MJ’s Wine Bar

Went for wine tasting and talk. Loved the atmosphere and wine! I’d love to go back again and again. Knowledgeable staff and great selection.

As much as I loved the wine and cheese dishes at MJ’s, I won’t be coming back anytime soon. After coming in with a group (we were pretty much the only ones there) and filling the place, we had some pretty terrible service with the waitress treating us like we were children disrupting her bar. I then realized that I forgot to cash out my tab. I went back the next day to close out and the waitress simply handed me my card. I asked her if I needed to sign my tab or do anything and she just smiled and assured me that it was all set. I only had one glass of wine on my check (the group covered everything else) and when I checked my bank account, I had been charged $ 20. (Psssst that is not how much my wine cost, not even with a big tip). Regardless of liking my wine and the various plates, it’s unfortunately not worth it to me to deal with rude service and a severe overcharge.

Pros:
–Relaxing, swanky, yet down-​to-​earth atmosphere
–Friendly, knowledgeable staff that lets you sample (seemingly unlimited) wine
–Happy hour deals on certain wines (not the really good ones)
–Free matchbooks (throwback!) in the bathroom
Cons:
–Wine often loses is flavor and pizzaz after being opened for a day. This was the case here, as with many so-​called «wine bars.» Those vacuum seals only do so much. This was a major let down for me.
–The food (cheese plates) is expensive
I would like to believe that the quote on their matchbooks is true:“The best glass of wine is the one that’s in your hand.” For my sensitive and picky palette, this is not always the case.

When I’m looking for a place away from the hubbub of the Old Port to relax with a glass of wine, my go-​to spot is MJ’s. Admittedly, I was initially dubious of it’s bland, shopping center-​esque exterior, but after a few months, curiosity (and thirst) finally got the best of me and MJ’s won me over on the very first visit.
While MJ’s may lack the hipster-​chic ambiance of some other watering holes in town, it is a large space with a big bar and comfy couches. It never feels uncomfortably crowded or loud, and they often have live music. It also has a dramatic painting of a raging sea on the back wall. Very New England.
As the name suggests, MJ’s is primarily a wine bar. Their menu is large, though not overwhelmingly so. I love that they serve half glasses, whole glasses, and bottles. They also have a number of glasses for $ 5 during happy hour from 4 – 6.
Not a big wine fan? They also have a surprisingly interesting beer list. I know Portland loves it’s local craft breweries– but MJ’s stands apart by offering craft beers from afar.
Though MJ’s doesn’t have a for-​real food menu, they do offer a small variety of cheeses which are served with various accoutrements, including fresh baguette slices from Standard Baking Company. They also have small snack items like olives, nuts and chocolate. All very reasonably priced.
And finally– and possibly the clincher for me– MJ’s has one of the cleanest, most well stocked bathrooms in the city. In my opinion an establishment’s lavatory can make or break a place. MJ’s takes the classy route with an offering of Q-​Tips, matchbooks, and aromatic hand soap and lotion.
Bring a date, a friend, or just a book. MJ’s is the perfect destination for a quiet night out.

I went here tonight for a client function. First, in general, this place fills a much needed void in the local wine scene. They have a very eclectic and cozy vibe to the place. I imagine it would be even cozier on a normal open customer night. The cheese platters served were quite impressive with an array of fruits and cheese selections. I have seen there wine menu… an expansive array of carefully selected value based wines that will fit most anyone’s drinking style. Great staff, cozy environment… I’m good coming back here. Staff is knowledgable and friendly… I recommend wholeheartedly.

So I’ve made a change in my review from when I tried to come the last time.
I came in as I’m waiting for a friend to get out of work to have a glass of wine.
I had no idea which wine is like and the bartender offered me to try the two I was thinking of to make sure I’d like them. She was super friendly and it was just very relaxed and low key which was nice.
May I also add that compared to some other wine bars I have been to the prices here are unbeatable.
I will be back!

Great place. Owner super friendly. What a selection and knowledgeable staff. Tempranillo is my new favorite and they typically have some variation of it.

I really vacillated on my rating for MJs.
I love the concept, wine. I love the space, its a great location and its beautiful and clean. I love the staff, everyone is always friendly and knowledgeable. I love the wine! FIVE STARS for all these things. They have music and while sometimes spotty, the most recent pianist was AWESOME.
I HATE that they don’t have any food except cheese plates. I totally get that they don’t have a kitchen. I’m not expecting real bar food or a full service restaurant. I’m totally fine with cold food. I wish they had some pre-​prepared salads or something to stave off the wine buzz that you will get with any more than 2 drinks. I would love all the wine, but I have to cap myself or I have to wander into another establishment.
I will definitely be back, MJs, but sadly you won’t be my first choice. I like to nosh with my wine!!!

I was very excited to try MJ’s Wine Bar after a co-​worker told me about it. I was looking forwarded to have some good wine paired with a cheese plate.
When my friend and I arrived at MJ’s we were surprised that it wasn’t very busy for 7pm on a Saturday night but thought that was good for us as we did not have to wait for seats. We sat at the bar and were given menus. I got the Prosecco and my companion ordered a Merlot. I noticed when my Prosecco was being poured there seemed to be a problem with the tap but the bartender continued to pour my wine and then served it to me. Upon sipping my Prosecco I noticed it was pretty flat but the bartender did not come back to see how our drinks were, in fact our bartender did not come back at all… even though I still had the menu open to the food choices. My companion and I really wanted to order a cheese plate as well as a chocolate plate but we were never given that option. We were ignored the entire time we sat at the bar which was odd seeing as there was only one other couple in the enter restaurant. We finally flagged down one of the THREE people standing behind the bar for our check. It’s a shame we were not given adequate service because we went to another restaurant and spent a good amount on wine and food. Money we were planning on spending at MJ’s. MJ’s really needs to train their staff on being attentive servers or they are going to loss out on a lot more money in the future.

Great wine bar in downtown. Loads of wine selections. Happy hour has decent amount of offerings for $ 5/​full glass. We also tried a cheese plate, which was very good and you received a decent amount of cheese for the price.
The ambiance is laid back, but the décor is perfect for a wine bar. But the place did not feel stuffy.

Sunday funday! $ 3 bubbles, I mean who could resist?! Was there visiting and went there with my dad, cool spot and the bartender was super friendly and inviting to all customers. I def will go back for the lovely wine selection!

Popped over here for happy hour with some girls at work — $ 5 glasses of wine plus a great patio. When you check-​in on Unilocal,20% off a bottle, I will definitely be back to use that!

We really enjoyed happy hour here! Great prices, great bartender, excellent selections, wonderful, convivial atmosphere. A plus!

Great location, wine and ambiance!
On our recent trip to Portland I had made a note to check out MJ’s wine bar if we had time. We came by after a quick stop at the Shipyard brewery on a Saturday afternoon and had a wonderful time. The weather was absolutely perfect (minus the wind) and all of the tables outside were packed with people and bottles of wine. We decided to go inside and try a few glasses of wine.
The inside décor is fabulous with hints of cork detail everywhere; lining the ceiling, placed in between the glass windows and on the check board. They also have a lovely painted mural of all the regions that wine come from. Bathrooms are co-​ed but have great amenities in them include Q-​tips, I even used one to fix my eye makeup.
The wine list; bottles and glasses was very well rounded and had just something for everyone. I ended up with two glasses of the Aviary Cabernet which was very good, in fact I wish I bought the bottle. I was very impressed that they used Riedel stemware here, it really just makes such a difference!
Food is very limited here, they just offer snacks; cheese plates, nuts and chocolate.
They offer entertainment here as well, there was a reggae style band performing on the patio. During our time there they were also offering a $ 15 bottle of white wine special. This wine was a dry Italian and came with a bowl of strawberries, just a great deal for a holiday weekend.
PS if you check in with Unilocal,you get 20% off a bottle of wine! Wish I saw this before we started ordering.

MJ’s is one of my favorite spots to go on Sunday nights for one reason: Lady Zen performs. She is a great local gem. One of my girlfriends and I love to listen to her soulful voice while enjoying some wine or cider. Another plus is the atmosphere. I appreciate the friendly bar staff and have always been greeted with a smile. I also appreciate not being bombarded with drunk young twenty-​somethings tripping over themselves and spilling their drinks all over the place like you sometimes get at other places in the old port.
They have an expansive wine menu ranging from $ 4 glasses of wine and up (they also have cider and beer). You can choose half glasses of wine as well if you don’t want to spend a lot of money and just want a small taste of something. You can also buy wine from the bottle (and get 20% off a bottle of wine if you show the bartender that you checked in on Unilocal!).
The first time I went to MJ’s, I had a groupon for the small cheese plates. It was very tasty! I haven’t ordered any food since, because it is a little pricey. You pay $ 8 for 1 cheese, $ 15 for 2 cheeses, or $ 21 for 3 cheeses. You can add on a handful of nuts and/​or chocolate pieces for an additional fee ($ 10).
My only gripe is that MJ’s offers wine tastings where you can taste 4 of their wines, but charges $ 20 a person to participate. There are plenty of free wine tastings around Portland, maybe lower the price a bit?

What a great spot! I sadly live over two hours away but I’m already excited to visit the city again so I can go back! They had a great Happy Hour deal with full size pours for $ 5. The wine selection was so smart, such an interesting variety. It’s clear that the owners put a lot of time and thought into all everything they do. There was only one person running the whole bar and probably about 15 – 20 people, but somehow she ran it effortlessly! She knew so much about what she did which is such a plus.
THE CHEESE PLATES. Did I mention the cheese plates? The pairings they have come up with were brilliant. My boyfriend and I both left so happy and ready to go home and try out our own!

One of the things I appreciate most about MJs is that it is a destination that the majority of patrons make a conscious effort to visit. It’s just off the beaten path, on the outskirts of the Old Port, and what I consider to be the chaos of Wharf Street.
While it is primarily a wine bar, as the name implies, from the wall mural that depicts international regions of viticulture, to the impressive list of vino, it also offers a delectable selection of beer. I’m just as inclined to pop in to split a 350 ml bottle of the Flemish red with a friend as I am to have a glass of red wine here, (I detest whites for the most part).
The ambiance lends itself to an upscale clientele, while still being very welcoming to your average joe. There’s a collection of vinyl records to listen to, or, if you’re confident enough to tickle the ivories, there’s a piano too! I’ve also heard some fantastic live jazz performances here.
My favorite day to come in has to be Sunday. Mark, the owner, is in attendance and plays host, bartender and waffle chef extraordinaire. He is, in every sense of the word, dynamic and seems to be everywhere at once, laughing and joking with patrons, while keeping glasses and plates full. The cheese board/​nut selection is also a nice snack.
You should definitely walk the extra block or two from the more trafficked section of the Old Port to MJs!

MJ’s Wine Bar is at an odd spot as far as their location goes (I think), but is perfect inside. The only thing I wish they had inside was more seating! That place couldn’t fit anymore chairs, but it’s still wishful thinking.
This place is a perfect warm and cozy spot on a cold winter night. My family and I went on fall evening and it was absolutely perfect. I believe the owner was there and he was super sweet. The other worker was sweet as well and took the time to tell us all about the wines we were inquiring.
Everything was clean and very professional, yet comfortable and casual. We tried the vino verde and it was delicious and crisp. My dad tried some of the nuts and said they were delicious.
I’ll be back to split a bottle of wine and try a small plate for sure! It might be more of a date spot, but I had fun with the fam nonetheless.

How can you go wrong with $ 3 mimosas and $ 4 belgian waffles?! The mimosas of the day were blueberry (made with an in-​house blueberry syrup) and the traditional OJ. I opted for the blueberry, which was very refreshing.
They open at 11 am on Sundays and close around 10 pm. When I got there, the sun was beaming and it was a perfect morning in Maine to enjoy a mimosa outside (while we still can!). They have about 7 outdoor tables that can accomodate three to six people, umbrellas included, in case you’re not one for the sun. There was one waitress who gave us impeccable service and attentiveness. She was also the one making the drinks and waffles. The only time I did have to go inside was to use the restroom and the entire space carried the scent of a beautiful bakery hard at work — it was amazing, and if you weren’t hungry then, you were after that!
After three mimosas a piece, our bills came to a little over $ 9/​ea. MJs delivered a more than enjoyable Sunday brunch (more boozey for us, as we went at noon so we weren’t hungry), and I can’t wait to revisit! at that point

I really enjoyed my happy hour experience at MJ’s Wine Bar. I went with a friend is very knowledgeable about wine (but not snobby about it) and if he recommends it, I’m in!
The vinho verde I ordered was lovely and the vibe at MJ’s is great — I just would have appreciated a little more attention from our bartender. It was a busy Friday night Happy Hour and our bartender was on his own. I can totally empathize but when I go to a wine bar I like to learn about the wine I’m drinking and try new things. I just didn’t get that opportunity at MJ’s this time around. Another bartender did come in right before we got the check and I’m sure it was smooth sailing after that.
I will definitely go back to MJ’s and I hope to give it another star or two next time. The prices are really reasonable, the wines are interesting and accessible and the location is terrific.