I like places like the St. James. Old school Irish pub feel. Lots of wood, dim lighting, a huge bar and great food. They don;t try to fool you with nonsense, they do what they do really well. Including having an abundance of TV's playing sports. The staff is warm and friendly and they take care of you well. My wife and i stopping in for a quick bite on a random Thursday night at around 9ish. I promptly got a gloriously poured Guiness and she a coke. We ordered burgers. I got the special Irish Whiskey burger that came with a soup, potato leek as it were and she got the Wisconsin burger. The soup was ok. It had good flavor but the consistency of gravy. I just chalked it up to being late and it had been around for a while. My wife's burger, The Wiscosin, was good. I had loads of cheddar and bacon. She has to get it medium because she's preggers but it was still nice and juicy. I got the Irish whiskey burger that had mushrooms, sauteed onions cheddar, bacon and a whiskey sauce on top. I got it medium rare and they got it perfect. The bun was a little wimpy ( see what I did there) but it was still good. I definitely recomend The St. James if you are in the area. It is well worth it. read more

The St James - Perfection! - American Near Me - Mineola, New York

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What a great find, and right near the train station too! Very convenient. I love the atmosphere at the St. James. We stopped in on a Friday night for dinner. There were plenty of people at the bar but it didn't seem too crowded. We were immediately greeted (and seated) by the hostess. Although it was somewhat noisy in the dining room it was not overwhelming and we could carry on casual conversations with rising our voices. Now for the food, we started with the spinach and artichoke dip appetizer. Maybe I was hungry but the this appetizer was awesome. The plate had a large bowl of of dip surrounded by tortilla chips on a large platter. We shared this between three of us and it was just enough before the main course. For my main course I had the Steak Tidbits ($15.95). Delicious, they even asked how I wanted them prepared and they arrived that way. They came with an cup of steak fries, also delicious. This is a great dish. My son had the chicken burger ($11.95) and my wife had the Chicken Caprese Panini ($11.95) they were both very happy with their choices. For dessert, naturally my favorite, my son had the Caramel Granny Apple Pie ($5.95) and my wife and I went for the Key Lime Mouse ($4.00 ea.). The portion size on the pie was one the small size, or at least it seemed that way because my son devoured it. Since I never had a chance to taste it I can safely assume it was delicious. The Key Lime Mouse was very good I guess my only complaint was that it was a little warm when I got to the middle and bottom of the dish. Should have spent more time in the fridge. The staff at the St. James were outstanding. Our waitress went out of her way to accommodate us in every way. From the waitress the bus staff everyone was super friendly and helpful. I've been to enough restaurants now to really appreciate good wait staff. The St. James is definitely on my list for a return visit. Highly recommended if you are in the Mineola area and hungry or just in the mood for a drink. read more

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Absolutely horrible experience... Walked in at 8 pm sat for 15 minutes before a waiter even came over to take a drink order. Finally ordered. Waited 45 minutes no staff in site. No food ever came out.... no staff even acknowledged us or anyone patrons in the dining room. Could not find wait staff or manager.... we walked out. read more

After so many positive reviews/recommendations, I decided to give this place a try and I was not disappointed! Wow! This place is gooodddd. If you want a beer and some pub food, this is the place to go! We went and ordered a bunch of apps, including: potato skins, nachos, pretzels, and wings. The nachos are a MUST-GET! These are probably the best nachos that I have ever tasted, and they are HUGE. Even though they are massive, my friend and I were able to finish them all because they are that good! You need to try these. The rest of the food was great as well, but nothing compared to these nachos! Overall, this is a chill place with a great vibe. The drinks are great and the food is amazing! I would definitely recommend. read more

Beyond disappointed in our evening at The St. James. We used to come here all the time but since it changed owners, we have not been crazy about it. We arrived at 5pm for an early dinner with our two sons - the manager, Liam couldn't be more unfriendly at the door and acted like we were bothering him by joking about needing a table for 4 but two high chairs. He sat us in the side room and walked away. By 5:25 we finally asked the hostess for someone to check on our table. We had not even been asked for drinks. My husband had to ask her while she sat on her phone at the door. She said she didn't know we were there, however her manager had sat us, peeked in the side room 3x, the bus person gave us water, and 2 waitresses walked by without acknowledging us. At this time there were people at the bar, maybe 3 high top tables and a larger table in the side room. We counted at least two servers, a manager, and a bus person. In no way were they slammed with tables. The appetizer took 30 minutes to come out and they only gave us 2 side plates (another one would have been nice for our 2 year old). The waitress took our order & barely checked on us. For a restaurant with a big following, great reputation ...this changing of ownership is a big disappointment. No longer your friendly local restaurant - mostly just loud music and servers in crop tops. I think we will try something different! read more

Life took me to Mineola this week with an hour to kill before an evening appointment. Came by train and looked for a place to eat. The area immediately around the Mineola train station is a bit sketchy so I recommend looking elsewhere. Used Yelp on my iPhone and found the St. James Restaurant within a few short blocks. St. James has both a nice restaurant and heavy wood pub bar feel. The menu selection was good but, being drawn by the bar pub feel, I went for the fish and chips. Nicely done. Not greasy and large pieces of fish. Tasty dipping sauce. Chips were huge and I think 500 degrees at their centers. Yow! The bar tender, my waiter as I sat at the bar, was quick and attentive. Deja Vu? I think I may have been there before many years ago. Anyway, Stevie recommends. read more

My Buddy is obsessed with this place, and he has lured me in on a number of occasions over the last decade or so...most recently we met one evening and wound up sitting at a table to eat dinner, as some sporting event was on and the bar was packed. It is a good pub, but tiny; the food is good, but for me it just doesn't do it... The wings do have good flavor, and are prepared dry so are crispy; however, they are dry wings,so don't expect the usual wings for Sunday Football, well, usual from my and every person I have ever known's perspective. The wings are different, so if you are not into saucy wings, then go for it...I just prefer saucy wings... I ordered the fish and chips (not sure why), and although the fish was fresh and I believe prepared in-house, the breading was too much and overtook the fish, with the abundance of breading absorbing the taste of fryer oil needing a change. My meal came with a soup, which was a barley chicken, and was actually very good. I would stick to the pub-end of this place and show up when they open to get a seat at the bar, or bring a chair; get the wings, have a pint, and make sure you have a drink to wash em' down... read more

I love a good burger. Went Sunday and ordered the bacon cheeseburger and it had to be one of the best burgers. Maybe 8ounces and was top quality. read more

Came here a few times before Covid and was always happy with the service and food. I'm glad they now have the beer garden open in the back for drinks and outdoor dining. It is a comfortable space, and service has been great the few times we have gone so far. I love the Guinness beer cheese that was on the nachos and comes with the everything pretzels. Definitely the place to go for a beer and classic bar food that is dine well. Also get the curry chips (fries with Irish curry). They were a nice surprise. read more

we've given this place so many chances, the only reason we keep giving it chances is the food is really good. Thé service is non existent. You have to seat yourself for the most part after waiting at the hostess stand for 5 minutes and then realizing there is no hostess. The manager or wait staff will not jump up to tell you to sit somewhere, you just have to figure it out yourself. After then waiting at your table anywhere from 10-20 minutes and searching for an employee with no avail, someone will pop out and at least give you menus and finally bring you over water. It took my boyfriend an hour and 45 minutes to be sat, served and given the check for 2 drinks, an app and 1 sandwich (that was supposed to come out the same time as my app) We literally had to stare the manager down for 5 minutes befor he came over to our table and finally asked if we wanted the check. He said the waitress was overwhelmed.... There was 3 tables in the entire restaurant besides ours. 1 of them was a 2 tip which looked equally annoyed to bot be serviced the correct way. If you are in a rush or want good service, don't come here...... the food here is excellent thought for pub food. read more

Not once in my life have I actually sent back a meal and refused to pay until today. Ordered the prime rib medium rare. My mom ordered it rare. The waiter told us it would probably be medium rare...that's as low as they could go. My moms response "fine, as long as it's not brown." What we received was the grossest excuse for prime rib I have ever seen. Not sure when it was cooked, but it was beyond overcooked. We complained and the waiter said he would go get another piece...came back and said there was no more. Thankfully they took mine off the bill, but that's the only good thing I can say about this place. read more

The St James - This is the $28 "medium rare" prime rib. Disgusting, embarrassing and they should seriously be ashamed. - American Near Me - Mineola, New York

For a place that claims to be an "Irish pub" it completely failed at one of the basic menu items, shepard's pie. Before I go further let me just say that I draw my comparison with between this and real Irish pub food from my decades long experiences in Ireland where I still live for part of the year. My expectation was that the quality of the food would be on par with the cost. I don't mind paying for GOOD food. This was NOT it. For $20 what I got was burnt mash potatoes that covered a thin layer of meat drowned in salt. Maybe they should stick to mainstream pub food like chicken fingers, sliders, and wings. It's a shame that people are eating that and thinking this is traditional Irish food. NOT even close! In fact, most places in Ireland add ZERO salt. Overuse of salt is red flag that the meat being used is low quality. I certainly would not recommend this place to anyone looking for "Irish fare" but if you want a place to go to have a drink and basic pub food go for it. I will not, as there are a plethora of other choices around here. read more

The St James - This is supposed to be Shepard's pie. - American Near Me - Mineola, New York

Perfect place for a date night! The beer garden has a tent with heaters so I highly recommend sitting there. Great food. Excellent service.

Always love it here, Dennis is always on point and his courtesy is above average. One of my favs for lunch or after work read more

I am surprised this place doesn't have 5 stars. Not only is the service spot on, but the food is absolutely delicious. My boyfriend and I had the classic cheeseburger and added avocado with a side of chipotle mayo. We had the Montauk Wave Chaser IPA, each for $5. Our bill came out to less than $40. Amazing! read more

Went to st James last night - well what an experience - the renovations of the restaurant were beyond expectation - has a rustic yet old school pub feel - very new age. Sat at the bar with my husband for my dinner and really enjoyed the beer selection . The bartender I think her name was hisa? Well she kept recommending amazing drink creations and the best food choices to eat . Well - wow was she rite !!! What a great night thanks too Saint James and there wonderful staff ! Def will be back ! read more

Come back St James come back! Came in tonight the setting is great new and young BUT the wings are not the wings they used to be... Don't try so hard! Wings are wing hot med mild ... And it's not that hard to make a flatbread pizza ... at home! But I don't want MY pizza. Give it a Lil something. Go easy on the cheese and sauce and how about some spices mama... please don't heave me st. James I've always loved you. Don't try so hard but please try a little! read more

Hopefully bar rescue steps in food is the pits fries are cold burger is microwaved steak sandwich I had better horse meat

Since the new owners, the St James got the uplift it has been needing for a while. Was there again a few nights ago and the place really delivered. Had a drink at the bar first, then sat down to some great apps and entrees. We had the Meatloaf and the Steak for dinner and both were a Hit. Service, Atmosphere and overall value were also great. Wish the place was a little closer. read more

Despite COVID minimizing the capacity of the bar, the owners are doing a wonderful job ensuring the safety of their customers and their staff. On top of Plexiglass dividers between each of the booths, there's plexiglass dividing the bar as well. It aided in proper social distancing, and helped give us the feeling of times before COVID. After to talking to one of the waitresses, I was pleased to hear they just received the heaters for their outdoor tent. I believe we've found a new date night spot. It's casual, comfortable, and proper Covid precautions are in place here. The food and drinks were delicious, and a great time was had by all. To good company & a good time! Slainté! read more

Stopped by for brunch on a Sunday around 2ish and the place was packed. The host was nowhere to be found for awhile and we had to track down a waitress to get her. Quoted a 15 min wait which turned out to be accurate. Their brunch menu is standard with a familiar selection of benedicts, burritos and hashes. All of the dishes cost upwards of $18 -- pretty pricy for brunch until you notice that the drinks, including bloody marys and mimosas are unlimited. I decided on the Bull Burger which came with a fried egg, cheese and bacon plus home fries. The burger was actually a nice size and cooked to my liking of medium rare. Solid burger. The home fries were very greasy. The reason for my rating is due to the horrendous service. Having to scan the entire restaurant for our waitress and flag her down on multiple occasions was very frustrating. For an average meal, it can come down to something like outstanding service for a return trip but that will not be the case here. read more

Went for a breakfast brunch with friends. The steak and eggs was just that only steak and eggs. For the price listed $21 (charged 23.95) they could throw in some toast and home fries. My friend got a side of toast for $4 ( which was one slice of bread cut in 2). Seemed pricey to me....My other friend ordered the breakfast burrito which looked decent and was $18 (charged 18.95) on the menu. I got the Irish breakfast which was nothing special, and I realized after that they did not include the Irish bacon for $19 (charged 19.95) We ordered a carafe of mimosa, which was filled to the brim with ice (Harley contained any orange juice or champagne 21. When we got our bill we didn't notice till after that we paid that the prices were different from the menu. There was a 5 dollar difference. The waitress (who was new) came back with 2 dollars. The manager didn't bother to come over until we called her over. She explained that there was different menus and she apologized for the prices being incorrect. Idk but she didn't really seem to care. Be careful and check the prices when you get your bill. read more

New owners, new look, really friendly staff. The bar area has been opened up, with high top tables galore. Have eaten brunch there a few times and love the selection. The Bangers and mash on regular menu are plentiful and the gravy is to die for. Had the benedict for brunch, over tots, and it was very good. Look for more comfort food, in the coming days, such as, pot roast and meatloaf. Everything is freshly prepared. Give it a try! You won't be disappointed! read more

The manager who worked on September 11, 2020 Liam or Johnny not sure which one, was one of the most condescending people I have ever encountered. While I myself did not handle myself as appropriately as I could have he quickly brought himself down to my level. I was attending a 60th birthday that started at 6 pm. At 830 no food had arrived and my son was crying in hunger. He told me the server forgot to put in the order for the party (did he not realize he had a bunch of people standing around waiting? Great manager) he told me it was not a"snap the fingers" situation and food would be out soon. He was just a nasty human being who obviously is in the wrong profession. I could get into more but I would implore you to go to a better restaurant who actually cares about their customers. read more

It's time for brunch. We were at the mall all morning and wanted to escape the crowds. So we head west on Old Country Road and make the right on Mineola Blvd. rather than the left towards Garden City. Jane Cafe and Vinoco were closed so I searched my Yelp app and found St James Restaurant. Okay, let's try someplace new! We walked into the restaurant to the hostess podium but there was no one there. We waited a bit, noticed that most of the tables were full, and decided to sit on 2 vacant chairs at the bar. I put my NY Times in front of me and settled in. The bartender comes over, goes to grab my newspaper and asks if they belonged to me. I said yes, but he actually went to the corner to make sure they weren't his. (Can't make this stuff up). Mike ordered a beer and I asked for a menu. He handed me 2 menus that clearly said: (Copy and Pasted) Enjoy these extras while you're having brunch: Bloody Marys, Mimosas, Screwdrivers, Coffee, Tea, Juice, Muffins and Rolls. I order the brunch bull burger and a Bloody Mary. I get up to wash my hands, come back to my seat, and there's my burger. I look at Mike, he shakes his head, and I'm truely astonished. How can you cook a hamburger in 2 minutes? It kind of reminded me of My Cousin Vinny. "Perhaps the laws of physics cease to exist on your stove" And, it wasn't prepared the way I ordered it. When I sent it back, the bartender barked at me. He was really nasty. Not just to us. Two fellows sitting next to us asked him if he could put the NCAA Basketball Game on the center TV screen and he told them that it was on the corner screens. Come on, Really? I was never offered a cup of coffee, never offered muffins and rolls, and Mike's beer glass was empty for a long time. BTW, St James doesn't serve Mimosas in champagne glasses - they are served in beer glasses. The meal was inexpensive, the Bloody Mary was pedestrian, service was terrible and the bartender was rude and unprofessional. Why would I ever go back? I called the restaurant this afternoon, introduced myself to Manager John, and explained how disappointed I was. John gave me the impression that he was listening, even apologized and told me that the next time I come in, to ask for him. Before I disconnected I asked John if he remembered my name. John said No. read more

So had a very odd and disturbing experience tonight. The mgr challenged me to a street fight over a reservation!! Very odd, alarming, and concerning. Called me a liar over the table in front of my party, scary. Won't be back. General mgr was uninterested. Disappointing after many years of knowing the former owner and many years of patronage. Oh well, their loss. read more

their food takes too long to come out, not enough servers on the floor. and be careful what you order, the food is greasy.

Had dinner at the St. James tonight with 2 others. Sat in the side room which was dark and dismal, but quieter than the bar. Food took 40 minutes to arrive at our table after ordering and was a huge disappointment. I ordered the steak tidbits medium rare. Meal arrived and steak was more than well done, dry and hard eat. Chicken quesadilla was greasy and very unappetizing. Chicken Milanease was dry and tasteless. So very disappointed. Want to support a local restaurant, but we will not return to the St. James. read more

Went there for brunch with a friend. The Bloody Marys were good and spicy. Had heard their Eggs Benedict were terrific. My friend and I both ordered it. She ordered hers with the eggs done medium. I said just please make mine regular. My eggs came medium and hers came just plain overcooked. There also wasn't enough hollandaise sauce to make up for lack of egg yolk. The waitress actually never came over to see how our meals were, so there was no option of re-ordering it. The french fries that I had asked for with mine were very tasty. Overall ambiance was nice. Loud children at the next table not so much. read more

The food is ehhh but the service is absolutely terrible. Save yourself the time and money.

I oredered Fish Tacos with Mango & Pinapple sauce. It was special of the day. I thought the menu was unique. It was too sweet, so I thought it was okay. Sweet potate fries were soggy and nothing special. Garlic bread from my boyfriend 's sandwich was good. read more

The St James - Sward fish tacos with mango and pinapple sauce. It wad a special of the day. 5/31/2014 - American Near Me - Mineola, New York

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Nice little spot a couple blocks from the Mineola stop on the LIRR. It has a nice balance between being a trackside bar, but also a good restaurant to stop by with a few friends for a drink and some dinner. The bar area was separated from the dining room which is especially nice to minimize the noise for dinner guests. The menu had a nice range of options, from your typical bar food to healthy. I had their Grilled Tuna Steak Salad, and was very happy with my choice. Tuna was well-cooked and the other items in the salad were nice complements. Their herb vinagrette dressing seemed more like a yogurt-based dressing than vinegar though. But it was still good. I'd definitely go back again, I saw a bunch of other things on the menu I'd like to try. read more

The food here is pretty good. I used to come for lunch every now and then a few years ago since I work in the area, but we had stopped coming here because the service tends to be a bit slow during the lunch rush. Last night some coworkers and I came here for some drinks and munchies. We got the wings, the spinach artichoke dip, and the nachos. Everything was pretty good. The only gripe I have is that the tortilla chips could have been better; they were a bit stale. Other than that, it was an enjoyable. read more

My girlfriend and I went for a light meal and some drinks. We weren't expecting much but were blown away by the service. Chris at the bar was truly outstanding and we had a really great time. We had the wings and the crab cakes. Just a word of warning - the crab cakes have a lot more dairy in them than we expected. We should have made sure but with a lactose intolerance, my girlfriend's stomach was in for a rocky ride afterwards. Giving 4 stars due to their lack of beer options outside of the usual American standards. not much in terms of cocktail options either. read more

Who would've though such a bar existed in Mineola. Classy with a casual feel makes this the perfect place to down a pint or grab some food with friends. The decor is simple yet effective, with the dark wood-lacquered bar area, yet a coziness in the farm green/white wood paneled walls in the dining area. The area is divided into rooms so there won't be an unreasonable noisiness if you're just looking to have a relaxed dine-in experience. We grabbed lunch here on a Saturday afternoon, and I wounded up ordering the Thinly Sliced Prime Rib over Texas Toast ($12.95), served with homemade potato salad, crispy fried onion strings and au jus for dipping. I asked to substitute the potato salad for french fries which the waitress gladly approved. What I got was a heaping mound of thinly sliced prime rib, cooked to preference to which I ordered medium. It had the perfect tenderness and juiciness, with bits of it having soft gooey fat making this sandwich not for the health-conscious eater, but for one hearty meal. The meat was stacked on a thick piece of Texas Toast, toasted, though soggy with all the meat sitting on top. The prime rib was superb alone, but once dipped into the very flavorful au jus sauce, I found myself in heaven. I never had such a delicious prime rib + au jus combination ever, and I have to admit this is one item you're going to have to try. The french fries were also top-notch, with an extra crispy outside and subtle tenderness inside, with a good amount of seasoning not requiring you to put any more salt or pepper on. Also included were 3 thin slices of sour pickle which helped to take the edge off with a crunchy sour flavor. Yum! I couldn't have asked for a better meal. The waitress was polite and attentive, always checking up on us, refilling our drinks and clearing the table timely. I now know my choice of bar when in the Mineola/Garden City area. Skip the masses by Roosevelt Field and venture to this bar for some delicious eats and cheap beer, especially their specials during happy hour. read more

The St James - Thinly Sliced Prime Rib over Texas Toast ($12.95) - American Near Me - Mineola, New York

Food and service are so terrible. Where to start? While passing out appetizer plates, we discovered a filthy plate in the stack, not like a little schmootz the dishwasher missed, but like someone ate off of it and it was somehow placed right back in the clean stack. It was disturbing. The food took forever to come out, the steak sandwich was horribly chewy, like every other bite was grizzle and fat. Service was awful, we legit never saw our waitress to order more drinks. I want to love this place but they definitely need some better management and more quality control. We have been to St. James a few times recently, each time hoping it will be better and it's just getting worse. We'll stick to Cornerstone for local pub eats. read more

I used to come here as a special treat and typically ordered their delicious, juicy Wisconsin cheeseburger entree (cheddar cheeseburger with bacon) served with french fries, which I accompanied with an ice cold glass of Smithwicks. Unfortunately, there has recently been a change in ownership and both the beer selection and food menus have changed completely, and the food quality IMO is not the same. I wanted to give the new owners the benefit of the doubt and tried the food on 2 separate occasions since the change, and I'm afraid to say that I am so unimpressed with the changes to the food, I will simply not be coming back. Bye bye St. James! read more

I went here for a work event with about 15 people and they were very accommodating. We had a few orders of wings and nachos which were very good. We got a few rounds of drinks, mine was forgotten once, but I guess that happens when there's 15 people ordering drinks at once. I work in the area and I'm looking forward to stopping by again for some after-work drinks! read more

I recently visited the newly renovated St. James, and the place looks fabulous, nothing like it was. It is bright, open, bar is gorgeous, not surprising as the wood and carpenters were imported from Ireland. TV's every where! And the food is fabulous! read more

Always a fan of the St James Restaurant. Their buffalo wings are the best in the area...hands down. Their Chicken Craisin Wrap is my go to when looking to grab a quick, healthy lunch. I have been here for both brunch and dinner and I have never been disappointed. The bartenders are awesome and will take care of you if you plan on having a few drinks to watch the game. I guess that would explain why there is a ton of regulars here no matter what time or day. IF YOU CAN APPRECIATE A GOOD PINT OF GUINNESS, this is the place to grab one! read more