We went to Michael J's expecting a mediocre experience based on the reviews we'd seen, and left absolutely puzzled that they're not higher rated. The interior was charming and surprisingly classy. The service was attentive and helpful, and the food was great. They were very accommodating of our two year old. We had low expectations and ended up wonderfully surprised with a nice dinner. We would absolutely return! read more

So disappointed. My friends and I were in town for the Ironman race and of course needed to carb load so gave Michael J's a shot. The server was friendly enough, but barely. They were out of the wine my friend requested and did not have cranberry juice for a cran/soda for me. Not off to a good start. The bread was mediocre at best. And the server didn't offer to do olive oil/red wine mix for us. I was craving something fresh so I ordered a Caprese salad to start. There was nothing great about it. The mozzarella was thick and dense. I also ordered a garden salad and lasagna. The garden salad smelled and tasted like dirt - like it had not been washed - that got pushed to the side and uneaten. The lasagna - ugggggg - how do you screw up lasagna???? There were gobs of ricotta cheese on top of the dish - literally piles of cheese- and not in a good way. I scraped most of it off and set it aside. The dish itself was bland and greasy. Honestly, Stouffers makes better lasagna - truth. We were offered dessert but passed. Ben and Jerry's was a safer bet. Overall I'd rate this meal a 2 out of 10 - they had Diet Coke so that was a win. read more

I absolutely loved the atmosphere here! Me and my Man split the lasagna it was a perfect portion! It's a bit pricey but well worth the money! read more

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Our first time there and the service and food were excellent. We had the chicken piccata and the lasagna. Our waitress, who was new, was extremely friendly, attentive and prompt. The atmosphere was pleasant and comfortable. read more

Remember all the COVID-excuses restaurants we're using for poor service and food? Michael's is still recovering: Still unable to clear tables unless customers encourage the staff, still unable to stock their wine list, still unable to present the House Specialty Lasagna without appearing like slop, and I'm not sure why the bruschetta tasted like horseradish! One thing that has recovered is prices: you want more bread? $3.50! Ridiculous! read more

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My family and family friends dined at Michael J's tonight. We have eaten here several times and it has been one of our favorites in Ruidoso. Tonight's experience was terrible. We had an 8 o clock reservation, we were told there was a party at our table but we were seated quickly. Our party of 7 was seated at a smaller table. The table next to us was seated just before us, they had ordered and had their food before we had seen a waiter, in fact we had to go ask for a waiter. Once we ordered we were told they did not have Caesar salad, did not have the glass of wine that my wife wanted or have tiramisu that two of the younger people in our group had been looking forward to. The waiter offered to pay for our dessert out of his pocket but we declined as this was not his fault. As we finished our meal chairs were being stacked on tables to close up, we did not intend to be the last group in the dining room but as we had waited so long for a waiter to order that's the way it worked out. Overall one of the worst experiences I have had at a restaurant in a long time and I would give zero stars if it was an option. We have no intentions of returning. read more

Evelyn was exceptional! Exceptional I say! The bartender on the other hand, had the personality of a toad. I was mortified by her rudeness. Thankfully, Evelyn saved the day. She brought me my wine. She smiled and she also gave us ideas and suggestions that lead us to a delicious and scrumptious meal. My favorite person was able to enjoy his day. Thank you for the great service! I recommend Chicken Marsala and the Fettuccine Carmella! ! Wonderful. Delectable Try this place. You won't regret it. read more

Michael J's - Happy birthday to this man! - Italian Near Me - Ruidoso, New Mexico

Honestly, it's beyond me how anyone can post a negative review about Michael J's food, service, or atmosphere. We have been enjoying meals there for nearly a decade most often the two of us, but also in large family groups with kids. Our experience has always been positive. As for prices, you get what you pay for. Michael J's ingredients are fresh, tender, and full of flavor. The staff is professional and efficient. Yes, salads are extra, but the menu is clear about what is included. Frankly, I prefer separate pricing as I sometimes don't care for a salad. We have menu favorites, but have tried many dishes and all are top quality. The atmosphere is very pleasant and intimate--perfect for date night. There is balcony and outdoor seating to take advantage of Ruidoso's beautiful climate. Come enjoy Michael J's for fine food, great atmosphere, and ideal service, but make reservations. Many others share my views, so the restaurant stays booked. read more

Michael J's - Fettuccini Carmella - Italian Near Me - Ruidoso, New Mexico

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Saturday night October 11th, 2025. Had a great dinner at Michaels with two couples. Great server was asked what she would recommend and she immediately picked a couple that she was obviously passionate about. One was a variation on fettuccini alfredo and the other was lasagna. She described each to the degree that I would've wanted both. But I'm an alfredo fan connoisseur. It was wonderful; tying with my own home made. Different, but in a wonderful way a little more buttery than with cream and still not dry at all. Oddly enough, I added the shrimp, not knowing what I would get a thousand miles from saltwater. And those were fantastic too. Great seasoning and not overcooked to the point of bicycle tire consistency. no, these were good. Tasted the wife's lasagna and it was also wonderful. Sauce was absolutely fresh with a depth that I have never tasted. Different cheeses layered but not a greasy mess. I only got a bite, because my wife destroyed the dish. I tell you the dish washer got off easy that night. My only concern was that the place was a bit hot because of the physical heat coming out of the kitchen. A waiter obliged us by cracking a window near our table and that solved the issue. But, great staff great food and great experience. Price is a bit higher than some other Italian places...but I thought the food and service absolutely merited the bill. Great job ladies and gentlemen. read more

I cannot find the words to explain just how wonderful our meal was. I had the chicken chipotle Alfredo and finished every single morsel. Our server, Andy, was always right there when we needed anything but didn't hover. I highly recommend going here read more

Food is excellent, both entrees about $60 total, but the bill was over 90$. Luckily we don't drink, we had water & a cola refill. The bread basket was 4 pieces about 1.5 inches long but from a bread stick, they charged for that. The Italian cake was 17 dollars about 2 .5 inches square. Service was impeccable. Sauces were spectacular. But two entrees with water is your most economical way to eat here. They dime and nickeled about 33% so plan accordingly. read more

The food was amazing!! We had the chicken parm, lasagna and spaghetti. All were delicious! Our server Rylie was very friendly and attentive. I was very surprised how quickly our food came out. We will definitely be back!! read more

Service was slow. Menu was uninspired. Portions are smaller than average ... and the bugs!

All I can say is wow...and its not a good wow. We were nearly turned away because we didnt have reservations so we thought this was the place to eat. We sat down inside without any AC. We got our menu and noticed the prices were really high but decided to splurge. Food was average...noodles were over done...portions were tiny. Bread at the beginning of the meal came dry and stale...no butter or dipping sauce. Waitress only came by once. When we got our check omg.....asked us what dressing we wanted on our saled so we thought it came with the meal...nope! Charged us...cost $10 extra to add chicken to the Fettecunie Alfredo...which wasn't very good. Would not recommend for the price! read more

I was skeptical at first - good Italian in Ruidoso? Heck yeah! Michael J's is classic old school Italian - formal decor in low lighting, excellent wait staff, and all the old Italian favorites. I think most of the menu items are freshly made because we asked them to make some changes around my daughter's allergy and they were able to accommodate her. I really miss the slightly formal but low key service that you get in old school Italian places. The garlic bread was divine - and not overly cheesy, which I hate. The caesar salad was freshly made with plenty of anchovy flavor. The clams vongole had a deep seafood flavor - the pasta perfectly cooked. I thought the portion was a tad small. The fettucine Carmella was much bigger and also good. Finally, the dessert - buttercake with wild berries. We split it - it would be too rich for one person after the meal we had. I wish the menu included some lighter desserts - maybe Italian ice? I quibble - I would go back in an instant if passing through town again. read more

This is a cute little Italian restaurant off the edge of one of the main roads in Ruidoso. It looks very cute from the outside and we just had to stop in for some great food! The parking is a little iffy and we had to park on the side of the road but it wasn't too far. They have a couple of parking lots, but they're on the smaller side and this restaurant is very popular. I recommend calling and making a reservation ahead of your visit because even people with reservations have to wait a little bit. We were told it would be an hour wait and it was really only like 35-40 minutes so that was great! Our server took a few minutes to get to us but that was expected because they were so busy. She was delightful and made us feel welcome when she arrived. We started with the lobster cake and a fresh basket of bread and they were both great! The lobster cake was crisp and tasty and the sauce with it was amazing! For my entre I had the Pasta Primavera and it was very tasty. It was a little bit on the greasier side but all of the vegetables in it were super crunchy and delicious. Lastly, we had the Wild Berry Buttercake as a dessert and it was so amazing it only lasted a couple of minutes on the plate. This is a great place to get Italian food and the scenery is super cute. I would definitely recommend it. read more

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We came in for dinner around 6:30pm. Sat in the cozy bar with a nice fireplace. Bartender and staff were friendly and helpful. We were told there was 1 "tonight's special" remaining, and that it was plenty for 2. We asked the price and bartender said $38 Food came quickly but was extremely salty. 2 little skewers with tiny pieces of overcooked beef and some pieces of scallops. We were not starving so we made do with the small portions. Had to buy 2 salads because apparently for $38 a salad does not come with it. Then the bill came and it was not $38, it was $45. I hate when those types of "mistakes" happen. We inquired about the price "mistake" and the bartender credited our ticket for the said price of $38 for the entree. I might go back, but I won't order what I did on this visit and I will most definitely check my ticket for pricing "mistakes". read more

Our waitress, Carrie, was excellent. She catered to our every need from opening the windows for air, samples of wine, pleasant conversation, and quick service. The special of the evening was saltimbocca and was the highlight of the dishes we ordered. The pasta primavera was loaded with crisp veggies and the eggplant parmesan and chicken marsala were excellent. I highly recommend this restaurant! read more

Micheal J's is the Best Italian Food! It couldn't have been beat for true Italian cuisine. Such a pleasing staff also! Thank you for making our evening so memorable! We will share our experience with friends and hoot to return in the Summer. Great job you accomplished! read more

This has been our special place for my wife's birthday the past 4 years and has never disappointed us in any way. We even have our favorite place to sit. I have yet to go beyond the Cioppino. It is the best. My wife generally orders the salmon and the service is always at the top. Our last visit was just a week ago with perfect weather - what are a few raindrops? Thank you, Brian, for the great food and you Autumn for the awesome service. We will be back to dine with you and to Ruidoso Cabins for our stay. Blessings, to all!!! read more

I can't speak more highly of this place. Everything from the fresh and perfectly cooked steamed mussels we had as an app to the server choice of buttercake for dessert...was a mouthwatering surprise. I loved the sauce on the mussels so much; I asked our server if I could get it on my pasta. Not a problem. Ask and you'll likely get any combo of anything there! Get the Cioppino with Linguini or the Linguini Pescatore with the spicy tomato sauce from the mussels. Just do it! Excellent wine selection. Spot on service! Perfection on a plate. This is an Italian respite in the middle of a ski resort town. Make reservations and take advantage of it's great food and hospitality. read more

The best Italian food! We come to Michael J's, and we had the best experience. The bread was so fresh, very warm. I had the Chicken parmesan, which was phenomenal! It has very nice paintings inside. And all the staff was very nice. I would recommend! read more

Came here for our anniversary. Upon entering, there seemed to be a bit of disorganization, especially at the bar. Our server was very pleasant, but seemed to lack some basic serving skills. Took way too long to get the bottle of wine we ordered. Ordered smoked salmon crostini and it was DELICIOUS, unfortunately this was the best part of the meal. We also ordered a side of creamed spinach...it was not good and had a "strange" flavor/spice that we could not figure out. We told the server we couldn't eat it and she immediately offered to remove it from our check. I had egg plant parm. It was not very good, but not bad enough to send it back and I didn't finish it. The portion of pasta served with the egg plant was scant, very scant. Wife had veal marsala and her comment was that it was OK. We were really disappointed, but the prices were reasonable and we left "full". It's rare that we have an anniversary dinner, with bottle of wine, for $100.00, before tip. I am thinking that we will NOT return. If we do, it will be for a simple pasta dish, but unlikely. Oh, we were offered a free dessert, which was a little better than "just OK'. read more

Food was excellent as was service. The wine pour was extremely short. It was a small glass to begin with, and wasn't even half full. Space was a bit cramped, even though we did request in advance a party of nine. They put two round tables together, which made it difficult for those on the curve. Should've been square tables. read more

Michael J's - three glasses of wine on a table - Italian Near Me - Ruidoso, New Mexico

Really amazing. Had the best waiter.. Thomas... experienced and attentive. We ordered a bottle of duckhorn sauv blanc. Appe was mussels. Then James had the cioppino. Joshua the orange roughy. And I had the scallops. Beautiful evening on the patio w good food and good wine. And to top it off.. dessert was amazing. read more

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Lovely place to have some food and mellow down. It was not the best Alfredo sauce I've had but don't get me wrong it wasn't bad. I recommend you make reservations beforehand to avoid any waiting. Service was good, always attentive. The atmosphere inside wasn't all there but the music level and the frameless candles helped a lot. read more

Michael J's - Alfredo Pasta - Italian Near Me - Ruidoso, New Mexico

Our favorite place. In Ruidoso, New Mexico. The service is amazing. The food is consistently always wonderful involved in restaurant actually care about your service about your meal. All of the above we give it five stars every single time. read more

First the positives. They took us in without a reservation and seated us promptly on a Friday night. We had to sit in the bar area, but the server was very attentive. The lasagna we ordered was great but my concern was with the pricing. My wife doesn't eat much so we opted to split a plate. The menu clearly says you can do this for an additional seven dollars and receive a salad or soup. When we ordered this we're we're told it would be 2.50 a piece for us both to have salad. Considering we were hungry I didn't say anything. The salad was a very meager portion of mainly spring mix and a dollop of dressing. All together splitting the lasagna with two salads was about forty bucks.. but worth it. read more

We had a wonderful dinner at Michael J's.... We got there at 5:00 without a reservation, and they were able to seat us on the patio. It was a lovely evening for outside dining. My date had the clams in garlic... he raved about how good it was! I had their special, red snapper... OMG! It was spectacular. We finished off our meal with the warm butter cake and warm wild berry sauce... wonderful! I hadn't been to Ruidoso in 8 years... and Michael J's was a wonderful dining experience then... and it is now! Highly recommend! read more

Amazing food! Loved everything about this place. Must come if you're in town. Ordered Mussels, Chicken piccata + Pinot Noir - Decoy! read more

We love coming here when we are in town. I recommend making a reservation, though. The ambiance is perfect and the food is fantastic! The best lasagna I have had (even better than the ones I had in Rome)! read more

To experience fine dining in the small mountain town of Ruidoso, Michael J's Italian Cuisine is an exceptional, delicious, 5 star treat!! Reservations are necessary and always perfectly on time. The restaurant staff is trained very well, friendly, and efficient. AND THE FOOD IS WONDERFUL!! Chef Brian prepares, delicious fresh entrees!! The soups, salads are always fresh & yummy and desserts are delectable! This is not Fast Food. Michael J's is where you Enjoy Dining is a lovely atmosphere, savor wine with friends. When we are in this quaint, vacation village, Michael J's it's always a must-go place!! read more

Spectacular meal from start to finish. Lexie did a great job of describing the specials. We started with the Lobster Cake- crispy cake that satisfies. I enjoyed the Fettuccini Carmella- as suggested by Lexie- and it was tummy satisfying. The sauce was decadent and the pasta included salty prosciutto paired with luscious shrimp and chicken. My brother loved the Calamari steak paired with Angel hair lemon beurre blanc pasta. Our dinners came with a perfect Caesar with a creamy garlicky dressing. No room for dessert. A perfect evening. read more

Ordered take out due to covid and I'm so glad we went! I ordered the lobster ravioli with a white wine sauce. The homemade pasta was delicious! You could also taste the lemon and shallots in the delicious sauce. Order lots of bread to soak up the sauce! We will definitely be back! read more

Michael J's - Lobster ravioli - Italian Near Me - Ruidoso, New Mexico

Fantastic home cooked Italian meal, chicken piccata, lasagna and shrimp scampi were all a hit! Loved it all

Served us rancid and spoiled food. Horrible experience. Avoid! Couldn't believe it! Serverd did not care. read more

Very crowded and very busy. Dinner took well over 2 hours, well past their closing. Per usual these days servers constantly mentioning they are understaffed. We did see a room with a private party, but restaurant should staff up for that not make other guests wait for everything. Appetizers were very good, wine selection good, others raved about the lasagna. I had the eggplant parmigiana, it was so dry it was difficult to chew. Not lightly fried, color was actually grayish/purplish and rubbery, maybe baked? Menu states that bread on the table is 2 tiny pieces per person, if you order any extra it's $3.50 a basket. That seems petty for a restaurant of this caliber. On a side note the staff does not notify you that the bill will be up charged 3.69% if you use a credit card. We noticed the difference from the bill and the final charge and had to ask to get an explanation. read more

Reservations highly recommended. No dress code for dinner services. Friendly host (I believe her name was Nicole) on the phone and in person. Server (Andy?) was nice and knowledgeable with wine and food. Establishment was clean with soft lights creating that intimate atmosphere. Walking towards your table, you will past the "open" kitchen. Kind of neat. For dinner, my S.O. & I ordered an eggplant and chicken parmigiana both with angel hair pasta. He ordered the chicken which wasn't heavy on the breading and I thought it was perfect as you were focused on the chicken instead of just the breading itself. My eggplant was obviously prepared fresh as it was sliced perfectly in width with light breading too. Lastly, the marinara sauce was delicious!! Reminded me of Rao's authentic homemade Italian sauce... but so better!! Thank you for an amazing birthday dinner! Would I recommend this location? Absolutely!! read more

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Great service and excellent food. I would say the portions are a bit small for the price, though. I had the Chicken Marsala with a side Caesar salad. The pasta was perfection and the Marsala delicious. read more

Overall not bad for small town Italian. Highlights: pretty outdoor spot, all our favorite dishes were seafood ones, kind and attentive staff (our waitress was very fun and sweet). If you're looking for a casual date night on vacation this spot will fit the bill. (Details below) Our party was pretty large so we called ahead and made a reservation for 10. They were unable to seat us all together and so we had to split up into groups of 5 with a walkway in between us. So they weren't super equipped to deal with large parties and we didn't find out until we got there. Appetizers: The highlight of the whole meal were the Salmon Crostini. They were really wonderful and our party ended up ordering extra after their entrees. Caprese Salad (pictured) was simple but tasty. Not nearly as outstanding as the Salmon. Entrees: Favorite of the party was the Special which was Mahi Mahi Tuna on Risotto. Light, tasty, tangy, delicious. Several people ordered Eggplant Parmigian (pictured) and many were underwhelmed. Small amount of pasta and the eggplant wasn't crispy. The Chicken Marsala was tasty, sauce maybe a bit thin, but very yummy. NOTE: All portions were very small. We had some pretty small eaters in our party and even they wouldn't have been full only ordering an entree. Plan to get several courses and have no leftovers. Dessert: Favorite was the Chocolate Torte, while delicious it was extremely rich and it was hard to have more than a bite. The Strawberry Buttercake was yummy, like a dense angelfood cake with warm strawberry compote on top. The Wild Berry buttercake however, we had to send back. The compote was mostly seeds and they were very bitter and crunchy. Maybe it was an off night but blackberries are my favorite fruit and the wild berry mix was just too crunchy and bitter for me. read more

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