One word: LONESTAR. After hearing it talked up by a friend, I visited CJ's and took the suggestion to try the Lonestar with extra jalapenos. AMAZING. It is a huge burger, and honestly the best burger I have ever had in my lifetime. Very worth the visit - you will not be disappointed. read more

After all the hype, we finally went to CJs Pub for burgers and beer. It didnt disappoint. The place is plastered in Notre Dame swag. Thats to be expected in a sports bar located in South Bend. Theres a pool table, clean but very small bathrooms. I ordered the little cubbie burger ( crappy name) with cheese, grilled onions, BBQ and lettuce, tomato and mushroom. That particular night the special is a cubbie burger with all the topics you want so I went all out. I got fries with them which tasted like typical fries. Still, I left quite satisfied as it was just enough food. My only complaint with the service was that the waitress didnt ask how I like my burger cooked. Luckily it was well done enough for me. CJs didnt have much on imported draft beers but the standard beers are here. Word of advice: Look and see what the specials are any particular night. You can save some money. read more

A more typical bar in appearance with pretty solid burgers and sandwiches. The bigger size option is pretty large and will be almost too much for most. read more

I have been hearing rave reviews about this place from my Notre Dame alumni friends for years. Finally after going to a Notre Dame game we got to check this place out. They recently had moved to their new location and opening with a lot more seating space than before. They are known for their burgers and the great number of combination's of toppings they put with them. Mine had sour cream, jalapenos, and cheese on it! It was DELICIOUS! Big, thick and juicy burgers with a secret seasoning that is to die for! The burgers are a hearty heart portion and I felt full after half but it was so good I had to eat more. If this place was in Chicago then I would be eating here at least once a week! read more

We were devastated when we heard that CJ's Pub had burned down earlier this year ... and so when we heard that they had rebuilt and were reopening for business this fall we were thrilled! We made our annual football weekend Friday night pilgrimage to CJ's for beer and burgers, and the new establishment is better than ever. They were actually so crowded that they ran out of wings .. .but promptly sent someone out for more and the problem was solved immediately. We are thrilled to see the old place back up and running again and highly recommend a Friday night stop ... or a post game visit to CJ's Pub while you are in South Bend for a Notre Dame game. A must enjoy football weekend tradition! Cheers! Lisa read more

This place is huge. Went for the first time after a ND football game on a recommendation from a fellow fan. Walked right in without a wait. They seem kind of power trippy on where you sit. It took some banter between two of the front ladies for about 3 minutes to decide where we would actually end up. Went for the traditional burgers with fries. Damn. So good. Super moist burger with the perfect amount of seasoning. They have burger making down. Tons of sports memorabilia on the walls. B-ball arcade games in the corner. read more

This place is a bit of a hike off ND's campus. Wife and I went here on a Friday night on a Notre Dame football weekend. it was very easy to get a table but we opted just to sit at the bar. Basically we just came for some drinks but we decided to get wings. we ordered a dozen mild wings and they were pretty good. Thee EXPENSIVE though. $15 for twelve wing dings?? C'mon man. Atmosphere was average. It was smokey which I didn't like very much. My wife had three drinks and I had three drinks as well. With the wings the total bill came to $38. It's a place I'll go back to ill be honest. Just don't expect to be blown away. read more

For a burger, fries and onion rings, you cannot beat CJ's. My favorites are Bubba burger with BBQ sauce and grilled onions. Burgers are extra thick and delicious. Also, I highly recommend ordering a basket of "half and half". Half french fries and half onion rings. I would definitely recommend sharing the basket among friends. The onion rings are extra thick and in a delicious beer batter. read more

Randomly stopped into this bar on our way home from The Grateful Dead shows in Chicago... Instantly greeted with warm welcomes from the staff... My favorite part besides the food and drinks which were delicious (we tried a burger, the famous wings which the sauce was so good, and one of the chicken sandwiches that was on point) but let me get to my favorite part The Bartender Barb she was the nicest friendliest bartender I've had she made me feel at home.. Thanks again Barb!!! This is a must visit!!!!! read more

Such a wide variety of burgers! They have dozens of varieties and sizes for any sort of taste/appetite. My favorite place to get a burger in town. Also have a great sports bar feel that is great for watching any big sporting event. read more

I'll be honest, if you're looking for a great townie burger/bar, this is the place for you. Even though, I will forewarn that I hear on Friday Nights there tend to be a lot of students who frequent this place after 10:00pm. Now to the review! For some reason I have a secret love for bars with a vast variety of fried foods and cheap beer. When I first went to CJ's, I found the menu overwhelming, and I won't lie a little bit intimidating to look at but I will say since then they've updated their menu to look a little bit more appealing to the eye. Their burgers are awesome, probably my favorite burger place in South Bend because they are hand made and have just enough seasoning than just your plain burger. The patties are nice and big, and definitely can be a filling meal by itself. I've also had their wings, and I will say their wings are my favorite place for wings as of yet. They're not breaded but perfectly deep fried and coated in their home made sauces. My personal favorite sauce is the Savory and Sweet sauce that they usually serve with their dumplings. I always get my wings with the Half and Half order of Waffle fries and onion rings. I'm not sure if it's something in their oil or the batter, but it just has a taste that is rather addicting! (Than again, maybe that's just fried food in general.) To be brief, I highly recommend this place if you're looking for a townie kind of night with cheap beer and a good burger or fried food. read more

Good burger...huge burgers! I got the Cubbie burger which is smaller but still enough to satisfy. The burgers are not grilled but fried so it makes them super juicy and flavorful. It came with fries that, wah wah, were previously frozen. the house salad was also a little generic. It was a huge salad and they didnt offere anything smaller. I only wanted a small side salad to go with my burger but only had an option of a $5.99 salad. The atmosphere seemed pretty standard for a college town bar/burger joint. Sports decor, TVs, darts.... Our waiter was very cool and friendly. read more

Is CJ's permanently departed from South Bend (or anywhere, for that matter)? Supposedly it's been closed for a while now. I made but one trip to the burger mecca that most ND students and SB locals have patronized dozens of times. A tasty burger, but not quite the culinary paradise that others have made it out to be. If they turn up again, I'll certainly try them again. read more

Why am I giving four stars to a college bar, where three out of 12 tap lines offer Natty Light? Because they make some pub food that is well above average for anywhere. Grilled chicken sandwiches are perfectly cooked, remaining juicy and tender in the middle and are placed on top of fresh hamburger buns. Somebody went to the farmers market to get the thick, fresh slice of tomato on top of it. Burgers are also great here. Sweet and spicy wings are perfectly fried with just the right bit of tang to balance the heat. However, the hottest wings were inedible for my mild tastes and are only for those with a high tolerance for heat; I couldn't even finish one. Although Natty Light is in good supply, there are also some craft taps that should allow craft snobs to survive. I saw a couple Bells taps (Oberon, and Two Hearted) plus a couple of other names. Service was friendly, accommodating, and jovial as our party bounced around to play pool and the various bar games, and to watch college football. Normally, that's a nightmare for servers, but not here. No wonder the walls are covered with pictures of college kids having a blast. Next time you are in town visiting Notre Dame, swing by. read more

I loved this place. Very good burger. I had the 10oz burger with Swiss cheese and bacon. I just had the chips but stole a couple of waffle fries from my friend -- they are also great. The finishing touch is when the brought me a Vodka soda and it was mad with Tito's. Tito's is the best vodka in the world made in Austin, TX. Seeing my Dad's and Mom's old stomping grounds. (Dad was the "Golden Domer" at ND '51 and Mom was SMC '53). Having a great burger. Finishing it with an awesome cocktail. What a truly fun evening!!! I APOLOGIZE AS THE STARS ARE BROKEN I GIVE IT 4.5 STARS!!! read more

Best burgers in the area, without a doubt. I can't think of a place in the area that comes close to their burgers.

Nice bar, good prices, but the most important thing is that they have the best burger in Michiana, hands down. Enough said.

Love those Pub Burgers! I try to get in there as often as I can. The burgers are awesome and the waffle fries are perfect for scooping up ketchup. I've been going to CJ's since the late 80's at the old location. If you're from out of town, you can't visit Notre Dame without stopping in for a meal. read more

CJs has been around forever. The burgers are good, service is slow and sometimes unfriendly. Ive noticed if I go with a specific friend who is somewjat of a regular we get enthusiastic service. if I show up with my wife once every 6 mos its like we are bothering the wait staff. read more

It's typical pub food with the added bonus of home made soups, free popcorn great lunch specials and a very fun staff. Prices are very reasonable as well. read more

Their name is fantastic. I've never actually eaten there, but I can tell they have fantastic food and service based on their name.

My favorite place in the northern part of the state. The wings are the best I've ever had, the burgers are great, and the rest of their menu is just as good. Have always had great experiences with the staff as well. CJs will always have me as a regular customer. read more

$5 cover charge for a college town bar without live music? Really? And still charging a half hour before closing. I'm calling BS on that. It's a dump anyway. read more

Disappointed. I used to love this place. I came back last weekend and was seated next two a table with a guy smoking and another vaping. Yuck! The burger took 35 minutes from when we placed our order and arrived as an overcooked, dry baseball-shaped meat pile. I had to drown it in ketchup to make it barely edible. Not going back. read more

Best burger in south bend. I frequently attend notre dame football games and a CJ burger is a must have. Also a fun bar to drink at night after the game. read more

The two times I've been here, there were only about a handful of people. The people that work there are somewhat interesting to talk to. Nice and accommodating. CJs Irish Nachos were awesome though! Potatoes smothered with cheddar cheese, bits of bacon, etc. I love potatoes and cheddar cheese so if you do too, get it! :D Other than that, I'm not sure about their other items, but I hear that they have really good burgers. read more

3 D's Dissatisfied. Disappointed. Dirty. If you are looking for a good cheeseburger this is not the place. We ordered a stuffed burger and there was hardly any cheese inside. Only 3 other tables occupied at the time and still waited over 40 minutes for 1 burger and waffle fries served on a paper plate. Will not go back. read more

I specifically made a Yelp account for this "pub". I went on Yelp to see what some good burger places are in South Bend after the ND game and read a review that said CJs was the best burger and and I also read just go to Five Guys. I should have went to Five Guys. The burger was bland and tasteless, the bun was barely fresh, and they charged $4 for bacon which between that and the store bought BBQ is the only thing that made me be able to choke this thing down. Service was good and had jukebox and games. Maybe I just wandered too far off campus but I will not be going back nor will I recommend. The 2 stars are for the luke warm draft beer I had and the waitress. read more

I got a wrap expecting it would be mediocre because I never like plain ole chicken wraps. It was PHENOMENAL. Love CJ's pub!!

Overpriced and overcooked burgers and fries (that are not included). Not to mention both times I've been here to eat the waitstaff has been incredibly slow and just flat out ignored us. Takes an extremely long time just to get a simple burger order out or to pay our bill. Meanwhile we can see the entire waitstaff gabbing around the bar like customers do not even exist. Have also had extremely poor experiences with the manager. Tried to have ND students out here for a night out and my attempts at communication were again flat out ignored. Even after giving notice that we would be at CJ's on a particular night, we show up to find out they are closed. Will not be patronizing this "pub" for a meal or a drink any time soon. Too bad because they purport to support the ND community, but I guess not... read more

Checked out the menu before myself and a few others grabbed drinks and dinner. Was looking forward to their food and multiple vegetarian options. Unfortunately it was a ND football weekend which means they have a smaller menu, with higher prices, and no vegetarian options. Most likely will not be returning, especially on a football weekend. read more

There is a lot to be desired with this place. Lunch time it took awhile for our server to get us drinks and menus. Then after ordering, the food took a lot longer than usual at other places. Server didn't check in in us for refills. Food was ok but I can't see how the burgers are famous. Coworker had a chicken sammy and it was dry. I won't be returning. read more

Came in on a Monday evening when school was out of session and the place was pretty dead, which is to be expected. Sat at the bar and got great service from the bartender who helped pick out a tasty beer and took our food order. Burgers took a little while longer than I would think for how few people were in the place but holy cow mine was good. Waffle fries (an up charge for 1.99) were excellent as well. Would definitely come back, hopefully another time when there is a game on and a little more excitement. read more

The Lone Star burger and CJs Famous chili! Food was good, service was good, atmosphere ok, kinda divish.

Honestly, the simple cheese burger with a fried egg and everything on it was one of the greatest, most scrumptious burgers I have ever had, and I've had a plethora of burgers in my lifetime. I know many people who come here just for the bar, but please don't leave without ordering a burger. read more

They only get three stars for a good Bacardi and Coke at a fair price. Living in this area all my life I always heard everyone praise their burgers. The wife and I went twice, first time was awesome! Great burger and fries were possibly the best I've ever had. Second visit showed the unfortunate ugliness of extreme inconsistency. It was the worst $25 I have ever spent in my life. Being a long standing business in our city I never expected it. We work too hard, and value our dollars too much to ever give it away on a chance there again. Second time = really that bad. read more

Nothing special here as it relates to food. Had the four horsemen burger with a potato wedge/onion ring mix. The burger tasted more like meatloaf than a burger and the potato wedge/onion rings were super greasy. Perfect food if you are drunk, but not so much if casually drinking or sober. I would rate CJ's two stars if based purely on food, but the wait staff were all really nice and outgoing and the beer was tasty :D read more

Its a clean new establishment with plenty of friendly faces. The hamburgers are big, juicey, and lots of toppings. This is the place for good drinks and food anytime your in South Bend! read more

Used to go here on the way to the library. Odd atmosphere, guess it heats up at nite with the idiot ND crowd.Food way overpriced, geared for Domer daddies titanium cards. Burgers not bad, tad greasy.Daytime cjs much different than nitetime cjs.Liked it for a bit, won't go there again. The best thing about this place is that a few years ago somebody punched spoiled mommas' boy Jimmy Clausen in the face for being an arrogant dickhead, a black eye resulted! Yea Cjs! Hate the homeless begging in front of the place, but they do that all over downtown. read more

The atmosphere here is usually terrible, unless you go on 'game day' when it will be absolutely packed with ND fans. The place is an absolute dump and should probably be bull dozed to the ground. But.... The Burgers are INCREDIBLE. I'll stop any time that I am in South Bend. read more