FieldHouse — Restaurant in East Lansing

I want to begin this post by expressing how deeply disappointed I am with my recent experience at Michigan State’s Fieldhouse Bar. As a recent alum returning for the weekend, I attended with friends on both Friday and Saturday night and, unfortunately, witnessed repeated instances of racial profiling and discriminatory treatment.

On Friday night, my group and I purchased the $20 skip-the-line pass in advance. As we reached the front, we were asked to present both an ID and a payment method. However, unlike the white students and parents ahead of us, my group—comprised of Black women, Black men, and Middle Eastern individuals—was also asked to show college IDs. It struck me as unusual, especially given that it was Parent’s Weekend and many non-students were in attendance. Still, I complied and presented my alumni ID. Later that evening, I began recording and observed a troubling pattern: white patrons were allowed entry without being asked for a college ID, while minority patrons were consistently required to present one.

The following night, after the football game, my friends and I again purchased the skip-the-line pass. Unfortunately, I had forgotten my alumni ID at home. While monitoring the line, I noticed that once again the staff was not asking white patrons for college IDs. However, when a group of Black men approached, they were immediately confronted by the manager, Mario, who yelled at them to “get out” if they were not students. When I reached the front of the line, I explained I had forgotten my ID, offered to provide additional payment, and pointed out the inconsistency of the checks. I was denied entry and treated with hostility by the manager, who dismissed my concerns and told me to leave.

I have been coming to this bar for years and never have I experienced such blatant racial profiling. It is unacceptable that minority patrons are subjected to stricter and more aggressive treatment than others. I am asking the Michigan State University and East Lansing community to hold Mario and the Fieldhouse Bar accountable for these...

I am a person who doesn’t give negative reviews very often, but in this case, I feel it is very justified. The drinks are average, nothing special, solid 5/10. Their security are some of the most unprofessional people I have ever seen in that position. I witnessed them absolutely man handling People that had obviously had too much to drink and weren’t resisting them. The gentleman that was at the door during the final four is dirty, I saw him take bribes and the management there allowed this. He wanted to charge me and a couple friends that were wanting to get into the bar after the game 50$ each to get in. Absolute lunacy. This place has taken a pretty big dive since the ownership change and the downsizing. I’m genuinely shocked this dump is still open. It’s a real shame too because this place used to be fun and I am still friends with some of the old staff. In short, avoid this bar, there are many better options in EL,Harpers has a better dance floor, Ricks has better prices and atmosphere, Hopcat and Tincan have better food. If you’re looking for a place to grab a drink in east Lansing you...

Management is unprofessional & highly uneducated on respect. The owner/bouncer, Mario, is specifically the main issue at this establishment. He is cruel, vulgar, and disrespectful towards patrons due to his inability to work well under pressure. The lack of proper security training & skills to deescalate situations as well as skills to remain emotionally & verbally competent is very concerning as Mario is the manager/owner. This establishment needs to educate its employees on better ways to handle situations without there being verbal insults and/or police being called. Fieldhouse lacks all the basic characteristics it takes to run an establishment efficiently and respectfully. Also, the time a patron comes in should not matter as long as the establishment is still open. If there is a capacity issue, that should be addressed prior to opening and only honest announcements should be made to clarify. Overall, the Fieldhouse is not the type of establishment to go to if you want to have a good time stay home or...