Despite the extended hiatus that occurred on this blog, due to school situations, economic issues, and a whole host of other Michigan-related maladies and problems, the burger club has not stopped. We still strive to try out new burgers around the area, and our base is ever-expanding. We've gone from the Eastern-most part of East Lansing to the Wild Wild West of Potterville, learning as we go.

Our trip to Leo's Outpost was right in there, nestled perfectly amongst the other burgers of Lansing, and with a lot of its own unique surprises. This was our smallest meeting EVER, with only three members- Dave, Michelle and myself. Luckily, it was a trip that was packed with flavor and unique experience.

The outpost is going for a lodge feel, with a cabin-style building filled with taxidermy. The log cabin that is Leo's fits strangely and nicely in the depressing Lansing neighborhood that envelops it, a counterpoint to the city. This theme holds true for all of Leo's amenities. The railroad tracks running right next to the restaurant also provide a reason to take shots, named after locomotive lingo. Nature scene placemats set the mood as you find your table and prepare to order. Deer heads, a fox and even a black bear occupy the outpost and keep its patrons company. Although this is a nice touch, there was one issue- sitting in the third booth from the back of the restaurant puts you in direct line of sight with a deer- staring directly at you. Although the modernity of the BWL Chili cook-off posters that adorn the walls offsets the dead animals, this deer was a little unsettling.

While the crowd that occupies the restaurant may not be who I want to hang out with on a Friday night, the quiet family atmosphere helps the flow of good food. Teddy Roosevelt look-alikes come with their families for an after-church meal or drink, middle-aged Lansing regulars are everywhere and probably do the majority of the business for the restaurant (but only because others don't know about it).
Much like Reno's, Leo's has two locations in Lansing: Leo's Outpost on Pennsylvania, and Leo's Lodge on Jolly. The menus are the same, the atmosphere is the same, but the cabin on Jolly fits in with the surrounding area a bit better. In my opinion, this makes the outpost more of a diamond in the rough.

We had the pleasure of visiting on a Sunday, which features the Make Your Own Bloody Mary special ($3.50). This is the most unique bar offering I have encountered, and would travel back for these Marys specifically. You are given some vodka, some tomato juice, some pilsner, a glass to mix them in, and a whole slew of fixins (dill sauce, tabasco, lemon pepper, celery salt, worcestershire sauce, etc.). This presents infinite opportunities for making bloody marys. The only downside of this is that if you are unfamiliar with the proper proportions (or have already made two or three of these), you are likely to be left with an overly spiced glass of alcoholic tomato juice. This is not really a drawback- despite whatever slop you may be drinking the result is hilarious for your friends.

This fantastic special is in addition to their regular taps, which include Michigan favorites as well as domestic classics. I was excited to find Crooked Tree IPA on tap - one of my favorite Michigan Microbrews from Dark Horse Brewing in Marshall. This was a great follow-up to my bloody mary (and went well with my burger!)

Leo's offers five options to get a burger: their "create your own" option ($6.99 + $0.75 per item), which through experience tends to add up quickly and be costly, and four others: a patty melt($7.99), a venison burger($8.99), an olive burger($7.99), and the "houghton hancock" burger($7.99), which features smoked ham and cheddar cheese. All burgers are 1/2 pound. Leo's website offers this info about their burgers: "We use Montreal Steak Seasoning on all of our burgers, then they are chargrilled medium and served with French fries." Dave and I were both glad to see the venison burger on the menu- something we haven't seen on other ELBC excursions- and promptly ordered them up. Michelle opted for the patty melt (served on marble rye bread). Unfortunately for me, eating a venison burger whilst being stared at by a dead deer's head make the whole experience infinitely more awkward (but equally as tasty). My venison burger blew my mind. My first bite included the exclamation "holy shit", followed by far fewer words as I scarfed it down. They were served on ciabatta buns, toasted without our request (always an ELBC plus) with grilled onions.

The seasoning and chargrilling of this burger really made it as delicious as it was- the meat was good quality and the seasoning brought it where it should have been. I was skeptical about the venison burger mixture- I had never tasted a venison patty with as much juiciness, without any gaminess. Further inquiry to the waiters at Leo's revealed that it is in fact a 100% ground venison burger. Although the seasoning was a little too salty (as montreal steak seasoning tends to be) it really brought out the characteristics of the venison. Michelle was a little less happy with her patty melt- she found the medium that she ordered was a little bit overdone, and the onions lacked flavor. However, she enjoyed the seasoning as well as Dave and I both did. The fries were not especially notable - but Michelle liked to see that they brought out malt vinegar to serve with the fries, rather than requesting it.

These meals were filling - but eating the leaner venison was probably a bit better than the half pound beef patties. Our service was good, with no complaints, and our waitress friendly. Any special requests we had were taken care of without question- a good way to keep patrons coming back, and to create regulars.

All of us agreed that we will return to Leo's- for the burgers, the bloody marys, and the overall coziness of the restaurant. It should become a staple for most Lansing residents- good drink specials, good food, good service, cool decor. It really is balanced in its excellence.

Since the time of this ELBC visit, Michelle has sadly ceased to eat red meat. We have already mourned the loss of a fellow carnivore, and welcome her back to rejoin the ranks of burger-lovers any time. Despite this loss, Michelle has been an asset to ELBC meetings, and she is encouraged to come sit in on future meetings. Thanks also go out to her for the excellent photos and excellent company.

We've got a few more experiences under our belt that we have yet to write about - Art's Bar, Joe's Gizzard City in Potterville, Paul Revere's, Fleetwood Diner, Peanut Barrel. Anything in particular you'd like to see first? East Lansing staples like Peanut Barrel, or more unique adventures like Gizzard City? We are always on the move- whenever you eat burgers, keep your eyes out for us! We continuously lurk behind mounds of meat to taste and conquer- and are always looking for your feedback.

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ELBC Burger Love:

Doneness/Cooked to Order: 4 - Michelle: "Meat was properly seasoned, but overcooked"

Freshness/Topping Quality: 3.67

Bun: 4 - Ciabatta toasted without asking. Great meat/topping support.

Food Price: 4.33

Drink Price: 4.5

Patty Seasoning/flavor: 4.17 - Amazing seasoning, a tad too salty.

Speed: 4.33

Likability of Waiter/Waitress: 3.67

Accommodation of Special Requests: 4.5 - Michelle: "No questions asked when David asked for extra toppings on his burger."

Appearance: 4 - Taxidermy, log cabin, wood chairs and tables. Rustic.

Ambiance: 4

Crowd: 3.67

Cleanliness: 4.17

My Overall Rating: 5 - I found a lot of things here that I hadn't expected- Delicious burgers with good seasoning, a deer that wouldn't leave me alone, and some great drink specials. I am very satisfied.

Dave's Overall Rating: 3.5 - "I recall that the food was awesome, as was the drink. Venison was very well prepared, wasn't dry, perfectly cooked."

Michelle's Overall Rating: 4 - "Erik's Venison burger was fucking amazing- I'm definitely getting that next time. And yes, I will be back. Appearance of the plate was kind of disappointing, but the burger overall was great. Erik will be back, but probably not sit in the same seat. Rad placemats. Very comfortable restaurant- a little cold though."

Burger: 4.11
Service: 4.17
Restaurant: 3.96
Likelihood of Returning: 5
Group Overall Value: 4.5
Group Overall Rating: 4.17

ELBC Official Rating for Leo's Outpost: 4.17/5