CJ's Pub — Restaurant in South Bend

Was turned on to CJ's by a local last fall. Have returned multiple times. It's a "must stop here" when we're in town.

Yes, I'm still the person who prefers appetizers for her meal. CJ's did not disappoint!! I ordered the waffle fries and Irish Nachos. (Go Irish!)

The waffle fries are fresh cut, crispy, fluffy bites of fried potato heaven. Do not pass on waffle fries. Substitute them for chips if you're having a burger. Portions are generous.

This was my first time having the Irish nachos. They are now on my "must order when at CJ's" list. Instead of nacho chips, heaping,thick slices of potatoes anchor this dish. Potatoes are cooked and served in a hot serving dish (Warning: It's still quite warm to-the-touch) to soft, potato heaven. They are then smothered with melted cheese, topped with jalapeno slices, chopped raw red onions, crumbled bacon bits and chopped tomatoes. Mmm, mmm, mmm, mmm good. Generous portion. I ordered the half order to share with the table. Have plenty of leftovers to warm up later.

The other two in my party ordered burgers. Burgers are what CJ's is known for. (They've been reviewed in numerous publications. ) I've had them on my previous visits. They have so many options to choose from, or make your own. Speaking from previous trips, they are delicious and tremendous. Unless you're a big eater, recommend splitting a regular. They also serve a cubby (5 oz) which is perfect for a normal eater, with a side of waffle fries, of course.

Ended up canceling my order of waffle fries and snitching off my friends plate!

Lots of beers on tap. Since Long Island tea was the special, I had one. Yum. Think lemonade/tea combo. If you prefer tart drinks, which I do, I highly recommend.

The bar itself is large and and just what you'd expect from a local, well established pub in South Bend. Warm wood, large bar runs down one side. Tables fill up the remaining. Warm wood paneling covers the opposite side of the space (where you can see it. Large screen TVs are located throughout the bar. But the most interesting part of the decor is the ND photos and memorabilia over-the-years. Very fun place to check out the cool, vibe.

Rumor has it that after 11 pm on Thursdays night, the bar fills with a college crowd. We left a little...

Well, it certainly didn't live up to the hype, although my visit was a while ago.

The appetizer of Irish Nachos was good (best thing all evening, I'd say). They were loaded with all the toppings & goodies.

Burger was a fair size, but certainly overcooked & dry, even with my topping. Got the JALAPENO POPPER - Jalapenos, cream cheese, cheddar & bacon bits. Still dry. Onion rings good, not great, but good.

No one in our party thought their burgers were excellent. Oh well.

Service was ok. Had to keep getting up for silverware as none was brought or on the tables. Had to get up & steal an ashtray from another table. Server was half friendly and ok.

Considering the place was deserted on a Wednesday night, one would think the service could be better and the food would have been perfect, since they didn't have any other orders to take care of.

Overall, I'm not in a hurry to get back, but I won't go out of my way to avoid it if someone else...

I was supposed to go to an ND home game but hurt my leg so I went with friends but did not go to the game (because I couldn't walk far). Watched the game here at CJ's. They have Peacock which is where the game was broadcast. I had a bacon cheese burger that comes with chips ($17), and a basket of fries (because I asked for fries) and two draft (small) miller lite beers. My tab was $35 (?). The burger was very good and honestly you could share it because it's probably more than a half pound burger. The fries were excellent and I got a basket but it was too much for me by myself. The lady who was behind the bar was friendly but not super attentive. Had to flag her down for more sauce. There were about 9 people in the whole bar during game day so not great atmosphere. If you want a quiet place to go during the game where you can't see what down it is or how much time is left (the refrigerators hide the bottoms of the TV) - this...