There comes a few times in my life time that I actually feel privileged to eat somewhere. Well for me Michael J's is definitely one of those places. Anyone can eat here, but trust me take the time to make a reservation the day before. Even so there is a certain exclusiveness that you feel as soon as you are greeted to the moment you walk out. This was one of my first finds here on Yelp, and I was lucky to get a seat at one of Michael's Tables. I came in without a reservation and he was kind enough to give me a seat at the bar. From that day forward I refuse to leave Ruidoso without indulging in this experience. I will not take pictures of my plates, because honestly no picture can do this place justice. But I will tell you this, everything from start to the end is perfectly and beautifully executed. Everything is made from scratch and prepared daily. And most importantly ask what the daily chef specials are and don't be afraid to try new things. Oh and Michael you can be as moody and arrogant as you want to be, as long as you keep putting that mind blowing food on my plate! One last thing... guys if you brought that special lady out here for a romantic weekend, this is the place you want to bring her to.... read more

my party of 3 had the lasagna, prawn arrabiata, and the ribeye. ate appetizer and ordered bottle of wine. Food was five stars and service was top notch. had to book reservation at least 24 hours in advance. Was seated on the patio with a small space heater in metal chairs. After and hour dining experience I was cold. read more

The minestrone soup is fantastic! The Ceasar salad was very good. The lasagna was one of the best I've had. Very good red house wine, and other good choices. Good atmosphere indoors at out. Recommend reservations. read more

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The food was great. We had lasagna and caesar salad but placed order to go. For the price, I would have expected a bigger side salad, but it was very good. read more

Not sure table linens should be used from party to party during COVID. Our server was very good, most servers were. The food was pretty good- but we felt rushed to fit in our meal and skipped dessert because of the 1 hour 20 minutes seating time. read more

This a very small and friendly place. You best make reservations as I is quite busy during the summer. The service and food is excellent! Love the Scallops on Risotto. The owners are always in house and eager to make sure you have a great dinning experience read more

Was not able to make a to-go order after 6:30pm?! The manager for tongiht (10/15) was sincerely not very friendly or helpful. The poor wait person/hostess seemed to be trying her best, but your manager (I assume he was the manager) was about worthless. Sincerely.. read more

- I am a big fan of italian food and have eaten it in a ton of locations -this is the best italian I have ever had and I have eaten italian on three continents -our party had the homemade three cheese ravioli and they were excellent, the alfredo sauce was especially good. -the Tuesday special was panko crusted calamari steak over linguine with a light lemon butter sauce, which was very well done -but the braised pork chop with rosemary mashed potatoes and asparagus stold the show. The sauce was amazing, well seasoned porkchop and lovely mash. I tried it after eating the traditional lasagna (which was VERY well done), and regretted not getting the PC -the service was great, nobodies drink got lower than about 3/4 full and I wasn't done with my meal more than 10 seconds before the bus man removed the empty plate -best overall dining experience we have had in a very long time. My family couldn't stop raving. Every plate was COMPLETELY EMPTY, which is not an easy task with a picky pre-teen -WELL DONE MICHAEL J'S read more

This place is absolute trash. The hostess up front should not be in a customer service role. Reservations were made. At the time of the reservation we were told it had to be at a certain time. We should up at the given time and we're told no reservations were made. The only table available we could be seated at had a thirty minute window then we would be kicked out. Hostess was an absolute b!tch. read more

Fabulous! A true surprise to find such excellent cuisine in Ruidoso (based on our experiences at other local restaurants.) We sat outside on the patio which was great for us. It took a while for our waiter to show up - evidently the restaurant was unusally busy - we could tell he had been rushing around. He took our drink order and proceeded to let us know of the specials. We ordered the Chicken Picatta & Veal Marsala. Both were prepared excellently - both chicken and veal fork tender. They were served atop a bed of pasta which was a perfect al dente. We do not have any dietary challenges, but understand they have GF, V & Vegan options. Hands down the best restaurant in Ruidoso. read more

Had an awesome dinner at Michael J's in Ruidoso, an Italian restaurant. The meal was great and I got a bill for $60.33 gave the server my Visa Debit card and she returned it with a charge amount of $62.33. When I asked why, she stated they are charging the credit card users the fee of 3.39% the credit card company is charging without disclosing it to the customer!! We had her reversed the charge and paid cash!! BEWARE when eating out in Ruidoso !! Elsewhere too!! read more

I went back to Michael J's for the first time in two years in hopes that it would be better. It was just OK. I ordered the cioppino And instantly regretted it the moment it was served. Very little sauce very little pasta and the smallest amount of seafood you could possibly put in a dish. They either need to take it off the menu or improve it and raise the price. read more

A hole answering the phone hung up on me mid sentence while I was asking a question. And that's after he was kind of rude to me. Maybe it's a good thing we won't ever be in this town again, because this was our favorite restaurant, but after that I would never spend another dime in the place. read more

I don't actually know if the restaurant is any good...we had a 5 pm reservation for dinner for our anniversary, and the restaurant wasn't open. Very disappointed. read more

we visited this restaurant a 8 pm Friday June 18 2021. the food was overpriced for the quality. we had chicken picata. a dish we make at home zero flavor. and the amount of noodles left us wanting. it was as if the cook used whatever was left and couldn't be bothered to cook additional pasta. the chick we received was approximately 1/3 of a chicken breast. We paid $7.00 to split the dinner with my husband and all we got was a side salad worth $1.00. My husband's Cesar salad was hot and had to be sent back. don't waste your time or your money here. read more

Hands down the most rude restaurant in Ruidoso. The hostess Nicole was rude from the get go. Insisted we had an hour only to eat our meal. Then they needed the table back. I have never been treated so rudely in a restaurant in my entire life. We had a reservation. I have eaten in some of the finest restaurants in the United States and have NEVER been treated that way. The food is not worth the treatment. Go somewhere else. read more

As soon as we walked up to the restaurant a very nice waiter was walking up as well, he recommended everything on the menu. Good sign!! As soon as we walked up to the host, he had an attitude and was very rude. We walked out right away!! We will never go back and we will let everyone know on social media about this person. It takes a lot to make my gfs sister mad, boy was she mad/sick. read more

Only place that I'm aware of in Ruidoso that serves veal. And, they do it really, really well. The mussels and tiramisu, also done nicely. Nice economical, but good Italian wine selection. The servers were extremely nice and attentive. They were glad to be there, and glad we were, too. In a large foodie city this place is a '4'. In Ruidoso it's an easy '5'. Returned for Labor Day weekend 2018 (one of the busiest ... we've been visiting since 1966). My review stands. This place is terribly overpriced relative to K-Bob's or Taco Bell. If that's your reference, ummm, you might want to go elsewhere. Otherwise, go, leave your big city attitude at home, and prepare to have a nice, (relatively) reasonably priced meal. read more

thou food was quite exquisite. The service was top notch and the wine was immaculate. I'd highly recommend this restaurant as thou family had an amazing visit read more

This was a bad experience from the start. We stood outside for 40 minutes after our reservation time. The staff were not friendly at all. We sat at our table for over 15 minutes before our waiter even approached us for drinks. The food was sub-standard and we chose not to finish eating the food. Will not be back ever and will not recommend at all. read more

Great addition to Ruidoso! Call ahead, make a reservation, and get ready for some wonderful food, beverage, and service. We had our two children with us (elementary age), and we dined on the patio. Not only were my husband and I pleasantly surprised, our kids loved it. Everything is fresh and made to order, great, great food. Be sure to finish your dinner off with a piece of Tiramisu--the best I've had (and I've had my fair share). read more

Absolutely delicious. This is definitely the best restaurant in Ruidosa. It's a popping place so make sure you make a reservation!

Wow! Amazing experience here. We made reservations for my birthday for patio seating for dinner for two. Great little table in the corner, nice views, perfect temperature (because Ruidoso, of course)! The wine was great, dinner excellent, service outstanding! Oh, and did I mention the cheesecake? So yummy. We are only in town for a couple more nights but will hopefully be able to visit one more time before we leave. If you are in Ruidoso, this place should be at the top of your list of places to go :) read more

I have lived in Ruidoso full time since 2011 and have been coming here since 2001. I have always enjoyed Michael J's and thought of and recommended them as the best restaurant in town. Tonight was our first night out to a restaurant after several months of isolation due to COVID-19 and we selected Michael J's as the place to go to celebrate getting somewhat back to normal. Our reservations for for 5:00pm and we had a party of 6. Two of our party were not able to get there until 5:15pm as they worked until 5:00pm. I could not believe it when the "TABLE NAZI" came up to our table and asked us about when our two other guests would be arriving and told us that this table was reserved for a party at 6:30, so there was a time limit on how long we could stay. We could understand the issue, but her delivery of this edict, left a lot to be desired. This was not only insulting, embarrassing and humiliating, it absolutely ruined the entire dinner for us as we felt so pressured to finish early for fear of getting thrown out of the restaurant for overstaying our visit. When we left (Thankfully on time!), there were eight tables sitting EMPTY! While the food was great, as always, you can rest assured that we will not be going back if this type of treatment is what can be expected in the future. This would have never happened when Michael and Susan ran the restaurant, with or without the COVID-19 issue. In all my years of going out to eat, I have never once, been treated this badly in any restaurant I have ever been to. read more

What a cool restaurant! My husband and I made reservations the day before. We arrived and were seated promptly, as well as served drinks promptly. We ordered a moscato wine (delicious) and Fat Tire beer on draft for my hubby. Then, I had the chicken parmigiana and I can't remember the name of my husband's dish, but it was pasta with shrimp, ham, and maybe chicken? The service was fantastic! We didn't go a minute without full waters and other servers taking our dirty dishes. The environment is cozy and classy. We were worried there might be a dress code, but everyone was wearing jeans and nice shirts. I'm a die hard Olive Garden fan, but this food was 5x better. The service was unbeatable. Oh, and the prices are excellent!!! it deserves 5 stars! read more

I'm not sure if this guy was the owner or the manager, but he was extremely rude! My wife walks in first and he asks her "How many?" She responds by saying three... I walk in with my son and says, "I just gave away the last table. And the rest of my tables are already taken by reservations." I look around and there are tables empty inside and outside. So I was like "Can we order takeout?" He looks down at his sheet and says "No, sorry I won't be doing takeout today... We are just so busy" I look around and look at all the empty tables and I'm like "Really?" If I could give this place "0" stars I would... Thanks for the warming welcome... EXTREMELY RUDE! IM PRETTY SIRE THE PEOPLE GIVING THIS PLACE FIVE STARS... ARE CLOSE FRIENDS TO THE OWNER! read more

Went to try this place out and was excited about it after reading all the excellent reviews. We walked up to the hostess desk and an older gentleman walked by and asked "Can I help you?" I said "Yes, we'd like a table for three." He looked at me in a disgusted way as he asked "Reservations?" I said "no" and he turned his back on me as he mumbled "we're booked, sorry". As we walked away feeling totally dejected, I couldn't help but notice that there were 4 tables open and no one waiting in line before us. The food may be great, but the service is lacking. Went down the road to Rio Grande Grill and Tap Room, where they greeted us with a smile and kindly put us on their waiting list. Kindness ALWAYS wins!! 5 stars for RIO GRANDE GRILL AND TAP ROOM!! read more

HOLY MOLY! This is the best Italian food I have ever had. Ever. The pasta was the perfect texture and so fresh. I was not expecting this restaurant to deliver this caliber of Italian food. I know what you are thinking. "This girl just hasn't had good Italian food." I have! It is my favorite type of food and I search high and low for amazing Italian places. I have lived in big cities like Austin, Tx and still put this establishment WAY above anything I have ever tasted. Ruidoso is basically one of the last places that I would think as a great city for a delicious Italian restaurant. Enough of that, let's talk my meal. I got the Fettuccine Carmella. I substituted out the red sauce to alfredo. Their alfredo sauce was to dye for. Two others at the table ordered the Fettuccine Carmella and kept the red sauce and regretted it after tasting mine. It was perfectly creamy, hot and cheesy. The prosciutto bits were the perfect texture. The shrimp somehow tasted as if it had just been caught it cooked an hour before it hit my plate. I don't know how they do it. I really don't. It was confusing how they could make my meal so perfect. The chicken was succulent and a great addition to the meal. The bread they served with the meal was also accompanied by olive oil and a self pourer of balsamic vinegar. I had a caesar salad for my appetizer. Crisp romaine and the perfect amount of tiny croutons and fresh ground pepper from our waitress. They also had fresh cheese to be grated over our salads and entrees. We even got to meet Michael J. himself. What a friendly man. He was wearing a daffy duck Christmas tie. Who can not like a man confident enough to wear that! He shook all of our hands and thanked us for coming in. I assured him that I would be coming back even though I live a solid 5 hours away. This is the place. If you go to Ruidoso and don't go here I feel sad and sorry for you. read more

The host/manager(?) was unbelievably rude and would not seat us. It wasn't that he couldn't that was the problem, it was the the sneer on his face and the way he said, "The power came on 30 minutes ago and we have 100 peiple to serve!" Apparently he never wants our business because that was all he said. Vinny's on Sudderth, however, rocks! read more

Food is excellent. Service is first class. Ambiance is welcoming. This will without a doubt be a dining spot when we visit Ruidoso.

Where's the chicken?. About the size of an appetizer.Very small servings, small plate of chicken Picatta. Must want you to order desdert. Didappointed. read more

Server was great. Food great. Ambiance great. Michael J's is tight af. Would recommend and eat here again. Decently priced. Fresh ass bread. My girlfriend had the chicken Marsala and I had the pasta primavera read more

Really good lasagna and the linguini carmella was excellent! They have limited seating by reservation only, but you can get carry out no problem! Little spendy but the food was good. read more

We visited a few days ago. It was a weeknight and had reservations at 7. Promptly seated. I always order fettuccini Carmella. It's usually delicious. I usually brag on the shrimp in this dish. I had ONE medium sized shrimp and a ton of chicken chunks. The chicken has no color and has a boiled feel to it. I also order this with Alfredo every time. This time the Alfredo was super watery. So much it kept splashing on my blouse when i tried to rotate the pasta on my fork. Alfredo shouldn't "splash". I had a bus boy (who felt more like my waiter as he was working his behind off. He filled our glasses of tea and brought the bread the waitress had forgotten) grate extra Parmesan on it to help thicken it which i shouldn't have done as it gave the dish a salty flavor. Tonight i was extremely disappointed. I did LOVE the creamy Italian dressing but with the salads were a tad larger. It's about a cup of loosely packed lettuce. The bread we got were slices the size of orange wedges. Very tiny. Good but stingy. I'll never order the Carmella again. I was sad lol because i always love it. Husband ordered lasagna as always and he thought it was good. Not omg good but good. My dish was 19$ and the lasagna was 17$. The iced tea was good and flowing. They only serve wine for alcohol. We spend about 3 months a year in Ruidoso's cool mountains and own a home there. It's usually better then this and hope that Michael reads this and makes adjustments accordingly. read more

I made reservations at the place then they told me when I got here they was full I will never try again I sucks I'm totally upset with this sorry place. I have nothing good to say about them but it sucks sucks sucks sucks sucks read more

This is definitely our favorite restaurant in Ruidosa, and elsewhere, too. Five stars isn't good enough. The service was outstanding. The food was so fresh and excellently prepared. Three were in our party and we each got the specials, three cheese ravioli in marinara, the cheese ravioli in Alfredo and the scallop dish, which my husband said it was the best dish ever anywhere. The deserts were wonderful. Our server went above and beyond to insure we had a great experience. Sorry we are leaving and won't have a chance to try every entree on the menu. Thanks Michael J for a wonderful dining experience. read more

What a great addition to Ruidoso. The scallops over asparagus risotto was outstanding, as was the bacon-wrapped shrimp. Good wine list. Outstanding service (the management is a crew that's been together for a long time, and the professionalism shows). Though there's lots of seating (outside is beautiful when the weather's cool enough), you really need a reservation on the weekend. Only open for dinner, Tuesday through Saturday. read more

Just about perfect. Perfect portions. We felt full but not stuffed. We had linguini pescatori. Nice to see a chef who knows how to use a lot of garlic without overdoing it. Same for chicken picata. Nice balance of lemon and capers without being over powering. Definitely going back. read more

First off - the service and servers were fantastic. It is rare for me to see a group of people who work well together and make sure the dining experience is fantastic. Went there for dinner on Wednesday night. My mother and I were seated on the covered porch, and aside from traffic noise and the view of the main road, it was quite nice. For Ruidoso, the wine list was quite good. The salads and entrees were delicious and fresh. I don't think anyone could accuse Michael J's of phoning in the entrees or the salad. Truly a solid meal. I'm only giving four stars for two reasons: 1) It was a bit over priced for what it was. 2) The tiramisu was lamentable. It was fresh, but aside from the sweetened marscapone, I couldn't taste anything. I could see the ladyfingers, and cocoa powder, but the only thing that I could discern was the sweetened cheese. Whilst it was fresh, it needs work. read more

ONLY one star because I have to select one. HATEFUL. I spoke with Michael at the front for a table of 6 and he kept saying there was nothing available and wouldn't be available. I said but y'all are open for another hour? And he said well I don't have anything. I don't know what to tell you. Take a hint and leave! Complete asshole and we won't EVER be back. read more