Wine Wednesdays Save This List
East Lansing · Lansing · American, Brew Pub, Bar · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed July 7, 2026
Wingman Metrics
Fifty years into East Lansing's dining scene, Beggar's Banquet feels like the kind of place your parents liked before you knew what wine was — and that's not entirely a bad thing. The wine list is short, recognizable, and built around names you've seen in every grocery store end cap from here to Grand Rapids. It won't challenge you, but it'll meet you where you are.
The list runs about 10-20 bottles deep and leans hard on California with a nod to Michigan — which, given the address, is at least a thoughtful local gesture. The producers here are household names: Bread & Butter, Kim Crawford, Meiomi, Josh Cellars, Kendall-Jackson. There's no real surprise in the lineup, no small producer, no regional curiosity, no attempt to push beyond what sells at Meijer. The Michigan presence is appreciated, but without knowing which local bottles actually make the cut, it reads more like a marketing checkbox than a real commitment.
Six to ten options by the glass at $7–$12 a pour is a fair spread for a brew pub with this vibe — no one's coming here to work through a flight of Burgundy. La Marca Prosecco at $9 a glass is the easiest call if you want something light and social. The range is predictable but functional, and the prices don't feel punishing on a per-glass basis even if the bottle math gets ugly.
Meiomi Pinot Noir — $34
It's an 89% markup over retail, which is actually the most restrained pricing on the list. Meiomi is soft, fruit-forward, and approachable — and at $34 in a casual brew pub setting, you're not getting gouged the way you are on the Chard options. Not a complex bottle, but the right call if you want red wine without doing math you'll regret.
La Marca Prosecco
Nobody orders bubbles at a brew pub and that's exactly why you should. At $9 a glass it's the cheapest pour on the menu, it's easy to drink through brunch or a shared pizza, and it cuts through heavier comfort food better than a $34 Cab ever will. It's a grocery store bottle, sure, but the glass price is fair and it punches above its occasion.
Ménage à Trois Red Blend
A 154% markup on an $11 retail bottle brings it to $28, making it the worst value math on the list. It's a bulk-production red blend that exists to fill a price slot, not to be enjoyed. At that markup you're paying a premium for the privilege of drinking something you could find in a gas station wine rack. Hard pass.
Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc + Seafood Entree
Kim Crawford is zippy, citrus-driven, and high-acid enough to actually cut through butter sauces and brighten up lighter seafood. It's not a revelatory pairing but it's the most logical match on a list this size — the bright fruit keeps seafood from feeling heavy and doesn't fight the kitchen. At $34 it's overpriced for what it is, but it's the right bottle for the right dish.
Wednesday — Wine Wednesdays from 3 PM to close — half off select bottles of wine. Top-shelf items excluded. This is genuinely the best reason to drink wine here; the markups are steep enough that the Wednesday discount is almost mandatory.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Beggar's Banquet is a beloved East Lansing institution and the wine list reflects that — it's comfortable, familiar, and a little overpriced. Come on a Wednesday when half-price bottles make the steep markups survivable, order the bubbles, and remember that the beer list is probably the real reason everyone keeps coming back.
East Lansing · Lansing · Mexican
El Azteco is a beloved college-town institution, and the wine list knows its place — it's there so you can technically order wine, not because anyone thought hard about it. Stick to the margaritas; they're the real program here.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
East Lansing · Lansing · American bar & grill
Peanut Barrel is a beloved East Lansing institution and a genuinely great place to grab a burger and a beer — emphasis on the beer. The wine list is a placeholder, not a program, and no one at the table or behind the bar is pretending otherwise.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West Lansing · Lansing · Hotel Restaurant
If you're staying at the Crowne Plaza or just need a reliable glass of wine before a meeting in Lansing, Kindred Table won't let you down — prices are fair, the producers are legitimate, and nobody's trying to fleece you. Just don't come expecting discovery.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Old Town Lansing · Lansing · Gastropub
Zoobie's isn't where you go to geek out on wine, but if you're meeting friends for dinner in Old Town and someone at the table insists on a glass, you won't be stuck with regret. Grab the Malbec or the Mawby rosé, let everyone else argue about the beer list.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Okemos · Lansing · Seafood and American
Real Seafood Company Okemos is a dependable neighborhood anchor where the wine list won't embarrass you or excite you — fair prices and familiar faces make it easy, just don't come expecting discovery. Order the La Marca with the oysters and leave the wine nerd hat at home.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West Lansing · Lansing · Casual American / Tex-Mex
Chili's is a perfectly good place to eat a burger and drink a margarita — we mean that sincerely. But if wine is your thing, this list will let you down every single time, and you deserve better than a $8 Barefoot pour.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.