Mulligan's Grill — Restaurant in Ellisville

I want to start by saying that I hope and assume the owners and managers will read this:

I tipped $10 on $15 for this meal.

I have been a server multiple times at different levels of restaurants. Earlier this year I served at an upscale steakhouse with a PPA of $75, for 6 months. I made money hand over fist, more than the rest of the 98% female serving staff.

THIS was arguably the single worst dining experience I can remember in my life. From start to finish, I was appalled.

It's a place with higher end clientele. Got it. Me and my coworker were obviously blue collar workers stopping in around 12 for lunch. Any server worth their salt would have pegged us as a turn and burn table. Quick in, quick out. Quick money! They would have assumed we were hourly employees who are either on a paid lunch and wanting to move efficiently to not steal time or off the clock and wanting to get back on the clock as soon as possible.

We were seated and waited about 5 minutes before being greeted.

Any employee I made eye contact with quickly averted their eyes.

Our drink orders, tea and water, were taken. We were ready to order, but weren't even asked. Our server must have been in the weeds(super busy). Not the end of the world. We waited another few minutes, she dropped off our drinks, and left without a word. So fast that I couldn't even stop her to say that we were ready to order. We were frustrated. Let it slide.

Again, any employee I made eye contact with quickly averted their eyes. Being actively ignored will be a continuing theme of my experience.

After our waitress dropped our drinks, without asking if we were ready to order(THE standard moment that every customer is typically asked about their main order) and hurried to the kitchen, she came out a minute later to deliver a pre-entree soup. Not sure why a coworker didn't run that for her. Maybe each server always makes and runs their own soups and salads, as I've experienced before. A broken way to run a restaurant.

Safety first, teamwork second. Always.

Teamwork makes the dream work.

These aren't just platitudes. They are HOW any business should be ran.

So, we waited some more. She eventually came and got our order.

We waited.

An older woman not wearing any sort of uniform delivered our food without asking how everything looked and if there was anything else we needed for our meal. I hurriedly stopped her before she left to ask for ketchup for my fries, mayo for my burger, and mustard. She pointed out the condiments on the table and went and got me mayo. Didn't ask if there was anything else. Just dropped it off.

My waffle fries were ROOM temperature. Not warm from sitting under a heat lamp. The fries were plated way before the burger and they SAT.

At this point, my patience is used up. I am hoping to catch someone's attention without having to literally wave my hand in their face as they walk by. Unfortunately, that's what I had to do. Actually flag down my server to tell her that my fries are cold and I would like some fresh ones.

2 minutes or 2 bites. That's the industry standard for checking on a table after the entrees are delivered. We received neither.

My experience was not completely my server's fault. It was mostly her coworker's and manager's faults. Nobody at this establishment has even a hint of team mentality. It's every man for himself, or in this case, herself. My server had a FULL section and couldn't rely on any of her coworkers OR managers to help keep THEIR guests happy.

I was a guest of Mulligan's. Not just of the server who's section I sat in.

Also, the burger was hot, but bland and tasted unseasoned.

My experience could be a one-off. I could be wrong about everything I've written. But, that does not negate the reality of what I experienced. My coworker regularly frequents there, which is why we chose it. Said he only ever sits at the bar, so he never had to experience this terrible table service.

Owners and managers, I am not trying to attack you or your business. My goal is to give helpful constructive...

I am not a fan of sports bars or golf. Golf is probably my favorite thing to fall asleep too. So when I walked into this place I did not have high expectations. They were busy in a Saturday afternoon, but that's not a bad sign. The menu is bigger than you would think. Prices are decent. This place gave me the vibe of, "what if Applebees had a heart and a brain?" My food was good. The waffle fries were fresh and tasty. My french dip sandwich had good flavor and a generous portion of au juus. The beer cheese soup was interesting. It tastes like a cup of cheese, with similar consistency. This is not a bad thing. I recommend to anyone to dip their waffle or french fries in this soup. It was delightful. My one gripe: the meal names. It's like something you expect from a restaurant on a gold course. I know this place is near a golf course, but it's in a strip mall. Cutesy names for your food that have very little to do with the actual dish are frustrating for patrons and what I imagine are a logistical nightmare for staff. Nearly every menu item had a golf related name. It's not amusing, and my aging parents could not remember what it is they wanted to order, or what they ordered. They didnt know you had a french dip on the menu until I pointed it out - "The Matchie" or something. The bread was sort of bland and a bit much at the same time. One or two menu items with a golf-y name is cute. Nearly the entire menu is excessive. The restaurant otherwise was clean and not too noisy. The waitress was efficient. Several different sports channels were on the many mounted TV screens. If you want a decent meal and feel like reading the entire menu from front to back, I recommend this place. Think of the lost time from folks reading their menu! That's time you could be spending flipping tables and seating more hungry customers. Next time I go, I'll have an order of "golf cart" with a side of "caddyshack" or something.

In summary, go ahead and give this place a try if you end up having the misfortune of traveling down Manchester street for an extended period. That...

We were in the neighborhood for the night and this place popped up. If you follow me you know I like a mom and pop shop.

So golf themed foyer filled with family pictures. Absolutely loved that, sat in the foyer as we waited (quoted 35 min, sat in 5) Attire of customers matched the theme khakis and collared polo shirts everywhere, lol. Place was crowded, our server Morgan was great! Drinks were strong.

Once we were sat our server Morgan B. promptly greeted us. My favorite thing about her was the literal table touch, everytime she spoke to us she touched the table, as a server I like the acknowledgement. We ordered wings of course, they came out super fast!! Here is my breakdown on that... love that they came out so quick but have these questions.... are so many ordered they are always ready? Are they just re fried a few times? Because some come out quite small... or are they just overly blanched? Besides those questions the taste was overall good. Sauce is housemate and the only one, but again, good.

Salad came out quick, just cheese and tomato, we asked for no onion I do believe. The big guy had a steak sandwhich and was quite impressed. The cheese melted on it was great and he was please with the thinness of the steak that it was still cooked ro order, great job. I had a Philly per Morgan's suggestion. It was alright, not bad, but would probably try something else next time. Drinks were strong, we both only needed one.

We will definitely go again if ever...