When Tom and I were last in Napa in 2004 Mustards Grill was a hotspot. It had been open 20 years then, so it’s almost an institution now. We never went because we were at private winery parties, but I’d heard so much about it I remembered it this time and put it as a priority. There really aren’t the amount of places you might expect in a destination like this, except in the town of Napa itself which has a lot of dining, though again, less than I’d expect given the popularity of this place.
Mustards Grill made Cindy Pawlcyn a household name. A restaurant critic nailed the ethos of Cindy Pawlcyn, Fog City Diner in (SF) and Mustards Grill, stating, "Cindy Pawlcyn has a talent for creating popular dining environments that meld satisfying, unchalleging food with just a bit of schtick." A quick read of the menu validates that statement. She refers to the food as "deluxe truckstop classics," with meatloaf and mashed potatoes on the menu. Over 40 years after opening, the place is still on everyone’s lips. We had a bit of trouble getting reservations. The time we got was 2:30pm, but we went over as a walk-in an hour earlier. The place was packed so we didn’t expect to get in, but we were told it might be 30 minutes. We’d wait.
Mustards Grill has a large space for outdoor dining, but it’s across the parking lot and it’s like a picnic space in the dust with large plastic tables and chairs. The space seems to be hardly open, which worked for me because I wouldn't want to eat out there, and I always want to eat outside. A bizarre statement coming from me, until you see the inside of Mustards Grill..
It does make sense though because people who live there are used to the magical weather. And the inside of Mustards Grill is almost fantastical. Black and white checkerboard floors are crammed with tables and chairs seemingly stuffed into every inch. Windows are all around providing ample sunlight for plants that fill in any remaining space left by the seating. There are booths and coves and a bar so appealing I’d sit there all day, which is saying something for a non-drinker like me. I was totally smitten by the place.
The pace of service is hurried, but I think servers are just trying to keep up. They are very friendly and accommodating.
It was only the food at Mustards Grill that was disappointing. This was fine American food but not outstanding in any way. That's is a first opinion. I plan to have many more meals at Mustards Grill. I couldn't try it all at one sitting. There were meatloaf and ribs and duck and seafood, a burger, macaroni and cheese, and salads.
We ordered housecut chips and Bleu cheese dip, and another fried onion rings starter. And for entrees ML got a salad and I ordered ribs, cornbread and coleslaw.
I would be there all the time working my way through this menu, but on this first visit I could hear Tom’s words playing in my head. He said I had a knack for ordering the wrong thing. And that has always been true. The only reason it was true on this day was that there were much more interesting things on the menu, but I felt a little rushed in ordering. And regular entrees were expensive enough to stop me in my tracks.
The chips were good but the Bleu Cheese dip was a little light on the flavor of Bleu Cheese. It was hard to complain about the crunchy hot chips.
The onion rings were also very hot temperature wise but too dark, though I saw some perfect golden brown ones go to another table. We should have asked for fresher ones. In prime condition these would be outstanding. They were a gigantic mound of thin rings, crispy fried.
ML’s three greens salad with Bleu Cheese and spiced pistachios was another underwhelming dish. One of the greens was more white. Radicchio strikes again. This bitter green is popular all over Napa. We have to remember that next time. Plenty of delicious Bleu Cheese and nice candied pistachios made up for the radicchio. And it was large. I helped her eat a lot of this.
My ribs were fine. They were a large portion (as they should be at $36 but the place is expensive. ) This came with a large mound of creamy coleslaw. The cornbread was a block of light cakey bread. I liked this a lot. The ribs were meaty and required a little pull but just a little bit. They were perfect, with a light sauce and a just-right smoke.
We had eaten a lot of food and didn’t have dessert, but I contemplated it just to stay in this wonderful environment a little longer.
Despite the weak showing in the food, Mustards Grill will be on our Napa list anytime we are there. I see what the fuss is about..
