Love this dive bar! Â I never even stepped foot in the place while at State, never even knew it existed actually. Â I was in town for training, and saw a building with a cool painted mural, so we stopped in. Â I was blown away at the grand wooden bar with awesome griffins and a stained glass Merlin the magician/wizard in the center.... Apparently, they found it in California and had it brought to Michigan. This is one of Michigan's oldest bars. Â Seriously, you are missing out if you do not go see the craftsmanship of this bar. Â The prices were right, decent jukebox, the bar tender was very friendly and kept pulling out a bartending book to try to libations out on us. Â We had never been here before, but we felt right at home. Â Keep in mind I have not been here in about 2-3 years....
Review Source:Old old bar. Â No food just drinks. Â We stopped in while in Lansing hoping for a quick bite. It was a little weird, really dark, and by the look on the faces of everyone there, we didn't belong. Â
We asked about food and were sent next door to another bar. Â There was a table full of potluck. Â Odd visit indeed.
There isn't much I can say, but, I love this bar. Â Cheap drinks, Miller High Life on tap (it's the champagne of beers, dontcha know?) and the best jukebox I have ever, ever put my money into. Â Shuffleboard is great fun, but can cause a bit of a cramped situation on busy nights. Â The service is great; fast and friendly. Â Just go to Stober's. Â Bring your friends. Â Bring your favorite lady or gentlemen. Â Hell, bring your parents. Â If they're anything like mine, they'll beat you in shuffleboard and then buy the next round.
Review Source:It has been many years since I have had the pleasure of sitting at this bar with my pitcher and glass, and there have been many bars since that time. However, I have yet to find a bar that can replace Stober's
Where to start is the dilemma I have in reviewing this bar.
Upon my 21st birthday I was tasked with a simple request; Go to Stober's and try not to die. Well I went to Stober's and I did not die, and I am a better person for it. The stories I have from this place could fill the pages of an Ayn Rand tome and they will be with me forever, making Stober's the template that I hold all bars to. The standard Stober's set for me as yet to be replicated. No place have I imbibed had a friendlier or more creative staff. The drinks are generous and cheap and while the selection was lacking, everything else about Stober's made up for it.
I developed a routine that the staff became so aware of that my drink would be waiting for me before I could even sit down and say "Hi". A pitcher of high life to start, maybe a second. Then it was whiskey/cokes (well whiskey was Colby's which you could purchase a fifth of at Meijer for 6 dollars) for the rest of the night. Sometimes, I would want a washington apple which I could get as a drink in lieu of the normal shot form. Delightful.
At a time where I did not have much social attachment to the city of Lansing as nearly everyone I knew had since moved on (a remarkable number of them to New York) Stober's became a haven for me. I quickly made outstanding new friends as the weeks went on. So in that regard, Stober's has a very personal and sentimental value to me, as its beautiful mahogany will likely affect you too.
Jon Orta, if he still tends there, was (and for me, still is) the greatest bartender I have ever been served by. I've yet to see a barkeep more amiable.
As I have said, I have many superb memories of this place and not wanting to drag on too much longer I shall only share what my be my favorite.
Being from Chicago, the 2006 Superbowl was a pretty big deal for me. So, for said Superbowl, I went out to Stober's - early, because I thought it would be packed. It was as empty as literally it could be. For the first half, Jon and myself sat with feet up on neighboring stools, smoking cigarettes (oh, the days), watching that ill-fated Superbowl. For the second half, Jon actually did have to work, as three or four more people joined us but his naturally charming demeanor never faltered. The whole experience had the air of good friends sitting around the TV at home watching the game. To this day, that remains one of my most beloved bar memories.
Stober's is my favorite bar. The jukebox has Tom Waits and Mr. Bungle (and if Frank is still around, Da Yoopers)
Also, shuffleboard.
Back in the day when I was a MSU student and cook at Mort's next door (Moriarty's), around 1984-85, I used to go into Stober's for last call before walking home to my 3 story cold water walk-up flat which I shared with our 85 year old bar janitor named Arlo and my girlfriend RRR. Anyway-- the story was that Rudy Stober's was THE BAR that invented the famous Michigan drink called "Snowshoes", which was a shot of bourbon followed by a shot of schnapps, and then a  walk home in the snow. In my opinion, that makes Stober's a legendary Michigan  dive bar of epic proportions.
Review Source:My first experience here was during a bar crawl the night Michigan went smokefree. Â This place is notoriously smoke-filled and would not have been a place I would ever go. Â Loved the indoor shuffleboard, the handcarved bar, gargoyles and beautiful stained glass. Â
The owners had some anti-smokefree law things posted on the wall so I didn't exactly feel welcome here. Â Once emotions cool down a little I'd like to come back and try them again. Â This place has potential!
My friend was talking this place up before we arrived, and I started to get concerned. Usually, he'll let a bar speak for itself. However, the man was spot on. The visit Stobers was definitely worth our time. I felt comfortable the minute I walked into the bar. The crowd was mixed, and it seemed like the whole place was humming.
The bar has some outstanding workmanship in it, from Merlin to the griffins. Just masterful. I really wished my town had something as distinguished as this.
This one is a pretty simple review since Stobers has pretty much wrote it themselves. Â They proclaim to be the 'Coolest bar in Lansing'. Â I don't know how much this is really saying but I'd tend to agree. Â Plus, in their myspace page, in the spot where it says 'people you'd like to meet', their answer is 'people who don't suck'. Â Right on!
So if you want to go to a place that is full of normal, all walks of life people, has shuffleboard, good drinks, jukebox and feels like a bar...there you have it.
This place is odd. First, I want to say that it's gorgeous. The hand-carved bar, with the Merlin stained glass and glowing-eye griffins, is really quite impressive and it's kind of a shame it's too dimly lit to get a good look at the woodwork. And the jukebox has a wide range of excellent music, including Gnarls Barkley and Primus. The drinks are usually good and not too watered down, and hey, shuffleboard.
But this place is...odd. Because I can never be sure whether it will be beautiful hipster or racist redneck night. I might as well flip a coin. Seriously, half the time when I walk in it is full of hot young things with piercings, and half the time it's full of people missing teeth and dropping n-bombs. Just...odd.
When did Stobers get ..."Cool?" Now by me saying 'cool' does that say how 'cool' I am?
Well Stobers over the years has been and will always be one of my favorite bars. It has its own charm, style and layout. Have you ever seen a more amazing looking array of woodwork and unique artwork behind a bar? No you have not.
I just came into Lansing for a visit recently and had to stop by Stobe's and I couldnt believe how busy it was. A full and young crowd.
It may not have pickled eggs in a jar that Linda made (Linda and her husband owned and ran Stobers for many years and Lindas father before her) as she greeted us with a free random shot for stopping in and being fun, but it still had many things that makes Stobers "Stobes." : 2 shuffleboards tables, a great eclectic jukebox, stiff drinks and great authentic Lansing atmosphere.
When I asked for 2 pitchers, and they said "of what", I had to remind myself that they have a great selection of draft beers now vs the staple go-to high life draft pitchers for $7. I miss that actually
It may, on  weekends at least, lack a little nostalgia it once had...but I am very happy for its success, as the owners of Moriartis next door (also a great bar) are making a go of taking it over. And Linda and her husband deserve the break.
So even if it is busy, go on in to Stobes to see friendly faces and while you are there....
Order high life on draft, put Al Green, the Doors and Nirvana on the juke and get some change for the shuffleboard tables and throw some shuff with friends.
Stobers is one of the few bars I have to go to when I'm in town. Â Shuffleboard, great jukebox, dark, big booths. Â Pretty cheap drinks. Â Love it, and the actual bar is sweet too. Â Check it out when you're in there., way better than the annoying frat boy filled every-bar in downtown EL.
Review Source:
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