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Mustards Grill

4.5 star rating
based on 145 reviews

Category: American (New)  [Edit]

7399 St Helena Hwy
Yountville, CA 94558
(707) 944-2424
  • Hours:
    Mon-Thu 11:30 a.m.-9:00 p.m.
    Fri 11:30 a.m.-10:00 p.m.
    Sat 11:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m.
    Sun 11:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m.
  • Price Range: $$$
  • Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
  • Parking: Private Lot
  • Attire: Casual
  • Good for Groups: Yes
  • Good for Kids: No
  • Takes Reservations: Yes
  • Delivers: No
  • Take-out: Yes
  • Waiter Service: Yes
  • Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
  • Outdoor Seating: No
  • Good for: Lunch, Dinner
  • Alcohol: Full Bar
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145 Reviews for Mustards Grill

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Photo of Mike M.

 

0

10

Mike M.

San Bruno, CA

2 star rating
07/07/2008

After dining at Jeanty and Bouchon this weekend, Mustards was a dissapointment. I ordered a $12.00 cheeseburger supposedly with the ever present "Niman" beef. I ordered it medium rare and it came well done. The waiter, who was excellent, had them redo it and it came back more well done so I gave up. My wifes Ahi sandwich was excellent.This Niman Beef evidently has no fat in it so if you cook it well done, it is like eating cardbord. also the Cole slaw that came with it was not to my liking. Large pieces of cabbage with mayonioase and nothing else.

I would not shy away from this place because some of the other things are good but I would not order the Burger.

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3

11

jin l.

La Palma, CA

4 star rating
07/07/2008

during a trip up north i had the chance to try out mustards after several bubbly glasses of champaigne and a bit of a buzz heeheeeee.  BUT!  i had a blast.  the skirt steak i ordered was actually really really good, and came just the way i asked for it.  we also tried the sonoma rabbit which honestly tasted just like chicken, but i guess it was good?  i dunnoe, i had a hard time getting past the rabbit part so maybe that's why i didn't enjoy it as much as the others.  

the food and atmosphere was really good, but the service was pretty mediocre.  i think our waitress came to our table a total of 3 times.. which for me sucks because i'm one of those people who drinks like a fish.. we were also told the wait would be awhile since we hadn't made reservations in advance, but once you get past the normal lunch hours it should't be difficult to get a table.  

the only bad thing about the restaraunt are the restrooms.  it is so freaking tiny in there.  once you open the door you have to literally stick to the wall to let the next person in..  other then that i really enjoyed it.  it's a really relaxed atmosphere perfect for any occasion.

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179

143

Joseph W.

Los Angeles, CA

5 star rating
07/04/2008

Our first experience with Cindy Pawlcyn's food here at Mustard's was wonderful, and this restaurant really should not be missed.  I keep going on about the vegetarian perspective at nicer restaurants (I'll have the salad/risotto and pass the wine list over here please!), but Napa Valley really defies that whole problem by providing EXCELLENT food for us veggies.

This place is laid back, relaxed, yet still feels nice.  Nobody is super dressy, but not so casual that you need justification for the prices (which are Napa reasonable).

The service was great, the enormous plate of onion rings we got made us happy and sufficiently ashamed, the wine by-the-glass selection was great (long day of tasting, and just the two of us) and allowed for pairing different things with different aspects of the meal.

This was not our only Cindy's stop on our trip (look out for my review of her amazing St. Helena spot...), but it was a fabulous introduction.

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Elite '08

114

428

Ben P.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
06/29/2008

Mustard's Grill advertises itself as serving American Truck Stop cuisine.  Indeed, it has a daily special simply called the "Truck Stop Deluxe." (Description: "Always meat, usually potatoes, rarely vegetables."  After my own heart!)  Well, I've eaten at a number of truck stops in my life, so let's see how Mustard's does.

1. I've never been to a truck stop with a 20-something page wine list.  Bonus: it WAS bound in a steel notebook binder, fairly akin to the type truckers use to keep their log book in.  Not that I know what that is.  Or have ever filled one out in my life.  Or know what a monkey tree is.  Or a transaxel.  I'm just a lawyer.

2. I've never seen tea-smoked duck on a truck stop menu.  The duck was quite delicious, although it had been a bit overcooked, and was actually a touch tough.  I've never had tough duck before.  Which is probably why no one has ever been walking down the street, passed a guy in a leather biker jacket with steel spikes on the shoulders, and said "Now that's one tough duck."  The rice was wonderful.

3. I've never seen braised lamb shank on a truck stop menu.  The lamb was huge, juicy, and delicious.  But not truck stoppy.

4. Try as I might, I did not find chicken fried steak on the menu.  You cannot run a truck stop and NOT serve chicken fried steak.

5. I have never paid $30/each to eat at a truck stop.

6. I have never seen a truck stop listed a "recommended" by the Michelin guide.  I HAVE seen truck stops with racks full of Michelin's products, but while that's the same company, it's a different division, and it's an important distinction.

7. I have never seen a truck stop with ribcage-high oak wainscoting.

Conclusion: while the food was delicious, the service wonderful, and the decor tasteful, this is no truck stop.  Plus, despite my request, the waiter did not "fill it up, check the oil, and inflate the passenger's side front tire."  -1 star.  (Also, the tough duck had something to do with that.)

Recommendation based on conclusion: those seeking delicious New American should stop.  Those interested in eating like a trucker should look elsewhere.

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2

111

Jen Jen A.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
07/08/2008

If you go you must try their Grilled Hanger Steak, Baby Back Ribs and Tea Smoked Duck!  It's a nice restaurant and service is also excellent.  Must make reservation in advance or otherwise you'll have to wait for a LONG time before you can get seats.

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38

Alison H.

Chester, NY

4 star rating
07/06/2008

I really enjoyed a dinner here a few months back.  Awesome wine list and lots of specialty type drinks too.  I had the fish tostada which was great.  My husband had a steak which he was happy with.  I really wanted to try the lemon-lime merengue pie (literally the reason we went) and I was  a little disappointed with it.  But I would go back for the other food!

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1

8

Florence L.

Milpitas, CA

4 star rating
07/06/2008

What a great place for dinner.  Make reservations! its small but you don't feel overcrowded.  Great food and even better their Creme Brulee.  It was the best Creme Brulee I've ever had!!

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Photo of Curt T.

 

5

26

Curt T.

San Diego, CA

4 star rating
06/25/2008

After 4 days of wine, wine and still more wine, it was great finally finding a FULL bar in a restuarant.  25 years this place has been serving great food.....well at least what I had was good and it was only once, but hey it was good.  Nice atmosphere, great menu, decent drinks......'nuff said.

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4

100

Nicole W.

San Jose, CA

3 star rating
06/30/2008

Good, but I prefer Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen.

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11

150

Margo R.

Oakland, CA

5 star rating
05/31/2008

OK - let's start by saying that I should have sent them my chiropractor's bill for fixing my neck after it whipped around so hard the first, second, and third time I saw the near mile-high lemon-lime meringue pie go by - oh my, oh my. It is truly something to behold. And it tastes even better that it looks which is a feat.

The brick weighed down chicken is fantastic, salads are great. Never had anything I didn't like here.

I even bought the cookbook and made the fairly complicated lemon-lime meringue pie - and I say this as a former professional baker - this was the best pie I have ever made and I've made some lovely huge deep dish fuyu persimmon pie and x-large pizza size nectarine galettes...

Just go - it is wonderful.

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Photo of Mia N.

 

1

7

Mia N.

Belmont, CA

5 star rating
06/17/2008

It's a place not to be missed!

We would recommend reservations and an empty stomach.  Everything was cooked to perfection.

For starters, we had the crab cakes and stuffed poblano chili.  Delish!!

We all enjoyed our lunch.... MMMMMmmmmmm   BBQ Baby back ribs, hanger steak, Chicken chipotle and Mongolian Pork Chop.  

Will definitely come back for more.

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Elite '08

24

122

Kara G.

Chicago, IL

5 star rating
06/02/2008

Scuba Steve's dad insisted that we eat at Mustard's while we were in the wine country, and we just happened to be hungry as we drove by on our way into st. Helena.

It's a beautiful place, with a pretty garden out front and to the side, and ample parking.

Inside, it's got a well-lit (natural light from the windows) dining room. Bread is served with butter but sans plate. Their wine selection is excellent- as well it should be- and their food is incredible. I had the goat cheese salad and the crab cakes- both were delicious. Scuba Steve had the pulled pork sandwich and their special cornbread that even comes shaped like corn! Overall the meal was amazing- we ate so much that we didn't even have room to split the cobbler a la mode we had been eyeing ever since we sat down!

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Elite '08

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48

Keyvan R.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
05/25/2008

I went here on a Saturday afternoon for lunch with a reservation for 6. The only problem was our party had grown to 8. The place was packed and so they had to split our party up and have an additional table for 2. I was expecting the extra table alone to take an hour to get. Surprisingly we were able to get the additional group seated within 15 min AND have our food delivered to us at the same time as the original party!

Now onto the food. I had a great green salad with apple vinaigrette and candied pecans to start as well as an ahi tuna sandwich with a pesto aioli, both scrumptous. We also tried the roasted asparagus as a starter - equally tasty and out of this world fresh. Great service and food, can't ask  for more.

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Photo of Sara A.

 

11

8

Sara A.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
05/11/2008

My dinner at Mustard's last Saturday night was one of the best dinners I have had in a very long time.  It probably helps that I was with my four best girlfriends and we were happily celebrating two upcoming marriages, but the service, food, ambience, and overall experience simply could not have been better.

Our server Crystal (?) was warm, funny and attentive and suggested what to order at every stage, even teasing us when we chose something she didn't agree with, or if she thought we were missing out on a house specialty like the pork chop or lemon meringue pie.   All the staff, including the bartender, and manager who stopped by our table to say hi had the same air of humor, competence, and unpretentiousness - somewhat rare in the wine country.

The food was great too. You start out with delicious, warm, fresh sourdough bread they place right on the table with butter before your meal.  The appetizers are great too, we got the roasted garlic and calamari.  The menu provides a refreshing variety of meats, prepared well: ribs, quail, chicken, pork chops.  No small portions or overly flavored and fusioned combo's here, everything was cooked perfectly and delicious with clean flavors.  During desert go for the lemon meringue pie and strawberry crisp.

I not only want to go back to this restaurant, but I kind of want to move to Napa and find some job to do at Mustard's so I can hang out in the beautiful space and become friends with all the cool staff.

P.S. I thought the prices were quite reasonable.

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10

61

Charles L.

Berkeley, CA

5 star rating
05/11/2008

Mmmm Easter Sunday lunch here with my brother and some friends. Alot of wineries were closed though so that sucked. On a side note, Zachary's Pizza was closed that night too *shakes fist*.

They have a neat fresh garden right outside with the herbs/vegetables they use for inside the kitchen.

Here's what what we got in all around the table:

onion rings with fresh home-made tomato-apple ketchup - light and a perfect appetizer

sweet corn tamales, wild mushrooms, tomatillo-avocado salsa, pumpkin seeds - very delicate and refreshing

Maine crab cakes with chipotle aioli, arugula salad, molasses vinaigrette - to DIE for! the cakes were mostly crab and just excellent

lemon and garlic chicken with garlic mashed potatoes and garden vegetables - chicken was roasted perfectly, moist, and definitely had the lemon and garlic taste

Mongolian pork chop, sweet and sour red cabbage, mashed potatoes, home-made mustard - bold flavors, and the mustard sauce was delicious

Sonoma rabbit roulade wrapped with apple-smoked bacon and corn bread stuffing, spinach, and home-made mustard sauce - rich and flavorful, if you're hungry, get this.

braised lamb shank, garden medley of vegetables, and mashed potatoes - impressive display of a HUGE lamb shank on the plate along with the vegetables, lamb was falling off the bone.

Service was impeccable, and the inside decor was very clean and simple. The people were very friendly and knowledgeable about the food and gave wonderful recommendations.

I can't wait to go back.

Edit: Pictures are posted of the dishes!

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Elite '08

126

182

Beau G.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
04/23/2008

I was a hellish kid to take to restaurants.   My mind was full of unreasonable fears of what the wrong types of foods might do to me.   Sauces and condiments topped these fears.   I didn't like either of them AT ALL.   No salad dressing either please.   Keep my food simple please.   Basic.  

I've gotten better about this with age, as I've found that food will not kill me.  (At least not yet)  However I still don't eat mustard.   I don't like the smell of it.    I don't like the look of it, all unnaturally dull yellow.   I am convinced that you cannot wipe the taste of mustard off of a hot dog no matter how hard you try.    It is my great fear.

That said, this restaurant is quite nice.   I ate at the bar, so I managed to avoid the seemingly difficult to get reservations.   The food is pleasantly mustard-free.   The quail I had was a little difficult to eat with all of its little bones, but then it was my fault that I ordered quail.  

I wasn't drinking because I had been through a hard and arduous morning of wine tasting, and needed to get the sooper expensive car I was driving back to SF in one piece, but it seems like the drinks looked good.   Only one beer available on draft though.

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11

22

Cam B.

Menlo Park, CA

3 star rating
05/28/2008

Mustards is one of the places we see off the main highway each time we come up to Napa. It's just past Yountville, and impossible to miss. We had one night of our vacation without dinner reservations, found an opening at Mustards, and decided to take it since neither my husband nor I had ever tried it.

We wanted to like this place. But frankly, we're not quite sure why it has so many glowing 5-star reviews. Our experience was far less than stellar, at least with the food.

We started with the onion rings since they seemed to be popular with everyone else around us, and they sounded good at the time. It's a plate piled high with the really thin style of onion strings. Normally, we would have liked these, and have at many other restaurants. Not sure what it was about these that didn't sit well with both of us. Maybe they just seemed too greasy. Or some of them were way overcooked. We only finished about 1/3 of them, and that's only because we were waiting on the rest of our food.

For mains, I had the BBQ pork sandwich. The bread was good, but the sandwich itself was borderline dry. Could have used more sauce. My husband went out on a limb and ordered the mahi mahi tostada special on our server's recommendation. He said his first couple bites were interesting. But he quickly got tired of the black beans and general blandness of the dish.

For dessert, I won out this time over my husband's normal chocolate cravings, and ordered the lemon-lime tart, which Mustards is supposedly famous for. Maybe they're just famous because of the insanely tall meringue. At first, I liked the meringue because it was interesting. But again, the novelty quickly wore off, and left me wanting a traditional lemon meringue pie.

Maybe we just had a bad night. Or we ordered the wrong thing? If I were rating just based on the food alone, Mustards would only be 2-stars. But our server was wonderful, despite the bad food, so she bumped it up a star for us to 3-stars. I doubt we'll come back when there are so many other better choices not far away.

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27

22

Norissa G.

San Diego, CA

5 star rating
05/25/2008

Okay so the stamp of a great restaurant is a small and uncomplicated menu. Mustard's Grill has it, but even still, my friends and I were having difficulty deciding what to order. So I split and appetizer, a salad, and an entree with a friend. We ordered the onion rings with the signature apple ketchup, mix greens salad, the pumpkin seed tamale, and the roasted lemon chicken. Everything was wonderful but ORDER THE TAMALE!!! (one of the greatest dishes I've ever eaten of all time). All of the produce was the amazingly fresh. Mustard's is a place where they never cut corners and you can really tell that every dish was made with love. Make time for a stroll through the garden for a new found aprecciation and connectedness with the food.

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13

56

Ale O.

Sacramento, CA

5 star rating
05/14/2008

An incredible restaurant. The place is tiny and often packed, but well worth the wait. Their menu has wonderful, unique items you can't find elsewhere in teh valley. My personal favorite was the Rabbit....wow....incredibly delicious. I can never look at Bugs Bunny in the same way again...

Just to be clear, I really recommend this place!!!

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Photo of Eric P.

 

65

242

Eric P.

Austin, TX

5 star rating
05/13/2008

A delightful place to dine post-winetour as the sun settles on the ripening valley.  While Mustard's isn't exactly 'posh', the menu is sophisticated and delights the grape soaked palate with light, haute fare.  Unlike most other spots in wine country, prices are typical with price trends in the rest of the country.  The value is very good for such a gorgeous menu.  And, as expected, their wine selection is thrilling.

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17

65

K P.

Mountain View, CA

4 star rating
05/13/2008

Perfect spot for a late lunch in-between wine tastings.  Didn't have reservations, but stole two seats at the bar as another couple was leaving.  It was packed too - had we wanted to wait for a seat, we would prob still be standing there waiting.  Ok, a little exaggeration maybe, but you could tell this place was a hot spot for locals and tourists alike... always a good sign if the customers know the bartender by name.

This place screams quaint yet fun... very homey yet lax... really enjoyed the vibe from the get go.  

Onto the food already (we skipped wine, seeing as we had already hit up Artesa and Flora Springs).  We wanted substance, ya know, to soak up the wine, but still be yummy.  I had an excellent and HUGE Asian chicken salad and my beau had what he said was "one of the best burgers ever!"   Could it have been the wine talking?  Seriously though, the burger did look incredible, but I think it was the bread they used that took it over the top... it was so fresh and tasty.  It doesn't hurt that my beau LOVES ketchup (really, he'll put it on anything), and they make theirs in house.

Good food, good vibe, good dcor... no wonder it gets such good reviews!  I will be dining here again, but maybe next time I'll make reservations.

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9

22

Roger L.

San Diego, CA

5 star rating
04/13/2008

It's Easter. My friends and I decide to take day trip to Napa Valley for some wine-tasting. Much to our chagrin most of the wineries were closed. With our friend's recommendation we come here for lunch.

The outside of the place is pretty modest. There is a small garden outside where they use the vegetables in their dishes. I happened to pick some of it and eat it as we were waiting for our table (i don't think this is allowed).

Our service was very friendly and attentive. My water glass was never empty.

Here's what I ordered:
Onion Fries - I actually don't remember what they're called but they were pretty much onion lightly fried they weren't rings but looked more like noodles. Anyways the great thing about this place is that most of the sauces including their ketchup is homemade. The taste is definitely more unique.

Crab Cake: Cooked very well. There was healthy serving of real crab instead of the usual a little crab and a lot of potatoes or starch. The outside was crunchy matched well with the soft crab meat inside. Nice spices and the sauce (homemade) was delicious.

Braised Lamb Shank - the highlight of my day. Talk about perfectly cooked. The meat just fell off the bone which most braised dishes should do. The sauce I believe was a red-wine reduction. My favorite part of the meal wasn't really the lamb but the vegetables accompany it. I don't even know what they were but they didn't cook it too long so it maintained the crisp texture. I could tell that these vegetables were fresh.

Go to Mustards!

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4

13

Suzanne S.

San Jose, CA

5 star rating
05/13/2008

Deeeee-lish.

We called in a reservation about a week ahead of time, and they had room for us, which was cool given the fact that it was mothers day weekend. We showed up about a half an hour early, got a glass of vino at the bar to sip outside in the garden area while we waited. Very cool atmosphere to just relax, and soak up the slow paced atmosphere of wine country. There's a fountain of a little naked man holding an umbrella with a fig leaf covering his bits out front. I thought it was cute.

We were seated pretty quickly out in the sun room area. I could tell this would be the place to be on a sunny summer day. It was all closed up, but you could see the windows can be opened to let in the summer evening breezes.

Pre-dinner was the calamari appetizer (perfectly cooked) and the roasted garlic bulb with little crostini. They also bring freshly baked sourdough bread and place it directly on the table cloth, no plate or basket necessary! I thought it added a cool, rustic feel to the meal, and also made a bold statement about the cleanliness of their linens!

On to the main course: I had the ribs with corn stix and coleslaw. Our server Cristal (i believe was her name) asked if I wanted them cut up into pieces... why, yes, I do, thank you very much! The ribs were so tender and had this amazing smokey flavor that stayed on my finger tips for the rest of the night. The corn sticks were good, an unexpected alternative to the standard slice of cornbread. The slaw was compiled of cabbage cut into chunky squared pieces (not the stringy sopping wet strips). A touch of dressing allowed for the flavor to maintain it's subtlety.  

It was difficult to choose my main course, there were so many fantastic items on the menu, and Cristal was very helpful with descriptions and suggestions. Dessert was one of each: Flour-less Chocolate Cake, Lemon Lime Meringue Pie and the Strawberry Crumble type thing. I thought the strawberry would be my least favorite of the 3, but alas when it arrived at the table, I was immediately hit with a deep sweet strawberry aroma that reminded me of picking fresh strawberries in my grandma's garden when I was little. It came in a miniature cast iron skillet, so cute! This thing was so good, I barely touched the other 2 (and I LOVE chocolate).

I give it 5 stars for the food, the service and the atmosphere.  We had a great experience at Mustard's.  Will definitely be back!

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Elite '08

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187

Diane P.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
04/08/2008

If you want to see two petite Asian girls devour a crab cake appetizer, half a duck, a 1lb pork chop, and polish it all off with an ice cream cookie sandwich dessert, bring me and my girlfriend to Mustards Grill.  This is what happened during our first encounter with Mustards.  We ordered way more than our stomachs could handle, but because the food was so good, we couldn't help but finish it all.  We really had no intentions of ordering dessert, but we couldn't resist when the manager (Patrick Kellaher) came over and single-handedly convinced us how great the dessert was.  

Mustards Grill gave us such a great first impression that my girlfriend and I drove all the way from the Peninsula just to have lunch here a few weeks later.  We restrained from ordering dessert the second time around, but once again, the food was delicious and the service was impeccable.  Patrick Kellaher came by to greet us again, it appears he does this to every one of his guests...what a nice touch!

I highly recommend making reservations through OpenTable if you plan on coming here.  It's a tiny cottage-like and cottage-sized interior, so there are not that many tables.  I once witnessed a group of 4 come in without a reservation and was told that the wait would be 2.5 hours, and they agreed to wait without hesitation.  I love everything I've tried, which includes their Seared Ahi Tuna on their delicious sesame crackers, Maine crab cakes (the most abundant amount of crab in any crab cakes I've ever had), Famous Mongolian pork chop, and their grilled hanger steak.  I think any meat item that is grilled by them is top-notch.  This is the perfect place to satiate your post wine-tasting hunger, or even to re-fuel after shopping at the outlets.

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Elite '08

154

676

Vicky L.

San Jose, CA

4 star rating
03/05/2008

Hm.... I guess Napa isn't just known for its wine. Did you know that Grey Poupon is based in Napa?! Apparently this area is also known for massive amounts of mustard to the point where they have a festival celebrating mustard plants! Go figure they would have a restaurant named mustard!

Anyway, the food here was great! Onion rings were lightly battered and individually crispy. They were extremely thin cut and sweet. *drools* I ordered the mushroom burger which was made up of button, portobello, and crimini mushrooms all chopped up and formed into a patty. OMIGOD... IT WAS DELISH!!

The star of the evening.... was that delightful lemon lime tart with the crazy high meringue. I never really like meringue in the past, but the brown sugar flavored meringue.... makes me want to roll around in the mustard flowers and grin with glee....

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6

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Jennifer W.

Belmont, CA

4 star rating
04/07/2008

This was my first time here and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  They have a "drink of the day" which turned out being really good, and I have to say that any place that offers a side of  two whole roasted garlic bulbs has my heart.  The atmosphere is very casual and service was attentive and friendly.  The only reason for no five stars is that there is really no room to stand while waiting to be seated and the crowd actually spills over into the dining room.  Not a huge issue since I was pretty preoccupied with my yummy food, but I could see some other guests getting a little agitated.  Can't wait till I can get back there again!

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13

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diane d.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
04/02/2008

The YUMMIEST Bloody Marys...Dave is a great bartender , we always eat at the bar. He has given me the recipe for marinating the vodka...if ya want it let me know :0) the food is always good...if not a tad pricey..but DUH---it IS Napa...so it's no more pricey than most i guess. The pork chops are famous and for good reason. I have not been as impressed with the couple of fish dished I have tried. Stick with the house specialties.

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brenda s.

New York, NY

3 star rating
03/02/2008

What's old, tired and used to be delicious?    Oh!  Mustards,  where have you gone?   No more Niman Ranch pork chop on the menu;  now just an ordinary dried out , why would I want that, chop.   The calamari salad needs to be renamed REFRIED CALAMARI salad.   For shame!!!    This is not squidworthy.   Too tough to eat.   The calf's liver  is the worst I ever had, but I won't sicken you with the details.  Soups are just too bland.  Fried onion is good if you like greasy.  Still    love the
sour dough bread, butter,  and of course the iced tea, simple sugar, and mint.    If there's a wait, go next door to Cosentino for wine tasting
aperitif, and stay.
     Cindy may have spread herself too thin.   Something is wrong.  The food here is really down several notches;   resting on its laurels  and  taking advantage of one-time tourists.   3 stars is generous based on our last several visits.

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Lucy Z.

Washington, DC

3 star rating
03/09/2008

[Really 3.5 stars]

Mustards is a charming bistro-esque establishment decorated with a faux-roadside motif.  We walked in a little past 8pm and the tables were bustling with out-of-towners like ourselves.

I didn't go all out here because I walked in on a full stomach.  I split the sweet corn tamales with my boyfriend.  That was pretty good - the plate neatly comes out with 2 tamales.  Hoping to eat light, I ordered the hunan chicken noodle entree salad.  I should've asked for dressing on the side because consistent with most Western takes on Eastern plates, the dressing was too tangy and over-flavored.

Service - friendly, but often less than attentive.

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C L.

Valencia, CA

5 star rating
01/27/2008

I love coming here for lunch after a morning of shopping at the outlets.  I love their salads with roasted chicken, especially the mixed greens with candied nuts and apples.  The breads are phenomenal, and the ambiance is pure Napa.  My only complaint about the place is the cramped tables, but the food is worth it.

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Aaron L.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
02/21/2008

This place is pretty much a Napa Valley institution, and for good reason. I've been coming here for ages, and although not much changes about it, I am totally OK with that. Great is great. In fact, Mustards is pretty much a lunch staple every time I am in the area. From the crispy onions to the mile-high lemon-lime pie, just about everything is tasty. Expect to pay the usual premium price now that Napa is so incredibly touristy, but at least the flavors remain tried and true.

Note: Make SURE to make a rezzie before coming here. Drop ins may be welcome, but it'll take a long, long time to get seated.

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Daniel K.

Berkeley, CA

4 star rating
04/02/2008

Cindy Pawlcyn has a winner here. Is that Captain Obvious?

I'm a big fan of the onion rings, anything-burger, and hanger steak. Whenever I'm in the Oakville area I try to stop by here and get some grub because prices are reasonable and food is top-notch. You can tell that they really put thought and care into their menus and preparations.

Only knock against it is that they tend to oversauce imo. We're in CA not NY so I'd like to see them really express the natural flavors of the ingredients more. Especially with the heartier preparations like the hanger steak and the grilled pork chop, the toppings can be a little overwhelming. Good quality, well-prepared meat doesn't need a lot of help to make it awesome. It is awesome in itself. Just help express it's awesomeness.

Conclusion: Chock full of awesome-goodness.

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Jacquelou W.

Petaluma, CA

3 star rating
05/21/2008

After reading the mostly great reviews about this restaurant I wish I could do the same. I've been here twice now. The first time was on my birthday about 5 years ago. The service was abysmal then, very snotty waitress. Literally scoffed at me when I ordered a beer. God forbid. I didn't think I'd ever be back but a gift certificate my parents got made it happen. This time was definitely better. The atmosphere definitely has an "air" about it though. I was dining with my family for my mom's birthday and the waitress was nice and took care of the corkage fee which I thought was cool. We all got sandwiches. The menu just doesn't appeal to me very much. Everyone seemed to enjoy their food but it was just OK in my opinion. I got the pulled pork sandwich(oooeey?...or some kind of random lameness). It came with fries and coleslaw. It was not that great. Just good. Prices were pretty good overall. $12ish for all the sandwiches I think. Cocktails were good albeit a bit slow to arrive. We got dessert as well. My mom got the Lemon Meringue Pie with this towering brown sugar meringue. It looked awesome and tasted pretty good. I got the Jack Daniel's Chocolate Pecan Cake and it was good too. I think this was my favorite part of the meal aside from the cocktails. Overall not bad, but I am pretty sure that I don't want or need to come back here again. Meh. Maybe I'm just not highfalutin truck stop enough.

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barbara s.

Mill Valley, CA

5 star rating
02/10/2008

This is where you go for a perfect burger and perfect onion rings. Everything else is good too, but my gig is to find the best thing on the menu and get it every time. I don't want to be on my death bed and think: "why didn't I get the burger.!

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Kristen S.

Oakland, CA

5 star rating
01/16/2008

This was my late father's favorite restaurant. If this means nothing to you, then it is because you have not noticed how every 5th review I write opens with "my dad was a foodie." So if the foodie who is 50% responsible for the conception of the Urban Socialite liked this restaurant, then DAMNIT, you should too!

But seriously though... Just like anywhere else in Napa worth eating at, you will pay no less than $50 to eat here. Meals run between $25 - $40. A glass of wine is about $10. They make good salads. Don't even think about skipping dessert! (And when you don't skip dessert, don't say that I didn't warn you that the key lime/lemon meringe pie is a monstrosity.)

Thier menu says, "Sorry, everything's good." And they are right. I had two different duck dishes both times I've tried this place. They were both good; but I think I prefer the non-Asian one I had better. And they are not at all hesitant to swap out sides for you. I didn't want bok choy; they gladly made me spinach instead. Yay!

Expensive? Yes. Worth it? Absolutely.

And it would have been even more worth it if I didn't go to a VIP barrel tasting later that afternoon that resulted in me praying to the porcelain goddess, begging to die having a friend tie my hair back for me, passing out at the toilet, and texting the boy* about how much he pisses me off...kinda like college. Damn; I spent all that money on good food and I didn't even get to digest it completely! (Kristen S. is very embarrassed about all of that BTW.)

*Thank you for forgiving me sweetie.

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Rich n Nancy C.

San Juan Capistrano, CA

4 star rating
03/05/2008

My favorite lunch spot in Napa Valley.  Lots of good energy and great food. Make a reservation or plan on a long wait.  The Asian lettuce wraps are a nice appetizer if they are on the menu.  Their Calamari is also very unique & tasty.

The salads are quite good but I always seem to order their roasted garlic soup - the best.  For an entree, try their BBQ sandwich or the seafood from their wood burning stove.

You should go!

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John W.

Alameda, CA

5 star rating
03/27/2008

I went here for lunch yesterday with my wife.  Wow!  For the price (not too expensive, but not McDonalds either), the food was fantastic.  I had the baby back ribs, which were beautifully presented and were smoked to perfection.  Whatever smoker they use, I want to take it home and stick my head in it.  

Try the onion rings with the home made ketchup.  A bit sweet, but it will grow on you.

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Anthony S.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
05/24/2008

Good to great, but not out of this world. Definitely worth a try at least once if you are in the area.

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Mitzi C.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
01/23/2008

My mom, aunt and cousins recently came up to visit over the long weekend.  We decided to do some wine tasting and came to Mustard's Grill for lunch.  At first, they seated us near the kitchen but we asked to be moved to a table out front (the place was pretty empty at 11:30 on a Saturday).

The service was good although my mom was grossed out that the bread is served on the table without a plate (at least the server used a napkin to place the bread there -- and I'm sure the tablecloth was very clean).

We started with the salad of the day with goat cheese, mixed greens, and some pieces of fruit.  It was delicious!  The greens tasted so fresh and flavorful and were beautiful to look at (light green with veins of red -- I've never seen lettuce like that).  We also ordered the calamari to share, which came topped with a curry flavored cole slaw.  Very tasty and I don't even like cole slaw (other than KFC's).

I ordered the Nieman Ranch cheeseburger with bacon and mushrooms.  Good, lean burger.  I tried some of the pulled pork sandwich, which was also very good.  My cousin ordered the roast chicken with mashed potatoes and brussell sprouts.  Delish!  We helped her wipe her plate clean.

For dessert, we shared the lemon-lime tart with a gynormous meringue-like topping (more like marshmallow fluff).  It was pretty to look at and very good to eat!  

The service was very friendly and the food was tasty.  I'd definitely come agin.  My cousin liked it so much, she bought the cookbook off Amazon!

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Bonnie M.

Oakland, CA

5 star rating
01/02/2008

It's absolutely amazing how quickly my taste will change when I know that someone else if footing the bill. Just to make sure I'm not mistaken for a free loader or a gold digger, this only happens when it's my family who is paying. Since I will never make the money that they do because I've dedicated my life to abused and neglected children everywhere (please do not PM me with questions about your custody battle/baby mama drama/etc.) I'm not going to feel one ounce of guilt when I choose a pricier* restaurant.

Mustards Grill is a great place to have an early lunch before some serious wine tasting. I've been here about 4 times so when my mom told me to plan a wine tasting trip for our fancy New York relatives I immediately thought I could probably impress them with Mustard's. It's so California-they have their own organic garden that you can walk through and while it's a white table cloth type place, the servers wear jeans and expect you to break your crusty bread all over the table to make a mess. It's super casual and as my cousin would say, "No presh."

I recommend skipping the wine and starting out with one of their house made bloody marys served with a chaser of Sierra. I consider myself to be somewhat of a bloody mary connoisseur and let me tell you-Mustards gets it right every time. Plus-our server took the time to ask the bartender if it was vegan and it is! The sweet corn tamales with mushrooms are also a must-it's a respectable version of the traditional tamale.

For my main course I had the Hunan grilled chicken salad with ginger soy noodles, Asian slaw, and toasted sesame seeds sans the bird. May sound boring to you but let me tell you, it was the tastiest cold noodle salad I've ever had . The Asian slaw consisted of perfectly cut cabbage, herbs, and other greens. It's the kind of salad that I'll attempt to replicate in my kitchen for years and never succeed.

Of course my family ordered their fair share of meat and seafood-enjoyed every last bite including the bread pudding that they fought over. Best part about Mustards when kicking back, rubbing o