Trackside Eatery & Dry Pub — Restaurant in Albion

This was the second attempt the wife and I made to go here. The first time was on a Thursday. Google and their sign said they were open until 10pm when we arrived before 9 after driving from Jackson, we were turned away as we were parking out front. Then the guy begrudgingly said he could make a pizza if we wanted but he seemed annoyed so we declined.

We tried to visit again last night which was a Friday night around 9pm. We walked in and all the seats were empty and the place was dimly lit. There were 3 of the staff sitting around chatting with each other at one of the tables. We’d asked if they were open, and the guy rudely responded, “uh yeah hence the neon flashing open sign”. So we were seated and the young lady asked if we’d like some drinks, my wife asked if they had a Long Island, the waitress said she could make one but it’s non-alcoholic. The man then interjects and says, “do you guys have an open mind, or are you looking to get hammered?!” At this point I’d had enough of this guy and his attitude so we politely said we’re leaving, he said he could explain the whole non-alcoholic liquor thing but I said that won’t be necessary.

I just wanted a beer with my burger, and the wife wanted a Long Island with her dinner hence the reason we went to what we thought was a pub, not some Fisher-Price pretend pub.

Pub (noun) : an establishment where alcoholic beverages are sold...

This is a sad little place with no identity and subpar food. Absolutely horrendous service as well. Albion residents eagerly awaited the opening of Trackside, only for it to fall short. Skip eating overpriced frozen foods from GFS, heated up in Trackside's very own kitchen, and head elsewhere. The blatant use of AI is very telling of the kind of owners this restaurant has as well. You seriously can't take the time to learn how to use Canva or comission someone to do so? Despicable.

EDIT: There's no way you guys use AI to respond to customer reviews as well.... Insanely telling, as I said. Regardless, should this establishment come under new management, I will happily try it again. But for now, bffr. Shameful. The community deserves better and for this establishment to be the first one you see when entering downtown from I-94 is quite unfortunate. Albion has too often been criticized negatively and to have such a lazy, rude owner be your welcoming host... Unlucky. Best of luck to...

Although I now live near Austin TX, Albion is my hometown. I usually get back 3-4 times a year to see family. On this visit, I noticed the Trackside Eatery & Pub. We decided to give it a try but I didn’t expect much. Very pleasantly surprised. The place was fresh, nicely decorated, bright, quiet, clean and roomy. The food was very good (especially if you like comfort food) and the portions were big. Some have complained about the price, but I found it on par with similar restaurants nationwide (but no, it’s not cheap bar or fast food. It’s a real meal). I travelled for over 40 years for business and have eaten at thousands of restaurants. This place has excellent value for the money and I am looking forward to sampling breakfast and lunch on future visits. Excellent service and a special shout out to Laraya. She was a super server, with a smile, who checked on us several times asking about refills and our overall satisfaction....