Fiesta Charra — Restaurant in Lansing Charter Township

I don’t normally post reviews but the service was actually laughable how bad it was. We went to eat on a holiday because it was the only restaurant open, we knew it was a holiday so we gave them some grace and knew it probably was not going to be the best experience, but we had just finished driving back to EL from the UP and just needed food.

First off, they sat us in a corner table of a back room. We couldn’t see into the main room except for a sliver of a bar. Whatever. Man number 1 brought us chips and salsa, we ordered two waters because it was hot out and it was too late for caffeine. This was the last time we saw this man. We assumed he was our waiter, but he never came back to our table. A young boy (Man 2) brought us our waters.

We waited 20 minutes and had seen no one to order. All we had were waters and mid chips and salsa. The table to the left to us must have ordered with their drinks, because they got their food from Man 1. However, instead of coming to take our order, he walked right past us to the table on our right. I tried to flag him down, but he just kept walking and didn’t look at us. The table next to us asked for a refill on diet coke.

Ten minutes pass, I’m about ready to walk out, but an older woman walks to the table to the left of us (they must have really liked them, they got good service), and I flag her down. She looks at me like I’m crazy, I ask her “can we please order” and she sighed then took out her notepad. We order a vegetarian plate and chicken chimichangas. Pretty standard food. It took another 20 minutes to come out, which would have been fine, but I went to the bathroom and realized that there was no one else in this restaurant except for our back room. It was 5 tables, and everyone else already had food. The young man 2 brought out our food, he was very sweet. We were out of water. The table to the right of us asked again for their diet coke. Still hadn’t received it.

The food itself was mid. That’s whatever, it was a holiday, we weren’t expecting much. But by this time we were both out of water, out of salsa, and out of patience. No one came and asked if we were liking everything. We would have lied and said yes, but probably would’ve asked for a water refill. But then again, the table next to us STILL had no diet coke refill. Man 1 came back to check on everyone except us, they asked for a box and a diet coke for the third time, and they finally got it. He didn’t check on us.

I ate as much of my food as I could, but it was not much. My boyfriend finished his. We sat and waited another 15 minutes until finally seeing the woman for our bill. She again sighed, but brought it back a few minutes later. We tried to pay using clover like the receipt says so we could just leave, but it did not work. We did it physically and when she brought it back she had our card in her hand and dropped it onto the table separate from the bill pad. Just weird and unnecessary when it has a clip. My boyfriend still tipped 20% because he’s too nice, but frankly I wouldn’t have given more than a dollar. We don’t even know who our waiter/waitress/whatever was supposed to be. Apparently if you just get water on a holiday they don’t...

We attended an event at MSU and afterwards was looking for a Mexican restaurant in the area to enjoy my Wife's Birthday.

Upon deciding to try Fiesta Charra, We arrived about 1 hr before closing. We were pleasantly greeted by the Hostess after a short wait while she assisted another customer. Our waiter was very enthusiastic and explained a few menu items of interest.

Started the meal off with an order of jalapeño poppers, 2 waters with lemon/lime wedges, and a margarita for the birthday lady🥳. Our waiter brought the drinks, appetizer, and tortilla chips/salsa promptly. All were fresh tasting and delicious. We ordered Fajitas Chipotle and Chicken Fajitas as the entree. Entrees arrived in approx. 10-15 minutes sizzling hot on a traditional cast iron tray. We both looked at the entrees and were pleasantly surprised at the portion size. Then we tasted the fajitas and both agreed it was really quite tasty. The Fajitas Chipotle was interesting, it had bacon slices, steak, and chicken with onions , peppers, and pineapple slices cooked in a chipotle sauce. Surprisingly good combo of sweet, smoky, savory, and slight heat. If we make it up here again I might have them add some grilled jalapeños to it also. The chicken fajitas were juicy and tender and seasoned very well.

After the meal, the waiter and staff came out to do a 6 member mariachi style birthday song complete with a sombrero for the guest of honor.. along with a sweet cream on crispy torts drizzled with multiple sweet sauces.

Since we both only ate half of the entrees, we finished with one order of fried ice cream.

This restaurant is a gem and right off HWY 127. We had a great time and would gladly visit again if in the area. Well done Fiesta Charro.

PS: Only have a photo because we were enjoying the moment and decided to do a review halfway...

After reading the reviews for this place, decided to give it a try. That was a mistake. Maybe it was the time that we went to the restaurant: 4:30 pm on a Sunday. Maybe it was just the day?

We went for dessert. After waiting approximately ten minutes, we were finally greeted and asked what we would like to drink. Considering how long we were there, we decided to order our desserts and we both ordered water. My guest ordered the fried ice cream. She got ice cream in a sugared tortilla (the tortilla bowl was very tasty) covered in corn flakes and whipped cream. Not what she wanted at all. I ordered the Xangos (fried cheesecake and ice cream). Ten minutes later, a waiter, not our waiter, came out to say that they didn’t have the cheesecake. So they suggested the Sweet Banana Chimi…..for more money. It was okay. More whipped cream than anything.

Our waiter never returned to the table, though he took care of everyone around us. We never got refills on water. Nobody asked about our desserts and whether or not we were happy with them.

Apparently, because we had a small order with waters, our satisfaction was unimportant. The waiter never brought our bill to the table until after I had paid at the register already.

Not sure this place is worth the time, for no other reason than the service. Plenty of Mexican restaurants in the area that make sure you are enjoying your food, bring you drinks and make the dining experience worth the...