Crunchy’s

October 19, 2008
Went back to visit an old college stop that I remember being dirty and serving greasy bad food. Could still use a good cleaning and the food is no better but did they have this great beer selection way back when? Not sure I would have even appreciated the great beers on tap. Some hard to find Michigan beers on tap.

June 15, 2008
Dive bar that’s been around forever, but has greatly improved its beer selection since the days when their primary offering was 5-gallon buckets of Stroh’s (or Stroh’s Dark!) Lots of Michigan breweries on rotating taps, including Shorts, Founders, New Holland, Dark Horse, and Bells. Prices are all over the place, as Silphium mentions below. My pint of Two-Hearted Ale was a bargain at $3.25, but the Rubaeus I ordered for my wife was a soul-crushing $7.75. (And I ordered it only after they informed us they were out of the DH Tres Blueberry Stout I initially wanted.) Food is decidedly bar-esque, but a nice selection of burgers - although mine was a wee gristly. A nice, unpretentious hangout.

January 29, 2008
Not very good food, not a very nice bar. Crappy ambiance and service can be so-so, BUT they always have a bunch of great beers on tap! If you want good beer in East Lansing, Crunchy’s is a great place.

September 27, 2007
Not the cleanest inside and typically the service isnt great. But, they are really stepping it up when it comes to the beer selection. My favorite place in the lansing area by far. Usually have about 15 solid micro’s tapped at any given time. Good burgers too.

February 15, 2007
Crunchy’s is a dive but the beer selection is good and you can get a bucket of any beer on tap. This is a pretty gross way to serve beer, but it’s a fun thing to try with a group of friends. The burgers are the best in town.

June 15, 2006
College dive bar with a good tap selection. Server was attentive. Only complaint was how there was no enforcement of the no smoking section, so we were getting smoke from the booth next to us. Didn’t try any food.

June 6, 2006
Definately a college bar atmosphere, but it can be a nice relaxing place to enjoy a brew during the day and early afternoon. Patio is also a plus in warmer weather. They always seem to have atleast 10-15 microbrews on tap and change them frequently. Many beers you can find here are hard to locate elsewhere but are quite good.

January 22, 2006 [ Updated May 14, 2008 ]
Crunchy’s is considered a typical college bar, but the beer selection is quite nice. There were 15 Michigan microbrews on tap as well as micros from several other states and the ubiquitous BMC lowlights. Michigan brewers featured included Bells, New Holland, Arcadia, Founders and Shorts. There were quite a few uncommon beers on tap from these brewers, including a very nice Oak Aged Pilgrim’s Dole and Dragon’s Milk from NH. Arcadia London Porter and Bells Kalamazoo Stout were also available, and Bells Batch 7000 was here recently. The bar was surprisingly quiet when I was there, and service was efficient. There are several booths and tables, with two big-screen televisions on the N and S ends of the bar. It’s probably more difficult to enjoy the great beers when the place is packed on evenings, but a daytime visit to enjoy some of the offerings is well worth it. Combine this with a visit to Harper’s down the road for a few more Michigan micros. Update 5/14/08: over the past couple of years, Crunchy’s has increased their beer prices significantly (sometimes greater than 100%). As beer prices are unmarked, be sure to ask the server before ordering. I recently paid $7.75 for a pint of New Holland Dragon’s Milk and $10.75 for Aecht Fasten Bier. Many other standard craft beers are also over $6/pint.