MudLounge — Restaurant in Springfield

Given the very subjective tastes of coffee lovers, I usually don't go too deeply into the quality of the product in my reviews unless it's in the form of a warning. This is not the case for the Mud House; if you like coffee, you'll probably find something on their menu you like (it's the same people as the nearby Mud House), including options with various liqueurs.

First, know up front that though they serve coffee, this is a bar/lounge at heart, so past a certain point in the evening, you must be over 21 to get in. Not a great thing for the younger set, but it can be a blessed oasis for us old curmudgeons who value a place to chat that is devoid of high schoolers.

There are different types of seating, including tall chairs at the bar, standard restaurant two- and four-tops, a pair of long tables, and couches/lounge chairs with coffee tables where you can share a cheese platter or fondue. There is also outdoor seating in the back. Depending on the size of your party and whether there is an event going on downtown, you might want to show up early since it can be interesting finding seating late in the evening.

I mostly get coffee, but friends have ordered beers and cocktails, and I've yet to hear a complaint about the selection (beer) or quality (cocktails). Both are a shade on the expensive side, but no more than pretty much anywhere else downtown.

Unless you plan on walking up to the bar, I would not recommend going to this place for a quick drink if you have a deadline. After all, it is a lounge, and depending on how many people are there, it might take several minutes for someone to take your order. That said, I've never experienced what I consider bad service, and the waiters/bartenders/baristas/whatever they are have almost always been notably pleasant and friendly.

The atmosphere depends on the crowd, but tends to stay on the relaxed side. Lighting is kept low, and the walls are all exposed brick with subdued and modern-ish decoration. Background music is kept low enough to stay in the background, and while the place can get a bit loud when it's standing room only, it doesn't morph into a stereotypical college town bar. There have been times the ambient noise made conversation more difficult, but those occurrences have been rare.

Overall, it is one of my favorite Springfield places to get drinks and hang out with a few friends or simply read while enjoying a...

I’ve always spoken highly of MudLounge, so I was excited to visit again for a bachelorette party. Unfortunately, this visit did not live up to past experiences.

Our group of six ordered one fishbowl, but the staff accidentally brought two. We started drinking from both before they came back and took one away—without an apology or even asking if we wanted to keep it. It felt abrupt and unprofessional.

Later, one of us accidentally unplugged an outlet near the couches, but we plugged it back in within seconds. Despite this, the waiter immediately cut us off and said we’d only be served water. This was shocking, considering we had been there for less than 10 minutes, and the waitress had barely checked on us.

Overall, the lack of professionalism and hospitality made for a disappointing experience. I’ve always enjoyed MudLounge in the past, but after this visit, I won’t be in a...

It was great!! Was in there with my daughter (that just turned 21), my boyfriend, and a friend. The waitresses brought a fishbowl for my daughter and friend to try. Then a pineapple upside down cake to drink for myself. Then a few more other drinks. Then a coconut cream pie drink that came in this cool looking glass! Looked like a Tiki glass. I went to go to the bathroom and ppl were standing in the way. I asked them to move twice and the still wouldn't move. The bartender asked them to move, they moved out of the way. When I came back and thanked the bartender. Which he told me that sometimes when your drunk you only hear what you want to hear ( or something like that ... Lol). So thanks to an awesome time due not only to the family and friend, but to the bartender and the...