Renshaw Lounge
by Alysa Zavala
"My motto is to always under-promise and over-deliver," says Renshaw Lounge's owner Mike Lange. And we wouldn't contest them on their ability to do just that. With over 40 tap handles, homemade to-die-for pizza, two patios and a great atmosphere, there's nothing, tantamount to giving everything away for free, that could make this place any better.
And while we're on the subject of giving things away for free, this place practically is. With $2 22-oz. drafts of Coors Light and Labatt Blue all day every day, there's no cheaper place to drink in Clawson, except maybe in your own backyard.
Though there is often no need for more incentive than cheap beer, there is much more this place has to offer than just that. Which brings us back to those aforementioned 40 tap handles. Sure, there are some standard brews behind the bar, but there are certainly some you have probably seen before. Take the St. Bernardus ABT 12 for example. The 10.5 percent abbey brown ale is made by monks in Belgium and is quite possibly the simultaneously tastiest and highest-percentage beer you may ever find.
There are plenty of other craft beers on draft at Renshaw as well, including many Michigan-made brews (think: Short's, Founder's, MIP, Atwater and so on.) And for those who prefer the quicker effects of liquor, the bar also offers $3 well drinks as well as bottled beer and wine, thus assuring every palate is pleased.
Speaking of pleasing your palate, don't think we forgot about that pizza we previously noted. Because nothing pairs better with delicious drinks than this place's perfect pie. Literally hand-made by the staff everyday, there isn't a single ingredient not prepared in-house. From making the dough to slicing the pepperoni, they do everything themselves.
There's a reason Lange knows how to do things right when it comes this business. It's basically in his blood. At nine he started working at his father's bar, an establishment the family owned for 30 years. It was there he got his first taste of how things should be done.
"It was a real dive. There were dirt floors behind the bar," says Lange. "And those are just the kind of places I like. Places where you can go and actually have a conversation with your friends rather than trying to scream over the band or the DJ."
With no trivia nights, live music, comedy nights or any other gimmicks, Lange has clearly succeeded in creating that same environment here.
Renshaw is, just to clarify, light years from dirt floors, however. In fact, their patios are downright gorgeous. With a ceiling-mounted space heater, a flat screen TV, descending glass walls and plenty of seating, their side patio is nothing short of a smoker's dream.
It's probably pretty obvious we're big fans of this Clawson canteen, for the reasons we've already enumerated plus probably plenty more. And though it's a bit off the beaten path for some, there's really no other place where you can go to get it all. | RDW
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