Reviews of Michael J's Italian-American Restaurant (Restaurant)

Shawn Havner

Food was ok but was told four different occasions during our 200 dollar meal that we were on time crunch to eat and get out basically would no recommend unless you want to feel rushed

TerraViators

The owner sounds like a pompous arrogant jerk just from his responses here. Maybe you should post in large font on your website and building to make reservations rather than degrading people for not knowing.

crashtestdummy52 g

We just celebrated our Anniversary here tonight. FABULOUS food and stellar service. We had the blackened Sea Bass which was one of the specials for tonight. The sauces were delicious. My husband doesn't eat pasta and had sea bass on a …

Sharon Grooms

Food is superb. Wait staff attentive. Wine was fantastic . Highly recommended!

McKayla Lynn

Friendly staff and delicious food!

M A

You are correct, unfortunatley we were first time visitors and had no idea how small or the fact that reservations where the way to go to eat at this establishment . The reason for the review was for the way it was handled by employees. A simple suggestion of when we would be able to make a reservation to go back, would have left a better impression.

BJ Van Tassel

We twice made reservations for 2 in June for 6pm. We were told both times no. We could have a table at 5:30 and would need to vacate by 7. The second time we had reservation we were called in mid afternoon that we would now be seated outside even though we did not request outside. It was raining that day. We called and cancelled. This restaurant regardless how good their food is does not value their guests. Guests are treated as cattle rushed through gates on way to being slaughtered. Their reservation system is the most unfriendly, most impersonal I have ever experienced.

Lee Montana

It was very good not fantastic but very good I grew up in san Francisco so im hard Service 5 stars Salad 5 stars Veal picata 3.5 Sorry not 100% veal Cioppino ok never had it over pasta 3 missed the true broth

BJT Thomas

Food was fabulous, and the staff were wonderful!

Sir Charles Bigglesworth

For the appetizer we had the steamed blue mussels sister-in-law had the steak special and it was excellent I had the prawns because I like eating weird new Critters, tried the lobster ravioli and the salmon had a secret ingredient, a pinch of nutmeg but I didn't tell you that

Christopher Carney

Food was average. High priced but the thing that brought the rating down was the slowwww service. Slow taking our orders and slow delivering drinks. Nearly 2 hours in restaurant that post the tackiest message,right on the menu, that basically says hurry up and eat your food and vacate the table for others.?!!? Even for Ruidoso that's a bit over the top for tacky. Waiters were good and ambience excellent. Too bad. Lots of potential but feel the posted rating is too high. C Man

Lester Krause

The place is very nice with good food, good atmosphere, and cordial workers.

Don Horner

It was good place to eat in Ruidoso. We were pleased with the selection and the food is good.

Janice Denmark

Great food. And they can accommodate gluten free diets

Dana Wilkinson

Went there on August 16th, did not know you had to make reservations. They where fully booked but happy to accomodate us by sitting us at the bar area. The bartender Thomas was awesome! He was accomodating and knowledgeable. He recommended a wine that now is on my favorites list. The food was wonderful and the desserts sinful good. We celebrated our 33 year Anniversary in a wonderful, welcoming place.

S L

I made a reservation early in the week for our weekend trip and I'm so happy I did. We had the lasagna that was served with the best fresh bread & olive oil, a choice of dinner or Cesar salad and we opted for the homemade cheesecake. Amy our server was energetic and helpful. The food was the best Italian food we've ever had! Thank you for a beautiful anniversary dinner!

Terry Brumley

Great food and atmosphere

Matthew Boner

Very tasty food . A little pricey and portions were kind of small but service was on point.

Debbie Gotovac

Great food, great wine, great staff, & great friends! Food was yummy! Service was great! Thanks Andy & Chef Brian!

Keri West-Coggan

Nothing but great things to say about this restaurant. From the service to the food, everything was beyond excellent. The waitstaff is very attentive, the food is fresh/made in house and the atmosphere is charming. I would highly recommend this restaurant and will definitely be back when in Ruidoso. Thank your Michael J’s for always going above and beyond.

Bill Schnier

Outstanding Italian/American in the Village of Ruidoso. Now owned by Brain Flowers, who still serves as Executive Chef. Recommend highly! (Make reservations.)

Jim Stevens

Excellent food and service. Appetizer came out quick and great wine selection.

Jennifer Bryson

Better call first. Tried to eat here and was told reservation only the night we tried. Not a holiday.. Just a regular Sat night.

CHEWBACCA PRODUCTIONS

Would drive 4 hours and gave waiter 25 percent tip because it was so good

Brady Bartolini

Love the new hours. Try the Lindemans for a special treat.

Cheryl Bateman

Love the small, quaint atmosphere and delicious Italian food. Reservations are usually needed.

Paula Flores

wife and I went to dinner for our wedding anniversary . First time there not realizing you needed to reserve ahead of time. This place was recommended and we wanted to try it out. When we arrived, the greeter asked if we had a reservation which we said no. she then didnt say anything and started looking at papers. we assumed she was looking for sitting. 10 min passed and we just decided to leave but told the bar attendant that we needed to speak to a manager to let him know about the treatment we received. The bar attendand politely sat us down and said he would take care of us and offered drinks. we ordered wine and he offered a table and took our order. we were happy how this gentlemen took matters into his own hands to give great customer service and was very apologetic. he took our order and gave us our salad to start of. some girl called him and told him the manager needed to speak to him. 10 min later, he came back and said that he was told by the manager that we had to leave and gave us our food in a carry out bag. I asked why and he was unable to give a reason. keep in mind this place was full of white anglo people and we were the only dark skin mexicans. this is the first time i have experienced this in my whole life that racism place a part into peoples reactions. they kicked us out for being Mexicans!!!! very unfortunate and we are still in disbelief... we are all the same no matter race or color. WE will NEVER GO BACK AND I DEFINITELY DONT RECOMMEND THIS PLACE. Bad bad customer service

Cindy Gibson

Michael the owner was very very rude! Our family is in town for Thanksgiving and we are a family of 11. We walked in hoping to try this restaurant and we were turned away abruptly! The owner said “I don’t have room for you” and just shook his head and acted like he didn’t even want us there. Instead of saying “I’m so sorry, are tables are full or please come back another time”. His attitude was awful and the first thing we walked into. Definitely will NEVER try to come back! Michael could have handled it very differently! Hope he learns some better people skills!!!

Christine Osborne

Great food, atmosphere and service.

Donna Mason

The salad was excellent. The tiramisu was weak and watery The mussels had been frozen and the ciopino was disappointing. Being from Florida I was craving seafood but theirs was disappointing. The staff was excellent, courteous and accommodating I feel confident that the other Italian specialties would have been a better choice.

Pit Rat

Nice wine selection, great service, and excellent food. Great find.

Amy Edge

The food was great, the atmosphere was great, and our waitress, Beth, was wonderful. She had a lovely personality and a bright smile.

Janet Campbell

We are at a hotel in Ruidoso for the night. My husband went to the truck to get some things and met a couple coming in. He said how are you doing and she said not good. And they told him they had gone to the restaurant for a nice dinner. They were middle aged American Hispanic, and the woman had been crying. My husband asked if she was ok and she said no. They were treated very rudely by the wait staff and THEN they brought their food out in a bag and told them they needed to leave!!!! I can not believe how horrible people can be!!! And by the way we are white republicans. Please, please, do NOT support this horrible restaurant and it’s arrogant ignorance!!!!!

Joe Quintana

The food was decent and the service ok. We went with a group of 14. They made the bill so difficult to split. They charged my friend $90 just to make the reservation. Furthermore they misled on how they would split the check which led to mistakes. We won't eat here again.

awesomegalixy26 6

Michael Js has the most wonderful Italian food anywhere around. it is a step above in quality and taste. Pair a nice bottle of wine with the special of the day and you will have a meal to remember. I do suggest reservations made in advance. They are booked almost every night. If the weather is nice you can dine on the patio. Some nights the elk and deer will join you!

Brad Hale

Excellent! Lasagna and Calamari steak were very good.

Magus Neon

The service was excellent, the Veal Parm was tender and succulent, the bolognese sauce was full of flavor. I thoroughly enjoyed my meal...just be sure to check prices on specials. $35 for a plate of scallops risotto is not for someone on a budget.

Stefany Morris

Make your reservations because it's one of the best little places in Ruidoso! I had the Alfredo....

Joseph Rowland

Really good Italian food. Friendly staff. Recommend making reservations a day in advance.

Joe caldwell

Wonderful atmosphere. Food was excellent. Prices great

Justin McCasland

My wife and I were celebrating our 10 year anniversary and the owner of Indulgence, also a great place, recommended Michael J’s to us. By reading the reviews it was apparent we needed a reservation and that process was painless. We showed up and were promptly seated and then promptly waited on. Our server, Elisa, was quite possibly the best server I’ve experienced. She was attentive, gave great recommendations, likable, and personable. This is all before the food, we both enjoy good Italian food and are fairly picky when it comes down to it. Neither of us were even slightly disappointed. I had a chicken parmigiana substituting Alfredo sauce and my wife had a fish special which was light and tasty, the name of the dish escapes me. To top off our very special night we shared a wonderfully homemade cheesecake with strawberry topping which took us back to the homemade strawberry cheesecake we had as my grooms cake for our wedding. Thank you to Michael J’s and Elisa for making our night special.

Lou Torres

Great food and service

Moon Magic

Made a reservation with no trouble and had the best anniversary dinner with my husband. Sat on balcony and enjoyed the views and moose. Highly recommend for a quiet meal!

Dick Ulmer

Best restaurant in Ruidoso. Veal picatta & shrimp added to their fettuccine alfredo--yuummmy!

James Kaspar

Excellent food and service. Best place in Ruidoso to dine.

Jerry Rinehold

Michael j's was fantastic the food was great and the service was unbelievable. Everything was just perfect.

nluna3844

If I could leave half of of a star review I would!! I would not ever step foot in this place again, the owner was obnoxiously RUDE. Our family was in town for Thanksgiving and wanted to try this place Wednesday evening, we were turned away …

Cole Wakasugi

This is a quaint little Italian restaurant in Ruidoso. The service was exceptional and the food is excellent. I had spaghetti and it was perfectly cooked and the sauce was very good. Good spot for Italian!

jubal

Great food! Better call for reservations.

Deborah Voorhees Shear Horror

Always delicious, wonderful food especially the lasagna, which is to die for.

Robert Dibler

Food & service were both excellent, highly recommend!

Suzanne Reaves

Excellent Italian food, wonderful service! Reasonable wine pricing.

Susan Donaldson

Best Veal Piccata I can remember ever eating. Tender, tasty & delicious.

Carol Medford

Wonderful food and service. Patio was perfect temp. Great atmosphere.

Scott Small

Excellent food (Chicken Picata and Veal Marsala), service was great. Definitely a place to return.

Barbara Small

Fabulous! A true surprise to find such excellent cuisine in Ruidoso (based on experiences at other local restaurants.)

Bill O'Connor

The only time my wife and I went to Michael J's was during the the off season and did not realize reservations were necessary. The owner was very rude and said we would have to eat and be finished in forty five minutes. We agreed and when …

Paula Knapton

Excellent food. Cozy atmosphere. Wait staff very helpful. Prices very reasonable. Will definitely return.

Gary Keiser

A true dining experience. Chad at the bar was great. Excellent food, drink and service.

Jonathan Bailey

Food and atmosphere are impeccable. Not cheap, though. A high-dollar excellent dinner.

Erin Mitchell

This place has always been great. One thing is if this place is not busy dont sit everyone in one room. Spread them out and make it romantic.

Cecilia Baize

Very good. Good service. Friendly staff.

Jennifer Maxine

The wait was short, the service was AMAZING. The food was to die for! I ordered the lasagna and had to force myself to finish it. The Chocolate Mousse Torte was perfect, it wasn't over powering with chocolate. I highly recommend eating here.

Ang Aut

Excellent service, great taste, love the atmosphere.

Kristine Charrier

Food was decent. A little bland. The staff was amazing though so 4 stars.

Adventurous Wanderers

Excellent dinner at Michael J's. Everything comes together to make for a fabulous dining experience.

Charlotte Williams

Just left Micharl J's & Amazing as always. Celebrating my Honey's Birthday Day but very quietly. Johnny our server was Amazing & the food was Excellent. Cheers to Michael & your Staff. We will always come back. !!! See you next month.

Sarah61188

My husband and I came up to ruidoso for our 10 year anniversary and decided to try something new!! And boy did we hit the jackpot, the service was fast friendly and made sure we had plenty of time to decide on what we wanted very helpful, the food was amazing!! We will definitely be coming back!!