Golden Harvest Restaurant — Restaurant in Lansing

There are a few things to know ahead of a visit to Golden Harvest to make sure it's a fitting adventure for yourself/party.

-Check their Facebook before venturing out. GH's is a small place with small team and if the need arises, they will close for the day or the week. They sometimes change up being a sit down breakfast place to a take-out only dinner menu for the week.

-The wait times are long. Being a small place with a small grill, it does take a while to be seated and to get your food. This is the kind of place you can expect to be at for at least 2 hours for a meal; longer if you need to wait for an open table. You cannot call to order ahead nor do they do any to go meals outside of their pop-up events. Bring some reading material, some good company to chat with or play some of the card games laying around the restaurant and vibe to the music while you wait for your delicious order and be kind to the staff.

-Do not arrive half an hour before closing. If orders are backed up, the chef may not take additional orders.

-Their menu changes frequently. While they can prepare you some basic diner food like eggs and bacon, the main draw of GH is their special plates. These can be seasonal and may change week to week.

-I've observed that requesting changes to dishes seems to cause issues with orders not coming out correctly. If you need request changes to a plate you're ordering, perhaps rethink your choice and order something else.

-The look, feel and cleanliness of GH is like a dive bar that’s been in operation for a long time. Sensibilities may vary.

-At the time of writing, GH only accepts cash or Venmo. If you forget, you can always grab a table with your party, place your order and then go get some cash while the rest of your party waits. You'll have plenty of time.

If any of this puts you off, you may want to check out Good Truckin' Diner instead. They have similar food and vibes and are a bit faster with seemingly more staff.

All of that said, there’s a je ne sais quoi that has made Golden Harvest a weekly breakfast outing for my family. The staff works hard at making wonderful dishes and creating a welcoming place to vibe while you wait for your meal. The knickknacks that decorate the outside and inside of the building very much give you the sense of the soul that is in the special dishes that GH serves. The dishes are unique combinations that you’re unlikely to see anywhere else while being a very tasty experience. They are also quite plentiful for what you pay for; don't be surprise if you need to ask for a doggy bag.

Seeing what new things are on the menu and trying out their interesting takes on some breakfast staples while absorbing the atmosphere of Golden Harvest has become something I look forward to. If you tailor your expectations when giving Golden Harvest a try, it might become your new...

This is a unique dining experience and, because we were prepared, my wife and I had a fantastic time.

First, you should know that they only take cash.

Second, budget about 3 hours for the whole experience. This restaurant is a victim of its own success. They have maintained the same size and quality, but their reputation and demand has grown. As a consequence, the staff is overworked.

Third, when you get there, you will most likely have to wait outside. Be prepared for the elements (umbrella, sunscreen, etc.). Bring a book or some playing cards to pass the time. Better yet - talk to some of the other people in the line - some one always has a great story about the last time they were there.

Fourth, become familiar with the text of the sign outside the door:

"Hey New Folks!........ Glad you found us

There is no list, just wait in line and we will get you....you can always ask who is last

To get everyone served faster groups of two may get put at four tops together...

Turn around now if that is going to freak you out ...make a new facebook friend...

We do not do to go orders...it makes the line go slower

Your whole party must be here to be seated ...We are small, we are not a good place for large groups often smaller groups will go faster ...no switching tables

Do not come in here and act like a dick ...your time in line will be wasted

We love you all...be kind to each other, this includes being mindful of the line when you are done eating"

We arrived at noon on an sunny Sunday afternoon. We got inside after waiting for 1.5 hrs and we met some very nice folk outside. When inside, it took another 1/2 hr for the food to be prepared. During the wait, they were very friendly (but busy). Before our main meal, we were served our drinks and, as a surprise, also french toast, which was very good.

The music inside was very loud, but I liked it. I can't say that it would be the best place to bring a baby or a small child.

The food was as good as advertised (even when compared to Chicago standards) and the portions were big. The service was wonderful.

The only time the staff was approaching rude was when some one would burst in demanding a table - clearly not having read any of the signs. There is really only room for about 30 people at a time and there were two servers. There was no room for anyone else inside.

I would highly recommend this place, but I would not just go there on a whim or when you are hungry and need...

Had a great brunch at Golden Harvest this past weekend. We arrived at 7:45am to a long line this past Saturday, which was expected from other reviews. We weren't sure whether or not we'd get in with the first seating as we were just near the cut off. Well 8:00am rolls around, and we end up probably 20 ppl back from the door (good calculations on my part pfft). Luckily, as a party of 2, they had a 4 top that only had 2 seated currently so we got to skip the rest of the line and get seated.

As many reviewers have mentioned, music is loud (not all dubstep thank you very much), decor is very ecclectic (No humping sign was my favorite) ,and the menu is outrageously tempting. I had a daily peach french toast special which was great. Not too sweet, but very flavorful. Ordered a side of corned beef hash which was very good, even though some of the potatoes were ridiculously big...

My only gripe was the speed of service.... We placed our order around 8:15am, and didn't see a hint of our food until after 9:30am. And while all of the food is really appetizing and tempting, nothing is overly complex to the point it should take this long. I mean diner food is meant to be quick, tasty and hot. Tasty... check; Hot.... check; they just need to work on the speed. Admittedly there is only one cook (crazy decision in itself). But for a restaurant that might seat 30 people, 75 minute ticket time is a bit ridiculous. Oh and to add, that was when we recieved our first plate. My GF's food didn't come for another 10 minutes and a side was missing until nearly 20 minutes after I was served.

It's a great little spot, but like so many tasty restaurants, really fails on the service side. Everyone was nice and courteous to us, but you still need to deliver reasonable service. Also as some others have mentioned, those of you coming from major cities will probably not be blown away by the food. The line to get in is so long because Lansing just doesn't have many good breakfast spots (other than traditional greasy spoons). So don't read into the 1-2hrs people will wait here for their food and think it will be the best brunch youve ever had.

Bottom Line: Very solid creative brunch (even if it is a bit overhyped), but be prepared to wait (even if you ar...