MJaye’s Pub & Eatery

We tried MJaye’s because it is within walking distance to our house and we were really hoping for the best, despite some of the reviews I read. We took our daughter with us, thinking it was more restaurant than pub but it definitely is a bar/​pub hands down; but they had a kid menu so we stayed. The atmosphere felt like they couldn’t quite decide what to «be»… sports bar/​pub with the stone on the walls/​dive bar?
The food was average. Started with the chips, guacamole and salsa which was good and the salsa seemed fresh and homemade. My bf had some type of Caribbean jerk sandwich which he thought was ok, liked that it was different. I had the French dip, after asking our server if they had a creamy horseradish sauce (he said they did). The flavor was great; however the meat was in small little pieces that were melted into the cheese like both sides of the cheese had the meat melted into it and that was sandwiched between the pieces of bread. Whatever wasn’t stuck to the cheese came falling out of the sandwich, so messy but still tasty, I just thought it was odd. I had to ask for my horseradish sauce, after waiting he dropped off raw horseradish and walked away. As soon as I got his attention I asked for sour cream to make it a «sauce», minutes later he tells me they’re out of sour cream so I ask for mayo which I receive after several minutes. We also had to ask for ketchup twice for our fries because there wasn’t any on the table, then he forgot to bring it. Our daughters «kids homemade mac and cheese» was buttered bow tie pasta with shredded cheddar on top. Not exactly «homemade» but at least it wasn’t Kraft.
We also ordered the fish taco special, which we saw on the special board after we ordered, because we LOVE fish tacos and they were only $ 5. They came and they were HUGE! Our server told us they were on the spicy side but I couldn’t eat more than one bite. My bf couldn’t finish them because our waters weren’t refilled and they were way to spicy to eat without a drink. We had to ask for refills on our waters throughout the meal, the service left a lot to be desired. He was a nice enough guy but seemed like he had too much going on with taking orders, and being behind the bar even though there was a bartender…
I really hoped we would like the food because how great is it to have a place to frequent that is within walking distance?! I can’t see us going back for food but I’ll give it another shot and go back for drinks and karaōke.

Came here with my family for a casual meal out on a Saturday afternoon. We ordered the Reuben, breakfast with a side of corned beef hash, soup of the day and the kids ordered burgers. After we placed our order we were informed that they were out of corned beef– so no hash for my man– 5 minutes later server came back and informed me they couldn’t make the Reuben either so I switched over to a burger. When our meal arrived, the soup of the day which I was told was potato had been switched to tomato chicken. My burger was tasty and the fries were nice and hot, but that soup was not what I had wanted. Service was very slow especially since there were only 2 other tables in the whole joint. We really wanted to like this place since it’s so close to home but it just left us with a bad taste. The server was kind enough to take the soup off my bill. Don’t think we will be back for a second try.

The food is pretty good. The back patio is nice but service is lacking. Server got drink order wrong. Both times we ate outside we had to take the foil cover off the ketchup. Our servers didn’t come out to see how the food was. Husband got the Cajun burger and was not impressed. He said it did not taste Cajun at all. Our guess is short staffed. We still hope this local owner is successful.

Very neat atmosphere; stopped in for Karaōke and had a great time! Very clean, quaint location. Great little menu, food was delicious! Staff was friendly, very attentive. Loved the chalkboards on the wall, super cute!

Pretty disappointing — slow service and slow food delivery. Sonoran salad @ $ 9 was pretty tasteless. Turkey club with fries were very good. But my Cajun beef sandwich was also disappointing. The «beef» was not sliced beef but a burger, and it was was overcooked beyond being overcooked — dry as the desert and hard as a rock. To be «Cajun» they sprinkle the burger with Cajun spice which added nothing to the flavor but some spiciness, and the blue cheese sauce was overpowering — I should have known better and I guess it was my fault for ordering this «beef» sandwich with the blue cheese sauce. And to top it all off, the blue cheese and the Cajun seasoning were fighting each other for dominance; very conflicting in taste. Again, the fries were excellent. Lastly, I used a
voucher and I think the server couldn’t figure out how these vouchers work — I think she just estimated the total discount and it was close, but not in my favor by about a buck… too close to argue about it; I just wanted to get out of there.

Fish fry was rubbery, french fries were burnt, coleslaw was bitter. Server doesn’t look like she enjoys what she’s doing and seems like we’re a nuisance asking for a water refill. Will not go back there.

Maybe I just really miss the Groves but I leaver here depressed today. Food was not good, 1 server and $ 8 mimosa. Waste of $ 80.

I came here not knowing that the groves had closed, but since they had a fish fry I decided to stay and try it. The atmosphere was very different, only two other people in the whole place while we were there which is odd for a Friday night. The food was not good at all, the fish had a thick burned crust and the coleslaw was bad. I know it is hard to compare to a place like the groves which I loved, but I will not be giving m jayes another try.

Such Great service at this establishment!
Shaun, behind the bar is quick and friendly. He remembers our names each time my family and I go in.
My wife really enjoys their specialty cocktails, she always has the Sweet Blue Jaye!
The food is awesome. I highly recommend the MJaye’s Club! And You gotta check out the large back patio!
This is a great neighborhood pub. We will absoutely be back!

Very disappointed will not return. Out of soup of the day at 6pm, out of provolone for sandwich. Reuben was so salty could not eat it. Burgers were okay otherwise would’ve been a one star. Left half the meal on the table. Sad was looking forward to it on the recommendation of a friend.

The worst breakfast I’ve ever eaten. Limited menu we were told was temporary, that makes this even worse. How are you going to handle a full menu when you can’t handle a steak burrito. Steak was cooked to my preference. Of med rare and soft scrambled eggs. Steak had no taste and no seasoning. Eggs were barely mixed, big pieces of whites, not seasoned either. Look at the picture of my potatoes, so called guacamole and fresh salsa, clearly a chef with no knife or knife skills. Two rotten pieces of potato and some grill crud in my dish. Stopped eating. Waitress apologized and took it off my bill. Husbands eggs were way overcooked. Sad. We gave the waitress the tip of the refunded entrée. We really wanted to like this place.

I had dinner last night at Mjayes. I am very picky about my hamburgers. This burger was perfectly cooked and the best part is that it had amazing flavor. I have been to expensive places and have had hamburgers costing twice this much, and this put them to shame. The service was great. Apparently they have Karaōke on Friday nights. I had other plans or I would have stuck around. This is a very nice locally owned place. Highly recommend giving this place a shot. Another really cool thing about this place is that they have tons of craft beers on tap and a cool patio area.

Saw that «The Groves» was closed and got worried! But it’s okay! Same establishment with a new name and a new menu. Fortunately the new owner embraces homemade American fare. I had the Breakfast Bowl: corned beef hash, eggs, bacon gravy over country potatoes… excellent! My baby had stuffed French toast and was very impressed. Meets our standard for becoming a regular go-​to place.

LOVE IT!!! So Wednesday night I have found my new spot after work. they do an industry night and stay open to 2:00 (on wednesdays). options are very slim for people who work nights (like myself) in downtown gilbert. Welcome to Gilbert Mjay!

That quaint Gilbert eatery & bar formerly known as The Groves Bar & Grill is under new ownership and calling itself M-​Jays. The potential is still there, but not until the new owners and staff complete what is going to be a looooong learning curve.
Having eaten brunch at M-​Jays several times since the new owners took over, today we expected the same food and service when we arrived at 11:40. After having to ask for water & coffee from the busboy, and later menus as well, we ordered brunch about 11:55. At 12:03 our ‘3 days experienced’ waiter informed us that brunch wasn’t being served (despite the contrary signage out front), but that the manager was going to «comp» us with lunch for their error. Disappointed, I ordered a burger and my wife ordered a pasta dish. At 12:20 the chef (with the term used in its broadest sense) came out to say pasta was only available at dinner (and yet, it was on the menu we were provided). She ordered a salad. At 12:35 our food arrived. My «Sonoran» burger had less guacamole than what’s left on sides of the bowl after mixing it, and although the meat was over-​cooked, the bun was cold. Add to that the lukewarm French fries (that tasted reheated) and you have a meal was less than mediocre. But at this point, the food was the victim of the poor service and very loud crowd of 15 millennials that had arrived and were seated immediately next to us. We may try again in the spring in the hope that, if this restaurant survives the winter, the staff will have learned the basics of service and food preparation.

Yup. This was the one.
This was the dining experience that I was hoping for when we first stopped by here.
Came by tonight and had an absolutely perfect dinner. I say perfect, because it was ab-​so-​fucking-​lutely PERFECT. At least, for how I define perfection. Your mileage may differ. But this is Unilocal,so if you’re reading this far into my review, then you’d genuinely like to hear *WHY* I thought this meal was perfect.
Their patio is actually quite huge here. We were the only ones out there (I’ve actually never seen more than about two or three other tables here at a time– people you need to GET OUT HERE AND EAT!!!), so we sat at a nice table. Our server was very nice and attentive, friendly and prompt. We ordered the wings, the steak, and a burger. Now, on my first dining experience here I’d tried their steak, and it was fine but not *great*. One thing that really tickles my pickle about this place is the fact that the owner is genuinely passionate about her establishment, and really wants to make a go of it. She’s reading these reviews and seeing what can be tweaked and fine-​tuned in order to make a better meal. That, my friends, is what I wish Unilocal was used for more frequently (less people bitching about Groupon and more people actually trying to give constructive ideas and experiences). She sent me a message to let me know that they were changing their steaks from ribeyes to center-​cut sirloins, so of course I had to come and check it out. Well, the meal was everything that I was hoping for.
First off, let me tell you about the wings. Their wings are FANTASTIC here. Easily my favorite this side of the Central Time Zone (Kansas City Airport Marriott presently reigns supreme with their dry-​rubbed wings). They have the perfect amount of crispness, with a sauce that is ACTUALLY VERY TASTY! And the dipping sauce that they come with (which is, of course, handmade, as is everything here) perfectly compliments the wing sauce that they’re tossed in. You just have to try them. Seriously. You *HAVE* to try them.
The burger was outstanding, reminiscent of a perfectly-​prepared hotel burger from a Westin which would cost twice as much. They listened to our previous reviews, and they’ve made a few tweaks here and there… FOLKS, THEIR BURGERS ARE EASILY AS GOOD AS THE ONES FROM THE GROVES (and maybe… better???). The french fries are perfectly crisp but soft on the inside. Delicious.
And the steak… the steak was exactly what I was hoping for. I’m on a bit of a red meat kick lately, so I’ve had my share of great steaks lately. This was definitely one of the better ones. The au jus which came with it was a perfect accompaniment– light and definitely not overpowering, a perfect companion to the meat.
The beers were also great. Great selection, and great recommendations. I’d type more and get into more details, but honestly right now I’m just blissfully stuffed and I want you to stop reading and start driving your ass on over to MJaye’s. They’re trying to offer you some great food, so the least that you can do is to give them the opportunity to win you over.

My wife and i have stopped in twice to eat at Mjays and both meals were good.
Their breakfast special for about 6 bucks cant be beat and the 11.00 all you can eat fish fry was pretty good. Huge fish filets fried in tempura batter with hand cut fries. The fries are delicious! Never underestimate the power of great hand cut fries. I’ve had delicious sandwiches and burgers killed by
standard frozen fries
I like this place so here’s my advice… more big screens and make sure any sporting event of note is playing.
Checkout BJ’s brewhouse… huge chain… tv’s everywhere! I know owners hate this but it is
a reality of society in America.
Maybe Sunday football specials with wings n beer deals. There are NFL games on Sunday, monday and thursday.
Keep up the good work because you are my anti snowbird go to spot! Ha ha!

We tried their brunch. I am being generous giving it 3 stars. I ordered the egg white frittata. It needed more salt and the cranberry sauce needed to be on the side because it’s a weird flavor to have on top of eggs. I choked down about a half of it then gave up. It wasn’t a good combination of flavors. The breakfast potatoes were cut up French fries that tasted like they were left over from the night before. My husband had the corned beef breakfast bowl. The corned beef was sliced sandwich meat. There were cut up French fries for the breakfast potatoes again and the egg that was supposed to be over easy was over hard. The portion was not very big, but it was only $ 8. We ordered coffee cake to share as a starter but they were out, so maybe that’s a positive for this restaurant as it must be good. The stuffed French toast looked intriguing so that might be what I try next time. I will definitely not be trying any of their egg dishes again.
The server was all by herself so service was a bit slow and our coffee and water ran out until she had time to refill our cups.
I think this restaurant has potential and should be one you try for either lunch or dinner as the menu looks good. Prices are really reasonable. The concept is nice. The outdoor patio seating is really peaceful and great for a Sunday morning. The Bloody Mary bar was great.
Again, I gave it 3 stars to help the restaurant out and because I haven’t tried anything other than breakfast. In order to become a player in a very strong Old Gilbert restaurant market, this restaurant is going to need to step up its game.

Stopped in for a quick lunch today and was happy with my choice. Seating was quick (they had just opened) and the server was super attentive and very nice. I ordered the Poutien with Bacon Gravy and it was delicious! Gravy was a tad thicker then I anticipated however the perfectly cooked fries and amazingly delicious pulled pork pulled it all together and into a wonderful dish. I plan to return because the Greek meatballs are calling to me and then of course I have to give that Pesky Turkey pesto a try. It’s local, it’s good food and not too pricey. My kind of place. The 4 stars would have been 5 if not for the décor … Or lack there of. I visited the location when the previous establishment (The Groves) was open and the décor has changed not at all. It’s a bit «empty» in feeling and a little rustic Italy and not in a great way. As they have just opened, I only hope they plan some updating and some décor that will make for a bit more of an inviting space. Give it a shot though … The food and service are wonderful!

Bonus! Not only are we within walking distance but this Pub has friendly staff, good food, cold beer, great happy hour and a large patio! We sat at the bar our first time here, enjoyed a refreshing beer while we watched some football as we waited for our Cajun Pasta and Steak. The pasta had amazing flavor (not to spicy) and the steak was cooked exactly how we ordered it, and oooohh the mashed potatoes :). It took a little while to receive our food but we weren’t in a hurry, we will be back!