.
The food menu is on the small side and I probably wouldn't recommend P Squared if you're on the prowl for a big meal out. The wine is definitely the star of this restaurant, but they do have cheese and meat platters and light options. We both ordered the most substantial meal on the menu - the Mac n Cheese which may possibly be the best Mac n Cheese I've ever had. The garlic bread on the side was good, but noticeably very salty. Sometimes less is more!
My final comment would be on our waitress. I've noticed others have commented so far that their waiters have been overwhelmed, forgetful, and unknowledgeable, but our waitress was the complete opposite. I wouldn't call her a master expert of wine, but she knew all the basics, had an opinion, and made helpful recommendations. She was honest and very friendly and was present without bring nosy or pushy. I hope I have the pleasure of enjoying my service w her next time (that's what she said). But seriously.
I really, really wanted to like this place. Because I'll admit it, I'm a wino. And I'm always looking for new places that have a good wine list without being pretentious. A few friends decided to meet up here after work on a Monday.
The decor is spot on. It's very welcoming and feels cozy. There are various spots to sit, from the bar, to large tables for groups, to intimate areas with two comfortable chairs for a duo. Overall the noise level was fine. Sometimes in places like that, the noise can be unbearable but it was generally quite quiet.
Our server, poor guy, was just flustered. He kept forgetting things and he'd leave our table before finishing our orders. He brought food and didn't give us flatware. It was annoying, to say the least. In terms of food and drink, I ordered a Malbec and I wanted to try the artichoke and spinach dip. I was told they were out of the dip. What? It's 6:00pm on a Monday, how are you out of something? I believe they were out of another dish as well. So I ended up with the chicken quesadillas.
Now, my problem with the wine is that their philosophy does not match the selection. They state that they want to be a place where non-wine drinkers come to try new things. Well, the average glass of wine costs about $10. That's pretty steep in my opinion. Not only that but they only offer one Malbec on their menu. Perhaps someone who liked reds might want to try a different type but why would you want to pay $10 for a glass you hate? The wine was good, but I'm just being hypothetical here.
As for the quesadilla, it was delicious. It was cut into huge wedges and I couldn't finish it all.
This is a nice place if you are just going to get a glass of wine or beer and will leave shortly thereafter. I decided to try the food and its the reason for the low star rating. The Mac and cheese was either terribly old or had been over cooked. The accompanying bread was by far the saltiest thing I have even eaten in my life. Again, the wine was good as was the selection and the atmosphere. Just get a drink and go eat somewhere else.
Review Source:Met up with a former co-worker here last night. Had the "Red Eye" wine flight and a cheese plate, as well as the Artichoke and Parmesan dip. Everything was awesome. They boast on their website that this is a place for everyone who loves wine, without the snooty atmosphere and it's totally true. The bartenders were friendly and welcoming, just awesome. The cheese plate, out of this world and I am a bit of a cheese connoisseur. They made my friend and I feel very welcome and they had a great wine selection. Honestly it was just a nice experience all around. I will definitely be back.
Review Source:I was pretty impressed with my visits to P Squared. Â My first visit was during the week for lunch and had the Pepperoncini Roast Beef with Potato Salad and a soda. Â Both items were incredibly flavorful and surprisingly filling. Â That evening I came back to try the Chocolate Pecan Pie ($5.50) and the "Catch a Cab" flight of four cabernet's ($17). Â The wine was decent, the Chocolate Pecan Pie was excellent. Â
Service was great - friendly and helpful. Â Atmosphere was just right (It wasn't very busy at lunch, and the evening crowd had just the right amount of background chatter). Â I was surprised to find that refills were not included for soda.
This could easily become my "regular lunch place".
(EDIT 12/31/2012: Â Lunch pricing has been reduced and is now more-or-less comparable to other eateries in the area. Removed comment about pricing and the price I paid for the lunch items as a result.)
I was really, really, extra-super-excited for P Squared to open. I love downtown Lansing. I love wine. I love swanky places to hang out with friends. P Squared has been open less than a month and we've visited twice already.
The atmosphere is solid -- warm and cozy, great wine color on the walls. The lighting is low, but not too dark, and I love the dining room table for six near the center of the space. It was a great spot for a casual meeting.
Two things stop me from raving about P Squared -- although I hope I can add "yet" to that comment.
First: On both visits, our service was surprisingly disappointing. We had a different server each time, and each time the person who waited on us seemed pretty clueless about the job.
On our first visit (weeknight happy hour), I asked for some recommendations, as our server was talking about just returning from a wine tasting and having some new favorites. I told him we really liked Zinfandels -- meaning the spicy red wine. He recommended a blush, thinking I was referring to *white* Zinfandel. Our group also ordered a large cheese and charcuterie plate to share. It was delivered to the table with no silverware, no napkins and no appetizer plates. We had to ask for those. (The selection, once we were able to eat it, was delicious. It's a great value and I'd order it again ... with silverware.)
On our second visit (a busy Saturday night), our service was, at best, incredibly slow. Our server delivered a Cabernet Sauvignon instead of the Sauvignon Blanc my companion ordered, and there were very long lulls between his visits back to the table (meanwhile, we could see him behind the bar checking his phone). Another server, a young woman, was waiting on the tables around us, and she even stepped in to assist a couple of times.
Both times it took an unusually long time for our wine to arrive.
The second thing that stops me from raving is the menu: It's lacking some key wine varietals. There are large selections of Cabernets and Chardonnays, but one lone Zinfandel, one Shiraz, one Syrah and one Malbec. It would be great to see the menu of reds beefed up a bit.
The menu has a great "flavor map," offering recommendations for finding new wines or beers to try. It's a good idea and a nice addition to the menu.
The flights are a great way to sample new wines ($14-$20 for four samples), and the aforementioned cheese and charcuterie plate is terrific.
We'll definitely be back, but we're hoping, hoping, hoping that the service improves. In a small space like that, it's easy to see when your server is ignoring your table.
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