MJ's on German DeliCafe — Restaurant in Shepherdstown

I waited a few days to write this because I wanted to ensure it was not written out of anger and expressed factually and calmly. Let me start by saying, their food is good, we actually ordered catering from them for my baby shower this past summer. That being said, they are consistently slow, even when they are not busy. When we go in, I only go in when I know we have ample time so as to not have to rush them. The other day I called in a veggie sandwich because as a new breastfeeding Mom I was very hungry and needed to grab something to eat before I had to pick up my daughter on my way back from the doctors. I called when I was about 30min away figuring that should be more then enough time. I was told it would take 20 minutes. I showed up once 20 minutes had passed, went to pay and was told it was not ready. Now I was a bit frustrated and simply said "do you know how long it will take because I can't wait 10 minutes, I have to get my daughter from daycare" . I was not rude at all just matter of fact. The owner then buts in and says "it will only be 3 min it's being made now" then looks behind him and tells the man to get the veggie sandwich asap. So clearly - not already being made. So I pay & wait. 6ish minutes goes by and the owner calls my name, I go to get my food and he asks me the time. I tell him the time, the then proceeds to raise his voice and tell me that he made my sandwich in 18 minutes. As I begin to walk out I am shocked at how utterly rude he just was so I turn around and say "No - I called at 12:24, it's now 12:50" he then proceeds to tell me, again loudly and with an attitude " well I didn't get the order until 12:31". Now things happen and they were busy, whatever. But it's not my problem as a customer that the order was put in 6 minutes after I called it in. Maybe because its a small town with limited options they think its OK to treat people this way. I told him his customer service was incredibly rude and then he attempted to play it off "I was just messing with you". He was not. His behavior was unprofessional at best. They are consistently rude, consistently late and rarely smile. If you can not handle the pressure of the food industry then don't be in it. I by no means believe the mantra "The customer is always right" - but excuse me, there is no reason it should take that long for a mashed avocado sandwich. The idea that as a customer I literally factor in how slow they are when I order is crazy enough, to then be disrespected as such on top of it is disgusting. I don't care that we live in a small town with limited options. Have some class. We will never give them business again nor recommend them. We will also be sure to tell all of our airbnb guests to not go there. They will probably be fine because again small town but hopefully this is a clear lesson on how not to treat people.

*UPDATE TO OWNER RESPONSE * I was so rude an abrasive in the 45 seconds that I spoke?? I sighed because who takes 30 minutes to make an uncooked sandwich and I said " do you know how long its going to take? I can't wait 10minutes as I have to get my daughter from daycare". My voice was not raised, unlike the owners. Furthermore your response shows how absolutely CHILDISH you are. Are you passively threatening me? Want to bring my kids into it. How utterly unprofessional can you be. Also - learn how to read. I actually called your food good, which was the ONLY reason I had continued to go there. Literally EVERYONE I know comments on how nasty the service is there. It's known. I am actually KINDER then I should be because I worked in NYC restaurant's for 14years. I KNOW what it takes and how to handle busy. I also know how awful it is when someone is demeaning. I've been on the receiving end. So as I said, yes I was frustrated but I was not disrespectful. Check yourself. Where were you during that conversation? Taking 20min to make a tea in the back? Also where did I say I left my baby in the car? She was with my husband in the car. Like what are you even trying to do. What an utterly...

I think I could easily round this to a 4.5, but four seems more appropriate than five, so here we are. We ordered two kids grilled cheeses, the grinder, and the turkey sandwich, and all were tasty, but just missing that one thing that would take it over the top. The iced matcha, and the orange cream smoothies were both good but again nothing that made you say I absolutely have to return. The bread in the grilled cheese was phenomenal, but the cheese seemed just OK, and there was no pulling of the cheese so it never hit that masterful cheese excellence. The servers were extremely nice, and not only checked on us continuously, but also make sure that we were comfortable with our meals, and that one particular sandwich that we had requested to be heated was indeed heated. The restaurant gives off a cute country kitchen vibe, I think they were using fiesta Ware, so the theme is all aligned, again Just missing those little touches that would take the food over the top. Even the chips, and recognizing it's a large lift, it's important to note that a house made chip tastes so different from a chip that comes out of a bag, and the chip came out of the bag and still didn't taste extremely fresh, But all in all they were so kind. So if you are looking for a deli, it's not...

I started my day with an early hike at Harper’s Ferry, I decided to stop by MJ’s in Shepherdstown for breakfast—best decision I could have made! I ordered the Nona breakfast sandwich, which featured roasted red pepper, aged white cheddar, double egg, basil pesto aioli, all perfectly nestled in a soft Bolivar brioche bun. Every bite was as mouthwatering as it sounds—truly a culinary masterpiece.

After a few hours of hiking, I couldn’t resist returning to MJ’s for a late lunch, this time trying their Italian sub. Once again, they delivered an exceptional meal (called the grinder) —fresh ingredients, bold flavors, and everything made with care.

Beyond the incredible food, the service was outstanding. Melissa and Skyler were warm, attentive, and made sure everything was perfect. Special shoutout to Jordan in the kitchen, who prepared everything with chef-level precision.

From start to finish, it was an unforgettable day in Shepherdstown, and MJ’s played a huge role in that. Five stars, no question—this is a...