C J Muggs Restaurant

The food I decent enough… nothing spectacular. I am usually not so picky, but there was no reason for the length of time it took to get our food. Our waitress disappeared for the duration of our wait and we were unable to order more beverages once we finished. Both I and my dinner date got different burgers. The food was good, but I’ve had better.

I want this place to be better. I keep going back thinking it will get better. They are in a cool building, in a cool part part of town, they have outside seating (which I love), they have a good happy hour — basically they have all the elements of a good restaurant, but then something goes wrong between the service and the consistency of the food quality (and timing when it comes out). I want to love this place, but they make it so hard…:-(

This is the most horrible pasta I ever ate entire of my life. I heard good things about this place so I wanted to give it a try. I ordered Cajun Pasta and my partner ordered burger which came with the soft and cold french fries. I ate two bite and done. I will not go back and won’t recommend anybody to go to this place.

While the menu is reliable and predictable, the service at this nicely located restaurant was appalling. The manager or owner had apparently left the premises, as we can’t fathom how this could have been the experience had he/​she been there. Back here to visit from out of town, we were quiet, nicely dressed, polite and here’s what we experienced: utterly ignored, neglected with a one-​hour-​18 minute wait, and finally insulted by a smart-​mouthed nasty waitress… this was THE most shocking and horrible experience in dining I’ve ever had. Will NEVER EVER return.

This is a great place to hang out with friends, dates & for families! They have a laid back atmosphere, great service & are willing to go the extra mile to make customers happy! Their spinach artichoke dip is yummy, the house salad is amazing! The fries are good & there’s a good selection of beer!

MANAGER QUOTE: «This is what you should expect»
According to the manager/​owner/​whoever was «in charge», bad service like this is exactly what customers should expect from CJMuggs:
1) Slow-​slow-​slow service. It took 2.5 hours to get served, nothing fancy, no special requests, no split orders, just the kinda thing that should be in-​n-​out in an hour.
2) An entire order missed for one in our party. (We let it go, didn’t even get another, it had already been so long waiting.)
3) An entire order wrong for one in our party. (We let it go, didn’t even mention it.)
4) Getting told by our sweet but clueless wait-​person, «I am so sorry your food is not here. It’ll be ready in two minutes.» Thirty minutes later? Still waiting.
5) Ordering ONE glass of wine and getting charged for two glasses plus an entire bottle of wine.
6) But the kicker? Being told by the manager/​owner/​whoever was in charge that «This is what you should expect» because it was July 4^th and it «happens every year».
And yes — it was the Fourth of July. We knew it, of course. It’s why two of us came into the restaurant well before the parade ended to get our table for eleven. The restaurant was empty. We ordered two drinks and two appetizers so that when the little kids/​their parents arrived after the parade ended, there would be food waiting. A half hour later? The parade was over and our table was full but the appetizers? No sign of them. They did eventually come but it took another half hour before our lunch orders were taken, then an entire hour before the food arrived. It took another 30 minutes to address the bad bill. Honestly? Even with the slow-​slow-​slow service/​food, even if the restaurant should have been prepared for something by their own admission happens every year, we’d have only been mildly annoyed. After all, it was the Fourth of July and we were there for a relaxing family gathering –
But it was the manager/​owner/​whoever was in charge’s attitude, as if it were OUR fault? Who fussed over our complaints about the inaccurate bill? Who «apologized» but in that lip-​service, it’s-not-our-fault kind of way? THAT was the kicker, in the gut, the thing that prompts this review.
EPILOGUE After the bad experience at CJMuggs, we took everyone to Ted Drewes. It was the Fourth of July (just like it is, you know, every year …) and Ted Drewes was mobbed, every window was ten people deep. The difference? Ted Drewes was prepared, it was lovely. And it made the still-​festering experience at CJMuggs even worse in comparison.

It was in a historical building. Very old everything. food was soso… the burbon steak was good but the steak salad not so impressive at all. meat was cold and lettuce wasn’t very fresh. and the gumbo didn’t have any seafood in it. just fyi.

We had our Mother’s 60^th Surprise Party downstairs in their private room. It was perfect! The food was great, replenished, and much more than we singed up for. The staff was always 2 steps ahead and on top of anything we needed. I even asked the manager for a certain food item that my autistic son will only eat and he brought it down himself in less than 10 minutes. Mind you the entire restaurant was full, plus our party. Everyone loved the food and we were very impressed. Will definitely be back for every large family event, or just a lovely dinner.

Found myself eating here again a few weeks ago & the service was again lacking. I sat over 10 minutes before I was even greeted by a waitress. She brought food to the table directly behind me then went away instead. Terrible. Going to start ordering pick up!

My family members keep picking this place for big outings since they usually have seating for everyone. However, after recently visiting, I have noticed that every time we go, someone gets food poisoning. First it was me, then an aunt, now my son. Another time I went with co-​workers and my boss got food poisoning.

Sweet baby cheesus! I’ve been looking for an excuse to work that phrase into a review, and it is quite an apropos (and probably blasphemous) description of the nachos I had at my most recent C.J. Mugg’s visit. Cheese, glorious cheese! Those babies were loaded. Just look at that out-​of-​focus picture, courtesy of my Nexus 5.
The nachos, found on their appetizer menu, are described as «tri-​color tortilla chips topped with cheddar and provel cheese, black beans, sour cream, salsa, guacamole, scallions, and blackened chicken.»
There was an option to substitute steak for an additional fee. I ordered mine with chicken, no scallions, and salsa on the side.
I get giddy over a huge pile of nachos. I keep doing this weird thing with my hands as I try to decide where I want to dig in next. I look like a cross between a dancer doing jazz hands and a magician trying to get a rabbit out of a hat. Abracadabra!
Overall, the nachos had ample topping coverage. They were on par with nachos I’ve had at other bars/​pubs. I took at least half of the nachos home for another meal. In the foam container, my take-​home portion weighed about 12.8 ounces. Recall that the nachos were from the appetizer menu. :)
I would have preferred pico de gallo over salsa, and I also would have liked the nachos to have had more of an oven-​baked taste. I like the chips to be a little toasty. Those are just personal preferences, though. I’d get these nachos again. :)
Nachos aren’t your thing?
C.J. Mugg’s offers variety. Quesadillas, meatloaf, pizza, sandwiches (e.g., BBQ pulled pork), hummus, three-​bean chicken chili, salads, vegetable pad Thai, and Cajun pasta are just a few examples of what you might find on their menu.
–The Rating–
The Webster Groves and Clayton locations each have more than forty Unilocal reviews, and both restaurants currently have an average rating of 3 A-​OK stars. Based on my most recent visit, I’m in agreement with that rating.
There were a couple of negative points for me on that visit.
My husband and I were there around 7 PM on a weeknight. The restaurant was not incredibly busy, and our waiter was not incredibly attentive. He wasn’t awful, but my husband and I sat there for quite some time wondering if our order was ever going to be taken. Meanwhile, the table next to us had 2 or 3 visits from their waiter. Please keep in mind that I consider myself to be a patient person. :)
Additionally, my cloth napkin had seen better days and should have been retired. It wasn’t gross or unhygienic, but I ended up using the paper napkin that had lined the bread basket. Please keep in mind that my husband’s napkin was fine, and I have OCD. :)
That being said, I like this place. I’ve been here a few times and have tried a few different things. The food always has been good. If the service were a little better, (and if they perhaps switched to paper napkins), I’d give them 4 stars.

Wife and I had the Cajun pasta. It was tasty with a nice level of spiciness. In laws had cheese burgers. Food and service was good. Nice restaurant for families too. Park in public parking garage behind restaurant. We will be back.

Our server was rude, on the verge of being a bitch; the food was mediocre at best; it costs too much. I will never go there again. Enough said.

I liked the Bowtie Tequila Chicken pasta dish. But nothing else that we have eaten here has really stood out for us.

On my last visit all we had were appetizers and martini’s. The martini’s were so good that all I can say is I THINK that the appetizers were good also… I really can’t remember. :)

I’ve been here a few times, and every time the food was bad. Not just my food either. Everything that was ordered was either barely edible or inedible. The chicken fingers I ordered for my daughter were hard as a rock. I don’t understand why anyone would want to eat there, and how they’re still in business with so many other great options in Webster Groves.

This was only my second visit to this location. We came here for a work birthday lunch. There were about 20 of us in the group — more than all the rest of the restaurant. I was concerned about this a bit.
The waitress came and delivered water and took our order quickly. It took a bit but then again 20 orders had just been dumped on the kitchen. Still no big crowd AND it was lunch hour.
We got our food in spurts. Everyone seemed to enjoy their choices. Drinks were constantly refilled and napkins brought out as needed.
I had ordered the special by the door — the pork wrap. It was just OK. Not a lot of flavor. I also had an up charge added since I wanted veggies vs fries or anything deep fried. That is one issue I have with a lot of restaurants in the area. Cheaper to eat less healthy. Anyway, the sandwich was filling but not too flavorful.
I am sure our group will be back for other birthday lunches. I don’t think too many people eat at this location so it doesn’t seem to be too crowded at lunch.

We chose CJ Muggs as a dinner before a show at the Rep. First of all, when I called to ask about reservations, the person on the phone said: yes then no. Then he said, she’ll how many people and what time. It seems between 6:30 — 7:30 they didn’t take reservations.
Who we arrived the girls at the front door still asked whether or not we had a reservation. Whatever.
Our server was very nice but extremely slow. She never came back to fill water or get second drinks. I had to go to the bar to get another beer and a glass of ice tea. They never brought our bread.
We asked for salads first but they came with the entrees after 35 minutes. One persons Turkey burger was raw and my sausage pizza included all the stuff I asked not to include. Plus, it was a mushy raw plate a goo. Not very good.
The other two people reported to have good meals.
On the whole, I was very disappointed in what used to be a great hangout.

CJ Muggs is a has the feel of the neighborhood bar with a good local beer selection. The food was surprisingly good with a nice atmosphere; local artist watercolors hanging on the wall.
My son has been on a quest to find the best Rueben in the city. Every place we go, if they have a Rueben, he gets it. CJ Muggs Rueben was a little different in they used their own sauce instead of the traditional 1000 island. When I asked him how it compared to the others, he said was the best in the city so far.
I had the Pan Roasted Tuscan Chicken. I thought the meal was a great value. Plenty of chicken with mashed potatoes, grean beans and a great sauce. The entire dish was artfully served, surprising for a neighborhood bar. I think they have a true foodie in the kitchen. I added a picture of this dish to their pictures.

Stopped in for lunch with a friend today and took in the great weather on the patio. The food was good, I had the Grilled Chicken Club, however I could hardly see nor taste the tomato garlic aioli, not even sure that they remembered to put on my sandwich. Now with that being said the chicken was good, and made for a good sandwich however I was wanting the extra taste that was lacking.
The service was so-​so, at times it was slow when the restaurant wasn’t overly busy inside. Our waitress was nice however I was disappointed on how long it took to get the check after she took our plates.