I love a good success story. The one where a person realizes a life long dream of owning a sports bar, and that is the case with MJ’s Tap House which is VERY softly opened in Canyon Country as of today.

Nestled in a shopping center that has seen many places come and go (laser tag, antique mall, Hobby People), and currently home to China Wok (our go to place growing up) and Brother’s Burgers (they made me special Mickey Mouse pancakes up until my mid twenties), the parking lot is usually packed, but if this place is as well received as I predict it will be, then the parking lot is about to get much more cramped.

I suppose the best way to describe it is…sports bar, but it gives off a classy vibe. There are flat screen TVs on the walls, music blasting, and in time they’ll be adding a pool table and darts. Add some nice beers on tap, and you’ve got yourself a good hangout spot in Canyon Country. Did I mention they have a gorgeous patio complete with lights?

The menu is VERY limited, composed of a chicken sandwich, wings, a burger, fries, and flatbread. In time their menu will be much bigger. They also had a kids section on the menu, so it is nice they’ve thought about the whole family.

I can see this place being the Canyon Country hangout spot. Plenty of seating at the bar, high tables, low tables, and outdoor seating. People ask us all the time about local places to catch games, and I think this might be the answer.

As far as food goes, the wings are served in buckets and they have varying choices in terms of flavors. We opted for mild and garlic parmesan. The flavor was much more prominent with the mild buffalo wings but hardly noticeable with the garlic ones.

The chicken sandwich had real pieces of grilled chicken and plenty of avocado. I prefer a toasted bun, but that’s a matter of preference. I’m going to assume that if I had asked for it toasted, they would have done it.

Same with the burger, I prefer a toasted bun. When it comes to meat doneness, I would be sure to be clear how you would like it cooked in case they don’t ask. I loved the bacon that was served with it though.

By far, the best thing I ate today were the fries. I couldn’t stop eating them and dipping them in the ketchup and ranch that was provided.

I liked that they steered away from the typical sweet potato fries, instead opting for parsnip and carrot fries. The parsnip fries were a bit tough to bite into, but had the perfect sweetness. And the carrot fries were perfect.

Any new place is going to have growing pains, especially when they are just starting out. I look forward to heading back in a few weeks/months to check out the full menu and to see the progress. The owners definitely have a positive attitude, and as I mentioned above, I love a good success story. Especially one that involves leaving the corporate world to realize a dream.

For now, if you go check it out be aware that it is a soft opening phase. Let us know what you think over in the Santa Clarita Foodies group…

 

MJ’s Tap House is located at 20655 Soledad Canyon Road in Canyon Country.