I live within minutes of Napa. For the last twenty years I've been dining at various Napa restaurants. Some very TOURIST oriented and some geared towards locals. Mustard's Grill on Hwy 29 in the Napa Valley (not downtown Napa) is a very good choice worth 3 or 4 stars.
It's very crowded. Always. Not because of the food (although very good) but overall its level of food quality, service and its atmosphere. Expect a above-average noise level. That's one of its perks in that it is energy loaded.
I still think lunch is best at Mustard's (over dinner). I like the fact that the owner (she has two other Napa restaurants... 'Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen' and 'Go Fish') has created a menu that meets almost all budgets without goughing you as some Napa restaurants can do. Sandwiches are approx; $12 and lunch entrees come in at about $19. What is in error with the restaurants menus is that a simple bottle of local wine has a 200-300% markup. That's not fair to locals or tourists and many other Napa restaurants at least provide what I'd call a entry-level wine at least.
Someone in another review here said that the restaurant had a snob appeal to it and while we are blessed and very proud of not only Napa but the pure beauty of Northern California overall, I'd rate the snob appeal of Mustard's Grill as non-existant. A $10 bottle of Napa or Sonoma wine can be as elegant as a $100 bottle of Napa/Sonoma wine.
Just down Highway 29 in Napa Valley you'll also find many other good choices very similar to Mustard's Grill including Rutherford's Grill (excellent and casual), Hurley's (simple and good), BRIX, next to Mustard's Grill and a bit more upscale and pricey and Bouchon's (French and worth every expensive dime you'll spend).
You can't be successful in the very competitive Napa market without quality overall. Mustards's Grill meets all the requirements of being very successful.
Pros: Location, Quality, Price
Cons: Severe wine price markups
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