Chef has amazing culinary skills. Great presentation of food. Fast service and awesome food. We'll worth the money. read more

M & J Bistro - New American Near Me - Tracy, California

The Restaurant and the food is awesome. Professional and friendly staff and we will be returning. I told all of my friends about this place. It's worth the drive to Tracy. Kudos the owner. read more

So the customer service was really good. I wish the waiters worked somewhere where the food tasted better. My boyfriend and I like to try all the restaurants in Tracy, but this one was very disappointing. Both of us agreed that we left unsatisfied and it actually kind of hurt my stomach. They seem to have a lot of regulars but I guess this restaurant just wasn't for us. read more

This is a hidden gem in Tracy. Food was really good, customer service was friendly, the only reason I gave 4 stars was that we felt the bus boy was constantly watching us and came by the table 7-8 times, but didn't say anything (just stared at the table). If he slowed that down and let us enjoy being together it would be 5 stars. Teriyaki steak was amazing. read more

We were very disappointed of the food, we never had steaks that tough (non marbled) and we ask for medium rare but we got well done , almost charmed , with literally three spears of asparagus and dry mashed potatoes. Bad experience. read more

A little piece of San Francisco with Tracy personality! The food and surrounding are always amazing. read more

M & J Bistro - May 8th is both of their birthdays! Happy Birthday to you each! - New American Near Me - Tracy, California

I rarely write reviews but this place is worth the effort. 1st I have to mention my 12 year old is the one who requested we try this place. When I realized it wasn't downtown with the other Bistro's I was skeptical. Well I have to admit I was very wrong to judge it by the location. M&J Bistro is a truest example of a hidden gem! The food was top notch, better than any other Bistro I've been to here or even the East Bay. The Main courses were so flavorful and the sauces , OMG the sauces I wanted to lick my plate. The Deserts let me suggest to , order at least 2 or 3 because they are quite literally the perfect end to a great meal. The one that literally made me giggle with delight at 1st bite was the Nutty buddy Crepe! Seriously I giggled out loud it made my taste buds so happy!! Chocolate and peanut butter with chocolate sauce and crunchy peanut half's sprinkled on top of that elegant chocolate crepe!!! It was truly Devine we had 3 other beautiful deserts but this one stole the show!! The part of the whole experience tonight that will forever have me coming back is the man who took care of us from seating to check out, that man was Jason, he had a warmth and excitement for the menu offerings, he kept our glasses full, our eyes delighted with beautiful plates and great menu suggestions, he spoke to our daughter with grace and kindness a young lady deserves, making her feel special because dinner was her choice, and she knew she had chosen well. At the end of the night we discovered Jason was the owner, and quite honestly, he worked with energy and passion like he was fresh on the job trying to prove himself. He was the sunshine in the building and the food offerings were the rays warming our bellies! Thank you M&J Bistro for a very memorable evening, we will be back! read more

Great place to go for lunch, dinner, happy hour or whatever special event you got going on. Everyone there is super friendly esp the owner. I've been there quite a few times and all the food and drinks I've had were all good. read more

Had a great time today at MJ Bistro. Girls lunch and great time. The food was great and the drink of the day was wonderful!

The place wasn't very busy, but the service was slow. The manager was loud that we could hear him across the restaurant schmoozing the "regulars". We could tell because he never stopped to check on us, but walked passed our table. The one time the waiter did come by to check on us, he asked us how we were doing mid-bite. Food was okay, and the drinks were meh. read more

Very welcoming environment with delicious food. Beautiful presentation from appetizer, entrees to dessert. The best food in Tracy that no other place offers in town. For example shaved potatoes with cheese sauce appetizer. Simple, delicious and no greasy fried taste. Side salad to start. Raspberry vinaigrette taste homemade and they serve spring mix with black olives and picked bell peppers. Nice flavor combination and wakes up your palette. Ordered the Chilean Salmon, it was cooked perfectly, moist and flavorful on top of creamy mashed potatoes and topped with cooked spinach and crispy onions. At first impression i thought it was a small serving but it's very rich and full of flavor and is very filling. Perfect portion! Also ordered prawn fettuccine. Again beautiful presentation and tasted really good. Finished with banana walnut caramel crepe, comes with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Crepe was cooked perfectly and all together it was the perfect dessert, not too sweet but sweet enough to satisfy. Great atmosphere and very friendly owner along with bartender, cooks and waiter. Very nice evening spent at M&J Bistro and overall perfect dining experience. read more

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My only regret is that we didn't try this Bistro sooner. The food was outstanding as was the presentation and the service. The steak was filet in the steak salad and it was as good as Ruth Chris's filet. The sweet chili shrimp appetizer was batter dipped and fried like tempura and very tasty. My husband's shrimp and lobster ravioli were deconstructed, all in a Parmesan cheese sauce. He loved it! The dessert! We chose crepe Neapolitan, lucky us. The prices were very reasonable. We will return soon. read more

I ate here last week for lunch ordering the french onion soup and lobster crepes (one regular and one gluten free). All was really good but I got the crepes to go. I didn't end up getting to it for a couple of days but OMG it was amazing. The service was really good and attentive as well. read more

This was our first time to go order for Mother's Day. The teriyaki sirloin with prawns, filet mignon with lobster tail... less off the chain. Top off with chocolate cake, Nancy said a little too much butter cream, yet amazing. Jason, Brian and the rest of the team did an excellent job with our order. On a scale of 1-10, 10 being the best, I give them a 15!!!Well done guys. read more

My mother, sister, and I had lunch here today for my birthday and we were very pleased with our experience. The interior of the restaurant is quite beautiful, and the service was great. Not only did the food look good but it also tastes amazing. It was nice to see the staff interact with their regular customers (there were quite a few there). I will definitely be coming back to M & J Bistro. read more

After learning of this place 3 years ago we finally decided to give it a try...all I can say is WOW! This place is amazing! The food was so good and the service was top notch as well. We ordered the Empanadas and Chile Shrimp for appetizers and both were delicious. For our lunch/dinner we ordered Prawn Fettucini which was also delucious and came with a House Salad. The is definitely my favorite in Tracy and looking forward to going here again with family and friends a GEM in a strip mall...who would have known read more

the food is sooo good, the filet mignon and the ribeye both were super soft and tasty. not only was the food amazing but the service was awesome as well. i have been here multiple times but today made me write a review because my gf and i were both satisfied with M&J Bistro! for sure going back!! read more

M & J Bistro - M&J Ribeye Filet Mignon - New American Near Me - Tracy, California

I wish i could post minus stars! Owner condoning customers to park in fire lane... I advised a patron that he should park in open customer parking... If there was a need for emergency services; they would be blocking access... The owner came out and screamed in my face that i should "mind my own business!" I explained that i was very familiar with the traffic laws... He then told me "get the F... Out of there" such a shame... Tracy has few good restaurants. This owner has destroyed my faith in trying locally owned/operated establishments. DO NOT BOTHER TRYING THIS RESTAURANT! read more

i never write bad reviews, that's just not me. But i would give this place 0 stars if i could. A few days ago my family & I made a reservation at this restaurant for a birthday dinner. Our reservation was for 6:30pm. They didn't get to taking our order until 7:30pm. Took even longer for them to set our table with plates & utensils. Our food didn't come out until 8:30pm. We had to wait 2 hours with a reservation to receive our food. Keep in mind the restaurant was not busy nor did they seem to be understaffed. I say this because parties who came in after us had their orders taken before us. Our server was unprofessional & inattentive & kept messing up our orders. I've worked in the food industry so I always side with servers, however, her service & attitude towards us was unacceptable. The pricing of the food was way too high for the lack of portioning & seasoning. We all shared dishes & everything tasted bland. Towards the end of the dinner which was around 9:30 due to them making us wait 2 hours for our orders, we had paid our bill with extra tip on top of the required gratuity due to our party size, then we started heading out. As we were saying goodnight to our family members in the parking lot, one of the managers whose name I didn't get, (bald, 6ft+, African American gentleman) ran outside & started accusing us of not paying our bill! He was especially disrespectful towards my mother which I did not appreciate. Rather than escalating the situation, I brought my mother inside along with my aunties & the manager & found out that our server lost the receipt for our bill. I found it on the floor. She claimed that we never paid when in fact, she dropped the receipt & tried to blame us. Extremely unprofessional! We will never be dining here again. Subpar food, ridiculous pricing, unprofessional & disrespectful staff. 0/10 would not recommend. read more

My husband and I will not be going back. It looked nice at first impression but it just is not worth the price for the food your get. Food: My diet coke was flat and not sweet, very watered down. The appetizer bruchetta was good, though there was not much and I wanted just a couple more pieces of bread and tomato's. Like other reviewers my poor husband got cheated out on the prawns fettuccine. He got 3 tough prawns and a watery bowl of pasta in a white sauce with no flavor. I got the pork chop which was cooked nicely but under seasoned, it was like they took a pork chop and grilled it, the end. The peaches they served with it were canned... I had 4 spears of asparagus. The potato gratin underneath was OK but ugly, looked grey and limp. My portion size was plenty, it was just lacking in flavor. We had an apple cinnamon crepe which was tasty when I got some filling, but there was not much of that. Service: The service was slow, We also noticed that the owner seemed to bark orders at the waitress (yes just the one) and criticize the kitchen staff. This was all within earshot. That made me uncomfortable. The table next to us had their dirty silverware on their appetizer plates when they were done to keep them off the table, great idea. When the waitress came to take the empty plates they asked if they could keep those for the silverware, she said OK. Then the owner comes over and trys to bus them, when they said why they wanted to keep them he acted like it was crazy talk. He kept coming to our table and reaching across and picking up our straw wrappers. Let the waitress do her job! Not worth the $60, should have gone to Magellan's. read more

Great times and food sign up to be VIP - adult conversation and relaxing times. Friday and Saturday are the great time -yummy crepes! Great specials. read more

Don't mean to burst any bubbles on this one but I will. The wife and I thought we'd go in for a nice lunch. We were the first ones in today and thought this could be interesting. I assume it was one of the owners discussing something with one of his vendors at the bar as we were seated. Our waiter took our drink order and shortly returned with our drinks and took our food order... 2 Bistro burgers were at the $6.99 special...cool for that. A pair of gentlemen came in and sat at the bar, they placed their order-panini's and they were served within 10 minutes. No biggie. It just took another 15 to get ours...booo. These guys were done eating before we got our food and we were there and ordered first. Mix-up maybe. Burgers tasty but need a little somethin' on the bun like a garlic mayo or horseradish to compliment the burger. That's just my opinion. Get the shaved potatoes, these were the soggiest and limpest fries ever...booo. Maybe try a blanch first then fry... possibly the oil wasn't hot enough. My conclusion, it needs some tweeking for what I had and for my taste. They seem to have a better selection for dinner that I would love to try. Keep looking for an update, I'll be back soon...:) read more

I came here a couple times before with some friends and had enjoyed the experience. My dad was looking for a nice restaurant to host my Mom's Birthday dinner and I recommended M & J. During the process of setting up this birthday party, I found myself less than thrilled about the service. My dad made reservations for our family which was a party of 10. I was excited for the event and purchased a nice cupcake bouquet as her birthday cake. I called the restaurant to make sure that bringing this in would not be a problem - thinking it was no big deal but wanted to be on the safe side. When I called, I was advised that we would be charged a cake cutting fee of $2.50 per person. I felt that this was a little unreasonable due to the fact that they are cupcakes and it would not be using any of their services, dishes, power, etc, however this is their policy with all outside food. After discussing it with the hostess & owner for a bit, I decided it was not worth making a stink over and we would not eat the cupcakes at the restaurant. I understand the business side of this policy but I feel that there should be a better balance of business needs and customer service. Furthermore, it was a little frustrating dealing with them over the phone. I felt that their phone etiquette and the way they handled the situation could have been better. The phone kept getting tossed back and forth between receptionist & chef without warning. I was also asked 'What's the problem?'" and "Why don't you want to eat our desserts?" which I felt were rather unprofessional questions. Additionally, it seemed as if they thought I was troublesome because the hostess would not talk to me very long before handing me off to the owner/chef. Honestly, I may not have the sweetest voice in the world, but all I did was ask her to make a suggestion to the owner about allowing cupcakes or things of the like in the future... from then on I dealt with only him. Really??? Anyhow, on to the actual visit -- When my dad made the reservations, he let me know that he was asked to provide menu choices prior to the reservation so the chef could prepare the meals and have them ready when we came. I called in my choices but they weren't even used. When we arrived we were informed that nothing was made in anticipation of our arrival and that we would have to place the order again. The only thing I could think is that not everyone called in their meals so the chef decided to just wait, however I really don't know for sure. In the end, it took about 1 hour for all of us to get our entrees. Aside from the wait for our food, the birthday dinner at the restaurant went very well. Our server, Brian, was very nice and courteous, the food was very good and overall we enjoyed ourselves during our visit at M & J Bistro. I got the Bistro Chop which is a Pork Chop cooked with peaches, a side of bacon-swiss scallop au gratin potatoes and asparagus ($22). Overall this dish was very good - my only gripe is that the peaches looked like they were from a jar/can and were added on after the pork chop was cooked. I was hoping for fresh peaches and a stronger peach flavor on the pork chop. As for the rest of the dishes, my family all enjoyed their food and were happy with their meals. We didn't end up trying the desserts as it was getting late (we hit the 2 hour mark) and we had young children with us. They did look delicious and everyone was interested in coming back to try them sometime. I am giving M & J Bistro three stars because I feel that they have a good product and the in-restaurant experience is pleasant overall. However, due to my experience prior to the visit, my entire interaction with the restaurant was not 100% positive. I feel that customer experience is a very influential component when running a restaurant --whether it be an in-house visit or over the phone. Strong communication skills are vital especially when dealing with clients over the phone where the only indication of context is the etiquette and tone of voice. That being said, I do not feel that the owner/chef nor the hostess meant any harm with regards to the phone conversation but I do hope this review is used constructively to improve the business. Again, based on the in-restaurant experience I would come back. However, I do not plan on coming back with a large party or for a celebration any time soon. read more

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I am so bummed. My husband works in Tracy & has been grabbing salads for take-out from this place for some time. We were both finally in Tracy for an event, so after checking out their spectacular-looking menu, we decided to give it a shot for dinner. It was happy hour, so we got a couple of drinks -- mine was a raspberry mojito -- which I thought was quite tasty. He got a beer. We shared the Basque caesar salad, which was awesome. I ordered the Chicken Axoa & he ordered the lamb chops, medium rare. The dishes came out and they were GORGEOUS. Unfortunately, his chops were well done to the point that one was so charred it was not edible. My chicken was blah. As in, it had absolutely no flavor. None. It was so bizarre. Two skinless chicken breasts atop a bed of rice with onion & peppers sautéed underneath. The sausage that came along with it was so-so. The service was great and servers friendly. My husband still loves the salads. I was just so disappointed after reading such a fabulous menu and seeing these beautiful dishes come out... Maybe the cook was having a bad night, I don't know. But we left dissatisfied. read more

May suffice for Tracy, but this is not good food, period. Their subtitle is "San Francisco Cuisine". The only thing San Franciscan is the high cost and the small portions, as the quality is reminiscent of a TV dinner. I had the shrimp pasta, pasta wasn't fresh, the sauce was bland, and the shrimp were slightly over cooked. Husband got the burger med rare, it was well done, super duper tiny and the fries were overly oily and limp. We wished we had done the fast food thing (we don't eat fast food and have eaten at some of the nicest resturants in the world, Cyrus and Chez Panisse to name a few local ones) as it was such a waste of money for the quality. We left hungry and disappointed. And also, what were we thinking getting a central valley wine?!? It was their special for the night, and felt like it was on clearance, hot and overly fruity...at least it was only $17. It's in a strip mall and they have done a pretty good job with the interior, but you just can't get rid of the strip mall feel. If you're a local this is probably your best/only bet at an attempt to have cuisine in the area. If you're passing through and know qulaity food, please don't waste your money here, just go to a local taquaria, get your burrito and don't waiste your time/money on this substandard fare. read more

This place is a nice change of pace, and is sure to be a delight to Tracy foodies. I've had both lunch and dinner here, and both were wonderful. We started with the shaved potatoes with a blue cheese cream sauce. They were great. The owner is very personable, and after discussing a few of my various appetizer ideas with him, one of which being shaved fried sweet potatoes with a creamy curry dipping sauce, he went straight into the kitchen and whipped up that very thing for all of us to try. The chicken panini was amazing. Very flavorful, and not dry. The owner asked me about my favorite flavors, and I mentioned berries. He made a dessert crepe with berries and a rich zabaglione sauce, which wasn't even on the menu. I have to admit, I love being catered to, and the service and food was a delight. read more

My best friend and I did a 1/2 Way destination meet while she was visiting family in Sacramento at this hidden gem. Food was Creative & Delicious!! It was a fairly quiet night, I'm sure they could have cleaned up and gone home a bit early but they were very hospitable to us and let us stay as long as we wanted and kept our water glasses full the entire evening. Thank you to the wonderful friendly staff. My friend has returned to Texas but I will definitely return!! Highly recommended!! read more

Brought my mother in law for her 61st birthday with our two kids. First off the corkage fee was 15 bucks. That's a good deal. We all ordered something different and the food came out all at once. Our daughter is picky but she ate all her buttered noodles and our son enjoyed his pizza. The steak and ravioli were delicious and the prices were not that bad for what we got. Will definitely come back again. read more

The service and atmosphere was very nice,.. The portion to price ration (YIKES)!!!!!!!! We had no problems with the server bringing water and we saw him often. The kitchen was pretty slow however, to bring the food out. One thing that could have been improved on, was when the macaroni and cheese was brought out for my almost 3 year old, it was VERY hot, a little warning on that goes a long way! We did appreciate them bringing the kids their food first, I always respect a place who does this. I ordered the Prawn Fettuccine, it had 3 small prawns, not worth the $$. I wished I had ordered something else and went away hungry as the portion was tiny, I'll go to Strizzies next time. read more

Owner was very kind. Food was okay not the best, nothing too fancy for Price. Price is expensive for really what it is, would just can go to the City somewhere in the North Beach area and eat better for almost the same price. Restaurant vibe is outdated and could use a renovation. Overall okay experience but won't be going back read more

This is one of the few places that has survived in this particular location for several years. I always see it, but have never ventured in. We decided to try it out for my parent's anniversary recently. The restaurant itself is cute. It's not what I'd consider fancy, but it is a nice addition to Tracy, since we really don't have many choices in the "fine dining" category. I called ahead for reservations and they had a table ready for us when we arrived. Our server was really helpful. The problem was that he was the only one helping everyone. So we did have some longer wait times than what I normally deem acceptable. But we were having a nice night out, so I didn't let it get to me. Plus, this is management's fault for not staffing correctly, not the server's fault who was providing everyone with great service. The prices surprised me. I really wasn't expecting them to be so high. This is a taste of San Francisco, which is a cute theme. But the problem is that we are not in San Francisco, we are in Tracy...in a strip mall next to discount stores. Yet when we tried the food, we really liked it! That helped to make the prices a bit more acceptable, plus we figured, we saved gas by staying in Tracy. I loved the blue cheese potato chips! Those were pretty addicting and we ended up ordering more. They had some nice wine selections, so we got a bottle of red with our meal. We all liked our food. I'd come back again. read more

Just enjoyed a wonderful late lunch with my husband on a rainy December afternoon. This little gem in Tracy?! Oh man, we finally found our "spot". We loved everything about this place- from the service to the food to the ambience and even the easy location. Let's put it this way- we enjoyed way too much food at lunch and plan to return this evening for a nightcap and dessert. By the way, I have to eat gluten free and was able to enjoy my first gf French Onion soup. We have to travel too far to all of our fav places; so nice to finally find a place close to home! read more

I am so happy that my friend and I ate here the other day. It's great and totally affordable. If you want to eat out in this economical climate I highly recommend this bistro. I had a quiche and salad for lunch and it was made after I ordered (not microwaved or premade) and it was so delicious. My friend had a grilled halibut, jumbo prawns, garlic toast, and salad and her total was only $13.50. Amazing! Not only that but she was raving about how delicious everything was. She kept on eating long after she was stuffed. I am definitely going back and I'm going to tell all my friends about this place. read more

Weird location. In a crappy outlet mall parking lot...... Moving on! I was just visiting Tracy. Stopped in , ordered rib eye and teriyaki steak to go.... Food was great. Everything I expected for the price. The place was dead, which was a little strange. But! If I was ever in Tracy again I would def come back. Employees were cool too! Good restaurant. read more

Not "A taste of San Francisco." This comment comes from a native San Franciscan. The food was just okay and the service was slow. There were only two more patrons. I felt like I was in a bad play or in the Twilight Zone. Even my husband had negative things to say, which is rare. Unfortunately, we won't be back. read more

I don't usually post review. This is my first review in yelp. I feel that M&J deserves to be rated. The service and atmosphere is excellent! I like the candle light set on each table. We came in the restaurant late just before closing time and they still took us in and was very pleasant. We love the selection of food. We had the terriyaki steak and the NY steak. Cooked to perfection, meat is juicy and the flavors are so good. Overall, we will definitely come back to eat at this fancy restaurant. They also have a good selection of desserts. I will try one of there crepes next time. read more

With Mandarin Villa changing hands (the restaurant next door that has been a mainstay for us for years) my husband and I finally took a chance and tried M & J today. We were glad we did. Great service and food my husband raved about hours afterwards (he was very impressed with the French Dip sandwich). I really like the atmosphere and the French Onion Soup. The wine selection was great. When I didn't see anything on the wine list that appealed to me, the waiter suggested a wine I never would have tried on my own and I liked it so much I went out and bought a bottle after lunch! The dessert menu has lots of interesting crepes that I intend to try next time. It wasn't a cheap lunch but both my husband and I agree it was worth the price. If you are a local, we think it is on par with Bistro 135 and Magellans. read more

A very lonely experience for a restaurant in my little small town of Tracy . - the food was amazing. Took a little to prepare but overall amazing and well worth it - I check in and received a free appetizer - the service was excellent I was amazed. . You have to try this place ! I wish the lights were a little dimmer so the ambiance is a little more romantic, that's just me . :) read more

ok i love this place i dont go all the time because time doesnt allow me to, its a nice place for 1x1 or couples, my husband and i went for dinner tonight and had a wonderful time.We had nothing but time and that was great, ADULT TIME. I SAID TO THE waiter Elijah which was a doll, that i need to talk to jason ( the owner) before i order he said ok, but can i help you. I said ok i am practicing LENT and i can not eat ANY MEAT not even seafood. Jason made it happened it was great- i had pasta with veg and it was not on the menu, my husband had the portable mushroom and veg with no garlic. Jason made everything FRESH 5 STARS OUT OF FIVE. SEE YOU SOON ELIJAH AND JASON AND YES YOU TO DANIEL :) read more

I posted a review a few days ago for this place. (with many mispellings I might add since I was using my phone). Just wanted to iterate that the quality of food is not a concern. What food we've had so far was very good as are the desert crepes. They just need to speed up the service a great deal. Both visits, Elijah, the waiter was courteous and professional, but with a full house they need more than one guy working the tables. AND he shouldn't be forced to 'defend' the integrity of the bistro so often due to performance issues in the kitchen department. Tracy simply does not have many "upscale" dining establishments to chose from. So to all the locals who appreciate good food and a sense of style, we need this place. I don't care about it being located in the same vicinity as the dollar store. (previous reviewer commented on that but is irrelevant). It's not like we have a waterfront or similar attractive landscape. It's Tracy for Gods sake. It appears that this place has a decent customer-base so that's good, but if they don't improve the service time that will no longer be the case. Please streamline your 'process,' hire more help, and by all means stock better wines! Price really isn't the issue. You're currently serving budget wines but for just a little more you can serve wine more suited for the quality of food you're providing to your customers. And get that stupid Fairbanks port out of your restaurant man... There are many other ports out there that will not scream "cheap-o!". Pa-lease. Although I appreciate the humility of a restaurant who offers apologies due to delay or mistakes, its irritating for it to be EVERY time. Good luck. Read the yelp reviews! read more