Mussel & Burger Bar

After riding bikes with my sister yesterday we thought we would try it. We got there and were so weirded out by the outward appearance we just decided to go somewhere else. I'm superficial like that.

The rope lighting on the columns, the empty store fronts, and the banner hanging off of another stores awning, did not inspire me to spend $14 on a burger.

That definitely was a short-sighted mistake. Four of us were there on Saturday night and at 6:30 there was an 1 1/2 hour wait. Like they say"Don't judge a book by it's cover" and this book is certainly a best seller.

I don't like waiting for a table anywhere but for a table here I would gladly make an exception and wait. The outside appearance is a parking lot for which I am thankful for not having to walk too far.

Calm down...

I'll go back sometime, I just wanted a beer, and the outside wasn't inviting. I'm not the first to comment on the odd exterior. I get they're new, and totally understand having to scramble to pay the bills.

Plus I had a free birthday pizza waiting for me at Old Chicago. Free things make me act funny.

Ok, no more player hate, back to hating the game.

Maybe that could be a new thread...
"Places I almost missed out on because the store front was questionable"
And Adriel, trust me, there is no "player hate" involved here. We just like seeing all of our buddies enjoy great meals and seldom ( as is now ) has anyplace seemed like a sure bet as MBB. Go because we'd like to see you happy! And those that don't want to see you happy will no doubt just say, "good! More room for me."

[Robin Garr]

Fernando posted on Facebook that they're expecting a CJ review tomorrow. I'd say the chances of them getting a bad review are slim to none, based both on their quality and on the CJ's apparent disinclination to go negative. Watch for it!

So we can expect three to four hour waits for the next couple months?

So we can expect three to four hour waits for the next couple months?

Remember- they are slated to open for lunch next week..

[Robin Garr]

So we can expect three to four hour waits for the next couple months?

Depends on how many people actually read the CJ any more ...

Fernando posted on Facebook that they're expecting a CJ review tomorrow. I'd say the chances of them getting a bad review are slim to none, based both on their quality and on the CJ's apparent disinclination to go negative. Watch for it!

Is that normal for them? You would have thought they'd give them a few weeks to get settled in.

As much as we all love the alternatives to the CJ, there is nothing like the response from anything in the food section. We have been in about 6-8 times for just our recipes alone and the response is huge, much less the stellar reviews. I hope they can handle the rush. I'm sure they will do fine. I'm a fan, not to the extent most of the crew here are, but I liked the burger, and the curry mussels, and hope to get back for everything else on the menu. The decor is hard to deal with and remains to be seen how that works out. But everybody was nice as can be. I don't think it is the second coming, but a wonderful addition to the area and the city. I'm sure they will slammed. The place is so huge, maybe they will open the downstairs for the rush. Best of Luck. Bill.

Dined here last night...The service was flawless, some of the best we've had in recent memory. The restaurant itself is very inviting. The food, I wasn't overly thrilled with. The first (of two) Crab Sliders was -awesome-...the second smelled -very- "fishy" and had an off taste to it (one bite and it was pushed aside). The Potato Chip Nachos ? Meh, wouldn't do 'em again. The BDD Burger (or whatever they call it) was requested "medium"...it showed up -barely- above "rare"...to the point where the bottom of the bun just disappeared into a gooey pink mess, at which time it was necessary to pick my way through it with a knife and fork...What I could bring myself to eat was a little too "busy" for my personal taste (too many things going on). My wife's fish tacos were (according to her) enjoyable, despite being fried as opposed to grilled as she had ordered. <shrugs> ...and before anyone asks, no...no we did not ask for any part of our entire meal to be remade and yes, yes we did tip the commensurate 20%...The "take home" box was left politely on the bench beside us.

[Robin Garr]

Is that normal for them? You would have thought they'd give them a few weeks to get settled in.

They've jumped on a couple of new places sooner than I thought they might have, Richard, but I'm not sure there's any policy other than using common sense. I would hope that Marty or his editors at least pay some attention to whether a place seems stabilized and ready for crowds. In the case of Mussel & Burgerbar, I'd say the combination of Fernando's and Christina's strong experience at other places and the reality that they've been slammed since Day One and doing well probably justified an early review. And of course, they like to get there first just as much as I do, I'm sure.

Went by tonight with the parents and sister and brother in law in tow - got there twenty minutes after they opened and there was already a 60 minute wait. As I understand it there was already a huge line outside when they opened.

So we piled back into our vehicles and went up to Guaca Mole!

Does anyone know for sure if they are open on Sunday? I know the FB page says no, but it seems like that might not be actually true. And the phone is going to a fax. It is the husband's birthday today and he wants to go there.

[Robin Garr]

Does anyone know for sure if they are open on Sunday? I know the FB page says no, but it seems like that might not be actually true. And the phone is going to a fax. It is the husband's birthday today and he wants to go there.

As in response to your question on Facebook, Beth, call Guaca-Mole and ask them! It's the same owners, and Guaca's Facebook page actively promotes Mussel & B, so they won't take offense.